Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Task 1:

Write a two-three paragraph essay describing your experience with culture shock, then list the ways you have personally done or will do or overcome it. Try to answer these questions:

1. Did you know about culture shock before?
2. How did you feel about reading on that topic?
3. Was learning about culture shock in class helpful for you?

We learned an article named Deal with Culture Shock in our class this morning. It's important and helpful for us to learn about culture shock and how to deal with them. I'm impressed because I have no idea about culture shock before. According to this article, I thought I might be in stage 3 (slow acceptance) now because I began to study. It took me 4 years to pass the stage 2. It's too long to believe that. After reading this article, I feel better and know lots of people have suffered the same pain either. It's normal and just a period of my life. Wherever we go we are the same one.  

   
Task 2:Write an email to a friend here advising him/her on how to move on from Stage Two to Stage Three. List all the suggestions or recommendation you can propose to them.

Hi, Anna
I've received your email. I understand your feeling because I have been there. Living in Canada is never easy. You should overcome lots barriers, such as language barrier, education barrier, occupation barrier, ethnic barrier, religion barrier. I thought the biggest one is yourself. Dealing with them may be difficult. But this period will be a precious asset of your life. There are little tips may help you:

• Keep you busy

• Open your mind

• Go to school

• Make friends

• Arrange to return hometown

Best Regards
Yucho

 
Our Motto: If you don't do what you love, love what you do.
If you snooze, you lose.
to flip coin--take your chance
to make the right call--decision
turning point
straight right on your face
smart cokey


Dealing with Culture Shock
Wherever you go you will experience some degree of culture shock. The greater the cultural differences between you and the new culture, the more you will feel the affects of culture shock. Dealing with cultural differences may be difficult; however, by being educated about culture shock you turn something negative into a positive. Linguist and anthropologist Peter Adler defines culture shock as:
"Culture shock can be viewed positively as a profound cross-cultural learning experience: a set of situations or circumstances involving intercultural  communication in which the individual, as a result of the experiences, becomes aware of his own growth, learning and change. As a result of the culture shock process, the individual has gained a new perspective on himself, and has come to understand his own identity in terms significant to himself. The cross-cultural learning experience, additionally, takes place when the individual encounters a different culture and as a result examines the degree to which he is influenced by his own culture, and understands the culturally derived values, attitudes and outlooks of other people."
There are four stages of culture shock:
Stage 1 (honeymoon/fascination)- Period of excitement and euphoria over the new surroundings. You may notice that a lot of things are similar to your own culture.
Stage 2 (emptiness/frustration) _ Culture shock emerges as individuals feel the intrusion of more and more cultural differences into their images of self and security.
Stage 3 (slow acceptance) - Slowly people are being to see the differences in thinking and feeling that surround them. You may understand more of the culture and begin to like some of the customs, make friends and become more relaxed.
Stage 4 (acceptance/fulfillment)  - This stage represents near or full recovery - either assimilation or adaptation, acceptance of the new culture and self - confidence in the new person that has developed in this culture.
The stages present themselves at different times and will vary in duration from person to person. Signs and symptoms of being in the most difficult stage (slow acceptance) include the following:
--- sadness, loneliness, melancholy
--- aches, pains, allergies
--- preoccupation with health
--- insomnia, desire to sleep too much or too little

1. Have you ever experienced culture shock? If so, did go through four stages? Discuss your experience.
2. How can culture shock be even harder for people learning a second language?
3. Do you think that you could recognize the symptoms of culture shock in a friend? How?
4. What are some ways that you could address the issue of culture shock in your family?