Predeparture Orientation

Crossing the Cross-Cultural Communication Barrier

By Robin Adelman

American college student John Day saw the very thing he was looking for in the market place in South Korea. He excitedly caught the eye of his Korean hostess and beckoned her with his index finger to come to the booth. He could tell from the look on her face that he had done something wrong. For the rest of the day, no matter what he said, she would not talk to him. After much questioning, he found out that he had used the Korean gesture for calling animals, thus insulting and embarrassing his hostess in public. A Korean beckons a person with all four fingers facing downward, much like Americans wave good-bye.

This happened 10 years ago when John, now a teacher at Palm Beach County School of the Arts, was on an educational peer teaching exchange for music majors. His predeparture training included a cursory review of verbal phrases and monetary exchange, but not cultural differences.

Gestures, greetings, punctuality, and other forms of behavior vary radically from culture to culture. Therefore, part of any good predeparture orientation should be directed toward preparation for cultural immersion. Understanding nonverbal cues that vary between cultures contributes to clearer communication, establishing good will, and assuaging culture shock.

Bettina Hansel, author of The Exchange Student Survival Handbook, writes that "communication and understanding involve more than just knowing the language . . . to participate in a new and different culture, you will have to learn new meanings and new ways of behaving." And in the chapter on "Predeparture Orientation and Reentry Programming," in NASFA'S Guide To Education Abroad for Advisers and Administrators, authors Summerfield, Sibley, and Stellmaker emphasize that "helping students begin to understand broad cross-cultural perspectives and develop cross-cultural sensitivity may be the most crucial aim of any orientation program."

Many experts agree that with so few "pure" cultures in contemporary society, because of immigration and industrialization, the best policy is to teach general cross-communication skills. Advisers and program directors need to show students how to recognize ethnocentric thought patterns. Awareness of issues relating to time, customs, and value systems are especially important.

Teaching Communication Skills

Any program in cross-cultural communication should:

Increase the participants' awareness of cultural differences and similarities.

This can be accomplished through an overview of nonverbal cues such as greetings, conversational cues (facial expression, touch, eye contact, and proximity), dress code, punctuality, gift-giving, learning styles, etc., peculiar to that culture.

Help participants acquire information on culturally proscribed cues.

The sources on cultural information included in the sidebar will help advisers get participants started in their research. They should also try to contact individuals from their future host countries.

Develop skills in cross-cultural communication competency.

Role playing skits help develop three skills important to successful cross-cultural communication: 1) Observe what others do; 2) ask if you are not sure what to do; 3) make it known if something someone does offends you.

Communicating with Asians

For Asian countries generally, emphasis should be placed on the importance of saving face, thinking in terms of the group rather than the individual, and being patient and going slowly in developing personal relationships with Asian counterparts. Advisers will also want to emphasize the importance of attempting to understand the following:

1. Country Background. Individuals are shaped by the history, geography, education, government, and religion of their country. In her book, Put Your Best Foot Forward--Asia, Mary Bosrock writes, "Knowing, understanding and showing basic respect for a person's beliefs is the key to establishing any business or personal relationship in Asia." Asian religions include: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Islam, and Animism (Feng Shui). Often more than one is important in a country.

2. Learning Styles and Value Systems. Understanding how people process information, make decisions, and distinguish truth from error is basic to communication competency. In most Asian countries, one is taught to think associatively and subjectively or by experience.

3. Greetings. It is important to observe local greeting customs. In Asian countries greetings include the bow, the wai, the salaam, and the namaste. A light handshake is generally appropriate for Westerners. Avoid back slapping, standing too close, and more than brief eye contact.

4. Names and titles. Incorrect use of names can be insulting in any culture. In Asia, do not use the first name unless instructed to do so. Each country has different rules. In general, titles are very important.

5. Gestures. It is helpful to divide cultural differences and similarities into four major nonverbal communication areas:

Facial Expressions: In Asian cultures, a smile is often used to camouflage embarrassment, anger, or confusion.
Touch: In general, Asians are not touchers. Avoid touching someone, especially of the opposite sex, who is not a close friend.
Eye Contact: Direct eye contact is considered rude or threatening. Lack of eye contact does not signal dishonesty. It is considered disrespectful for children to make eye contact when talking to adults.

Cultural Notes

Saving face by avoiding embarrassment and the appearance of failure is of utmost importance in Asian cultures. Therefore, one does everything to show respect, achieve harmony, and avoid contradiction. It may be confusing to Westerners when Asians do not say "no." To do so might cause you to lose face. Since the group rather than the individual is emphasized in Asian cultures, it is important to try not to stand out. In all interactions, be patient. Relationships are important and take time to develop.

Advisers will also want to cover the significance of numbers, colors, dining etiquette, dress code, gift-giving, and punctuality (see resources in sidebar). Since we never get a second chance at a first impression, it is important to do our homework.

Had John done his homework prior to departing for South Korea, he would have known that:

The ideals of Confucianism are a strong in interpersonal relationships. Friendship, hard work, modesty, and respect for others are esteemed attributes.
The bow is the traditional greeting, although it is often accompanied by a handshake. When shaking hands, support your right hand with your left to show respect. Korean women will not shake hands with Western men.
It is impolite to address a Korean by their first name. Touching is considered distasteful unless you are a close friend or family member. Korean male friends, however, can be seen walking down the street hand in hand.
Do not cross your legs or show the soles of your feet or go barefoot. Never point your index finger or show distaste for food, no matter how unusual.
Tipping is generally frowned upon. Do not expect a Korean to admit that they do not know an answer to a question. A remark on an elder's good health is always in good taste. Do not open a gift in the presence of the giver.

For effective cross-cultural communication, the most important word to remember is brotherhood, the largest part of which is "otherhood." The awareness of "otherhood" will determine how well you establish brotherhood with persons of other cultures. A well-planned cross-cultural communication predeparture program will enable teachers and students to reduce communication barriers, improve relations with hosts, and increase the quality of the experience for all.

Cross-Cultural Resources

Worldwide. The Exchange Student Survival Kit, by Bettina Hansel (Intercultural Press, Inc., 1993); Gestures: The Do's and Taboo's of Body Language Around the World by Roger E. Axtell (John Wiley and Sons, 1991); Intercultural Communication Competence by M. Kim (Sage Publications, 1993); Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to do Business in Sixty Countries by Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conway, and George A. Borden.

Resources Specific to Asia. Put Your Best Foot Forward--Asia: A Fearless Guide to International Communication and Behavior by Mary Bosrock. (International Education Systems, 1997); A Handbook of Korea, Korean Overseas Information Service, Ministry of Culture and Information, 1997).

ROBIN ADELMAN offers the Nonverbal Intercultural Communication Workshop Series through her company, BodyTalk Associates, in Delray Beach, FL.

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