Cross-Cultural Adjustment
Tips
on Cross-Cultural Adjustment
1. Listen and observe. Since there are new rules, norms, and cues that may be unfamiliar to you, you need to listen to verbal communication and observe non-verbal communication carefully and try to put them in the proper context.
2. Ask questions.
You cannot assume that you always know what is going on or that you always
understand some communication. Most Americans will be very helpful to
you 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.
3. Try not to evaluate or judge.
You will see many things that are different from your own culture. It
is important not to label everything as good or bad in comparison with
your own culture; most customs, habits, and ideas, are simply different
from what you have known before. You may also misunderstand something
and thus put the wrong interpretation on it until you have more information.
4. Try to emphasize. Try to put yourself
in the other person's place and look at the situation from that person's
perspective. There are very different cultural perspectives of the same
situation.
5. Openness and curiosity.
To experience a new culture and to learn from it, it is important
to be open to new experiences, to try new things, to be curious about
the way things are done in a new place. The more you explore, the more
you learn.
6. Sense of humor. It is very likely
that you will make mistakes as you explore a new culture, and if you can
laugh at them yourself, it will help you learn, and other people will
respond with friendliness.
7. Anxiety and frustration. Learning
to function in a new culture is not easy, and it is natural to feel anxiety
and frustration. If you recognize that these are a normal part of the
experience, you may be able to deal with them more effectively. Your sense
of humor and openness will also help.
8. Become involved. The more you
put into the experience, the more you will learn from it. You should make
an effort to meet people, form friendships, get involved in activities,
and learn about the people and their culture.
Students clubs also play an important part in the development of the students personality. International students are encouraged to participate in various student organizations that function on campus. The listings of various students organization is available at the following link:
http://www.tamiu.edu/affairs/develop/Student_Organizations.htm
The following link leads to the website of Indian students association of TAMIU:
http://www.tamiu.edu/student/isat/