…also apply to intercultural communication: in each of your encounters, including intercultural communication, we exchange you information and communicate verbally and non-verbally. It is a social interaction in which your thoughts and feelings are shared and exchanged.
Intercultural communication describes the process of encounters between people who belong to different cultures. A number of difficulties and problems arise in intercultural communication. It seems easy to communicate with each other, but misunderstandings occur even among people from the same cultural background. How much more in intercultural communication.
Intercultural communication begins with the perception of the partner: physical appearance, clothing, and demeanor. They classify and are ranked as an individual, as a member of a social or cultural group.
Since the perception that precedes intercultural communication is initially related to one’s own cultural patterns and experiences, it can be distorted. Well-known patterns no longer apply in intercultural communication, or only to a limited extent. This almost always results in problems in intercultural communication that should be addressed.
Also, non-verbal communication is culture-specific. It accompanies verbal messages and gives a lot of information about the people involved and their relationship to each other. In communication and in intercultural communication, the spoken or written word appears to be the most important thing. However, the proportion of often unconscious non-verbal messages is far more important. It is estimated at up to 90 percent. Non-verbal communication gives meaning to verbal communication.
Culture and communication patterns are based on convention and traditions. They become second nature to us, we only accept them as a cultural peculiarity true when someone does not behave, as we are usual during an intercultural situation.
Two obstacles arise in the intercultural communication situation: on the one hand, it is necessary to find a common third language in order to largely avoid problems of understanding. On the other hand, it requires the ability to decode non-verbal messages (posture, facial expressions, gestures, etc.). This requires knowledge of the culture of the other, only then can intercultural communication succeed.
When people from different cultures meet, these processes are referred to as intercultural communication.
The term “intercultural communication” contains two aspects: “Communication” means understanding between people in general and “intercultural” means encounters and understanding between people who belong to different cultures and meet in intercultural communication.
Communication is shaped by the respective culture. In the socialization of a culture, communication codes are taught and learned. These are known to all members and of course, members of a foreign culture are usually not. However, these codes can be learned by strangers, so that increased attention and knowledge in intercultural communication make it possible to minimize misunderstandings and, if necessary, to uncover them.
