Personal Brief Olivia Aukafolau Essay - 1942 Words

Personal Brief Olivia Aukafolau was born in central Auckland, New Zealand, where she has grown up in a suburban and heavily populated cultural environment. With her love of language, in 2013, at the age of 17 she participated in a student exchange to Germany for a year. She was situated in Herford, a small town of around 65,000 people, in the north of Germany. Well in Herford, Aukafolau attended the local German speaking high school where she completed year 12. Once her year in Germany was up, she then returned to New Zealand and now at the age of 19 attends Auckland University of Technology, studying Communication Design. Aukafolau was brought up with Christian values. Her mother is English and her father Tongan. She grew up in a relaxed environment where her parents were both open and encouraging for her to explore new experiences. Introduction Intercultural communication happens when people from different cultures communicate and interact with one another (Koester Lustig, 2015). Due to their cultural differences, it has an effect on the communication event they are taking part in (Jackson, 2014). It is important to understand intercultural communication, as it allows one to be able to, as Jackson (2014) describes, â€Å"adapt and thrive in unfamiliar environments, and contribute to our planet in a constructive, peaceful manner† (p. 46). In the multicultural society of today, by learning more about this form of communication, we are able to gain a deeper understanding