The document provides guidance for an intercultural communication activity where students will work in groups to create a fictional country and its cultural behaviors. They will then participate in a simulated dinner party to practice interacting with people from other fictional cultures while adhering to cultural rules their group created. The goal is to have students experience and reflect on differences in cultural communication styles.

1. Intercultural
Communication

2. Let’s have a Party!
1. Work in groups of five.
2. Create a fictional country. Discuss for three minutes the
general description of your country using the following guide
questions.
a. What is the name of the country? What are its citizens called?
b. Is it an island or is it land-locked?
c. What is its tourist attraction?
d. What is your country famous for?
e. What are its citizens known for?

3. 3. Describe the way these citizens use language,
as well as their general traits. Make sure to have a
description for the following:
a. Behavior (Are they reserved? Loud? Generally
humorous? Do they smile a lot?)
b. Language use (Are they talkative? Soft-spoken?
Do they rarely use polite words?)

4. c. Nonverbal cues (Do they think
shaking hands is distasteful?)
d. Values (What do they find
offensive? What positive trait are
they known for?)

5. 4. Based on these general traits, create a list
of 5 Dos and 5 Don’ts which your fictional
citizens adhere to when they attend a casual
dinner party with friends. You have five
minutes to come up with the rules and
memorize them.

6. 5. Then, read the following scenario.
–You are a citizen of your fictional
country, and you are attending a dinner
party with other nationalities. Your goal
is to mingle with and introduce yourself
and your fictional country to others.

7. 6. The “party” will be hosted by your teacher. He/she will
give the signal for the “party” to start.
7. Once the “party” starts, each of you has to roam
around and talk with people from other groups. Keep in
mind the following rules.
a. Refrain from speaking with your group mates.
b. Do not talk about the rules which your group created.

8. 8. The “party” will last for 5 minutes.
9. Afterwards, confer with your group mates and
discuss the following:
a. Was there a difference between your group’s
behavior and others’?
b. How did you handle the differences between
your behaviors?

10. Definition and Nature
of Intercultural
Communication

11. Intercultural Communication
Happens when individuals interact,
negotiate, and create meanings while
bringing in their varied cultural
backgrounds (Ting-Toomey, 1999).

12. Pertains to communication among people
from different nationalities (Gudykunst,
2003).
Influenced by different ethnicities, religions,
and sexual orientations.
Intercultural Communication

13. Show that intercultural communication
takes place when people draw from their
cultural identity to understand values,
prejudices, language, attitudes, and
relationships (Gudykunst & Kim, 2003).
Moreover

14. Intercultural Communication
The sending and receiving of
messages across languages and
cultures.

15. The Developmental Model
of Intercultural
Sensitivity

16. The Developmental Model of
Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS)
Offers a structure that explores
how people experience cultural
differences.

17. Six Stages

18. Stage 1: Denial
The individual does not
recognize cultural differences.

19. Example:
“All cities are the same; they all have
tall buildings, fast food chains, and
coffee shops.”

20. Stage 2: Defense
The individual starts to recognize cultural
differences and is intimidated by them,
resulting in either a superior view on own
culture or an unjustified high regard for
the new one.

21. Example:
– “This culture does not view life the way we
do; our culture is certainly better.”
– “Their ways are better than my own; I wish I
were one of them.”

22. Stage 3: Minimization
Although individuals see cultural
differences, they bank more on the
universality of ideas rather than on
cultural differences.

23. Example:
An individual in the minimization stage might
be heard saying:
– “Once we see through the cultural
differences, we really are just the same!”

24. Stage 4: Acceptance
The individual begins to
appreciate important cultural
differences in behaviors and
eventually in values.

25. Example:
An individual in the acceptance stage
might be heard saying:
–“These people and I have different
values and experiences, and I think we
can learn from one another.”

26. Stage 5: Adaptation
The individual is very open
to world views when
accepting new
perspectives.

27. Example:
An individual in the adaptation stage
might be heard saying:
–“To address our issue, I have to adjust
my approach to consider both my own
and my counterpart’s background.”

28. Stage 6: Integration
Individuals start to go beyond their
own cultures and see themselves and
their actions based on multifarious
cultural viewpoints.

29. Example:
An individual in the integration stage
might be heard saying:
–“I can look at things from the
perspective of various cultures.”

30. You may
Apply it to:

31. 1) recognize communication behaviors which differ
from your own,
2) take into account what can influence these types
of behaviors, and
3) try to analyze how linguistic and cultural
communities differ in terms of communication
behavior and influencing factors

32. Characteristics of
Competent Intercultural
Communicators

33. –flexibility and the ability to tolerate high
levels of uncertainty
–reflectiveness or mindfulness
–open-mindedness
–sensitivity

34. – adaptability
– ability to engage in divergent thinking (or thinking
creatively) and systems-level thinking (or thinking
how each one in a system or organization
influences each other)
– politeness

35. Refrain the
Following

36. – Avoid stereotypes, i.e., generalizations about a
certain group.
– Challenge gender norms; avoid using “he” and
“man” to refer to a general group of people. To
remedy this, you may use plural pronouns or
rewrite a sentence to avoid using pronouns. The
use of his/her is also acceptable.

37. – Do not talk down on younger people and
the elderly.
– Be sensitive to the religious practices of
others.
– Be polite at all times; do not belittle people
you perceive to be on a lower social class
than you.

38. Key Areas of Knowledge for
Intercultural
Communication

39. – Some knowledge of the cultures,
organizations and institutions, history and
general way of living of different
communities and nations.
– Recognition that these aspects affect
behavioral norms.

40. –An understanding of how culture can
affect communication and language.
–Some understanding of the conventions
that may govern behavior in certain
specific intercultural environments.

41. – Awareness of your own and other people’s
beliefs and values, and a willingness to
recognize when these may clash
– Sensitivity toward cultural stereotypes that
may affect and interface with intercultural
communication.

42. Intercultural
Communication
Skills

43. – Demonstrating willingness to meet others at
least halfway by learning a few phrases in
their language.
– Talking to people who know the culture
about common traps and problems before
travelling to another country.

44. –Adapting your behavior, and not
always expecting others to adapt to
you.
–Checking your understanding and
that of others while you are
conversing.

45. – Not being afraid to apologize if you have
offended someone.
– Using local television to learn about
behavioral issues and norms
– Reflecting on your experience to help you
put it in context.

46. Cultural Differences in
Nonverbal
Communication

47. – Eye Contact/ Gaze
– Facial Expression
– Gesture
– Touch
– Posture
– Time
– Physical Space
– Smell