Page 34 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

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Cross-Cultural Cross-cultural communication is challenging. Each
culture has its own set of rules, and we all carry a col-
lection of cultural biases when we interact with people.
and Thailand strong emotional reactions like shouting
For example, in countries like Japan, Indonesia
Communication: or walking out of the room is frowned upon. Whereas
in countries like Italy, France, and the United States
it’s more acceptable.
Why You Should increases, cross-cultural skills are on the rise. The

As the need for multinational communication
global workforce is rising, more people are traveling
than ever before. Following that, the risk of offending
Volunteer Abroad greater than ever before.
someone through a lack of cultural understanding is

WHAT IS CROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION?
Cross-cultural communication is the process of un-
derstanding the differences in how people communi-
cate. From non-verbal gestures to the use of language
and even physical space, these all play a part in how
well a message is received across different cultures.

WHY ARE CROSS-CULTURAL
By Lauren Melnick COMMUNICATION SKILLS IMPORTANT?
We live in an increasingly globalized world. Since the
rise of the internet and air travel, we are no longer only
communicating with only people in our cities or coun-
tries. As a result, being able to communicate across
cultural barriers successfully has become a valuable
life skill.
Not only can it enrich your experiences when you
travel abroad, but businesses with an international
reach are listing it as a requirement on their job posts.