Communication is the primary mode of human interaction through which people understands and exchange rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles, beliefs, customs, knowledge, attitudes, and language. Culture gives a sense of identity to social units, while communication propagates and reiterates cultural values and schemas. This course focused on the different ways people across cultures communicate and how cultural concepts affect communication. Intercultural communication involves concepts such as language, social attributes, thought patterns, and customs of a given group of people. Language is the fundamental element of interpersonal communication closely related to one’s identity, perception, interaction, and worldview. The foundational principles of intercultural communication: language, communication channels, and intercultural mediation help develop a new culture over time.
Language
Language is the core element of communication in any intercultural encounter. Language can be verbal, non-verbal, electronic, or written. This topic appeals to me because I have witnessed first-hand language use, misuse, or abuse resulting in successful engagements or communication failure. I learned that successful intercultural communication is anchored on the speakers’ abilities to articulate issues in a manner that can be understood by the recipient through body language or verbal undertones. This information transformed my understanding of the association between language and linguaculture in intercultural communication (Klyukanov, 2020). For instance, Indians shake their head in agreement and nod in disagreement, contrary to western culture. Therefore, I learned to always accompany verbal communication with culture-specific non-verbal signals to avoid misunderstanding when dealing with individuals from other cultures.
Intercultural Mediation
Intercultural mediation occurs in all interactions between representatives of varying linguacultures involved in the translation and interpretation of relevant utterances to provide insight and perception (Klyukanov, 2020). For instance, multilingual tourist guides help foreigners interact with locals by providing detailed and relevant insights into the local linguacultures. I learned the significance of intercultural mediation while interacting with my Asian friends, with whom I established strong bonds, yet language remained a substantial barrier to our interactions. Luckily, One of my classmates understood both Asian and English dialects and became an indispensable mediator. This encounter made me appreciate the significance of mediators to people speaking different lingua francas.
Communication channels
Communication channels facilitate the flow of information among individuals or groups. Verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic communication are the most utilized by American students. In-person communications are mostly conscious because the speakers exchange information through word of mouth. Nonetheless, face-to-face communication involves more than verbal cues as speakers sneak in non-verbal hints through gestures, facial expressions, postures, and voice tone (Klyukanov, 2020). However, volume, speech rate, and tone do not denote the same thing for different cultures. I learned that some people are fast speakers while others are slower, some louder and others slower. Therefore, I sought to understand people’s cultures before judging them. Understanding the subconscious elements of communicative behavior is imperative in ensuring effective interpersonal communication.
Conclusion
Intercultural communication entails information exchange among individuals or groups from different cultures. Effective cross-cultural communication is anchored on three major elements: language, communication channels, and intercultural mediation. Intercultural mediation uses interlocutors as mediators between people from different cultures. Language is essential to understanding people’s viewpoints. Meanwhile, communication channels attach meaning to language to offer adequate perception to speakers and listeners. This module has taught me critical lessons to appreciate diversity. I will deploy these lessons to all future engagements with non-English speaking people in the workplace and other environments.
References
Klyukanov, I. E. (2020). Principles of intercultural communication. Routledge.
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