Intercultural competence in teaching esl students…

1.2. Exploring surface and deep levels of intercultural communication
Intercultural communication is a complex concept that has taken on a wide variety of meanings and interpretations. According to Klyukanov, intercultural communication is a “process that is inherently variable and subject to interpretation”³. While individuals and groups bring their unique and special meanings to this term, in the most basic sense, intercultural communication means that some form of culture and some form of communication has interacted or intersected in a particular space, time and context. However, it is at the point of intersection that a range of complex issues arise. It is important to note that this complexity results from the intricate link between culture and communication. At the point of intersection, questions are posed such as:
1.What is being said?
2. Why is it said?
3. Who is saying it?
4.Where is the communication taking place?
In answering these questions, it is essential to note that what a person says suddenly becomes immersed with who the person is and the focus shifts from the content (what is being communicated or said) to the cultural identity of the individual (who is saying this and how it is being said, negotiated and interpreted). In other words, the social customs of that culture become the area of focus than the actual information in the communication. It is this interweaving of one’s cultural identity with forms of communication that creates the complexity in the interpretation of the message that is delivered. This chapter provides an overview of the fundamental principles in intercultural communication. It identifies its key concepts, discusses how these concepts contribute to a positive or negative interpretation of intercultural events and critically addresses issues related to perception, stereotypes, prejudice and ethnocentrism. The chapter provides a framework for understanding how and why we interpret and react to intercultural communication events in the way we do. It also encourages us to self-reflect on our own worldviews and that of others in a way that we may begin to see the world differently. Particularly, it engages us in a discourse that requires our combined efforts at effective global communication and building global communities on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.
There are many definitions of intercultural communication by experts who offer different interpretations and meanings. The definition by Samovar and Porter emphasizes that a person’s perception of the world around him/her is deeply entrenched in the system of symbols that his or her culture uses to make sense of the world. Further, they claim that intercultural communication is the “interaction between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event”⁴. The importance of understanding cultural perceptions and symbol systems will be discussed in detail later in this chapter and will continue to emerge as a theme throughout the book. However, in spite of the numerous definitions, it is important to note that during an intercultural communication event, problems arise as a result of a person:

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  not recognizing the uniqueness of the individual;
  
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  not focusing on the message;
  
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  not understanding the belief systems and values upon which cultures are established;
  
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  making judgments from the perspective of one’s own culture.
  

In other words, people—individuals and groups—contribute to the problems through their interpretations, or rather their misinterpretations, of the intercultural communication event. People are the key complex component in all communication within and across cultures because they communicate their cultures along with the message. People, therefore, are the human factor that affects intercultural communication.