Intercultural Communication Experiences Research Articles

Internationalisation at home: Creating an equitable virtual space for language learning

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of telecollaborative practices grounded in internationalisation at home (IaH) on foreign or additional language learning and intercultural understanding. Two higher education institutions (HEIs) from Taiwan and Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) collaboratively re-innovate a virtual learning space to facilitate equitable access to intercultural communication experiences for first-year university language learners. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through student e-portfolios, social networking sites, and reflections to evaluate the effectiveness of the telecollaborative learning design in achieving its goals. Findings demonstrated that the telecollaborative practices not only afforded students opportunities to practice with peers from native-language countries but also prompted them to strengthen their sense of belonging and identity as their intercultural knowledge broadened and deepened. Future research is suggested to explore the potential impact of IaH initiatives on a broader range of tertiary students.

Enhancing cross-cultural communication for Chinese tourists in non-native English-speaking destinations: a study of sociolinguistic competence and politeness challenges

Abstract The current study explores the sociolinguistic challenges experienced by Chinese tourists. The purposive sampling approach was applied for data collection to comprehend the respondents’ communication hurdles. Online and offline questionnaires were also distributed to accommodate senior travellers. A total of 964 valid responses were gathered, which reflected the increasing trend of outbound tourism among Chinese nationals. The present study employed sociolinguistic competence as a mediating variable (specifically, its interplay with intercultural communication anxiety and politeness) within the Communicative Competence Model (CCM) framework. Several strategies that consider the nuanced aspects of language and culture are also proposed. The findings can potentially enhance service standards in the tourism sector by improving Chinese visitors’ intercultural communication experiences in various international destinations.

A Case Study on the Intercultural Communication Experiences of Users at Family Centers in the Gyeonggi-do and Incheon Region

A Case Study on the Intercultural Communication Experiences of Users at Family Centers in the Gyeonggi-do and Incheon Region

The Students’ Experience of Intercultural Communication

The article deals with the phenomenon of intercultural communication. Presented are the results of the survey method aimed at analysing the level of formation of intercultural competence of Ukrainian VSPU students living abroad. Differences and similarities in the students’ intercultural communication experience have been revealed by comparison. The ranking method was used to classify the obtained data when analysing the students’ life experiences abroad. The research results were presented graphically in charts and tables using descriptive statistics.

Intercultural doctor-patient communication experiences of Indian women living in Singapore

Understanding intercultural medical communication ensures doctor-patient communication accommodates our cultural differences in medical encounters. While there is existing research that explores doctor-patient communication, further examination is needed to understand how intercultural communicative needs can lead to better medical encounters for the patients involved. This study focuses on intercultural medical communication experience of Indian women living in Singapore. Twenty-eight interviews were conducted with participants between the ages of 30 to 75. The transcripts were analyzed using the three steps of thematic analysis. The findings highlight communication differences in medical experiences, and lack of connectedness with providers. Our findings reiterate that individuals compare medical experiences based on one’s own cultural expectations and these expectations carry over into a different intercultural medical context. The articulations of challenges in communication demonstrate key ways culture plays a role in intercultural medical interaction as well as points toward an even greater need for communication accommodation. Thus, the findings suggest the significance and importance of communication accommodation at both interpersonal and intergroup levels in doctor-patient interaction, especially in an intercultural context.

University Students’ Attitudes towards English as a Lingua Franca in a Multilingual Sustainable Society

The present study investigated Macao university students’ attitudes towards English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). Macao maintains a diverse multilingual society, with speakers from several cultures converging into one city for work and travel. Traditionally, the common languages of communication have been Chinese and Portuguese, due to Macao’s historical connection with both mainland China and Portugal. However, with the development of tourism and economy, English has become a lingua franca in the city. Despite this, it is unclear what attitudes are held about ELF and whether these attitudes may differ according to academic interest, academic background, and experience with intercultural communication. To address this need, 303 university students completed a survey measuring attitudes towards ELF on five dimensions. Afterwards, nine participants were interviewed to expand on their survey responses. The descriptive results indicated that in general Macao university students’ attitudes towards ELF were positive in many aspects, but also included conservative attitudes. Results from t-tests showed that English minors, local Macao students, and students who have overseas intercultural communication experience held more positive attitudes towards ELF than English majors, mainland Chinese students, and those without overseas experience, respectively. Implications for English teaching in Macao are discussed.

Having the First-Year as Overseas Students: Intercultural Communication as Identity Negotiation of Indonesian Ph.D. Muslim Women Students in the United States

This study examined the first-year intercultural communication experiences of Indonesian Ph.D. Muslim women students in the United States as their identity negotiation. The following questions were addressed using Ting Toomey’s intercultural communication theory: What problems do Indonesian Ph.D. Muslim women students face in their new environment in the United States? How do they use intercultural communication as an adaptive strategy? And, to what extent can this intercultural communication skill affect their academic achievement as international students? Using an ethnographic approach, data were obtained through online observations and interviews via WhatsApp and Skype video calls with 11 Indonesian Ph.D. Muslim women students regarding their first-year experiences in the United States. According to the findings of this study, their ability in intercultural communication in their first year becomes the primary capital for their lives during their stay to complete their study. Their experience has turned into knowledge, motivation, and skills that turn out to be beneficial in facing challenges.

Relational challenges in an intercultural volunteer program in Jordan: Views from Chinese participants

ABSTRACT Research on international volunteer programmes has paid little attention to participants’ own situated understandings of intercultural communication experiences in a short-term international volunteer context. The paper reports on a qualitative investigation into the experiences of Chinese participants in a short-term international volunteering programme in an elementary school in Jordan which involved co-teaching the English language with partners from the U.S. It focuses on how participants interpreted the challenges of managing communication and building rapport with the children and their volunteer partners, with particular attention to the attribution of difficulties to perceived cultural differences. Findings show that participants struggled to interpret the significance of behaviour outside their usual cultural frames of reference and that frequent reliance on dichotomous framings of cultural difference created barriers to rapport.

Research on Enhancing the Initiative of Intercultural Communication among College Students-Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

With the continuous advancement of globalization, the significance and role of intercultural communication among college students has been expanding, but in fact, there is an obvious lack of initiative on intercultural communication among college students. The purpose of this study is to explore how to enhance college students' initiative in crosscultural communication. Specifically, based on the theory of planned behavior, a structural equation model was constructed from five dimensions: attitude toward intercultural communication, consciousness norms of intercultural communication, experience of intercultural communication, platform building of intercultural communication, and initiative intention of intercultural communication, to seek specific measures to enhance college students' initiative of intercultural communication. The results found that intercultural communication attitude had no direct positive influence on college students' awareness of intercultural communication initiative; intercultural communication awareness norms had no significant influence on college students' awareness of intercultural communication initiative; intercultural communication experience had significant influence on college students' intention of intercultural communication initiative behavior; intercultural communication platform building directly and positively influenced college students' intention of intercultural communication initiative The awareness of intercultural communication among college students directly and positively influences the initiative behavior of intercultural communication. To provide suggestions for college students to be able to benefit from the activities of intercultural communication and for the construction of intercultural communication platforms in the future.

Intercultural communication experiences among students and teachers: implication to in-service teacher professional development

PurposeThis paper aims to present the qualitative findings on students’ and teachers’ experiences in communicating and interacting with students and teachers from different ethnic backgrounds in the Malaysian vision schools initiative.Design/methodology/approachFace-to-face interviews were conducted involving 15 informants comprising of three headteachers, three teachers and nine students. The interviews centred on the informants’ experiences and views living and experiencing the reality of the vision schools which is comprising three major races; Malays, Chinese and Indians; which is represented by the three school types which are a national school, Chinese vernacular and Indian vernacular schools.FindingsThe interview data revealed that the intercultural communication in the vision schools had triggered intercultural understanding and awareness of cultural diversity in the schools. However, the interview data with experienced teachers showed some drawbacks of the intercultural dynamics at the school complex. Among the weaknesses were the absence of structured and formal training on intercultural and multicultural education, lack of trust and poor social skills which may have hindered effective intercultural communication from taking place.Originality/valueThis study presents the informants’ experiences and views on the reality of intercultural interaction among students and teachers in the context of the Malaysian vision school initiative.

Broadening My Horizons through Overseas Life (My Intercultural Communication Experience)

Broadening My Horizons through Overseas Life (My Intercultural Communication Experience)

La Comunicación Intercultural en la Educación Superior Intercultural, desde los Pueblos Indígenas y Afrodescendientes

El presente artículo presenta dos experiencias particulares del camino recorrido de la Red de Universidades Indígenas Interculturales y Comunitarias de Abya Yala, RUIICAY, y la Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense, URACCAN, vista desde 2 procesos: implementación del proyecto de vinculación de la comunicación intercultural y la experiencia de evaluación de las universidades en Nicaragua, en las que se evidencian ciertas características de la comunicación intercultural. El artículo pretende evidenciar buenas prácticas que, aporten a la sistematización de procesos que contribuyen a la garantía de la educación superior de sectores históricamente invisibilizados, y que no han tenido la posibilidad de compartir, practicar y revitalizar sus tradiciones y costumbres desde la colectividad.

A Survey of Intercultural Communication in the Development of Regional Tourism

Communication is involved in all social life acts, being the constituent factor of creation and of cultural processes. Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue are intensely discussed topics in today's society which is marked by globalization. Cultural differences are the core subject for studies addressing intercultural communication. Good knowledge of other cultures is a necessary step to get to recognize the nature of these differences and to relate to others through attitudes of understanding and tolerance which are premises for genuine intercultural dialogue, especially in the tourism industry. While communication is an act of human relationships, culture is the motive of this act. In tourism, quality of communication is related to the level of the culture involved and to the degree of improvement of the means of which is done. Intercultural communication experiences help tourists to know and to appreciate other cultures, but also help them to a better understanding of their own culture. Tourism professionals’ linguistic and intercultural skills have been identified as pivotal assets towards upgrading the quality of the service they provide and contributing to successful communication and intercultural dialogue. Accordingly, the paper considers the features of the intercultural communication in relation to the tourism sector. The advantages of the intercultural communication are determined. An attempt was made to use the methodological apparatus in the study of the regional tourism sector in the formation of the portrait of a modern tourist. The results of an in-depth interview and questionnaire conducted among the guests of the Kazan city are presented. The paper analyses the experience of using intercultural communication, and considers the possibilities of their use in the strategic planning of regional tourism. Accounting for intercultural research will allow more rational management of regional tourism to carry out.

Indonesian postgraduate students’ intercultural communication experiences in the United Kingdom

Despite the increasing number of Indonesian postgraduate students studying overseas, including in the United Kingdom, not many studies have been done on their intercultural communication experiences and academic engagement. This research aims to investigate Indonesian postgraduate students’ intercultural communication experiences and academic engagement in the United Kingdom. In this study, we address the following research question: What are the hindering factors and the facilitating factors of Indonesian postgraduate students’ academic engagement within their courses of study? A qualitative research method is used in this study, based on semi-structured interviews with 13 participants. The results of the study indicate that the students are more engaged in some areas, such applying deep learning strategies by connecting ideas, and less engaged in others, such as interacting with academic staff. Several interrelated factors were indicated as contributing to facilitating or hindering academic engagement which include sociocultural, institutional, and individual factors. The hindering factors consists of the transition to a new academic environment, intense academic workload, ‘expert’ or ‘boring tutors, linguistic barriers, and having feelings of uneasiness. Conversely, the facilitating factors consist of institutional support service, course design, caring and casual tutors, learning from prior experiences, having the initiative to ask, and realizing to make the most of the opportunity.

Overseas qualified nurses' communication with other nurses and health professionals: An observational study.

To understand the interprofessional and intraprofessional communication patterns of overseas qualified nurses as they coordinate care for patients in Australian hospitals. Numerous studies have informed the transitioning experiences of overseas qualified nurses with non-English-speaking backgrounds working in English-speaking workplaces. Only a few observational studies have involved examining the intercultural communication experiences of overseas qualified nurses, and none have considered their intra- and interprofessional communication patterns. A qualitative design was adopted, using participant observation and discourse analysis. This study was from January 2017 to March 2017. Thirteen overseas qualified nurses working in acute, subacute and interventional cardiology settings in a Melbourne metropolitan hospital were shadowed over a period of 12weeks to collect data that inform their communication patterns. The COREQ checklist was used. This observational study informed by genre analysis revealed that intra- and interprofessional communication occurred more commonly under the clinical communication goals of coordinating care and less commonly under facilitating intervention. Communication strategies ranged from structured interactions with use of communication tools to unstructured ad hoc interactions. Analysis of the discourse patterns demonstrated that effectiveness of interactions was affected by hesitancy, lack of assertion and few strategies to manage inadequate or aggressive communication by other team members. Poor clinical communication with peers was not always caused by the nurses from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Positive interpersonal interactions with laughter, language-switching and small talk were evident in interactions with nurses from similar cultural backgrounds but were rare with local colleagues. The linguistic evidence from this study shows variations in communication competency between participants, which emphasises the importance of not viewing overseas qualified nurses' communication training needs as homogenous. With the growing multicultural nature of healthcare teams, this study underscores the need for intercultural communication training for team integration and patient safety. Continuous professional development should incorporate intercultural communication training to ensure team effectiveness within nursing teams as well as interprofessional teams.

‘They wouldn’t allow me in their conversations’ Communication experiences of immigrant traders in a Kenyan informal market

This paper reports findings of a study that investigated intercultural communication experiences of immigrant traders in a Kenyan informal market. The study employed a qualitative approach, hence a case study of one large urban informal market in Nairobi. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty two participants purposive sampled and the findings were analysed thematically. Findings of the study revealed that cultural challenges, characterized by divergent language and communication styles, led to a breakdown in intercultural communication, and social communication exclusion of the immigrant traders by their hosts. Therefore, local authorities need to initiate cross-cultural adaptation programmes within the informal markets in order to enhance the efficacy of the immigrant traders in intercultural communication.

Implementação de contextos telecolaborativos de aprendizagem de línguas: o caso Teletandem

Novos contextos e perspectivas se agigantam no cenário educacional com o desenvolvimento de ferramentas tecnológicas digitais. O acesso aos povos constitui-se uma vertente importante na reconfiguração de práticas pedagógicas, currículos de cursos e contextos de formação de professores. Nesse cenário, o projeto Teletandem Brasil (TELLES, 2006) tem aberto portas à comunicação intercultural e experiências singulares para aprendizes de português de universidades estrangeiras e aprendizes de línguas estrangeiras vinculados à UNESP. Tendo em vista os contextos de telecolaboração para a promoção de transformações nos processos de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas, o objetivo deste artigo é delinear (a) um panorama histórico da implementação do Teletandem, (b) apresentar o embasamento teórico e princípios que caracterizam o contexto Teletandem e (c) apresentar perspectivas de pesquisa no campo da telecolaboração.

“They Make No Contribution!” versus “We Should Make Friends with Them!”—American Domestic Students’ Perception of Chinese International Students’ Reticence and Face

This project examined both quantitative and qualitative data about how American domestic undergraduates perceived Chinese international students’ (CISs) reticence and face concerns. A quasi-experimental design about American students’ ratings of a fictional CIS described in scenarios demonstrated that the reticent CIS was rated as more typical, less likable, and less socially-approved. A thematic analysis of American students’ impression about CISs suggested: 1) some Americans stigmatized CISs due to their poor English and reticence in classroom; 2) others were more open-minded to approach CISs’ reticence with intercultural communication competence by taking CISs’ perspective. The findings indicated: the stereotype that typical CISs are reticent leads to Americans’ negative evaluations of CISs; while perspective-taking skills resulted in better intercultural-communication experience.

Intercultural communication in the context of a Canada−China Sister School partnership: The experience of one New Basic Education school

This paper presents the case of one Sister School in the Canada–China Reciprocal Learning Project based on a belief that practice has significant value for the development of teachers’ intercultural awareness and schools’ intercultural communication experience. This paper focuses on one Shanghai school’s reciprocal learning experience, highlighting the content of intercultural communication, the areas of collaboration, the characteristics of collaboration, and the attitudes towards collaboration in the intercultural context. Against the backdrop of New Basic Education reform in China, I try to depict how a Sister School partnership guided by the principle of reciprocal learning motivates Chinese and Canadian teachers to work together across cultural differences in order to learn and develop in terms of theory and practice. I also discuss difficulties and challenges that have occurred in the process of intercultural communication. In the process, reciprocal learning is re-conceptualized and relived as part of our research endeavor.

An Autoethnographic Study On Intercultural Communication As Experienced By An International Student From Kyrgyzstan

The purpose of this study is to conduct an autoethnography about the intercultural communication experience of an international student from Kyrgyzstan. Autoethnography was implemented as a research of an insider, analyzing the intercultural communication based on the researcher’s personal experience of interaction with Korean people on a daily basis. Data was collected from the notes and messages from the researcher’s experience in Korea, analyzed, and the results were categorized into three cultural differences which cause misunderstandings and conflict. They are 1) insincere words, 2) recognition based on levels of academic titles, and 3) different perceptions of sickness. It is believed that this study will help Kyrgyz people and Koreans understand each other better, and serve as a base for further studies about students from Kyrgyzstan and intercultural communication experienced by them.