ASSIGNMENT Study on culture shock of Vietnamese and American through communication

TABLE OF CONTENT Part A: INTRODUCTION Part B: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: Theory background 1. Definition of culture shock 2. Characteristic of culture shock Chapter 2: Culture shock through communication 1. What is culture shock? 2. The stages of culture shock 2.1: The honeymoon stage 2.2: Irritation and hostility 2.3: Gradual Adjustment, Hunnor, and Perspective 2.4: Mastery 3. Culture shock through communication 3.1: Culture shock in America through communication 3.2: Culture shock in Vietnam through communication 4. Some solutions to overcome culture shock Part C: CONCLUSION Part D: REFERENCES

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

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ASSIGNMENT

Study on culture shock of Vietnamese and American

through communication

Hanoi, 2017

TABLE OF CONTENT

Part A: INTRODUCTION

Part B: DEVELOPMENT

Chapter 1: Theory background

1 Definition of culture shock

2 Characteristic of culture shock

Chapter 2: Culture shock through communication

1 What is culture shock?

2 The stages of culture shock

2.1: The honeymoon stage

2.2: Irritation and hostility

2.3: Gradual Adjustment, Hunnor, and Perspective

2.4: Mastery

3 Culture shock through communication

3.1: Culture shock in America through communication 3.2: Culture shock in Vietnam through communication

4 Some solutions to overcome culture shock

Part C: CONCLUSION

Part D: REFERENCES

Part A: INTRODUCTION

1, Title:

“ Culture shock of Vietnamese and American through communication”

2, Reasonable:

Vietnam, during its integration, has a strong culture of intercultural progress, especially with English speaking nations – the most popular language

in the world Intercultural communication set many issues, including many difficulties that hinder the process of intergration, especially in the field of communication This has led to the phenomenon of cultural shock for

Vietnamese – speaking people and those from the English speaking Vietnamese community This is a matter worth paying attention, which requires remedical measures to reduce the phenomenon of cultural shock, stimulate intergration and facilitate development for other social sectors Therefore, I chose this topic to study the phenomenon of cultural shock in a number of typical cases to provide some measures to overcome the phenomenon

Part B: DEVELOPMENT

Chapter 1: Theory Background:

1, Definition of culture shock:

- Culture shock is the physical and emotional discomfort of being in a

foreign country, another culture, an unfamiliar place, or all three

- Cultual shock comes when you try to integrate into a new social and

cultural environment

- Apart from the term “ culture shock”, the term “ reserve culture shock”

is also used For example, anyone who has spent a long time abroad experiences

a period of refreshing when returning home

- Culture shock agents:

Climate

Food

Language

Communication

Cultural differences

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2, Characteristics of culture shock:

- Symptoms of culture shock:

Loneliness and melancholy

Loss of identity

Lack of confidence

Longing for family

Unwillingness to interact with others

Feeling depressed and powerless

- Stages of culture shock:

Honeymoon: positive attitudes towards the host country, fascination with the new culture

Irritation and hostility: realisation of cultural differences, lack of

readiness to adjust oneself, the feeing of being in a permanent crisis

Gradual adjustment: one grows accustomed to the new culture and

develop routines, one knows what to expect in most situations and the host country no longer feels new

Mastery/biculturalism: the ability to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture

- Solution to help yourself:

Get out

Walk around your neighborhood

Be seen

Smile

Visit the same coffe shop or book store or market You ‘ll soon be

recognized There’s nothing that says you are at home, like a neighbour saying “ Good morning” in any language

Go on tours Be a tourist in your own town Sign up for local excursions Get to know your city, its history and culture

Chapter 2: Culture shock through communication.

1, Definition of culture shock:

Imagine that you are an American college student going to study abroad

in Australia for the summer You are excited to take your first trip overseas and cannot wait to go You figure that since it is an English-speaking country, it won't be that different from America

Once you step off the plane, reality sets in You realize that although it was summer when you left home, it is winter in Australia You have trouble following the language and find it hard to fit in You feel alone and lonely, especially on the 4th of July when you would normally have a huge party with family and light fireworks You cannot connect with any of the locals and feel like no one understands what you are going through You cry at night and wish you were at home What you are feeling is culture shock

Culture shock is the term we use to describe the feelings of confusion and uncertainty that are experienced when you come into contact with a culture that

is vastly different from your own Culture shock can be commonly seen in foreign students, immigrants and refugees Even students who stay in their home countries suffer from culture shock as they make the transition into the foreign environment known as college

According to Kalvero Oberg (1950s), culture shock can be described as “

the phenomenon people might experience after moving to a new environment, the feeling of disorientation experienced by a person suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture or way of life Culture shock is difficult to identify It does not appear suddenly It rather builds up slowly and is often a series of small events Culture shock can be brief and hardly noticeable for some people while it can bring intense physical and emotional discomfort for others” As the website of

Rotary YE further claims: “ It is the loss of emotional equilibrium that a person

suffers when he moves from a familiar environment where he has learned to function easily and successfully to one where he has not” while, as per

wikipedia’s definition, “ Culture shock is the difficulty people have adjusting to

a new culture that differs markedly from their own”.

2, The stages of culture shock:

Culture shock generally moves through four different phases: honeymoon, frustration, adjustment and acceptance While individuals experience these stages differently and the impact and order of each stage varies widely, they do provide a guideline of how we adapt and cope with new cultures

2.1: The Honeymoon Stage:

The first stage of culture shock is often overwhelmingly positive during which travelers become infatuated with the language, people and food in their new surroundings At this stage, the trip or move seems like the greatest

decision ever made, an exciting adventure to stay on forever

On short trips, the honeymoon phase may take over the entire experience

as the later effects of culture shock don’t have time to set in On longer trips, the honeymoon stage will usually phase out eventually

For example: “I moved to the U.S from Brazil to a host family as a

exchange student and spoke almost no English Within three months I had found

a job, a boyfriend, I moved to an apartment with two other roommates, started a Brazilian dance club and I was traveling all over California It felt easy and quick for me to make the U.S my home.” — Fernanda Araujo, VIF events

specialist

2.2:Irritation and hostility:

Eventually, though, the honeymoon ends All of those new, exciting things about the new culture are still there, but they start to become less new and exciting Instead, you start to pay more attention to how those things are

different from the experiences that you’re used to, and you start to miss the life that you left behind The novelty of the new culture has worn off, and you now focus primarily on the differences between the new culture and your home culture Small differences feel like major catastrophes You become overly concerned with and stressed out by problems and feel helpless and frustrated

(the elevator in your dorm is constantly broken; you do not have hot water in the morning; you cannot access e-mail from your apartment/dorm, registering for classes feels like an unstructured nightmare, etc.).You are homesick You miss your friends and family in Vietnam

2.3: Gradual Adjustment, Humor, and Perspective:

After a while, you start to become more comfortable with the new culture that you’re living in You become more familiar with the language, the

“different” parts of the culture become more familiar, and you begin to settle comfortably into your “new normal” You are becoming more familiar with the new culture and its “logic” and values Cultural cues become easier to read You feel more comfortable and less isolated, and you even begin to prefer some aspects of the new culture to your home culture You feel like “As long as I am here, I should make the most of it.” You experience periodic personal highs and lows, as adjustment gradually takes place Your sense of humor returns You are able to laugh at certain ways of doing things that previously just annoyed you and even to laugh at yourself from time to time

2.4: Mastery:

Depending on how long your stay is, you may never reach this stage The Mastery stage describes a point where you’ve become completely comfortable with the new culture – arguably as comfortable as you were with the culture that you left Generally — though sometimes weeks, months or years after wrestling with the emotional stages outlined above — the final stage of culture shock is acceptance Acceptance doesn’t mean that new cultures or environments are completely understood, rather it signifies realization that complete

understanding isn’t necessary to function and thrive in the new surroundings During the acceptance stage, travelers have the familiarity and are able to draw together the resources they need to feel at ease

3, Culture shock of Vietnamese and American through

communication:

3.1: Culture shock in America through communication:

American attach importance to personal freedom and independence Everyone must know how to solve their problems and try to achieve success without getting too much help from the family and those around them

They like to have fun and often very warm, bot they also value their time and love to be alone

Americans speak loudly Stories are often parodyed by an animated

character or celebrity They add spece to the crisp tidbits, and friends often show intimacy by gently sliding into each other, especially between men Aquality between people is a long and sensitive story in this country because America is a multi-ethnic country In order to show equality, people call each other in

different levels and positions, including between teachers and students, between bosses and employees: “ Jim, I sent you the report” – “ Kate, thank you” Only the newcomers to the United States will use the “ Sir”, “ Mr.”, or “ Ms.” Very much American rarely use

Some Americans like hugging each other, especially those who live in the South Shacking hands is a common greeting They attach great importance to the handshake of a new acquaintances Clench your opponent for 1-2 seconds and do not shy away from a loose handshake Women rarely kiss their cheek when they meet, men in particular never do that

Meetings and farewells are fast, short and not fussy Greetings should not

be taken literally Two people can greet each other at the same time with the same questions: “ How are you?”, “ How’s it going?”, or “What’s up?”, then do not wait for the answer, they have to continue to bow If you are asked “ How are you?”, and immediately tell a long story, you will become odd in the eyes of the enemy Just say: “ Oh, fine” That’s enough When saying goodbye, just say

“ See you later” or “See ya soon” and leave

3.2: Culture shock in VietNam through communication:

While speaking Vietnamese is not a prerequisite for success in the

workplace, learning a few basic phrases will certainly hold expats in good stead when it comes to social situations While Vietnamese is not the easiest language

to speak, even a few lessons will help expats when it comes to reading signs and everyday interactions, especially when pronouncing names and places The Vietnamese people are very friendly and they appreciate it when foreigners make an effort to speak to them in their own language

Sometimes during the conversation with foreign friends, the Vietnamese returned to speak in Vietnamese and laughed without explanation When

grievances occur on the street and need intervention, they laugh When they make mistakes and need to apologize or solve them satisfactorily, they just laugh When they are thankful or grateful, they laugh When you are confused

do not know what to do, they will solve with a smile

Laugh to apologize, thank you, sarcastic, friendly, or helpless?

Foreigners are always looking for an explanation to understand Vietnamese culture and when they ask the Vietnamese, they are responded with a smile that embraces the meaning No nation is without its cultural smiles; however, if the smile is shocking, it should be accompanied by an explanation to help others understand why they laugh, so a friendly smile will Can not turn into a

sarcastic smile!

4, Some solutions to overcome culture sock:

- Preparing for your country of origin That means you have to know the

good side, the bad side, the differences in climate, ritual, religion, customs ( driving left or right, food, waving hands calling, taboos should be avoid…) Knowing that you will no longer feel the surprise of communication, thereby avoiding feelings of shock and discomfort if there is

- Keep in touch with family and friends

- Awareness of the experience, a cognitive orientation that directs one

toward successful adaptation, and the development of behavioral skills that lessen or resolve cultural shock

- Preparing for problems and using resoures that will promote coping and

adjustment

- Visit the same coffe shop or book store or market You ‘ll soon be

recognized There’s nothing that says you are at home, like a neighbour saying “ Good morning” in any language

- Go on tours Be a tourist in your own town Sign up for local excursions.

Get to know your city, its history and culture

PART C: CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, culture shock could creat a serious problem for a new comer to a foreign place Culture could be learned and adapted easily with open mind while prepare to adjust the behavior to match the new culture to avoid the culture shock

PART D: REFERENCES:

1, Barna, LaRay M "HOW CULTURE SHOCK AFFECTS

COMMUNICATION."

2, Oberg, Dr Kalervo "Culture Shock and the problem of Adjustment to

the new cultural environments" World Wide Classroom Consortium for

International Education & Multicultural studies 29 Sept 2009

3, Mavrides, Gregory PhD “Culture Shock and Clinical Depression

(2009)

4, Winkelman, Michael (1994) "Cultural Shock and Adaptation"

6,

http://dantri.com.vn/van-hoa/di-tim-su-thu-vi-trong-nhung-cu-soc-van-hoa-1343761714.htm