As a person travels and explores the world, the development of cross-cultural competence is believed to happen naturally. Still, it’s not always the case! We all are different and come to a particular understanding in different ways. Therefore, multicultural cooperation must be based on empathy as one tries to gain immediate understanding by listening and appearing in another person’s shoes. What we learn by the outcome matters the most as we travel and learn how to compare and take notes. If we strive for cross-cultural competence, we must take each case individually and learn how to become more empathic.
Role of Travel in Developing Cross-Cultural Competence and Understanding
– Learning Foreign Languages.
One of the essential aspects of traveling is mastering another language, where we explore the challenges and learn how to cooperate with people through different fields. It does not matter if we learn or just visit another place to see the museums or enjoy our time at the beach, we always get better and dive deep into the cultural environment. Traveling, we learn to recognize unknown words and use our cultural competence to start a dialogue. It helps to explain things and expand our creative and linguistic horizons.
– Exploring Customs and Traditions.
Another role of being a traveler (even if virtually) starts with exploring specific foreign customs and how people learn. Traditions always play an important role when we are trying to sign a business contract or talk to each other at a foreign restaurant. At the same time, knowing various customs also brings up certain conflicts, which is why one must explore things even deeper or consider the best online translation services as a great solution to approach human translators. It will help to address sociocultural issues and show how certain things can be understood differently.
– Business Cooperation.
There is a solid reason why entrepreneurs travel all the time. It is not only about logistics or meeting people in person because travelers have to learn how to cooperate and even become friends beyond business purposes. Starting with the arrival at the airport or planning a trip with all the presents and email communication, people learn how to become competent and avoid conflicts. If one visits a company in the Middle East, some traditions always come first before a contract is signed. One has to know each other and feel safe before anything takes place. Likewise, knowing the American way of life is also important for foreign visitors that follow a different business style. Once a person knows how to cut corners and find relevant solutions, things become much easier as one gains confidence and learns to understand.
– Sharing Vital Information.
As we travel, we can spot specific things that may not be possible to express in words or even when talking to each other. For example, when healthcare specialists visit children in remote parts of the world, they follow cross-cultural competence and take notes before they take action. The same happens when people travel and analyze things to determine what causes a religious conflict or see why a business project does not achieve success. In practice, sharing vital information and implementing strategic analysis helps develop a competent attitude and a deeper understanding.
– Mutual Cooperation and Charity.
The most challenging aspect of traveling is knowing how to listen and avoid decisions that can make people feel confused and alienated. A prominent example is the use of charity and volunteering, where people learn about the issues that take place. It is not an easy process, yet visiting different parts of the world and comparing the problems and solutions helps to use analysis and implement strategic thinking. The same relates to cooperation and establishing cultural bridges that help find commonalities and address the differences as one works in a complex multicultural environment.
– Education and Student Exchange.
At the same time, one should mention the popularity of remote learning and exchange students. Although it poses specific learning barriers and language issues, international students help to establish better global bonds and cross-cultural competence. Using various translation apps or TopWritersReview for their learning purposes, they take things to another level and learn how to understand each other and share their cultural background. As they learn and approach innovative methods using multiple languages or academic techniques, such students help establish social bridges and learn beyond one’s comfort zone. It makes people feel confident and competent even as challenges occur.
Education Always Matters
Although we can travel and explore the world in person, it is not always the primary reason people learn how to become competent, respectful, and understanding. A good example has been shown by the pandemic, where most people could learn a lot and participate in environmental movements and the global Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place worldwide. It reveals an important fact: we must focus on education and constantly learn because our knowledge and perception make us empathic. While we may be born with specific skills and show a more profound understanding, it is always what we learn and what we do with the gained knowledge!
BIO
Mark Wooten loves to travel the world and explore different cultures and traditions. As an educator who always takes notes with the help of technology and translation apps, he loves to write and share. Follow Mark to make your learning inspiring and unfold your talents.
