As people travel more for education or business, communication across cultures is becoming increasingly important. Although all humans may express the emotions of joy, pain, anger and fear with the same facial expressions, it is the cultural background that determines the extent to which an emotion is expressed. Differences in culture can pose various blocks in the process of interaction and even cause rifts. An understanding of these barriers is therefore of great value if you wish to improve your ability to communicate and learn from a culture other than your own.
Anxiety: The very fact that you are facing someone of another culture often creates apprehension. You worry about whether you will be able to express your ideas correctly. If you happen to be communicating in a language other than your native tongue, you may have fears about grammar and pronunciation, as well as your ability to comprehend what the other person is saying. This anxiety in turn affects your ability to communicate with focus and clarity.
Assumptions: When we don't pay attention to how other cultures differ from ours, it is easy to get trapped into assuming that everyone is the same just because they are human and have the same needs. This error, though inadvertent, often leads to difficulties in communication because cultures differ in their attitudes toward the pursuit of these needs. Some cultures, such as the Japanese, assume the opposite: that they are different from others. Whether you assume similarities or differences, you are setting up a major barrier to communication because your assumptions make it difficult to develop mutual understanding.
Language Differences: Although people from different cultures may pick up the vocabulary of a new culture, their cultural differences can lead to miscommunication. For example, if an American host asks a guest from an Eastern culture, "Won't you stay to dinner?" and the guest replies "No," the guest is probably replying to the literal meaning of the query. He or she may want to stay but refuse the invitation because in his or her culture, it is considered rude to accept the first offer made. So the guest waits for the host to repeat the invitation a second or third time. The host, however, unaware of this, accepts the guest's refusal.
Stereotypes: When faced with anxiety about interacting with a new culture, most people resort to the false comfort of stereotypes. A stereotype is an overgeneralized belief that provides a starting point for understanding a culture. Although some stereotypes can be positive -- believing that the Japanese are good at math, for example -- the vast majority of stereotypes are negative and form the biggest block to communication. If you harbor a stereotype of Arabs as terrorists, for example, you may find yourself avoiding an Arab classmate.
Tendency to Evaluate: To really understand and communicate across cultures, it is important to overcome any tendency to be judgmental. When they find something that goes against their culture, most people respond with disapproval rather than empathy. For example, an immigrant from an African country who is used to hardship may frown upon what he or she perceives as the wasteful expenditure of Americans on designer clothing.
Subject: What Are the Barriers to Intercultural Communication? 
Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:03 pm
