Barna's Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks: Essay

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Barna’s Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks
Intercultural communication involves complexities that can only be removed if the barriers to communication are addressed. These barriers can only be addressed if the involved parties realize and acknowledge that a miscommunication has occurred. I agree with Barna that language, non-verbal cues, and high anxiety, among others, are the major barriers to intercultural communication.
Language involves the use of structured words to convey a message. These words vary from one culture to another. However, communication becomes problematic when people speaking the same language use similar words that convey different messages, based on the culture of the speaker. It is even more problematic “…because each thinks he understands (p.69).” As a result, miscommunication occurs. For instance, “Won’t you have some tea? (p.69)” conveys a different message to a Japanese and an American. In such an instance, the speakers use the same language and the same word structure, but Americans and the Japanese will interpret the message differently.
Non-verbal cues involve the use of features such as facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact, among others, to convey a message. People from different cultures interpret similar non-verbal signs, such as hand waving, differently. For instance, when an American girl asked a young Saudi Arabian man to nonverbally show how he would convey that he liked her, “his response was to smooth back his hair which, to her, was just a common nervous gesture… (p.69)” This non-verbal...