This paper addresses how context and culture influence a person’s communication.
Communication is a skill that combines what is learned through human interactions. Different forms of communication are used, such as crucial communication, written communication, and storytelling, which is the most valued form of communication (Business communication for success, 2015). The communication interconnection context involves position, scenes, and the participants’ expectations. Proficient communication context involves environmental cues such as sound, lighting, and territory that indirectly or directly affect behavior expectations and language among the contributors (Business communication for success, 2015). Conversely, the degree to which an environment becomes informal or formal is dependent on the context of the message held by those participating. Formal meetings, for instance, weddings, are official proceedings in which the event influences any presentation.
Subsequently, cultures influence all the components of languages and the context of communication. Language use differs from one culture to another, how words connect to a specific environment, and the understanding process influences communication (Business communication for success, 2015). For example, in different English-speaking nations, the term “gift” indicates “present”. Consequently, in non-English speaking languages such as German, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, the same word means “poison”. Cultural diversity leads to language barriers since the mindsets of individuals from various societies are different; their symbols and signs also have significant alterations. The role of languages and culture that people grew up with is creating prejudices, opinions, manners, and ethnocentrism. The way a person speaks behaves, and interacts with others is greatly affected by the culture that they were brought up in. For instance, Germans are very direct in their communication which is part of their culture. In contrast, Indian’s way of communicating is indirect, and they may view direct communication as rude. Specifically, a person’s instincts are grounded on decoding a message based on their culture while the audience interprets the same information about theirs.
In conclusion, an individual’s environment is crucial when developing the context of a message. The communicator first needs to examine their audience to deliver the message required effectively. Moreover, an individual’s culture significantly affects how they communicate or decode a message from others. These factors make communication very crucial, and thus, individuals should be keen when drafting statements so that their audience can appropriately interpret them.
Reference
The University of Minnesota. (2015). Business communication for success.