Problematic Human Behaviors In Sino-American Intercultural Communication And Tentative Probe Into Possible Solutions

Due to the rapid development of technology and economy, the age of globalization witnesses the growth of cross-cultural encounters both in frequency and intensity, hence communication breakdowns derived from cultural interference are increasing, which, to a great extent, can be attributable to the dissimilarities in distinct cultural patterns of communicators. The thesis establishes the study on cultural pattern theories to conduct the analysis of the invalidity of a typical case in intercultural communication and probes into the possible solutions to the problematic situation.The theoretical framework of the study composes of Hofstede's Value Dimensions and E.T. Hall's High-Context and Low-Context Communication theories. A pragmatic failure in Sino-American communication is analyzed from the perspective of different cultural patterns on the basis of media reports. For the purpose of minimizing similar communication embarrassments, the author then introduces cultural empathy as a possible approach for international communicators to enhance the intercultural competence and achieve the effectiveness in intercultural communication.