Training of intercultural communication

According to the on-line survey conducted by Keisuke Taketani, which analyzes about that overseas volunteers meet the problem of cross-cultural communication disabilities and how can organization do to have training on intercultural communication. Taketani then categorizes these communication disabilities into four types, which are language, non-verbal behavior, communication style, and value and assumption. In language part, the challenge volunteers meet are unable to speak English and if they can speak fluently, it’s hard for them to use right words. In non-verbal behavior type, misunderstanding of different contextual culture, gesture and the misuse of body language will also form barrier between volunteer and local people. In communication style type, volunteers will encounter different language pattern based on their duty station. Value and assumption, the last part, shows that situated in totally different culture, volunteers will face different standard like gender equality, work style, and concept of time. Volunteers may not discover themselves of these types of problem until they have been to their duty station.

The problem is most of volunteer organizations do not view above types as a great problem to deal with. These organizations tend to emphasize more on develop volunteers themselves during serving for other, which more focus on individual growth than the true reality of local people. Take Wake, a Taiwan volunteer association for example. The starting point of Wake of changing the world by every individual aid is valuable. Their main propose lies in that education is a powerful way to let people step away from poverty. However, before their volunteers go to duty station, they only will hold at most two meetings together to discuss how to prepare courses and what should they avoid and notice during mission. They ignore real problem of facing intercultural communication disabilities, which truly examines one’s mind and perspective when confronting different culture, but simply seems serving for other in need as “if we have kind heart to do this, everybody can become a volunteer, and bring love to local people.”

The training of intercultural communication helps us realize what six stages we are in when communicating with different person. We can know which types we lack and get into courses to learn.

Reference

Wake international volunteer association office website http://www.waker.org.tw/faq.php