I. Be aware of differing social values;
II. Be aware of differing status symbols and
how to demonstrate them;
III. Be aware of decision
making customs: not all people like to make decisions quickly and efficiently;
IV. Be aware of concepts of time: not all
people like to see time as money;
V. Be aware of personal
space: people from different cultures have different ‘comfort zones’;
VI. Be aware of culture
context: people from certain cultures (called 'high-context cultures) rely less
on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and
environmental settings to convey meaning. People from low-context cultures like
the USA rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied
meaning to convey meaning;
VII. Be aware of body
language: learn the basic differences in the way people supplement their words
with body movement;
VIII. Be aware of different
etiquette rules for manners: what is polite in one culture may be considered
rude in another;
IX. Be aware of legal and ethical behavior;
X. Be aware of language
barriers: English is the most prevalent language in international business, but
it's a mistake to assume that everyone understands it (Hahn, 2005).
“Intercultural communication refers
not only to the communication between individuals of diverse cultural
identities but also to the communication between diverse groups" (Jandt,
2013, p. 8). Taking this definition into consideration along with reading the
article by Martin Hahn, Ten Commandments of Intercultural
Communication, makes
me think of my time at Christ For The Nations Bible Institute (CFNI) in Dallas,
Texas. Just as Hahn (2005) stated in his article, I did not have to leave my
own country in order "to come in contact with people from a variety of backgrounds."
Attending CFNI exposed me to a Christian cultural (the common ground), but with
many subcultures of diverse individuals and groups.
I would have to say all of the ten
commandments of intercultural communication were at play to effectively communicate
with the international students; however, I found commandment ten being the
most prevalent - Be aware of
language barriers - not to
assume everyone understands English. Even with the international students
that were well versed in English (the Queen’s language) I still had to choose
my words carefully in order to eliminate any confusion on their part. I
spoke proper English; avoiding slang or jargon at all times. I
used precise and concise words and statements. There were times
I had to rely on a translator, pictures, or translating software, in order to achieve successful
communication.
All in all, we enjoyed learning from
each other. We certainly encountered
challenges assuring our messages were completely understood and received by one
another. Hahn’s tips for cross-cultural communication; respect, empathy,
tolerance, patience, flexibility, etc., was definitely extended towards one
another during these times of misunderstanding, but it allowed us the
opportunity to strengthen our intercultural communication skills.
References
Ezine@rticles. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of
Jandt, F.E. (2013). An
introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global
community (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
https://www.pinterest.com/bmgmlove/cultural-diversity-cultures-languages/
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