I am also very surprised that other classmates have a clear opinion/many experiences around communication though communication study is not their specialty. Many of them went to SEA program this summer and I guess each of them really faced cultural difficulties.
As to Barna's article the six concepts of stumbling blocks are considerable and examples help readers' understanding. However, these examples seem to be somewhat stereotyped such as "Japanese students..." or "An Oregon girl...." I worried about these usage because Barna has authority in communication study. If students who learn communication study for the first time accept her examples with no doubt, these stereotypes will get reinforced more. This result is probably far from her thought.
I think McDaniel's writing style is too difficult or technical for most of us. I guess his style prevents us from understanding his idea.
