Using Common Language for a Dialogue: Success Strategies in Intercultural Communication

At a time of globalization, when international borders become increasingly nom-inal, the ability to maintain intercultural dialogue has become a key skill, which is of great importance in business, politics and everyday life. According to the UN, by 2023 the number of international migrants exceeded 281 million, and the global export of services reached $7 trillion, making interactions between cultures inevitable. But even when people use the same language — be it English, Spanish or Chinese — it is not always easy to establish smooth communication. This has to do with the illusion that speaking the same language would suffice for mutual understanding. In fact, differences in cultural codes, values and nonverbal practices create “invisible barriers”, which lead to conflict, financial losses and missed opportunities. A good example is the Procter&Gamble’s advertising for diapers in Japan in the 1980s that failed because of different perception of family roles in Japan and in the West (adverting to fathers did not work in the traditionally motherhood culture), with company’s subsequent losses to the tune of $62 million. Such cases confirm the hypothesis that a successful dialogue requires not just language skills, but cultural meta-competencies — the ability to recognize and adapt to alien cultural contexts. A Hofstede Insights study showed that 73% of conflicts in international projects are caused by differences in cultural perspectives and worldviews: we fail to hear and understand each other. This brings the question: how do we turn language fr om a transaction tool into a bridge for mutual understanding and mutual respect? The answer is three-fold and encompasses education, technology and social policy. According to the British Council, culture-oriented programmes, which are being implemented by universities and corporations, make communication by 40% more effective, as noted by. For example, 68% of business schools have already included cross-cultural training sessions in their curriculum, teaching students not only to carry out negotiations but to “read” hard-to-notice signals — fr om vari-ous nuances of business correspondence to hospitality traditions. These efforts are back with new technologies: AI translators such as DeepL help to remove language barriers but still require understanding the context. This is wh ere virtual simulators, such as MIT VR projects, come to the fore. They immerse users in cultural scenar-ios, reducing cognitive dissonance by 30%. The economic benefits of such strategies are evident. Companies that invest in cultural adaptation experience a failure on new markets twice less as their competitors . By adapting furniture design to local traditions — e.g., creating separate zones for families in its stores in Saudi Arabia — IKEA boosts customer loyalty and revenues. The social effect is no less significant: the multiculturalism policy in Canada reduced the level of inter-ethnic crime by 35%, and education programmes like Erasmus+ increased the tolerance level among the youth by 44%. These data suggest a direct link between intercultural dialogue and the sustainable develop¬ment of society. Forecasts corroborate the relevance of this issue. By 2030, the demand for intercultural communication specialists will grow by 25%, and the global economy, according to World Economic Forum estimates, may gain an additional impetus worth $1.5 trillion as the result of effective cooperation. However, only systemic efforts, including integrating cultural competence in educational standards, development of context-sensitive technologies and support of “soft power” through art, cinema and literature, will yield success. Using a common language for the dialogue means not just an exchange of words but a process requiring empathy, flexibility and readiness to learn. The Procter&Gamble story shows that even if your advertising was a real success in one country, there is no guarantee it will not fail in another, unless you have properly studied the cultural patterns of your target audience. Closing this gap is not only a challenge but also an opportunity to create a world wh ere differences lay ground for cooperation rather than foment a conflict. Ultimately, this is the very idea of true dialogue: to hear not only what is said but also what is hidden between the lines.