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104 Intercultural Communication Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Intercultural communication is a crucial aspect of our globalized world. As we interact with people from different cultural backgrounds, it is important to understand and appreciate the differences in communication styles, norms, and values. To help students explore this complex topic, we have compiled a list of 104 intercultural communication essay topic ideas and examples.

• The impact of culture on communication styles
• Cultural differences in nonverbal communication
• The role of language in intercultural communication
• Cross-cultural misunderstandings and their consequences
• Strategies for effective intercultural communication
• The importance of cultural sensitivity in communication
• Cultural stereotypes and their influence on communication
• The impact of globalization on intercultural communication
• Cultural differences in conflict resolution
• The role of power dynamics in intercultural communication
• The influence of technology on intercultural communication
• Cultural differences in business communication
• The impact of gender on intercultural communication
• Intercultural communication in healthcare settings
• The role of religion in intercultural communication
• Cultural differences in negotiation styles
• The influence of social norms on intercultural communication
• Cultural differences in decision-making processes
• The impact of cultural values on communication
• The role of intercultural communication in diplomacy
• The influence of culture on leadership communication
• Cultural differences in persuasive communication
• The impact of cultural identity on communication
• Intercultural communication in multicultural teams
• The role of empathy in intercultural communication
• Cultural differences in emotional expression
• The influence of social media on intercultural communication
• The impact of culture shock on communication
• The role of cultural adaptation in intercultural communication
• Cultural differences in humor and communication
• The influence of cultural context on communication
• The impact of intercultural communication on relationships
• Cultural differences in feedback and criticism
• The role of intercultural communication in education
• The influence of culture on communication barriers
• Cultural differences in storytelling and narrative
• The impact of culture on communication norms
• The role of intercultural communication in conflict resolution
• The influence of cultural values on communication

These essay topics and examples provide a starting point for exploring the complexities of intercultural communication. By delving into these issues, students can gain a deeper understanding of how culture shapes our interactions and relationships with others. As we navigate an increasingly diverse and interconnected world, developing strong intercultural communication skills is essential for fostering understanding and collaboration across cultural boundaries.

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The Impact of Culture on Communication

1. introduction.

Communication begins with language, the distinctive possession of a human being. Language is much more than a unique combination of sounds. We use it as a symbolic way of conveying our feelings, thoughts, and ideas. In other words, when we communicate, what we are actually doing is conveying information or messages from one person to another. In addition, this kind of communication changes with and is dependent on the living environment of a human being. However, other species which are also gregarious, such as honey bees, ants, or fish, do not have the cultural diversity that humans have, although they may live in communities in which successful communication is a critical matter for them. This is because every member of these groups is born with virtually the same behavior patterns and all of them are genetically similar. These instincts based on genetically given behavior patterns serve animals' needs perfectly well, even where there is no room for a given species to develop a newly learned behavior in its relations with others of the same kind. On the other hand, members of human society are varied and different, and nearly all of them continue to learn as they grow up. We understand ourselves and other people by communicating with one another. That is why we say humans are "animal symbolicum" – a uniquely symbolic animal. We use language to represent our thought, to share information that is important to us and others, and to make requests or express our feelings. All these things would be impossible without the use of a symbolic language. Well, what I want to do with this paper is to demonstrate how culture and the way we are brought up influence the uniqueness in human beings' language and how they form closely communication. In addition, I would like to take cross-cultural communication as an example to give a more specific wave in the discussion.

1.1 Importance of Culture in Communication

Culture is a learned pattern of behavior, and it's the way the persons live. Culture is the most important part in communication. Because people from different countries and groups have different culture. When we learn a culture, we will learn how to communicate with other person. A culture is very important to communication. That's because different culture will have different kinds of communication. It's easily to be misunderstood, because all of the people thinks that everybody know what he is thinking, and just do like what he said. Actually, it's not true. Sometimes the people don't know what other persons are thinking. For example, in Canada, when a person say "How are you?", he may not really want to know how are you today. If he is just start the conversation, he will just say "fine, thank you" and nothing else. However, don't be surprised. The person will think you are so impolite, because you have to ask him back "how are you?". Actually, in Canada, "How are you?" means "Hi!" Instead of "how are you today?" It's different with "How are you?" in Japan. In Japan, if a person start the conversation by "How are you?", you are really have to tell him how do you fell today. And in Japan, the young person can not call the name directly to the old. He have to add a title in front of the name. For example, if the young person want to call Mr. Tanaka, he can not say "Hi!, Tanaka." He have to say "Hi!, Tanaka-san." This is the Japanese culture. All of the Japanese will do like this. Also, body language is also very important in culture communication. It's normal to kiss when persons meet in French. However, in some of other countries, it's not normal. For example, in China and Canada, men do not kiss when they meet first time in them life. In some of the countries, it's impolite to kiss in the public place. For example in Pakistan, if the person kiss in the public place, they will punished by imprison 2 years. And body language is also different in other countries, such as finger signals.

1.2 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges

Compared to within-culture communication, cross-cultural communication is usually more difficult. Why? First, the lack of knowledge in the interlocutor's culture doesn't create the adequate conditions for making communication clear. On the contrary, within-culture communication usually provides a well-established background for the communicators. Secondly, humans' ability to reveal a wide range of feelings can be restricted in cross-cultural communication because some feelings and attitudes are not acceptable in other cultures. For example, smiling is a common greeting signal amongst most European countries, but in other places, smiling can indicate a sense of shallowness, insincerity, or embarrassment. The issue is that people may lose the chance to express their real feelings as they are constrained by the fear of misinterpretation. Moreover, the definition of body language against verbal language is complicated. People in different cultures may hold different opinions on these two sorts of communicating methods: for example, in a panel discussion, a group of people in Africa may consider that eye contact and physical movement are important in demonstrating affirmation; yet on the other side, a group of Norwegians may consider that as long as the points are logical and pronounced in standard language, it can be counted as effective communication. These varying cultural norms and standards may lead to a misplay of feelings and emotions. Finally, it is very common that people can be greatly influenced by others' emotions and actions during communication. Yet, because of the various cultural habits that the interlocutor has, the degree of influence increases in cross-cultural conditioning. Researchers (Hargie, Saunders, and Dickson 1994) gave a good example of that. In some cultures, people don't value personal space and they use to have body contact during talking, such as putting hands on the shoulder. If one party in the conversation feels uncomfortable or disobliged when these reactions are not commonly recognized, then the effectiveness of communication could be spoiled. Last but not least, the development of globalization promotes the significance of cross-cultural communication. In recent years, globalization is at its most attractive shape - everything is getting smaller and closer to each other. This made the economies more and more interdependent. Nevertheless, the economy is just a cornerstone of the whole picture; the most important thing is the interaction between people of different countries and different cultures. Every day, people get in touch with foreign friends through all kinds of technology. Every second, there must be some kind of cross-cultural communication appearing in the trip between different countries. Yet the trends of increasing cross-cultural communications seem never complacent. Due to the immense significance of cross-cultural communication in today's age, the underestimation or ignorance of the problems will generate devastating effects in the long term.

2. Cultural Factors Affecting Communication

As citizens, globalization and improvement create the want for knowledge among special cultures. Research in the past has shown that culture may additionally be the maximum vital key when it comes to communication among human beings. Culture, however, is one of these ends in the back of these demanding situations. Many human beings find it difficult to talk critical things to those closest to them, which includes the circle of relatives, friends, and beloved ones. Cultural information involves the capacity to bear in mind the values, norms, and ideals held by using a selected organization of human beings. We continually want to communicate in a manner that is right and be given expertise from others by way of paying attention to them. People need to face it that on occasion it could be very difficult to your part to just accept someone else's culture. We have to undergo in mind that it isn't always smooth to pay attention to someone else's thoughts and feature endurance to recognize each other's culture. What we assume is accurate in our subculture does not imply that it's far the identical in different subcultures. Cultures range across the world, and we need to be aware of the right way to behavior ourselves in every form of subculture. Cheers for the great meals I've tasted over there, the fruit juice become exceptionally accurate, and coming from the owner it's miles a signal of appreciate, that's worth. Language is used to explicit deep believed and feelings. If you are studying a 2nd language, you will now and again find out that you are pressured to search for a word with out a particular meaning in your local language. We can also therefore say that language in one-of-a-kind subcultures could have an impact on the verbal exchange. Language is a key without which verbal exchange could be impossible. Language can also be seen as a barrier, and that is one big motive why society is cut up into one-of-a-kind subcultures across the world. Words in every language and cultures have different meanings. Language and verbal exchange have the big affect in the communication.

2.1 Language and Verbal Communication

Culture not only influences but also defines people's ways of life and therefore, the way they communicate. It plays a very important role in the communication process. The impact of culture on communication is recognised in the essay, which emphasizes the need to establish strategies for effective cross-cultural communication that would also guarantee good business outcomes. On the other hand, the significance of language and verbal communication is well exemplified in the extract. Cultures have different levels of language proficiency. Mühlhäusler (1996) in the extract argues "while some cultures have several languages, there are cultures that have nothing" and adds that "languages differ in the level of technological advancement". It is evident that in places where a lot of languages are spoken, people are likely to experience communication difficulties (Montgomery, 2008). There are a number of issues about languages that have been brought about by globalization. English becomes the most commonly used language globally as a result; many firms from countries which have different native languages may most likely use English as a common business language. However, Mühlhäusler (1996) in the extract asserts that "to 'speak' a language and to 'know' it in a scientific sense are different things. This adds on the complexity of the degree at which different cultures are able to engage in effective communication. He furthers to argue that languages differ in the level of technological advancement, and defines language as "a system of human communication by words, often in writing and speaking" which sometimes may be described as any production of meaning. This therefore means that technologies that are available in a particular language influence the way people communicate by that language. Such cultural factors affecting communication are highlighted in the extract, reflecting the essence of understanding the impact of culture on communication in the rapidly changing digital era. This reflective essay is focused on the three different cultural standpoints presented in the extract. It has been argued that understanding the impact of culture on communication processes is crucial in creating effective strategies for enhancing good cross-cultural communication. The opinion of language and verbal communication has been narrowed with a great focus on the digital world way of communication. The writer reflects the communication process among three different cultural standpoints. At the end of the extract, an understanding has been attained that all these strategies of cross-cultural communication are important but the most significant in the current globalized world is understanding the impact of the digital era on all these strategies. He adds that "as the world becomes more and more technology-oriented, the level of success in international projects depends on the flexibility and efficiency of the digital team" and argues that having an open and inclusive digital environment is a guarantee that the best possible skills, knowledge and productivity is formed and maintained. He therefore called for people to embrace the potential and diversity of a new digital age; a suggestion that also guarantees successful projects as well as good business outcomes.

2.2 Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication can be as important and informative as verbal communication, especially when people speak different languages. According to a University of Pittsburgh study, people's judgments of others are influenced by the feelings and dispositions that they express through nonverbal communication. Even behaviors as common as the nods and head shakes that people use to communicate can influence the way that one is judged. In many cultures, the way someone may stand, a slight lean of the body, or the proximity of one person to another may be interpreted as unusual or negative. Simple gestures in one culture could be offensive if a different meaning is attached to that particular gesture in another culture. For example, in various places around the world, the common "thumbs up" gesture that means "O.K." in America can be very offensive. Most notably, this gesture is used to patronize and degrade someone, particularly males, in Australia and the United Kingdom. Consequently, learning about nonverbal communication is a key building block for effective cross-cultural communication. Just as a person's use of words is important in conveying a message, the way an individual moves, looks, listens and the expressions on one's face can also be very important. Nonverbal communication strongly influences both our social interactions and our 'first impressions' of others. It also sets up the 'feedback' loop between expressiveness and impression which affects how a person is judged and therefore can affect how that person is treated.

2.3 Cultural Norms and Etiquette

Cultural norms and etiquette refer to the way a culture does things, what it values, and the way it is structured. There are rules on how to interact with people depending on their social, economic, and political statuses. There are also rules on how to dress, order food, and other behaviors. When cultures differ, there can be misunderstandings between people who are not used to the customs of another culture. For example, in Japan, it is the custom to exchange a small bow when meeting or parting, and not looking at the other person in the eye during the bow. And it is important not to offend an Indian person by using the left hand to pass something to them because in India, the right hand is used for eating and the left for personal hygiene. However, people do not usually have to remember all the different sets of behavior, language, and culture in a country. Many countries are very multicultural, with people from many different cultures living and working side by side. Cultures are not fixed; they do change and evolve. For example, in Britain, curry is now more popular than the traditional national dish of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Also, the ease of communications and the movement of people over the globe is changing the way people learn and keep their culture alive, so it is possible that in the future, many traditional cultures may become diluted and lost. When people travel to another country, for business or as a tourist, it is important to be aware of and respect the customs and language of that country. A society is made up of different cultural groups. We must recognize and take pride in our cultural differences. Theories about cultural values and differences show that different cultures view things that happen in their environment by their own beliefs, values, and experiences. Every culture has its own 'take' on the world, and many cultural behaviors and beliefs are not immediately obvious to people of another culture. Cultures are filled with information about who people in a society are, how they are supposed to act, and what they are supposed to be. Cultures are often difficult to describe because they can be hidden deep in our subconscious, and at the same time, they manifest themselves in everything we do. Cultures can be different not only between continents or nations but also within the same company or institution. We can see many business examples of the importance of understanding cultural norms. For example, trade unions would be looked upon unfavorably in a lot of countries, but in Sweden, it is expected that there should be negotiations between employers and employees and a strong input from the trade unions. And if someone from a culturally diverse background inherits a company in a foreign country, he or she must be very careful not to make any changes that could show disrespect for the customs of that country; dismissal of local long-serving staff on the grounds of modernization, for example, could upset public opinion and also lead to lawful repercussions.

2.4 Perception and Cultural Differences

When we come into contact with people from different cultures, our perception and interpretations of their behavior are influenced by our culture. It is therefore very important to be aware of and respect the cultural differences of others. Our perception largely depends on what we pay attention to. For example, in Western cultures, it is generally more acceptable to express and discuss personal opinions. Thus, individuals from a Western background might pay more attention to information that is relevant to personal opinions and the expression of individualism. On the other hand, Eastern cultures often emphasize interdependence and may highlight the relationships between individuals in a community. Individuals from an Eastern cultural background might therefore attend more to the surrounding social context, showing more respect to others' opinions in order to maintain harmony of the group. Moreover, the interpretation of some common emotional expressions can also vary culturally. For instance, in a study Eden and Markus (1999) found that while Americans associate happiness with a wide and big smile, Japanese relate the same emotion with a 'Duchenne smile', which is a polite smile with some modesty. As a result, if Japanese people are smiled at widely by strangers in a public place, they may actually feel being threatened instead of being welcomed. These different cultural perceptions can often lead to embarrassing misunderstanding. Given what we pay attention to and our interpretation of emotional expressions are largely influenced by our culture, the next question to ask is: how does culture itself shape our perception? Some psychologists argue that perception is directly related to cultural practices and therefore, has a bearing on what becomes represented in our environment. For example, Cole and Scribner (1974) found that Liberian adults were not likely to remember things that had been told to them in an instruction in a manner unrelated to daily life. This is very different from Western people who believe memory is based on attention and rehearsal. Colombi and Schumann (1989) argue that children process what they hear in the second language by 'filtering' it through the structures and processes of the first language. This suggests that because of the critical period hypothesis (the theory that a person is better equipped to learn a language up until the age of around 10), the L1 language we develop in early childhood fundamentally shapes the way we think and perceive. It now turns out that bilingual individuals will have a 'hybrid' central cognitive system that subsumes both languages. In order to be critically conscious of our 'learned' perceptions, it is important to note that psychologists have found evidence to suggest that with the deliberate use of psychological techniques such as critical thinking, culturally biased perceptions might be undone. For example, in the field of intelligence and measurement, it has been discovered that test performance can be significantly affected by cultural beliefs. When Nisbett et al. (1991) reviewed the literature of the past 30 years, they found consistent and provable evidence showing that culture does influence intellectual skill.

3. Strategies for Effective Cross-Cultural Communication

The first strategy for improving cross-cultural communication is to develop a sense of respect and understanding towards other cultures. This can be achieved by remaining curious and open-minded, educating oneself about different cultures, and diminishing the viewer's own cultural lenses. Emphasizing cultural sensitivity allows individuals to develop an initial understanding with others and is the cornerstone of successful cross-cultural communications. Additionally, cultural awareness of a specific population, along with the knowledge of the host culture's language and belief systems, enhances the capacity for successful intercultural communication. In the United States, the effort to expand cultural awareness is reflected in a recent surge of companies and organizations providing initiatives to address cultural competency. For instance, the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Central Florida has provided various initiatives, including a specialized "Certificate in Nonprofit Management for the Hispanic Community," to familiarize potential nonprofit leaders with issues especially relevant to the local Hispanic community, such as language barriers and cultural intricacies. Also, the Internship and Workforce Services department at Utah Valley University offers "The International Internship Program" in which students gain valuable international business experience while cultivating cultural sensitivity and awareness. By adapting a new language, being genuinely open and curious about the host culture, and seeking help from native residents and so forth, the students in the International Internship Program are able to apply effective communication skills by year-honing firsthand cultural experiences, embracing language barriers as opportunities to learn, and being aware of one's own "visitors" status in a foreign land. Consequently, learning how to utilize culture-specific knowledge, and paying attention to the necessities and values exhibited in a receptive culture, it implants space for meaningful cross-cultural communication to occur. Cultivating one's own culture and negotiating cultural differences by practicing empathy with an open mind and an open heart will mark the initial step to eventually achieve harmony in humanity. An additional strategy to effective cross-cultural communication relates to the level of awareness one maintains towards a different culture and its values, processes, and communication styles. The hallmark of a skillful communicator is not just the ability to use another culture's standards to judge that culture, nor to excuse or rationalize away culturally-based miscommunications. Rather, it is the use of culture-general knowledge, or the understanding that differences are not about who is right or wrong, but how genuine connections can be made in spite of cultural differences, that bridges the gap between diverse people. In order to level a successful career in the realm of public relations and engage with a multicultural society, a professional must understand different cultural variations in communication and decision-making models. Such knowledge paves the way for the creation and incorporation of public relations theories that are more inclusive and reflect a better understanding of both the existing and new publics in the rapidly changing, globalized world. By understanding the meaning behind the behaviors and using culturally sensitive and appropriate tactics, integrated cultural communication will sail through misconceptions and lead to a collective effort towards meaningful resolutions. Such language adjustments, from simple vocabulary to more complex syntactical structures, embody a nonverbal form of term-focused care for the patient and will facilitate the promotion of both the efficiency and effectiveness in both daily bi-directional doctor-patient communication and any subsequent healthcare delivery.

3.1 Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness

Cultural sensitivity is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a value - negative or positive, better or worse, right or wrong. So, "sensitivity" is recognizing and accepting these differences. On the other hand, cultural awareness is recognizing, understanding, and being conscious of the different culture. It refers to the knowledge of each and every group's culture, including our own, and to understand that different and distinct behavior are exhibited by people within each culture as well as each culture is a pool of knowledge, experience, and values. The best way of demonstrating cultural sensitivity and awareness is to be open to learning about other cultures and to absorb everything like sponges and to begin to enjoy what we find. In short, we must strive to become self-awareness and have open means of communication with respect to others' feelings and culture. When we are sensitive to culture, we come to realize that each of us brings a worldview; a set of values, and a way of doing to work, helped and hindered by our cultural and life experiences. We come to identify the importance of team maintenance on team dynamics. Therefore, cultural sensitivity is important as it helps us with team dynamics, and with getting to know and understand each other better. Also, culturally aware citizens are generally those who are more concerned about global matters, such as world politics, development of the world, and social justice. Because cultural sensitivity and awareness are very important and indispensable for anyone to grow both as a person and as a professional, the main responsibility is placed on us as individuals to enhance and perform it in daily life. Teachers, parents, and the community as a whole can work together to foster cultural sensitivity and awareness. As a nation with over 200 ethnic groups with diverse cultures and languages, the effort to build a united and cohesive Singapore is not confined to a specific group of people or organizations. Every individual in Singapore, regardless of race, language, and religion, has the responsibility to overcome cultural and social differences, and to exhibit the sense of belonging to one another.

3.2 Active Listening and Empathy

One of the key strategies for effective cross-cultural communication is, without doubt, intercultural interactive listening. Active listening strategies require making an effort to hear not only the words another person is saying but, more importantly, trying to understand the complete message being sent. This is essential in cross-cultural communication because very often the problem is not with the language barrier - which is basically the first thing that would come into my mind as a non-professional in intercultural communication - but aural or oral barriers. It is hard for people to stay attentive for a long conversation and to older people or, in the sense that elders also have the same barriers, among them when listening to classes, is also a tough mission. However, it should be focused by using listening and in the meantime, problem-solving strategies. By that time, the effort by individual, sense of cooperation by multiple study and, next step, which is the benefits through if the listener is a helper, all these would be enhanced and finally developed the impact of active listening, as described. Empathy, or the ability to understand and share the feelings of one interlocutor while tuning in another on the area of emotions, helps enable better understanding within a conversation and hence ease the communication. The combined use of both active listening and empathy seems to be the best choice for individuals in my situation, being the listener who is operating in the role of the helpee. According to a research done by B. Anderson, most people experience poor listening more than anything else. However, a work that done by R. Hutchinson pointed out the key features that relate aid with listening; where most of these - the recognition signs, such as eye contact, occasionally nod, smile, responsive changes of the expression, posture and the vocal encouragement and so on - refer to active listening. Apart from that, listening also suffered because of consequences made by the listener. It is mentioned by Y. Tsui that daydreaming is an internal distraction and it is categorized under the common consequences made by the listener. It is not surprising on the reasons because that may explain why listeners being poor in their listening. The inability to organize information fast enough to suit the speed of the person closes around and starts to play with; and the unfamiliarity of the topic. These three are mainly talking about the internal and external distraction while the listeners have lost their gears of attention during the process. Both researchers I mentioned on the top, in their studies also pointed out different causes and consequences that due to poor listening.

3.3 Adaptation and Flexibility

In cross-cultural communication, empathy means to perceive and respect the person with whom we are communicating, by understanding and responding to the emotions, feelings, and condition of the other. Devito (19XX, p. 163) defines empathy as an understanding of the feelings and emotions of another person. He says that practicing empathy involves suspending judgment, avoiding evaluation, and instead trying to understand the other person's frame of reference, feelings, and emotions. Empathy is a sign of emotional flexibility. It is very essential in building rapport and trust. When we show empathy, the other person feels good because he knows that we care for his feelings and beliefs. In this way, others are likely to show flexibility in understanding our feelings and emotions too. On the other hand, the display of egocentrism and presumptions does not work in cross-cultural communication. Our way of doing things or our approach may be quite inappropriate in the host culture. The lack of flexibility or refusal to adapt to the different and often difficult cultural ways of the host can cause intense discomfort for someone in a strange land. Kathlyn (2002, p. 29) argues that the emotionally inflexible cannot flex their emotional responses and may not provide the emotional give and take necessary in many cross-cultural interactions. She adds that those unable to provide and receive emotions and form emotional ties risk isolation and social rejection in a strange culture. This means that when we feel happy, we smile or laugh, and when we feel sad, we cry. When we are excited, our voices and hand gestures are normally different from when we are disappointed or frustrated. Our emotions are obvious in our facial expressions, our body language, and our way of speaking. Flexibility refers to the capability of making rapid, controlled responses to a changing situation by being adaptable and open to change. Mastery of our emotions in this way helps us to take in what others are communicating. On the emotional level too, mastering empathy can be crucial in establishing and maintaining good relationships, essential for conducting efficient transactions and negotiations, whether in business or travel. Cross-cultural communication also involves verbal and nonverbal languages. When significant differences in cultural backgrounds exist between both speakers, the likelihood for not just language barriers, but also for a failure in completely understanding the message contained in the words, becomes a possibility. This is where the adaptation on an emotional and a cultural level may come into play. By being sensitive to what we say, our tone, the words we choose, as well as to what the nonverbal body and facial movements convey.

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Impact of Culture on Communication

The impact of culture on communication, orientation assessment, relevant resources.

Communication is an integral component of interaction, and without proper communication, people cannot express their feelings, intentions, ideas, and thoughts effectively. There are different factors that affect communication between groups or individuals. As such, cultural difference is one of the key factors that affect communication (DeVito, 2019). Different people across the globe have different cultural backgrounds and practices that influence how they relate and relay information to one another.

Culture can be described as the traits, strong beliefs, norms, traditions, and values that a certain group of people holds to be true and acceptable. Therefore, culture can be passed from one generation to another. Inside particular cultures, there may be further subdivisions or subcultures depending on various factors like religion, ethnic composition, and social status. According to DeVito (2019), people who belong to a similar culture often have a common way of thinking, communicating their feelings, thoughts, and ideas verbally and non-verbally. Since culture is diverse, the dissimilarities can affect the level of an individual’s confidence in communication when interacting with other cultures. Therefore, people should understand their cultural differences to be able to communicate effectively.

Cultural sensitivity is the ability to recognize other cultures and respect them while interacting with people from diverse cultural practices. There are various cultural sensitivity strategies that can be adopted while interacting with other cultures. Thus, some of the strategies that I would use to portray cultural sensitivity when working in the human service include seeking consent before touching or hugging the client to show respect for personal privacy regardless of the gender or age of the person. I would also adopt the strategy of using inclusive language rather than being personal in order to show respect. Additionally, before referring to a person in a specific, I would ask an individual to tell me their preferred pronoun so as to embrace the aspect of gender sensitivity. Besides, since different cultures may have different pronunciations, I would ask for the correct pronunciation whenever I am not sure. I will also take corrections positively and avoid being defensive as I endeavor to learn more about diverse cultures.

While assessing my other orientation as a measure of self-awareness, I would say that I portray a high level of people-centered behavior. I always think about my environment and the people who surround me by being more considerate of their feelings, views, and opinions before I think of myself. For instance, at school, I help my colleagues out in comprehending assignments rather than just focusing on myself.

My greatest strength is my high listening skills. When communicating with others, I give them the chance to talk as I listen. I have overtime worked on my listening skills in order to help others whenever I can find solutions to their problems. I keenly take into consideration non-verbal cues that other people use in order to understand their feelings better. I also do my own research to understand the various cultures and the does and don’ts of the culture to ensure that I don’t become offensive when communicating with other people from diverse cultures.

From the personal communication strengths, I can describe my strengths from various perspectives. For instance, my strength in listening puts me in a position of understanding others, be it in school or outside school. This enables me to view life from other perspectives. While listening, I do not listen to respond, but rather, I try to understand and then act upon comprehending. I believe that my strengths have helped me in providing solutions that are tailored toward people’s needs instead of acting without a clear understanding.

The areas that I would like to improve on include judging others after listening to them. Additionally, I would also like to get better when it comes to maintaining eye contact and paying attention to non-verbal expressions that people show while communicating. I will tirelessly work on my public speaking skills to improve my confidence.

Subsequently, an other-orientation attitude also enhances human service and interpersonal communication. For this reason, other-orientation can enable professionals in human service to make their clients more candid and happier during communication. Putting emphasis on other people’s perceptions improves communication and inspires confidence among clients, colleagues, or customers. Anderson (2017) asserts that having a strong other orientation can help professionals in human services to influence proficiency and strong personality. Therefore, possessing other-orientation approaches like recognizing the opinions and ideas of customers and allowing individuals to communicate their ideas liberally helps in enhancing interpersonal communication.

Serving clients entail several factors, such as culture and self-awareness, which are key to interactive communication. Cultural intelligence is critical in the day-to-day interaction with clients. This calls for acknowledging that people come from diverse cultures, respecting the cultures, and having good interpersonal communication that respects the cultural differences. Also, it means having self-awareness, knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses, and then understanding how to use the strengths while communicating with others. Culture and self-awareness are not only critical when relating with others but also in decision-making.

Overall, through culture and self-awareness, professionals can acquire verbal and non-verbal communication skills to be applied during interaction with clients. Professionals also need to adopt verbal skills like simplicity strategy to make clients understand the complex words in their area of profession. Moreover, they should be aware of cultural differences and understand that words may have different meanings in various cultures. Finally, professionals need to use non-verbal cues, including facial expressions like smiling to convey joy and interest as well as nodding to affirm an action.

Anderson-Lain, K. (2017). Cultural Identity Forum: Enacting the Self-awareness Imperative in Intercultural Communication. Communication Teacher , 31 (3), 131-136. Web.

DeVito, J. A. (2019). The Interpersonal Communication Book. Instructor , 1 , 18. Web.

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A Personal Experience of Intercultural Communication

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