Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

Have you ever said something like this to yourself: "If only I could become fluent in English, I could finally succeed in the US". A lot of international professionals believe that learning English is the key to their success in the United States. In my opinion, this is not the case.  There is another dimension that  influences your way of being, your way of communicating, your way of viewing the world and certainly influences your ability to be successful here. That dimension is culture. Why do so many people think that it's all about language and miss the importance of culture? It could be the fact that language is a more measurable and well understood variable. It is easy to measure your progress on the TOEFL exam or even count the number of new vocabulary words that you learn each week. However, in today's article, let's explore why cultural adjustment and business etiquette are two issues that may influence your success as much as or more than your English skills.

Intercultural communication (communication between people from different cultures) is now taking place all over the world, especially in large cities like Boston and New York. We are encountering people with different ways of communicating in every area of our lives including our careers and the business world, our social lives and in our academic courses. This is an exciting moment but do you sometimes feel confused or lost in these encounters? For example, did you ever wonder why your colleague said "yes, I will try " when he really meant "no, absolutely not"?  Culture is more complex than we realize! To be successful in intercultural communication, we need some knowledge and skills. What do we need to successfully communicate with a friend, colleague or acquaintance from another culture? In this article, I will talk about 6 things you can do to improve your cultural competence and become a better intercultural communicator.