Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures

by Myron W. Lustig, Jolene Koester

Striking a unique balance between skills and theory, Intercultural Competence provides readers with the background and confidence to succeed in today's multicultural environment. Blending both the practical and theoretical, the concrete and abstract, this book is both enjoyable to read and thoroughly researched. By clearly explaining different theories and the significance of cultural patterns and having readers practice what they learn via examples in the book, Intercultural Competence better prepares readers to interact in intercultural relationships. The book also provides a discussion of important ethical and social issues relating to intercultural communication. The authors cover U.S. cultures as well as global cultural issues.

Genres: Nonfiction, Textbooks, Communication, School, Read For School, College, Psychology

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Sherron Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this class in college and this book was the assigned reading. I found the book to be an easy read and easy to understand the concepts and theories outlined in each chapter. I felt the book would add a lot of context to those who are planning on going into a field that requires a person to interact with those outside their cultural mainframe.

I found that the suggestions to listen, learn, and think outside of individual learned environments was excellent. I wish the ideas in this book were taught as a class sooner than when a student enters college. The book did a good job of reminding the reader when a culture has expectations for beliefs, values, and norms this does not guarantee that all within a particular culture will follow the same patterns and we will always find those who decide to buck the system.

This book brought an awareness into my own experience with dealing with others from different cultures. My goal, after reading this book, is to be more patient and understanding if and when I encounter those who are visiting, speak a different language, or find themselves in a mainstream American situation that feels uncomfortable.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most interesting and practical books I have ever read. It has miraculously helped me have a much better insight into my country as well as my self. The data provided were very useful and even helped me while making a presentation about the cultural similarities and differences between Iran and South Korea.

[KaWoodtiereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro text to important concepts in intercultural competence. I read this cover to cover for my Intercultural Communications course during my time in grad school obtaining my MLIS degree.

[Jay Demopoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this book for a graduate level class. It’s very insightful though very dense.

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a required text for one of my classes, so needless to say... this was something I had to read cover to cover. Since there's not much one can really say about a textbook (unless its extreme in one direction or another), I'll keep this short.

PROS:

1) Easy to read, this was great for taking notes from. The chapters had the key terms bolded & colored, so it was easy to get the definitions. Many of my college texts no longer do this, so this was a nice treat. Plus all of the topics & definitions are listed in the beginning of each chapter.
2) Good layout. The information was clearly defined & laid out in a way that went nicely from topic to topic.
3) Durable & easy to open. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how many textbooks out there can't lay flat or crumble in one semester. I purchased mine used & its obviously been through a lot of wear & tear. If you want something that you want to last a long time as a reference book or just want something that can be sold back by your students easily, this is a good one to choose.

CONS:

1) While I'm not really qualified to pass judgment on some of the things in this book, at times I didn't entirely agree with some of the concepts in this book. But like I said, I'm not a pro in this stuff yet, so I might be wrong. (One course does not a pro make.)
2) Occasionally the book would ramble on a bit, using 2-3 paragraphs to make a point that could be made in 2-3 sentences. (I'm not including examples in this.) That just irritated me a little when it came to note taking, that I'd have to glean what was pertinent & what wasn't.

Unfortunately I didn't splurge for the online code as it wasn't a requirement for my class, so I can't really say anything about that. Some of my classmates swore by it, so it sounded like it was rather helpful for them.

This book was easy to learn from, so I recommend it if you are looking for a textbook for your students. If you're a student wondering how easy this will be to learn from, rest assured that this is an easy text to learn from.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this was a required textbook for my Intercultural Communication class at Purdue University, I enjoyed reading it. The information was relevant and helped me to understand the different cultures that I interact with. It also helped me to understand how to be a culturally competent individual. Great book.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

possibly the most readable textbook i've stumbled across. clear explanation of concepts, tons of concrete examples. i learned a lot and appreciate the authors' sensitivity and forward-thinking stance on these topics.

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never had a textbook break something down to the point of redundancy. Not my favorite topic.

[Alon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for understanding nonverbal communication between individuals from different cultures. Many great insights!

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as textbooks go. Not horrible. But still boring nonetheless.

[Maria Valverde]

Good book