A group of engineers in automobiles from Britain travelled to The United States of America to meet the engineers in America. They exchanged ideas and skills which made them experienced enough. Through this interaction they discovered possible solutions concerning automobiles. It is through this interaction and exchange of idea, intercultural communication is born. Intercultural communication is the process of different people exchanging ideas, opinion, and thoughts as symbols for maintaining a good, mutual, and effective relationship. Communication in the world today is the center point of human existence since we interact by talking to each other and exchanging information. It is through this communication that personal and social relationships are formed and maintained. Intercultural communication leads to various aspects in life. Different cultures in societies have different norm, beliefs, cultural value and perspectives. Not only does intercultural communication involves exchange of culture but also is a study of dynamic culture through communication. It is a form of world communication between different countries with different people. There are some important things that one can learn through intercultural communication for instance; people can understand how one acts towards his or her culture. One can import a certain vital characteristic from other communities and practice it for the good. However, even skills can be exchanged as result of two different people from different culture coming together and interacting. Culture has a different component that makes up intercultural communication these are: language, belief, symbol, value and norms. This essay seeks to describe the components that make up culture as well as the importance of intercultural communication and how the world today exchanges culture through modern technology.
We all came to existence through birth. It is culture that we are able to give meaning to our own life experience and understand the world we are in. The meaning that a person gives to an event in life shapes the world and majorly fulfils expectation. Since our brain is like a system which is open, we learn from each encounters and good knowledge is obtained be it from a past event or present event. It is through communication that our culture has been transmitted by acts and behaviors. These behaviors are obtained by observation imitation and interacting with different people and learning communicating styles (Neuliep W, 2014). We receive the first communication from our parents and depending on culture parents strive to teach their children the norms and good behavior. When growing up one learns to communicate and as a result interaction builds up hence sharing of information becomes easy. The events happen unknowingly and one realizes it after he or she has found himself practicing a certain behavior. This intercultural communication is mostly realized when one has fully understood his culture and through interaction exchange of culture is seen. However, culture is made up of different components like norms, values, beliefs, and language (Ankara, 2014).
Language is a system inform of a symbol that is used to bring understanding between people of the same country, or from different culture. This intercultural communication has become part of our lives (Judith & Nakayama, 2012). People have learnt and interacted with each other because of communicating in a certain language. This has seen several people travelling across border to learn a certain language and behavior. The positive impact is that through this interaction, intercultural communication is build up and peace is created as a result. Common language in people create a better understanding of culture and through imitation and practice, people nowadays are well converse with different people from different communities.
Beliefs and Norms
Beliefs are the ideas and thoughts that different people possess concluding in their mind that they are right and not wrong. While norms is seen when people lay down certain principles and guidelines that shape their behavior. They believe what is right and do according to the prescribed guidelines in a certain community. This belief shapes their attitude and behavior. Through intercultural communication people have learnt and practiced different cultures because it is believed when one goes the Rome, one does what the Romans do. This saying has influenced people’s behavior since they have to obey and follow the laid down principles in order to fit in the community. Through beliefs and norms, culture has been passed from generation to generation and it has been obeyed since it is a norm. Intercultural communication is build up when such is shared with other people who imitate the attitude and behavior of different background culture (Martin, 2012).
Importance of Intercultural Communication
Since culture is a dynamic process and keeps changing due to the new changes in the world, peace has seen its way in. Through this relationship created by different people, global improvement of economy is seen. It has produced a good turnout of profit to certain people dealing with business. Economy in different countries has grown through international trade. Businessmen and women are growing the business industry because of a common language. Today America carries out its business with other countries like Japan, Russia India and other states. It is through this intercultural communication that unites both parties and gives them a chance to conduct their business. Secondly intercultural communication gives people the knowledge of understanding culture. Through any medium of communication people can well understand the norms, beliefs, and even shape behavior. The means onwards has been simplified by the new form of technology.
The new technology and the increasing population have played a vital role in influencing intercultural communication. Since culture is dynamic, different people have interacted using the modern means of technology both locally and abroad. People can now access information concerning different culture from different places using a computer. Computer networks have provided access to different information and have networked various cultures through internet. Through communication via internet, people have linked up and jobs have been obtained for instance an interpreter. When one learns about a certain culture, belief and language, in case there is a foreigner who cannot speak his native language, the interpreter comes in and interprets the language as well as providing basic information about a certain culture. Intercultural communication yields a lot to the growth and establishment of commonness.
In conclusion, People have different belief and culture, for instance China is well versed with its culture because of unity and norms that people believe in. It takes a person to try and understand their culture by giving practice to communication. It is through communication that people have interacted in China and learnt their culture as well as exchange their culture. Although culture is dynamic and changes with the newer trends, it is important to build up a common communication medium. Language like English has seen different people exchange information and ideas, since it is common. Students have learnt in various countries since they are well versed with a certain language. Intercultural communication also has seen people uniting and ending wars. All this is attributed to the fact that technology has made the process easy.
- Martin J. (2012). Intercultural Communication. Retrieved from https://www.studeersnel.nl/nl/document/erasmus-universiteit-rotterdam/intercultural-communication/samenvattingen/summary-chapter-2-3-5-tm-7-9-11/254263/view?has_flashcards=1
- Ankara J. (2014). Cross-cultural Communication, Retrieved from https://www.studocu.com/en/document/hogeschool-van-amsterdam/cross-cultural-communication/summaries/summary-book-cross-cultural-communication-anka-j-jacobs/206981/view?has_flashcards=0
- Neuliep J. (2014).Intercultural Communication, retrieved from https://www.studocu.com/en/document/de-haagse-hogeschool/intercultural-communication/summaries/summary-book-intercultural-communication-chapters-1-8-11/461090/view?has_flashcards=1