How to Overcome cultural Problems that we faced in The New

Country

A Paper
Submitted to fulfill Cross Culture Understanding
Lecturer : U.D. Guntoro, Drs., MM., M.Pd. BI

Compiled by :

Hanif Istianah

: 2109120045

Class 3C

ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION SCIENCE

GALUH UNIVERSITY
2014
Chapter 1
Introduction
A. Background
Different country has a different culture so, we should
B. Problem of study
What are the problems live in the new country that never visited before?
What are the causes of that problem?
How to overcome problems that we face in the new environment?
C. Purpose of study
To find out what are the problems live in the new country that never visited before
To find out what are the causes of that problem
To find out how to overcome problems that we face in the new environment

Chapter 2

Discussion

A. Problems of stay in the new environment

Culture shock
Culture shock isn't a clinical term or medical condition. It's simply a common way
to describe the confusing and nervous feelings a person may have after leaving a familiar
culture to live in a new and different culture. When you move to a new place, you're
bound to face a lot of changes. That can be exciting and stimulating, but it can also be
overwhelming. You may feel sad, anxious, frustrated, and want to go home. It's natural to
have difficulty adjusting to a new culture. People from other cultures (whom you'll be
hanging out with and going to school with) may have grown up with values and beliefs
that differ from yours. Because of these differences, the things they talk about, the ways
they express themselves, and the importance of various ideas may be very different from
what you are used to. But the good news is that culture shock is temporary. One person's
adjustment to a new culture is not necessarily like another's. In some situations, people
are excited about their move. Though they may feel a little sad about leaving important
people and places behind, they think of the move as a new adventure, or they've heard
great things about the place that will become their new home. Some people stay this way.
But difficulties adjusting often don't show up right away. In some people, the excitement
gives way to frustration as time goes on and they still have trouble understanding their
new surroundings. On the other hand, there are people who never wanted to move in the
first place. Their frustration starts the day they realize that they have to move to a new
place, when they're perfectly happy where they are. It continues as they find out just how
unfamiliar their new home is.
Though people experience culture shock in different ways, these feelings are
common:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

not wanting to be around people who are different from you

sadness
loneliness
anxiety
trouble concentrating
feeling left out or misunderstood
developing negative and simplistic views of the new culture

h. frustration
i. extreme homesickness
These difficult feelings may tempt you to isolate yourself from your new
surroundings and dismiss the new culture. It's best not to withdraw like this. If you stay
calm, observe and learn, and keep things in perspective, you'll probably find that your
difficulties will pass. But if you're feeling depressed and you aren't able to function
normally even after the first few months in your new environment, you should talk to a
parent or trusted adult about whether to seek help from a physician or mental health
professional.

Homesick
One of the most significant challenges that people abroad face, especially those
living abroad for the first time, is homesickness. Those of us who were subjected to
sleepaway camp at an early age may already be familiar with this feeling - for the rest of
you lucky mortals who missed out, homesickness is essentially an acute form of anxiety
or emotional distress that results from feeling disconnected from familiar people and
places and forced out of your regular routine. When you're homesick, you might miss
familiar things like your family, friends, pets, house, or neighborhood. You can miss
something as simple as your bed or the tree outside your window. Homesickness isn't
only for kids: Practically everyone feels homesick from time to time, even adults. Teens
might get homesick when they leave home for the first time, like during a vacation with a
friend's family, or going off to college.

Misunderstanding intercultural communication

B. The causes of the problem
Culture shock
To understand culture shock, it helps to understand what culture is. You may
know that genes determine a big part of how you look and act. What you might not know
is that your environment your surroundings has a big effect on your appearance and
behavior as well.

Your environment isn't just the air you breathe and the food you eat, though; a big
part of your environment is culture. Culture is made up of the common things that
members of a community learn from family, friends, media, literature, and even
strangers. These are the things that influence how they look, act, and communicate.
Often, you don't even know you're learning these things because they become secondnature to you for instance, the way you shake hands with someone when meeting
them, when you eat your meals each day, the kind of things you find funny, or how you
view religion.
When you go to a new place, such as a new country or even a new city, you often
enter a culture that is different from the one you left. Sometimes your culture and the new
culture are similar. Other times, they can be very different, and even contradictory. What
might be perfectly normal in one culture for instance, spending hours eating a meal
with your family might be unusual in a culture that values a more fast-paced lifestyle.
The differences between cultures can make it very difficult to adjust to the new
surroundings. You may encounter unfamiliar clothes, weather, and food as well as
different people, schools, and values. You may find yourself struggling to do things in
your new surroundings that were easy back home. Dealing with the differences can be
very unsettling; those feelings are part adjusting to a new culture.

Homesick
Familiar surroundings, people, and routines help us feel secure and relaxed. A
new place feels unfamiliar at first, and you're not sure what to expect. You may find
yourself missing the comforts of home and loved ones. Those homesick feelings are
completely normal. You might feel a little lonely, sad, or stressed. Once the new
surroundings and people become more familiar, feelings of homesickness go away.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Assumption of similiarities
Language differences
Nonverbal misinterpretation
Preconception and stereotypes
Tendency to evaluate
High anxty

C. How to solve the problem

Culture shock
Some good ways to successfully minimize and overcome culture shock are to read
about the place where you will be staying and the things you will be doing, also, if
possible, speak with someone already living in the new environment.
Keep an open mind. Once you are there, keep in mind that people and customs
may be very different from what you are used to. Having realistic expectations and
realizing that difficulties and misunderstandings may occur will help you keep a cool
head when they do, and keeping an open mind will allow you to find solutions to those
problems that may arise. Do not automatically perceive anything that is different to be
"wrong". Withholding judgment will allow you to be an objective observer and will
facilitate the process of cross-cultural understanding. Also, if you are going to a country
with which you know close to nothing about, do a little background information. As you
learn about the country in which you are going to, keeping an open mind is necessary,
and, who knows, you may find the reason for something you may not understand.
Learning the Language, depending on where you come from and where you are
now, you may or may not have trouble with the native language. It's a good idea to
become comfortable with the language as soon as you can. Not being able to understand
what people are saying is almost as frustrating as not knowing how to make people
understand what you are saying.
Lots of good resources are around to help you practice. Many schools with a good
number of students new to the country have language classes. If your school doesn't offer
one, check out some of the community centers and libraries in your area. In addition,
books make good resources too, and even some websites. When possible interact with the
local population. Don't succumb to the temptation to isolate yourself, even if it is within a
group of compatriots. Locals will generally be pleased to introduce you to their culture
and willing to answer questions. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. When you are eager
to learn people are usually more than willing to meet you half-way and learn from you in
turn. Whatever method you choose, practice is really important. A lot of people are
worried about speaking a language they aren't completely comfortable with and think that
people who speak the language well will tease them when they stumble over words. This
might tempt you to practice the language with someone who is at the same comfort level

as you, but it's also important to practice with people who have mastered the language, so
that you know when you make a mistake and learn from it.
It might make you uncomfortable when it takes you twice as long to say the same
thing as a native speaker, or use the wrong word, but remember that you have nothing to
be ashamed of. Even if you're familiar with the new language spoken around you,
chances are you don't know a lot of the slang casual speech that doesn't make it into
translation dictionaries (or most dictionaries, for that matter). This is one of the many
reasons why it's a good idea to do some studying on the culture you are immersed in.
Keep in touch with home. You probably left behind good friends and family when
you moved. If it's going to be a long time until your next visit, keep in touch. Email, text,
Skype, or call so you can stay updated on the things happening there, and talk about your
new experiences. You've not only left behind people, but also other things like your
favorite spot to hang out. Keep pictures around to remind you of home. Sometimes you
just need to talk with someone who fully understands who you are and feels that your
way of being is not strange, or rude. Keeping in touch also makes the homecoming
process much easier.
Remember, the key to getting over your culture shock is understanding the new
culture and finding a way to live comfortably within it while keeping true to the parts of
your culture that you value. It's important to be yourself. Try not to force yourself to
change too fast or to change too many things all at once. You will have your own pace of
adjusting. Everyone goes through changes in their life, and it may seem that you are
going through more changes than the average person but as long as you hold on to
what's important to you and find a good combination between old and new, you'll be fine.

Homesick
Luckily, homesickness is usually mild and doesn't last long. And you can do some
things to make sure it doesn't spoil your fun:
Try a trial run. Before heading off for a summer at music camp or a vacation at
your aunt and uncle's ranch, spend the night or weekend at a friend's house a few times.
Get the feel of being in a new place. That can ease you into spending time away from

home and lessen the shock of sleeping in a strange bed or being around different people.
And like learning anything new, you'll get better at it each time you do it.
Bring something that reminds you of home. Pack photos or a favorite stuffed
animal, sleep shirt, or pillow. When you start longing for familiar faces and places, you'll
have a little bit of home right there with you.
Call home when you can. This probably seems obvious, but when you're away, a
quick call to hear your dad's voice or your sister's story about bathing the dog can be
comforting. Plan a time to call or even visit (if you'll be gone for a while) so you'll have
something to look forward to.
Do something you enjoy. When you're having fun, you're less likely to spend
time thinking about people and things you miss.
Talk to a friend, ideally someone who's going through the same thing you are.
Knowing you're not the only one dealing with this can take the sting out of feeling a little
lonely, and you might feel better when you cheer up someone else.
Write in a journal. Putting your feelings down on paper can help you understand
them. Writing about homesickness can remind you what you really love about home. Be
sure to write about some of the good parts of the new place, too.
Stay active. If you sit on the sidelines, you'll have more time to think about
feeling sad. Talk to people. Throw yourself into activities before you know it, you'll be
too busy to be homesick.
Adjust your expectations. Sometimes homesickness can include feelings of
disappointment when a camp, school, or trip doesn't live up to your dreams. Accept the
situation for what it is and make the most of it.
Talk to an adult. Missing your family and home is normal. But if after a couple
of days away you're feeling overwhelmed by homesickness, talk to an adult you trust
about your feelings. That person can help you work through this tough time.
Almost everyone has felt homesick at some time. Remember that there's a good
side to homesickness, too: It means you have family and friends worth missing and a
place you want to return to when your adventure away from home is over.

1. Before traveling: be knowledgeable about the country

2. When you arrive: deteremine, accept and overcome your obstacle
3. How to solve:
a. language barrier
b. Strategies for overcoming a language barrier
c. Culture barrier

d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

Strategies for overcoming culture barrier

Difficulty in establishing friendship
Startegies for overcoming difficulty in establishing friendship
Depression
Strategies for overcoming depression

a. How to overcome obstacles of staying in a new environment/country you have never visited
before.
There are some tips when we find some problems in the new country, we should prepare
some preparations about country that we want to visit,
First, before we go to that country we should know and learn about the country because each
country has different rules, culture and values. It is very important knowing about the country, it
will minimize surprises and culture shocks. We can search and browse on the internet for general
overview, charachteristics and habbit of that country. However, asking and listen to the
perspective of a person from that country. We can receive helpfull advice and suggestions from
him/ her who has experienced at that country.
Second, when we
b. How to communicate effectively with a foreigner
c. How to make friend with a foreigner from different country and culture
Its rather difficult because different background
d. How they speak each other
Make sure that we are interested with the topic that he or she talk because it means that it
can make long conversation.
e. How they eat and drink
It so different with our culture, in the west culture table manner is very important when we
first meet with that person. They usually eat by use spoon and fork or fork and knife in the
little porsion.
f. How they treat a friend in a restaurant/pub
g. How they do business such as: in bank, railway or bus station, etc.
h. How they spend time while waiting for means of transportation
Some of foreigner spend their time with reading or listen to music.
i. How to plan to meet someone
j. How to accept an offer of food or drink which is not familiar

As a moslem the food or drink become important in the religious system. All what we eat and
drink should be halal. we can expalin clearly and logically to them that halal is a part of our
faith its not about culture or habbit or life style and we should obey because of religious reasons.
The foreigner especially Europe and America are more open-minded and tolerance with the other
religion as long as we can expalain it clearly. But in our explanation keep away from arogant or
like we are the truth.
k. What would you do to overcome misunderstanding in oral communication
One answer to the question of why misunderstandings occur is that many people assume that
certain similarities exist among all people of the world.
l. What significant differences of habit you can see between theirs and ours
There are some siginificant differences of our habbit such as in time, culture, how to greet
or asking someone to talking, how to eat and they have to the point culture.

Chapter 3
Conclusions and Suggestions
Some of the difficulties when we stay at new environment
1. Its difficult to find new friends because of the culture differences and communication
difficulties
2. There are many stigma or assumptions from local peaople about our culture. So we feel
as an outsider for few years.
3. We will get home sick, no matter in the development technologies today that we can use
chatting by social media or skype or phone.

How to solve that problem

1. Learn the local language
Learn the local language is a good way to gain confidence and get respect from local
people.
2. Get in control and take care of our mental health

References

Reviewed
Date

reviewed:

by:

D'Arcy
April

2015

Lyness,
retrivied

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/homesickness.html#

PhD
from