Successful adaptation to a context is greatly enhanced when an individual is reasonably sure that the messages he or she sends and gets are received and interpreted in the way they were intended.

Another component of communication style involves how a person handles misunderstandings. A person willing to ask for clari?cation is less likely to experience communication breakdowns than one who is not. However, some people might feel it is disrespectful to ask, or may feel ashamed or embarrassed for not understanding. For these reasons, the interviewer might consider observing for the following issues: What are the person’s sensitivities to nonverbal cues ? How does the client use his or her voice? What are the intonations, in?exions, voice level, and rate of speech? How are the client’s verbal tracking skills? Will the client ask for clari?cation if he or she doesn’t understand something? Are there any attitudes associated with asking for clari?cation ? The ?nal domain of cultural context involves language usage. It differs from communication style primarily because it is concerned with the content of what was spoken, rather than the qualitative style. Language usage is the “what,” whereas communication style is the “how.” According to Castillo and associates , language is associated with cultural, social, and cognitive variables. Not only does it involve the ability to communicate, but also it affects perceptions of others about the language user. For example, people can be either positively or negatively evaluated according to which language they speak . People are also positively or negatively evaluated based on how well they speak their newly acquired language. Additionally, Swartz Kulstad and Martin report that potential for ethnocultural con?ict increases whenever people entering a new environment are not able to understand the language. A person’s ability to communicate effectively is a good predictor of ability to successfully adapt to a given environment. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand not only the language that a person speaks in any given context, but also the level of pro?ciency and comprehension. Here are some questions for the interviewer to consider: What is the client’s preferred language? What is the language pro?ciency? Ask: “What languages do you speak? Which do you prefer to use at home, at 394 Interviewing Special Populationswork/school, or with friends?” Keep in mind that direct questioning may not be the best way to evaluate language pro?ciency.