Characteristics of Intercultural Communication

There are several realities that characterize all communication, whether intercultural or not. They are true of communication in every context. 

 

First, everything that we do “communicates”—it is impossible for us to stop communicating.

 

Second, the goal of communication is always more than just to impart information—persuasion is behind everything we do. Even a simple “hello” is an act that requests a response or an acknowledgment of your existence and relationship with the person to whom you say, “Hello”.

 

Third, the communication process is generally far more complex than most people realize. Because we have been communicating for so long, and because we do it all the time, we have the tendency to take it for granted.

 

Fourth, we always communicate our messages through more than one channel, and we always communicate more than one message. At times, these “multiple” messages may contradict one another, causing our audience to respond negatively to our primary concern. At other times, they enhance and reinforce our message, helping to elicit a more positive response from our audience.

 

Fifth, and finally, if we seek to communicate effectively across cultural barriers, the foundational consideration for all our communication should be, “What can I do to build trust on the part of the audience?”

 

  

 

--- A. Scott Moreau, Evvy Hay Campbell & Susan Greener, 

Effective Intercultural Communication: A Christian Perspective. 2014.

Defining Communication

First, communication is dynamic: it is not a static “thing” but a dynamic process that maintains stability and identity through all its fluctuations.

 

Second, communication is irreversible: the very fact that communication has occurred (or is occurring) means that the persons in communication have changed, however subtly. The fact that we have memories means that once we begin the process, there is no “reset” button; we cannot begin again as blank slates.

 

Third, communication is proactive: in communicating we are not merely passive respondents to external stimuli. When we communicate, we enter the process totally and are proactive, selecting, amplifying, and manipulating the signals that come to us.

 

Fourth, communication is interactive on two fronts: the intrapersonal, or what goes on inside each communicator; and the interpersonal, or what takes place between communicators. We must pay attention to both fronts to understand the communication process.

 

Finally, communication is contextual: it always happens in a larger context, be that the physical environment, the emotional mood of the communication event, or the purposes (which may be overt or hidden) behind the communication.

 

--- A. Scott Moreau, Evvy Hay Campbell & Susan Greener,  

Effective Intercultural Communication: A Christian Perspective. 2014.