This paper examines LaRay Barna's essay "Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks," focusing on three key barriers to effective intercultural communication: stereotyping, high anxiety, and the tendency to make instantaneous evaluations. Drawing on personal anecdotes, the paper illustrates how each stumbling block manifests in everyday interactions—from a gas station employee making assumptions about English proficiency based on physical appearance, to a student's anxiety during a tutoring introduction, to classmates ridiculing a Chinese student's name without cultural context. The paper argues that these obstacles often reinforce one another and, when combined with language barriers, significantly impede meaningful cross-cultural exchange.
Communication plays a vital role in human interaction. Unfortunately, communication is not always as effective as it should be between people. This problem is usually made worse when people from different cultures attempt to communicate, particularly when they are not well informed about one another's culture (Barna, 68). As a result, there are a number of negative outcomes that people may experience due to complications in intercultural communication. LaRay Barna's essay "Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks" addresses several points that may cause difficulty with communication between people of different cultures. Many of these issues are characterized by assumptions and a degree of ignorance on the part of one or both parties, resulting in a decidedly narrow perspective.
One of the many valid points that Barna raises regarding obstacles to intercultural communication is the presence and purpose of stereotyping. It is interesting to note that the underlying cause of many stereotypes is not necessarily malicious. The author states that the overriding purpose of the innate assumptions and close-mindedness that result in stereotyping — which can take many forms — is to "reduce the threat of the unknown by making the world predictable" (70). Furthermore, Barna notes that many stereotypes are generated by preconceptions, some of which may be known to apply to certain cultural groups.
Despite what may be desirable intentions behind stereotyping, there are many instances in my own experience in which negative circumstances have arisen expressly because someone based their opinion of me or my family and friends on stereotypes. An excellent example occurred earlier this summer, when my friends and I went into a gas station one night to make a few purchases. One of my friends happened to be talking on a cell phone in Cantonese when we walked in. Even though Bill has not been in the country for very long, our friend Daniel has been living here for the better part of ten years. He speaks English fluently and without an accent, and people who know him assume he was born here. However, I believe that because of their physical appearances, which are distinctly Asian, and because Bill was speaking a foreign language when they entered the store, the employee assumed that both of them were foreigners who could not speak English with any proficiency. The employee immediately began talking to them in a loud voice with exaggerated gestures, as if he expected them not to understand him. Daniel simply asked, "Why are you shouting?" as he paid for his soda, and the employee looked quite shocked. His preconceived notions about their English proficiency showed how he had stereotyped them, and the situation became nearly embarrassing as other customers began to stare.
Barna makes another important point when she discusses the effect of high anxiety on intercultural communication. This can present a formidable obstacle, because it is difficult for people to function normally — let alone communicate effectively — when they are intimidated, nervous, or otherwise anxious. The author makes a salient point when she notes that anxiety is somewhat different from the other stumbling blocks, because it reinforces the difficulty provided by the others (Barna, 71). Her implication is that anxiety usually works in tandem with other communication issues, inevitably making things worse.
There is a fair amount of truth in this idea, as my own experience confirms. I was working as a tutor a couple of years ago and had a new assignment at a local school. I arrived five minutes before I was scheduled to meet my first student and saw her sitting in the school's office. She was a fairly small sixth grader and looked like a quiet girl. I tried my best to be welcoming and encouraging, so I smiled broadly and asked if she was there for tutoring. At first she simply stared at me as though in disbelief and did not respond. The school secretary, who had some familiarity with the girl, encouraged her to speak up. However, my student did not, and when the secretary continued urging her, she covered her face with her hand. Afraid she might start crying, I suggested we get her a glass of water and that I return in a few minutes. When I did, she was happily drinking and was able to tell me her name. We actually had a fairly productive session that day, and when I asked why she had frozen during our initial meeting, she said it was because she was nervous about needing academic help.
"Instant evaluation without cultural context damages communication"
There is a degree of similarity between the stumbling blocks to intercultural communication referenced in Barna's article. Instantaneous evaluations or judgments, stereotyping, and the presence of high anxiety can all work in tandem against someone who is on the receiving end of these factors — much as Wing was in the preceding example. When these factors combine with others, such as the inherent barriers presented by language differences (Barna, 69) — which was also a factor in Wing's case — the difficulties become even greater. Recognizing these stumbling blocks and approaching cross-cultural interactions with openness and awareness is essential to overcoming them.
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