The Role of Face-to-Face Interpersonal Communication with Different Social Networks in the Development of Intercultural Communication Competence

The present study examines the extent to which non-native individuals were engaged in face-to-face interpersonal communication with three types of social networks (host, coethnic, and interethnic). It also examines how non-natives used these social networks to fulfill their various needs in the host society and the relative importance of their communication activities in the development of intercultural communication competence. Data were collected from 116 Chinese graduate students studying at universities in southeastern United States and also those who newly graduated from those graduate programs and had been working in the United States. The findings suggest that host and interethnic face-to-face interpersonal communication are significant and helpful to the non-natives' effective functioning in the host society and their development of intercultural communication competence. In comparison, coethnic face-to-face interpersonal communication might play an insignificant or minor role in improving non-natives' intercultural communication competence. The overarching goal of the study is to help sojourners and immigrants in the success of developing intercultural communication competence.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Gao, Chen

• Intercultural Communication Competence

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/33472

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/33472