**6. Considerations**

The small study reported above confirms the expectations of Brazilian students in the area of communication sciences and disorders regarding the impact of experiences with different cultural groups on the development of cultural competence. The limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic delayed all planning about face-to-face contact in the short term. However, there are many alternatives for distance meetings and communication. Developing communication partnerships among students and universities from different regions, environments, and even countries can foster interaction between students and improve general cultural sensitivity. Hopefully, the return to more mobile possibilities will allow the continuity and improvement of previous experiences.

Even different languages should not be barriers if communication is the true aim. Learning how to understand each other and reducing differences and distances may be the kind of soft skill that contributes to the development of empathy. It can surely be interesting for a CSD student to experience the role of not being able to communicate efficiently and needing to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers and becoming more flexible in different settings. It may be said that empathy is not enough, but it can be an important intrinsic motivator to the development of cultural competence.
