INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Mª Dolores Bellido Cárdenas

Universidad de Madeira
mariadoloresbc2000@gmail.com
Professor Svetlana Kurtes

This subject 'Intercultural communication' has been based on learning the

importance of culture between countries when communicating. During the semester I had
the opportunity to see examples that I would not normally have noticed. Thanks to this
subject I have been able to understand that culture, education, or the context of each
conversation matters. Sometimes we don't take this into account, and we can misinterpret
actions or conversations with people whose background we don't know, which is why it
is important for students to have the opportunity to take subjects like this.

My experience in this subject, as an Erasmus student, has been very enriching. It

has been easy to manage as the class was basically composed of Erasmus students and
each one with different cultures, which makes it easier to learn with real examples of our
own classmates. We have mainly focused on the world of work, in the case of working in
a company outside our native country. What are the things we have to take into account?
What kind of people will I be dealing with? What is most relevant in their culture? These
are questions I have learned that everyone who is going to work outside their original
country should ask themselves and inform themselves about. And above all companies
themselves should make their employees and customers aware.

In conclusion, I would say that I take with me a great experience and a learning
experience that will be useful for me tomorrow when I am in the working world. I would
recommend it to all students as it is something they will be able to put on their CVs and
will of course be extra points when it comes to finding a job.