Improving Intercultural communication
Intercultural communication-is communication between persons who have different cultural beliefs, values, or ways of behaving
Cultural sensitivity- is an attitude and way of behaving in which you're aware of and acknowledge cultural differences
Prepare yourself
Help to reduce your uncertainty, which is present in all interpersonal situations, but generally greater in intercultural situations
Recognize and face fears that may stand in the way of effective intercultural communication
Asses your concerns logically and weigh their consequences carefully
Reduce your Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism- is the tendency to see others and their behaviors through your own cultural filters, often as distortions of your own behaviors
Tendency to evaluate the values, beliefs, and behaviors of your own culture as superior- as more positive, logical, and natural than those of other cultures
Confront your Stereotypes
Stereotypes-is fixed impression of a group of people
The tendency to a group a person into a class and to respond to that person primarily as a member of that class can lead you to perceive that a person possesses those qualities (usually negative) that you believe characterize the group to which he or she belongs
Stereotyping also can lead you to ignore the unique characteristics of an individual, you may fail to benefit from the special contributions each person can bring to an encounter
Be Mindful
Mindfulness- is a state of mental awareness; in a mindful state, you're conscious of your reasons for thinking in a particular way
Mindlessness- is a lack of conscious awareness of your thinking or communicating
Recognize Differences
Differences between yourself and culturally different people- intercultural communication is the assumption that similarities exist but that differences do not
Differences within the culturally different group- within every cultural group, there are wide and important differences
Differences in meaning- meanings exist not in words but in people
Adjust your communication
Adjusting your communication is especially important in intercultural situations, largely because people from different cultures use different signals- or sometimes use the same signals to signify quite different things
Use person first language where the person rather than the inability is emphasized-avoid terms that define the person as disabled
Dont assume that people who have a disability are intellectually impaired- be careful not to talk down to such individuals as many people do
Avoid talking about the person with a disability in the third person-direct your comments directly to the individual
Demonstrate you own comfort-discomfort in the other person, you might talk about your disability to show your own comfort-and that you understand that others may not know how you feel
Recognize Cultural Shock
Cultural shock- is the psychological reaction you experience when you encounter a culture very different from your own
Stage one:the honeymoon-fascination, even enchantment, within the new culture and its people
Stage two: the crisis- differences between your own cultures and the new one create problems
Stage three: the recovery-you gain skills necessary to function effectively in the new culture
Stage four: the adjustment- you adjust to and come to enjoy the new culture and the new experiences
