Culture Shock of Exchange Students
By
Marina Glushkova
24 October 2015
Culture Shock of Exchange Students
Thesis statement: Exchange students, living and studying in a different
culture, living in the homes of host families, often experience significant
culture shock, sometimes on a continuous basis, throughout their stay abroad.
I.
Exchange Students
experience significant culture shock
II.
What is culture
shock
1.
Definition
2.
Stages
III.
Culture shock of
exchange students
1.
Reasons
2.
Stages
3.
How to cope up
with it
IV. Conclusion
Culture Shock of Exchange Students.
Most of us are familiar with the term
"culture shock". We may think of it as the temporary disorientation
that comes from being exposed to a different language, different customs and
food. It is weird for us to understand the way people in other countries view
the world, the way they think and what they value. Tourists often experience
culture shock at a superficial level. People who actually live in another
culture can experience culture shock as an on-going reaction and adaptation to
basic differences. Exchange Students, living and studying in a different
culture, living in the homes of host families, often experience significant
culture shock, sometimes on a continuous basis, throughout their stay abroad.
But what does the term “culture
shock” refer to? According to H. D. Brown, ‘…culture shock refers to
phenomena ranging from mild irritability to deep psychological panic and
crisis.’ Ellis suggests that the second language learner suffering from culture
shock experiences ‘…disorientation, stress, fear, etc. as a result of
differences between his or her own culture and that of the target language
community…’ In a nutshell culture shock can be described as the feelings one
experiences after leaving their familiar, home culture to live in another
cultural or social environment. Many people associate culture shock only with
extreme changes of going from one country to another, but it can also be experienced
closer to home, such as when traveling from one city to another within your own
country. Even the most open-minded and culturally sensitive among us are not
immune to culture shock.
Culture shock has different stages of
its development. It has three to five phases, depending on factors such as how
big the cultural difference is between your home and your new location, and how
long one is away from home; a person may or may not experience all the phases.
The first stage people go through
culture shock is called Excitement. This is a fun time. Everything is
great, exciting, and new. You love the differences, meeting new people, tasting
new foods, seeing different architecture, doing new things, working in your new
job. This phase can last days, weeks, or months.
The second stage is called Withdrawal.
During this phase, you're noticing differences, even slight differences,
and typically not in a good way. You start to feel like a fish out of water. You
don't like people's attitudes, their behavior seems deviant to you, you have
had enough of the food and just want mom's cooking, you miss your TV programs,
you don't like the water, it's too hot or cold, life is too fast or slow,
things are so much "better" at home, they celebrate the wrong
holidays, and so on. There's no set time when this begins — with some people,
it can be within days, with others, months. During this phase, a person often
feels anxious, angry, frustrated, sad or irritable.
The next stage can be called Adjustment.
The individual now has a routine, feels more settled and is more confident
in dealing with the new culture. They understand and accept the behavior of the
people, feel less isolated and regain their sense of humor.
After the adjustment there comes Enthusiasm.
Those who arrive at this phase feel more at home with the differences in the
new culture. Depending on how big a change a person has experienced, the person
may feel as if the culture isn't in fact new, or the person may not exactly
feel part of the culture, but they're comfortable enough with it to enjoy the
differences and challenges. Everything does not seem so freakish now. Negative
feelings are minimized. The person doesn't have to be in love with the new
country (as in the Excitement phase), but they can navigate it without anxiety,
negativity, and criticism.
But what do exchange students feel
while being abroad? Most exchange students in yearlong programs go through all
the stages, although each student’s experience is unique. It should also be
noted that while culture shock can be very uncomfortable, there is nothing
wrong with it, or with the person experiencing it. And it is also quite common
for students to have a very positive and rewarding experience, despite having
on-going adjustment problems with culture shock. Dennis White, Ph.D describes
four stages that exchange students experience. It is quite common for these
stages to repeat themselves as the students become more and more successfully
immersed in the host culture. He gives these stages the following names.
The first stage is called Excitements
and Enthusiasm. This is the feeling of excitement and enthusiasm that
accompanies travel to a new place, seeing and doing so many new and different
things, and meeting new people. It is most prominent at the beginning of the
exchange year, but can repeat itself as students continue to have new
experiences, like changing host families, meeting new students, or continuing
travel. Sometimes it can be the excitement that comes from developing a new
skill or increased understanding of the host culture.
Then comes the stage of Irritability.
This is the stage most associated with culture shock and occurs when the
initial excitement wears off and real differences become evident. These are
differences that go beyond food and language, and they are often indescribable
to the person experiencing them. No matter how understanding and accepting the
student may try to be, there will be many time when they just do not like the
new culture’s idiosyncrasies and do not understand why their host culture is so
weird, and they can not seem to make the feeling go away. Irritability can come
at any time that a student is confronted with differences they may not have
experiences or perceived previously.
Finally a student comes to Adaptation.
This is the longest, most difficult and most rewarding stage. This is when
students learn to accept that they will have to adapt if they are going to be
successful in their host culture. They work at adapting to customs and habits
that they may not understand, and may not like it. Sometimes even when they try
very hard, they have difficulty, because so much of this adaptation depends on
learning the native language. They know they are adjusting when they begin to
think and speak using idiomatic expressions. They know they are adjusting when
they notice that they are doing things without thinking, and these are the very
things they never thought they could become comfortable with. An example would
be when someone from a very formal culture becomes comfortable standing very
close to other people, frequently touching them and being touched, during a
conversation. Adaptation is a continuous process, but it requires more
attention when some of these newly discovered differences become apparent to
the student.
The last stage is called Biculturalism.
This stage comes very near the end of the stay, or sometimes does not really
emerge until the student returns to their native country. This is when they
realize that they have become competent in another culture, and can see the
world and function from another, very different point of view. When this stage
emerges toward the end of the exchange year, it all seems very unfair to the
student. Just as they are getting to experience the benefits of really knowing
how to function well in their host culture, they have to go back home.
But are there any possibilities to
smooth down the effects of culture shock? I think that it can be very helpful
if exchange students and their parents understand that this is what many
students are going through at this time. Teachers should be supportive of
students first by acknowledging that it is normal and ok to be going through a
low period at this time. Students need to be reassured that there is nothing
wrong with them or the host country just because hey are feeling this way. It
can be extremely helpful to a student in this stage to just have someone with
whom they can express their feelings without fear of getting in trouble or
offending anyone. It can also be helpful to point out to the student that this
is probably the lowest point they will experience, and that things will begin
to get better as they continue to work at adjusting.
To sum up, I can say that
cultural shock is a phenomenon that can not be avoided. Every person has to
deal with it experiencing a new culture. As for exchange programs, of coarse it
won’t be easy, but it is worth it. The exchange experience can at times be
compared to riding waves on a surfboard, with lots of ups and downs. If the
student can hang on and stick with it, this longest of waves will crest at the
top higher than they ever imagined possible.
Works Cited
1. Brown, H.D., ”Principles of
language learning and teaching.” New Jersey: Prentice-Hall 1987. (p.128)
2. Garone, Elizabeth., “What is
Culture Shock, and What Can I do to Avoid it?” BBC Capital 11 June 2013.
3. O’Sullivan, K., ”Understanding
ways: Communicating between cultures.” Sydney: Hale & Iremonger 1994. (p.
252)
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