Therefore, intercultural communication competence has become a theme which concerns everybody and which will even become more and more important in our world of globalization.
In order to avoid misunderstandings or even hostile attitudes ending up in conflicts, in order to live peacefully in the “global village” and be able to solve the growing number of global problems which do not stop at national borders, the ability to understand people from different cultures and to communicate competently with them has taken on an extreme urgency. However, achieving this aim sounds easier than it is. To communicate competently with people from other cultures, it is not enough to speak the same language as they do.
Even though two people speak the same language it is possible that they do not understand each other. This thesis becomes obvious in the following critical incident: A Japanese negotiating with a German business partner says that the deal will be difficult. When the German asks how his company can help to solve the problem, the Japanese is confused. While the Japanese meant that the deal is off, the German thought there were only some obstacles which can be overcome.
This phenomenon can be explained due to the fact that both speakers know the linguistic rules of the language such as grammar and vocabulary, but they are not aware of the cultural norms, attitudes and behavior of their communication partner. They have linguistic competence, but no intercultural communication competence. This lack of intercultural communication competence and the ignorance of cultural differences might cause many misunderstandings.
In order to understand the sources of misunderstandings and to be aware of intercultural communication problems, it is necessary to know and to understand the concept of communication.
Since it is not possible to transmit messages directly from one person’s brain to that of another person, we have to put our ideas into codes that can be transmitted. Consequently, communication can be described as an exchange of messages between a sender and a receiver. In this process the sender encodes the message, which means that he produces a set of symbols and the receiver has to decode the message, which means that he tries to understand the meaning of the symbols by interpreting or making sense of them.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Intercultural Communication
- Why Intercultural Communication?
- The Concept of Communication
- Culture
- Cultural Dimensions
- Intercultural Competence
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte
This text aims to provide a thorough understanding of intercultural communication, its importance in today's globalized world, and the key elements that influence successful intercultural encounters. It explores the underlying concepts of communication and culture, examines cultural dimensions that impact communication styles, and emphasizes the crucial role of intercultural competence in navigating cross-cultural interactions effectively.
- The increasing significance of intercultural communication in a globalized world
- The concept of communication as a complex exchange of messages and the role of verbal and nonverbal communication
- The influence of culture on communication, including cultural assumptions, values, and beliefs
- Cultural dimensions, such as the concept of time and directness, that shape communication styles across cultures
- The importance of intercultural competence, encompassing cultural knowledge, attitudes, and skills, for effective intercultural communication.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel
- Intercultural Communication: This chapter introduces the concept of intercultural communication, its growing relevance in a globalized world, and the challenges arising from cultural differences in communication.
- The Concept of Communication: This section examines communication as an exchange of messages between a sender and a receiver, highlighting the complexity of the process and the potential for misunderstandings due to cultural differences in interpreting symbols and nonverbal cues.
- Culture: This chapter explores the multifaceted nature of culture, delving into various definitions and emphasizing the role of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs in shaping communication styles.
- Cultural Dimensions: This section focuses on two significant cultural dimensions – the concept of time and the degree of directness – explaining how these dimensions influence communication practices and can lead to misunderstandings in intercultural encounters.
Schlüsselwörter
This text focuses on intercultural communication, cultural dimensions, intercultural competence, communication, culture, global village, misunderstandings, cultural knowledge, attitudes, skills, globalization, directness, time.
- Citation du texte
- Claudia Brunsch (Auteur), 2006, Intercultural Communication. An Overview, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/70725
