SentioScape: Facilitating Effective Cross-Cultural Communication through Emotional Mixed Reality

This qualitative study aims to explore the accommodation strategies employed by students from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) studying in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, in their interactions with local students and the surrounding community. Drawing on the communication accommodation theory, data was collected through purposive sampling using interviews, observations, and documentation. The findings revealed three forms of communication accommodation: convergence (using both Indonesian and Javanese languages during interactions), divergence (using their native language from NTT), and overaccommodation (expressed through loud laughter and speech patterns). The study highlights the significance of the accommodation process between NTT students and local students and community members in achieving effective cross-cultural communication. The implications of these findings shed light on the importance of cultural sensitivity and understanding in fostering harmonious interactions among diverse populations.
 Highlights:
 
 The study explores cross-cultural accommodation strategies of NTT students in Sidoarjo.
 Findings reveal convergence, divergence, and overaccommodation as forms of communication accommodation.
 The study emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity for effective cross-cultural communication.
 
 Keywords: cross-cultural accommodation, NTT students, communication accommodation, cultural sensitivity, effective communication

In today’s interconnected global economy, effective communication is critical for successful international business ventures. However, language barriers pose significant challenges to effective international business communication. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, this study explores various approaches, technologies, and techniques that organisations can employ to enhance communicative effectiveness and foster successful business relationships in a multilingual environment. The study examines various literature sources, explores real-life case studies, and presents recommendations for organisations to enhance their intercultural communication practices. This study also investigates various strategies utilised by organisations and professionals to address language-related challenges, highlighting their efficacy, limitations, and implications for effective cross-cultural communication. The findings provide practical insights for businesses seeking to enhance their intercultural communication and succeed in the global marketplace. This research study can significantly contribute to the development of effective communication strategies in international business settings. It also highlights the importance of language proficiency, cultural understanding, technology, translation, and intercultural communication skills in addressing language barriers and promoting successful international business communication.

With the development of globalization and the trend of internationalization of education, more and more students choose to study abroad, which makes cross-cultural communication and adaptability increasingly prominent. This paper makes an in-depth analysis of the actual experience and needs of international students in cross-cultural communication and adaptability. It is found that the cross-cultural adaptability of foreign students is influenced by multiple factors such as individual characteristics and external environment, and effective cross-cultural communication is the key to improve the adaptability of foreign students. However, due to cultural differences and language barriers, international students face many challenges in cross-cultural communication. Therefore, this study puts forward a series of strategies to improve the cross-cultural communication and adaptability of foreign students, including strengthening the training of cross-cultural communication ability, establishing an effective cross-cultural communication mechanism, improving the psychological adaptability of foreign students and strengthening the education of cultural sensitivity and adaptability. The results show that the implementation of these strategies can effectively improve the cross-cultural communication ability of foreign students, enhance their psychological adaptability, and thus better integrate into the new cultural environment. This will not only help improve the quality of study and life of international students, but also promote international exchanges and cooperation.

Construction projects are complex and dynamic, characterized by a series of inter-related and inter-dependent activities. Frequent changes in pre-existing conditions during construction are one factor that contributes to exposure of workers to hazards. Identifying the hazards that may lead to accidents during construction work requires effective communication. Unfortunately, current practices that rely on modes such as phone calls and video conferencing do not facilitate instant access to information, context-based perception, and visual interaction that are essential for effective communication in modern construction workplaces. This research work attempted to evaluate the feasibility of applying an emerging mixed-reality technology in enhancing communication at construction jobsites. To this end, this research developed a holographic application that runs on Microsoft HoloLens . This platform enables real-time collaboration and access in three-dimensional space where users can overlay the real world with digital objects and annotations. This was followed by an evaluation of the implemented holographic application through trials and feedback from participants in the construction industry. The performance metrics designed for assessment included accuracy, efficiency, ease-of-use, and acceptability of the proposed technology benchmarked against the existing communication techniques (i.e., phone calls, walking up to people and talking, and video conferencing). Results from the analysis showed a high potential for the mixed reality technology to enhance risk communication and hazard identification. It may ameliorate the safety management practices thereby reducing the incidences of injuries and fatalities on construction sites. grateful for his invaluable advice and input all through the period of my study and the writing of this thesis.

Background:Women with a refugee background and their families who have settled in a new country can be expected to have low health literacy, and this may be a contributing factor to poor perinatal outcomes.Brief description of activity:Effective communication is critical for meaningful engagement with patients. Teach-Back is an interactive tool that can assist health professionals confirm whether they are communicating effectively so they are understood and their patients can apply health information. However, evidence for its effectiveness in interpreter-mediated appointments is lacking.Implementation:An antenatal clinic caring for women with a refugee background provided an opportunity to explore the benefits and challenges of using Teach-Back with this population. Staff had access to informal on-site training on health literacy and Teach-Back, tried using Teach-Back in their clinical work, and were then asked to provide feedback on what it was like using Teach-Back.Results:This case study identified several challenges when applying Teach-Back in interpreter-mediated antenatal health care appointments associated with differing cultural nuances and cultural practices.Lessons learned:Building interpersonal and cross-cultural communication capabilities among health professionals is essential in advancing health literacy workforce practice to improve the health literacy of non-English speaking refugee communities. Although Teach-Back may have the potential to be a powerful tool in promoting the health literacy of these women during pregnancy, further research is required to ensure that its use promotes safe and equitable health care. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2021;5(3):e256–e261.]Plain Language Summary:This article reports a case study of using Teach-Back in pregnancy appointments involving a midwife and an interpreter. Several challenges for using Teach-Back were identified due to differences in cross-cultural communication. Supporting clinicians and interpreters to work together to implement Teach-Back is required to improve cross-cultural communication and women's health literacy.

This prospective study was designed to elucidate barriers limiting effective perioperative communication between indigenous Australians and anaesthetists, and to identify strategies for improving communication. A questionnaire was used to collect data on 1040 consecutive patients undergoing anaesthesia at Royal Darwin Hospital between February and March 2003. 27.1% of these patients described themselves as Aboriginal. Aboriginal patients were more likely to undergo emergency surgery and were more likely to be classified as ASA 3, 4 or 5 than non-indigenous patients. Communication difficulties were identified in 28.7% of all Aboriginal patients, which was 31 times higher than those in non-Aboriginal patients. The most common reason identified for this was difficulty in speaking English. Only 17.7% of Aboriginal patients presenting to the operating theatre spoke English as their first language. Unfortunately, the anaesthetic team utilized the Aboriginal interpreter service in only a minority of cases. Communication difficulty in indigenous Australians is pervasive and often goes unrecognized. The results suggest that heath care providers may need staff training in cross-cultural communication and that protocols need to be developed within the health care system so that interpreters are called upon automatically early in the admission process.

BackgroundSerious illness communication with racial and cultural discordance can be challenging for both patients and providers. Furthermore, patients with serious neurologic conditions may have deficits that affect communication and medical decision-making. We aimed to explore strategies for effective culturally-tailored communication and interpersonal relationship-building that multidisciplinary healthcare providers use to facilitate serious illness conversations with patients of diverse cultural backgrounds.MethodsUsing non-stratified purposive and snowball sampling, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 multidisciplinary providers, recruited from an academic tertiary care center, a Veterans Affairs hospital, and an academia-affiliated county hospital, who provide care for patients with serious neurologic conditions. We used inductive and deductive content analysis methods with dual review. We used inductive and deductive content analysis methods with dual review.ResultsWe describe six strategies providers used to establish trust and rapport with diverse patients and families. Theme 1: Recognize and check personal biases about race and culture. Theme 2: Create sufficient time and space to build connection with patients and families. Theme 3: Ask direct, open-ended questions to gather clear information about lived experiences and establish rapport. Theme 4: Repeat information as necessary to ensure understanding and bi-directional engagement. Theme 5: Understand family structure and dynamics and involve family members in communication and decision-making. Theme 6: Partner with palliative care teams, interpreters and other hospital staff as well as individuals from outside the healthcare system.ConclusionsHigh-quality care involves culturally-sensitive and tailored communication, which can be challenging for patients with neurocognitive deficits and limited abilities in communication and decision-making. Our study highlights six ways on how to establish rapport and improve cross-cultural serious illness communication with these diverse patients and families.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-025-01917-w.

This study investigated the linguistic characteristics of two prominent Saudi dialects in terms of phonology, morphosyntactic structures, lexicon, and discourse markers. The primary objective was to uncover variations and potential social correlations within these linguistic elements. Jazani Arabic, spoken in the Jazan region, and Hejazi Arabic, spoken in the Hejaz region, were meticulously examined using conversation analysis. The study highlights the multifaceted nature of language in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing regional and sociolinguistic factors. The findings could inform language teaching methods, curriculum development, and communication strategies. Language educators could tailor programs to address specific phonological, morphosyntactic, and lexical features, enhancing learners’ proficiency and cultural competence. Moreover, sociolinguists could leverage the findings in broader studies on language change, contact, and identity within the Saudi context. Understanding dialectal variation is crucial for comprehending the intricacies of linguistic diversity in the region. Communication professionals could benefit from the study’s insights into discourse markers, which play a pivotal role in cross-cultural communication. A better understanding of these markers could foster more effective communication with speakers of different dialects, contributing to more successful intercultural interactions. Finally, the integration of the findings into teaching materials could promote more authentic language learning experiences. Such an approach would ensure that language learners engaged with the nuances of Saudi dialects, fostering a more culturally sensitive and context-specific language learning environment.

Effective communication goes beyond just the words spoken; it involves various non-verbal elements, among which paralinguistics plays a critical role. Paralinguistics refers to the vocal elements accompanying speech that convey emotional nuance and intention, such as tone, pitch, rate of speech, volume, and pauses. This study investigates the impact of paralinguistic features on communication, highlighting how these vocal cues influence the emotional tone, clarity, and overall message reception. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research methods, the study explores cultural variations in the interpretation of these cues and their importance in cross-cultural communication. The findings emphasize that paralinguistic cues, when interpreted correctly, can enhance understanding and reduce the potential for miscommunication, particularly in globalized and multicultural settings.

With the acceleration of global market integration, cross-border e-commerce live streaming has emerged as a new form of international trade, yet scholarly research on its cross-cultural communication remains limited. This study examines live streaming practices on Amazon and Alibaba International Station to analyze the cross-cultural characteristics of live streaming texts. Effective communication in this context requires anchors to possess solid cultural knowledge, adaptable communicative skills, and an open, inclusive mindset. Drawing on these findings, the paper proposes targeted optimization strategies: strengthening cultural awareness training, localizing live streaming content, and refining both linguistic and non-verbal communication strategies. These measures aim to enable practitioners to better meet the demands of diverse cultural markets, enhance communication effectiveness, and ultimately strengthen competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Background and Aims: In English conversations, where interlocutors may have differing language backgrounds or proficiency levels, effective communication relies on employing negotiation of meaning strategies to ensure mutual understanding and clarity. The purpose of this study was to examine the negotiation of meaning strategies used by EFL university students in conversation with a native speaker, highlighting their importance in achieving effective communication and linguistic development. Methodology: Qualitative data were collected through recorded conversations in an academic setting, involving 20 EFL university students and a native speaker and were analyzed using conversation analysis. Results: The study identified the top five negotiations of meaning strategies, with clarification requests and confirmation checks being most prevalent, indicating a strong preference for direct engagement in ensuring mutual understanding. Conclusion: The findings emphasized the importance of incorporating targeted negotiation of meaning exercises into EFL curricula to improve students' communicative competence and cross-cultural understanding.

Cross-cultural communication refers to the process of interaction between individuals or groups from different cultural backgrounds, aimed at fostering mutual understanding. In the era of globalization, this ability has become increasingly essential to support international collaboration, build harmonious relationships, and overcome barriers caused by differences in language, values, and social norms. This article explores the fundamental concepts of cross-cultural communication, key challenges such as language barriers and stereotypes, and strategies to enhance its effectiveness. Research highlights that high-context and low-context cultures exhibit distinct communication patterns, requiring adjustments in message delivery. Cross-cultural education, the development of active listening skills, and the use of cultural mediators are strategic measures to address these challenges. Moreover, effective cross-cultural communication contributes to increased innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity across various sectors, particularly in business and education. By understanding the dynamics of diverse cultures, individuals and organizations can create more harmonious and productive interactions. This article emphasizes that cross-cultural communication is a critical skill for navigating the complexities of an increasingly interconnected global world.

The paper gives a didactic insight into the concept of “intercultural academic communication” /IAC/ analyzing its types, forms, structure and bilingual input for the purposes of improving Russian advanced students’ communication skills as intercultural speakers and writers in English-speaking academic settings. On the basis of the 2015-2017 cross-cultural analysis of Russian Master’s Degree - PhD Students’ experiences of intercultural communication it provides a didactically-oriented and competency-based classification of communicative barriers to effective cross-cultural academic communication, describing such of them as linguistic, pragmatic, sociocultural, cognitive and visual communication barriers. The paper argues that the theoretical framework for designing tasks aiming at improving PhD students’ bilingual pluricultural competence to use English as a lingua franca in intercultural academic settings is to be based on L. Vygotsky’s cultural historical theory, A.N Leontiev’s activity theory, A.A. Leontiev’s psychological theory of communication, S. Hall’s theory of cultural factors and contexts and culturally-oriented FLT approaches to developing students’ bilingual academic competences on a multidisciplinary basis. The paper concludes with some recommendations on creating a hierarchical set of multidisciplinary problem-solving tasks and activities specifically designed to help PhD students meet new 21st century challenges of intercultural communication - co-operation, avoiding culture-bound academic pitfalls in today’s extremely complicated world. Among these tasks are those that involve PhD students’ into: a) observing and generalizing the similarities and differences of communicative and/or cognitive academic schemata in Russian and in English; b) classifying communicative barriers between intercultural speakers or writers (incl. English native - non-native speakers); c) interpreting the appropriacy of academic products in a FL from a global intercultural perspective; d) making suggestions for necessary pluricultural academic self-education in order to be able to foresee and/or identify communication barriers and find effective communicative tools to bridge intercultural academic gaps; e) doing thought-provoking case-studies in IAC; f) transforming interculturally inappropriate academic products in a FL into appropriate ones; g) group role-playing of IAC schema modes involving different academic roles that are typical of English-speaking international science co-operation settings; h) doing “Study - Innovate” projects.

In the context of globalization, effective communication across linguistic and cultural boundaries has become essential for the success of international businesses. This study examines the strategic role of translation in cross-cultural business communication and management. Rather than viewing translation as a purely operational or linguistic function, the paper highlights its importance as a critical tool for navigating cultural differences, ensuring message clarity, and maintaining brand integrity across diverse markets. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines insights from business management, intercultural communication, and translation studies, the research explores how translation supports various business functions, including marketing, negotiation, internal communication, and human resource management. It further analyzes the impact of both human and machine translation technologies, discussing their strengths and limitations in real-world business scenarios. The paper emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive and context-aware translation practices that align with organizational goals and cultural expectations. Case studies from multinational corporations are used to illustrate how strategic translation practices can lead to improved collaboration, increased customer trust, and competitive advantage in global markets. Ultimately, this research argues that translation should be integrated into core business strategy, not treated as an afterthought, and that businesses must invest in qualified translation professionals to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world.

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