Communication Between Cultures

Developing Intercultural Competence

We continue with the theme of cultural differences here at the end of this chapter

by offering some advice on how you can develop the skills necessary to improve

your intercultural competency. Beforeadvancing our suggestions, we call your

attention to some difficulties you might experience when trying to improve your

intercultural skills. First, as we have explained throughout this chapter, much of

what we call culture occurs early in life—often prior to age four. Because the“les-

sons”of culture are learned so early, they become a basic part of the perceptions,

thinking, and actions of the child. In this sense, a person’s reaction to his or her

social environment is often automatic and second nature. Thus, when attempting

to develop new communication skills, you bring to the endeavor a lifetime of

ingrained habits and unconscious responses. For example, if you are from the cul-

ture of the United States, where informality is valued and good manners are not

highly esteemed, you might have a difficult time when interacting with Germans.

In that culture,“Good manners are part of a child’supbringing”and stressed in

everything from family relationships to the business environment.^93

Second, as Lynch reminds us,“Long-standing behavior patterns are typically used

to express one’s deepest values.”^94 Hence, cultural habits, responses, perceptions,

behaviors, and such are hard to change. That they are difficult to change does not

mean that they are impossible to change.

We are now ready to answer the significant question: What is intercultural

competence? According to Spitzberg, intercultural communication competence is

“behavior that is appropriate and effective in a given context.”^95 Kim offers a

more detailed definition when she notes that intercultural communication compe-

tence is“the overall internal capability of an individual to manage key challeng-

ing features of intercultural communication: namely, cultural differences and

unfamiliarity, inter-group posture,

and the accompanying experience

of stress.”^96 These two definitions,

one general and one specific, sug-

gest that being an interculturally

competent communicator means

analyzing the situation and select-

ing the correct mode of behavior.

The Basic Components of Intercultural Communication Competence

Most of the research in the area of intercultural communication competence includes

(1)being motivated, (2)having a fund of knowledge to draw on, and (3)possessing certain

communication skills.

Motivation

Motivation, as it relates to intercultural competence, means that as a communicator,

you want to be part of a successful intercultural encounter. You know from personal

experience that being motivated and having a positive attitude usually bring forth

CONSIDER THIS

What are the advantages of the“culture-general”approach to the

study of intercultural communication over the“culture-specific”

method?

The Basic Components of Intercultural Communication Competence 61

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