At
this point, I have spent over twelve hours with the refugee family. I, along
with my group, have done my best to develop their foundation in the English
language. We have tried to share skills with them that will be beneficial in
their new lives in the United States. While my group and I have worked hard,
they certainly have a long way to come. I just hope that we were able to make
some contribution in bettering their English language skills so that they will
feel more at ease in their new home country. Regardless of whether or not their
English has improved, I think that we have impacted their lives simply by
showing that we care.
A theme that I have seen throughout
my time with the family is the barrier that language can create and the ways
that this barrier can be overcome. Not speaking the same language makes even
the simplest tasks extremely challenging. Nonverbal communication became
extremely important in our interactions with the family. I became very attuned
to the nonverbal messages that each family member was sending because that was
really our main form of communication. Another theme I saw during our visits
was how important the BASIC skills are for competent intercultural
communication. I noticed, especially, the need for the display of respect,
empathy, interaction posture, and task role behaviors. I came to understand
just how much proficiently displaying these skills can enhance and further
intercultural communication. Displaying respect for the family’s culture by
removing our shoes, sitting on the floor, and inquiring about their cultural
practices showed the family that we were genuinely interested in them as
people. Showing empathy for the family’s situation encouraged them to lean on
us and ask us for assistance when they needed it. Having good interaction
posture made them feel comfortable with us, and task role behaviors were
absolutely necessary in order for us to get anything done. Lastly, I noticed
that no matter how good I think I am at communicating, I can always improve—especially
when it comes to intercultural communication.
The things that I have learned
during my time spent with this family will definitely be beneficial when it
comes to all of my future interpersonal interactions. The knowledge and lessons
that I have learned through this experience do not merely apply to
intercultural interactions. I have learned the importance of nonverbal
communication. I have realized that it often tells you more about how a
communicator is feeling than his/her verbal communication. In the future, I
will undoubtedly pay closer attention to the nonverbal messages that are being
sent by those with whom I am communicating with. This way, I will have a better
understanding of how the communicator is really feeling, and I can alter the
way that I am communicating with him or her. If I can master them, the BASIC
skills will obviously be beneficial in future interpersonal interactions. From
now on, I will make a conscious effort to put these skills into practice in
each interpersonal interaction. Finally, the knowledge that I have much more to
learn when it comes to communication will push me to consciously strive to
improve my communication skills in each interpersonal interaction that I have.
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