Communicating Within and

Across Cultures

MODULE 3 YOU ARE EXPECTED TO:

3hrs/1 week
➢ Know the meaning and ways of communicating
across different cultures;
➢ Internalize the guidelines on developing
intercultural competencies;
➢ To be aware and limit the barriers to effective
intercultural communication.
➢ Know the importance and impact of
communicating with other people of different
cultures.

OVERVIEW

Good day students! We are still on the topics under Communication and
Globalization. In your second module, you have learned the meaning of culture, and the
global village. We know that you have enjoyed reading and answering the first two
modules in this subject. This time, we are going to continue to venture on the related
concepts of communication and globalization.

This module focuses on the guidelines and barriers of an effective

communication across globalization. We hope that you will enjoy and the most
important thing is for you to learn this.

Communicating Within and Across Cultures

Aside from face to face interaction, our communication between and among
individuals is not easy because we use verbal and non-verbal symbols specially within
and across cultures.
Within our families, we have learned, developed and used non-verbal symbols
(through imitation), which is not even accepted within as among our age group. Imitating
expressions regarding others may bring misunderstanding and confusion to other
people. Yet we manage to copy or mimic the sounds without even thinking what we are

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doing. My dear students, this is not the whole or complete story, why? The role of media
and media events, in which we are exposed to us has a negative and positive risks
because we sometimes do not evaluate what is appropriate and effective. Because to
others in real life can be quite difficult and can turn into conflict and add up are turn into
conflict because we may not know what possible things would happen.
Arnold Torrybee once remarked that “The quality in human nature on which we
must pin our hopes is its proven adaptability.” All we are really capable of fully
understanding our culture and all the languages of the world, as well as how they are
similar and different from one another? Torrybee is right that we must prove our
adaptability to different cultures by bridging the gaps, that is, we need to be positive and
open-minded, request cultural differences regardless how strange or primitive they are
or seem to us. These differences are common within and among our beliefs and
assumptions involved in the communication exchange when we are communicating with
someone from another culture.
Well, it has something to do with our ethical principles (to do good or to avoid
evil?) such as gender equality, bribes, payoffs in doing business, favoritism, and
profound disregard for the environment. However, there are variety of ways (Adler,
Elmhorst, & Lucas, 2013) which we can respond in cases like we are being trapped to
do such things.

Guidelines on Developing Intercultural Competence

Guidelines are patterns or testimonies that one has to live with no matter or
whatever his/her culture or subculture is, how unique or special it is, everyone deserves
to be treated with respect the way you want to be treated as a human being. Loren
Eiseley says “Without the past the pursued future has no meaning.”

1. Getting acquainted with people from other culture makes you understand the
group and their culture better.
2. Through constant reading of books, surfing the net, and doing online and offline
courses about people of different cultures, informs and allows you to
examine and appreciate others more.
3. Paul Claudel remarks that “The only living society is by that which is inequality
and injustice. Deep self – examination makes you realize that unfair
judgment and prejudices is wrong.
4. Follow Confucius’ Golden Rule, “Putting yourself into someone’s shoes creates
‘understanding’, why and people feel and experience in different angles.
Edward Murrow has to say that “Everyone is a prisoner of his own
experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices just recognize them”.
5. What we sow, is what we reap. Our action reveals who we are. If we are positive
about ourselves, our impression from others will also be the same.
6. Exploring and going out of from your comfort zone is discovering and exhibiting

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 better intercultural relationships and interactions within and among
cultures.
7. There is no such thing as “superior”, to people belonging to any other cultural
group. Everyone is equal. Eugene Ionesco believes that “To think
contrary to one’s era is heroism, but to speak against is mandatory”
8. Insensitivity and misinterpretation of one’s cultural styles of communication is not
Healthy.

Finally the eight guidelines serve as your “commandments” in dealing with other
people and their cultures. No one is unique. All of us have to respect , be sensitive of
their non-verbal and verbal communication and gestures, and understand somebody’s
another culture and sub-culture.

Barriers to Effective International Communication

1. Ethnocentrism. A belief that a person’s culture is much better than
any other group’s culture.
2. Stereotypes and prejudices. Stereotyping and being prejudiced against cultural
groups are the main barriers to intercultural communication.
2.1. Stereotypes are often generalized negative traits assigned to a group of
people.
2.2. Prejudice is an offshoot of stereotypes, is an unfair thought, belief, or
feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, nationality,
gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, and so on.
3. Assumed similarities. An assumption of similarity is baseless, unreasonable
refusal to see cultural differences where they exist.
4. Anxiety. The fear of apprehension associated with either real or anticipated
communication with people from another cultural group.

These barriers limit us to have an effective interaction with other people, now that
we know and aware of these, we can try to minimize or rather avoid them.

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Name:________________________ Course:__________ Schedule:____________

ACTIVITY 1
Answer the following questions in essay form.

1. Recall one instance when you encountered problems/difficulty while communicating

with someone (conversations with a friend, a stranger, a family member or a foreigner.)
What strategies (give at least 2) did you use to make your message clear? What did you
do to better understand what the other person was telling you? Write in a separate
paper. (10 points.)

2. If you were to add the last two guidelines on communicating effectively, what
particular VERB will you use at the beginning of your sentence? Write them below (4
points).
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3. Why do you think “anxiety” is considered one of the barriers in intercultural

communication? Explain in 3 sentences (5 points)
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4. Television, books, comic strips, wattpads and movies, are all abundant sources, site
of any that portrays stereotyped characters (may it be in a form of race, ethnicity, social
clan, gender, sexual orientation, or religion). Answer the questions in not more than four
sentences. (20 points.)
a. What cultural group is being stereotyped?
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b. What characteristics (or stereotype) are attributed to the group?
__________________________________________________________________
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c. What biases or prejudices did the character endured against stereotype?
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d. Is the stereotyping accurate or justified? Why?
________________________________________________________________
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5. Family members are oblivious of everything around them because they are busy with
their cellphones or tablets. Rules on all-phone use at home must therefore, be made
and strictly followed. Do you agree? Give five rules on cell-phone use at Home and
school. (10 points)
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Impact of Technology on Communication

So far, in today’s technological world, communication has also a big impact

expertly so that technology promotes, creates, brings and fosters strong relationship
among people globally in terms of knowing and understanding different cultures. What
is then its impact on Communication? There are negative and positive attributes to
people in general. It greatly depends on how technology will be used. The negative
impacts are providing intended information and isolating people in particular. Why? The
number of hours devoted is the right information from the library is not a waste of time
but simply gives us time to do in-depth search without cost. Yet in doing/reading such
information in the internet takes only a matter of seconds and just a click of a finger, so
we opted to choose the latter. Some books, periodicals and other reading materials are
reliable and specific than on internet. Sherry Turkle claimed that “while we expect more
than from technology and less from each other”. Yes, we are connected but alone! It is
a common sight in most Filipino homes and offices that people are busy with gadgets,
rather than connecting and discussing things that may strengthen their relationships.

While the positive contributions or impact tells us that technology creates

opportunities for meeting new people; helps us keep in touch with family and friends
anywhere in the world; brings new diversity to our culture and our lives; further
cooperation among different culture and secure lives.

Technology is so powerful that it changes not only what we do but what we are.
Indeed, people are attached and obsessed with gadgets because we do not only use it
for social interaction but also it brings modern technology into a better, easier way of
living.

Activity 2: Reflection Paper

Watch this in YouTube first, and draw out your ideas.

Title: Connected, but Alone by Sherry Turkle
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=connected+but+alone+sherry+turkle

Reflect on the meaning and/or implications of Sherry Turkles’ video titled

“Connected but Alone”. Write your own personal opinion on a separate paper.

(A transcription of the video is also available. Kindly see “Appendix A” at the end of this
module.)

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So, How Do We Cope Up with People of Different Cultures?

There are many ways to adapt with other culture. Are you familiar of “CANE”? It
is an acronym which refers to the following terms and these are what we need to
understand well, here we go…

C – Collaboration/Problem Solving – working with the other party to reach out for
mutually satisfying solution.
A – Avoiding – refusing to comply or do business with other cultures that operate
ethical principles that differ from us.
A – Accommodating – accepting the different ethical system and conforming to
practices different from ours.
N – Negotiating/Compromising – believing that we do not want conflict, we need
therefore to submit for amicable settlement or to negotiate common understanding and
beliefs.
E – Educating/Persuading – convincing the people with whom we want to transact
business such as explaining and elaborating why our ethical principle is more
appropriate.
To further understand all these principles, the last one is FORCING… insisting
on doing business in a way we believe is ethically proper. Having these in mind will
surely benefit as well as other people’s understanding that cultural differences really
exist.

To end our discussion, Henri Carter Bresson once retorted that “Success
depends on one’s general culture, on one’s set of values, one’s clarity of mind and
vivacity. The thing to be most feared is the artificially contrived, the contrary to life.

Key Points/Summary

Communication within and across cultures has a big impact in our lives. Besides there
is an appropriate response to whom we are communicating. There are also guidelines
on developing intercultural competence. And also, we have identified barriers to
communication which had given us ideas on how to effectively communicate. These
ideas are really beneficial us, as humans, as we live in a world full of diverse
complexities, meeting other people and relating to others experiences as to have a
meaningful existence.

REFERENCES/SOURCES:

• Padilla, M., Dagdag, L., & Roxas, F., Communicate & Connect, Purposive
Communication, Mutya Publishing, (2018)

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Name:________________________ Course:__________ Schedule:____________

ACTIVITY 3

Create a slogan or a caricature that represents communication and globalization

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Name:________________________ Course:__________ Schedule:____________

FEEDBACK #3
Now is the time that you give us what you THINK and let us know how you FEEL about
this module by answering and encircling your answers.

1. How are you right now?

Feeling Good
Feeling Bad
Feeling Confused

2. Were you able to grasp everything in the module? Rate and encircle the number
of your answer:
5 – Able to grasp everything and relate to personal experiences
4 – Able to understand the topics and activities
3 – Moderately understand the topics
2 – Need more clarifications
1 – Did not able to understand topics

3. Are the readings and lessons clear? Rate and encircle the number of your
answer:
5 – All the lessons are clearly stated in just one reading.
4 – The lessons are comprehensible even without others aid.
3 – Need others to help me occasionally in understanding the topics.
2 – Need assistance from others to understand the terms.
1 – All the lessons are unclear.

4. Tell us the items that need to be clarified.

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5. Feel free to comment and suggest about module.

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“APPENDIX A”

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*Transcription is based on the Purposive Communication book, published by Mutya
Publications, (2018) authored by M. Padilla and F. Roxas.

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