MODULE 2: LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR The other reason is more abstract, but perhaps more

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT compelling – with modern technology and transportation, the world
is indeed a smaller place. News travels faster, people move faster
 Lesson 1: Effective Communication Skills for Intercultural and further, innovations spread more quickly, ideas spread more
Interactions quickly, disease spreads more quickly, etc. It has become trite to
 Lesson 2: Enhancing Verbal and Non-verbal
point out that today’s big problems, requiring new and innovative
Communication Skills
 Lesson 3: Digital Tools for Global Communication solutions, are Global engagement: committed, meaningful
interaction with the world as a whole.
Introduction:
Global Problems, Transcending National, Cultural, and
Generational Boundaries, and From Which No Nation Can Isolate
Itself
What is global engagement?
 climate change
It’s a phrase we hear everywhere these days, and both  melting of the polar ice cap
individual words, “global” and “engagement,” are increasingly used  extreme weather
in their own right as buzzwords, in university taglines, commercial  global flows of migrants and refugees
slogans, planning documents, etc.  airborne and waterborne pollution of the natural
environment and disease propagation
 terrorism and cyberterrorism
Dictionaries define “global” as “of or relating to the whole
world, worldwide; complete or comprehensive;” interestingly a
To be prepared to live well and responsibly in this current
business-oriented dictionary, businessdictionary.com, defines
and future world, education must also include engagement, not just
“global” as “pertaining to the whole world, rather than a single
fleeting exposure, to multiple perspectives on these inescapable
country or region,” introducing a very specifically geographical
global problems.
sense. “Global” has much wider scope than “international,” which it
is now tending to replace, generating a far more all-encompassing Reference:
aspect.
Embleton, Shiela. (2025). What is Global Engagement?. Canadian
“Engagement” is more difficult, with the most common Bureau for International Education. Retrieved from
meanings until recently being “a formal agreement to get married,” https://cbie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CBIE-
“an arrangement to do something or go somewhere at a fixed time,” briefing-note-global-engagement.pdf
or “a job as a performer.” There are more specialized meanings in
medicine, finance, mechanics (“condition of being in gear”) and
military terminology (“hostile encounter or battle”), and occasionally
a more recent usage, “the feeling of being involved in a particular
activity” is acknowledged. What these definitions all have in
common is both a sense of commitment and of there being two
parties which interact. So perhaps a good definition for our purpose
is simply “a committed or meaningful interaction.”

Now going back to combine “global” into the phrase, we

would have a definition for “global engagement” something like “a
committed, meaningful interaction with the world as a whole.”

Ambitious indeed!

Why be engaged globally?

There are two most commonly cited reasons to be more

globally engaged.

One reason is very instrumental — for our graduates to be

considered educated “global citizens” and/or “job-ready” in
today’s world, some level of international competence is required.
Whether our graduates work at home or abroad, they will need to
work effectively with others from very different and diverse
backgrounds. This may be made more explicit in some fields (e.g.
business) than in others, but the need is there no matter what and
where the job.
LESSON 1: Effective Communication Skills for Intercultural to get a phonetic equivalent and came up with “ko-kou-ko-
Interactions le,” which roughly translates to “happiness in the mouth.”

 Business Relationships
Language Learning: Why Is Intercultural Communication
Important? Respecting the social norms of another culture
requires an understanding that practices may vary. While
Thanks to fast transportation, global media, and the world Americans value making small talk with potential business
wide web, we are now more connected than ever to other people partners, the British may try humor, while the Germans
worldwide. Working with the international community for economic may jump right to the point.
survival means countries and cultures can no longer operate in a
vacuum. Because of this, intercultural communication is no longer a
choice but a must. In contrast, people from Thailand don’t bat an
eye when asked what may be seen as intrusive questions
in the West, such as whether you’re married or what you
In addition, misunderstandings resulting from a lack of do for a living. In a similar vein, first names are preferred
familiarity with another culture are often embarrassing. Blunders by Americans, but in Austria, titles are used to prevent
like these can make it difficult, if not impossible, to reach an coming off as disrespectful.
agreement with another country or close a business contract with a
foreign partner. For travelers, a faux pas can also make interactions
more awkward. In this article, we’ll be discussing the importance of  Advertising
intercultural communication.
You may have heard the popular myth that the
Intercultural Communication Definition Chevrolet Nova of the 1970s was a resounding flop in Latin
America due to its name, since “no va” translates to “no
go” in Spanish. In reality, the car was a smashing success
The capacity to communicate with people from diverse — since the name “nova” also means “new.” Nevertheless,
cultures is referred to as intercultural communication. Interacting there are innumerable examples of poorly translated
effectively across cultural lines requires perseverance and sensitivity advertisements across cultures that led to more
to one another’s differences. This encompasses language skills, severe outcomes.
customs, ways of thinking, social norms, and habits.
For example, the Spanish equivalent of the
There are many ways in which people all around the world American “Got Milk?” campaign featured the phrase
are similar, yet it is our differences that truly define us. To put it “Tienes leche?” which translates as “Are you lactating?”
simply, communication is the exchange of ideas and information The campaign completely bombed, ruining the reputation
between individuals by any means, verbal or otherwise. Sharing of the brand in that area. This mishap could have been
knowledge with others requires familiarity with social norms, body avoided with more thorough focus group testing of
language, and etiquette. intercultural communication.

Having the ability to communicate effectively across  Public Relations and Media Events
cultural boundaries is critical for the success of any intercultural or
multinational endeavor. Additionally, it helps improve relationships
by facilitating two-way conversations, which in turn foster mutual Executives from the United States frequently
understanding between people of diverse backgrounds. interview international media and make public
appearances in other countries. Working knowledge of the
language is obviously necessary for such work, but words
Intercultural Communication Examples alone can’t account for how people will interpret things
like tone of voice, the pace of speech, gestures, and facial
There are several facets to intercultural communication expressions. In Japan, for instance, it’s rude to point out.
competence, from language skills to knowledge of social practices Instead, you should wave politely in that direction.
and cultural norms. These capabilities are constantly used Similarly, the Indian equivalents of “please” and “thank
throughout organizations and in all forms of communication. Here you” are sometimes seen as overly formal and
are a few examples of intercultural communication in action: even disrespectful.

 Branding The Importance of Intercultural Communication

It can be challenging for multinational

corporations to find appropriate product names that will
not offend customers in their target markets due to When we investigate the cultural influences on
linguistic differences. For instance, Coca-Cola initially communication, we gain a deeper understanding of both areas.
considered renaming its brand KeKou-KeLa for the Chinese Additionally, it aids in expanding our knowledge of who we are as
market. However, they didn’t take into account that this individuals and as a society.
cute moniker means “female horse stuffed with wax” or
“bite the wax tadpole.” Unsurprisingly, a rebrand was
necessary. Coke then looked up 40,000 Chinese characters
 Understanding our communication styles, habits, and Misunderstandings occur all the time, and in most cases,
tendencies and how they may serve or work against us when it’s not because someone was trying to be deliberately
interacting with others from other cultural backgrounds is a valuable unclear. Those of us who aren’t well-versed in other
personal benefit of studying intercultural communication. cultures often fail to grasp the intended meaning of a
message. This is why it’s essential to look at every
When seen in a broader context, intercultural intercultural exchange in a constructive light.
communication can shed light on a wide range of human
experiences, from the process of defining the workings of the brain Improving Your Intercultural Communication Skills
to the power of languages in bringing people together.
Here are some steps you can take to begin improving your
As the world gets more interconnected, the ability to intercultural communication skills:
communicate successfully across cultural boundaries is becoming
more and more vital. Since we are now able to travel to more places,  Acquire Cultural Knowledge
we are exposed to other cultures and ways of living. Discovering the world through the lens of other people’s
beliefs, values, and ways of expression is a fascinating and
The ability to communicate effectively across cultural eye-opening experience. Educating yourself on the
boundaries is crucial for the successful collaboration and fundamentals of intercultural communication, such as
relationship-building of multiethnic and international communities. language and gestures, is just as important as expanding
It is also essential for avoiding and resolving conflicts. If you want to your knowledge of the world’s diverse cultures.
learn about other people and their customs and find common
ground around the world, this is how to do it.  Watch International Shows
If you want to get a feel for how people speak in a
Intercultural Communication Competence different culture, it’s better to see an international film in
its original language than to suffer through a bad English
dub. If you’re interested in learning more about Indian,
There are a variety of skills that are necessary for effective
Turkish, or Chinese culture, you can find TV shows from
intercultural communication; some of them may be taught, while
those countries and more on modern streaming platforms
others are inherent and just require practice. Let’s take a look at
like Netflix.
some of the most crucial personal competencies for intercultural
communication, as opposed to just linguistic ones like speaking,
listening, and body language.  Speak to People
When you have coworkers or neighbors from other
countries, you gain access to a wealth of undiscovered
 Self-awareness: Recognizing how your personal views,
possibilities. In-depth conversations with people about
behaviors, and possible prejudices and stereotypes might
their backgrounds and the culture shock they may have
affect a conversation is a massive step in improving your
felt upon arriving in your country can yield a great deal of
ability to have meaningful interactions with others.
valuable knowledge and perspective. If they are treated
 Empathy: Intercultural communication relies heavily on
with respect and dignity, people all around the world are
empathizing with others and gaining insight into their
happy to have their voices heard.
experiences.
 Respect: Even if you don’t agree with or appreciate every
aspect of another person’s or group’s culture, you may still  Take in What You Hear and See
respect them by recognizing their right to do so. There are a wide variety of ways to enhance your
 Emotional intelligence: Learning to pick up on the intercultural communication competence. Among these
subtleties of communication is essential when working are learning when to ask open-ended questions, stick to
with people from other cultures. Whether you get what is yes/no answers, and decide when to use humor. The two
being communicated or not depends on how well you use most crucial pieces of advice for improving your
your senses, how well you know yourself, and how well communication skills are to listen attentively and to watch
you can empathize with others. what others do.
 Adaptability: One of the goals of intercultural
communication is to teach people how to modify their way Final Thoughts
of speaking to replace ambiguity, conflict, and antagonism
with clarity, harmony, and cooperation. That’s why it’s Whether you’re a tourist taking a trip overseas, a
important to be adaptable in our thinking, reactions, and businessperson negotiating a merger, or a professor teaching a
interactions with others, as well as in our speech, listening, classroom full of international students, you need to be aware of the
and body language. importance of effective intercultural communication.
 Patience: Effective communication across cultural
boundaries doesn’t happen immediately. That’s why you
In today’s interconnected world, the ability to
need to have patience. Don’t rush through the process of
communicate across cultural boundaries is more important than
becoming well-versed in best practices; instead, take your
ever. It facilitates communication across linguistic and cultural
time and make them part of your routine. Due to cultural
boundaries, leading to more tolerance, acceptance, and, ultimately,
differences, it may take more or less time than usual to
stronger relationships amongst people of diverse backgrounds.
absorb new information.
 Positivity: Maintaining an optimistic attitude when
interacting with people of other cultures is crucial.
 whereas the person at the receiving end needs to listen to the words
or sound to get the information.
LESSON 2: Enhancing Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Skills
There are several factors that decide the effectiveness of verbal
9 Effective Communication Strategies to Connect Better with Your communication, such as clarity of speech, tone, word selection,
Team speech rate, etc. Additionally, listening skills also matter a lot in
deciding the overall success of verbal communication.

Communication is one of the crucial factors that can either  Written Communication
make or break a project. Let us take a look at the following statistics
and figures: Written communication is another communication method
teams use to disseminate information in the form of words or
 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration symbols written usually on paper or similar materials. The individual
or ineffective communication for workplace failures who wants to communicate the message or information needs to
 About 75% of employers rate teamwork and collaboration write on a paper and the individual at the receiving end has to read
as very important the information in order to understand it. The best thing about
 Less than half of survey respondents said that their written communication is that it provides a record of information
organizations discuss issues truthfully and effectively that one can access and go through multiple times.

Working in a team requires much more than hard work, team Words are of paramount importance when opting for written
spirit, and readiness to work alongside a bunch of people. The most information. Unlike verbal communication, the person at the
important yet most ignored thing that is responsible for a team’s receiving end cannot perceive the emotions of the individual
success is effective communication. drafting the message. Thus, the tone of writing and selection of
words is crucial to ensure the reader gets the right information.
Communication is a vital part of any business environment
because it facilitates the flow of information.  Non-Verbal Communication

During non-verbal communication, information is transmitted

Whether it’s the details about the sales leads generated by using gestures, postures, and facial expressions. An individual can
your marketing team, or you need to get innovative ideas from your convey information using visual cues like body language, eye
team members to solve a particular issue, the common thing you contact, etc.
need is to communicate.

One important thing to notice about non-verbal communication

Well, communication is more like an activity that involves the is that it can also happen unintentionally. For instance, not looking
exchange of information, but how that information flow is going to at the person who is sharing an idea with you most likely means that
happen is decided by the communication strategies that you use. you are either not interested or disagree with the idea.

What is the main role of communication?

 Visual Communication
Communication is all about the exchange of information
between two or more people. In any organization, employees need Visual communication makes use of signs, drawings,
to communicate with one another to achieve desired outcomes. illustrations, graphics, pictures, etc. to transmit information and
messages. The choice of the right visual elements can make it easier
When it comes to team communication, the purpose of for individuals to interpret the information.
interaction among the members is to share information that is
essential for achieving organizational goals. Moreover, good Both verbal and written communication can make use of
communication makes it easy for team members to coordinate with visual elements to make the information more understandable. The
one another effectively. most common instance where visual communication is used
alongside verbal and written communication is during team
What are the four methods of communication? meetings.

Generally, there are several methods of communication that

individuals can use to exchange information with one another.
However, the 4 most common methods of communication used in How important is communication?
organizations are as follows:
At the workplace, teams are in a constant state of
 Verbal Communication communication via email, video conferences, phone calls, texts, and
face-to-face meetings. If project goals and objectives are clearly
Verbal communication is the most common method of communicated, you can increase your chances of achieving those
communication used by teams within organizations. It is a goals.
communication method in which the information is exchanged
verbally. The individual behaving as the source transmits the
information by speaking words or making patterns of sound, With the increasing number of failed projects, the need for
implementing effective communication strategies is increasing day
by day. Before we go ahead and discuss various methods to 1. Encourage One-to-One Communication
implement a communication strategy, let’s first understand what it One-to-one communication is important to develop a
takes to develop a communication strategy. bond and understand your teammates in a better way. When you
talk to others on a personal level, you get to know more about them.
A communication strategy can be both short and focused You can read their body language, know about the communication
or long and detailed depending upon the outcome you’d like to methods that they are most comfortable with, know about the
achieve. Whatever the case, you need to define the following things visual cues that they use more, etc.
first:
Additionally, when you need to share some confidential
1. Understand your needs and requirements information with someone, you need to communicate one-on-one
Before team members start working, make them with someone who you trust. You can easily talk about matters in
understand why the strategy exists in the first place. A private, and get suggestions from a single person without involving
communication strategy should be made so that it serves a other people on your team.
business or an organizational goal. Figure out the problem,
seek solutions, and define roles accordingly. 2. Let Everyone Speak in Meetings
Team meetings are usually boring and seem more like a
2. Involve people formality. But this usually happens when a limited number of
While the formulation of a strategy is taking place, participants have the privilege of sharing what’s on their minds.
involving others is a great idea. Bringing in other team Meetings with defined agendas and the involvement of only those
members means getting more input which increases the who are directly related to the issues being discussed are not
chances of an effective communication strategy being productive for everyone.
made.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a team leader or a team
3. Know your audience member, you need to express your thoughts openly during a
Knowledge of the target audience is a must to successfully meeting. It‘s the responsibility of the manager or the meeting
execute your strategy. Figure out your audience – local, organizer to ensure that every participant gets an equal chance to
national, or global. Understand their needs and express what’s on their mind. Moreover, participants need to listen
requirements by putting yourself in their shoes. carefully to what others have to say without interrupting them. This
will not only make the meeting more open but also gives a fair
chance to everyone to hone their speaking and listening skills.
4. Define clear objectives
Whether it’s a marketing campaign or an organizational
goal, well-defined communication objectives will take your 3. Make Use of Multiple Modes of Communication
strategy to another level. Clear objectives lead Some people prefer talking face-to-face while others find it
to increased focus and clarity which results in quality more effective to send text messages to convey information. You
communication. may want to stick with your favorite communication channels but
this isn’t going to make communication with others easy for you in
the long run.
5. Evaluate
Evaluate as you go to check what’s working and what’s
not. Even if you’ve been successful with your strategy, Just like you, everyone has their own set of preferred
keep checking, improving, and refining it. This evaluation modes of communication. However, to convey your messages to
will help you to figure out whether tactics should be everyone on your team without any friction, you need to make
changed or not, resources should be added or not, and yourself comfortable with different modes of communication. You
new plans should be implemented or not. can get yourself one step closer to becoming a communication
expert by making use of different channels for communicating with
your team.
9 Best Strategies for Effective Communication

4. Bring in Some Humour: Why So Serious?

In any team, members need to interact and communicate
Too serious conversations can put you and other
with one another from time to time. Good communication not only
participants in a negative state of mind. And this will affect how you
strengthens the bond among the team members but also facilitates
perceive information and draw conclusions. Moreover, when a
the overall process of information-sharing. Additionally, as
communication session becomes too serious, everyone wants to
communication is a vital part of our life outside work, it’s better to
leave it at the earliest and the flow of information gets hindered
level up your communication skills and make it one of your key
significantly.
strengths.

Sometimes, you need to put across information that is

Here’s a popular quote by John Powell that will motivate
intense and it is not possible to avoid a stressful communication
you to put effort for improving your communication skills:
session. In such a case, you should know how to lighten the mood of
yourself as well as others. A good joke can do the trick and help
“Communication works for those who work at it.”
everyone to relax and retain their interest in the matter being
discussed.
Now, let us take a look at the most effective
communication strategies that you and your teammates should
5. Prepare Yourself Beforehand
follow to make team interaction both fun and rewarding:
 Don’t take things too lightly and always ready yourself Before you start implementing the communication
beforehand when you have to share some important information strategies, just make sure that you are not making any common
with your teammates. You definitely don’t want any piece of communication mistakes.
information from getting skipped while communicating the message
with your team. Here are some of the most common communication
blunders that can lead to ineffective conversations:
It’s always a good idea to note down all the important
points that you want to communicate with your team. Also, you 1. Assuming Everyone Understand Things the Same Way
need to focus on presenting information in an interesting and
engaging manner. It’s a good practice to customize the information
When you communicate with several people at a
that you want to share with a particular audience.
time, it is normal that some of them will get it easily while
others are unable to understand your point. It happens
6. Promote Feedback During Communication Sessions because of the difference in the understanding level and
Communication is a two-way process and information preferred learning style. Moreover, you can never assume
cannot be exchanged effectively if the flow of information is that all the people interpret your message in a similar way.
unidirectional. From unidirectional what I mean here is that the Thus, it’s better to observe and develop a communication
information is only flowing in a single direction. For instance, you strategy that can work for all the members of the group
shared some information with your team and no one asked or whom you want to address. The one-size-fits-all approach
discussed the information with you. never works when it comes to team communication.

Feedback plays a vital role in improving the overall 2. Bad at Listening

effectiveness of communication by enabling the flow of information
in the backward direction also. The most common example of
Communication is not only about speaking and
feedback is the questions that you ask at the end of a presentation.
transmitting information but is also about listening and
Feedback can be in the form of doubts, suggestions, or thoughts that
receiving information. In any conversation, one person
you will get after you communicate your message.
shares the information by speaking while the other person
listens and interprets the information. So, what you need
7. Be Ready to Involve Yourself in Difficult Conversations to understand here is that listening skills matter as much
Sometimes, you may find yourself in a conversation with as speaking skills. By listening carefully to others, you will
someone whose thoughts, opinions, and feelings are completely be able to understand things easily and learning becomes
different than yours. The two most obvious choices that you have in easier for you. Individuals who are bad at listening, are less
such a circumstance are to either avoid the conversation or get likely to extract the correct information from the
yourself involved in an argument. conversations.

But neither of the ways is going to do the trick, which is to 3. Ignoring the Tone of Your Voice
make the communication happen effectively while keeping personal
differences aside. So, what you need to do for tackling a difficult When you are communicating verbally, the tone
conversation is to stay relaxed and try to understand what the other of your voice matters a lot. Voice creates a major impact
person wants to say before responding. Also, you can practice how on your listeners and also acts as a key factor that decides
you respond when you get into tricky conversations that can happen how well your listeners get connected with you.
with your manager or your team members. Communicating in a harsh and annoying tone is likely to
put a negative impact on your listener and in worst-case
8. Jot Down All the Key Points of a Discussion scenarios, results in conflicts. You need to make sure that
While communicating with your team, especially during a the tone of your voice is gentle, confident, educating, and
discussion or a meeting, you witness the flow of a significant should imply that you are also willing to listen.
amount of information and ideas. However, it’s difficult to retain all
the useful information that is shared verbally with one another. As a
result, it is likely to lose most parts of the conversation that may
come in handy.

To ensure that discussion brings productive results and

4. Emotions Overpowering Logic
information does not get lost, you need to note down every piece of
information that seems valuable. This way, you can secure many
ideas that otherwise would have been lost. Conversations influenced by your emotions are
ineffective and are likely to bring in undesired outcomes,
especially in the office environment. You need to think and
9. Make use of Communication Tools
communicate logically while keeping your emotions aside.
Today, several tools have emerged that make it easy for
Most decisions that are guided by emotions are likely to be
the team to communicate and share their thoughts and ideas
the ones that you regret later. It’s quite difficult but you
conveniently. You can use online team collaboration tools for
need to resist your emotions from taking over your logical
instant messaging, video conferencing, brainstorming, note-taking,
thinking.
etc.

5. Hold Back Your Thoughts and Ideas

Most Common Communication Mistakes That You Must Avoid
 Not expressing your thoughts while
communicating can bring conversations to a dead end. It’s
very important to share what’s on your mind with others
to get your issues and requests noticed. You need to
communicate your opinions with confidence to make sure
that others don’t take them too lightly.

6. Reacting More and Responding Less

Reacting and responding are two different

things. When you react, you take action without giving
proper thought to the consequences and the impact that
they are going to make. Generally, reactions are aggressive
and tense in nature. On the other hand, responding means
that you take time to think about the issue or the situation
and then take action accordingly. Reactions are not good,
especially when you are communicating with people on a
professional level. A single reaction during a conversation
can induce multiple reactions that will create a hateful
environment and kill productivity.

7. Getting Distracted Easily

While exchanging information with others, you

always need to pay attention to ensure that you don’t miss
anything that is important. Distractions can put you in a
situation where you are physically present in a
conversation but mentally you become absent. There can
be many reasons for getting distracted while
communicating with your team like a bad attitude, the use
of mobile phones, etc. For making any conversation
successful, you need to keep distractions at bay and
engage yourself with a positive attitude.

Wrapping it Up

Good communication skills are imperative for becoming successful in

the workplace. Whether you are communicating with your team or
with your boss, you should practice effective communication
strategies to take your conversations to the next level. I also suggest
that you should try to avoid common mistakes that affect the overall
communication process and disrupt the flow of information.

Reference:

https://www.proofhub.com/articles/communication-strategies
 Digital communication is important for governments, not just
because citizens expect more of it from governments, but also
because governments can get citizens more meaningfully engaged
by using digital communication.

Digital communication can also streamline many processes

LESSON 3: Utilizing Digital Tools for Global Communication and make communication between different local governments or
agencies easier. This frees up time for more important tasks and can
reduce miscommunication or generally poor internal
communication.
What is Digital Communication?
Global communication has been significantly transformed
by the advent and widespread use of digital tools. These digital tools
In just a few decades, digital communication has become
have revolutionized the way people interact, collaborate, and share
the primary way people communicate with one another. But what
exactly is digital communication and why should it matter? information on a global scale. In this discussion, we'll explore the
various aspects of how digital tools have influenced global
Digital communication is the use of online tools like communication.
email, social media messaging and texting to reach other individuals
or a specific audience in order to share a message. Even something Instant Communication: Digital tools like email, messaging apps,
as simple as reading the text on a webpage like this can be and social media platforms have made instant communication
considered digital communication.
possible across vast distances. People can now connect with each
Over the last 20 years, many businesses, organizations, other in real-time, irrespective of their geographic locations. This has
and industries have had to ask themselves, “what is digital accelerated the speed of information exchange and enhanced global
communication?” and adapt to the changing environment where connectivity.
digital communication has replaced not just older forms of
communication like writing and sending letters but face-to-face Social Media: Social media platforms have played a crucial role in
communication as well. shaping global communication. They provide a space for individuals,
organizations, and even governments to share information,
In an effort to better serve the needs of citizens,
opinions, and news. Social media has become a powerful tool for
governments have also asked themselves this question of “what is
digital communication?” and adapted many of their services so they spreading awareness about global issues, mobilizing communities,
could better serve the needs of their citizens. This process, and facilitating cross-cultural exchanges.
commonly referred to as the digital government transformation, is
ongoing and as there are more advancements in technology, the Video Conferencing and Telepresence: Digital tools such as video
answer to a question like, “what is digital communication?” may conferencing software have bridged the gap between individuals
change to include more things. and businesses worldwide. Virtual meetings, webinars, and
telepresence technologies enable face-to-face interactions despite
Why is digital communication important? physical distance, promoting international collaboration and saving
time and resources on travel.
The whole world learned why digital communication was
important throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. If a business hadn’t Multilingual Communication: Online translation tools have broken
already asked themselves, “what is digital communication?” prior to language barriers in global communication. Automatic translation
the pandemic, they would have had to in order to stay afloat services allow people to communicate in different languages,
because many could not operate in person or at least not at full
opening up opportunities for cross-border collaboration and
capacity.
understanding.
Meetings shifted to video conference calls, and email
became the main way coworkers communicated with one another, Blogs and Online Forums: Digital platforms like blogs and forums
making it abundantly clear how important digital communication is. have given individuals a space to express their thoughts and
Social distancing also meant that friends and family couldn’t gather
opinions on global issues. These platforms facilitate discussions,
like they used to, so they had to rely on texts, social media, and
video calls to stay connected. debates, and the exchange of diverse perspectives from people all
over the world.
Beyond the pandemic, digital communication was
important for a variety of other reasons. Citizen Journalism: The rise of digital tools has empowered ordinary
citizens to become journalists. People can capture and share news,
Firstly, it’s important for governments because of how events, and stories in real-time through their smartphones and
popular digital communication is among the population. Citizens social media. This has democratized media and allowed for the
aren’t asking questions like “what is digital communication?” they’re
dissemination of information that might otherwise go unnoticed.
wondering why many governments have been slower to adopt it and
offer the digital services they expect to see.
E-Commerce: Digital tools have transformed the way businesses
operate globally. E-commerce platforms enable companies to sell
products and services to customers worldwide, creating new
opportunities for international trade and economic growth.

Global News and Information Sharing: The internet and digital

media have revolutionized how news and information are accessed
and distributed globally. People can now get real-time updates on
global events, crises, and developments from various online sources,
making it easier to stay informed about global issues.

Cultural Exchange and Collaboration: Digital tools have facilitated

cultural exchange and collaboration between individuals from
diverse backgrounds. Online communities, social networks, and
content sharing platforms enable people to learn about other
cultures, share their own traditions, and foster understanding and
appreciation for global diversity.

Social Movements and Activism: Digital tools have played a

significant role in driving social movements and activism worldwide.
Online campaigns, petitions, and social media advocacy have
mobilized global support for various causes, making it easier for
people to participate in collective actions for change.

Challenges and Concerns: While digital tools have undoubtedly

enhanced global communication, they also come with challenges
and concerns. Misinformation and fake news can spread rapidly,
causing harm and confusion. Privacy and security concerns arise as
personal data is shared and stored online. Additionally, the digital
divide can create disparities in access to information and
communication technologies, hindering the full potential of global
communication.

In conclusion, digital tools have revolutionized global

communication, empowering individuals, businesses, and
communities to connect, collaborate, and share information on an
unprecedented scale. While these tools offer numerous benefits, it's
essential to address the challenges they bring to ensure a more
inclusive, secure, and responsible global communication landscape.

Reference:

https://govos.com/blog/what-is-digital
communication/#:~:text=Digital%20communication%20is%20the
%20use,can%20be%20considered%20digital%20communication.