INTERCULTURALITY AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION. IS SILENCE A REALIA ELEMENT?

Silence is equally meaningful, authentic, and obscure. Although it can feel like a void in communication, silence can be powerful and expressive in different cultural contexts. The absence of speech is a form of intentional or enforced muteness that is considered a very effective method of communication. The meaning of silence depends on the situation and the cultural context of the interaction. In the Western world, silent behaviour is often perceived as a sign of indifference, apathy or hostility. Similar to Asian cultures, where silence is very respected, Scandinavian cultures tend to listen rather than talk and seek consensus in conversations. Silence in translation can be either intentional or accidental, which gives insight into the motives or failures of the source system. Although one understands all the words correctly, it is easy not to grasp the silence between them. Silence is still ignored. Perhaps because it has a bivalent character and offers much room for interpretation.