Intercultural Communication: A Reflection on My Personal Experiences at XJTLU

The purpose of this essay is to reflect on my personal experience at XJTLU by drawing on key concepts covered in LAN010 and share what I have learned from encountering different cultures. As a student at XJTLU, I have had many intercultural experiences that have taught me valuable lessons on how to become a better intercultural communicator.

Firstly, I once had an encounter at XJLTU with an international student who was from a completely different cultural background than mine. At first, I found it hard to communicate with him due to our language barrier and cultural differences. However, as time went on, I began to learn more about his culture and started to appreciate our differences. We even started to teach each other our languages and cultural customs, which was an incredibly enriching experience.

By analysing and evaluating the situation, I now realise that I was suffering from culture shock due to being stereotyped. I had preconceived ideas about the culture which made it difficult for me to communicate with the international student. However, once I got to know him and his culture better, I realised that our differences were what made our conversations interesting and led to a deeper understanding of each other's cultures.

In the future, there are a number of things I would do if a situation like this was to occur again. Firstly, I would try to be more open-minded and avoid making assumptions about other cultures. I would also make an effort to learn more about the culture and customs of the person I am communicating with, to understand them better. Furthermore, I would try to avoid using stereotypes and be more aware of my own biases and prejudices.

In conclusion, my experiences at XJTLU have taught me valuable lessons on how to become a better intercultural communicator. By encountering different cultures, I have learned to appreciate our differences and understand that stereotypes and preconceived ideas can hinder effective communication. I now realise that by being more open-minded, avoiding stereotypes, and learning more about other cultures, I can become a more effective intercultural communicator not only at XJTLU but also beyond.