Communication
8 Intercultural Communication
Learning Outcomes
- Describe an intercultural communication framework
- Practice applying it to an intercultural incident situation in a trade workplace setting.
Cross-cultural Communication
Canada is a multi-cultural society and it is important to be sensitive to cross-cultural issues that may arise in the workplace. Culture is communication, according to Edward T. Hall (1973), a pioneer in culture and communication studies. Through our verbal and non-verbal behaviors, we convey the norms of our culture. How can we enhance effective communication in culturally diverse workplace contexts?
Jacob Dalling, BCIT alumnus, gives his perspective on working with people from other cultures in the next video.
Reflective Intercultural Learning Cycle
Exercise
Check this Reflective Intercultural Learning Cycle offered by NorQuest College. It provides a 4-step framework, the Something’s Up! Cycle, that helps us build intercultural communication skills.
This Cycle encourages us to reflect on the ways that culture might impact understanding in intercultural spaces.
At each stage of cycle, there are questions to ask yourself to gain appropriate awareness, knowledge, and reactions.
Applying The Reflective Intercultural Learning Cycle
Let’s watch the following cultural incident video below and learn how to apply the Something’s Up! Cycle to the incident.
Exercise
Key Takeaways
- The ability to communicate with intercultural competence is critical in today’s workplaces.
- When cultural incidences happen, practice the Reflective Intercultural Learning Cycle.