The relations between the United States and China are often described as complex and multi-faceted, as the two countries are competitors in some areas and partners in others. The variety of cultural differences between Eastern and Western cultures adds additionally to the fascinating task and imperative need to explore intercultural communication skills in the context of U.S.-China relations. These video clips from the sixty-six minute documentary The Dialogue provide a glimpse into the barriers that make cross-cultural communication difficult and often non-productive. They also highlight skills of open, honest communication that help break down those barriers.

The Dialogue, created by Crossing Borders Films and co-produced by Michigan State University, follows four American and four Chinese university students as they travel together through Hong Kong and Southwest China. In these clips, we see these students practice skills of cross-cultural communication. Their honest confrontations and discoveries about one another become doorways to deepen their understanding of the world, of themselves, and of styles of communication that are able to bridge cultural differences.

Clip Summaries:

“Challenges of Communicating Across Differences”: The students talk openly about how their different communication styles, personalities, and cultural backgrounds create barriers to communication and understanding. They discuss the insights that facilitate dialogue even when these barriers and tensions exist.

“On Speaking a Second Language”: The students take turns speaking in their own languages in order to experience the power and security that comes when one is comfortable in the language that is spoken. They come to recognize how language insecurity impacts communication.

“On Non-Verbal Communication”: The students discuss the power of non-verbal communication. They gain insight into how people employ different types of non-verbal communication to express themselves and interact with others—and how these types of non-verbal communication may differ from one culture to another.