Intercultural communication

Intercultural communication is obviously based on the concept of interpersonal communication. It exists not only in the present society, but has always existed. It is a phenomenon linked to commerce, wars, migrations, and conquests (cf. Hinnenkamp 1994:1). In other terms, each time interlocutors from different cultures meet with their different mindsets and their different ways of communication, they are unavoidably involved in intercultural communication. Each interlocutor brings his/her own cultural background and experience and adapts them to the interactional dynamics.

Each communicative event is conditioned by the socio-cultural and experiential backgrounds of those involved. By culture we mean those “specific mindsets that are socially predetermined and through which individuals personally come in contact with in a historically determined context” (translation from Italian, Sepilli/Guaitini Abbozzo 1974:30). If such a background and the respective mindsets are not shared, misunderstandings can easily occur and negotiation of meaning is required to reach a common interpretation. Negotiation of meaning (Gumperz 1982a, 1982b) refers to the formulation of an expression or the symbolic meaning of an action. Thus, meaning is ultimately negotiated by all participants in a communicative event. The sharing and negotiation efforts represent a fundamental strategy in intercultural communication.

Even if communicatively different ways of behaviour do not necessarily cause immediate failure of communication, it can instil stereotypical perceptions. Developing intercultural communicative abilities does not only imply perceiving cultural differences in various communicative forms, but being able to communicate with people with culturally (and socially) different communicative habits. In brief, knowing how to sustain constructive and productive intercultural communication means being able to adequately communicate and interpret signs referring to an individual or a context.

In order to understand such an issue, contributions from the ethnography of peech/communication (Hymes, 1974) are particularly important. This approach offers a systematic methodology, which highlights the interdependence of language, speech, communication and culture (cf. Hinnenkamp 1994: 2). Interpretative sociolinguistics (Gumperz 1982) and its concept of contextualisation, analyse intercultural communication in holistic terms. Scientific research is currently considering the description of interactional dimensions and interpersonal dynamics along with possible failures in communication.