Some Facets of Cross-Cultural Communication and Their Implications for ABE and ESL Teachers

Adult educators, recognizing grade communication problems between members of middle-class society (to which most belong) and individuals from culturally different groups are attending to cross-cultural communication research. Vastly different perceptions of reality, shaped by distinctive value systems and attitudes, underlie the problems. Intersection fields of experience, necessary to communication, may be extremely limited. Nonverbal transmissions are highly susceptible to misinterpretation. Communication barriers include differences in native language, the severe language limitations the "hard core poor" suffers outside its milieu, and the unrecognized reliance of many groups on nonverbal communication. Implications for adult educators are: (1) they must understand the communication process; (2) they must realize that they perceive reality differently from their students; (3) they must respect the languages of culturally different groups; (4) they should not overlook the importance of relevant oral communication in the learning process; (5) they must be acutely aware of the nonverbal modes of communication; (6) they must understand proxemics (the study of human space needs); and (7) they must be aware of the negative implications of superordinate-subordinate communication patterns. Finally, adult educators must utilize the vast array of materials and media available to them. (Author/AJ)