Module 10: Getting a TESOL job
10.5 Preparing to join a different culture
If you are deciding to use your TESOL talents to travel to another country and learn about another culture, make sure that you are prepared for the culture you are about to immerse yourself in. Research your destination and try to learn as much as you can about the culture before you get there. If you do this, you can avoid offending anyone accidentally and ease our way into the culture much more easily. Typically, you will likely experience this new culture in the following stages:
Beginning stage: Prepare for your journey by doing research about the culture, and make sure you are ready for your journey and your new environment.
Initial happiness: You are in a new place, and everything is unique and cool. You will initially feel so happy to be in this new place and excited to help the people you meet there. Even if you have a great experience, this initial euphoria wears off.
Frustration: Once the happiness begins to wane, you are likely to begin getting irritated with your new home. The culture is different, and much of what you loved about your home is rare or not available to you anymore.
Adjustment: You are beginning to get used to the new customs and culture of your new home. You find yourself less and less irritated by the things around you and are starting to feel comfortable with them.
Adaptation: Once you begin feeling comfortable with the culture, you will start to truly feel a sense of biculturalism, where you identify and even like the new culture you are experiencing. Everything that was once foreign and odd to you now feels comfortable and normal.
Reentry: When you leave this foreign culture to return home, you may find that you go through all of these stages all over again, albeit at a much quicker pace. You will probably always cherish your experience with another culture, but be very happy to be home where you are more comfortable.
10.5 Preparing to join a different culture
If you are deciding to use your TESOL talents to travel to another country and learn about another culture, make sure that you are prepared for the culture you are about to immerse yourself in. Research your destination and try to learn as much as you can about the culture before you get there. If you do this, you can avoid offending anyone accidentally and ease our way into the culture much more easily. Typically, you will likely experience this new culture in the following stages:
Beginning stage: Prepare for your journey by doing research about the culture, and make sure you are ready for your journey and your new environment.
Initial happiness: You are in a new place, and everything is unique and cool. You will initially feel so happy to be in this new place and excited to help the people you meet there. Even if you have a great experience, this initial euphoria wears off.
Frustration: Once the happiness begins to wane, you are likely to begin getting irritated with your new home. The culture is different, and much of what you loved about your home is rare or not available to you anymore.
Adjustment: You are beginning to get used to the new customs and culture of your new home. You find yourself less and less irritated by the things around you and are starting to feel comfortable with them.
Adaptation: Once you begin feeling comfortable with the culture, you will start to truly feel a sense of biculturalism, where you identify and even like the new culture you are experiencing. Everything that was once foreign and odd to you now feels comfortable and normal.
Reentry: When you leave this foreign culture to return home, you may find that you go through all of these stages all over again, albeit at a much quicker pace. You will probably always cherish your experience with another culture, but be very happy to be home where you are more comfortable.
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