Stereotypes

Human nature, according to an intercultural communication article on the practical advice website Sideroad.com, can lead one to make assumptions about other people; some cultures use stereotypical images to reaffirm these assumptions. Though some stereotypes may stem from factual observations, many build on personal beliefs and fears that individuals may hold. To communicate effectively across cultural boundaries, communicators must put stereotypes and assumptions aside.

Eye Contact

In the United States, communicators tend to maintain direct eye contact with others during one-on-one communication, and make sporadic eye contact with an audience when communicating with large groups. Though direct eye contact may symbolize respect in Western cultures, according to the communications book "Intercultural Communication: A Reader," other cultures view it differently. Native American and some Eastern cultures, for example, consider direct eye contact disrespectful, and a failure to understand these cultural norms regarding eye contact can create significant intercultural communication obstacles.

Time

Different cultures maintain markedly different approaches to time, and communicators who don't understand a culture's time orientation may experience difficulty building relationships in that culture. Though Americans view time as a commodity, other cultures take a much more lax approach to the subject; some Latin cultures, for example, expect parties to be as much as 30 minutes late when conducting business. Communicators from a culture that views time as a commodity must refrain from becoming upset when a party from another culture arrives late, as the late communicator may view such frustration as insensitive, demanding and offensive.

from http://www.ehow.com by Keith Evans

Exercise 4. Summarise each passage of the text in one sentence.

Exercise 5. In their book 52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication Donna M. Stringer and Patricia A. Cassiday point out six primary sources of cross-cultural miscommunication. Match the subtitles of the text with the passages.

1. Assumption of similarities	a) Culture influences the way we see the world. Preconceived notions and stereotyping occur when “oversimplified” characteristics are used to judge a group of people or an individual associated with a group.
2. Language differences	b) The “invisible” aspects of our culture lead us to assume that our communication style and the way of behaving is how “everyone” communicates and behaves. When they act “like us” we think they are right or we don't give it much thought. When someone acts differently, we judge them negatively.
3. Nonverbal misinterpretations	c) When we hear communication or observe behaviour, we tend to interpret the message or the action through our cultural lens. We may evaluate the message or behaviour as “good” or “bad” without really understanding the intent.
4. Preconceptions and stereotypes	d) We send and receive wordless messages through body language, facial expression, and eye contact. Even clothing style can communicate an intended or unintended message.
5. Tendency to evaluate	e) Not understanding what is appropriate or expected can raise our anxiety level. Miscommunication can be a direct result of being in an anxious state.
6. High anxiety	f) Speaking a non-native language can easily lead to miscommunication. Even people speaking the same language can experience misunderstanding because the same word can mean something very different. For example, “pop” on the west coast of the United States usually means a soda drink, while on the east coast it often refers to shooting someone. These differences can have serious miscommunication impact.

Exercise 6. Using the Internet resource http://www.amazon.com find a book 52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication by Donna M. Stringer and Patricia A. Cassiday. In the Introduction (pp. x – xi) read about Cross-cultural miscommunication and check your answers.

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