Intercultural communication: principles and practice

¶ … Intercultural Relations Studies as "analysis of intergroup behaviour within contexts of cultural diversity." To explore this issue, they studied Spanish students in an English course at a Spanish university. They found that positive contacts between two cultures was not enough to create positive views of the culture unfamiliar to the participant.

Data was gathered by using a questionnaire that measured ethnic attitudes and intercultural assumptions. It covered contacts with foreign people and the quality of those contacts. It also looked at attitudes, intercultural problems and conflicts, stereotypes, prejudices, and assumptions/expectations. It was used by analyzing the variables defined in the questionnaire. The subjects were 74 Spanish university students who had contact with foreign students. Participation was voluntary and anonymous.

Major Findings

The major finding was that for these students, contact with people from other cultures was not enough to foster positive opinions. The international students and Spanish students did not interact much; 87% of the Spanish students did not interact with them. When interactions did occur, they were sporadic and superficial. Some of the participants viewed this as normal although 70% thought the lack of contact was not good. Analysis showed that the groups polarized themselves into homogeneous groups. About 63% of the Spanish students saw the foreign students as unwilling to interact with them. Paradoxically at the same time, about 90% said the international students were as accepted as any other student, although this clearly wasn't so. The Spanish students said they felt anxious around other with a different language, culture, and world view, and 86% said there was a fear of those who were different than them.

Conclusion

It was surprising to see how insular the Spanish students were. They did not seem to see any need to get to know the students from other countries. The study suggests that simply putting people of different cultures together is not enough to foster real cross-cultural interactions.

ARTICLE 2:

Short purpose statement; preview main points of paper

This report explains how to use intercultural questionnaires of the type used in the first study. The instrument is a self-assessment tool designed to help students understand the link between communication and business success in intercultural situations. However, it can be used in corporate settings as well. The process is intended to help participants identify their own behavior in intercultural exchanges, become aware of their ability to communicate with people from other cultures, and understand the relationship between business success and how they communicate with people.

Research Method

The approach is experiential-based and argues that the act of filling out the questionnaire results in increased self-understanding, because they interact with others in the process. The learning model is based on research and is divided into stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation.

In this approach, the students analyze the data they generate by participation in these activities non-statistically, by systematically answering questions:

1. Behaviorally what happened? (concrete experience)

2. Reflecting on the episode(s) reported, what are you led to believe or feel? (reflective observation)

3. How do your reflections and conclusions relate to the theories presented in the small-group discussion and the facilitator's debriefing? (abstract conceptualization) 4. Based on the episode(s) reported plus your analysis and conclusions, what thoughts about future actions do you have that will make you a more effective manager? (active experimentation)

Demographics for these activities can vary but the researchers have noted their use with both college students and business professionals. The authors provide a method for quantifying responses to those who participate.

Major Findings