Communication

“The feelings, associations, connotations, and nuances of language both influence and are influenced by the culture” (Matsumoto & Juang, 2008, p. 227). Cultural differences exist in how people communicate with each other. You may be familiar with lexicons (what people call themselves and others), pragmatics (how language is used and understood), verbal and non-verbal communication styles; encoding; and decoding. Understanding how cultures communicate is important to effectively communicate within a multicultural environment. For example, imagine if you moved to a state or territory of the Middle East. You knew the language, but you were not aware of the cultural influence on nonverbal behaviors, such as hand gestures and interpersonal space. Would you be able to fit in?

For this Discussion, Consider cross-cultural communication.

With these thoughts in mind:

Write a brief explanation of the influence of culture on communication. Then explain two ways misunderstandings might occur among cultures with different communication styles. Finally, propose two solutions to enhance cross-cultural communication. Provide specific examples and justify your responses with references from current literature.

APA format. No more than 4 paragraphs. Stay on Topic.