Communicating Among Different Cultures

 

Communicating  Among Different Cultures

 

 

Every culture is different so sometimes communicating with people of different cultures can be challenging. As the world change the need for intercultural communication is growing, especially within the workforce. Almost every job ask in their job description if one at least speaks one language other than their own. We are all individuals, and no two people belonging to the same culture are guaranteed to respond in exactly the same way. However, generalizations are valid to the extent that they provide clues on what you will most likely encounter when dealing with members of a particular culture (Goman 2001 para. 3). Being able to learn about different cultures and their language is one of the reasons that I like to travel. My dream is to someday travel to Paris and spend a month there, particularly in the country side. I feel that being able to effectively communicate with people who are of different cultures is a trait of most global citizens, which are people who place their identity of being part of a global community above that of their identity as a citizen of a particular nation or place (http://www.buildingpeace.org/forums/how-do-you-define-global-citizenship).

I am sure that I am not the only one who switches up their communication styles in different situations. In place like work, church, playground, hair salon, etc.!. I don’t talk the same with my boss as I would do a family member. Even among family depending on their title the communication is different. When it comes to communicating with people of cultures I am very cautious as to what I say, especially if I don’t know their language. There are so many different dialects if languages, you have to make sure not to offend the person you are talking to. We had a parents who spoke mostly Spanish one time, so quite naturally we would call on the help of our translator who spoke Spanish to help with communicating with her. One day we noticed that she was frustrated after talking to our translator. After asking her what was wrong she said she could not understand the Spanish that our translator spoke because it was not the same dialect. Out parent was from Honduras and our translator was from Spain. Who would have thought that the difference in their language would have been so different?

When I am communicating with someone of a different culture, I also try to find out as much about where they are from as possible. I am also very flexible when talking to them so that we both don’t get frustrated trying to understand each other. I am also respectful to them as I am to everyone that I communicate with. I also speak as much of their language as I can, along with using nonverbal language. I talk with my hands naturally so I use my hands as well but always in a respectful way. It is also a good idea to listen actively and empathetically. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. Especially when another person's perceptions or ideas are very different from your own, you might need to operate at the edge of your own comfort zone. I would also recommend Stop, suspend judgment, and try to look at the situation as an outsider. Be prepared for a discussion of the past. Use this as an opportunity to develop an understanding from "the other's" point of view, rather than getting defensive or impatient. Acknowledge historical events that have taken place. Be open to learning more about them. Honest acknowledgment of the mistreatment and oppression that have taken place on the basis of cultural difference is vital for effective communication (Dupraw, Axner 1997 p.1). There is a lot to keep in mind when communicating with people of other cultures, however when we do so it broadens our knowledge. So the next time that co-worker from a different culture looks lonely during lunch, go have a seat with them and start a conversation you will be surprised at what you might learn.

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References

http://www.buildingpeace.org/forums/how-do-you-define-global-citizenship

Dupraw E. Marcelle, Axner, Marya (1997) Working on Common
Cross-cultural Communication Challenges retrieved http://www.pbs.org/ampu/crosscult.html

Goman, Carol, Kinsey PHD Communicating Across Cultures retrieved from https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/business-communication/communicating-across-cultures

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Body Language and Facial Expressions

 

 

Body Language and Facial Expressions

 

 

 

When I was growing up unfortunately we didn’t have cable. Therefore there is a long list of shows and movies that I did not get to see unless I went to the houses of family and friends. When I became older and we finally did get cable I remember a show coming on named Roseann. I used to always see it and never look at it but I was somewhat curious to see what it was about. So it was very interesting to actually catch the show on and be able to watch it was a rather good episode to.

When I first watch this particular episode of Roseann without the sound, it was really rather boring. If you have ever seen one of her shows you know that she is not one to show a lot of emotion, so it is very hard to tell how she is feeling based on her blank facial expression. Her children and her sister just seemed very busy moving around going about their daily routines. However there were time when she was talking to her husband that I could tell that she was sad about something. One particular seen she came in the house with a smile on her face and talked to her husband and sister. I could see that she was clearly frustrated in one of the scenes because of the way that her children had the house, there were clothes and other things all over the house. Meanwhile her husband sat back with an unbothered look on his face. I could tell that the relationship with her and her sister was good because she seemed pleased when she looked at her. However the relationship with her husband seemed kind of strained at times.

I honestly was kind of puzzled on what the show was about when it first came on watching it without sound of course. However once I watched the show with the sound one thing that I can say that I was right about is that I knew the show had something to do with getting a job, because Roseanne went to this warehouse looking office twice and talked to this lady. The first time she went she was smiling and seemed to be filling out paper work. The next time she went she was happy until the lady pointed to the computer. When I watched the show with sound I found out that in order for Roseann to do the job she had to be able to know how to use a computer, all of their inventory was done using the computer. As far as the relationship with her husband I was wrong about it when I looked at it without sound. Even though Roseanne was frustrated about getting a job and then not being able to keep it, her husband was very understanding. He didn’t care if she had a job or not and comforted her when she felt bad about not being able to keep the job. He was very supportive of her, as was her sister who helped her out around the house and with the children. If this had been a show that I knew well my assumptions would have been way more accurate because I would have been more familiar with the characters and the situations that they were more than likely known to be in. This experience taught me that communication can be misunderstood if one is not familiar with the ones that they are communicating with. Also this assignment taught me that sometimes facial expressions and body language can mean the total opposite of what they may come off as. When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive wordless signals. All of our nonverbal behaviors—the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make—send strong messages. These messages don't stop when you stop speaking either. Even when you're silent, you're still communicating nonverbally (Segal, Smith, Boose, Jaffe 2016 p1). This assignment taught me that body language speaks volumes along with facial expressions when communicating, I am very good at picking up on a person’s body language sometimes better than I understand what they may be saying. Effective communicating reflects good understanding of both body language and facial expressions.

 

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Reference

 

Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Melinda Smith, M.A., Greg Boose, and Jaelline Jaffe, Ph.D. (2016) Nonverbal Communication Improving Your Nonverbal Skills and Reading Body Language retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/nonverbal-communication.htm

 

Communication Competence

Communication Competence

 

 

 

Communication is such a complex subject, it has so many different dimensions. We communicate every day whether it be face to face, telephone, video calling, or e-mails. However most of us rarely ever stop to think if we are getting our messages across clearly to the ones we are communicating with. A competent communicator is effective, adaptable, empathetic, appropriate, and ethical (Mcworthy 2016 p1). A competent communicator is aware of their communication flaws and strives to correct them, so that they can communicate effectively. Competence is a perception and may vary from person to person.  For example, I might perceive myself to be a very competent communicator, but another person may not perceive me in that way (McWorthy 2016 p1). Communication is a key factor in all of our lives which is why we should all strive to be effective communicators.

My mom is a great example of a competent communicator. She doesn’t mind saying exactly how she feels and why she may feel a certain way. She can come across kind of mean if you are not familiar with her but she doesn’t mean any harm. She is very outspoken especially about things that she is passionate about. I really like how even though straight forward and honest, she doesn’t mind hearing you out before she responds. Active listening means they are engaged with the sender while minimizing noise and distractions.  An active listener will be able to paraphrase the content, intent, and tone of each message back to the sender (Mcworthy 2016 p1).  My mother has a way of saying things that make you see where she is coming from even though you might still disagree with her. She does this by providing reasoning in her responses.  Cognitive complexity is the ability to think about a situation from many perspectives (Mcworthy 2016 p1). Which is a very strong characteristic of competent communicator, and a skill that my mother has improved on over the years, my mother rules her home with an iron fist so for her to finally be able to see things from more than just her point of view is a huge step for her. For instance if a go to my mom with a problem she will listen to me first and then tell her opinion, and she cuts no corners she says exactly what she means. My mother and I are very much a like when it comes to communicating I say exactly what I mean so that whoever I am talking to is very clear on what I am saying. So I would definitely model my own communication behaviors after her. I honestly wouldn’t have things any other way. The only thing I probably change would be the tone of voice I use when talking, my mom has a very stern tone when communicating that can be sometimes mistaken for being mean, however like I mentioned she doesn’t mean any harm. I feel that being up front with a person when communicating is the best way to be, no matter what the situations.

 

(people communicating)

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References

Mcworthy, Emily (2016) Communication Competence retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/6192-communication-competence/view