Reflective logs

Communication: ability to share ideas and feelings a two-way process in which the

communicators try to achieve a shared meaning

Communication steps:

1. Sender

2. Encoding

3. Channel

4. Receiver

5. Decoding

Verbal communication:

1. Based on culturally agreed upon set of symbols

2. usually deliberate

3. Learned later in life

4. Come in an orderly sequential way

5. Has a definite ending point

Non-verbal communication:

1. Based on culturally agreed upon set of symbols

2. Often governed biologically/involuntarily

3. Learned earlier in life

4. Do not come in an orderly sequential way, but simultaneously from a multiple of channels

5. Continuous process, never ending

Categories of non-verbal communication:

1. Chronemics (study of time)

2. Proxemics (study of space/distance)

3. Paralanguage (quality of voice, volume, pitch, tempo)

4. Material possessions (looking into style, dressing, tattoos, piercings, cars, phone)

5. Chromatics (study of colour)

6. Smell

7. Oculesics (study of eye behaviour, eye contact etc.)

8. Haptics (study of touch)

9. Kinesics ( study of body language, gestures, facial expressions)

Obstacles to intercultural communication:

Communication styles tend to differ between cultures:

An effective communicator:

· sees people first and representatives of cultures second

· Knows people are basically good

· Knows the value of other cultures as well as that of his own

· Has control over reactions

· Speaks with candour

· Has inner security and is comfortable being different from people

Development of intercultural communication competence:

General systems theory:

Uncertainty reduction theory:

Convergence theory:

· communication creates a network of relations among people that makes up the structure of society

· If communications in a society is unrestricted, then convergence among members in terms of beliefs will be evident

Interpersonal theory:

Improving intercultural competence:

Develop knowledge:strategies to understand others who are different from us

Develop motivation: strategies to accept others who are different from us

Develop skill: Strategies to adapt to others who are different from us