Communication and Culture

There were numerous of times ;when the opportunity came to communicate with someone not in my culture. I have often found myself talking and listening to them differently. I have learned not to make assumptions  about language proficiency when communicating. People should not assume that a person speaks English fluently, but also do not assume that a person does not speak English based on their appearance or the color of their skin.  I should always speak in clear and straightforward language. Remember, even if a person speaks English fluently, misunderstandings can still arise, and when a person is not proficient in English, misunderstandings are even more likely. People have different attitudes towards health, life, and goals. These attitudes and beliefs have developed over the person’s lifetime, and cannot be simply ignored or quickly replaced with new attitudes. Trying to convince a person to adopt new beliefs and attitudes in place of their old one will likely be very difficult, and could create a roadblock to good communication in the future. Instead, ask a person about their beliefs, attitudes, and experiences and then acknowledge your understanding of and respect for their views and ways of doing things. Another suggestion for communicating would be aware of nonverbal responses. Be aware of someones' body language as it can provide useful cues. You can usually tell whether you have blundered, failed to make yourself clear, or conveyed your message successfully by paying attention to the other person’s nonverbal reactions as well as their verbal reactions. Every culture has their unique way of communicating, it is very important to ask question and do much research as possible.