Princeton - A Guide for International Students

PrincetonUniversity
A Guide for International Students, 2000-2002

Cross-cultural Adjustment

When an individual leaves his or her own culture and goes into another, they naturally carry with them their own background and personality, sometimes known as their "cultural baggage." People's reactions to the new culture, and how well they adjust to living in it, therefore depend upon them. Here are some suggestions to make things go a bit more smoothly.
Listen and observe. Since there are new rules, norms, and cues that may be unfamiliar, you need to listen to words and to observe nonverbal communication carefully, trying to put them into the proper context.

Ask questions. You cannot assume that you always know what is going on, or that you always understand a particular communication. Most Americans will be very helpful if you need an explanation of something. You may need to rephrase a question, check the meaning of something, or repeat what you have said in order to be clearly understood.

Try not to misjudge. You will see many things that are different from your own culture. Don't label anything as "good" or "bad" in comparison to your own culture — most customs, habits, and ideas are simply different from the ones you're familiar with. You may also misunderstand some things -- don't make judgments until you have more complete information.

Try to empathize. Try to put yourself in the other person's place, and look at the situation from his or her perspective. Cultural perspectives can cause very different interpretations of the same situation.

Be open and curious. Try new things, and try to find out how and why certain things are done. The more you explore, the more you'll learn.

Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. It is likely that you will make mistakes as you explore a new culture. Laughing at your mistakes will encourage others to respond to you in a friendly manner and help you learn from them.

Try to accept frustration. Learning to function in a new culture is not easy, and it is natural to feel anxious and frustrated at times. Realize that these feeling are a normal part of the experience.

Get involved. The more you put into the experience, the more you'll learn from it. Make an effort to meet people, form friendships, get involved in activities, and learn about the people and their culture.

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When an individual leaves his or her own culture and goes into another, they naturally carry with them their own background and personality, sometimes known as their "cultural baggage." People's reactions to the new culture, and how well they adjust to living in it, therefore depend upon them. Here are some suggestions to make things go a bit more smoothly. Listen and observe. Since there are new rules, norms, and cues that may be unfamiliar, you need to listen to words and to observe nonverbal communication carefully, trying to put them into the proper context. Ask questions. You cannot assume that you always know what is going on, or that you always understand a particular communication. Most Americans will be very helpful if you need an explanation of something. You may need to rephrase a question, check the meaning of something, or repeat what you have said in order to be clearly understood. Try not to misjudge. You will see many things that are different from your own culture. Don't label anything as "good" or "bad" in comparison to your own culture — most customs, habits, and ideas are simply different from the ones you're familiar with. You may also misunderstand some things -- don't make judgments until you have more complete information. Try to empathize. Try to put yourself in the other person's place, and look at the situation from his or her perspective. Cultural perspectives can cause very different interpretations of the same situation. Be open and curious. Try new things, and try to find out how and why certain things are done. The more you explore, the more you'll learn. Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. It is likely that you will make mistakes as you explore a new culture. Laughing at your mistakes will encourage others to respond to you in a friendly manner and help you learn from them. Try to accept frustration. Learning to function in a new culture is not easy, and it is natural to feel anxious and frustrated at times. Realize that these feeling are a normal part of the experience. Get involved. The more you put into the experience, the more you'll learn from it. Make an effort to meet people, form friendships, get involved in activities, and learn about the people and their culture.
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