Wendy M. Chinchilla-Lopez

Research Project

EDU 533

Intercultural Competence (7th ed.)

By Myron W. Lustig and Jolene Koester

Chapter 1: Introduction to Intercultural Competence

1. Explain the purpose of this book- p. 2

The purpose behind Intercultural Competence, by Lustig and Koester is to provide the reader with a conceptual tool for understanding how cultural differences can affect your interpersonal communication. 

2. List and explain the five imperatives for intercultural competence. a. The Demographic Imperative requires a heightened emphasis on intercultural competence. Census figures indicate that cultural diversity is a nationwide phenomenon. In Los Angeles public schools, a third of the students speak a language other than English at home. There are ninety-two different first languages spoken.  The enrollment of "minority-group” college students is increasing annually and makes up one third of all students. The U.S.A. is not alone in the worldwide transformation into multicultural societies.  There is an increasing pattern of cross-border movements throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East. b. The Technological Imperative deals with the mentality of a "global village" where communication medias make it possible to communicate with others around the world. My husband skypes with his family in Honduras on a regular basis.  Due to this media, we are able to see our niece growing up.  Without this possibility, we would be limited to watching her grow up through home videos or portraits, but instead we are able to see her and chat with our loved ones instantly.  In the summer, I took an online class and was able to exchange views with a student who lives in Alaska.  It was fascinating to know that people from different places in the world were all receiving the same instruction from one professor.  We all communicated through Black Board, keeping to online etiquette.  While posting my opinions, I kept reminding myself that print lends itself to multiple interpretations, so exact verbiage was necessary to convey the correct message. c. The Economic Imperative for intercultural competence is powerful, pervasive, and likely to increase in the coming years. The health of the United States is linked to world business partners; trade has doubled every decade since the 1960s.  Nowadays, it is not a luxury to speak more than one language, it is a necessity.  I encourage my students to learn a different language besides English, so that they will be able to compete globally for jobs and businesses.   d. The Peace Imperative is the need to understand and appreciate those who differ from ourselves.  Shocking data reveals that in 2009, more than six thousand hate crimes were due to

a person's race, culture, religion, or social group membership.  Of those, 35% targeted African Americans, 14% affected Jews, 7% were aimed at Latinos, and 1.6% targeted Muslims.  I'm reminded of the wise words of Benito Juarez, "Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace." I believe that education is the end to ignorance.  Often times, our minor differences lead to major misunderstandings. e. The Interpersonal Imperative combines the demographic, technological, economic, and peace imperative and manifests itself in your daily life. Cultural mixing implies that people will not always feel totally comfortable when attempting to communicate with others who don’t speak their language, or are not fully proficient.

3. Define communication.     According to Lustig and Koester (2013), Communication is a symbolic, interpretive, transactional, contextual process in which people create shared meanings.

4. Application Communication requires a transmitter and a recipient. The interesting thing is what occurs from point A (sender) to point B (receiver).  As a read 180 teacher, I must implement a rotation-based schedule.  The cue to indicate rotations in my class is the whistle blow; when students hear the whistle [symbolic  representation], they automatically rotate to the next station.  On one occasion, I had a sore throat and could not get the attention of the class who was becoming loud, so I blew the whistle to get their attention.  I saw their bewildered faces as they started to move  towards the next rotation.  Changing the meaning of the symbolic process was not well received by my students who are accustomed with the meaning behind the whistle sound. In Italy, one must become accustomed to the symbolic representations of the culture.  For instance, when joining, or exiting a group, one must acknowledge all members [of the group] by shaking their hand.  Making eye contact expresses an interest in the conversation, but not maintaining eye contact sends the message that you are bored.  To show a dislike for a person, an Italian places their hand on the stomach.  This is valuable information because even though placing your hands on your stomach may seem harmless, in Italy it carries a whole different meaning.  Being aware of symbolic communication is important in maintain a level of respect across cultures.

5. Biblical Links    Genesis 11:1 (KJV) states, "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech."  Our differences, however vast, will never prevail over our common language as human beings.  This is evident when catastrophes strike our human race...people come together to share with one another and at that moment we all speak the same language of love.  The love that Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us all.

Chapter 2: Culture and Intercultural Communication

1. Define culture (describe each major component in the definition (p. 25)

Culture is a set of shared interpretations that are learned.  It involves beliefs, values, norms, and

social practices. 

2. Explain why cultures differ and why those difference continue to exist.

There are six forces that maintain cultural differences including history, ecology, technology, biology, institutional networks, and interpersonal communication patterns. Cultures differ based on what they value most.  Some cultures are family oriented and place a high value on hierarchy within the members of the family, whereas in other cultures personal advancement is emphasized. I believe differences among cultures continue to exist because future generations keep the traditions alive. By embracing the ways of previous generations, the cultural practices continue to exist.  3. Define intercultural communication. (note p. 46 and p. 52 and other references) Intercultural communication is a symbolic, interpretive, transactional, contextual process in which people [from different cultures] create shared meanings. 

4. Answer the questions in the examples on p. 47Is Jorge correct that Mexican and Chilean cultures are sufficiently different to make his communication with Chileans intercultural? 

I agree with Jorge that the difference in cultures is present. The difficult task is defining the term sufficiently different.  I believe that if he feels like an outsider looking in, then the differences are deemed sufficient.  Sometimes people believe that because two individuals speak Spanish, they speak the same language, but that’s not always the case. For instance, my husband was born in Honduras, while I was born in Guatemala. We both speak Spanish, but there are expressions that I am unfamiliar with being from a different country.  One example is the way in which our children are allowed to refer to us [the parents]. For Hondurans, children should refer to their parents by usted, a formal you, as opposed to, tú, an informal form of you.  When we Skype with my husband’s siblings, it is always a topic of disagreement.  They cannot believe that we allow our children to ‘disrespect’ us in that way. However, to me it is a form of intimacy that we share with our children. Even though we are all considered Latin Americans, culturally we’re not exactly the same.                    In Jorge’s case, I would label his communication intercultural simply because he may be able to understand enough to communicate, but not enough to contribute fluently in a conversation (i.e. verbal/non-verbal/ idiosyncrasies pertaining to Chileans). 

How important is it to know how to speak a language in intercultural communication?  It is extremely important to understand a language to the fullest extent possible in intercultural communication.  Your competency will dictate the level of depth in which you engage in conversation with others.  5. Explain the continuum of interculturalness

The continuum of interculturalness quantifies situations from most intercultural to the least.  The degree of intercultural exchange is dependent upon each situation. The scale is meant to be flexible as relationships develop, or change.  6. Application In the business world, Italians must become acquainted with those they are working with before they meet in person. As a result, people introduce themselves via faxes, or other media prior to the scheduled face to face appointments. When participating in a meeting with Italians, it’s important to remember that Italians will never be imprisoned in a seat. If personal needs get in the way, they will get up, move about without losing face or appearing ill mannered. Also, the meeting itself is seen as a charade since all major decisions have already been made prior to the actual meeting taking place.

7. Biblical Links Proverbs 11:12 reminds us that, “Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent,” as stated in the English Standard Version (ESV). Sometimes we must remain silent when unsure about the communication taking place in a high multicultural setting. A wise person will stop and analyze the situation, try to understand before speaking hurtful words that belittle the other person [also trying to convey a message]. I remember a student of mine, Genaro, who hardly spoke any words in English or in Spanish. His mother shared her frustration with the team because often times she was unable to understand him in Spanish. We worked arduously as a grade level team that year, and by the end of that school year, Genaro came out of his shell, as we put it. It took patience on our behalf to show that we truly wanted to communicate with him and hear his thoughts, his input in group discussions. As teachers, we provided scaffolds for him to build his confidence enough to contribute to the collective group.

Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication Competence

 1. What is competent intercultural communication? Intercultural communication depends on knowledge, motivation, and skills, which occur in specific contexts with messages that are both appropriate and effective. Competent communication is interaction that is perceived as effective in fulfilling certain rewarding objectives in a way that is also appropriate to the context in which the interaction occurs.

2. List and describe the components of intercultural competence (p. 66) a. Contextual: The setting helps to define and limit the range of behaviors that may be perceived as very competent in one cultural setting and much less competent in another. When it comes to intercultural competence, there’s not a prescription to follow that will guarantee competence in all intercultural relationships and situation, but one’s personality traits might allow an individual to be more competent than others.

b. Appropriateness and Effectiveness are components that measure how well a person demonstrates acceptable behavior when dealing with people from other cultures

(appropriateness) and whether that person achieved the goal from that interaction (effectiveness).

c. Knowledge refers to the cognitive information you need to possess in regards to people, context, and the appropriate norms acceptable to the culture with whom one is engaging in.

d. Motivations include people’s overall set of emotional associations, such as feeling and intentions. These play an important role as people anticipate and hold an intercultural conversation.

e. Skills are the execution of the knowledge [theory] gained by understanding differences among cultures. In order to communicate competently with other cultures, your skills need to reflect your knowledge of context, idiosyncrasies, appropriateness, and motivation.

3. Apply BASICs of intercultural competence to yourself as you prepare to go to your country. I demonstrate respect by listening to others [conference, meeting, collaboration, class, etc.], doing my share [being a team player], and by offering words of encouragement.

I believe I possess the ability to move beyond the perspective of my own cultural framework. I realize that my actions are a reflection of where I come from and the same is applicable to those I interact with on a daily basis…my students. My orientation to knowledge increases my intercultural competence.

In terms of empathy, I consider myself quite competent. I find that often times, people just want to be heard; they’re not looking for advice, judgment, or solutions, they just want to be heard. A colleague of mine may need to undergo back surgery soon. When I ask her about her pain level that day, she goes on to explain how she feels, what her limitations are, and conversations held with her doctors. I have never suffered from back pain the way she has, and I don’t pretend that I know what she’s going through. However, by listening to her, I validate her pain and help her move past that as she thinks about how her problem will be solved. I offer encouragement by expressing my admiration toward her for being such a strong willed person.

Interaction management is having the ability to initiate, continue, and end a conversation. Knowing when to contribute, and when to remain silence is a skill that varies depending on the individuals with whom you are speaking. I usually break the ice by introducing myself, telling a bit about myself, and then posing a question. If the other person responds, and carries on the conversation it’s just a matter of listening attentively and contributing to the conversation. However, if the person does not seem interested [i.e. looking away, or responding with yes or no type answers], then I end the conversation with a simple, “It was nice meeting you.”

Task role behavior is a component that involves initiating ideas related to group problem-solving activities. I believe that the level of competence regarding the actual context dictates how much or how little I contribute to the group’s activity. For instance, in our grade

level meetings, I feel knowledgeable enough to pitch new strategies for disseminating grade level standards to students. However, when I collaborate with multiple grade levels, I take a less active approach and first try to understand before contributing my input. Different grade levels have different ways of working. Our reading coach shared her experiences when working with different grade levels. She has noticed that some teams are all about the work, meaning they are very business-like (no joking, or laughing), while others are more social as they accomplish similar tasks. Both groups accomplish the task, but in different ways. I am a people person; I believe that while completing a task is important, so is the journey of completing a certain task.

Being the mediator in a group comes as second nature to me. I enjoy making people feel respected by listening to their ideas, meeting in the middle, and mediating conflicts between two parties when needed. The principal of my former school said, “Always assume best intentions.” These words have made an impact in my professional life as well as my personal life. I believe that people mean well, but don’t always come across that way. Analyzing the why people behave the way they do is equally as important to how they behave. Relational role behaviors aim to build or maintain personal relationships with group members.

Unpredictable change is synonymous to teaching [the profession]. Educators in an elementary setting know that things don’t always work out the way you plan for them. As an intervention teacher, I am constantly on my toes. One day I may be teaching my own Read 180 class, the next day covering for a teacher [half day/all day]. On one occasion, I got a text message at 7:00 a.m. that we were short two subs (kinder and first grade); because our principal needed the two teachers at the district training I was asked to cover for the two classes that day. That day was the most chaotic day [for the students and myself], but we managed to make it work as best we could. My objective was to keep the day as normal for the students as possible. Some colleagues have said to me that they don’t know how I do it. At any given day, I could be teaching from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade. I didn’t know it at the time, but now I realize that it’s because I have a high tolerance for ambiguity.

Often times it’s more about how you deliver the message than the actual content of the message. For instance, I have learned about the FRISK (Facts, Rules, Impact, Suggestions, and Knowledge) Documentation Model. This model guides administrators in documenting unsatisfactory employee performance. Facts are stated as such, stripping away the biases regarding any individual. This model lends itself for a professional outcome, one where the employee doesn’t feel attacked and is given an opportunity to right a wrong. Interaction Posture requires that individuals respond in a nonjudgmental way. The art is knowing what is perceived as a judgmental verbal or nonverbal message in the culture you are communicating with.

4. Application The BASIC (Behavioral Assessment Scale for Intercultural Competence) tool can be used to examine people’s communication behaviors. The results can be interpreted as a guide to basics of intercultural competence.

BASIC 8 Areas for Improving Cultural Competence

8 Categories of communication: Host: Italian Culture1. Displays of respect are present, but shown differently in every culture.

Italians show respect by trying to understand a non-native speaker. They will not make a fuss over your mistakes and unless you ask at the beginning of your conversation, they will not correct you. When greeting someone at a business meeting, hands are expected to shake. However, depending of the level of friendship, kissing on both cheeks is allowed.

2. Orientation to Knowledge refers to the terms people use to explain themselves and the world.

Italians are very proud of their country.

3. Empathy is to behave as if one understands the world as others do.

Italians show empathy by truly wanting to understand foreigners as they speak broken Italian.

4. Interaction management refers to the skills necessary to maintain a conversation.

Italians are extremely expressive communicators. They tend to be wordy, eloquent, emotional, and demonstrative, often using facial and hand gestures to prove their point.

Take the time to ask questions about your business colleagues family and personal interests, as this helps build the relationship

5. Task-role behavior refers to those skills that contribute to a group’s performance.

Allow your Italian business colleagues to set the pace for your negotiations. Follow their lead as to when it is appropriate to move from social to business discussions

6. Relational role behavior deals with efforts to build and maintain personal relationships.

Italians tend to do business with people they know. It is important to maintain good relationships with business partners.

7. Tolerance for ambiguity refers to the extent to which an individual can deal with unpredictability and uncertainty.

In Italy the combination of high masculinity and high uncertainty avoidance makes life very difficult and stressful. To release some of the tension that is built up during the day Italians need to have good and relaxing moments in their everyday life, enjoying a long meal or frequent coffee breaks.

Due to the fact that Italy has been through many wars, invasions from other countries and political turmoil, Italy has a strong fear of

uncertain situations. Italians tend to interact and do business with people they already know because they do not trust members of groups they are unfamiliar with.

8. Interaction posture focuses on the ability to respond to others in a way that is not judgmental.

Some Italians show prejudice toward Sicilians. Although this bias is not explicit and considered a thing of the past, some Sicilians feel that it’s still true today.

5. Biblical Links

John 15:12 teaches us to love one another as God has loved us. The love of Jesus Christ is the driving force behind our willingness to show empathy towards our brothers and sisters. To demonstrate love towards our neighbor means to give them respect. All human beings deserve respect regardless of where they come from, or how different we are from each other.

Chapter 4 Cultural Patterns and Communication: Foundations

1. Define Cultural Patterns Cultural patterns are repetitive shared beliefs, values, norms, and social practices that lead to similar behaviors across similar situations.

2. List and describe the four components of cultural patterns (( pgs. 79-82))   a. Beliefs are ideas that people assume to be true about the world. It is important to note that

what one culture considers to be the truth is not necessarily so in other cultures.

   b. Values encompass what a culture regards as good or bad.  Values are desired characteristics

or goals of a culture, not necessarily the culture’s actual behaviors and characteristics.

   c. Norms are expectations regarding appropriate behaviors in social context. These are

important because they establish acceptable behaviors such as greetings, good manners, and

people’s interactions and the basic “right” way to do things in that culture. Unlike values

which tent to be more enduring, norms may change over a period of time.

   d. Social Practices are those predictable behavior patterns typically followed by members of a

culture. It is important to make the distinction that not all members of a culture follow the

culture’s social practice because individuals [from every culture] learn different tendencies.

3. List and briefly explain the five major elements in Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s view of cultural patterns

   a. Activity Orientation defines how a culture views human actions and the expression of self

through the activities people engage in. The three major views regarding activity include

the “being” orientation which values inaction and acceptance of the status quo, the

“becoming” orientation which sees humans as evolving and changing, and the “doing”

orientation which believes that people seek to change and control what is happening to

them.

   b. Social Relations Orientation describes how the people in a culture organize themselves and

relate to one another. Saving face is an interesting phenomena that cultures tackle

differently. For instance, in my culture people don’t know how to say no to someone. My

mother-in-law usually ends up cooking for friends because she can’t bring herself to say no.

I on the other hand don’t have a problem saying no directly, when I am unable or unwilling

to do something. She values her friendships so much that she is willing to make sacrifices

for them.

   c. Self-Orientation defines how people’s identities are formed. Whether they see the self as

changeable, what motivates their actions, and the kind of people they value and respect.

My husband and I are raising our children to be independent, but also to maintain

traditional family values. I believe that context plays an important role as to when people

need to apply independency and interdependence. We inculcate family pride and bringing

honor to our family, but at the same time we want our children to be independent thinkers

who contribute their thoughts and feelings in family discussions. Balancing the two is hard

work because on the one hand part of my extended family thinks it’s a good idea for my

children to voice their opinions, while others would prefer if they just obeyed and did as

they were told [and not question anything].         d. World Orientation- How people locate themselves in relation to the spiritual world, nature,

and other living things. I have seen people in my Latin American culture expressing their

limited power and accepting the status quo. I believe that the newer generations are

moving away from this perspective and are taking control of their own destiny. Perhaps

this is due to the mixture of cultures we interact with on a daily basis.

   e. Time Orientation refers to cultural patterns that explicate how people conceptualize time.

In general, most European Americans view time as scarce and valuable. On the other hand,

most Latin Americans value individuals and circumstances rather than implementing a

scheduled plan for the day. I often find myself reminding my students, “Time is money,

let’s not waste it!” I have a sign over the clock that reads, “It’s time to work.” I hadn’t

paid much attention to what that means in terms of my cultural belief regarding time and

the high value I place on it. Apart from my professional life, I am not that strict when it

comes to time. I enjoy sleeping in when I don’t have to go to work. I value being

productive at home, but not to the extent I implement at work.     

4. Discover (and list) your own cultural patterns and analyze them in relationship to the culture you have selected. Note areas of possible conflict. I consider myself as a mixture of the “becoming” and “doing” orientations. Both are consistent with my views about myself, society, and the world. I am a true believer that where there is a will, there’s a way. We possess the ability to change our circumstances through hard work. When I first moved to California, I did not speak a word of English, and through hard work I have managed to earn a higher education and a better life for myself. I believe that people should not be restricted by the circumstances of their birth. In Italy, businesses are often family owned and thus the next generation is expected to work in the family business. They fall under the “being” orientation with a high regard for the past. This is evident in the respect they demonstrate towards the elders. This difference can raise a possible conflict, if I were to interact with Italians. However, the fact that I have a basic understanding as to how to conduct business with Italians properly gives me the opportunity to respect and embrace their way of

communicating. This doesn’t mean that all of a sudden my views have permanently changed, it just means that my competency in communicating in an intercultural way has increased.

5. Application In terms of social relations, Italians value family thus it’s not uncommon for adult children to live with their parents. It’s interesting though that this is less of a trend in Northern Italy. Social hierarchy is valued in Italy. Personal titles are important and well respected; Italians prefer to do business with the top people of a company. However, Italy is working towards the movement of de-emphasizing the differences between its citizen’s riches and power. Social networking is important to Italians as they tend to do business with people they know and like. Their slower pace of life [particularly in the south] suggests they value people over time. When it comes to people-nature orientation, Italians perceive themselves in harmony with nature. They strive to take care of their environment. As a matter of fact, they rank as the fourth largest holder of installed solar energy capacity and the sixth largest holder of wind power capacity in 2010, worldwide.

6. Biblical Links 1 Timothy 5:17 reminds us to, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” English Standard Version (ESV). I believe that we must learn to include valuing the past within our futuristic view. At first it sounds contradictory, but as we prepare for the future, it’s also wise to honor our past and learn vicariously through those experiences provided by the wiser population…our elders. The Lord exhorts us to honor the elder members of our community. When speaking of time orientation, I value the future, but also hold a special place for the past that has led me to where I now stand.

Chapter 5 Cultural Patterns and Communication: Taxonomies

1. Analyze the culture you have selected by using one of the cultural taxonomies described in Chapter 5. Link the taxonomy elements to the culture and explain how each applies to the culture.   Power-distance refers to the status or social power within a culture. In certain cultures people are regarded as superior because of their wealth, age, gender, education, occupation, and family background to name a few. Certainly Italy has a high power distance as a culture. Titles are very important to Italians, thus you must always refer to them as "Signore" or "Signora" followed by their last name until they invite you to call them by their first name. In Italy, subordinates are seldom allowed to call their superiors by their first names.

Uncertainty Avoidance explicates how cultures adapt to changes and cope with uncertainties. Italians feel threatened by uncertain situation, thus they prefer to conduct business with people they know and trust. In business one should send an introductory fax and follow-up with a phone call before meeting face to face. This high uncertainty avoidance originates from their troubled past with so many wars.

Individualism Versus Collectivism reveals people’s relationships to the larger social groups of which they are a part. Italians, although individualistic are more collectivistic than here in the United States. Italian decision-making is done behind the scenes, among the in-group, which just so happens to be the family since many business are family owned. Business meetings are then used to ratify the decision and communicate it to others.

Masculinity Versus Femininity describes the gender expectations within a culture. Members of highly masculine cultures believe that men should be assertive, while the women should be more nurturing. Sexual inequality is viewed as beneficial. On the other hand, feminine cultures prefer equality between the sexes, play less prescriptive role behaviors associated with a specific gender. Italy is a paternalistic country with the father taking the authoritative role in family matters. Women take care of the home, although more of them have entered the working force.

Time Orientation refers to a person’s point of reference about life and work. Italy is known for a more relaxed pace of living, although more recently Italians seem to be moving to more strict punctuality, particularly in the more industrialized north.

Cultures that focus on indulgence seek pleasures [spending, consumption, sexual gratification] and focus on happiness as a way of life. Contrary to indulgence are cultures that exercise restraint. According to Lustig and Koester, Italy is high on restraint. They value the control of personal indulgence, they prefer to restrict “worldly” pleasures, and they discourage seeking of enjoyments associated with leisure activities.

2. ApplicationIn-group collectivism is concerned with family loyalty. Italians place a high value on family by taking care of the needs of the immediate group. I was initially under the impression that Italians leaned towards indulgence rather than restraint because of their love of food, fashion, and family time, but I learned that their culture practice restraint.

3. Biblical LinksItalians hit the nail on the head by strengthening their family ties and placing so much importance on people rather than schedules. The Lord advises us to, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12 King James Version (KJV). I believe that cultures can learn from one another by taking good practices and intertwining them with our own beliefs. My culture too honors the elder members of the family. My grandmother, Florencia, lived with my mother until she passed away at 93 years of age. My parents have offered Grandma Elena [paternal grandmother] to live with them in her old age, but she’s content living with her older son.

Chapter 6: Cultural Identity and Cultural Biases

1. Define cultural identity and include the various nature or types of identity. Apply the components of cultural identity to yourself. Cultural identity refers to one's sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group.  For

instance, children learn early on to view themselves as members of particular groups. Both my parents are from Guatemala, Central America so the way they raised me was under their culture. However, when we moved to California we embraced the traditions that came with our new culture; we celebrated Halloween, and Thanksgiving which we did not celebrate in our home country. As a child, I didn’t give much thought to what my parents introduced us to, I thought everything we did was normal, whether it was a practice rooted in their cultural background or not.

Social identity develops as a consequence of memberships in particular groups within one’s culture. When I came to know God and allowed Jesus into my life, I learned that socially I belonged to a group unknown to my former friends. I became the outsider in my group of friends. Our ideas, although similar at some point, were different and the mere fact that I wished God’s blessing on them, offended them. Interestingly enough, while this falling out was happening with my former friends, I was finding comfort in my new family of believers.

Personal identity identifies the core of the individual; it refers to people’s unique characteristics that set them apart from the cultural group. One of the character traits that I mostly identify with is my positive attitude. Throughout the years, colleagues have complimented me on this personal trait. I believe this characteristic was passed down to me from my mother, Ana. She is one of the most positive people I know. Her Godly view on life, allows her to see the silver lining in every situation. As I reflect on the impact my mother has had in my life, I truly appreciate her love and guidance.

2. How is cultural identity formed? Cultural identify if formed through a process involving three distinct stages including unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement. This is an intentional process of self-discovery.

3. List elements or characteristics of cultural identity: Some elements of cultural identity encompass traditions, heritage, language, religion, thinking patterns, and social structures.

4. Based on information learned so far explain your own cultural identity in each of the categories mentioned. My traditions are rooted in our Catholic background.  Many of my family’s celebrations are central to our beliefs.  Language is a huge component in my cultural identity. In this process of self-discovery, I learned that when praying I prefer to do so in Spanish. I pray in English as well, but to me it feels more intimate when I pray in Spanish… I don’t know why, it just does; perhaps it’s because Spanish was my first language, or because I came to accept Jesus as my savior in a Spanish-speaking retreat? To be quite honest, I don’t know. Social structures in my family were never the stereotypical patterns attributed to Latin-Americans. My parents believed in the value of education of both genders. My mother set an excellent example to myself and my siblings by attending a Junior College while we were at school. They not only believed in our abilities to create a better future for ourselves, but they supported our dreams as

well. I remember being a senior in High School and worrying about how I would pay to attend a four-year university. My father had a conversation with me and offered to sell his house, move the family into an apartment, if need be, so that I could pay to go to college. In the end, we managed to put me through college without selling their home, but I knew that my family stood by me.

5. Application

Italy is a fairly masculine society. Although women have entered the workforce, their numbers remain small and few hold upper positions. Italian women cook, clean and care for the children for the most part.

Cultural identity in terms of language varies for Italians. Due to the various dialects [Northern, Tuscan, Central, and Southern], many Italians speak standard Italian and at least one dialect. It’s interesting that many Italians are multilingual, perhaps due to the myriad of languages spoken in Italy (i.e. French, German, Catalan, Greek, Albanian, etc.).

6. Biblical Links This chapter focuses on the various aspects of cultural identity. Often times we become comfortable just living life and not taking the time to reflect on our actions. As educators, this is a risk we cannot take. By analyzing our actions and mapping our cultural identity from the whole, to the social, down to our personal identity, we will strengthen our core beliefs and know when to stand up [for educational issues] when it’s the right thing to do. I’m reminded of the powerful message in Matthew 16:26 “For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?” American Standard Version (ASV) It is imperative that we understand ourselves in order to make sense of our actions in today’s world. We cannot forfeit our convictions based on the latest social trends.

Chapter 71. Define verbal codesVerbal code is a set of rules about the use of words [both oral and written] in the creation of messages. When anthropologists come across a language that is only oral, they will create a written form corresponding to the oral in order to preserve it. This chapter focuses on the face-to-face intercultural communication.

 2. List and describe the rule systems in verbal codes.There are five different, interrelated sets of rules combined to create a verbal code, or language.

Phonology refers to the sound system of a language and its studies. The most basic unit of sound is called phoneme. The phonology of a language is the rules for combining these phonemes to form words.

Morphology focuses on the structure of words; a morpheme is the smallest units of meaning in a language. English is composed of forty-four phonemes that can potentially generate more than 50 million morphemes. In Chinese, morphemes can differ based on pronunciation. For instance, “ma” can mean mother, toad, horse, or scold depending on the tone which is used.

Semantics is the study of the meaning of words. Dictionaries provide thorough definitions of words including the denotative meanings and connotative meanings associated with the term.

Syntactics refers to the relationship of words to one another. Word order plays an important role in communicating interculturally. As educators it is important to recognize that in Spanish the noun precedes the verb and it is considered correctly, so when students are speaking and writing English as their second language, they may end up transferring that knowledge into our English language conventions. Sometimes, students know that their sentence is incorrect, but they can’t quite articulate why and simply rely on comments such as, “It doesn’t sound right.”

Pragmatics is the effect of language on human perception and behaviors. For instance, telling or understanding jokes in a second language can be difficult because one has to understand the semantic and pragmatic aspects of language.

3. Explain Linguistic relativity p. 162. Linguistic relativity is a theory that states that language influences or even determines the ways in which people think. On the contrary, evidence suggests that language plays a powerful role in shaping how people think and experience the world, but a person is not trapped in a particular way of thinking by their first language.

4. Define linguistic grammars and give examples p.165.Linguistic grammar studies the interrelationship between language, thought, and culture as it pertains to grammatical rules of different languages. For example, in Spanish we use the pronoun usted to indicate formality or politeness when addressing an older person. The grammar of a language encourages its users to construct interactions with others in a particular way. Another example is the uniqueness of the capitalized pronoun “I” in English. The Athabaskan-speaking Native Americans in Alaska don’t identify with the pronoun I, but rather use the group-oriented pronoun, we. Speakers think and speak in the collective plural voice as opposed to the individualistic I.

5. Explain how verbal codes and intercultural competence are connected.

Intercultural competence requires knowledge, motivation, and actions that recognize the critical role of verbal codes in human interactions. Knowledge of what it feels like to learn a second language leads people to an appreciation of those who are struggling to communicate in a second or third language. Motivation manifests itself in the form of your emotional reactions and interactions with those you are trying to communicate with or understand. An important prerequisite to intercultural competence is the ability to recognize the possibility of irritability and fatigue when functioning in an unfamiliar linguistic environment. Last, but not least focus

on your actions when communicating in an intercultural way. Alter your strategies when helping non-English speakers: simplify vocabulary, speak slowly, respond patiently, and don’t yell. Keep in mind that when communicating with others, we rely heavily on verbal codes.

6. ApplicationLanguage plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining the identity of a particular culture. Code switching has been a natural practice for me. I tried to speak English at school and in the community and spoke mostly Spanish at home. When communicating with my grandmother I always spoke Spanish because she did not comprehend English. Now, speak mostly English at home and make an effort to speak Spanish as well. I want my children to be competent speakers of both English and Spanish. Some jokes are funnier in Spanish while others are funnier in English, this of course is due to the background. Unfortunately, there are times when I can’t find the right English word in Spanish and vice versa. This happens more often with certain foods. I was doing some research on the topic of film dubbing and found out that when translating for a film they take into account not just the scripts, but also the context as they cater to an audience of a different culture. Thus, names are changed to make them more appealing to the culture of the audience.

7. Biblical LinksJason Holt analyzes the meaning of rod, staff, and still waters we find in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Holt states that we must understand the denotation of the word “still” as used by David in his imagery. The term “still” denotes the water being free from turbulence or waves [disturbances].

http://www.spiritualliving360.com/index.php/bible-study-an-analysis-of-tone-in-the-twenty-third-psalm-35552/

For this reason, it’s imperative to step back and analyze word connotation and denotation.

Chapter 8

T. Hall according to the social anthropologist Edward T. Hall, less than 35%

1. Explain nonverbal codes

Nonverbal codes are used as a means of communicating without words. physical: tattoos, clothes: jeans

2. List and explain cultural universals in nonverbal communication.Cultural universals are truths that apply to all u. Such is the shrugging of the shoulders. Interestingly enough, even children who are blind from birth use many of the same gestures and emotional expressions as sighted children do. Another universal aspect of nonverbal communication is the human need to mark and claim certain spaces as their own. This

territorial characteristic is universal.

3. Provide examples of nonverbal messages in intercultural communication.Nonverbal messages can be transmitted through relatively static and unchanging communication [physical attributes and the setting], or through dynamic [body movements, personal space, touching, and the characteristics of voice. Physical appearance ranges from actual body characteristics [such as body size, body type, height, weight], body modifications, to body adornments. Cultural standards for beauty and attractiveness vary greatly, just like the expectations about how people should look and smell. It’s quite interesting that some cultures find the body odor of meat-eating Westerners to be unpleasant. Furthermore, Arabs and Filipinos use close spatial distances in conversations as a means to smell a person’s breath. Dynamic communication changes during the interaction; we may think that shaking one’s head from side to side means no, but this gesture is not true in all cultures. For instance, in Turkish it means, “I don’t understand.”

4. Describe/explain cultural meanings of touch, time, and voice.Touch: cultures differ in the overall amount of time they prefer to touch. Individuals who practice the Muslim religion do not condone touching between opposite-sexes. However, two men or two women holding hands or walking arm in arm is acceptable. In Japan, there is a dislike against the touch of a stranger. In Thailand and Malaysia consider the head to be sacred and shall not be touched. Time: There’s a distinction between time-oriented and time systems. Time orientation studies the value the members of a culture place on the passage of time itself. Past-oriented cultures place a high value on previous experiences and events. Whereas present-oriented cultures value current experiences more so than past experiences. Furthermore, future-oriented cultures believe that tomorrow is more important over the past or present.

Voice: The multiple qualities of voice [pitch, rate, rhythm, and volume], form the vocalic nonverbal communication system. Asian languages are tonal, unlike English. Meaning is gained based on the vocalic tone or pitch.

5. ApplicationAs a Latin-American I too perceive myself as talking more loudly than some of my colleagues; I have to make a conscious effort to lower my voice indoors. I have noticed this characteristic

in my children as well. My husband constantly reminds my children and I to lower our voices.

6. Biblical Links

Luke 7:38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. New International Version (NIV)

From today’s perspective one could think that the woman was merely a sinful woman who poured expensive oils on Jesus’ feet. However, this practice was common at that time; what is unique about this encounter is the woman wiping his feet with her hair. The woman represents a community of sinners who has been forgiven by Jesus.

Chapter 9: The Effects of Code Usage in Intercultural Communication

1. Explain cultural variations in persuasion.

The most common persuasions occur in everyday interactions between people on a day to day basis. They also occur in formal, public settings, such as when a candidate for political office tries to win votes through speeches and advertisements. Some cultures enjoy the persuasive or argumentative encounter, while others stay away from it. Cultural persuasive styles differ and are evident in the “rationality” of the arguments. This reminds me of the Amanda Knox trial. According to Gene Johnson, Americans are appealing to American principles about trying someone multiple times for the same crime, even though under Italian law her earlier conviction and subsequent acquittal were never finalized, and even her third trial was considered part of the first prosecution against her (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/01/amanda-knox-legal-system_n_4708229.html).

2. Explain value of talk and silence and rules for conversations.

There are various degrees of importance given to words in different cultures and within settings. For instance, African Americans and European Americans place a high level of importance on words. This is noted in the expressions utilized by the members of these cultures. For instance, people, will give their word as a symbol of truth; in legal settings, people swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” In these specific cultures, silence is read as a negative experience of awkwardness, embarrassment, shyness, lack of verbal skills, among other negative interpretations. Contrary to these beliefs, the cultures of Japan, Korea, China, Swaziland, Zambia, and southern African place a higher value on silence. In their viewpoint, a person who talks a lot is regarded with suspicion. The Japanese prefer a person who is talkative than one who talks too much; they use as few words as possible when they need to talk. A major Korean influence is Buddhism which teaches, “True communication is believed to occur only when one speaks without the mouth and when one hears without the ears.” (p. 217)

3. Application

According to Chuan-chuan Cheng and Charles Tardy, “Jewish (Tannen, 1985), Italian (Sander, 1985), and Arab (Samovar & Porter, 2001) cultures stress social interaction among friends and family, and there is often very little silence in conversations among members of these cultures.”

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+cross-cultural+study+of+silence+in+marital+conflict.-a0215410905 It is important to analyze the dynamics of [group] conversations with intercultural backgrounds. Understanding the value of silence and talk will eliminate many misunderstandings and possibly loss of potential good friends.

4. Biblical Links

James 3:8 cautions the believers, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” Clearly talking has its strong points, we preach the word of the Lord with words, but also contemplate his almightiness in our silence. Learning when and what to speak and when to listen is the art that we must all continue to work on in our lives.

Chapter 10: Intercultural Competence in Interpersonal Relationships

1. Describe interpersonal relationships in various cultures/types.

The types of intercultural relationships encompass of view of strangers, acquaintances, friends, romantic partners, and family members. A person might be considered a stranger in one culture, and friend in another. Young American children are taught to be afraid and not talk to strangers. Individuals considered acquaintances applies to individuals you know casually. In this level, relationships tend to be superficial. Topics of conversation at this level do not include personal and private issues. Friends is next level of relationships with various sub-degrees. You have the “good friend,” “close friend,” and “just friends” in U.S. Americans. In general, a friend is someone who you know well and share a special bond with. In Thailand, a friend is accepted completely or not at all. For this reason a person cannot disapprove of certain aspects of a person’s life. The next level of intimacy is the romantic partner relationships; among European Americans, dating usually occurs for romance and companionship, but in Argentina and Spain, dating is taken more seriously. Dating ultimately leads to marriage. In Algeria, marriage is seen as a union between two families as opposed to individual links. This notion is not one embraced by U.S. Americans. The last level of relationship is family. In the United States, we characterize family interactions between mother, father, and children. However, extended families are extremely important among Latinos. In China, there are multiple names for sister-in-law based on whether she is the older brother’s wife, the younger brother’s wife, or the wife’s sister. This suggests that in the Chinese culture family is very important because their language reflects it so.

2. Explain these terms: face, facework and maintenance of face.

Face is defined as the favorable social impression that a person wants others to have of him or her. Face is social, meaning the image of an individual is held by others. Second, face is an impression, solicitations from others of favorable expressions about them. Essentially, people want others to act toward them with respect. The third face focuses on the favorable social attributes that individuals want others to recognize in them. Facework refers to the actions people take to deal with their own and others’ face needs. Sometimes the focus is saving face, and in other instances it’s about giving face as well. Facework at the intercultural level requires knowledge about the specific culture. Take U.S. Americans and Chinese student evaluations- in the U.S., we prefer to give specific feedback regarding students’ strengths and weaknesses; in

China however, teacher prefer to a less direct approach by giving students suggestions for improvement rather than direct criticism… this helps to save face.

3. Explain the connection between interpersonal relationships and intercultural competence.

Cultures differ regarding the expectations about self-disclosure, collecting information about others, and dealing with disagreements. How you interpret other people’s behaviors is dictated by your expanded or limited knowledge about other cultures. Building your competence by recognizing your own cultural biases will help to improve intercultural relationships.

4. Application

The notion of friendship is one that we discussed with my husband on various occasions. I prefer to label my relationships as acquaintances, not friends unless we have been to each other’s houses, share meals together, and developed a bond. My husband on the other hand calls everyone his friends. When he first had his accident, he many “friends” visit him at the hospital and swing by our house regularly. As time passed, the visits tapered until they came to a complete stop altogether. In my opinion, a friend is one who is there in good times and in bad times, not just when it’s convenient to be a part of someone’s life. Although he still calls his acquaintances, friends, he has added the term good friend to set apart those who have stuck with him in his journey to recovery.

5. Biblical Links

True friendship is everlasting. The special bond created between Peter and Jesus is a remarkable one. Jesus chose him [Simon] and gave him a more suited name, Peter; They journey together; Jesus transfigured before Peter, James and John. Clearly the friendship they shared was more of a brotherhood than just friends, or good friends. For this reason and many more, Peter wept as he betrayed the trust bestowed upon him. Matthew 26:75 “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”(KJV)

Chapter 11 Episodes, Contexts, and Intercultural Interactions

1. Define social episodes and include the nature and components of social episodes.

Social episodes are those structures in your life that shape your day to day activities. The way we behave in given situations depends on our expectations based on cultural background; this is considered the nature of social episodes. When intercultural interactions take place in these episodes, the expectations and interpretations about people’s behaviors and intentions can vary. Something as mundane as going to class places restrictions and expectations of all participants. In some cultures it is regarded as inappropriate to bring food into the class, to be late, to slouch among other unacceptable norms. However, other cultures don’t take offense to those behaviors. Being in a multicultural classroom with multiple expectations can be complicated because someone is bound to feel disrespected.

Components of social episodes include cultural patterns, social roles, rules of interaction, interaction scenes, and interaction contexts. Cultural patterns are tinted glasses that color everything people see. It is the lens through which they respond to what they witness. Students attending the same school, class and witnessing the same events have different takes on these episodes based on their personal cultural values. Social roles are a set of behaviors associated with people in a particular position. Certain behaviors are expected of individuals depending on the position they hold. Take the student role for instance, in some cultures, students are expected to show a high level of respect by not whispering in class, asking the teacher questions, and standing up when the teacher enters the room. Furthermore, the students are expected to refer to their teachers by their formal title, not by their first name. The rules of interaction dictate culture-specific instructions about what should and should not occur in particular social episodes. Going to a dinner party can look very different depending on the culture of the host. For instance, you would never take chrysanthemums as a gift to an Italian home because those are only given at funerals; nor would you take wine in Saudi Arabia. In America, both gifts are acceptable. Interaction scenes are those topics that people talk about in social conversations in a recurring manner. What topics are considered appropriate and which are considered taboo? The answer to this question varies depending on the cultural background. When interacting in a multicultural setting [which nowadays is more common than before], you have to be competent enough to know what is appropriate in the culture you’re communicating with, or at the very least step back and analyze the person’s behavior. European Americans like to get down to business in their conversations and will typically avoid the prolonged small talk. The question of, “How are you?” is meant as a polite ice-breaker not a therapy session. As is the, “What did you do over the weekend?” question –it’s meant as polite greeting, or small talk conversation. Interaction context are the situations

2. Explain contexts of intercultural communication and focus on the educational context.

Due to the richness in cultures in the U.S.A., individuals are forced to participate in social episodes within three specific contexts: health care, education, and business. These contexts provide an important and recurring meeting ground where multiple cultures converge and interact.

The educational context demands attention to the challenge of communicating in culturally diverse populations. Our classrooms are made up of people from diverse cultural background [beliefs, values, norms, and social practices], which may produce developmental variations in children’s cognitive, physical, and motor abilities. Furthermore, this discrepancy may impact the child’s language, social skills, and emotional maturity. The role of the teacher is a major factor within this context, for many cultures view this role through different lens. For instance, German instructors are more formal, thus creating a social distance between themselves and the students. Chinese teachers carry themselves with a high degree of formality which enables them to demand certain displays of respect such as being asked for permission to join the class in the event of being late, or expecting students to raise their hand if they wish to answer or ask a question. This is contrary to the practice we follow in the United States, but that’s not to say our practice is better, nor is it any less appropriate. Families within the educational system play a vital role in the intercultural context. The value of education is

portrayed differently among various cultures, making parental involvement unique to the individual’s cultural background. The extent to which parents assist their child depends on the parent-child interaction and expectations. In a culture where family ties are highly valued, it is not uncommon to see the parent providing more assistance to their student, as opposed to a culture that promotes independent students.

Intercultural competence in the educational context begins with developing a sympathetic approach to differences among the cultures we interact with. It’s important to keep in mind that our culture may very well be completely opposite to the culture of individuals in our classrooms. We must recognize their culture’s influence on expectations about how classrooms should operate and how students are expected to behave.

3. Application

I have witnessed the differences in cultures at the classroom level. When my daughter started Kindergarten, I would see many parents entering the classroom and literally doing everything for their child… even wiping their noses. The Kinder teacher made it very clear to the parents that parents were not encouraged to continue with such practices at school. The message was sent that students need to be independent, or moving towards being independent at school. Thus, taking their sweaters off, hanging their backpacks, placing the homework on the back table frowned upon. I could see the benefit of guiding students to become independent, but at the same time I recognize how difficult it must be for parents who don’t share that viewpoint. To them, the important ties of doing for their children is being severed. Intercultural competence in this case requires that we have those discussions [regarding the expectations at school] with parents before they take place, so that the parents can prepare for those changes in advance.

4. Mortifying experience

When I was in elementary, I struggled with idioms because my understanding of English was at the literal stage. So when I heard the expression, “raining cats and dogs,” I took it literal and wrote it off as unimportant. This year, we were reviewing figurative language in my fourth grade Read 180 class and came upon the idiom, “throw under the bus.” Students came up with scenarios in which the expression could apply. All of a sudden, a member of the small group, noticed that one boy was crying. When I asked him why he was crying he said, “I don’t want my sister to throw me under the bus.” He took this meaning literal, even after going over the definition and various examples. I had to stop the lesson, apologize for the misunderstanding [in communication], and explained to him that his sister loved him dearly and would never think of causing him any harm. This experience was eye opening because we often spice our conversations with idioms and never stop to think how the students may be internalizing the message. He was fine after I explained the idiom to him again, and simply smiled at the misunderstanding.

5. Biblical Links

Romans 10:12 states, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” (King James Vesion)

I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us to embrace all human beings, without exceptions. Our essence is the same –the love a parent has for its child is without a doubt present in their relationships; the only difference is how that love is personified. God, our heavenly Father sacrificed his own son, for the good of all humanity, not just certain groups of people. This scripture points out varying backgrounds, while embracing the at the same time.

Chapter 12: The Potential for Intercultural Competence

1. Explain the outcomes of intercultural contact

The outcomes of intercultural contact are assimilation, adjustment, and acculturation. Individuals who assimilate find themselves adapting on a physical, biological and social level. Their perceptions will vary based on the change in physical stimuli: food, climates, and housing to name a few. People are forced to deal with biological changes due to new viruses and bacteria, and perhaps new allergies due to new foods. Socially, there’s a change as well because prolonged contact between groups can result in intermarriage. Social relationships change –an outsider may become part of the in-group, leading the outsider to redefine their identity.

2. Explain culture shock versus adaptation

Culture shock is a phenomenon that occurs when people are bombarded with new perceptual stimuli that are difficult to interpret because the cultural context has changed. In this scenario, individuals have severe negative reactions on contact with another culture. Adaptation on the other hand deals with the accommodations and acculturation that emerges as a consequence of people’s contact experiences with another culture.

3. Explain types of adaptation

One type of adaptation is assimilation. This happens when an individual places a huge value on establishing and maintaining relationships with other cultures more so than with your own. Another type of adaptation is integration; at this level, individuals place high values on both the host culture and their own. The goal is to maintain a harmonious relationship [balance] between both cultures. Separation is a term used to define the sectors within a culture that wish to retain their own cultural characteristics and do not wish to maintain a positive relationship with members of other groups outside their own. Segregation is the flipside to separation. In this type of adaptation, the more powerful group rejects contact with the less dominant [power, political, etc.] group.

4. Explain forms of acculturation

Lustig and Koester (2013) make it clear that not all individuals adapt and acculturate similarly. The four main forms of acculturation are confined to Integration, Assimilation, Separation, and Marginalization. Integration occurs when a person considers maintaining

relationships with other groups valuable while keeping their cultural identity and characteristics. On the contrary, Marginalization occurs when a group does not value relationships with other groups, and doesn’t feel it’s valuable to maintain a cultural identity and characteristics in the new environment.

5. What are ethical considerations for intercultural competence? Are cultural values relative or universal?

Being intercultural competent requires first of all that we understand enough about ourselves to be able to compare our beliefs, values, and social practices, to those of others. As we build our intercultural competence, it’s also important to consider the difficulty others have faced to give up [or to feel like they are giving up] their culture. This combination will allow us to sympathize with other groups and learn to appreciate their beliefs while still honoring our own.

The two universal values stipulated by David Kale are: (1) the human spirit, and (2) world peace. Humans have a tendency to struggle in order to improve their world and to maintain their own sense of dignity through their own cultural lens. The second value is the recognition of the importance that comes with working to attain a peaceful life within and with others.

6. Apply to your personal beliefs. Apply to Christian beliefs.

I am a woman. I am a mother. I am daughter. I am a wife. I am a sister. I am an educator. But, most importantly, I am a child of God. It is through this lens that I view the world in which I am a part of. I believe that God’s love and mercy can overcome any trial I face. I believe in treating people with respect because self- dignity is God’s gift to mankind. One universal value is peace, and with it comes love. If we love one another, meaning accept each other for who are, our communities will achieve world peace. My religious perspective is in tension with practices in the world. For instance, I disagree with cultures who value male children over female children because in the eyes of the Lord, we are all equal. I don’t make it a point to judge them because God will be the judge of them in their final days. I don’t agree with educators who marginalize those who are different from their culture because my Christian view opposes such practices.

7. Application

Italians are very helpful when it comes to conversing with non-native speakers. They will make a great effort to communicate with foreigners.

8. Biblical Links

The Lord is very clear in his message, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31 New International Version (NIV). Having a sympathetic heart will go a long way when trying to communicate in an intercultural manner. It’s important to keep in mind that

nowadays it’s not uncommon for jobs to move overseas and who knows when we will be the outsider looking in.