Communication and
Culture
Sometimes
I find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and
cultures. With my family, communication brings me the most comfort because we
have trust, respect, and understanding for each other. With my family, they
listen and I can talk about my good and sad times in my life. This type of
family environment helps me feel secure, loved, and happy. I always use respect in my communication. I am more casual with my friends and family
vs. colleagues and coworkers.
As an educator, I speak formally with others.
When I am teaching in the classroom, I speak according to the words the
children are able to understand, and then I would teach them the proper way of
pronunciation and vocabulary usage. Practice will make perfect (Beebe, S.A.,
Beebe, S.J., 2011).
The three strategies I could use to help me communicate more effectively with the people or groups I have identified include:
1. Take the time to listen to what is being said. Developing good listening skills, learning and respecting other people’s cultures, and understanding them. According to Beebe, “Adaptation across intercultural contexts is usually more difficult than adaptation within your own culture.” (Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.J., 2011) .I will be more aware of my tone, gestures, body movement, and eye contact.
2. Ask confirming questions if necessary and give a recap at the end of what you heard to make sure it was the same thing that was trying to be communicated to you. Place yourself in their shoes. Try to imagine how you would feel and what you would do if you were in a similar situation. By doing this it may help add empathy to the situation and make you more willing to corporate. I will listen actively to whoever I am in a conversation with.
3. Show your respect in the future by referring back to something from the past, this way you can show them that you do pay attention to what they say and how they feel. I will put much thought into what I have heard before I respond.
Reference:
Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc
