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Prompt Response
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Professor’s Name
Due Date
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Prompt Response
One instance that demonstrated the importance of effective intercultural communication
skills and the need to think critically while communicating happened to me when I met my
colleague from Japan in a team on a project. At first, the communication process was difficult
due to cultural differences and perceptions of how communication should be done.
Communication in Japanese society does not mince words and is not very direct since the aim is
to maintain order and peaceful relations. In contrast, my direct approach, influenced by the
context I grew up in, was specific in my interaction. It caused a couple of small conflicts at first
because the connotations and meanings of the same terms would be different to the two parties.
For instance, my colleague would readily say things such as ‘I will think about it,’ which I
assumed meant ‘Yes’ while it meant ‘No’.
Thus, I had to shift the staking of my strategies. One change I made was to focus not only
on the words and the messages but also on the nonverbal signals and the situations in which the
communication occurred. I also tried to be more patient and let my colleague speak when
opposing something without interrupting him or asking for an instant reply. Furthermore, the
changes made included positive language, confirmation checks and social comparison,
paraphrasing the conversation's ideas and asking whether I had understood the points made.
As I contemplate this encounter after studying this week’s readings, I notice that it would
have been very helpful to grasp more concerning intercultural communication principles during
interacting with such an audience. For instance, being more familiar with high-context and low-
context communication could have facilitated my understanding of my colleagues’ answers and
questions (Babbitt, 2023). Specifically, high-context cultures comprise countries such as Japan,
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where every message is embedded, and many cues are understood non-verbally, while low-
context culture is prevalent in my country, where information is detailed and clear.
Building upon these realizations, I would ensure that I utilize these communication skills
in any cross-cultural encounters in the future. Establishing the cultural practices and
communication etiquette of the counterpart, restraining from judging, and focusing on engaging
in active two-way communication that aims to establish rapport with the subject might have
resulted in the effectiveness of the conversation (Moon, 2023). This reflection presents culture as
a fundamental facet of communication.
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References
Babbitt, D. G. (2023). Intercultural communication and sport coaching in high-context (Japan)
and lowcontext cultures (United States): A narrative literature review.;International
Journal of Coaching Science,;17(1), 51-70.
Moon, D. G. (2023). Critical reflections on culture and critical intercultural communication. The
handbook of critical intercultural communication, 57-71.
