Facilitating Intercultural Competence: Experiential Methods and Tools Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press). © 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and Basma Ibrahim DeVries. All rights reserved. Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles © 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and Basma Ibrahim DeVries. Intercultural Press. All Rights Reserved. Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles Understanding the impact of communication style differences and effects… Think about specific situations in which a miscommunication occurred that you believe was based on a communication style disconnect of some kind. Defining Communication Style Communication style is the way in which we communicate, a pattern of verbal and nonverbal behaviors that comprises our preferred ways of giving and receiving information in a specific situation. If the message content is the what and the communicators the who, then communication style is the how. Communication style includes, for example, how we accomplish the following tasks: 1. Organize and present information and like it to be organized 2. Encourage and like to be encouraged 3. Agree or disagree with others’ ideas and prefer agreement or lack thereof to be communicated 4. Build relationships, trust, and intimacy with others 5. Communicate politeness and perceive politeness to be communicated 6. Negotiate and prefer to be negotiated with 7. Establish credibility 8. Approach, manage, and resolve conflict 9. Make decisions and solve problems 10. Interrupt and prefer to be interrupted Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press). © 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and Basma Ibrahim DeVries. All rights reserved. 2 Based on our definition and the preceding list, you can see that communication style is broad in scope, and as such it encompasses many specific patterns we engage in every day. Our belief is that these patterns are not universally accepted rules of human interaction; instead, communication style preferences reflect our personal and cultural upbringings. Even simple nonverbal behaviors that we may consider “natural” are typically learned. People all over the world smile and use eye contact, but they do so in different ways and for different purposes. Answers to the following questions, all about communication style, vary by culture as well as by individual and specific context:  How do you show respect to those with whom you are communicating? One person might look someone directly in the eye to show respect, while another averts eye contact. One person might speak loudly and clearly as a sign of respect, another softly.  How do you attempt to establish credibility? One per.

1. Facilitating Intercultural Competence: Experiential Methods and
Tools
Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of
Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press).
© 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and
Basma Ibrahim DeVries. All rights reserved.
Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of
Diverse Communication Styles
© 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and
Basma Ibrahim DeVries.
Intercultural Press. All Rights Reserved.

2. Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles
Understanding the impact of communication style differences
and effects…
Think about specific situations in which a miscommunication
occurred that you believe was based
on a communication style disconnect of some kind.
Defining Communication Style
Communication style is the way in which we communicate, a
pattern of verbal and nonverbal
behaviors that comprises our preferred ways of giving and
receiving information in a specific
situation. If the message content is the what and the
communicators the who, then communication
style is the how. Communication style includes, for example,
how we accomplish the following
tasks:
1. Organize and present information and like it to be organized
2. Encourage and like to be encouraged
3. Agree or disagree with others’ ideas and prefer agreement or
lack thereof to be
communicated

3. 4. Build relationships, trust, and intimacy with others
5. Communicate politeness and perceive politeness to be
communicated
6. Negotiate and prefer to be negotiated with
7. Establish credibility
8. Approach, manage, and resolve conflict
9. Make decisions and solve problems
10. Interrupt and prefer to be interrupted
Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of
Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press).
© 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and
Basma Ibrahim DeVries. All rights reserved.
2
Based on our definition and the preceding list, you can see that
communication style is broad in
scope, and as such it encompasses many specific patterns we
engage in every day. Our belief is that
these patterns are not universally accepted rules of human
interaction; instead, communication style
preferences reflect our personal and cultural upbringings. Even
simple nonverbal behaviors that we

4. may consider “natural” are typically learned. People all over the
world smile and use eye contact,
but they do so in different ways and for different purposes.
Answers to the following questions, all
about communication style, vary by culture as well as by
individual and specific context:
communicating? One person
might look someone directly in the eye to show respect, while
another averts eye
contact. One person might speak loudly and clearly as a sign of
respect, another
softly.
y
do so by stating her
past experiences and citing her credentials, while another might
humbly explain that
her lengthy experience has given her more questions than
answers.
People who value
explicit communication may expect a direct answer to a
question. People who value
implicit communication might find a direct answer to be

5. condescending or
patronizing.
disagree? One person
may desire to analyze a disagreement giving a specific
comment-by-comment replay
and paying special attention to the actual words used, while
another may prefer to
discuss the feelings experienced because of the disagreement,
and a third might
prefer to overlook the disagreement or to bring it up only after
much time has passed
and careful consideration has been given.
Communication style—how we express ourselves—reflects our
underlying values and beliefs, and
those values and beliefs are determined both by culture and
personality. People use and interpret
communication styles differently according to these personal
and cultural filters. How we
communicate (the communication style we use) and how we see
others communicating (the
meaning we attach to their communication style) depend on
many factors. Do we expect interaction

6. to be easy, difficult, enjoyable, or frustrating? Do we believe
relationships should be well planned,
emergent, explicit, or implicit? Do we think it is smarter to
focus first on task or on relationship? A
full definition of communication style needs to include these six
key points:
1. Communication style is a situational tendency, not a type.
2. The style we use is influenced by many factors.
3. As with culture, everything’s relative with communication
style.
4. Neutral descriptions are needed, yet those descriptions have
their own weaknesses
and liabilities.
5. Communication style provides a link between the observable
and the
unconscious—between our behavior and its underlying
motivation.
6. There are advantages and disadvantages to every style.
(Communication Highwire, 2005, p. 5-7)
Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of
Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press).

7. © 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and
Basma Ibrahim DeVries. All rights reserved.
3
Factors Affecting Communication Style
1. CONTEXT ~ The circumstances in which an event occurs
(Physical context, Roles,
Historical context, Chronology, Language, Relationship,
Constraints)
2. GOALS ~ The outcome we intend to accomplish
3. SELF-CONCEPT ~ How we see ourselves
4. VALUES ~ Priorities and principles that guide our behavior
5. COMMUNICATION STYLE REPERTOIRE ~ Amount of, and
ability to use, diverse
communication behaviors
Skill Building
1. Am I aware of my own style?
2. Can I accept validity of another style?
3. Can I figure out how style differences may have an impact
in a particular conflict?
4. Can I see a style difference for what it is as it is happening?
5. Can I hear the style; can I take it in as it is happening?
6. Can I engage in receiving and sending behaviors according to
another style?

8. Additional Information regarding communication styles:
Persuasive Styles Across Cultures:
• QUASILOGICAL
– Statistics, testimony
– ASSUMPTION: If an idea is “true” it just needs to be
presented logically
• PRESENTATIONAL
– Emotional appeals emphasized
– ASSUMPTION: Immutable truths do not exist; There are no
clear rights or
wrongs to be discovered
• ANALOGICAL
– Stories, parables, analogies (explicit/implicit lessons)
– ASSUMPTION: The collective experience of a group is
persuasive
Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of
Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press).
© 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and
Basma Ibrahim DeVries. All rights reserved.

9. 4
Source: Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of
Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press).
© 2005 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Barbara Kappler Mikk, and
Basma Ibrahim DeVries. All rights reserved.
5
UNIT 2 JOURNALS
Please submit ONE document including the following journals.
Remember that each journal entry should be 1-page double-
spaced (longer is just fine... 1 page represents the
minimum). The questions below are prompts to get you thinking
about the activities and topics in ways that are most useful for
you.... You are not required to respond to every question for
every journal, but rather to use the questions to focus your
journals on analyzing and applying what was most relevant for
you in terms of your own intercultural relations, growth, and
learning.
1 - Redundancia (double-verb language) activity
What was it like for you? What did you experience and observe

10. during the activity(in yourself, your partner, etc.? What was it
like to be a 'Speaker' in the Redundancia language? What was
it like to be a 'Listener' in the Redundancia language? How
would you analyze this activity from an intercultural
communication perspective? What did this activity demonstrate
from a language perspective? How would you apply this to your
life? What can you relate this to in your own life?)
2 - Reading reaction from chosen reading in Unit 2 – Write a
reaction to your chosen reading for this unit… what you found
most interesting, how you see the ideas in the reading relating
to class concepts, how you would apply ideas from the reading
in real life, etc. The readings are posted under "Course
Materials" on BB as pdfs. Just choose ONE to read based on
your personal interest and write a 1-page journal reaction to the
reading. Be sure to choose a reading from UNIT 2.
3 - Application of the COM Styles Descriptor Checklist to a
communication experience you had (we did this in class to 'My
Big Fat Greek Wedding'). Be sure to focus on using descriptive
(not interpretive/evaluative!) language. Explain the interaction
and the communication 'disconnects' you can see in the videos,
using the descriptor checklist to identify specific
communication behavior. Checklist found in the file named
“Communication Styles Info handout”
( Talk more about the communication style between the two
different families. Like, how are they different, how are they
similar in terms of communications styles)
clips are attached in separate MP4 files
UNIT 1 Journals:

11. Please remember the following key requirements for journals:
* EACH JOURNAL ENTRY should be a MINIMUM of 1-page
double-spaced typed (equivalent hand written is fine)
* ALL UNIT 1 journals should be on 1 WORD DOCUMENT -
NOT separate documents for every journal entry (You do have
the option for journals to handwrite them... if you handwrite
some, please scan them and submit the scanned document - also
on BB)
* On your 1 word document, please LABEL each journal entry
(Journal #, Name of journal activity/reaction)
1 - Reaction to the Gods Must Be Crazy movie clip (Respond to
all the topic areas below - plus the optional one if you'd like:
Considering cultures as civilized vs. primitive/uncivilized,
analyzing the notion of "time" in cultures, analyzing the idea of
'ownership,' what are the "Coke Bottles" in your life? Optional:
Cultural portrayals in movies and ethics involved with movie
production, effects on cultures, etc.)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdmpofujRmc
2 - Reaction to chosen reading from the four posted on BB
for UNIT 1 Readings
As discussed in class, there are additional readings attached to
each unit... you just need to CHOOSE ONE reading (Look on
BB under "Course Materials" and you will find several readings
there that start with: "UNIT 1 Reading...." They are short,
ranging from 4-10 pages) and then write a reaction to it... what
you found most interesting, how you see the ideas in
the reading relating to class concepts, how you would apply
ideas from the reading in real life, etc. The readings are posted
under "Course Materials" on BB as pdfs. Just choose ONE to
read based on your personal interest and write a 1-
page journal reaction to the reading.

12. 4 - TIME as a cultural phenomenon
In class and in your textbook, time is discussed as a cultural
phenomenon. We covered monochronic and polychronic time.
For this journal entry, take 2 PHOTOS from your life (home,
work, community, out in the "world"...) that reflect messages of
how your culture(s) view time. Paste those photos onto your
journals document and then write a reflection on the concept of
time and how you see time functioning in your cultural
context(s).
( you can talk about two “pictures”. One of them, me helping
my aunt making desert, and the second one is me, my aunt,
uncle and niece having a picnic at the park). Talk more about
how I spend more time with my family.
COM 309: Intercultural Communication
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SYNTHESIS
QUESTIONS
NAME(S) (include names of any class members you worked
with on this):
The purposes of these questions are to assist you in synthesizing
your knowledge of intercultural communication, to provide an
opportunity for you to express your opinions on these concepts
and ideas, to move forward in thinking about intercultural
communication competence, and to prompt thinking about the
"bigger" issues related to intercultural communication in our
diverse world… Much of the learning and insight from these Qs
(and from our semester together) can come from taking a little
time to reflect and synthesize ideas either with fellow
classmates (encouraged!) or on your own. You can choose to
respond to the Qs on your own or with up to 2 other class
members (groups of 2 or 3).

13. *** One paragraph only for each number***
(1) Reflecting on this course over the entire semester, what one
activity, discussion, topic,
reading, etc. stands out to you and provides the most insights
for you in understanding intercultural communication and
intercultural competence? (if working with classmates, write
about 1 activity/discussion topic/reading for every group
member). Explainwhy you made the choices you did and what
impact those particular activities/topics/readings had on you (at
least 2 sentences/group member)
Activities I like: Random act of kindness. And group
conversations activity when we talk about culture, language,
differences and similarities.
(2) You (or your group if working with classmates) have been
hired to prepare an “Orientation to U.S. American Culture”
sheet to be included in a packet given to new visitors to the
U.S. who are not familiar with ‘U.S. American culture.’ What 5
key things about understanding U.S. Americans and U.S
American culture would you include on that sheet?Be
specific.Explain each of your 5 key elements and why you think
they are important information for new visitors in understanding
and functioning effectively in U.S. American culture (at least 2
sentence explanation for EACH item – DO NOT just say,
“…because this is important to US Americans,” explain WHY!).
(3) In your opinion(s), what 2 or 3 issues/problems create the
biggest barriers to our achievement of intercultural harmony (in
your own “neighborhood,” on the CSP campus, considering all
the current events going on & the political rhetoric, within the
larger US American society, and/or between nations)? Why are
these barriers so difficult to overcome? List at least 3 reasons.

14. What suggestions do you have for overcoming these barriers?
(list at least 1 suggestion from each group member – if working
individually, only 1 suggestion is required).
( please be simple )
(4) After participating in Intercultural Communication class this
entire semester, including your experience with our Random
Acts of Kindness initiative as a way of connecting with others
and breaking down barriers, what insights and ideas about
intercultural competence do you plan to take with you from this
class as you continually experience our diverse world? Explain
at least 1 insight/group member AND 1 action step that each
group member plans to implement in his/her daily life. (if
working with classmates, list each group member’s name and
their insight + action step)
(4 ½) Any other brilliant thoughts you’d like to share….
Thanks for all of your contributions to our class this semester!
Happy summer!