Dealing with Life Abroad I. Culture shock of life abroad 1) More and more people tend to go abroad —Go abroad to work,study or t

Dealing with Life Abroad
    Today’s lecture is about how you should deal with the life abroad, that is, some tips for you to deal with cross-cultural problems. Each year, millions of people go abroad to work, study, or travel. It is a great way to find out what life is like in another part of the world. (1) People who go abroad are probably hoping to make new friends and learn about the culture in another country—everything from attitudes and beliefs to social customs and popular foods. But constantly having to deal with new situations can be frustrating, even stressful.
    Homesickness.stress.fear.and confusion are all symptoms of culture shock. It is a result of carrying out your everyday life in a way that you are not use to, as well as being far from familiar places and faces. At first you may feel like getting on the place and home. It is OK to have those feelings, but wait, hang in there! The following tips help you deal with new situations.
    No. 1,take time to adjust.
    You may feel frustrated that you have culture shock, especially since you probably spend so much time preparing for your trip. No matter how much information you get, or how well you speak the foreign language, it is natural to feel overwhelmed sometimes. Jet lag may also be a factor. If you are exhausted from travel as well as trying to adjust to a new time zone, you may not be ready to face a new environment. If you give yourself some time, things will gradually get easier.
    No. 2,do have an open mind.
    While it is certainly OK to feel frustration or confusion in your new surroundings,try not to form an opinion about the new culture too soon. You may be quick to judge the food,manners and communication styles and as a result,you may want to do things the way you are used to. If you have such kind of experience, your expectations as well as common cultural stereotypes will often be inaccurate. (4) Do not think of the host culture as better or worse. It is just different and you will be more willing to try new things.
    No. 3,get involved.
    This is obvious, but everyone needs to be reminded. Just watching life go on around you is not good enough. You really need to try things for yourself. Do not worry about making a mistake. People in your host country will be very understanding and willing to help if you have questions. If you are unsure of what to do in a formal setting, follow others’ lead. (5) Active participation in conversation is important, especially if you want to become fluent in the local language—your effort will be appreciated.
    No.4,practise your language skills.
    Try to find a native speaker in your school or community, and ask him or her to meet with you to have conversation in his or her language. This is a great way to get experience with actual usage of the host language. (6) Take every opportunity to talk with native,and make a habit of going into places like a restaurant,shop or a bank. Successfully making a purchase or getting information in a foreign language will help you become more. As you become confident in this kind of public situations, you can try to engage others in a bit of casual, polite conversation. You will feel less frustrated about your language skills when you accomplish these routine kinds of activities.
    No. 5, try to find a foreign language TV station and watch often.
    At first the actor may seem to speak too quickly, but try to recognize a few words or phrases. Later it will be easier to follow dialogs. Pay attention to the patterns of pronunciation , and the way that the voice rises and falls when questions are asked and statements are made. (7) Children’s shows are great for learning and reviewing basic concepts such as alphabets, counting, object names and more. You can also gain some understanding of pop culture and lifestyles in the host country by watching advertisement and games shows.
    No.6,seek help and keep contact.
    Do not forget the contact information about the organizations and people that are to help you. Colleges and universities generally have offices that concentrate on the needs of international students and their families. People around you will be happy to help,and will have a lot of good advice since they’ve probably have other students with other issues in the past. You will not offend anyone, so be honest. Talking to people familiar to you always makes you feel better,and they can encourage you when you fell homesick. A good idea is to make a plan to call every week on the same day and at the same time. If you use e-mail while you are abroad,you will be able to keep in touch with lots of friends and your family very inexpensively.
    No. 7 .holiday advice.
    Some holiday have religious meanings. You may not share the religious beliefs of your hosts, but it is still OK to be a respectful observer. You might want attend the religious service,but not any of the prayers. Find out from your host what is acceptable. (9) Religious ceremonies can give you lots of insight into a culture, and your questions can lead to interesting conversations with your family and friends. Gift-giving is a part of holiday traditions. In that case, a small gift for each member of your family is appropriate. Gifts that have come from your native country would make an exciting and unusual gift.
    In today’s lecture, you are given seven pieces of useful advice on your life abroad. I believe if you follow these suggestions, you will be able to have a wonderful time abroad. Thanks for your attention!