GROUP 21. Nurhazwani Mutazar 2. Mohamad Hazwan3. Khek Han Wu4. Goh Pin Siang5. Ren Shan Gan6. Lew Sharon

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

GROUP 41. Low Rin Kian2. Ibrahim J. A. Ewaida3. Ng Xin Nie4. See Wee Zin5. Elina bte Md Kamil

DEFINITION“Intercultural communication or communication between people of

different cultural backgrounds has always been and will probably remain an important precondition of human co-existance on earth. There are many factors that are important in intercultural communication within a general model of human, primarily linguistic, communication. It is not cultures that

communicate, whatever that might imply, but people (and possibly social

institutions) with different cultural backgrounds that do. In general, the term ”cross-cultural” is probably best used for comparisons between cultures.” (Jens Allwood, 1985)

“Intercultural communication is a situation in which people from diverse cultural backgrounds are engaged in communication.

Intercultural communication is communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication events”

(Porter & Samovar,2001)

“Intercultural communication refers to the communication between people from two

different culture” (Guo-Ming Chen & Starosta,1998)

“The interaction between people of difference culture background” (Martin & Nakayama,2000)

• a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society

• by E.B. Taylor (1967)

What is culture?

“ Culture denotes a historically transmitted pattern of meaning embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about attitudes toward life”

Clifford Geertz (anthropologist)

“ Culture is a shared meaning system, found among those, who speak a particular language dialect, during a specific historic, period and in a definable geographic region”

Harry C. Triandis ( 1994)

Factors influencing culture norms & values• Language• Religion• Education• Economic philosophy• Political system• Social structure

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE• not inherent, but learned • rooted in deep seated

beliefs• basis for self-identity and

community • dynamic

LOW CONTEXT CULTURE HIGH CONTEXT CULTURE

• direct verbal interaction • understand meaning at one

level• less efficient in reading non

verbal cues• individualism • Relies more on logic• highly structured message

• indirect verbal interaction• understand meanings at

many socio-cultural levels .• less proficient in reading

non verbal cues.• Values group membership.• simple and ambiguous

Comparison of high and low context culture

LOW CONTEXT CULTURE

HIGH CONTEXT CULTURE

-German -North American -French -Spanish -Greek -Chinese

Different Approach In Intercultural Communication

• eticAn "etic" account is a description of a behavior or belief by an observer, in terms that can be applied to other cultures; that is, an etic account attempts to be 'culturally neutral'.• emic

An "emic" account is a description of behavior or a belief in terms meaningful (consciously or unconsciously) to the actor; that is, an emic account comes from a person within the culture. Almost anything from within a culture can provide an emic account.

Enculturation

The process of learning or absorbing one’s own culture

Cultural Relativism

The acknowledgement of cultural differences and

acceptance that each social groups has

its own set of norms

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one’s own cultural norms are superior to those of

other social groups

Acculturation

The process of adjusting to the host culture by adopting its

values, symbols and/or behaviour

Layer of CultureBasic assumption(implicit)

Norms and valuesArtifacts and products (explicit)

Why do we NEED intercultural communication?1. Globalization

- Diverse & integrated work2. Work place harmony3. Peace & security in the world

How can YOU develop YOUR Intercultural Competence?

Slow Down Separate Questions. Avoid Negative Questions. Take Turns. Write it Down. Be Supportive. Check Meanings. Avoid Slang. Watch the humor. Maintain Etiquette.

SummaryIt is not cultures

that communicate butPeople

with different cultural backgrounds

That Do

Understanding Intercultural

Communication at a higher level

3 Level of Culture• Formal level (Core culture)

Learned by rules• Informal Level – Learned by example and reality– Often unconscious(we don aware it)

• Technical level– Theories behind rules– Reasoning and abstractions– What we learn in school to justify

informal system

How high or low Context form?

• Situation• Relationships• Past experience• Environment• ‘Culture’ • Others

Context need to know when communicate

• Overtness of messages• Relationships  • Level of commitment to relationships• Past experience• Religion• Situation• Culture

-Expression of reaction-Table Manners

VERBAL LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION

Language• structured system of signs,

sounds, gesture or marks that allows people to express ideas and feeling to others.

Words• Symbol that stand for object and

concepts.• It can represent as object or an

abstract concept• All parties in the communication

events must agree on the meaning for understanding to occur

Grammar• Rules that govern how words are

put together to form phrases and sentences.

• The ability to use sounds and grammar correctly is crucial to competent communication

• Grammar enables us to make complete sentences and to understand the sentences made by others

Space

SPACE• Proxemic is the study of the use of

space and of distance between individuals when they are communicating.

Edward T.Hall’s Four Distance Zone

1) Status• People of different status levels tend to stay

farther apart than do individuals of equal status.• Higher status people seldom close to lower

status people.2) Culture• Culture creates a wealth of differences in the

way individuals use distance for communication.• US people stand farther during conversations

than European and Middle Eastern people.3) Context• People in line at ATM stand back far enough to

give the person who use machine feeling that a transaction is not being observed.

• Passengers waiting bus stand close together to avoid losing their places.

Time

TIME• Chronemic is the study of how

people perceive ,structure, and use time as communication.

• Each culture teaches its members about time expectations, and these expectation vary.

Monochronic Polychronic

Promptness is important, time is tangible

Promptness is not considered important, time is fluid and felxible.

Task-oriented Relationship-oriented

Perspective is oriented to the future.

Perspective is oriented to the past and/or present.

Events and activities are scheduled sequentially

Scheduling tends to be "loose" and flexible, with many last-minute changes to even highly significant events and activities.

Single focus: Events scheduled one item at a time

Multiple focus: Simultaneous attention to different things

• US vs JAPAN VS• In US, for a dinner party, being up to 20

minutes late is socially accepted and still considered “on time”

• In Japan, arriving late for a dinner party is

• considered as insult.

• US vs BRAZIL VS• US students rated people who were never

late for appointments as more successful• Brazilians rated people who were always

late for appointments as more successful

MALAYSIA• Wedding dinner start at 5pm Malay Chinese

Adaption to a culture

Adaptation to a culture• Adjusting to a new culture is a

normal process• – everyone must do it.

• It produces a wide variety of reactions and

• feelings.

• It does normally follow certain stages.

• Not everyone experiences every stage.

Stages of Cultural Adaptation• The Honeymoon Stage– Focus is on the sense of success in

being in a new culture– There is a high degree of curiosity

and interest in the novelty of the new surroundings

– There exists an appreciation for and anticipation of the opportunities to be found in the new culture

– Most people feel energetic, enthusiastic, and positive during this stage

The Culture Shock Stage• You may have conflicts with other people, or they

may be internal – you may begin to struggle with your own values, habits, and preferences in the context of the new culture.– You may experience feelings of

• Anxiety• Homesickness• Anger• Loneliness• Helplessness• Fear for your safety• Confusion about which values you should choose• Uncertainty about whether to stay or return home• Not belonging

Improving Intercultural

What is intercultural communication?• Intercultural communication seeks to

understand how people from different countries and cultures behave, communicate and perceive the world around them.

• The main causes of intercultural problems :• Since people have different context in

culture, it may easy cause the problems of -Misinterpretation -Misevaluation-Misperception

Solutions to improve intercultural :• Ask Questions: When you don't understand

something or want to know why someone has behaved in a certain way, simply ask. Asking questions stops you making assumptions.

• Avoid Insensitive Behavior :By attacking someone's person, you attack their culture and therefore their dignity.

• Humor: Be wary of differences in the sense of humor and also the acceptability of banter and the like in the environment.

A quotation , how to communicate in intercultural environment :

“Culture is a thin but very important veneer that you must be careful not to scratch. People from

different cultures are basically the same and respond in the same way. However, make sure that you understand their basic customs and show an interest and willingness to learn the

differences between your cultures’’. Mike Wills

Conclusion• In conclusion, communication involves the

perception, interpretation and evaluation of a person’s behavior.

• With regard to what people perceive, it was shown that perceptual patterns are selective, learned, consistent, inaccurate and, most importantly, culturally determined.

• The information on communication styles across cultures lead to the conclusion that two people from different cultures will not only communicate in different ways but also experience a situation differently.