Language differences have a greater effect on communication between expatriates and the members of their host country than most could ever realize. Whether they speak the language of the country fluently, rely on translators, or only put forth their best efforts at using their minimum knowledge of the local language, meaningful communication does not always occur. Notice that I said meaningful communication. In an interaction between two or more individuals, communication always occurs for one cannot not communicate. Even silence, in the present of others communicates.
We may assume that when we are not verbally speaking, communication is not occurring. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are familiar with that in our own culture in expressions like: “what you do speaks louder than what you say”, and “silence means consent”. Communication includes both the verbal and nonverbal. In fact, much of what we communicate is more dependent on nonverbal expressions than it is on verbal expressions. There is such a close connection between the use of language and the cultural content which is expressed in that language that it is difficult to speak of communication problems between two speakers of different cultural groups without specifically referring to the language’s cultural context.
Whether the intended message gets through or not depends on several linguistic and cultural interaction patterns. The important thing to remember in each case is the disparity between what one intends to communicate and the perceived meaning the recipient of the message receives. Each of the three patterns have variations but illustrate situations ranging from where the communication is most likely to be perceived as sent to a situation where the communication will almost surely result in miscommunication between the two participants. The illustrations go from the best scenario to the worst.
The sender of the message and the receiver both share basically the same linguistic repertoire and cultural experiences. Both the expatriate and the one to whom he or she is speaking shares the same subcultural background. There should be little interference here and the message should basically be received with the same meaning that was sent. This situation is the least likely to occur with expatriates since by definition they are living among a different cultural environment. The exception would be a community made up primarily of expatriates from the same cultural background.
Both individuals may share what appears to be the same language background but each shares significantly different cultural or subcultural backgrounds. I am probably a good example of the possibility of this type of interaction. I speak Spanish fluently, however my major experiences until recent years have been limited primarily to Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. I have also traveled in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, and Spain. In all cases I shared a common language with the “natives”, but did not share a common cultural background. This leads to the possibility that even though my language skills may be sufficient, my understanding of each country’s cultural differences is lacking. It is this type of situation where fluency can create unexpected problems. The more fluent you are, the greater the expectation that you also fully understand the culture. This can create misunderstandings, but this is a situation more easily overcome. You at least have the ability to “talk your way out of the misunderstanding”.
Both individuals speak a different language and have therefore had completely different cultural backgrounds. This is the situation which the majority of expatriates will face. They not only do not know the language, but are also ignorant of the cultural differences. This can create enormous problems. OR, in some cases, the fact that you know little will cause an understanding member of your new cultural environment to go out of the way to communicate with you. If this is your situation, you need to learn as much about the language and culture as rapidly as possible if you want your stay to be an enjoyable one.
