1. Intercultural Communication
Chapter 1
Introduction to Intercultural Competence

2. The Imperatives for Intercultural Competence
Demographic
Technological
Economic
Peace
Interpersonal

3. The demographic imperative for intercultural competence
Wave of cultural mixing.
Increasing cross-border movements.
Changing the distribution of people.
Intensifying political and social tensions.

4. The technological imperative for intercultural competence
Global village and mass media.
Information technologies.
Long-distance transportation systems.

5. The economic imperative for intercultural competence
Economic effectiveness of the U.S.
Interdependence with other countries.
The workplace is increasingly diverse.

6. The peace imperative for intercultural competence
The need to understand and appreciate others.
Incidents of hate crimes and other animosities.

7. The interpersonal imperative for intercultural competence
Quality of daily life depends on the ability to communicate competently with others.
Consequences to maintaining competent interpersonal relationships.

8. Defining Communication
Communication is a symbolic interpretive, transactional, contextual process in which people create shared meanings.

9. Speech Communication Process

10. Speech Communication Process
SITUATION
IDEA
IDEA
ENCODE
DECODE
Channel
Message
Feedback
IDEA Feedback
IDEA Feedback
DECODE
ENCODE

11. Defining Communication
There are 6 characteristics of communication:
Communication is symbolic.
Communication is interpretive.
Communication is transactional.
Communication is contextual.
Communication is a process.
Communication involves shared meanings.

12. Defining Communication
Communication is symbolic.
Uses symbols
Meaning is a perception, thought, or feeling.
A message is a package of symbols.

13. Defining Communication
Communication is interpretive.
Requires interpreting the symbols of others.
Requires understanding these symbols.
Agreement is not required.

14. Defining Communication
Communication is transactional.
Old view saw communication as one-way activity.
New view sees communication as simultaneous.
Leads to shared creation of messages and meaning.

15. Defining Communication
Communication is contextual.
All communication is contextual.
Context includes physical, social, and interpersonal.

16. Defining Communication
Communication is a process.
Communication is always changing.
Messages are unrepeatable.

17. Defining Communication
Communication involves shared meanings.
Changing communicators changes message.

18. Defining Communication
Interpersonal communication is comprised of 4 characteristics:
IPC occurs between small groups of people.
IPC involves people interacting exclusively with one another.
IPC is adapted to specific others.
In IPC, the interpretation of messages can occur essentially simultaneously with their creation, allowing communicators to adapt their messages instantaneously.

19. The Challenge of Communicating in an Intercultural World
No simple answers that guarantee competent communication.
Differences among people are reasons to celebrate and share rather than to fear and harm.