Intercultural Communication

        Being in the military allows you the opportunity to work with many different individuals from numerous cultures. It also allows you the opportunity to be stationed in different countries. I am currently living in Germany. I have been here since May 2009 and will leave in May 2013.

        It was a huge adjustment when I first moved here. I didn’t know the language or customs so that made it awkward and difficult especially when looking for a house to rent. Most of the younger generations of Germans know English pretty well so communicating with them is a lot easier than older generations. Some older generations say they don’t know English, but do. However, they refuse to speak it.

       The majority of my neighbors are German and they speak either little or no German. Even though we don’t understand each other we still try to carry a conversation sometimes. Through the use of words we both kind of understand in each other’s language and symbols we are usually able to make out what the other is communicating.

      During the summer there is a type of plant that grows here and it is poisonous. If your skin comes into contact with it you will feel like your skin is on fire. We had heard of it before, but didn’t know what it looked like. One day my German neighbor was outside and started to try to tell us the stuff growing in our backyard was poisonous. Through his body language and gestures I was able to understand he was trying to tell us the plants growing were poisonous and to don’t let our children get near them.

     By communicating with each other even though we knew neither one of us knew the other’s language showed that we respected each other and took the time and initiative to still try to converse. The use of body language and gestures allows me to figure out what they are saying most of the time. There are times where I have no clue what they are saying, but we don’t let it interfere with us being polite and nice to each other. This follows some of the commandments listed in the article by Martin Hahn. Hahn’s tips to communicating effectively interculturally include being respectful and patient and persistent (2005). By using these tips it helps the communication process between my neighbor and I go smoothly and more effectively.

                                                 
References

Hahn, M. (2005). Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication. Retrieved on April 26, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247.