Essay On Miscommunication In Culture

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Life gives one many opportunities to embarrass oneself. In America where many cultures live in a few feet of each other, and with our global community due to internet social networks, it is not that surprising that once in a while misunderstandings and conflicts will arise. Sometimes two people trying to communicate with each other don’t speak the same language, or are still learning to speak and understand for instance Spanish, which can become frustrating for both parties. In my case, my grandmother-in-law is from Nicaragua, and does not “speak a lick of english” and my ability to speak spanish is almost non-existent. Misunderstanding can arise from cultural, language, and nonverbal communication, and some misunderstandings are “bad” while others are “amusing”.

Our culture can affect how we communicate is many ways. How far one stands from one another, and how to people of other genders communicate as well. Depending on who one is talking to and the culture the parties belong to will play a part in how close the two talk and how they talk. Misunderstanding in culture can arise in how one addresses another. In Japan an important part of communication is the use of
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Studies have shown, according to Harvard, that there are many similarities found in across culture in non-verbal language,and paralanguage like “smiling, laughing, crying”and so on.” However how and when these non-verbal “exchanges” occur is when misunderstanding may also occur. Professor Julie Green remarked once in certain cultures ,direct eye-contact is an aggressive act while in American parents often command their children to “look them in the eye” when they are speaking to them. Proximities also can come into plays of misunderstand. Cultures require less or more space when speaking with each other. In America Proximities can show the intimacy of two people

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