Barriers in Communication (Draft)

Communication barriers is a barrier where cultural differences harm communication in employees, customers, and other stakeholders. It is important to understand the barriers to cross-cultural communication and know how to overcome them.

Cultural Barrier- A cross-cultural barrier is a barrier which can affect having trouble communicating with someone from another culture. An example of a cultural barrier is language. Language is a reflection of culture, and different cultures have very different ways of assigning meanings to words. An example is the word "gift" . In Germany the word gift is not quite the same as the English term. The word gift in German actually means 'to poison' whereas in England it means "a present". Many terms do not mean the exact same in man different cultures. Language difficulties such as this can offend both clients communicating as either of them do not understand each other. Cultural difference can also impact the behaviour of communicating.Cultural differences in behaviour and body languages can also cause miscommunication between two different cultures. For example, in many Asian countries, eye contact is an omen as it allocates a sign of disrespect, whereas in the U.S, it is important to make eye contact with someone who is speaking to you or they may think you are uninterested or  distracted. This barrier effects communication as different cultures can be offended easily and would not want to discuss any more details with racist comments etc.

There are methods to overcome cultural barriers. One method which can be used is learning specific cultures and being open-minded and willing to learning it. This can help to understand cultural diversity and also gives you the ability to communicate with a different language. Understanding their language would help prevent barriers as both individuals understand each others's language and know how to not offend each other. Another method is learning a second language. Learning religious views is also a method 

Barriers to Interpersonal Communication- Interpersonal communication barriers negatively impact how effectively we are able to communicate at work, with our friends, and in our families. Interpersonal barriers will always be present every day of our lives and we have to create methods to get a way around them. being interpersonal means "we are all different"  and experiencing this can be a challenge to communicate with as different cultures have different interpersonal needs. Interpersonal needs include people with different personalities, emotions, priorities, and feelings.