HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 1 ESSAY TITLE VIETNAMESE ABROAD STUDENTS’ CULTURE SHOCK IN AMERICA GROUP 1 Nguyễn Thị Lan Nhi Trần Thị Nhật Ng.SEMESTER 1 (20182019) HUE, MARCH 2019 I. Introduction Nowadays, America is one of the most developing countries in the world. It attracts a large number of international students to start a new life and pursue their own dreams. Especially, the number of Vietnamese students in America has increased dramatically for many recent years. However, when Vietnamese abroad students move to a new country, despite much preparation beforehand, can feel overwhelming. Adapting to a completely new culture is one of the major difficulties for Vietnamese students. Therefore, it is very important for them to have the necessary knowledge and useful solutions in order to deal with culture shock.
HUE UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ***** CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION ESSAY TITLE: VIETNAMESE ABROAD STUDENTS’ CULTURE SHOCK IN AMERICA GROUP 1: Nguyễn Thị Lan Nhi Trần Thị Nhật Nguyễn Hoài Vạn Hạnh SEMESTER (2018-2019) HUE, MARCH 2019 I Introduction Nowadays, America is one of the most developing countries in the world It attracts a large number of international students to start a new life and pursue their own dreams Especially, the number of Vietnamese students in America has increased dramatically for many recent years However, when Vietnamese abroad students move to a new country, despite much preparation beforehand, can feel overwhelming Adapting to a completely new culture is one of the major difficulties for Vietnamese students Therefore, it is very important for them to have the necessary knowledge and useful solutions in order to deal with culture shock II Literature review Symptoms and stages in the process of culture shock: a Symptoms There are many typical symptoms of the Vietnamese students’ culture shock in America such as Sadness, loneliness, homesickness; Withdrawal and avoidance of contact with people from the new culture; Changes in mood, depression, feeling vulnerable; Anger toward the members of the new culture; Feeling of being lost or overlooked, etc All of these reactions are normal and visible When these responses last a long time or become exaggerated, the students may find it difficult to integrate with daily life in a new country b Stages American culture is different from Vietnamese one The Vietnamese abroad students have to go through certain stages to become more familiar and adapt themselves to new surroundings Firstly, the students would rejoice in exploring the new country, and accept the differences between the new culture and the old one Hence, this phase is called a honeymoon However, this stage could only maintain for several months or even some weeks Secondly, the difference in communication, language, lifestyle as well as studying style might make students shocked and meet certain difficulties in socialization This is the “being shocked” stages Then, Vietnamese students will have some adjustments to familiarize themselves with the lifestyle and enhance some essential skills for the communication to keep up with the studying style in a new culture The next stage is isolated feeling Even though students could adjust to daily lifestyles in this period, they still feel lonely and homesick since they have to leave their family and friends Finally, accept and socialization is the last phase of the culture shock process In this stage, Vietnamese students will establish new customs in order to adapt to a new culture, integrate with day-to-day routine, and make them become a part of a new country In general, each Vietnamese oversea student will have varied ways and amount of time to overcome each phase due to the differences in personality, age, adapting ability, knowledge of new culture, and their main purposes Causes of Vietnamese students difficulties in America There are many problems which Vietnamese abroad students need to experience when studying in a new culture such as communication, vast changes in everyday lifestyles, ways of knowledge acquisition or missing home, etc a Language and its usage Although English plays an important role in Vietnam’s education programs, Vietnamese students often focus on improving their reading, and writing skills as well as grammar rather than developing their listening and speaking ones since these skills occupy a big portion of tests at school Thus, they might get certain difficulties in communicating matters in a new language They also have fewer abilities to use slang or idioms, which easily creates more obstacles and misunderstandings in communication Essays, UK (2018) noted that “There are some other problems, including the different styles of using the target language These differences may lead to wrong interpretations of tone and intent” (para.16) Moreover, English native speakers keep speaking quickly and the students may feel embarrassed to ask them to repeat what they said If English is not your first language and is regularly used in a new environment, students may miss their home language (University of Washington, 2019, para.4) Consequently, it’s easy to recognize that many students would be like a fish out of water when first communicate with the native people of the new country since they have totally different tones and speed of voice compared to normal lecture in Vietnam Hence, communication skills along with accustoming themselves to the international studying environment are extremely essential preparation steps for students who want to conquer the American dream b Different values In Vietnam, people value their obligations to society so that Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G J., & Minkov, M (2010) noted that students can speak in class only when sanctioned by the group or the teacher The Vietnamese students often strictly follow the school regulations For example, the student does not allow to talk directly to the professors without permission In contrast, Essays, UK (November 2018) noted that “Americans emphasize individual rights” (para.10) For this reason, in the American education system, students are allowed to freely express their opinion and questions as well as expected to individually speak up in class Therefore, it is easier for teachers to catch up with their students’ problems Americans prefer to decide anything by themselves and want to be independent so when they are eighteen they would like to leave their nest Nam (2012) states the “The American characteristic can be said as an early independent personality compared with Vietnamese young people In Vietnam, everybody would like to live with their parents until they get married” (para 2) Most people live in extended families, and there are three or even more generations living together under a roof, thus Vietnamese students will feel homesick at the first time to go abroad for studying, especially at the place which is very far from home c Personality and behavior In America, Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G J., & Minkov, M (2010) noted that speaking one’s mind or telling the truth about how one feels is a characteristic of a sincere and honest people Compared to Vietnam, people should always be maintained in harmony and avoided direct confrontations because of the fact that they are considered rude and undesirable In the individualist communities (like America), Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G J., & Minkov, M (2010) studied that people with disabilities tend to be more optimistic and stay cheerful, being helped, and to plan for their future life as much as possible Conversely, in the collectivist communities (like Vietnam), there would be more expression of grief, shame, and pessimism; family members would be asked for advice and assistance, and they would make the main decisions about the person’s future Social behaviors may confuse, surprise or offend Vietnamese students For example, when seeing couples holding hands and kissing in public because Nam (2012) states the “Vietnamese doesn’t show the friendliness by the way of greeting while the American exchanges cheek-kisses, or a hug to each other It is considered ridiculous to Vietnamese people and should be done in a private place It will never happen between two women, and kissing in front of the children is unacceptable, even a cheek-kissing Otherwise, it can be seen as normal when two Vietnamese girls touch or hold hands in public while the American thinks that it’s weird” (para 4) All those differences between the two cultures make more obstacles in both communication and day-to-day routine for Vietnamese abroad students when they have a completely new life in America Solutions for Vietnamese abroad students to overcome culture shock in America To Vietnamese students who want to overcome culture shock, here are some useful tips to help them adapt as international students in America First, the students should spend time learning as much as possible about America, such as its culture and customs, people’s lifestyles and behavior, etc They can search and read necessary information through travel forums, guidebooks, news, reports, or novels Therefore, Vietnamese students can prepare mentally and physically for themselves so as to avoid being shocked by cultural differences Secondly, if Vietnamese students wish to adapt to the new culture, they should participate in student groups and clubs For example, they can join US students’ groups online to make interesting conversations and create friendships with both Americans and other international students Thanks to that, other students will be able to relate to their feelings and offer advice and support as well This is also a wonderful opportunity for them to improve their English skills and communicate with native speakers fluently As a result, the Vietnamese students will begin to be more comfortable with new customs, reduce feelings of loneliness and become happier Moreover, finding a healthy recreation can be a great idea to deal with culture shock The difference between positive and negative people lies in the way they choose to act in an unpleasant situation Instead of sitting in their apartment or the library every day, the students ought to try doing something that they are interested in and that keeps them in a healthy state of mind Doing exercises has been shown to reduce stress and fight depression For instance, they can take a walk downtown or join a sports club and then find some fellow students who want to get active and schedule a regular activity Last but not least, the best thing about studying abroad is that the students get to learn new things on a daily basis They should make their goals and discover more interesting values in America If they visit public places such as shopping malls, museums or sporting events, they will be able to watch and learn how American customs are practiced III Conclusion In conclusion, culture shock is an experience that almost Vietnamese students have to go through while they study abroad The students may feel stress when they face difficulties to adjust themselves to the new culture, to engage with the community or to struggle with learning However, that challenge gives them a chance to live and develop better in a broad range of environments Thus, they need to prepare carefully in both skill and mindset to overcome this fence softly and achieve their splendid future REFERENCE Symptoms and stages in the process of culture shock: Deborah Swallow (2010) The classic Stage culture shock model Retrieved from http://www.deborahswallow.com/2010/05/15/the-classic-5-stage-cultureshock-model/ Ross Mason (2015) Culture Shock for International Students Retrieved from https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/explained/culture-shock-forinternational-students.php Causes of Vietnamese students’ difficulties in America Essays, UK (November 2018) Culture Shock Of Studying Abroad Cultural Studies Essay Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/culturalstudies/culture-shock-of-studying-abroad-cultural-studies-essay.php?vref=1 Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G J., & Minkov, M (2010) Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3rd ed) New York: Mcgraw-hill Nam’s blog (2012, December 6) Differences between American and Vietnamese culture [Blog post] Retrieved from http://namenglishblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/differences-between-american-and.html University of Washington (2019) International students and cultural shock Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/counseling/resources-forstudents/international-students-and-cultural-shock/? fbclid=IwAR3Ex7SDHJBv6_nNyLBPu_RYOB150ysKdqt8xvdiiYnv9ntRwueA8ZVVQY Solutions for Vietnamese abroad students to overcome culture shock in America AbroadMandi Schmitt (2015) How to Deal with Culture Shock while Studying Retrieved from https://www.gooverseas.com/blog/how-to-deal-withculture-shock-while-studying-abroad?fbclid=IwAR3TRmloHtvpV_n1DOaAHQ-Q5Qb5OWbZd29YE4NytegohXKS3NhCDfuIN0 Manuela Florea (2015) Ways to Cope with Culture Shock While Studying in the US Retrieved from https://www.topuniversities.com/blog/7-ways-copeculture-shock-while-studying-us? fbclid=IwAR10Mo7wgBsvCsw7jRWBs7LlGOTPHUvyGpthlOLmzc7InkQQvB-HM2oxz8 10 ... abroad students when they have a completely new life in America Solutions for Vietnamese abroad students to overcome culture shock in America To Vietnamese students who want to overcome culture shock, ... https://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/explained /culture- shock- forinternational -students. php Causes of Vietnamese students? ?? difficulties in America Essays, UK (November 2018) Culture Shock Of... role in Vietnam’s education programs, Vietnamese students often focus on improving their reading, and writing skills as well as grammar rather than developing their listening and speaking ones since