intercultural

communication

Group Three
 Part I:
Definition and
nature of
intercultural
communication
 What is intercultural
communication?

Intercultural communication studies

and practices communication across
cultural contexts, encompassing
domestic and international differences
like ethnicity, gender, nationality, or
world region.
 What is intercultural
communication?

Intercultural happens when

Individuals interact,negotiate, and
create meanings while bringing in their
varied cultural backgrounds. (Ting-
Toomey, 1999)
What is intercultural
communication?

For some scholars,intercultural

communication pertains to
communicate among people from
different nationalities
(Gudykunst,2003)
 importance

Cultural Understanding Globalization

It promotes understanding Effective intercultural
and empathy among
communication is crucial
individuals from diverse
for businesses, diplomacy,
cultural backgrounds,
and international relations
thereby reducing
misunderstandings and in today's interconnected
conflicts. world.
 importance
Respect and Inclusion Personal Growth
This approach fosters This enables individuals to
expand their horizons,
cultural understanding
learn about diverse
and fosters an inclusive
cultures, and enhance
environment where their intercultural
everyone feels valued. competence.
Examples : Branding
Branding
Multinational corporations face challenges
in naming products that won't offend
customers due to linguistic differences.
Coca-Cola, for example, rebranded its
KeKou-KeLa brand to "ko-kou-ko-le," which
translates to "happiness in the mouth" in
Chinese.
Examples : Business
Relationships
Branding
Respecting social norms in another culture
involves understanding varying practices.
Americans value small talk, while the British
use humor. Thais don't mind intrusive
questions, while Americans prefer first
names. Austria uses titles to avoid disrespect.
Examples : Public relations
and media events
US executives frequently interview
international media and make public
appearances in other countries, relying on
language skills to understand cultural
differences. In Japan, politeness is key, while
Indian equivalents of "please" and "thank
you" are seen as disrespectful. American first
names are preferred, while titles are used in
Austria to avoid disrespect.
Competence
Self-Awareness. Self-awareness is crucial for
enhancing meaningful interactions with others
by understanding how personal views,
behaviors, and prejudices may impact
conversations.
Empathy. Intercultural communication relies
heavily on empathizing with others and gaining
insight into their experiences.
Competence
Respect. Respect is the ability to show respect
for another person or group's culture, even if
you don't fully appreciate or agree with every
aspect of it.
Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence
is crucial for effective communication with
diverse cultures, requiring the ability to use
senses, understand oneself, and empathize with
others.
Competence
Adaptability. Intercultural communication aims
to promote clarity, harmony, and cooperation
by teaching adaptability in thinking, reactions,
interactions, speech, listening, and body
language.
Patience. Effective communication across
cultural boundaries requires patience and a
willingness to absorb new information, as
cultural differences may take longer than usual
to absorb.
Competence

Maintaining an optimistic attitude is

crucial when interacting with people of
other cultures, as misunderstandings often
occur due to lack of understanding,
making constructive viewing of
intercultural exchanges essential.
 Theories
interpretive
Social science This theory focuses on accumulating
It also examines the ways in which knowledge about a culture through
individuals adjust their communication in the form of shared
communication with others in stories based on subjective, individual
different situations, depending on experiences.
who they are talking to.

Dialectal Critical
Dialectical approach avoids Analyzes cultural differences,
oversimplification in especially in media portrayals,
intercultural communication. for a deep understanding of
intercultural communication.
 MULTICULTURAL VS. CROSS
CULTURAL VS.
INTERCULTURAL
Multicultural
refers to
Cross-cultural means
how a group or team is
comparing two or more
composed, in particular a group
different cultures; so cross-
that is made up of people with
cultural communication
different nationalities. In fact,
examines the varying
communication in multicultural
communication styles of
settings has become
different cultural groups.
commonplace
today.
 Problems
Ethnocentrism
Psychological Barriers
Conflicting Values
Geological Distance

Stereotyping Language Barriers

 BASIC TOOLS FOR IMPROVING
INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION

Display of interest
Interaction management
Orientation to
knowledge Tolerance for ambiguity

Empathy Interaction posture

Having cultural sensitivity

 Part II:
The
Developmental
Model
Intercultural
Sensitivity
 Developmental model of
intercultural sensitivity

It offers structure that explores how

people experience cultural
differences. And according to Bennett
and Bennett (2004) it has six stages:
 Developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (STAGES)

STAGE 1: DENIAL . The individual does not recognize cultural

differences.
Ex. "All cities are the same; they all have tall buildings, fast food
chains, and coffee shops"
STAGE 2: DEFENSE . The individual starts to recognize cultural
differences and is intimated by them, resulting in either a superior
view on own culture or an unjustified high regard for the new one.
Ex. "This culture does not view life the way we do; our culture is
certainly better."
"Their ways are better than my own; I wish I were one of them."
 Developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (STAGES)

STAGE 3: MINIMIZATION . Although individuals see cultural

differences, they bank more on the university of ideas rather than on
cultural differences.
Ex. "Once we see through the cultural differences,, we really are
just the same!"
STAGE 4: ACCEPTANCE . The individual begins to appreciate
important cultural differences in behaviors and eventually in values.
Ex. "These people and I have different values and experiences, and I
think we can learn from one another."
 Developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (STAGES)

STAGE 5: ADAPTATION. The individual is very open to world

views when accepting new perspectives.
Ex. "To address our issue, I have to adjust my approach to consider
both my own and my counterpart's background."

STAGE 6: INTEGRATION. Individuals start to go beyond their

own cultures and see themselves and their actions based on
multifarious cultural viewpoints.
Ex. "I can look at things from the perspective of various cultures."
 Part III:
Characteristics
of Competent
Intercultural
Communicators
 Characteristics of Component
Intercultural Communicator

Flexibility and the ability Reflectiveness or

to tolerate high levels of
uncertainty Mindfulness
Tolerance for
MINDFULNESS means
uncertainty refers to an
being aware or
individual’s attitude
heeding, for example,
about and level of
discomfort in uncertain “mind your language” ,
situations “mind the gap”
 Characteristics of Component
Intercultural Communicator

Open-Mindedness Sensitivity
Refers to the tenderness or easily
irritated but with the context of
Open-mindedness being interculturally competent,

is receptiveness to sensitivity means the degree of an

individual to be a cautious and
new ideas wary communicator in the
presence of diversity.
 Characteristics of Component
Intercultural Communicator

Adaptability Ability to engage in

divergent thinking (thinking
Willingness and creatively) and systems
level thinking for thinking
ability to change how each one in the system
your manner of or organization influences
communication. each other.
Characteristics of Component
Intercultural Communicator

Politeness
Is the practical
application of
good manners or
etiquette.
 To refrain from showing bias when talking to
someone, these are the following tips below:

Avoid stereotypes, i.e., generalizations about a

certain group
Challenge gender norms.
Do not talk down on younger people and the
elderly.
Be sensitive to the religious practices of others.
Be polite at all times.
The single biggest problem in
communication is the illusion
that it has taken place.

George Bernard Shaw