Intercultural Communication Challenges Research Articles

Intercultural Communication Challenges and the Coping Strategies Among Fresh Graduates in the Vuca Era

Higher education has provided a set of curriculum to equip graduates with complete skill sets to enter the industry. Hard skills, as well as soft skills, are inseparable components for graduates to acquire. Industries today have rapidly changed due to the advancement of technology. Almost every aspect of life is going digital; therefore, graduates have to adapt to the simultaneous and continuous changes. In this situation, intercultural communication competence is one of the skills that will accommodate the fresh graduate to face and overcome challenges in the industry, especially in the VUCA era. All industrial players should adapt to the working cultures and adopt the advanced technological changes. This study explores the experience of fresh graduates in the industry regarding intercultural communication challenges and their coping strategies to overcome the situations. The phases of their adaptation towards the work environment will be addressed as well to understand the context better. Interviews were conducted to explore and understand their experience which eventually categorised to identify strategies that could accommodate the continuously changing situation. This study will contribute to the preparation of graduates to enter the workforce as the study found that there are three main challenges faced among fresh graduates regarding skill mismatch, lack of experience, and career adaptability. Furthermore, intercultural communication competence has contributed to their adaptation and coping strategies towards those challenges in their first job. Keywords: Intercultural competence, fresh graduate, soft skills, VUCA, coping strategies.

Examining the Significance of Intercultural Communicative Competence Development in Trainees during Pre-service Training.

The aim of this study is to discuss the need for improved intercultural communicative competence (ICC) training for pre-service Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) teachers who travel abroad to teach. Previous studies have shown that pre-service CSL teachers often struggle with intercultural communication, and this study investigates the reasons behind their difficulties and suggests ways to address them. The researchers used the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) and the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) to measure the ICC of 217 pre-service CSL teachers. The study found that while pre-service CSL teachers have strong intercultural communicative emotional ability, their behavioral ability in intercultural communication is weak. In particular, they lacked skills in interactive control, interactive relaxation, identity management, information skills, and behavioral flexibility. The study proposes several strategies to improve ICC training for pre-service CSL teachers. One potential approach is the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning to provide teacher-trainee students with opportunities to practice intercultural communication skills in simulated contexts, receive personalized feedback, and engage with authentic materials and cultural information relevant to their host country. CALL could also facilitate communication between pre-service CSL teachers and former CSL teachers, providing a platform for information exchange and additional psychological support. The study also suggests that pre-service training should distinguish between foreign language learning and intercultural communication skills training. Specifically, it recommends that foreign language proficiency should be improved, while training should focus on educational culture and work culture in the host country, rather than providing a general introduction to the national conditions of the country. Finally, the study proposes that pre-service training should establish contact between pre-service CSL teachers and former CSL teachers as early as possible so that trainees can learn specific relevant information in advance, which can help them get ready, avoid intercultural communication mistakes, and obtain additional psychological support. By incorporating CALL and addressing the areas of weakness identified in the study, pre-service CSL teachers can be better prepared to navigate the challenges of intercultural communication and provide effective and culturally sensitive instruction abroad.

Intercultural communication and modern challenges of global education

Today, development is recognized as more intricate than in the past. Scholars and practitioners observe a shift in the development landscape since the turn of the millennium, emphasizing culture’s increasing role in social life. In postmodern theory, culture asserts a predominant position among other societal spheres. A balanced view positions culture as a vital component of everyday experience, marking a transition from a scarcity-driven society where economic necessity confines human behavior to a world where individual choice is expanded by the growing influence of the human factor over external conditions. This perspective does not narrowly define culture solely as high art or achievement of cultural standards seen in official discourse, but rather embraces its broad spectrum of manifestations across public life, representing the future direction of cultural policy.

BASIC OVERVIEW OF THE CHALLENGES IN TEACHING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AMONG TERTIARY LEVEL ENGLISH TEACHERS IN CHINA

This paper provides an overview and discussion on the current situation of intercultural communication training and challenges for tertiary English in China. A qualitative meta-analysis was conducted on research articles written both in Chinese language and English during the last two decades (from 2002) to explore reported challenges faced by teachers. Mitigating strategies undertaken were also scrutinized via documents analysis of the assorted papers. The findings showed that instructional efforts to develop intercultural communication competence in tertiary students was previously quite stagnant in its approaches, riddled with various micro and macro level challenges and quite unsuccessful in yielding the desired results. Only within the last decade with the advent of ICT and multimedia technology that concerted efforts could be integrated into producing considerable results. This study puts forth relevant improvement strategies derived from various aspects analyzed. They came in the form of inevitable measures like upgrading the teaching system, improving the quality of teachers, changing the teaching strategies, developing resource hub, developing professional teams and groupings, and optimizing intercultural communication evaluation mechanism. The findings from this study has high transferability and insights for institutions in countries with similar contexts. It also provides beneficial theoretical reference for the training of intercultural communication competence in a foreign language learning context.

CROSS CULTURE COMMUNICATION DI PERUSAHAAN TONGKOK

Intercultural communication (cross cultural communication) is increasingly important in multinational companies in China because of the increasing number of foreign employees working there. This research aims to analyze the intercultural communication challenges that arise in Chinese companies and how to overcome them. The research was conducted through in-depth interviews with 15 foreign employees and 15 Chinese employees who worked in 5 Chinese multinational companies from various industries. The research results show that differences in communication styles, social norms and cultural values often lead to misunderstandings and conflicts between Chinese and foreign employees.Foreign employees often feel Chinese employees are too direct, not open enough and self-centered, while Chinese employees feel foreign employees are too blunt and disrespectful to superiors. Misunderstandings also often occur regarding decision making and problem solving. It is recommended that companies organize cross-cultural training, encourage open communication between departments and a culture of mutual respect to overcome these challenges. Intercultural communication skills need to be trained to all employees so that cooperation and productivity increase. Keyword: Cross Culture, Communication, Chinese Company

Intercultural Communication Challenges in IT Companies in India: A Case Study

This case study tries to diagnose the intercultural communication challenges besetting the Indian IT industry, which has become a major IT hub globally, so as to map the relevance of the theories proposed by prominent interculturalists in the contemporary work settings. The article explores answers to the research questions formulated on the basis of intercultural theories by analyzing the responses of 178 IT managers collected over a period of 38 months of rigorous field work. The article closes with implications of this case study for the executive training needs of the Indian engineers requiring an ethno-relative focus in intercultural communications.

EXPLORING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE (BRI)

This research investigates the pivotal role of intercultural communication in the successful implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Introduced in 2013, the BRI aims to foster connectivity between Asia, Africa, and Europe through land and maritime networks, with the objective of promoting regional integration, augmenting trade, and stimulating economic growth. Given its comprehensive nature encompassing infrastructure development across various sectors such as ports, roads, railways, airports, power plants, and telecommunication networks, intercultural communication has emerged as a critical component for achieving the BRI's objectives. By fostering political trust, eradicating prejudice, overcoming barriers, and fostering regional integration, intercultural communication has assumed significant importance within the BRI framework. China, as the driving force behind the BRI, has recognized the value of cultural exchange in fostering mutual understanding and trust, evident in the establishment of cultural centers and institutes, including the Confucius Institutes, in participating countries. These centers and institutes facilitate language classes, cultural events, and other activities aimed at promoting a nuanced understanding of Chinese culture. This research aims to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with intercultural communication within the context of the BRI and proposes effective strategies for managing them. Employing an extensive literature review and qualitative research methods, this study gathers data and offers insights into intercultural communication challenges and best practices. The research findings underscore the crucial role played by intercultural communication in facilitating the successful implementation of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.

Principle Reasons for Studying Intercultural Communication

There may be considered three major causes for examining the intercultural communication: Interpersonal Adjustment; Job Skills; Cosmopolitanism. The world needs better relations between peoples to overcome many social, economic, and political problems. Students of different professions need diverse, but systematized attitude towards courses that teach them empathy and conflict, which will be based on practical case studies, and not just theoretical definitions of culture. The response to challenges of intercultural communication should be simple: democratic- public participation in deciding the kind of communication to be worked out, asking the people what they desire. Its aim will be to reach freedom and impartiality in communication everywhere.Keywords: Accommodation, communication, cosmopolitanism, empathy, intercultural.

Analyzing the Models of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) and Constructivist EFL Pedagogy: A Review Study

In recent years, the importance of developing intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has gained significant traction. Since language teachers are expected to play a crucial role in helping students to develop their ICC, this review article aims to analyze the research available about this construct to understand its implications for teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in academic settings. It begins by examining the current understanding of ICC and its importance in language learning. It then looks at how an ICC-based curriculum can be paired with a constructivist pedagogical approach to create a learning environment that promotes the exploration, experience, and comprehension of intercultural communication opportunities and challenges. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of the potential implications of incorporating ICC into English language instruction in Pakistan and other similar EFL contexts. This includes its impact on teacher education as well as its wider social implications for promoting interculturality in EFL learning environments.

Indonesian Seafarers’ Intercultural Communication Challenges With Multinational Crews

The current study investigated the intercultural communication challenges among Indonesian seafarers with foreign crews at international shipping companies. Data collection was conducted through a mixed-questionnaire method, with each questionnaire consisting of 10 items distributed in Google Forms to 171 respondents. The findings revealed that the language barrier was a significant issue among Indonesian seafarers to communicate and socialize with onboard multinational crews, which was mainly overcome through body language. Indonesian seafarers’ acceptance of onboard diversity rendered them to be more sociable, which was identified as a positive attitude. However, it cannot be denied that the fact of low communicative competence has impacted social life interactions and work for some seafarers. Resultantly, pertinent Indonesian maritime education and training institutions should adequately prepare seafarers and cadets with relevant work skills and English linguistic competence. This research aims to shed new light on the development of maritime and seafarers’ research.

A 20-20 Culture Communication Template Tool for Multinational Management

The article deals with intercultural business communication challenges that complicate discourses in multinational organizations. The article explores the cultural incompatibility problems with their corresponding cultural dimensions extracted from the seminal theories of intercultural management to identify training needs for multinational managers. The fulcrum of this work rests on the salient value orientations that lead to communication collapses when managers from different countries fail to accomplish optimal cultural attunement in their narratives and script their conversations with ethnocentric biases. To counter these debilitating stressful intercultural conversations, the author presents an innovative training solution of a “20-20 culture-communication template tool” for coaching managers for effective production of ethno-relative dialogues across diverse geo-cultural economies. This culture tool uses a 20-point culture questionnaire format with the complementary application apparatus of 20 culture sensitivity programs that organizations can undertake for a quick tutoring of multinational managers for forging successful intercultural coalitions in plural work spaces.

Tantangan Komunikasi Antarbudaya Sekarang Dan Yang Akan Datang Di Indonesia

This paper discusses the challenges of intercultural communication now and in the future in Indonesia. The method used is a qualitative approach based on the literature which aims to examine the challenges of intercultural communication now and in the future in Indonesia. From the results of the study then narrated in descriptive form. It can be concluded that the current and future challenges of intercultural communication in Indonesia include globalization, international conflict and security, global competition for natural resources, global healthcare issues, and population change. It is hoped that the government and society can prevent and deal with the challenges of intercultural communication now and in the future in Indonesia, including globalization, international conflict and security, world competition for natural resources, world health care problems, and population change. Keywords: challenges, communication, intercultural, now, in the future

Medical educators' experiences on medically unexplained symptoms and intercultural communication\u2014an expert focus group study

BackgroundMedically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are highly prevalent and remain challenging in healthcare and medical education, along with the increase in the importance of intercultural issues regarding MUS. However, less is known about the challenges of professionally addressing patients with MUS in the interprofessional and intercultural contexts. Thus, the present study aims to provide the first exploration of the experiences of medical specialists regarding treating MUS in intercultural contexts and inputs for training development on the intercultural aspects of MUS.MethodsThree focus groups (total n = 13) consisting of medical specialists from a Hungarian university who were teaching at the medical faculty in intercultural settings and also worked for the university health services were interviewed. The topics covered the participants' personal experiences on addressing MUS and the challenges of intercultural communication and the intercultural educational context. Thematic analysis was used to yield a qualitative account of the interviews as guided by the research questions.ResultsRepresenting the different aspects of medical specialists, the study identified three main themes in the experiences of medical specialists, namely, 1) the need to adapt to the personal world of patients and search for common frames to understand MUS, 2) the need to discover methods for adapting to cultural differences and 3) the need to enhance the interprofessional coordination of knowledge and practices.ConclusionsThe results are in line with the distinct conclusions of previous studies. Moreover, an integrated educational program on the intercultural aspects of MUS may address the main themes separately and, subsequently, support their integration. Therefore, the study discusses the manner in which an integrated educational program on the intercultural aspects of MUS may address the needs recognized in these aspects.

Indigenous Leadership, Anthropology and Intercultural Communication for COVID-19 Response in the Rio Negro Indigenous Territory, Brazilian Amazonia

Around the world, Indigenous groups have been among the communities most severely affected by COVID-19, and the ability of health systems and social policy responses to support Indigenous responses to the pandemic has been affected by challenges of intercultural communication, sometimes compounded by racist and exclusionary social and political attitudes. The Brazilian Amazon has been a particularly extreme case. This article reflects on the experience of a group of Indigenous leaders and non-Indigenous anthropologists working to promote intercultural approaches to epidemic response in the Rio Negro region of Northwestern Amazonia. It brings together findings from in-person fieldwork on Indigenous responses to infectious disease outbreaks that affected the region before the COVID-19 pandemic and from remote research on COVID-19 response conducted in 2020 and 2021.

Cultural, Interpersonal Relationships and Communication Challenges as Perceived by Nigerian Post-graduate Students in a Public Academic Institution in Malaysia

This study explored Nigerian post-graduate students’ perceptions of intercultural communication challenges faced in the wider socio-cultural context of society as well as in the setting of a higher education institution in Malaysia. Core findings of two focus group interviews with fourteen Nigerian students are reported. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded. Inductive qualitative analysis was used to determine categories and themes which emerged in the focus groups’ data. The main highlights discovered were the issues of local media’s indiscriminate generalizations and biased coverage of activities of Nigerians. The informants also referred to Malaysians’ natural proclivity for silence and their poor responsiveness in communicative interactions, the language barrier as well as religion-induced discriminations as factors contributing to the inefficacy of intercultural communication. The findings are discussed with reference to the macro-cultural patterns of world cultures as well as the culture-specific qualities of the Malaysian society.

Intercultural Communication Challenges in the Period of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) (The Case of Qatar Airways)

Under the conditions of the global threat of the modern world - the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the demand for social distancing as a commonly proven method of preventing fatal cases and stopping the virus has fundamentally changed the process of communication in an intercultural environment. Our research aims to study the impact of the pandemic on the intercultural communication process and its quality in a multicultural environment. Cabin Crew of Qatar Airways, as one of the largest multicultural/multinational companies, was selected as a target group. A qualitative method of data collection – interviewing – was used as a research technique. In particular, the target group was interviewed through a semistructured questionnaire – by a so-called "narrative interview" method. This research enabled us to obtain new narratives which were created on the coronavirus background – responses of the Qatar Airways Cabin Crew and the company's international passengers to the challenge of Covid-19. The study and analysis of these responses revealed that representatives of different cultures (Individualistic/Collectivist cultures, High/Low uncertainty avoidance cultures, Submissive orientation/Mastery orientation cultures, Tight/Loose cultures) have different attitudes towards the pandemic as an uncertain and unpredictable future; towards the Covid-19 vaccine; towards wearing a mask and eye contact related to it; in addition, they can be distinguished by different perceptions of territorialism as personal space (physical and social distancing); different feelings of fear and anxiety and readiness to obey/disobey introduced rules or restrictions (so-called Lockdown, Curfew). According to the research, these differences are due to the "mental program" of a society, i.e. a purely cultural factor. However, despite several intercultural differences, daily contact with groups having other cultures significantly increases opportunities for collaboration, which, in times of crisis, does not hinder the process of interaction between different cultures, but on the contrary, it increases the level of intercultural acceptance and sensitivity.

American Undergraduate Students’ Experiences in Conversational Partnerships with Chinese International Students

The purpose of the current study was to describe American domestic students’ experiences interacting with international students in a conversation partner program at an American university. This study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews grounded in positioning theory. Seven American students (three men and four women) participated. They served as conversation partners of Chinese international exchange students every fall semester. Four major interrelated themes emerged from the data. They were (a) seeking strategies for overcoming intercultural communication challenges, (b) addressing challenges for explaining sarcasm concepts, (c) finding mutual hobbies and interests, and (d) integrating field trips into the conversational program. This study encourages academic departments and faculty to develop a study group of conversational partnerships associated with value, origins, languages, and cultures of international students. This will contribute to a greater appreciation of the richness of diversity and to meaningful academic and social experiences at American universities for all students.

Intercultural Communication Challenges and Its Effect on Students’ Interpersonal Relationships at a South African University

Intercultural Communication Challenges and Its Effect on Students’ Interpersonal Relationships at a South African University

CHALLENGES WITH INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION FACED BY INTERNATIONAL CHINESE STUDENTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

Foreign countries are very attractive destinations for Chinese students to pursue higher education. The promises of quality education and job prospect made by attending and graduating from these internationally acclaimed educational institutions are highly sought after by many Chinese students. In this regards, these internationally acclaimed educational institutions also welcome international students with the purpose of pursuing higher ranks and meeting global challenges by welcoming more international students. Due to this push in the market for Chinese students and other international students to pursue their studies overseas in these internationally acclaimed educational institutions, it is very important for these students to develop communicative competence in the English language as well as intercultural competence. However, the main issues Chinese international students have suffered in foreign universities are language anxiety, culture shock, initial adaptation, psychological changes, and academic issues. These language and cultural issues are pertinent amongst international students, especially those from China, but there have been many studies that posit that these intercultural communication challenges can be overcome with intercultural communicative competence. Therefore, this article intends to review studies on intercultural communicative competence, especially for Chinese international students. This review article also intends to report studies that were done to examine Chinese international students’ challenges with communication skills and intercultural communicative competence. The findings from the review of these articles might provide insights into the importance of intercultural communicative competence as well as the challenges that Chinese international students face in developing communicative competence that may shed the light for future Chinese international students. This is so that they may be able to prepare themselves not only in developing communication skills, but also intercultural appreciation before studying in foreign countries. This article also hopes to provide program planners and host universities with insightful information about effectively supporting Chinese international students.

Challenges of monolingual intercultural communication in the context of the Languages Connect Strategy

The new national language strategy (Languages Connect) for Ireland has finally highlighted the importance of language learning for the economic, social and cultural development of the country. Inherent to this strategy is the demand for not only multilingual graduates but interculturally competent graduates. Ireland has been becoming increasingly culturally diverse for many years now, and so our contexts of work and interactions have become multilingual as well as multicultural. Yet many of our students remain limited in their acquisition and exposure to foreign language/s and culture/s.
 Previously we reported (Authors, 2018) how our pedagogical content and practices are insufficient in addressing the current linguistic and intercultural competence (IC) needs of language specialist graduates. Our new data (n=141) has emerged using a mixed-methods approach from non-specialist language students, who have had limited language or IC training. Our analysis reveals problems arising from these monolingual intercultural communications due to English being the dominant lingua franca. We have major challenges in motivating these monolingual students to learn another language. The dangers arising from this monolingualism are self-evident, (see, for example: https://www.llas.ac.uk/700reasons.html), the solutions less so. This article explores this perplexing scenario and aims to open a dialogue on this subject, offering some recommendations and potential solutions.