When my group first entered the apartment of the refugee
family that we are working with, we were overwhelmed by the smells of spices in
their cooking, reminding us immediately of the differences between our
cultures. That first night, a woman who works for World Relief was there to
help my group get started. She showed us flashcards and books that would be
useful in teaching the family to speak English. We helped her go through a
large amount of vocabulary and math flashcards. We also helped the family
identify objects around the room and in books. A great deal of time was spend
learning each other’s names. During our next two visits to the family’s home,
we did much of the same. We have spent a lot of time on basic vocabulary and
are now trying to teach more conversational phrases. Each time we go, we also
try to do something fun with the family. We have taught them “Head, Shoulders,
Knees, and Toes,” made bracelets with them, and taught them how to play
tic-tac-toe. During these fun activities, we try to engage each member of the
family in a conversation as another way to improve their speaking skills in
English. The entire time we are with the family is spent in a constant effort
to communicate interculturally.
Each time
we visit the family, I remind myself that interaction posture is key when
interacting with the family. I find it very important to the learning process
that I respond to the family’s questions in a nonjudgmental way. This can
sometimes be challenging because the questions are often so basic that I cannot
imagine someone not knowing the answer. It also becomes difficult to respond
their questions a manner that does not seem condescending or judgmental because
of the language barrier that exists. I have discovered that it is a delicate balance.
It is necessary to use words and gestures that are simple enough for them to
understand, but using language that is too simple comes off as offensive and
condescending. With each visit, my ability to find and maintain this balance is
slowly improving.
In addition,
I see uncertainty and anxiety, in both the family and my group, each visit. The
uncertainty we all have stems from a lack of knowledge of each other’s
cultures, especially the language aspect. This lack of knowledge prevents all
of us from being able to interpret the meanings of each other’s words and
actions. The anxiety, though slowly lessening, is easy to sense. Each of us
feels some sort emotional stress as a result of this uncertainty. To reduce
this anxiety, I have mostly engaged in passive strategies by observing their
behavior.
From these
visits, I have learned that my skills when it comes to intercultural
communication need some improvement. To become a more competent communicator, I
need to work on sending messages that are based on descriptions rather than my
own judgments, assumptions, and evaluations. I also need to continue to work on
balancing the simplicity of language with the display of respect and equality
so that I do not make myself seem superior to the family. Though the
uncertainty and anxiety we all feel is normal, I do not think that I have
engaged in the most effective ways of reducing it. In our next visits, I will
engage in active and interactive ways of reducing the uncertainty and anxiety
by learning more about their culture on my own and by directly asking them
about different aspects of their culture. Doing these things will be extremely
beneficial in our future interactions.
