From intercultural to transcultural communication | Culture and communication in digital worlds

Author(s): Will Baker

Year of publication: 2022

Keywords: Intercultural communication, Transcultural communication, Communicative fluidity, Emergent cultural practices, Cultural transformation, In-situ meaning-making, Linguistic resources, Multimodality, Cultural borders

Methodology/Sample: _/_

Reference: Baker, W. (2022). From intercultural to transcultural communication. Language and Intercultural Communication, 22(3), 280-293. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2021.2001477

Abstract

The fluidity of communicative practices in current intercultural communication research raises difficult questions about how we understand core concepts in the field. Links between linguistic resources, other modes, and cultures are created in situ suggesting that relationships between ‘named’ languages and cultures cannot be taken for granted. We frequently see emergent cultural practices and references which are neither part of any one culture or, crucially, necessarily in-between cultures. Thus, the traditional metaphor of ‘inter’ for intercultural communication is no longer adequate and such communication is better approached as transcultural communication where borders are transcended, transgressed and in the process transformed.

> Summary

The paper explores transcultural communication, emphasizing fluid and dynamic connections across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
It critiques essentialist views in language teaching, advocating for a broader understanding of multilingual and multimodal resources.
The research highlights the inadequacy of traditional intercultural communication metaphors, proposing a transcultural approach instead.
It draws on translanguaging theories to inform perspectives on communication in diverse contexts.
The study underscores the importance of adapting pedagogical practices to reflect contemporary communication realities.

> Problem statement

The paper critiques the inadequacy of traditional ‘inter’ metaphors in intercultural communication, advocating for a transcultural approach instead.
It highlights the complexity and fluidity of cultural and linguistic interactions that current frameworks fail to address.
The author emphasizes the need for a critical examination of transcultural communication’s contributions and limitations in diverse contexts.
The research aims to explore how emergent cultural practices challenge established notions of culture and communication.
The paper seeks to extend the field of intercultural communication by incorporating critical perspectives and acknowledging the author’s positionality.

> Methods used

The paper discusses transcultural communication as a response to complex linguistic and cultural links, emphasizing fluidity in communication practices.
It suggests that transcultural communication is a ‘work-in-progress’ requiring further studies in various educational settings.
The methodologies proposed are broad suggestions rather than a detailed methodology, tailored to local needs.
The paper advocates for a diachronic perspective and multi-scaled views of culture in transcultural methodologies .
It emphasizes the importance of transdisciplinary research teams across humanities and social sciences for understanding transculturality.
The abstract highlights the need to rethink core concepts in intercultural communication due to emergent cultural practices.

> Practical implications

Transcultural communication offers new directions for researching and teaching language, culture, and communication, avoiding methodological nationalism.
It emphasizes the need for critical examination of transcultural communication across diverse settings and perspectives.
The paper suggests a transcultural, translanguaging, and transmodal framework to understand complex communication practices.
It highlights the importance of recognizing fluidity in communicative practices, challenging traditional intercultural communication metaphors.
The findings encourage further empirical research to establish the contributions and limitations of transcultural communication.