Rearranging Lives:Combating

Culture Shockwith Friends

Autumn JenningsKristin Tidwell

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville

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Introduction

Purpose: To show how culture shock affects

ESL students To show how making friends can

combat the negative effects of culture shock

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Cultural Differences

With someone near you, talk about a custom from your family or culture.

Discuss anything that you feel is unique to your background.

Think about the differences between your background and your partner’s.

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Examination of Differences This activity was probably easy because

of similarities in the language and culture of you and your partner.

What if you wanted to communicate with someone from another country? What if you found their culture strange or upsetting? What if you could not even understand what they were saying?

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Culture Shock

What is culture shock? “ A condition of

confusion and anxiety affecting a person suddenly exposed to an alien culture or milieu” (American Heritage Dictionary)

Why is it important? Most ESL students

in our classrooms come from foreign countries.

Culture shock will be a factor in these students’ lives.

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Important Aspects of Culture Shock

Culture shock occurs in stages 1. “Honeymoon” 2. Transition 3. Balance 4. Acculturation 5. Re-entry

Effects on students within these stages 1. Excitement 2. Sadness, loneliness 3. Beginning of sense

of belonging 4. Acceptance of new

culture 5. Shock of re-

entering home culture.

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Importance of the Stages

The most negative stage of culture shock often begins soon after the student arrives.

It is important for students to make friends and feel comfortable as soon as possible.

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How does culture shock affect individual

people? We created an online survey for people

who have traveled abroad http://culture_shock_survey.50megs.com

Sample Questions: Did they make close friends in the new

culture? How long did it take for them to feel “at

home”? Were they homesick in the new culture?

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Friends make a difference!

Out of 25 people surveyed: Five (5) made “many” close friends in

the new culture. Of these 5, only 1 listed “family” or

“friends” as something they missed from home.

All of these 5 took less than one month to feel at home in their host country.

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Not having friends also makes a

difference Out of 25 people surveyed:

Twelve (12) said they made no close friends abroad.

Of these 12, 8 reported that they missed their friends and family from home.

Five of these 12 said that it took at least a few months to feel at home—if they ever felt at home.

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Summing Up the Numbers

The numbers indicate that making friends is beneficial to students.

In general, when students make friends, they miss their home country less and enjoy their new country more.

Intuitively, the affective filter would be lower and students would progress faster in learning English.

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Friendships Why are they

important? They are a part of

our overall learning experience.

They enrich our lives and teach us to appreciate people as individuals.

Why do ESL students need them? They will leave

friends from their country and be placed in a situation where they know no one.

Friendships will help them to combat culture shock.

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Friendships Across Cultures

How is it difficult to develop friendships across culture and language barriers?

Do students across cultures enjoy the same activities, entertainment, etc.?

Do they look for the same qualities in friendships?

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The Study Participants:

75 International students 75 American students

All students were from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Students were asked to fill out a survey related to friendships.

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Cross Cultural Friendships

Students were asked if they had friends from another culture. Out of 75 International students, 67

reported having an American friend. Out of 75 American students, 58 indicated

that they have an International friend. What was the quality of these

friendships?

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The Questions

What kinds of activities do you do with your friends?

What qualities do you look for in a friend?

How is it difficult to build friendships with someone from a different culture?

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Results!

According to this study, the activities that both American and International students do with their friends are significantly similar.

The qualities that each group of students looks for in a friend also appear to be very similar across cultures.

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Popular “Activities” Responses

International Students

18—Homework/Study

19—Talk/Hang out 23—Eat 20—T.V./Movies

American Students

8—Homework/Study

19—Talk/Hang out 22—Eat 20—T.V./Movies

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Popular “Qualities” Responses

International Students

24—Honesty 8—Trust 12—Humor 9—Similar Interests

American Students

16—Honesty 9—Trust 19—Humor 10—Similar

Interests

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The Struggle

This study suggests that the main difficulties in building friendships across cultures are associated with language and cultural differences.

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Student Responses

International Students

23—Cultural

Differences 23—Language Barriers

American Students

17—Cultural

Differences 22—Language

Barriers

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How can teachers help?

Teachers must help students learn to overlook language and cultural differences of their classmates.

They must encourage students to develop friendships across cultures.

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Implementation in the classroom

Emphasize interesting aspects of an ESL student’s culture e.g. Similarities and differences between “The Day of the Dead” and Halloween

Implement group activities that show good qualities in all students

Use everyday content to show similarities among students

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Future study

Examine how making friends can change a student’s affective filter for learning by observing students in class and when interacting with friends

Observe students’ progress in class in light of the number and quality of friends they have made