Transcript What You Should Know About Adjusting to a New Culture

What You Should Know About
Adjusting to a New Culture
The Learning Resource Center
Loyola Marymount University
310-338-2847
How do you feel about living in
Los Angeles and attending
Loyola Marymount University?
Happy?
Fearful?
Excited?
Depressed?
If you answered yes to any of
these questions, then we have
good news for you….
You are perfectly normal!
In fact, most people who live
in a new culture for very long
experience these and many
other conflicting emotions.
At first, the visitor usually feels
fascinated with the new country.
However, after many days or
weeks of struggling with a new
language and different customs,
he or she
typically
begins to
feel a roller
coaster of
emotions.
This experiences is often referred
to as…
Sounds scary, right? Well, it’s
not as bad as it sounds. Culture
shock does not hit like a
lightening bolt. It is not fatal,
and it need not be debilitating.
If you take the time to learn
what to expect from this process
of cultural adjustment, you
should survive it just fine, as
millions of people before you
have.
One good thing about culture
shock is that it is predictable.
In fact, most experts agree that
it involves a four-step process
of adjustment that tends to
repeat itself in cycles.
The steps may not always occur
in the exact order they will be
presented here, and some steps
may be skipped by some
people.
Remember, everyone is
different, and the way you
adjust to a new culture may
not be exactly the same way
your friends adjust.
Step One:
The Honeymoon Period
During the first few days, weeks,
or months, the visitor is usually
happy to be in the new culture.
Everything seems exciting and
new, the people are interesting
and the future looks bright.
Step Two:
The Irritation Period
After the first few days, weeks, or
months, the newcomer may begin
to feel like a fish out of water
from constantly straining
to perform well in a
foreign environment.
Mental and emotional fatigue
often set in at this point. The
visitor starts to feel stressed
and frustrated from constantly
trying to negotiate in a
language that may be quite
different from what he or she
learned in textbooks.
Situations that a student could
handle easily at home require
twice the effort in the new
country.
Finding housing, registering
for classes, making friends,
understanding people’s
behavior and responding
appropriately can begin to
feel overwhelming.
It is common at this point for
the visitor to sometimes feel
hostile toward the people of the
new culture, who don’t seem to
notice the great difficulty that
the newcomer is experiencing.
Some newcomers may begin to
feel that they do not belong,
and may be inclined to
withdraw from
contact with
members of
the new culture.
Step Three:
Initial Adjustment
With more time spent in the new
culture, everyday activities
eventually start becoming easier.
The student begins to understand
and communicate better in the
new language, and the customs
and expectations of the new
culture become clearer.
The newcomer feels more able to
get the information he or she
needs and begins to feel relieved
as he or she succeeds at
important tasks, such as writing
papers or participating in class.
Other people may comment to the
student that he or she seems
more relaxed or happier.
Step Four:
Acceptance and Integration
The student begins to feel “at
home” in the new culture. He or
she starts to realize that it has
both good and bad things to offer,
like any culture.
The student learns to accept the
behavior, customs, food and
characteristics of the people in the
new culture. He or she develops a
greater sense of belonging.
At this point, the
student has
successfully
adapted.
Returning Home
On returning home to visit or to
live, many students experience a
“re-entry shock” similar to the
four-step process just described.
However, the stages of readjusting to one’s home culture
are usually shorter and less
intense.
Individual Differences
While most experts agree that all
students experience some degree
of culture shock, the degree to
which it is felt generally depends
upon personalities,
…language ability, emotional
support, how long the visitor will
stay, and how different the
cultures are.
Symptoms of Culture Shock
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The symptoms of culture shock are
numerous. Among them are:
negative changes in eating and
sleeping habits
irritability, sadness, frustration
being more easily angered than
usual
• feelings of hostility toward the new
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culture and its people
great homesickness
withdrawal from people
loneliness
inability to concentrate
depression
loss of self-confidence
recurrent illnesses
How You Can Cope
With Culture Shock
1. If you develop symptoms of
culture shock, remember that
this is perfectly normal.
Millions of students before you
have survived culture shock,
and you will too.
2. Keep in touch with your
home country. Call home
regularly, watch international
television channels, and keep
personal photographs where
you can see them.
3. Take good care of yourself.
Eat well, exercise regularly, and
be sure you get enough sleep.
Don’t fall into the trap of trying
to study all night to make up
for difficulty listening in class.
That will just create more
problems for you.
4. Get involved. Make an
effort to get out of your room,
meet people, develop
friendships, go out for coffee,
study in groups, and join clubs.
You’ll feel better, adjust more
quickly, and enjoy your
experience at LMU much more
this way.
5. Ask questions if you don’t
understand something. Most
Americans will be happy to
help you.
6. Identify a specific American
who is friendly and understanding, and talk to that
person about specific situations
and your feelings about them.
It will be helpful to you to
understand how an American
perceives the situations you
discuss.
7. Try not to label things either
good or bad as compared to your
own culture. Most cultural
differences are just that—
differences.
8. Take advantage of the tutoring
and language support services
available to you through the
Learning Resource Center. To
make an appointment, call 310338-2847.
9. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to
someone! Call other international
students who are going through
similar experiences or call family
back home.
10. Call the Office for International
Students and Scholars at
310-338-2937.
11.Call LMU’s Student
Psychological Services at
310-338-2868 to make an
appointment with a therapist. If
you feel you are having an
emergency, a therapist will see
you without an appointment.
Remember to be patient with
yourself. Adjusting to a new
culture takes time, and it isn’t
easy for anyone.
However, if you know what to
expect from the process of cultural
adjustment and do your best to
follow the tips outlined here, you
should adjust just fine.
In fact, you may find, as many
students before you have, that
living in a new culture becomes
one of the most rewarding
experiences of your life.
We at LMU are glad you will have
that experience with us.
Welcome!