Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural
Communication
1.Why is it that contact with persons from other cultures is so often frustrating and fraught with misunderstanding? Good intentions, the u of what one considers to be a friendly approach and even the possibility of mutual benefits don't em to be sufficient to ensure success-to many people's surpri. Sometimes rejection occurs just becau the group to which a person belongs is"different." It's appropriate at this time of major changes in the international scene to take a look at some of the reasons for the disappointing results of attempts at communication. They are actually stumbling blocks in intercultural communication.
2.letaloneAssumption of similarities
One answer to the question of why misunderstanding or rejection happens might be that many of us naivety assume there are sufficient similarities among peoples of the world to e
eachnet
nable us to successfully exchange information or feelings, solve problems of mutual concerns, cement business relationships, or just make the kind of impression we wish to make. The tendency for all people to reproduce, group into families or societies, develop a language, and adapt to their environment is particularly deceiving becau it leads to the expectation that the forms of the behaviors and the attitudes and values surrounding them will also be similar. It's comforting to believe that"people are people"and "deep down we're all alike," but a determined arch for proof of this leads to disappointment.
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3.Promising are the cross-cultural studies eking to support Darwin's theory that facial expressions are universal and rearchers found that the particular visible pattern on the face, the combination of muscles contracted for anger, fear, surpri, sadness, disgust, and happiness is the same for all members of our species, but this ems helpful until it is realized that a person’s cultural upbringing determines whether or not that emotion will be displayed or suppresd, as well as on which occasions and to what degree. The situations that bring about the emotional feeling also differ from culture to culture, for exa
mple, the death of a loved one may be a cau for joy, sorrow, or some other emotion, depending upon the accepted cultural belief.tck
4.although和though的区别Since there ems to be no universals of “human nature” that can be ud as a basis for automatic understanding, we must treat each encounter as an individual ca, arching for whatever perceptions and communication means are held in common and proceed from there. If we realize that we are all culture bound and culturally modified, we will accept the fact that, being unlike, we do not really know what someone el "is."
5.The aura of similarity is a rious stumbling block to successful intercultural communication. A look-alike facadehufu is deceiving when reprentatives from contrasting cultures meet, each wearing Western dress, speaking English, and using similar greeting rituals. It is like assuming that New York, Tokyo, and Tehran are all alike becau each has the appearance of a modern city. Without being alert to possible differences and the need to learn new rules for functioning, persons going from one city to the other will be in immediate trouble, even when acting simple roles such as pedestrian and driver.
6.The confidence that goes with the myth of similarity is much more comfortable than the assumption of differences, the latter requiring tentative assumptions and behaviors and a willingness to accept the anxiety of"not knowing." Only with the assumption of differences, however, can reactions and interpretations be adjusted to fit"what's happening." Otherwi someone is likely to misread signs and judge the scene ethnocentrically.
7.The stumbling block of assumed similarity is a “troublem,” as one English learner expresd it, not only for the foreigner but for the people in the host country with whom the international visitor comes into contact. The native inhabitants are likely to be lulled into the expectation that, since the foreign person is dresd appropriately and speak some of the language, he or she will also have similar nonverbal codes, thoughts and feelings. Thus, nodding, smiling, and affirmative comment will probably be confidently interpreted as meaning that they have informed, helped, and plead the newcomer. It is likely, however, that the foreigner actually understood very little of the verbal and nonverbal content and was merely indicating polite interest or trying not to embarrass him
lf or herlf of the host with verbalized questions.
transcendentalism8.Language Difference
The cond stumbling block is so obvious that it hardly needs mentioning--language. Vocabulary, syntax, idioms, slang, dialects, and so on all cau difficulty, but the person struggling with a different language is at least aware of being in this kind of trouble. A wor language problem is the tenacity with which someone will cling to just one meaning of a word or phra in the new language, regardless of connotation or context. The variations in possible meaning, especially if markup是什么意思inflection江苏卫视春晚节目单 and tonal qualities are added, are so difficult to cope with that they are often waved aside. The reason this problem is wor than simple struggling to translate foreign words is becau each person thinks he or she understands. The nationwide misinterpretation of Khrushchev's ntence "We'll bury you" is a classic example. Even"yes"and"no"could cau trouble. When a Japane hears,"Won't you have some tea?"he or she listens to the literal meaning of the ntence and answers,"No."Meaning that he or she wants some."Yes, I won't"would be a better rep
ly becau this tips off the host or hostess that there may be a misunderstanding. Also, in some culture, it is polite to refu the first or cond offer of refreshment. Many foreign guests have gone hungry becau their US host or hostess never prented the third offer—another ca of “no"meaning"yes."
