The Interplay of Intercultural communication, Intercultural competence and Intercultural Pragmatics

This workshop explores the relationship between intercultural communication, intercultural competence, and intercultural pragmatics, emphasizing how cultural differences shape meaning, behavior, and interaction across diverse contexts. It discusses key concepts such as culture, stereotypes, ethnocentrism, and cultural models, showing how these influence communication and can lead to misunderstandings if not recognized. Intercultural communication competence (ICC) is presented as a dynamic, ongoing process that combines attitudes, knowledge, skills, and critical cultural awareness. The workshop further explains intercultural pragmatics as the study of how individuals from different cultural backgrounds use language in social interaction, often resulting in pragmatic mismatches in areas such as politeness, turn‑taking, and academic communication. Through examples from education and everyday interaction, it highlights the importance of developing pragmatic flexibility to reduce misunderstandings and foster more effective, respectful communication. Ultimately, the presentation argues that understanding cultural and pragmatic diversity is essential for successful communication in global, educational, and professional environments.