Hispanic and Native American Center of Excellence

Intercultural Communication:

A Short Course

What is communication?

Communication is a process involving the exchange of information. Successful communication requires a transmission of meaning, and that understanding and acceptance also occur. The role of receiver and sender is interchangeable because the roles keep changing and interchanging. Because the ultimate goal of communication is acceptance of the message, some modification of original message, using feedback both on the part of the receiver and the sender may occur. This is especially true of cross cultural communication.

It is essential that you check for meaning and understanding.

Communication and the classroom

Communication is natural among people but misunderstandings are common. The classroom is one of the worst places for misunderstanding to occur. According to Stanley (1987) disastrous consequences may occur, such as: damaged relationships between learner and instructor, loss of confidence in the learner, loss of the instructor’s credibility, and confusion, disappointment, or despair on both sides.

Communication Style: Learner and Instructor

It is important to realize that the communication style of your instructor can conflict with your preferred communication style. (Phillips, 1983) For example, important differences can include:

  • wait time between utterances (how fast or slow do you talk?)
  • how a person gains attention
  • how a person acknowledges that a message has been understood (verbal, and non-verbal)
  • how people take turns in a conversation

Pay attention to both classroom and tutorial communications, between faculty and fellow students. Miscues can lead to inappropriate responses on the part of both students and instructor, a seeming uncooperative atmosphere, and subsequent potential for lack of respect. Whereas good communication can build trust, shared decision-making, good peer learning and teaching, and confident learners.

Barriers to effective communication.

Stanley (1987) describes some barriers to effective communication in the classroom:

  • Poor listening. On the part of instructor (sender) or student (listener)
  • Information overload. Student or instructor (receiver) may become overloaded with information and the pace of presentation
  • Poor sequencing of presentation. A jumbled presentation can interrupt the learner’s concentration
  • Semantics. The use of language without precise meaning. A lack of clarity in presentation. Statements that are too general may cause misunderstandings of content
  • Distancing. The instructor may appear too distant from learners. A misunderstanding of intention may result in loss of content on the part of learners.
  • Mental set and trained incapacities. The practice of selective retention on the part of learners. People tend to retain information that relates to something they already know, or that fits their belief or mental system by training
  • Anxiety and fear. This is especially true of learners that have been out of the classroom for many years.
  • Lack of interest. A problem of motivation for the subject content
  • Outside distraction. Problems with the learning environment
  • Lack of background information. This involves learner characteristics that can impact your learning
  • Self Concept/Self Image: Learner and instructor comparing themselves to one another and forming judgments can affect communication in the learning environment. Conflict may arise if the learner feels threatened by the instructor’s attitude, expectations, or classroom communication style.

Intercultural Communication

Defining culture: A social system consisting of learned behaviors, artistic traditions, technological achievements, communicative techniques, religious beliefs, philosophical concepts, even genetic characteristics. (Sitaram, 1976, pg.19)

Defining intercultural communication: Interaction between members of differing cultures, creating the possibility that the value systems of the interacting members are so different that real understanding is quite difficult.

Elements of communication that may be affected by culture: Perception, information retention, pitch, articulation, intelligibility, translation, and dialect.

Non-verbal factors in intercultural communication.

  • Personal space--that distance characteristically kept between people in various cultures;symbolic of the nature & extent of relationships between people.
  • Smile--shows pleasure, almost universal in meaning (also frowns), can also be used to indicate scorn, ridicule, or contempt. Can also signify discomfort or embarrassment.
  • Posture--associated with a person’s frame of mind and general attitude about themselves, varies by culture.
  • Smell--associated with type of food consumed, among other things.
  • Eye contact--very basic and varies by culture; can show respect either looking straight at another or looking away depending on cultural context.
  • Touch--specific to culture; closer personal space cultures touch more to communicate.

Communication and medicine; cultural competence in health care

Good communication between patient and health provider is essential for providing and receiving good health care. The practitioner brings a wealth of medical knowledge to the clinical setting, but only the patient really knows what their symptoms are, how long the duration and how intense, and other pertinent diagnostic information. Patients need to feel comfortable in the health care setting, in order to communicate freely and honestly with the health practitioners. It can be helpful to verify communications and ask patients what their concerns are, and to be aware of family needs.

The achievement of good communication between patients, families, and health providers, despite differences in ethnicity, language, or health practice is known as cultural competence in providing health care. As a medical student, you should understand how good communication impacts the quality of health care delivery and develop your awareness, through clinical experience, of how to communicate well with your patients, whoever they are. For more information, refer to the OCEP student library (BMSB 106), or the HSC library on communication and health care, and cross cultural medicine practice.

Websites with related information:


Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
http://www.hrsa.dhhs.gov/bhpr/dhpd/cultcompet.htm

HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care
http://bphc.hrsa.gov/CHC/CHCMain.asp

 HRSA Bureau of Health Professions
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/diversity/definitions.htm

 New Mexico Border Health Council
http://www.mnsu.edu/~bho/

 Office of Civil Rights
http://www.ed.gov/offices.OCR/

 New Mexico Geriatric Education Center
http://hsc.unm.edu/som/fcm/gec

American Indian Science & Engineering Society
http://www.aises.org/

Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
http://www.sacnas.org

Health Action New Mexico
http://www.healthactionnm@uswestmail.net

 American Medical Association
http://www.ama-assn.org/ethic/diversity/index.htm

Public Health Service Conference to Promote Cultural Competence and Women's Health
http://www.os.dhhs.gov/news/press/1995pres/95102.4.html

Cultural Competence and Women's Health Curricula
http://www.4woman.org/owh/prog/competen.htm

Hispanic Health Curriculum, University of Colorado
http://atlas.uchsc.edu/predoc/clerkshp/hispanic/whatisit.htm

References:

Brislin, R.W. & Yoshida, t. (1994).  Improving Intercultural Interactions.  Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA.
Dunn, r. (1995).  Multiculturalism and the learning-style characteristics of major cultural groups  in the United States.  In Griggs, S.  (Eds.).  Multiculturalism and learning style: teaching and counseling adolescents, (pp.37-48).  Westport, CT: Praeger.
McCaulley, M.H. and Moody, R.A. (2001). Multicultural Applications of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Handbook of Multicultural Assessment, 2nd Ed., Clinical, Psychological and Educational Applications. Suzuki, L. Ponterotto, J., and Meller, P. (Ed). Jossey-Bass.
More, A.J. (1990).  Learning styles of Native Americans and Asians.  (Report No. RC-018-091).  Vancouver, CA: University of British Columbia.  ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED   330-535.
Phillips, S.U. (1983).  The Invisible Culture.  Longman Publishing, NY.
Sitaram, K.S. & Cogdell, R.T. (1976).  Foundations of intercultural communication.  Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co., Columbus, OH.
Sleeter, C. & Grant, C. (1988).  Making choices for multicultural education, five approaches to race, class, and gender.  Merrill Publishing Co.
Stanley, L.A. (1987).  Training curriculum development.  International Center for Public Enterprises in Developing  Countries.  Yugoslavia.