Welcome to week 9 me hearties!
We have been looking at, talking about and reading (hopefully) interpersonal skills in a cultural context. That basically means how do we communicate, listen, respond in a situation where cultural, social and economic as well as situational circumstances differ from the background we are used to?
There are various ways and means of communicating across the cultural gap. Things to remember are:
1. Patience
2. Active listening
3. Consideration for language barriers
4. Consideration of cultural differences
5. Friendly
6. Use non-verbal cues, however, proceed with caution as some gestures can be misinterpreted
7. Logic
8. Acknowledge differences don’t judge them
Try to put some of these ideas into practice if the opportunity presents itself. If someone asks you for directions think about how you will direct them. Perhaps street names are not the best means, try using physical landmarks in the landscape such as, shopping mall, factory, traffic lights, school etc. You can use these skills in many different situations and by applying them in the ‘real’ world you can learn a great deal about yourself as well as improve and hone your interpersonal communication skills.
