FINDINGS

The first question focused on communication problems that existed across the different cultures among the learners. They responded as follows:

55 % believed that different values and beliefs were a major cause of the communication problems that existed. Samovar and Porter, pronounce that one of the most important functions of belief systems is that they are the basis of our values. The links between perception, culture and world view are made clear in Hoebel and Frost’s definition of world view as "the human being’s inside view of the way things are colored, shaped, and arranged according to personal cultural preconceptions." World view thus influences all aspects of our perception and consequently affects our belief and value systems as well as how we think. It would seem that among the learners surveyed, the Indian and African learners still maintain their separateness in terms of the apartheid legacy in South Africa. While learners are not openly racist toward each other, they keep to their own race group during social and other interactions. Closer examination of the interactions revealed that learners were in fact mostly associating with members of their own cultural groups. Some said that this was because they understood each other as they spoke the same language, while others said that they just believe in the same things or see things in a particular way. Then there were those that frowned upon people who were different from them. They criticized their manner of worship, the food they ate, their dress or the way they spoke. Sen Gupta points out that people are naturally steeped in their own culture and are therefore ethnocentric which means that they believe that "our way is the best way and the only way". He goes on to say that in an intercultural encounter, people would be challenged by the sudden difference in culture, which shifts their focus from their familiar sphere to aspects of themselves with which they are unfamiliar and this may force an evaluation or re-evaluation of their beliefs and values.

45 % of the learners believed that there was lack of trust amongst their peers. According to

Samovar et al "the single most important trait associated with people of character is their trustworthiness. Characteristics often associated with the trustworthy person are integrity, honor, altruism, sincerity, and goodwill". It is evident that trust between communicators is very important. The general lack of trust that exists between two complete strangers leads to an uncomfortable situation marred by doubt and suspicion. Educators of the sample group of learners confirmed that this is evident in terms of group work and assessments. They said that when learners are asked to work in groups or to engage in group tasks, they are reluctant to do so. They added that one of the many issues that contributes to such negative opinions, was the language barrier. This was confirmed by the 44 % of the respondents who blamed the different languages as a major source to problems experienced. Language is the medium through which a culture expresses its world view. As Pennington (1985) said, like culture, language is learned and it serves to convey thoughts, transmit values, beliefs, perceptions and norms (see also Campbell (2004). Kaschula and Anthonissen (1995) found that in all communities, language varies. Language varieties include different: accents, linguistic styles, pronunciations, register, lexicon and even different grammatical rules which may contrast with each other for social reasons.

According to Dlomo "language varieties can cause communication problems when people who use these varieties have to interact. These problems can be further complicated by the fact that these varieties are linked to culture". Language influences thought and thought influences language, and each is influenced by culture. One may find that people from different cultures may speak the language on different levels of fluency. These varieties also influence the one’s perception of the messages one receives from others. Students in a multicultural environment speak somewhat differently from each other. All of these differences relate to their different language styles and different behaviors which are related to their different cultural backgrounds, beliefs and other factors. Seiler and Beall mention that communicators should also be aware that there are cultures that have greater or lesser expectations for an individual’s involvement in communication events.

According to Kaschula and Anthonissen "speakers from different cultures have varying degrees of linguistic and communicative competence in English. These levels of communicative and linguistic competence have a major impact on the fluency of the speakers in the spoken language". The issue of language distinction is complicated, but at the same time reflective of the variation within South African languages and culture. Learners in most cases stereotype other groups because of the way they speak English. Mersham suggests that we should promote South African English which encompasses all the varieties spoken by different groups. He continues to articulate that there is no need to enforce the linguistic purist view because a spoken language should be reflective of people’s way of life. In South Africa it is difficult to maintain pure English as there are a number of languages spoken by people of various cultures. Mersham further suggests that if the way of life dictates a specific way of using language, then people should adhere to this to enable them to communicate effectively.

This study found that misunderstanding between African and Indian learners often occur because of communication problems where learners cannot understand each other. This misunderstanding often requires speakers to repeat themselves and this causes frustration. The majority of the African learners suggested that in order to overcome this problem of communication, that Indian learners should learn either isiZulu or isiXhosa to facilitate easy discussion. The Indian learners in turn felt that English is a common language of communication across all cultures on campus and would alleviate most of the problems currently experienced. Another common problem occurred when African learners in a mixed group periodically reverted to their native language during conversation. This at most times was unintentional and unconscious, but was viewed negatively by the Indian learner.

Although different race groups and thus a variety of cultures participated in this study communication problems were mostly present amongst the African and Indian learners presumably because of their numbers. These learners tended to stick together and worked together however, they were constantly mindful of the other cultures within their own race groups which caused them to relate differently and attach stereotypes to one another.

Non-verbal communication or body language was also regarded as a major contributor to a

communication breakdown. According to Albert non-verbal behavior leads to miscommunication because most people are unaware that non-verbal patterns are determined by culture, and that people from different cultures have different interpretations of these behaviors in a given situation. Nonverbal communicative behavior, such as concept of time or the use of space, differs widely from culture to culture. For example, proxemics, the study of "the way in which people use personal space and distance around them to mark territory between them and those they are communicating with (Martin and Nakayama 2000: 184), recognizes that "people of different cultures do have different ways in which they relate to one another spatially." Furthermore, the use of space helps define social relationships. For example, the Indian learners often sat with an empty chair between them, whereas the African learners often sat close to each other in the classroom even though there were plenty of seats available. The African learners felt that the Indian learners were being racist, while the Indian learners could not understand the need to sit close to each other as there was plenty of room available. Hall (1959, 1976) contends that most people hold unconscious assumptions about what is appropriate in terms of space, time, interpersonal relations and ways of seeking truth. These assumptions he says, may cause intractable difficulties in intercultural encounters. Misinterpretation of non-verbal behavior often leads to the development of stereotypes and negative attitudes. Educators admitted that because they did not understand the body language of their learners in relation to their different cultures, this often led to problems between themselves and their learners. Educators learned that when Africans communicate with elders, they should not maintain eye contact and that their gaze should ideally be at a lower level than the elder. De Kadt maintains that respect and reverence always follow the upward movement and certain body movements accompany it. Therefore when African learners entered their offices, they immediately sat down so that their gaze was not at eye level with their superior, whereas when an Indian learner entered the office, they remained standing, and only sat if they were offered a seat. The Indian learner would maintain eye contact with the educator to show that they were confident and that they were honest.

Although 62 % agreed that they work in multicultural groups, other learners were aware that cultural tolerance is not practised at DUT and that some learners are ethnocentric. They said that they prefer to work on their own, but if they had to work in groups, they preferred to work in their own cultural groups. The following diagram describes a typical classroom situation at DUT. Particularly at second and third year levels, learners tend to cluster into their respective race groups. However the diagram further clarifies that there is a distinction with learners from the African culture, as the isiXhosa and isiZulu speaking individuals distance themselves from each other and cluster on their own.

As a way forward, learners said that they were keen to learn about other cultures and suggested that there should be open dialogue in their classrooms to enable them to share information about their cultural beliefs and values. They also recommended that the university do more to assist in terms of socializing learners within the multicultural environment. They indicated that they are interested in learning and understanding each others cultures but suggested it should be done through team building exercises and communal events where there was no pressure in the form of tests or examinations. Learners also emphasized that cultural tolerance should be encouraged but not taught as a subject. They added that language classes should be offered to learners so that they could learn to speak different languages. This would also help them to understand their peers and to engage in dialogue with each other. The majority of the learners said that a non-academic programme would help them to adjust to the culturally diverse societies which they find themselves in.