„‚ CONDITIONS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

activity with the host national critiquing the trainee’s behavior. The purpose of these
role plays is not to imitate behavior but to explore emotional reactions. The focus is on
model behavior of a certain culture without accounting for the idiosyncratic differences
between people in that culture.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
The discussions following the training exercises are, in part, an attempt to merge the
traditionally separate components of language and cultural studies as usually presented
in training programs. Trainees can achieve a foundation of awareness and skill that will
allow them to continue developing their personal inventory of language behaviors.
Training for nonverbal communication serves as an excellent orientation for an
immersion language program in which speaking any English is discouraged. A
heightened awareness of nonverbal behavior will reduce both the trainees’ temptation to
discard the use of the target language and also their overall frustration. Nonverbal
behavior is not a new communication tool that they must learn but one whose potential
has been dormant.
And, finally, the study of nonverbal communication introduces activities and
discussions that are both interesting and fun, while encouraging trainees and language
instructors to look at their perceptions of one another. Very often trainees hesitate to ask
intimate questions of host nationals. This format offers them and host nationals
situations in which potentially controversial topics can be discussed dispassionately.
Corollary activities might involve movies, videotapes, and photographs of common
interface situations.
Host nationals who have worked with this approach have found it fascinating. Once
the atmosphere of mutual exploration has been established, host nationals find that this
method gives them a chance to explore their own cultural patterns as well as those of the
trainees. It also goes a long way toward clearing up misconceptions that the host-country
national may have developed while interacting with Americans. As part of a training
program, this technique typically receives a very high evaluation from trainees and
language teachers.
Of course, there is no guarantee that heightened awareness will truly lead to
changed behavior. Indeed, there are situations in which an American should not alter
behavior, depending on his or her status, role, personality, and ultimate objectives for
being in the host country.
The attempt to make Americans more aware of their interpersonal relations
overseas (left to chance for too long) is based partly on the assumption that a person will
be sensitized to nonverbal differences because he or she is surrounded by them. While
true for many people, it is also true, however, that many will remain oblivious to
nonverbal differences even though exposed to them daily for many years.
58 ❘❚
The Pfeiffer Library Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Copyright © 1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer