What are the barriers to intercultural communication and how can they affect communication?

* Ethnocentrism is the conviction that your own cultural traditions and assumptions are superior to those of others. This will hinder communication because it creates a barrier between communicators.

 * Different communication codes mean that even when language is translated, meaning can be lost or confused in the translation.

 * Stereotyping places a person or group into an inflexible, all-encompassing category. Prejudging someone before the facts are known leads to discrimination.

 * Assuming similarity may cause problems in communication because the assumption will be that everyone's goals, needs, and wants are the same.

 * Conversely, assuming everyone is different means that similarities in goals, needs, and wants will not be recognized.