When students leave home to
study they are beginning a new life, often alone. Adjustment to a new
culture and environment is not accomplished in a few days. On the contrary,
it can take a year or, in some cases, more.
People who enter a new
culture almost inevitably suffer from disorientation. The physical and
social environment contains much that is new and hard to understand. It
takes time to learn how to get around, do laundry, buy food and other
necessities, and become comfortable in the new society. It is exhausting and
difficult to speak in a second language, understand the meanings that lie
behind spoken and non-spoken language and learn new behaviors. The cultural
differences encountered and an inability to comprehend them produces a
pervasive sense of insecurity. When entering a new culture
a person is separated from the people and circumstances that define one's
role in society and may experience, in varying degrees, a loss of identity.
The impact of this disorientation is generally termed "culture
shock." Culture shock can
manifest itself in a number of ways: headache, upset stomach, irritability,
homesickness and so on. Eventually it will disappear, except in very rare
cases. Hosts (American friends) can do much to ease the student's adjustment
and culture shock by being aware that this is a normal and "real"
experience that most sojourners encounter. They can provide assistance by
listening patiently and offering support when it is needed.
Some explanation of the
various stages of adjustment may be useful. Not every international student
will experience all the stages but "friends" or hosts who are
puzzled by students' attitudes and behavior may find the following list
enlightening.
Initial Euphoria
Hardly recovered from travel
fatigue and jet lag, students are soon busy with registration, interviews,
orientation, tours, parties and getting acquainted with their hosts.
Everything is new but still exciting—possibly "quaint"—and
students purposefully set off to accomplish their goals. At this point they
are most apt to notice the similarities and assume that people are basically
alike everywhere. This stage can last from two weeks to two months—but it
inevitably ends.
Irritability and Hostility
As the differences become
apparent and perhaps some difficulties are encountered discomfort sets in
and students may become irritable, develop various physical ailments,
withdraw, watch TV rather than study or exhibit other signs of being
troubled. Since the new environment is the cause of the discomfort, some
hostility toward Americans, the college or university and the United States
may be expressed. Some students have called this the "three month
blues" since the worst part of this stage seems to occur about three
months after arrival. >
Gradual Adjustment
As the student begins to
better understand lectures and textbooks, passes one or two quizzes and
correctly interprets some of the cultural cues that have been so puzzling,
there is a gradual—sometimes hardly perceptible—adjustment taking place.
A student may still avoid those areas of life that continue to prove
difficult or cling to a friend from his own country. Gradually, things will
seem less forbidding and more comfortable and his sense of humor returns.
Adaptation
Students have adapted when
they can function well in two cultures—the new one and their own. They are
able to handle with understanding any differences encountered, are at ease
with the college and their peers and can communicate more readily. In fact,
they may find a great deal to enjoy and their relationship with their host
can deepen and mature.
Return Anxiety
As students near the completion of their studies and
face the prospect of returning home, anxieties can intrude. Strangely
enough, the student who had adjusted best will probably be the one who finds
returning most difficult. Most students realize how much they have changed
since leaving home and wonder if it is possible to fit back in. They will
once again be leaving friends and what has become a safe and familiar
environment. These feelings may be compounded by changes that have occurred
at home during their absence. The student may appreciate opportunities to
discuss these changes and the apprehension that is felt with their hosts.
by Margaret D. (Peggy) Pusch, President, Intercultural
Press, Inc., COMSEC Chair, 1980–1981