What is intercultural communication?

Culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a group or society. It shapes how individuals think and act, and is passed down from one generation to the next. Culture is often determined by factors such as religion, geography, and ethnicity. Culture influences our communication style, including the words we use and how we behave.

Intercultural communication refers to communication between people who have differences in areas such as age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. This type of communication involves exchanging, negotiating, and mediating cultural differences through language, gestures, and body language.

Everyone practices culture at different levels, including the culture of their community, workplace, and other cultures they are involved in. People may experience conflicts between their original culture and the dominant culture they encounter daily. This can lead to cultural clashes when individuals believe their culture is superior to others.

Intercultural communication has been influenced by a variety of academic disciplines and helps prevent misunderstandings and conflicts between individuals or groups. It promotes trust and cooperation, and focuses on delivering appropriate responses rather than providing the right message.

When people from different cultures communicate, they not only have different cultural backgrounds, but also different ways of taking turns in conversation. Effective intercultural communication is facilitated when both speakers are aware of the turn-taking system being used, such as avoiding monopolizing the conversation or speaking one at a time.