Crossword puzzle: Intercultural communication issues

Chapter 8 of Discovering Missions by Gailey and Culbertson

Challenge: Can you solve this puzzle even if you do not have the book? If not, then use this online PDF of Discovering Missions to find the answers!

crossword puzzle grid

Word document with puzzle grid

ACROSS
1	In linguistics, a native speaker of a language who helps someone trying to learn it
5	One of the linguists who asked whether language affects culture or culture affects language
7	The most basic of language acquisition techniques
8	Early missionary to Native Americans who used Bible translation as a key element of his mission strategy
9	One of the things that varies greatly from one language to another
11	Gestures, facial expressions, and other cues used in face-to-face communication
DOWN
2	The first activity in a language-learning sequence that begins in the wrong order
3	The way meanings have been assigned to words and phrases
4	His encounter with a Kaqchikel speaker in Central America helped lead to the founding of Wycliffe Bible Translators
6	The missiologist who researched redemptive analogies
10	When people view the gospel this way in relation to their culture, communicating it becomes difficult

"This crossword puzzle definitely helped me, especially when it came to understanding all of the various language terms that were discussed in chapter 8." -- Kayte S., Nazarene Bible College student

Crossword puzzle answers

-- Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu

Based on material in Discovering Missions by Charles Gailey and Howard Culbertson, published by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City (now known as The Foundry)

Afterword: The Challenges of Communicating Cross-Culturally

Intercultural communication can present a variety of challenges. These can include:

Language barriers: Language differences can create misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and even unintended offense.
Nonverbal communication: Cultures have different norms regarding the nonverbal communication done through gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact.
Stereotyping and prejudice: Stereotypes and preconceptions about people of another culture cause incorrect assumptions, misunderstandings, and even discriminatory attitudes and behavior.
Values and beliefs: Cultures have different values, beliefs, and attitudes. The importance of hierarchy, individualism and collectivism, and time orientation vary widely from culture to culture. These differences can distort cross-cultural communication and affect intercultural relationships.
High-context vs. low-context communication: Some cultures use high-context communication that relies heavily on context, nonverbal cues, and shared cultural knowledge. Other cultures use low-context communication, which is more direct and explicit.
Ethnocentrism: The tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one's own culture often leads to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and cultural clashes.
Culture shock: Being in an unfamiliar culture can be overwhelming and create anxiety. That, in turn, can affect communication and relationships.

An awareness of these issues can keep you on the road to becoming a good cross-cultural communicator. Continually remind yourself to be open-minded, respectful, and curious about other cultures. Listen actively to people. Do not hesitate to seek clarification whenever you don't understand something or sense that you were not understood clearly.