How to “Jump Right into” the Foreign Culture

With the development of the science and technology, the world begins to step into the era of globalization. And when we aren’t alien to the global business, it’s prerequisite for us to jump right into the foreign culture fast and master the cross-cultural communication skills well while we are still living in China. In my opinion, there are several ways as follows to help you jump right into the foreign culture very well.

First, there is an old saying that “language isn’t only a tool, but also an art.” Therefore, I think that we should learn the foreign language very well, and then we can learn to appreciate the culture which the language mirrors.

Second, we should find and read some books or information about the foreign custom and history from the library and web. Or we can learn the cultural difference through watching foreign films and reading some foreign magazines.

Third, the theory always severs to the practice, so finally let’s check it into the practice. We should try to chat with the foreigners on the internet or on campus after we learn the language well and understand some foreign culture. At the same time we can accumulate some experience from the communication constantly.

In a word, we should give up the self-centered value, preconceptions, and stereotypes and we should attempt to feel our way into intimate contact with those foreign values and feelings while we don’t give up ourselves culture. The key is that we should find some balance between the western culture and Eastern culture. Only we do as this, can we push the stumbling blocks away in the cross-cultural communication and do better in the communication of the global business.