Anxiety

Page 66

“What if I say something offensive?” “What if I don’t know how to behave?” “What if I embarrass myself?” These are just a few of the worries that people sometimes have as they approach intercultural communication encounters. Consider the experience of Allison Goodrich, an American student at Georgetown University about to set off on a semester abroad in China:

Here I was, standing in the check-out line of the Chinese market in Rockville, Maryland, listening to the cashier yell at me with an incomprehensible stream of syllables. This was after a rather harrowing attempt to find groceries in the overcrowded store. A year of Chinese wasn’t helping me as I stood in front of an entire display of green vegetables, trying to figure out which sign would lead me to my desired product. During all of this, my accompanying friend turned to me and said, “This is how crowded it will be wherever you go in China.” (Goodrich, 2007, para. 1)

While anxiety may be a natural part of any new experience or interaction, it would be unfortunate to allow it to prevent you from experiencing the clear benefits and enrichment gained from intercultural experiences.

You can probably imagine Allison’s anxiety as she considered her upcoming adventure: if she felt uncomfortable navigating the market just a few miles from her dorm, how would she be able to communicate effectively several thousand miles away?

But for most of us, the more positive experiences we have with those who are different from us, the less intimidated we feel about communicating with someone from another culture. And the less intimidated we feel, the more competent our communication becomes. In fact, a 2009 study found that American students who took the risk and studied abroad perceived themselves as being more proficient, approachable, and open to intercultural communication than those who lacked overseas experience (Clarke, Flaherty, Wright, & McMillen, 2009). Even online interactions across cultures tend to ease anxiety and foster understanding. Users of the online virtual may be physically isolated, but they engage in virtual travels and interactions with other users around the world. These encounters encourage the use of multiple languages, cross-cultural encounters and friendships, greater awareness of cultural perspectives, and openness toward new viewpoints (Diehl & Prins, 2008).