Cross-cultural Communication Essay

Language is playing nowadays one of the most important roles in cross-cultural communication, because it is a door into new culture and traditions. Cross-cultural communication arouses great interest compared with that of several decades ago. It means that the future success of a person mainly depends on his ability to use language and to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries. Nevertheless learning other languages doesn’t limit cross-cultural communication, language firstly suggests how cultural traditions and patterns are understood and how cultural values may affect the process of communication. (Managing Communication) Learning other languages is nowadays necessity, not only an option. Lots of spheres are influenced by cross-cultural communication involving, for example, health care providers, businesses, educational institutions, social service agencies and non-governmental organizations. Modern world recognizes and appreciates the role of language that is played in developing communication beyond cultural boundaries. Studying of language will help to achieve goals outside the native country. (Managing Communication) Understanding how to communicate cross-culturally will help to promote creating smoothly working project teams; responding to customers, clients, and markets; living and working in a culturally diverse world. Language is necessary in realizing that a person from other culture expresses his ideas and thoughts in completely different way. It is mentioned that â€Å"developing an awareness of why hearing words alone is not sufficient to discern meaning†. Language is important as well as learning of cultural customs and traditions of the country. In a modern swiftly changing world people and cultures are circulating and interacting as at a really dizzying speed. Those people who know how to use language and how to communicate effectively across cultures have a crucial advantage over others. (Managing Communication) Language in cross-cultural communication is aimed at preserving the traditions of ancient cultures as well as existing ones. For example, it is necessary to mention the kabary dialect based on â€Å"unhurried telling of ancestral proverbs, metaphors, and riddles, frequently in a dialogue using call and response†. Kabary is a form of traditional Malagasy oratory and it is seen that oral language may be the only way for some populations to preserve their cultural traditions. In this case language represents different manners of speech and increases literacy rate. Kabary is an important element in communication during ritual events. However, it is still used in regular, day-to-day talk. Although kabary is spoken solely in the Malagasy language, learning their language will help to understand their culture better and to break misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the cultural customs. (Harman 2002) Nevertheless there are also negative moments connected with language and cross-cultural communication. Although developing of international slang may make the process of cross-cultural communication easier, many countries prefer to stomp out foreign slang considering it â€Å"steals† originality of the native language. For example, Russian government thinks that introducing of international slang, especially English words, may result in serious corrupting their native language. However, the language in communication makes people understand better and introducing of international words may be considered a right action. The negative moment is that very often such international elements can replace native words or even may have no equivalents. For example, lexical interlopers are something new to Russian language: democratic politics, business, banking, holding, etc. and such words as broker, sponsor, chizburger, fax have no equal equivalents in Russian language. (Weir 2002) Language has to be preserved as it is the embodiment of human vision and language varieties are able to provide unparalleled insights into the process of cross-cultural communication. Language is human experience and perception exposed to be the main tool across cultures. (Thucus-Dubrow 2002) References Managing Communications. (1996, August). Peace Watch, 2, 5, 1-2. Thucus-Dubrow, Rebecca. (2002, April 25). World’s Languages Are Fast Disappearing. Retrieved September, 22, from http://www. globalpolicy. org/globaliz/cultural/2002/0425fast. htm Harman, Danna. (2002, May 9). In Kabary the Point is to Avoid the Point. Retrieved September, 22, from http://www. csmonitor. com/2002/0509/p01s04-woaf. html Weir, Fred. (2002, June 4). Russian Lawmakers Try to Stomp out Foreign Slang. Retrieved September, 22, from http://www. csmonitor. com/2002/0604/p14s01-lepr. html