Intercultural Communication

Step 1 is PREPARE. Which of the following would be an example of this?

• Reading a travel book and learning some useful language.

• Watching some videos or people interacting in the real world.

• Trying to imagine living like someone from a different place.

• Finding some similarities and differences between them and you.

Which step does this describe? A Vietnamese person travels to Germany. They don't speak German and don't know much about the customs of German people. The Vietnamese person follows the example of the German people around them.

• PREPARE

• RESPECT

• OBSERVE

• EMPATHIZE

Step 3 is COMPARE. Which of the following is an example of this?

• An American notices that Korean's eat with chopsticks instead of a fork and knife.

• A Canadian learns from a Russian how to say thank you.

• A traveler stops to think about what it would be like to live in the country they are visiting.

• A Swedish person asks a Frenchman about French culture.

Which step does this describe?

John is traveling through Eastern Europe. He is from America. He has observed the people living a very different way of life to his. He starts to think about his family, life, home, friends, school, etc. Realizing that people have different things and ways of doing things he finds some gratitude for his life in America.

• INQUIRE

• EMPATHIZE

• OBSERVE

• REFLECT

Step 5 is Inquire. Which of the following is an example of this?

• Watching videos or people interacting in the real world.

• John learned that to be polite in Japan he would need to bow to the elders he meets.

• Sally (an American) asks Sarah (a Dutch girl) about Holland and why Tulips are an important flower.

• A Brit and an Australian talk about the differences in the English language between their two countries.

When we first meet someone it is easy to come to our own conclusions. If they are overweight we think they are fat and lazy. We don't consider that they could have a disease or underlying cause. When we jump to conclusions this is called.

• Stereotype

• Prejudice

• Generalization

Which step is being described?

Joe is a teacher in Indonesia. He has learned that Indonesians do not pass things with their left hand. As he passes out the worksheets he makes sure to use his right hand.

• RESPECT

• OBSERVE

• ENGAGE

• INQUIRE

Step 7 is EMPATHIZE. Which of the following is an example of this?

• A boy fell and scraped his knee. This happened to you before so you go over and clean it and put on a plaster while telling him a funny joke because you remember how sad and hurt you felt when it happened to you.

• You are planning a trip to Turkey. You've read the travel books and learned some useful phrases.

• You're traveling through Spain when you find this funny-looking instrument. You ask the shopkeeper what it is and how to use it.

• A Swiss girl is sitting on a bench in Hungary watching the people in the street.

Which step does this describe?

A shy French girl has been living in Iceland for 3 weeks. She has been missing home and feeling out of place. One day she makes a friend at the library who offers to show her around and introduce her to more of the Icelandic culture. She accepts and starts to fit in more and more.

• PREPARE

• OBSERVE

• ENGAGE

• RESPECT

What is intercultural communication?