Communication is an integral part of human interactions. It makes people to understand each other in an amicable manner. Moreover, it is key in conflict resolution and other spheres that appertain to human interactions. In an intercultural setting, communication requires that the individuals involved take notice of the cultural diversity and avoid conflicting gestures and non-verbal cues. This element of understanding each person’s culture is essential particularly when working in a team. This is because a team or group of people is given a task to complete through a collective effort. When team work fails, the group is unable to complete the given task in a timely and satisfactory manner. Such challenges are caused by lack of breakthrough in the intercultural communication. This paper therefore, seeks to look at the challenges of intercultural communication and how they can be used as a platform for effective communication instead.
As seen in chapter eight of the book “Invitation to Human Communication,” human beings hardly avoid working in teams either in school, workplace, church, community development groups etc. These teams could be composed of different people from different cultures and all must work together towards a common goal. As the book continues to suggest, free interaction between the members of the group is paramount if the desired results have to be achieved. Interaction comes through communication, either verbally or non-verbally. Members can also communicate electronically or by showing skills in a given field. This is seen throughout the movie, “The Great Debaters.” The team from little Willey College works together to ensure that they are awarded the national championship. Both the college students and the English Professor, Mr. Melvin Tolson, interact freely through communication making the small college to be a threat to the other competitors. The debaters also portray a great understanding of the concept and are able to challenge and floor every point with firmness and certainty. Another critical communication aspect as regarded by the book,“Invitation to Human Communication,” and that is very resourceful to the debaters from the Willey College is the presence of a Referent power. This refers to their Professor, Mr. Tolson.He is the man behind their success due to this power. He guides the group on what to do and wins their confidence through the sense of command that he possesses. The young debaters are ready to listen to him and do as he tells them. He drills and disciplines the debaters until they are able to win the competition.
The great debaters are also able to win the competition due to their great communication skills. They argue their points out and impress not only the judges, but also the audience, who cannot help clapping and cheering for the young debaters after the competition. Their win can be attributed to great communication skills, team work and healthy interactions. Though, conflicts manifest at some instances, communication helps to solve them and build a stronger team.
At this juncture, it is in no contradiction to affirm that communication is central in any group for it to realize the desired results. Members must cultivate the skill to effectively communicate and interact with each other in a manner that results to a healthy and stronger team. However, to achieve this in a cross-cultural kind of a team, the communicators must shun all their cultural differences and have respect for each culture, in abid to work for a common good.
Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that communication, per se, takes many forms. For instance, verbal communication, the utilization of words, often imposes a more direct essence of sending message. While there could be a distinct utilization of several figures of speech, it is easier for human individuals to express themselves through verbal conversations. Nonetheless, there are also some other forms of communication that exist that is usually considered more meaningful and truthful in some, and these types of conversations are most often than not better done that said. Non-verbal conversation often makes it easier for individuals to express their emotions through their actions. The term ‘lost for words’ often identify well with this concept. In handling communication between each other, it is important to give attention to particular elements such as non-verbal conversations. Considerably relating to how body language aims to determine how a person actually feels about a particular situation or a particular condition in their lives; the person or people listening to what a person says especially if they relate it to how he acts. There are instances when a person acts differently from what he says; this is where the concept of ‘reading between the lines’ come into work. Hearing beyond what is being said and seeing beyond what is being shown is something that must be given full attention to, especially when it comes to making a relative meaning out of the conversations that people share. It is through this concept that a more effective form of communication is formed. True to its sense, communication is a stronghold that keeps the foundation of human relationships alive. May the relationships be intimate or casual, communication is able to establish the real worth of such connections and how such conditions of relating to others are supposed to affect the overall being of an individual. Practically, looking through this ideal process of communication allows people to become more connected to others thus gaining relative condition of satisfaction among themselves and alongside the people surrounding them as well.
Works Cited
Griffin, Cindy and Jennifer Emerling Bone. Invitation to Human Communication. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
The Great Debators. Dir. Denzel Washington. Perf. Denzel Washington. 2007. CD.
