Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks by LaRay Barna Article

Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks by LaRay Barna - Article Example On the other hand, I do not agree with Barna’s argument that high anxiety should act as a communication stumbling block since I believe that it promotes interaction in different people in order for people to overcome high anxiety, which makes them learn other languages. It is evident that Barna’s article expounds on a challenge that every individual has faced in their life. In this case, it is evident that we have all experienced intercultural communication barriers at one point of our life by interacting with people who were different from us in our daily activities. While supporting his arguments, Barna uses real-life experiences to highlight the challenges that intercultural communication posted on the interaction of people in a society that is increasingly becoming both multicultural and multiracial. In an approach that highlights different perceptions of people on other cultures, Barna starts by highlighting the problem of intercultural communication in the United States by carrying out a review of the perceptions of students from other cultures on the American cultural way of communicating. In this regard, Barna identifies reservations present in people from different backgrounds regarding the way they perceived a different culture’s approach to communication. Case in point, Americans smile all the time when communicating, even to total strangers while a foreigner plays along with the American and smiles while nodding, which to the American is indicative of effective communication although the foreigner confirms their stereotypes regarding Americans’ insensitivity and ethnocentrism (Barna 68). Misunderstandings and misconceptions during communication may have disastrous effects with people resulting to hate each other since they cannot understand the point the other was passing. In line with this, it is common knowledge that effective communication is an essential way that people understood others, which means that its ineffect iveness posed a challenge. In the course of my life, I have experienced challenges that are related to intercultural communication.