Intercultural Communication 
In the article by Jan Blommaert, describe the issue of social interaction by focusing on how people have become dynamic in their mode of communication and interaction. In his article, Jan explains the issue of social integration with an emphasis on the influence of immigration, super-diversity, polycentric and citizenship. Communication has become an integrated system where people from different backgrounds, nation and communities share the same interest and ideas. The world is currently integrated to share a common interest in its social, economic and political interest. It is elaborated in the article how these systems are formed to bring unity and coexistence among people. This essay will focus on exploring the strength and weakness of Jan Blommeart article as well as provide some implications and opportunity addressed in the article in relation to intercultural communication.
One of the strengths of the article is based on the integration of immigrant to become citizens of a particular country as a way of intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is viewed as a form of interaction where people share ideas and information despite their cultural, social and political difference. For instance, people with different linguistic, interacting over a particular interested is believed to be an act of intercultural communication. In the article by Jan Blommaert provide a deeper understanding of how intercultural communication is practiced in different countries. This is one of the key strength of the article as it helps address intercultural communication through citizenship development. In his view, he describes citizenship as a form of intercultural communication whereby citizenship involves uniting people from different cultural and ethical background. This is very insightful of the article in addressing the Citizenship is used as a form of unity within a country by brings people under a confirmed law or government. It has moreover been used as a symbol of people and harmony and also a form of the identity of a particular people or nation. Politically, citizenship is ownership of a government system or being united under one system of governance or political system. In the article, the author uses the description of citizenship as a form of intercultural communication through its ability to bring people within a country together despite their diversity.
The article provides a stronger view on how social interaction and transformation have gradually taken over the modern society with the advancement of technology and diverse migration of people. The global spread of modern technology used in communication such as the internet has helped synchronized communication in the world. In the article reading, the internet has formed a network society that is integrated with people from different culture, linguistic and race. They have overcome boundary limits and social constraints to unite globally. Different people irrespective of their cultural groups share information and ideas through various online community platforms. Blommaert describes the invention of the internet as a social transformation in enhancing sociolinguistic and poly languaging in the society. Intercultural communication has been made simpler through such facet of technology innovation making communication easy and straightforward. A similar instance is accorded in the week three reading by Vertovec and week one reading by Scollon, Scollon, and Jones.
In his interpretation, Vertovec supports the same ideas concerning cultural diversity being enhanced through modern innovation as Jan Blommaert suggests in his article. Steve Vertovec reading bring a deeper understand of how communities all over the world are changing through embracing diversity in communication. Trends in intercultural communication are enhanced by the value of the common interest in social life, politics, and religion. Both the two reading illustrate immigration as an interface of intercultural communication in a modern nation.
Multiculturalism Act helps promote intercultural communication within a country. Different states that embrace multiculturalism has a well-developed immigration system that is not bias or subject their immigrant to segregation. In his article, Jan Blommaert brings the connection between multiculturalism and immigration. Different subculture and cultures are integrated into a social environment to enhance togetherness. Immigrants are favored through multicultural policies put in place by a country. Such policies enable people to share similar interest irrespective of their cultural and social difference. The article further illustrates the issue of intercultural communication through how “host society” as Jan Blommaert describe it develop a coherent relationship with “émigré” communities. These two have different languages, culture, and social norms however through intercultural communication they are able to unite and share similar interest and ideas.
The article, however, is limited in providing a deeper understanding of how a single person can not officiate integration of culture as complex process. It fails to address how the generative potential is mandated to help promote intercultural communication in society. This is considered among the main weakness of the article in bringing the connection between society and intercultural communication. The ability of the host society must take the initiative to accept the new change in the society. Whereby, the two societies must each embrace their difference to be united under a mutual agreement. Moreover, acquiring a conventional communication link requires a common shared interest between the local and the immigrants. This idea is not well addressed by the author when discussing intercultural communication. In light of this idea, Vertovec supports the concept of intercultural communication through how immigrants are given common interest in a particular country as opposed to what Jay addresses in his article.
The article by Scollon, Scollon and Jones also help shed more light on the intercultural communication and how it is useful in solving cultural problems in the society. In their reading, a deeper understanding is brought to the light on how intercultural communication help illuminates human behavior and character. Jan Blommaert, however, fails to illustrate the same concept of developing intercultural communication towards developing social interaction. This is viewed as another weakness of the article. The failure or weakness of the article to address the importance of social integration is evident through how people are applying for citizenship. Immigrants are supposed to show full integration when it comes to culture assimilation. Just as Scollon, Scollon, and Jones assert in their reading, culture integration is a means of building the society. In their article, they focus on how China offers their Chinese immigrant lesson to help assimilate their culture and language. This is equally useful when developing intercultural communication of a country.
The ability to make people speak a similar common language despite their cultural background helps promote social cohesion. The value of intercultural communication is portrayed in the reading as a culture tool in promoting unity. Multiculturalism, poly languaging, metrolingualism and super vernacularization and all form of intercultural communication. They promote language, culture and social interaction of people from different nations around the globe. In the reading by Jan Blommaertit can be seen how citizenship plays a significant role in defining intercultural communication within a country. Moreover, its use as a form of unity helps magnify its role in establishing intercultural communication of a country.
The article further implies that culture and social integration is determined by the cohesiveness of a country towards foreigners. The immigrant must be accepted into the circle of intercultural cohesiveness to be complete. Despite the difference in language and culture the ability to re-identify with a group of people from a different culture or community is a form of intercultural communication. This helps in implying the use of poly language and multiculturalism in building intercultural communication.
All in all, the article help justify the role of intercultural communication in enhancing social bound and expanding cultural boundaries within a country. This is significant in promoting personal attitude and behavior towards people with different cultural or linguistic background. Immigrants are used in the article to help elaborate on the standard value of intercultural communication in a country.
