Text A Intercultural Communication

The term“intercultural communication”(ICC) is first used by Edward T. Hall in 1959 and is simply defined as interpersonal communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. It occurs when a member of one culture produces a message for consumption by a member of another culture. It consists of international, interethnic, interracial and interregional communication.

International Communication

International communication takes place between nations and governments rather than individuals; it is quite formal and ritualized. The dialogue at the United Nations, for example, would be termed international communication. If a talk with Mexican President is held, this is the communication between two nations or countries.

Interethnic Communication

Ethnic groups usually form their own communities in a country or culture. Interethnic communication refers to communication between people of the same race but different ethnic backgrounds. For example, in America, if an Alaska native communicates with a non-native American, this is interethnic communication because they are from different ethnic groups.

Interracial Communication

Interracial communication occurs when the source and the receiver exchanging messages are from different races which are related to physical characteristic. For example, if a white American student discusses issues with an Afro-American student, it is interracial communication. Interracial communication may or may not be intercultural.

Interregional Communication

Interregional communication refers to the exchange of messages between members of the dominant culture within a country. If an American from Boston interacts with an American from New Orleans, we have interregional communication. They are members of a culture who share common messages and experiences over a long period of time. However, they live in different regions of the same country.

Intercultural communication is a universal phenomenon. It occurs everywhere in the world. When you talk with an American teacher, or send email to a foreigner, or even when you watch a foreign film or read an English novel, you are engaged in intercultural communication.

The communication between cultures has been going on for thousands of years. The history of intercultural communication is almost as long as human history itself. It dates back to when primitive nomadic tribes started mingling with each other and needed to communicate with each other. It became even more necessary when sailors visited alien lands; and when thousands of gold-diggers from Asia and different European countries migrated to North America in search of wealth, there was intercultural communication. During the Tang Dynasty in China, there was the example of the famous“Silk Road”in which people of Asia, Africa and Europe interacted and communicated with each other in order to conduct their business transactions.

Intercultural communication is a common daily occurrence. The communication between cultures today is happening continuously, taking place almost everyday. Today, thousands of Chinese students going abroad to study, millions of foreign travelers coming to China, foreign artists coming to China to give performances and many joint venture enterprises doing business in many cities in China. These are all examples showing how prevalent intercultural communication is today.