NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION BY SANTJIE VOSLOO

Who will benefit from this lesson? This lesson would be of interest to anyone who is interested in communication, but especially to first-year students studying at multi-cultural institutions, as well as final year students who is about to enter the job market. It may also benefit men and women in the business world where they have to deal with people from different cultures.

1. INTRODUCTION This lesson explains what is nonverbal and intercultural communication. It describes the different categories of nonverbal communication and Explains the interpretation by different cultures. It states the barriers to intercultural communication as well as guidelines to intercultural communication

2.NONVERBAL AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Two important areas of communication study. NVC – more than 90% of what we actually say. Close relationship – NVC and intercultural communication. NVC – very culture specific

CONTINUED Different groups – different values and patterns of behaviour. Differences in cultures – communication becomes harder. Recognise cultural elements and overcome ethnocentrism. Focus on intercultural communication skills.

2.1Categories of nonverbal communication NVC – sending and receiving messages – without use of verbal codes. Intentional and unintentional. More ambiguous than verbal messages. Lets look at following categories: General appearance and dress – personal details and clothing. Kinesics – body movement – posture and gestures.

Continued Facial expressions – eye contact and gaze. Haptics – field of study that examines messages conveyed by touch. Mannerisms Proxemics – study of people’s perception of space. Paralinguistics – pitch, tempo and rhythm, intensity, accent. Filler sounds

Continued Paralinguistics – pitch, tempo and rhythm, intensity, accent. Filler sounds Music Silence Graphic representations – symbols, graphic signs, illustrations, types of lettering. Colour

3.BARRIERS TO INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Ethnocentrism – views own culture as superior. Different verbal codes. Nonverbal codes that can cause misunderstanding. Cultural stereotyping – based on assumptions – generalisations.

4.GUIDELINES Speak slowly and clearly. Keep message simple. Communicate with body language. Be open to differences. Empathy Active listening.

5.CONCLUSION Communication – not only verbal. Large number of cues or signs. Different types of NVC. Must be interpreted in the context.

QUESTIONS?

Frequently Asked Questions Set 1: 1. Explain the difference between ethnocentrism and stereotyping. A: Ethnocentrism refers to the tendency of people to view their own culture as being supreme in terms of priority and worth. 2. How can I become more informed about how other cultures communicate and their interpretation of nonverbal communication? A:There are numerous websites, as well as books on this topic. People are an excellent source – talk to people from other cultures and ask them questions about their cultures.

Frequently Asked Questions 3.What should I do about my nonverbal communication, in particular body movement, during an oral presentation? A: You should communicate as naturally as possible during an oral presentation. If you are used to use hand and body movements, then you should continue to do so. The recipe, however, is never to exaggerate these gestures.

Frequently Asked Questions 4.Are there some nonverbal cues that are the same across cultures? A: Yes, majority opinion is that facial expressions like smiling, crying, showing anger, sorrow or disgust have similar meaning world-wide. 5.Why is it that, when standing in a queue, with somebody of the Western culture in front of you, the person would sometimes turn around, look at you and take a step to the front? A: This is because Western culture views proxemics (personal space) differently from how Black culture sees it.

Frequently Asked Questions 6.During the lesson, you spoke about “codes”; what is meant by this? A: Codes refer to words or language used. 7.Why should I know about nonverbal and intercultural communication? A: With the development of globalization, intercultural communication has become more frequent and more significant than ever before. We live in a multi-cultural society and come into contact with people from different cultures on a daily basis. If we know more about one another, communication would be so much easier and misunderstandings will be eliminated.

Frequently Asked Questions 8.Please explain what is meant with interpreting a message in context. A: This means, that when we interpret communication, we have to listen to the words, as well as look at the nonverbal communication. 9.You indicated that accent is a form of nonverbal communication. Should I change my accent? A:Not at all. We should be proud of the fact that we are South Africans. The only thing that we can work on is to make sure that we pronounce words correctly and audibly.

10.Why should I know about nonverbal and intercultural communication? A: With the development of globalization, intercultural communication has become more frequent and more significant than ever before. We live in a multi-cultural society and come into contact with people from different cultures on a daily basis. If we know more about one another, communication would be so much easier and misunderstandings will be eliminated.

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