Barna’s 6 Stumbling Blocks Assignment

You need to read the following article for this assignment:

Barna, L. M. (1994). Stumbling blocks in intercultural communication. In L. A. Samovar and R. E. Porter, Intercultural communication: A reader, (7th ed., pp. 337-346). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Write a 3 page paper on the following six question prompts, making sure you respond to all three elements for each prompt. Your paper should be in APA style (12 Times New Roman, 1-inch margin all around, and double spaced) with a cover page (total page count will be 3~4). There is no need for an abstract.

(1) Assumption of similarity: a) According to Barna, how does assumption of similarity lead to misunderstanding and frustration? b) Give an example, a time or an incident, from your experience or anecdote you heard that exemplifies this. c) Describe and/or explain how your example demonstrates this stumbling block.

(2) Language difference: a) According to Barna, how does language difference lead to misunderstanding and frustration? b) Give an example, a time or an incident, from your experience or anecdote you heard that exemplifies this. c) Describe and/or explain how your example demonstrates this stumbling block.

(3) Nonverbal misinterpretation: a) According to Barna, how does nonverbal misinterpretation lead to misunderstanding and frustration? b) Give an example, a time or an incident, from your experience or anecdote you heard that exemplifies this. c) Describe and/or explain how your example demonstrates this stumbling block.

(4) Preconceptions and stereotypes: a) According to Barna, how does preconception or stereotypes lead to misunderstanding and frustration? b) Give an example, a time or an incident, from your experience or anecdote you heard that exemplifies this. c) Describe and/or explain how your example demonstrates this stumbling block.

(5) Tendency to evaluate: a) According to Barna, how does our tendency to evaluate lead to misunderstanding and frustration? b) Give an example, a time or an incident, from your experience or anecdote you heard that exemplifies this. c) Describe and/or explain how your example demonstrates this stumbling block.

(6) High anxiety: a) According to Barna, how does high anxiety lead to misunderstanding and frustration? b) Give an example, a time or an incident, from your experience or anecdote you heard that exemplifies this. c) Describe and/or explain how your example demonstrates this stumbling block. 

Spring 2017 – COMM 263 (Kong) Grading Rubric:

Criteria	Paper
Deliverables: Paper length (3 pages)	/3 points
Clarity: Organized & clear writing	/4 points
Completeness: Covers all 6 stumbling blocks and 3 elements going beyond sparse content	/15 points
Quality of effort: Shows attention to detail and demonstrates critical thinking	/5 points
APA/MLA Style: Checked spelling/grammar & follows formatting convention	/3 points
TOTAL:	/30 points