Tentative Techniques against Barriers to Intercultural Communication

石玉

【Abstract】This paper seeks to describe a model for selecting techniques and exercises by experimenting both quantitatively and qualitatively to help students break barriers to intercultural communication.The results indicate that Exercises such as listening to or reading autobiography of people from the target culture contribute to reducing ethnocentrism； simulation role-play， i.e.to behave like a native of the target culture， is useful to the breakthrough of stereotype； dialogues about intercultural conflicts caused by non-verbal language can be made to acquaint students with some non-verbal language.

【Key words】intercultural communication； barriers； techniques and exercises

【摘要】跨文化交际时通常有四大障碍：民族优越感、刻板印象、言语及非言语因素、压力。如果能建立一个模式，选择一些技巧和练习来帮助学生克服跨文化交际障碍，让他们勇于和外国人交谈，对外语教师是大有益处的。此模式涉及一个定量和定性的教学实验研究。教学实验证明：实验组在经过克服跨文化交际障碍培训之后，在与外国人交流时表现得更好。一些经历性的练习，比如听读目标文化者的自传，是有利于减小民族优越感的；模拟角色扮演，比如像目标文化者那样表现自己，对克服刻板印象有益；做一些因为非言语因素引起的跨文化冲突对话会让学生了解更多的非言语因素；而压力是一个情感因素，只能通过更多的跨文化交际来减小了。

【关键词】跨文化交际；障碍；技巧与练习

1.Introduction

Four major barriers to intercultural communication are ethnocentrism， stereotyping， language both verbal and non-verbal， and stress.It will be useful in devising strategies for breaking down these barriers.Ethnocentrism is the tendency to evaluate others as inferior to ones own ethnic group.Stereotyping is the overgeneralizing about other groups on the basis of scarce information.One language barrier may result from the use of non-standard English.A tone of voice， how close people stand， the position people sit in， etc， are examples of non-verbal signals that can powerfully affect perceptions.Finally， the most pervasive accompaniment to intercultural interaction is stress.

2.Research purpose and question

What kind of techniques and exercises can help students break barriers to intercultural communication？ Nagdas（2006） theoretical framework for intergroup interventions emphasizes appreciating differences through listening and learning from others experiences， feelings， and beliefs.

Hypotheses： Experiential activities， such as listening to or reading autobiographies of people from the target culture， are helpful to reduce ethnocentrism.Simulations of fictitious cultures such as role-play， i.e.to behave like a native of the target culture， is useful to breakthrough stereotype.Dialogues about intercultural conflicts caused by non-verbal language can be made to acquaint students with some non-verbal language.endprint

3.Method

This model is illustrated by an experiment both quantitative and qualitative.New scales were pre-tested in two freshmen classes of the Wuhan Donghu University.A group of foreign students were invited to talk with experimental group and control group.The result indicated both groups did not have significant difference in terms of breaking barriers to intercultural communication.The task in the next stage was to select techniques and exercises to train students in experimental group.The basic pedagogical features of the dialogues had been devised previously （Nagda & Maxwell， 2011） and are used as a basis for our approach.In the class， autobiographies of those foreign students were read by students of experimental group.Students in experimental group were asked to role-play.Students were acquainted with different non-verbal communication elements of different cultures.The experiment lasted a semester in length.They were also asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire and more than 80% did so.

4.Tests of the hypotheses

The results indicate that students in experimental group perform better than those in control group.Experimental group began to realize that they can not over-generalize about other groups on the basis of scarce information.After acquaintance with some non-verbal languages in other cultures， students find it easier to understand those non-verbal languages than before.The analyses of the questionnaire measures demonstrated that experimental participants increased in their openness to multiple perspectives relative to controls.

5.Implications and conclusion

At a specific level， these results have implications for the design of future intergroup and intercultural programs.Using an evidence-based approach has the advantage of forcing us to elaborate causal models that specify the processes involved in creating the changes we desire.

References：

[1]Cheng， L.L.and Clark， L.（1993） Profile of Asian and Pacific Island students.In L.Clark （ed.） Faculty and Student Challenges in Facing Cultural and Linguistic Diversity （pp.114_136）.Springfield， IL： Charles， C.Thomas.

[2]Condon， J & Yousef， F.（1975）.An introduction to intercultural communication.Indianapolis： The BobbsMerrill Co.endprint