本书从内容、整体结构和编写体例上充分考虑了学科特点、中国高校学生的英语程度、认知方式和未来需求等因素，编写原则兼顾理论性和实用性，按照跨文化通识理论、交际实践、交际实力提升等多个层次系统组织内容，分阶段地培养学习者多元文化意识和解决现实问题的能力。全书一共分为十个章节，内容主要包括认识跨文化交际、交际与文化、文化认知、理解文化差异、语言与交际、言语交际、非言语交际、习俗礼仪、性别差异与交际、提高跨文化交际能力等主题。
第一章“绪论”主要介绍跨文化交际概念及其学科发展史，以及跨文化交际学的性质与应用。第二章“交际与文化”介绍了交际概念、交际过程模型、文化概念及其组成、文化中交际活动的特点。第三章“文化认知”介绍了认知、种族中心主义、偏见、刻板印象和文化相对主义等概念，重点讨论了文化如何影响人们对世界的认识，特别是世界观和价值观如何因文化而异，对人们的日常行为和人际交往产生深刻的影响。第四章“理解文化差异”主要介绍了三个探究文化差异的理论模型：克拉克洪与斯多贝克文化价值导向理论、霍夫斯坦文化维度理论以及霍尔高低语境文化研究理论。第五章“语言与文化”介绍了萨皮尔一沃尔夫假说和跨文化交际语言使用上的差异。第六章“言语交际”介绍了言语交际概念与类型、言语交际风格以及跨文化场景中的言语交际问题，展示了不同文化的人们对言语信息功能认识上的差异和他们在交际中对环境因素的依赖程度差异。第七章“非言语交际”介绍了非言语交际概念，并从非言语交际行为的跨文化差异入手探讨了体态语、时间观、空间观对人际交往的影响和可能造成的交际误解。第八章“习俗与礼仪”关注世界各地不同文化的餐饮习俗与礼仪、问候和告别行为、送礼习俗等。第九章“性别差异与交际”介绍了不同性别在言谈举止上的差异及相关理论、造成交际中性别差异的社会化进程等原因。第十章“提升跨文化交际能力”主要介绍了文化休克、文化适应等概念，阐释了构成跨文化交际能力的基本要素以及提升跨文化交际力、实现跨文化理解的基本途径。
全书每个章节的设计都与该章节主题高度相关，包括以下内容：学习导入、阅读课文、阅读提问、注释、思考分享、探索术语、要点总结、课后练习（正误判断、填空、单项选择、多项选择）、案例分析与理解技巧、小组活动、推荐阅读书目等。

Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Defining Intercultural Communication
Reading 1 Why Is It Important to Focus on Intercultural Communication?
1.2 The History of Intercultural Communication Studies
Reading 2 The Field of Intercultural Communication
Chapter Two Communication and Culture
2.1 Communication Process
Reading 1 What Is Communication?
2.2 Communication in Culture
Reading 2 Culture and Context
Chapter Three Cultural Perception
3.1 Defining Culture
Reading 1 Understanding Culture
3.2 Culture and Perception
Reading 2 Obstacles of Perception
Chapter Four Understanding Cultural Diversity
4.1 The Kluekhohn and Strodtbeck's Theory of Values Oientations
Reading 1 The Theory of Values Orientations
4.2 Hofstede's Theory of Cultural Dimensions
Reading 2 The Theory of Cultural Dimensions
4.3 Hall's Model of High-and Low-Context Cultures
Reading 3 High-Context versus Low-Context Cultures
Chapter Five Language and Communication
5.1 Language and Thought
Reading 1 Language, Thought and Culture
5.2 Language in Intercultural Communication
Reading 2 I.anguage Expressions and Cultural Value Orientations
Chapter Six Verbal Communication
6.1 Defining Verbal Intercultural Communication
Reading 1 Verbal Intercultural Communication
6.2 Verbal Communication Styles
Reading 2 Verbal Interaction Styles
6.3 Verbal Communication in Intercultural Settings
Reading 3 Compliment ~ Its "Response Act" across Cultures
Chapter Seven Nonverbal Communication
7.I Introduction to Nonverbal Communication
Reading 1 The Importance of Nonverbal Communication
7.2 Time and Communication
Reading 2 The Use of Time
7.3 Space and Communication
Reading 3 Space in Communication
Chapter Eight Customs and Etiquette
8.1 Dining Customs and Etiquette across Cultures
Reading 1 Dining Customs and Etiquette over the World
8.2 Social Etiquette across Cultures
Reading 2 Social Etiquette
Chapter Nine Gender Difference and Communication
9.1 Gender and Different Communicative Behaviors
Reading 1 Gender Difference in Communication
9.2 Gender Difference in Communication and Socialization
Reading 2 Gender Difference and Socialization
Chapter Ten Improving Intercultural Communication Competence
10.1 Defining Cultural Adjustment
Reading 1 Cultural Adjustment
10.2 Achieving Intercultural Understanding
Reading 2 Intercultural Communication Competence: a Synthesis