Crossing the international communication barriers

Today, within the United Stales, we frequently hear of individuals or groups who are offended by people who lack an understanding or concern for cultural differences among people. Nationally, we have been working hard to overcome these barriers to communication and learning. As the use of current technology continues to grow, more and more educational programs are being provided to people around the world through a wide range of distance learning mediums. With the use of the internet, the worldwide web, CD-ROM, video-tape, video teleconferencing and interactive television to name a few, educational programs are more accessible to a wide range of international students. I;he potential for international differences becoming a barrier to communication and! learning has increased significantly. This paper will took at some of the international communication barriers that may impede learning, reflect negatively on institutions or individuals providing the distance learning instruction and create misunderstandings between peoples of varying countries and cultures. It is the position of this paper that the development of international distance learning programs requires an awareness of international cultural differences and their impact on the communication process and effective learning.