There are four basic intercultural strategies that I use which I believe are the most important for growth during study abroad. Which are: Cope, Niche, Organization, and Monkey See Monkey Do!
Cope- Coping with your new environment is a tip to help you adapt and get used to what is around you. First starting out you might not be able to jump right into the new customs and activities so to cope with your new surroundings you could try things that are familiar to you such as writing a letter to somebody back home, keep a diary/blog, or even enjoying something from home like music or food. Niche- Finding your Niche is the next step to adapting to your new found surrounding the difference between finding your Niche and Coping is that your Niche is looking for the place you belong in your environment versus using something from your old environment to get used to the new culture. An example of finding your Niche would be joining a circle/club, or getting a job that would force you to interact with people. Maybe your niche isn't one specific place and is a multiple of places or activities such as being a party person or fitting in with a certain group of people. Organization- organization naturally helps you improve your efficiency especially in the Japanese culture organization is important to be pertinent,and on time. If you miss this aspect then it is seen as rude. Compared to American culture people almost set the time to parties earlier then they actually are because they expect people to come late. Being organized and prepared is important so in the case that something doesn't go according to plan Monkey see monkey do!- My final point is that basically if you see something that is being done often by everybody in your environment then you should fallow in their foot steps, because most likely there is a reason for there action. For example in Japan if you see everybody taking off their shoes before they go in to their home then you should probably also take off your shoes even if you don't completely understand why. Having goals are the best way to improve and grow into a better person then you were before. Including daily, weekly, monthly, and even life goals go give you an origin point to compare and contrast to see your progress, and also give you the extra push you need to work to reach your goals. My personal goals are to use Japanese daily and gather as many friends as I can. These two goals go hand in hand naturally to make friends greeting and making conversation with them is how you build and connect with them. With these to goals in mind I will improve in a number of areas that I didn't even intend on such as language proficiency, area customs, Geo knowledge and depending on who my friends are their area of expertise might become a new interest or job interest for me.
When you are in a culturally different background their is a plethora of steps that you can fallow to be more acclimated to your surrounding.
First, to help yourself cope you could is compare and contrast to see the differences and similarities with the cultures. Finding time to stop and observe will help you deal with culture shock. When you observe through compare and contrast you can find a logical reasoning instead of trying to survive the next hit in the face. Next, you should probably find your niche in society for example, if you like tea ceremony or sports then involving yourself in these activities will surround you in a lighter aura. Finally, being organized won't just help you for school or work. Organizing sleep study, and play schedule well naturally increase proficiency . |
AuthorD’Angelo Hill Archives |