In What Ways Is the Study of Intercultural Communication Theory Relevant to International Students, or not - Essay Example

In what ways is the study of intercultural communication theory relevant to international or not? Intercultural Communication is important in today’s world. Since, students are applying for different programs and courses in different countries. They will need to understand the cultures and languages of that specific state in order to build better relationships with others and enhance their communication level skills. It is not easy to understand the nature of each culture though students can achieve a certain amount of command on understanding the basics of their targeted cultures. “Culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language”. (Raymond Williams, Key Words, 1983:87) It is important to first understand the concept of intercultural communication and its importance. Intercultural communication in the simplest terms is the exchange of information and ideas across different cultures and various social groups. Since, the world today is portrayed by a huge number of contacts between people often resulting in the communication between people with distinctly different culture backgrounds and linguistics. It is important to overlook the needs of communication, without any misunderstandings and collision across the cultures. The study of intercultural communication is significant for international students as it can help them to understand and recognize the nature of different linguistics, also it will help them to compare the similarities and differences between their and other’s cultures. There are cultures and sub-cultures within a culture. Students staying or thinking to apply to other countries need to develop the importance of understanding of cultures and their languages. Students engage and communicate with other international students to up bring the best of relationships. Intercultural communication is becoming gradually more essential due to the rise of globalization and also with the rise of multi-cultural job environments. Not all students get to receive the positive welcome from the students of other universities. Students often face difficulties while applying aboard, in foreign countries. Thus, in today’s age, students of college level need an education that will provide them with a set of helpful skills such as, “communication skills” this process will allow the student to compete in an increasingly developing global market with gradually increasing educated population. Social networking sites have played a vital role in promoting and fostering intercultural communication. Young generation use social networking sites for interaction and communication, it is the most developing medium of sharing ideas and information between people of different background. Many students establish positive intercultural relationships and strive to become familiar with the characteristics of the different cultures. We live in a competing society where everyone is striving to get power and money and to influence others with their existence. In research of intercultural communication it occurs that many theorists focus on the flexibility and open-mindedness characteristics and apply much emphasis on it. People should think broadly with in open mind when showing acceptance towards other cultures. The term is called is cognitive flexibility, in which it is advised to show acceptance towards new idea, openness to new challenges and task, and to develop a sense of tolerance towards others. Intercultural communication open ways for students to engage and communicate with other cultures, it also creates opportunities for internal cooperation. Many study-abroad programs offer opportunities to individual colleges and universities students and teachers to teach or study abroad in different countries. Individual efforts like these do a lot in the process of understanding across different cultures and help students to clearly indentify the problems and solutions of studying aboard and the importance of intercultural communication. The issues in intercultural correspondence normally originate from issues in “message transmission”. In correspondence between individuals of the same society, the individual who gets the message translates it focused around qualities, convictions, and desires for conduct like those of the individual who sent the message. At the point, when this happens, the way the message is translated by the collector is prone to be decently like what the speaker planned. Universal under-graduate students who are new in an alternate environment would dependably feel vulnerable to build the informal organizations as in their nations of origin right away. Global understudies regularly have more restricted interpersonal organizations. The majority of new comers feel a tad-bit hard to make new companions in a totally new environment with people of different cultural backgrounds and language. Some worldwide understudy’s students just hang out with individuals from their nations of origin. Students of understudies meet loads of learning obstructions and think that it hard to comprehend the instruction arrangement of the nation and the medium of directions. Understudies might additionally have trouble with the stress of their teacher actually when they have great capability in English. They experience issues in understanding the class addresses and are hesitant to an interest in the class exercises and examinations. Numerous understudies get focused because of their poor English and because they cannot openly express their information in the examination papers even where they have great plans and ideas to express. Language is the most self-evident, if not the most essential cultural-barrier, especially for the students who choose to study abroad, in other foreign countries. It is clear that individuals of diverse societies must have a typical dialect or language keeping in mind the end goal to convey, and a few misconceptions between individuals of distinctive societies might be followed to dialect boundaries. Nonetheless, even individuals with the same local language may utilize different grammatical structures o diverse representations, making it troublesome for them to see one another on occasion. Many students face cultural shock. Cultural shock describes the condition of moving from a familiar place to an unfamiliar one. It also incorporates the stun of natures turf. Gathering groups of new individuals or students and taking in the methods for another nation. It likewise incorporates the stun of being differentiated from the essential individuals throughout your life, for example, family, companions, associates, and instructors. Coming to a new culture might be challenging, it challenges a number of factor for the students, including change, loss, cultural differences, linguistics, value and norm differences, expectations, required skills and much more. All progressions, whether positive or negative, could be upsetting, on the grounds that change brings the obscure and new to it. Surely, going to another society includes numerous progressions. In addition, going to another society can mean having a few misfortunes to lament: loss of contact with family and companions; loss of the status one is utilized to in the home society; loss of well known and most loved spots, nourishments, atmosphere, and so on. Contrasts in qualities between a particular society and ones home society might be testing. These can incorporate good, social, political, instructive, and work-related quality contrasts. Numerous worldwide understudies have exceptionally compelling social abilities in their home society and dialect, yet many may think that it is hard to take in the diverse ones required for achievement in the particular different country. For this purpose, the study of intercultural communication and its importance in the real life should be considerable by the students. A proper course on this subject can also help them in enhancing their knowledge about different procedures, rules and norms of different cultures. Students can prepare themselves for the upcoming changes they might have to face when shifting to a totally new place and making friends and a particular space in that environment. The difference in communication can cause difficulties for students; it is important and relevant for students to learn about the intercultural communication and its importance in today’s world. Thus, these differences and diversities can easily overcome with a little effort from both sides. Students can work on numerous yet simple factors to enhance their relationships with the students or people of other different cultures. It is important for the students to sincerely consider the importance of intercultural communication and to have honest desire to understand each other’s cultures, thoughts and ideas. Also, for the students it is additionally essential to think about the other society and norms of culture when speaking to an individual of that society. Knowing, for instance, something about what motions mean and what a percentage of the general convictions and estimations of the society are can eventually help in decreasing the correspondence issues. In addition, it is likewise valuable to comprehend something about ones own particular society and ones own particular fundamental social suspicions to see where they may be not quite the same as those of the populace of an alternate society. References: Holliday, Adrian. "Chapter 3." Understanding Intercultural Communication Negotiating a Grammar of Culture. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2013. Print. Holliday, Adrian. Understanding Intercultural Communication: Negotiating a Grammar of Culture. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2013. Internet resource. Sadri, Houman A., and Madelyn Flammia. "Chapter 2." Intercultural Communication: A New Approach to International Relations and Global Challenges. New York: Continuum International Pub. Group, 2011. 14, 15. Print. Sadri, Human A, and Madelyn Flammia. Intercultural Communication: A New Approach to International Relations and Global Challenges. New York: Continuum International Pub. Group Inc, 2011. Print. Read More