Cultural Competency
How does culture impact our communication?
Culture impacts the way we speak to people, our body language, our eye contact, etc.
What is body language?
Body language is the unspoken part of communication that we use to reveal our true feelings and to give our message more impact. This includes: nonverbal cues such as tone of voice, gestures, posture, etc.
What is tone of voice?
Tone of voice is the way that a person speaks to someone.
What are cyber skills?
Skills around social media, texting, email and other internet based communication methods
Our skills should include safety skills, navigating communication on such forums, conflict resolution, and appropriate social media etiquette
What is active listening?
Active listening is the practice of preparing to listen, observing what verbal and non-verbal messages are being sent, and then providing appropriate feedback for the sake of showing attentiveness to the message being presented. Active listening is listening with the purpose of understanding.
Cultural understanding helps us:
Develops rapport/relationships
Broadens your social network
Makes people feel valued and respected
Builds loyalty and trust
Helps avoid mistakes, misunderstandings, and miscommunication
What is the importance of body language?
It can help you improve your interactions with people and create a positive impression (similar to tone of voice)
Although body language may be misunderstood, it can give you crucial cues about the other person’s intent
Developing positive body language helps you interact more clearly and comfortably with people, which can help in all walks of life, such as getting a job, during a business transaction or being in a relationship.
True or False: Tone of voice refers to the choice of words, volume, pitch, and speed of the message, and can affect how the listener perceives and responds to the speaker.
True
True or False: Texting is not a preferred method of communication in today's society.
False.
True or False: Active listeners provide verbal and nonverbal feedback to show their sincere investment in what the speaker is sharing.
True.
What is Cultural Competency?
Cultural competency means being aware of your own cultural beliefs and values and how these may be different from other cultures—including being able to learn about and honor the different cultures of those you work with.
How much of our everyday communication is done through using body language?
Approximately 2/3 of our communication.
Why is tone of voice important when it comes to communication?
Tone of voice impacts first impressions and it can help you build rapport, make connections, and influence others.
What are two safety skills that are important to consider with social media and texting?
Safety skills keep you safe when using social media and prevent strangers from accessing too much of your personal information
Safety skills include:
Privacy
Using strong passwords
Being cautious on what you share/post with caution
Report any suspicious activity
Be selective with friend requests
What are two examples that demonstrate verbal active listening?
Summarizing what was said
Asking questions to understand (open ended questions)
Brief verbal affirmations (I see, I know, I understand)
How does culture influence or impact our relationships?
Our culture, background, values, etc. defines what friendship means and impacts the ways we interact with each other
Cultural norms influence how individuals in various relationships or friendships communicate
Diverse friendships provide different perspectives on real life experiences and allow you to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures
Intercultural-friendship formation is also influenced by culture-general competencies and personal attributes, including communication competence, intercultural competence, identity, and personality
This could include: facial expressions, gestures, eye movement/eye contact, head tilt, posture and body movements, manner of walking, touching face or hair, tone of voice, touching the other person, etc.
Demonstrate 2 different types of tone of voice.
Angry, happy, sad, excited, annoyed, sarcastic, etc.
What are two limits to social media & texting?
Because text messaging cannot accurately convey tone, emotion, facial expressions, gestures, body language, eye contact, oral speech, or face-to-face conversation, it is likely messages will be misinterpreted or misunderstood
Such miscommunications could cause tension, arguments or uncomfortable conversations
What are two examples that demonstrate non-verbal active listening?
Nodding
Eye contact
Body language (leaning forward to show interest, body facing the person)
Facial expressions
What are the four components of Cultural Competency?
Awareness of one's cultural worldview
Attitude towards cultural differences
Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews
Cross-cultural skills
How does body language impact the use of figurative language (this is what we discussed last week)?
Body language can enhance, emphasize or demonstrate various feelings/emotions when using figurative language. It can also demonstrate to others whether you are being serious, joking, annoyed, indifferent, etc.
True or False: Messages can be misunderstood or not interpreted correctly if tone of voice is not used correctly.
True
What are two negative impacts of social media?
Cyberbullying
Spread of misinformation
Unhealthy relationships with social media (i.e. spending too much time on social media)
Decline of face to face communication/isolation
Decrease in privacy
True or False: Active listening builds mistrust in the conversation resulting in awkward conversations.
False.