intercultural-communication-competence

InterculturalCommunicationCompetenceCase1.I’veNotConsideredMarriageYetJohn,28yearsold,anAustralianstudyingChineseinBeijing,metLiHuaatadanceparty.LiHua,22,tookaninstantlikingtoJohnthefirsttimetheymet,astimewenton,theysawmoreandmoreofeachother.Aftersixmonthsorso,LiHuasuggeststhatJohnmeetherparents.SincethiswasthefirsttimeJohnhadvisitedaChinesefamily,hebecamequitenervousthemomenthewasintroducedtoLiHua’sparents,eldersisterandsister-in-law.SoonafterservinghimsomeChineseteaandfruit,LiHua’smotherbeganquestioningJohnabouthisbackground,hisfamilyandrelatives,aswellashiseconomicstatus.Johndidhisbesttoanswerallofthequestions,sometimesinbrokenChinese.Afewminuteslater,LiHua’sfatherturnedtowardsJohn,andaskedaverydirectquestion.HewantedJohntotellhimwhenhewouldmarryLiHuaandwherehewasgoingtoliveandwork.John,beingabitsurprisedatthequestion,repliedthathehadn’tthoughtaboutmarriage.LiHua’sfathergotveryupsetandangry.HestampedhisfootandaskedJohntoleave.AsJohnwasabouttoleave,LiHua’sfatherwarnedhimagainstseeinghisdaughteragain.Johnleft,withoutknowingwhathehaddonetoenragethefamily.HowcouldyouexplaintoLiHua’sparentsabouttherelationshipbetweenLiHuaandJohn?HowcouldyouexplaintoJohnLiHua’sparents’behavior?Case2.DifferentAttitudesTowardaFlyinaBeerIfinthedininghall,aflywasseeninaglassofbeer,anEnglishmanwouldsay,“MayIhaveanother,please?”;aFrenchmanwouldpourthebeerout;aSpanishmanwouldputthemoneyonthetableandleavewithoutaword;aJapanesewouldsummonthemanagerandcriticize,“Doyoudoallyourbusinesslikethis?”;anArabwouldgivethebeertothewaiterandsay,“I’llbuyyouadrink.”;andthemorehumorousAmericanwouldsaytothewaiter,“Pleaseservetheflyandbeerseparately.Ifthecustomerlikesthefly,hecouldputitintohisbeerhimself.”Case3.Haveyouhadyourlunch?Whereareyougoing?WhenIfirstwenttoHongKonganumberofyearsago,IhadnoideaabouttheChineselanguageortheChineseculture.Shortlyaftermyarrival,Iwenttothebankonmywaytoschool.IwasextremelysurprisedwhenthebankclerkaskedmeifIhadhadlunch.InBritishculture,thequestionwouldberegardedasanindirectinvitationtolunch,andbetweenunmarriedyoungpeople，itindicatesayoungman’sinterestindatingagirl.Sincehewasacompletelystranger,Iwasquitetakenaback.Iproceededtoschoolandwasevenmoresurprisedwhenoneoftheteachersaskedmethesamequestion.BynowIrealizedthatitcouldnotbeaninvitation,butIwaspuzzledastowhytheykeptaskingit.Inthefollowingdays,asIwasaskedthequestionagainandagain,Icametotheconclusionthatpeoplemustbeconcernedmyhealth.Iwassomewhatunderweight,andIassumedtheymustbeworriedthatIwasnoteatingproperly.Onlylater,didIfindoutthatthequestionhadnorealSignificanceatall,itwasmerelyagreeting.Case4.TherehasbeenaveryfamousbrandofbatteryinChina:WhiteElephant.SupposethisproductistobeexportedtotheUKortheUSA.It’sverylikelytofailwithoutchangingitsbrandname.why?1.FactorsunderlyingInterculturalCommunicationCompetence1.SignificanceofCompetentInterculturalCommunication2.TheImperativeforInterculturalCompetencea.TheEconomicImperativeforInterculturalCompetenceb.TheTechnologicalImperativeforInterculturalCompetencec.TheDemographicImperativeforInterculturalCompetenced.TheSocialJusticeImperativeforInterculturalCompetence2.Definitions:CommunicationCompetenceandInterculturalCommunicationCompetenceCompetentcommunicationCommunicationcompetenceInterculturalcompetenceInterculturalcommunicationcompetence2.1CompetentcommunicationCompetentcommunicationisinteractionthatisperceivedaseffectiveinfulfillingcertainrewardingobjectivesandisalsoappropriatetothecontextinwhichtheinteractionoccurs.2.2CommunicationCompetenceCommunicationcompetenceisasocialjudgmentthatpeoplemakeaboutothers.2.3InterculturalCompetenceTheabilitytobecomeeffectiveandappropriateininteractingacrosscultures.2.4InterculturalcommunicationcompetenceInterculturalcommunicationcompetencereferstotheabilitytoaccomplisheffectiveandappropriateinterculturalcommunicationbetweencommunicatorsofdifferentcultures.3.TheComponentsofInterculturalCompetenceIndividualComponentsofInterculturalCompetence:Individualcomponentsusuallyincludemotivation,knowledge,attitudes,behaviorsandskills.ContextualComponentsofInterculturalCompetence3.1IndividualComponentsofInterculturalCompetencea.MotivationMotivationincludestheoverallsetofemotionalassociationsthatpeoplehaveastheyactuallycommunicateinter-culturally.b.KnowledgeTheknowledgecomponentcomprisesvariouscognitiveaspectsofcommunicationcompetence;itinvolveswhatweknowaboutourselvesandothers,andaboutvariousaspectsofcommunication.c.AttitudesManyattitudescontributetointerculturalcommunicationcompetence,includingtoleranceforambiguity,empathy,andnonjudgmentalness.d.BehaviorsandskillsThereseemtobetwolevelsofbehavioralcompetence.Themacrolevelincludesmanyculture-generalbehaviors,thenthereisthemicrolevel,atwhichthesegeneralbehaviorsareimplementedinculture-specificways3.2ContextualComponentsofInterculturalCompetence--Contextreferstoalltheinformationintheactualcommunicationsetting,sosomeinterculturalcommunicationscholarswoulduseanotherterm“situationalfeatures”torefertothecontext.--Anotheraspectofcontextisthecommunicator