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Intercultural Communication Essentials

The document discusses intercultural communication. It defines intercultural communication as the sending and receiving of messages across different cultures and languages. It notes there are six stages of developing intercultural sensitivity: denial, defense, minimization, acceptance, adaptation, and integration. The characteristics of competent intercultural communicators include flexibility, reflectiveness, open-mindedness, sensitivity, adaptability, ability to think creatively and consider systems-level thinking, and politeness. When communicating interculturally, one should consider factors like gender, age, social status, and religion, and avoid stereotypes, use inclusive language, and be respectful of differences.

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116 views9 pages

Intercultural Communication Essentials

The document discusses intercultural communication. It defines intercultural communication as the sending and receiving of messages across different cultures and languages. It notes there are six stages of developing intercultural sensitivity: denial, defense, minimization, acceptance, adaptation, and integration. The characteristics of competent intercultural communicators include flexibility, reflectiveness, open-mindedness, sensitivity, adaptability, ability to think creatively and consider systems-level thinking, and politeness. When communicating interculturally, one should consider factors like gender, age, social status, and religion, and avoid stereotypes, use inclusive language, and be respectful of differences.

Uploaded by

Tsej Isaac
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

MODULE 5: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

“Communication works for those who work at it.”

~John Powell~

There is one lesson covered by the module.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

After going through this module, you are expected to:

 Demonstrate sensitivity to the sociocultural dimension of communication situation with focus


on
a. culture
b. gender
c. age
d. social status
e. religion

PRE-TEST
Directions: Read the sentences carefully then choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. It is the first stage in the cultural differences model.
a. Denial c. Minimization
b. Acceptance d. integration
2. It is in the latest part that one is able to see beyond his culture.
a. Denial c. Minimization
b. Acceptance d. integration
3. In this stage, the individual starts to recognize cultural differences and is
intimidated by them.
a. Denial c. Minimization
b. Defense d. Integration
4. In this stage, the individual begins to appreciate cultural differences in behaviors
and values.
a. Denial c. Acceptance
b. Minimization d. Adaptation
5. It is the sending and receiving of messages across cultures.
a. International communication c. Intercultural communication
b. Intercultural messaging d. Interlanguage
6. It is one way of giving respect to the practices like “not eating pork”.
a. Cultural sensitivity c. Language sensitivity
b. Religious sensitivity d. Interlanguage
7. This is when the individual is very open to world views when accepting new
perspectives.
a. Denial c. Acceptance
b. Minimization d. Adaptation
8. This is using “he/she” pronouns instead of the generalized “he”.
a. Cultural sensitivity c. Cultural diversity
b. Polarization d. Gender sensitivity
9. It is the term used to refer to carefully giving consideration to other cultures.
a. Polarization c. Cultural Barrier
b. Cultural sensitivity d. Cultural diversity
10. This is one thing to avoid which refers to generalization of a certain group.
a. Integration c. Name calling
b. Stereotyping d. Finger pointing

MODULE INTERCULTURAL
5 COMMUNICATION

WHAT’S NEW?
Picture Analysis: Look at the image and answer the questions that follow.

Note your comparison of the advertisements on the space provided below.


____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

1. Why do you think the advertisement was edited?


2. Is the edited justified? Why or why not?
3. If you were members of the advertising team of the company, would you edit the advertisement
as well? Why or why not?
SPOTLIGHT

Definition and Nature of Intercultural Communication

Intercultural communication happens when people interact, negotiate, and negotiate


meanings while bringing in their varied cultural backgrounds. For some educators,
intercultural communication pertains to communication among people from different races.
Still, others consider at intercultural communication as communication that is entwined by
different ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations.

Both explanations show that intercultural communication takes place when people
come out from their cultural identity to understand values, prejudices, language, attitudes, and
relationships. In simple terms, intercultural communication is the sending and receiving of
messages throughout languages and cultures. Sometimes, intercultural communication can
slither smoothly and become very interesting for a cross-cultural crowd. However, things may
not work as planned when communication is bothered by cultural clashes.

DID YOU KNOW?

Nodding means “yes” in the Indian subcontinent,


Iran, most of Europe, Latin America, and North
America.

However, in Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine,


Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Albania,
nodding indicates disagreement.

Moreover, in the case of Japanese culture, silence


as a form of communication is more integrated in
It is therefore important for you
their customs than in Western languages. to acknowledge and understand
the many communication
patterns present in other
cultures.
According to Benett and Benett (2004), there are six stages of Developmental Model
of Intercultural Sensitivity and they are the following:

Stage 1: Denial. The individual does not recognize cultural differences thus, a person
in the denial stage might be heard telling "All cities are the same; they all have tall structures,
fast food chains, and coffee shops."

Stage 2: Defense. The individual starts to see cultural differences and is fearful by
them, resulting in either a superior view on own culture or an unjustified high consideration
for the new one. A person in the defense stage might be heard talking: "This culture does not
tell life the way we do; our culture is certainly advantageous." "Their practices are better than
mine; I wish I were one of those."

Stage 3: Minimization. Although people see cultural differences, they invest more on
the generality of ideas rather than on cultural differences. A person in the minimization stage
might be heard telling: "Once we look through the cultural differences, we surely are just the
same!"

Stage 4: Acceptance. The person starts to appreciate important cultural discrepancies


in behaviors and eventually in values. A person in the acceptance stage might be heard
talking: "These individuals and I have various values and experiences, and I know we can gain
knowledge from one another."
Stage 5: Adaptation. The person is very open to world perspectives when accepting
new views. A person in the adaptation stage might be heard saying: "To solve our issue, I have
to re-align my approach to see both my own and my counterpart's background."

Stage 6: Integration. Individuals begin to go outside their own cultures and see
themselves and their actions based on multifarious cultural perspectives. A person in the
integration stage might be heard talking: "I can view things from the perspective of different
cultures."

Once you comprehend these stages, you may demonstrate it to:


 acknowledge communication trends which differ from your own;
 take into consideration what can alter these types of behavior; and
 try to recognize how linguistic and cultural communities disagree in terms of
communication behavior and influencing factors.

Characteristics of Competent Intercultural Communicators World


Bank (2010) identifies the following traits that define a competent
intercultural communicator.

1. flexibility and the ability to tolerate high levels of uncertainty


2. reflectiveness or mindfulness
3. open-mindedness
4. sensitivity
5. adaptability
6. ability to engage in divergent thinking (or thinking
creatively) and systems-level thinking (or thinking how
each one in a system or organization influences each
other)
7. politeness

Note:
When communicating with others, other elements such as gender, age, social
status, and religion must also be taken into consideration in addition to culture. Stop
from showing bias when talking to somebody by following the guides below.
 About a certain group, avoid stereotypes and generalizations.
 Challenge gender norms by avoiding using "he" and "man" to refer to a
general group of people and use plural pronouns or restructure a sentence to
refrain from using pronouns. The use of his/her is also tolerable.
 Do not talk down on younger individuals and the old ones.
 Be cautious to the religious beliefs of others.
 Be polite and courteous; do not belittle individuals you think to be on a lower
social status than you.

PRACTICE YOURSELF
A. Directions: Prepare a two-minute speech about this line taken from
Understanding Cultural Differences by Edward Hall and Mildred Hall: "The essence
of effective cross-cultural communication has more to do with releasing the right
responses than with sending the 'right' message."
Highlight your speech with your response to the following question: Why is "giving
the right responses" more advantageous than "giving the right message" in
intercultural communication?

B. Directions: Choose an international company which interests you. Visit their


website. If company has multiple website, visit at least two of them.
Using a minimum of 200 words, write an essay discussing at least two (2) strategies
employed by the company to to ensure that the right messages on their products
and services are sent effectively across cultures worldwide.

ASSESSMENT

Directions: Write T before each number if the statement is true and F if the statement is false.

1. Intercultural communication occurs when there is interaction and negotiation between or among
individuals from different cultural backgrounds.
2. Intercultural communication refers only to communication that happens between or among
individuals from different nations.

3. Communication that exists between or among individuals from different ethnic,


religious and regional backgrounds, and sexual orientations is not considered as intercultural.

4. The DMIS by Bennett and Bennett (2004) can be used to understand those who do not recognize
other cultures and cannot communicate interculturally.

5. The denial stage could be interpreted as distrust towards other cultures.

6. The acceptance stage refers to recognition of cultural differences.

7. In the adaptation stage, individuals begin to integrate with other cultures.

8. Cultural sensitivity matters in intercultural communication.

9. One character trait of a competent communicator is sensitivity to nonverbal cues in other


cultures.

10. A competent communicator is a person who is effective in intercultural communication.

REFERENCES
Baraceros, Esther L. and Lintao, Rachelle, B. (2010). English 4: Oral Communication in Context (First Edition).
Quezon City: Rex Bookstore, Inc.

Dapat, Jose Rizal O., Sadorra, Bryan Eli B., and Lumabi,Bethany Marie C. (2016). Oral Communication in
Focus. Quezon City: Lorimar
Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, Metro Manila. ; P38-54.

Diaz, Rafaela Hernandez. (2014). Speech and Oral Communication for College Students, Revised Edition.
Quezon City: National Bookstore.

Flores, [Link] Lopez E. (2008). Effective Speech Communication 5th Edition.


National Bookstore: Philippines.
Galero-Tejero, E. (2008) Doorways to English Language Proficiency: A self Improvement program, National
Bookstore: Philippines.

Sipacio, P.J.F. & Balgos, A.R.G. Oral Communication in Context for Senior High School. Types of Speech
Styles. p35. 2016. C&E Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Philippines.

[Link] Retrieved on December 28, 2018

Sipacio, P. F., & Balgos, A. G. (2016). Oral Communication in Context for Senior High School. Quezon City: C
& E Publishing, Inc. .

[Link]
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X4Elt7lMYxHUq-RhQ5TMaYlgpv8vzVMX-_hgTVCCytW9SD64GFFeyvmbKQL8BpiKWr

Common questions

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The key stages in the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) are Denial, Defense, Minimization, Acceptance, Adaptation, and Integration. These stages facilitate understanding cultural differences by initiating from a lack of awareness of cultural differences (Denial) to recognizing them (Defense), and then progressing to appreciating them (Acceptance). As one moves to Adaptation, they begin to adapt their perceptions and actions to new contexts, and finally, in Integration, individuals view cultural experiences from multiple perspectives .

Gender and age significantly impact intercultural communication by influencing communication styles and perceptions. For instance, certain cultures may have specific expectations about gender roles or may treat younger or older individuals differently. Biases can be mitigated by challenging gender norms, such as avoiding the use of gender-specific pronouns when unnecessary, being respectful towards all age groups, and maintaining an awareness of one's own biases and assumptions about gender and age in communication .

Avoiding stereotypes and generalizations in intercultural communication is important because they can lead to misunderstandings and reinforce negative preconceptions about certain cultural groups. Stereotypes oversimplify complex cultures and individuals, which can obstruct effective and open communication by fostering prejudice and creating barriers to mutual understanding and respect .

Prejudices and attitudes play a crucial role in the effectiveness of intercultural communication by affecting how messages are both sent and received. Negative prejudices can lead to assumptions that hinder accurate comprehension and reduce openness to other cultural perspectives. Positive attitudes, on the other hand, foster an environment of mutual respect and openness, enhancing the ability to navigate and bridge cultural differences effectively, ultimately leading to more successful and meaningful communication .

Cultural sensitivity contributes to effective intercultural communication by fostering an understanding and respect for cultural differences. It involves acknowledging and respecting practices such as varying dietary restrictions or communication norms, which helps in reducing misunderstandings and building respectful and meaningful interactions among diverse cultural backgrounds .

Understanding nonverbal cues is crucial for being a competent intercultural communicator as they vary significantly across cultures. Being sensitive to nonverbal communication like gestures, facial expressions, and body language helps in accurately interpreting messages and responding appropriately. For instance, nodding signifies agreement in some cultures while indicating disagreement in others, hence awareness prevents misinterpretation and enhances effective communication .

International companies can ensure effective communication across cultures by adopting strategies such as cultural adaptation of marketing materials, using culturally relevant symbols and language, and engaging in local partnerships to understand the cultural landscape better. Additionally, training their employees in intercultural sensitivity and reflecting cultural diversity on their teams can help tailor their communication strategies to be respectful and resonate with local audiences, thus enhancing their effectiveness .

'Giving the right responses' is emphasized over 'sending the right message' in intercultural communication because it focuses on actively engaging and validating the other party's cultural perspective. Responding appropriately requires understanding the context and nuances of different cultures, ensuring that communication is reciprocal and respectful. This approach helps in bridging cultural gaps more effectively than merely sending a predetermined message without consideration of its reception or interpretation by others .

According to the World Bank, a competent intercultural communicator is defined by several traits including flexibility and tolerance for uncertainty, reflectiveness or mindfulness, open-mindedness, sensitivity, adaptability, the ability to engage in divergent and systems-level thinking, and politeness .

The 'Adaptation' and 'Integration' stages are significant in the intercultural sensitivity model as they represent advanced levels of cultural competence. In the Adaptation stage, individuals not only recognize cultural differences but actively adjust their behavior to accommodate them, aiding in effective problem-solving and collaboration. The Integration stage signifies the ability to view and evaluate situations through multiple cultural perspectives, allowing individuals to transcend their own cultural boundaries and act as bridges between diverse cultural contexts, ultimately fostering inclusivity and understanding .

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