Dealing With Another Culture While Teaching Abroad

[International Expat]

One of the great things about teaching abroad is that you get to experience a new culture and learn how other people in the world live. It expands your horizons and helps you become a more well rounded person.

That said, it can also be incredibly stressful. We are all brought up with certain cultural norms that seem like laws of nature. Getting used to dealing with another culture can be fun, but it can also be extremely stressful.

There hasn't been a teacher abroad ever who hasn't at one time or another wanted to scream about how different their new world is. With that in mind, we want to talk about ways to make living in and adapting to another culture easier to deal with.

·      Understand that “culture shock” is a real and psychological issue. Doctors have proven that roughly halfway through any extended amount of time spent away from home, feelings of stress and not belonging will kick in. This is called culture shock. If you are on a year-long assignment, expect it to kick in around six months into your trip. If you are away for six months, expect it about three months in. The good news is that it generally passes quickly. Just accept it as a phase that is completely normal, and that everyone goes through from time to time.

·      Have at least one person you can vent to. There is always going to be a day where you go to the post office to do something simple and forget to bring one piece of paper and get treated badly by the clerk. If you have at least one English speaking friend who has been in your location for a while, they will have been through it and you can vent to them to blow off stress.

·      Ask yourself what is really bothering you about a given situation. It doesn't matter if the person you are dealing with is actually doing something bad, or just doing something different. But if it's just different, try to think of things you do that their culture wouldn't understand.

·      Find a safe space where you can step back from the culture for an hour or two. Hanging out in an English speaking bookshop, bar or club can make you feel a little bit more at home and give you a “break.”

·      Don't ever say, “Well, in America we do it this way.” This will not be accepted or respected by anyone. Instead say, “That's interesting, why do you do it the way you do it?”

·      Have a fling with a member of the local culture (assuming you are in a liberal country). This will put a positive spin on learning their customs.

·      Try spending an entire day without doing any of the customs you are used to in America. Live exactly like the natives and see how it feels. You may find that you end up liking some of their customs more than your own.

·      Keep a notebook of the things that stress you out culturally. Look back at it every few weeks. You'll probably discover that the things that used to bother you feel completely normal now.

·      Try to keep a little bit of your culture with you. If the locals just eat fruit for breakfast, you can always cook yourself fried eggs at home.

·       Teach a class about your culture, and ask the students which parts of it interest them and which ones seem funny. You may learn to laugh at yourself!

 

 

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