Simple Tenses

1. Present Indefinite Tense

A theoretical approach to intercultural 

communication

When does communication become intercultural communication? What 

distinguishes  intercultural communication from communication that is 

not  intercultural?  What  does  it  mean  to  be  a  competent  intercultural 

communicator?  I  believe  that  intercultural  communication  can  be 

understood via the same basic variables and processes used to  describe 

other  forms  of  communication.  All  communication  occurs  between 

people who  have varying degree of familiarity with each other. The key 

factor  of  understanding  intercultural  communication  is  the  concept  of 

the  stranger.  Different  cultures  (and  subcultures)  may  have  different 

rules  and  norms  in  accordance  to  which  I  would  point  out  that 

understanding  the  other’s  culture  facilitates  cross-cultural 

communication.  Attention  is  to  be  focused  on  the  components  and 

characteristics  of  intercultural  communication  competence  as  well  as 

boundaries and common understandings about  this central idea are to 

be established.

2. Past Indefinite Tense

Understanding communication

Strangeness  and  familiarity  make  up  a  continuum.  As  for  William 

Gudykunst and  Young Yun Kim the term “stranger” is to refer to those 

people at the most unfamiliar  end of continuum.1 Thus anyone could be 

considered  a  stranger,  given  a  sufficiently  foreign  context.  A  stranger 

has  limited  knowledge  of  their  new  environment  –  of  its  norms  and 

values. And in turn, the locals have little knowledge of the stranger –  of 

their  beliefs,  interests  and  habits.  Generally  speaking,  communication 

with another involves  predicting or anticipating their responses. When 

communicating with someone familiar  we

3. The future indefinite

  contrast,  when  we  communicate  with  strangers  we  are 

more  aware  of  the  range  of  their  possible  responses,  and  of  the 

uncertainty of our predictions.  Communicative predictions are based on 

data  from  three  levels.  First  is  the  cultural  level.  This  level  involves 

information about the other’s culture, its dominant values and

norms.  This  level  involves  information  available  when  communicating 

with a stranger. Even so, a b

4. Future-in the- past

APPROPRIATENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS.

Intercultural  competence  requires  behaviours  that  are  appropriate  and 

effective.  By  appropriate  we  mean  those  behaviours  that  are  regarded  as 

proper and suitable given the expectations generated by a given

culture,  the  constraints  of  the  specific  situation,  and  the  nature  of  the 

relationship  between  the  interactants.  By  effective  we  mean  those 

behaviours that lead to the achievement of desired outcomes.