Borders seem to fade away with economic integration, emigration and cultural exchange. People from different walks of life, countries, regions have to work together. Intercultural and interpersonal communication skills emerge importantly to make this process smooth. Hence, a deep understanding of various cultures certainly helps us effectively cooperate with each other and increases productivity.
Shortly, culture shapes the form of a group of people, and also distinguishes them from other groups. It is deemed as shared behavioral patterns and beliefs among people. As a student of NUS, the National University of Singapore, I think I have more opportunities to experience different cultures from the four corners of the globe. The very first period here profoundly affects me because not only of a new environment but also of a cosmopolitan country. With my seniors, I ate dishes at a halal-food stall and returned the crockery to a non halal-food collective point. After some steps, I was called back for this mishap and acutely embarrassed. This experience is always vivid in my mind. It reminds me to attempt to carefully observe others, especially those of another culture. If I had known earlier, I would have avoided this stupid thing. Understanding the differences in cultures also prevents us from leaving bad impressions.
Intercultural communication yet involves nonverbal skills. For instance, Americans and British stand near the edge of a road and hold out your hand with the thumb raised as a signal for a vehicle to stop and take you somewhere. But Asians disapprove of this customs. And doing such a thing at a typical Asian country may result in some unexpected consequences.
In addition, we should distinguish differences between intercultural and interpersonal relation. The latter refers to activities defining one’s characteristics whereas the first comprises typical traditions of cultures. Ability to figure out which activities belong to which factors, allows us to comfortably deal with classes, kinds of people. And only understanding your listeners do you easily succeed in future.
In conclusion, in this world of mixed culture, one should try their best to get along well with other. Discovering the relevance between different cultures is of crucial importance. This CG1413 module enables us to practice before we have to face the rapidly changing world outside.
2 comments:
Hi Bao,
I'd like to say that I appreciate the effort you put into writing. I like how you link the title topic with your personal experience, and also the way you always have something nice to say about CG1413 and how it's so relevant.
As much as you have to say about the topic, I hope you can keep the word count lower in the future! You're about one and a half paragraphs over the limit. My suggestion is plot out what you want to write in point form before you write, to avoid over-elaborating on points. While clarity is a virtue, the content needs to be concise too, to keep the readers interested. Also, there are a few grammatical errors in the post, it would be great if you would clear them out to project professionalism in your writing.
I agree with your second last paragraph that we need to be sensitive to appropriate settings, in order to maintain positive relationships with people. Good thinking!
Johnson
Hi Thai Bao,
You have given excellent examples, and that too both a personal as well as a generic example. You have organized your post very well too. And I completely agree with you that a simple hand gesture can mean a world of difference in different countries. I have personally experienced that as well.
I feel that your grammar has improved significantly from the previous post. So, good job! However, there are still some minor mistakes. You may want to look at your penultimate paragraph and edit it again. And try avoiding words such as ‘stupid’, which may not sound so professional. Make it concise so that you are able to maintain the reader’s attention!
A little more improvement and this would become a smashing piece of writing. Looking forward to your next post! :)
Cheers,
Gulabi
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