8.8 Strategies of intercultural adaptation数字时代的商务英语写作.pdf

Intercultural Adaptation 8.8 Strategies of intercultural adaptation Hi, there. Welcome back to our course. If you are travelling to a new culture for the first time, it is likely that you will experience some kind of culture shock or intercultural adaptation. What we should do is to keep in mind that everyone experiences the culture shock and can reduce it greatly if managed appropriately. Then, how to handle culture shock and successfully adapt ourselves to the host culture? There are some tips that may help you in some way. Tip 1 Assume the Principle of Difference If you want to adapt to the new culture, you must try to understand that things are simply going to be different in your new culture and that the way you are accustomed to doing things is not the only way. Remember that your perceptual context is biased in favor of your culture and your ingroup. How you perceive your host culture is not objective or neutral. All of the verbal and nonverbal messages encoded and decoded are filtered through your cultural, microcultural, environmental, socio-relational, and perceptual filters. These filters bias and color your expectations, which will certainly be violated as you interact with you host culture. Tip 2 Study the Host Culture What we can do is to study the host culture. We can read about the new culture, attend seminars, watch movies, and socialize with host nationals about their culture. If possible, interview friends or colleagues who have travelled or lived in the culture. Tip 3 Study the Local Environment In addition to studying about the general culture, try to learn as much as you can about the local environment in which you will live such as where to buy favorite foods, where to find physicians, where schools are located, how public transportation operates (if there is any), or