Major Factors Affecting the Success in Achieving
understanging in Intercultureal communication
Intercultureal communication means the communication between native and
non-native language. It also means the communication between those people who
have different language or cultural background. However, the difference of cultural
background is a broad concept. It is not only between different cultural circle, but also
between the subcultures of the same cultural background.
As we all know, at the background of globalization, people who with different
cultures keep closer contact. Intercultureal communication plays an important role in
the communication of the people who have different language or cultural
background.Especially between China and West.
Since last century, because of reforming and opening policy, we can contact with
the people and the things of western society more freguently.In such case, the
communication of economy and society in Multinational domain, cross national and
cross-cultural will be increasing, which provides ample opportunity for us to in
contact with westerner.So many people emigrate to other countries, many young
people go abroad to get further education or get a better job. Many people even get
married with forigners and live together. Besides, many foreigners are curious about
our country and come to our country to live and work.As the frequency between the
Chinese and Western intercultural activity day by day,cases of the cultural conflict
had been happened repeatedly. Because of differences on the people’s lifetyle,
thinking modes, concept of value,ethics morality and national customs among various countries.And it often make many jokes,appears circumstances which made people
embarrassed.This seriously affected both two sides to associate succeed and the
friendship between nations.Therefore,we are necessary to discover its deep-level
reason and take some certain measures to develop the intercultural communication
ability.Avoids the cultural conflict,let the social communication becoming more free
and relaxed between nation and nation,and then ,becoming an enjoyment everyone
wants instead of frighteen or fear.
There are many factors affecting the success in achieving understanging in
intercultureal communication. Here I just list some common factors.
Ⅰ. eye contact.
Eye contact is an important body language. Different cultural background has
different meaning. Let us look a case:
Professor Johnson was invited to give a guest lecture at a Chinese university in the
early 1990s. He could tell the students were very attentive. They applauded warmly
when the lecture came to an end. However, Professor Johnson was disappointed,
because most students avoided eye contact with him as he tried to communicate with
them.( 来源： 〖跨文化交际精品课程〗 作者：国际商务系 发表日期： 2010-11-23
19:44:01 )
Analysis：When conversation with people who know each other, the customs of
personal individualism countries demand that there should be eye contact. Which
applies to both the speaker and the listener.It shows respect for each other. If you lack
of eye contact with each other when you are talking with English-speaking countries’ people, They could imply a number of things, among which are fear, contempt,
uneasiness, guilt, and indifference. As the saying goes: Never trust a man who can not
look you in the eye(England, Provrb). However, in China, people are expected to
avoid prolonged eye contact. In particular, when a child converses with his or her
parents or grandparents, he or she is not allowed to stare at them too much. If an
American is always gazing at a Chinese in the conversation, the Chinese may consider
the American is aggressive，threatening and disrespectful whereas the Chinese is
considered suspicious and dishonest if the Chinese always avoids eye contact. Besides,
the American may think the Chinese has no interest to talk with him.
Ⅱ.greeting
The way of greeting in China is different from West.Here is a case about
misunderstanding of greeting:
One day, a American student who is studying in the China meets a Chinese
classmate. The Chinese student come to him and ask:” Have you eaten yet? ” The
overseas student looks surprised and says:”Why do you always ask me ‘Have you
eaten yet?’ I have money! ” ( 来源： 〖跨文化交际精品课程〗 作者：国际商务系 发表日期： 2010-11-23 19:44:01 )
Analysis：When it comes to greeting, In Chinese culture, people usually begin a
conversation by asking “Have you eaten?” or “Where are you going?”. And these
greetings are very common and accepted in China. But such a greeting behavior
doesn’t go for every culture. American people tend to talk about weather， life，work
and so on. If Americans are greeted with such questions, It must lead to