ABSTRACT
No two individuals are alike. Differences between people compel us to communicate in the first place and make human communication inherently challenging as well as rewarding. It is challenging because we are always faced with the potential problem of difference in symbols and meanings. Yet communication is the very means by which we express ourselves, acquire new learning, and coordinate our varied social transactions. By and large, communication activities within a given cultural community occur with at least some degree of fidelity. Even though people differ and argue about preferences, they more or less understand each other's messages. Comparatively, communicators of differing cultural backgrounds face more barriers in recognizing and interpreting verbal and nonverbal messages and the implicit assumptions underlying the messages. As Smith (1982) noted, the condition of such significant differences and obstacles in communication presents a special context of communication, commonly referred to as intercultural communication.
