Intercultural Communication

This blog is a part of our ELT-1 class activity,

The references has been taken from the research paper of Claire Kramsch: Intercultural Communication

             In this research paper Claire Kramsch has presenteded the way of intercultural communication and the importance of understanding the culture of each other. Intercultural communication is very important as far as social, political and economical progress is concern.

              In ELT intercultural communication is very important because if you want to learn any language you should aware with the culture of that region, state and country because the roots of that language is deeply connected with the culture of that place.

             In 1980s the term ‘Intercultural communication’ became the prominent term in TESOL. Lado’s Linguistics across Cultures (1957) was first attempt to link language and culture in an educationally relevant way, and in The Silent Language (1959) Hall showed the complex ways in which

‘Culture is communication and communication is culture’

The principals of Intercultural communication developed by Hall and his colleagues in the Foreign Service were used by the Peace Corps, founded in the early 1960s.

             Majorly in Europe, the field of intercultural communication developed because of their needs of increasing political and business relations and industrialization. Intercultural communication is connected with linguistics, behavioural sciences, especially psychology and social psychology.

             East-West Centre in Honolulu, Intercultural Communication Institute in Portland, University of Hawaii and the University of Minnesota are the famous institutes who have intercultural communication as a part of their study. There are journals also related to intercultural communication, such as International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Journal of Cross cultural Psychology and Journal of Cross-cultural and Inter-language Communications.

                Intercultural communication is a specific branch of ELT with a good scope of research. The term SIETAR (society and intercultural education training and research) is a very important term for Intercultural communication. TESOL publication has a special interest group in intercultural communication, and it is no all about accurate information but it is about historical contexts and present culture. The field of intercultural communication makes people aware with their ‘Intercultural rights’. TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language) is also an important part of development in Intercultural communication.

            There is also a negative aspect of looking towards Intercultural communication that English language is trying to prove its superiority to the world, but the truth is different, as a global language English is compulsory and important language of world and that is the reason of the importance of intercultural communication.