Explain and give examples for two of the five barriers to effective intercultural

communication.

What will be an ideal response?

Assuming superiority: Ethnocentrism is a belief that our own culture, its values and
assumptions, are superior to another culture. This may lead to negative interpretations
of another cultures traditions and lead to the communication of superiority. If I were to
travel to a Latin country, I might find their easy going approach unacceptable and an
indication of laziness. This attitude could inhibit communication and create a negative
or hostile atmosphere.
Assuming similarity: Different communication codes may result in confusion due to
simply not knowing the symbols and their meanings. Even if you can translate the
language, the use or meaning of the terms or concepts may vary. In England, the word
?boot? is a term used to refer to the trunk of a car. An American might be confused if
asked to put something in the ?boot.?
Assuming differences: It can be just as detrimental to assume someone is different
from you as it is that we are all alike. Research has indicated that there are many
similarities that all cultures share such as beliefs about death, division of labor by sex,
childhood fear of strangers, experience of certain emotions such as envy, pain, jealousy,
shame, and pride, etc. Communication effectiveness is diminished when we assume we
are different in every way.
Stereotyping and prejudice are based on inaccurate and negative impressions that we
have of others that do not allow for individual or cultural differences. They tend to be
all encompassing categories applied to members of a group. A stereotype that identifies
Africans as ignorant and backward people could seriously impair economic or
humanitarian interactions. Assuming similarity can impact intercultural communication
by identifying similarities in beliefs and behavior that are not there. While human
beings have certain similarities, cultural differences can generate wide discrepancies in
how people understand the world and act. Americans tend to place great emphasis on
timeliness, other cultures do not. Assuming that someone adopts the same approach to
timeliness may result in considerable frustration and ill will.
Different communication codes may cause misunderstanding due to the differences
and interpretation in languages and nonverbal behaviors.