Cross-cultural communication is perhaps more important today than in any other period of human history. One major significance of this trend is that future success in most careers will increasingly depend upon an individual’s ability to communicate effectively and appropriately across cultural boundaries. Cross-cultural communication is not limited to learning other languages, but also includes understanding how cultural patterns and core values impact the communication process. Even within the English speaking world you need to take care. American, English, Canadian and Australian cultures, while similar, all have their differences. A common language helps to break through cultural barriers and sort out misunderstandings but even speaking the same language is not enough.

Many norms of body language accepted in the U.S. convey the exact opposite of meaning in the east. Direct
eye contact in the U.S. is a sign of honesty while in many Eastern countries it is disrespectful. Can you picture the meeting where you are doing your utmost to make eye contact while your counterpart is trying equally hard to avoid it?

References 

Matt, P. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cyborlink.com/