This is the first unit in a series of instructional materials arising from an exploratory study of cultural barriers to communication between North Americans and Colombians. A syllogistic model, in which our unspoken and unconscious assumptions comprise the major premise, is used to explain the difficulties of intercultural communication. These…

The materials presented here describe the Latin American naming system, explain how it differs from the North American system, and indicate how contrasting features of the two systems can be a barrier to communication between the two peoples. Major concepts considered are (1) the American full name versus the "nombre completo," (2) the…

This study, based on interviews with North American students and Peace Corps trainees in Bogota, and their host families, professors, and other Colombians in contact with the students, attempts to define the non-linguistic barriers to cross-cultural communication between North Americans and Colombians. The purpose of the study is to gather data…