Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks

999 Words4 Pages
In Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks LaRay Barna gives an insight into the common barriers to intercultural communication. To bring the argument out, Barna gives different factors which as stumbling blocks to intercultural communication which include language, perception and stereotypes, non-verbal signs, and anxiety. Barna also appreciates the importance of the intercultural diversity in the world. However, barriers to intercultural communication are posed as one of the greatest challenge to diversity. Here I agree with Barna that communication is important in the world and intercultural barriers acts as major blocks to cultural diversity. However, I disagree with high anxiety is a major barrier to intercultural communication because sometimes high anxiety actually helps individuals to interact in a bid to go over the anxiety and in doing so they tend to learn individual languages. Barna has also given important strategies that individuals can use to overcome intercultural communication barriers including studying of other people customs, language, arts, literature, other factors that inhibit intercultural communication In this article, Barna has touched on one of the most important problem that every one of us has experienced at one time in life. Barna has explored the barriers to intercultural communication which is a real world problem affecting multicultural and multiracial societies. First, Barna brings out the problem of intercultural communication in the United States through review of what students from different backgrounds perceive of other ethnic groups. It becomes clear that every other ethnic or racial group has reservation towards how the other communication. For example Barna shows that Americans are perceived to be smiling all the time to strangers. While for Americans this is a way of making friends, there are others who see it as
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