Barriers to Intercultural Communication

1. Anxiety- is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat,
feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. For example, you don’t feel
comfortable socializing with other people.
2. Assuming Similarity Instead Of Dissimilarity- This is when someone from one
culture encounters a new culture and assumes that there are no differences
between the two cultures.
3. Ethnocentrism- ethnocentrism or negatively judging aspects of another culture
by the standards of one‘s own culture. To be ethnocentric is to believe in the
superiority of one‘s own culture.
4. Language Problems- usually occur when two people who speak different
languages cannot understand one another
5. Nonverbal Misinterpretations - when someone misreads a person's body
language. For example, someone with their arms folded and tapping their feet
might be impatiently waiting for some else who is late, but you might look at them
and assume that they are cross with you. This can put you off, asking for help.
6. Stereotypes and Prejudices- while a stereotype is a thought about a person or
group of people, a prejudice relates to feelings and attitudes about that person or
group of people.