ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some main sources of turbulence in intercultural communication. These include: symbolic power; pragmatic mismatch; clash of styles; mismatch in schemas and cultural stereotypes; and mismatch in contextualisation cues and framing. The chapter defines what counts as turbulence and then looks at sources of turbulence. It explores the process of meaning making in conversation, how speakers use information made available through conversation and relates it to their knowledge about the context in conversation. Communicative turbulence refers to troubles in communication when partners in interactions fail to make sense of what is said and intended by others and consequences of confusion, disagreement or feelings of resentment. The term was first used by A. Mauranen when she defines misunderstanding as a 'potential breakdown point in conversation, or at least a kind of communicative turbulence'. Communicative turbulence can be caused by clashes of different styles of communication.
