4 Politeness.ppt

Ho Chi Minh City Open University
Graduate School
97 Vo Van Tan, Dist.3, HCMC, Vietnam
ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET AND REPORT
Diploma in TESOL 6A
Name of candidate: PHAM MINH TRUNG
Student No:
Email address:
Name of coursework subject: COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Title of this item of work:
Research project (culture shock-Practice interview with a foreigner in Viet Nam). Design and pilot
an empirical investigation into some aspect of intercultural issues such as culture bump or culture
shock. This is done by interviewing with a foreigner in Vietnam about his/her cultural experience
such as intercultural obstacles to living in Vietnam, how expectations met or fail to meet, what was
the most outstanding culture shock experience, what are some beliefs and values one should learn
from such cultural experiences, etc.
Name of lecturer: Dr BAO DAT
Due date: January 31, 2010
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP:
I certify that the above assignment is my original work, and it is based on my own research. All
sources used by me have been documented. No other person’s work has been used without due
acknowledgement. This piece of work has not previously been submitted for assessment in this or
any other subject or course at this University or elsewhere.
Student’s Signature Date: January 25, 2010

1. INTRODUCTION
Culture bump or culture shock is a term used to refer to the anxiety or feelings – including
surprise, loss of direction, confusion …) – that a person experiences when he or she is in another
culture or living environment. These problems arise from a foreigner’s efforts to participate in a
new culture in which he or she finds some things comfortable or uncomfortable. In many cases,
culture shock is accompanied by a foreigner’s resentment, for either moral or aesthetic reasons,

against certain aspects of the new culture. Furthermore, culture shock is usually regarded as a job-
related disease of those suddenly living and working overseas. In other words, culture shock is
sometimes the outcome of over-anxiety in which a foreigner loses his or her habitual or familiar
signs as well as daily contact or communication. Cultural factors, including hand-shaking, tip-
giving, greeting, accepting or refusing of an invitation …, are all gradually developed and accepted
by a community.
Especially, culture is an essential variable that must be considered in the communication
process for everyone who is living and working abroad. It is more obvious that the relationship
between culture and language is inextricably linked. Both are semiotic systems that rely on signs
and symbols to transmit and receive messages. However, when those customary signs and symbols
are changed or removed completely, as they are for sojourners in a new environment, culture shock
can emerge (McLeod, 2008). The “…multiple demands for adjustment that individuals experience
at the cognitive, behavioral, emotional, social, and physiological levels, when they relocate to
another culture” (Chapdelaine & Alexitch, 2004) are undeniably critical for the adjustment of
foreigners and often elicit initial debilitating intrapersonal and interpersonal issues.
As a matter of fact, most newly-arrived foreigners in Vietnam are often faced with the
simultaneous challenge of not only competing with but also adjusting to the host culture. It is up to
an array of factors, including age, gender, previous experience with the language or overseas, as
well as the differences between the home and host cultures that foreigners can be overwhelmed by
the magnitude and the number of foreign demands placed upon them. In particular, the pursuit of
social knowledge without recognition of the need for learning about Vietnamese culture is too
narrowly defined and short-sighted as it ignores the very real possibility that foreigners will
encounter culture shock. Also, it is a comment trend that the term language shock be added to the
conceptualization of culture shock because of the central position language problems have in
inducing this phenomenon and due to the acute negative reactions that some foreigners have to
language study.
The primary purpose of this research project is to reveal some aspects of intercultural issues
such as culture bump or culture shock in which language barrier is most focused. Subjects in
research project are foreigners currently living and working in Vietnam for a particular period of
time and the research is aimed to deal with their experiences with culture shock and the reasons

they ascribed for this phenomenon. The manner in which they responded to the culture shock as
well as the influential factors that assisted them in coping is also explored.
I anticipated the research project would uncover the participants’ feelings and attitudes
about the impact of language learning in helping them cope with culture shock. In particular, the
selected foreigners’ opinions of Vietnamese culture and various cultural activities were solicited as
it was expected, based on the pilot case study findings, that these individuals and endeavors would
also have an influence on their adjustment to the host culture.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Culture itself consists of a variety of definitions. In 1978, Prosser defined culture as the
traditions, customs, norms, beliefs, values, and thought patterning passed down from generation to
generation. This term was also further defined as a historically transmitted system of symbols and
norms used by any symbol system that was bounded and salient to individuals. Especially, in the
book of Fred E. Jandt (2001), culture refers to:
1. A community or population sufficiently large enough to be self-sustaining; or in other
words, large enough to produce new generations of members without relying on outside
peoples
2. The totality of that group’s thought, experiences, and patterns of behavior and its
concepts, values, and assumptions about life that guide behavior and how those evolve
with contact with other cultures
3. A process of social transmission of these thoughts and behaviors over the course of
generations
4. Members who consciously identify themselves with that group or the identification with
and perceived acceptance into a group that has a shared system of symbols and meanings
as well as norms for conduct
Within culture, communication is defined as an important element and it has often been said
that communication and culture are inseparable. The notion was insisted by Alfred G. Smith in his
preface to Communication and Culture that culture is a code we learn and share, and learning and
sharing require communication. In fact, culture cannot be known without a study of communication,
and communication can only be understood with an understanding of the culture it supports.
However, there are still barriers to intercultural communication which generally include anxiety,

assuming similarity instead of difference, ethnocentrism, stereotypes and prejudice, nonverbal
misinterpretations, and language (Barna, 1997).
Furthermore, there have existed numerous definitions of culture shock for centuries;
however, according to the work of McLeod in 2008, some recent definitions of this term would be
quoted as follows:
Authors Definition Terminology
Dulebohn
(1989)
“The [normal] psychological reaction caused
byan immersion into an unfamiliar culture in
whichthe sojourner’s cultural knowledge and
behavioral learning is inappropriate” (p. ii)
Culture shock
Dodd
(1991)
“The transition period and the accompanying
feelings of stress and anxiety a person
experiences during the early period upon
entering a new culture” (p. 305)
Culture shock
Anderson
(1994)
A common process of environmental
adaptation that entails learning to live with
change and difference
Change shock or
cross-cultural
adaptation
Weaver
(1994)

A psychological reaction to the new culture
which manifests itself in various reactions to
stress
Culture shock
Pedersen
(1995)
“An internalized construct or perspective
developed in reaction or response to the new
or unfamiliar situation” (p. vii)
Culture shock
McKinlay, Pattison &
Gross
(1996)
The array of experiences of international
students in the host, foreign culture as they
familiarize themselves with new customs
oftentimes with the expectation of integration
Culture shock
Chapdelaine
& Alexitch
(2004)
“…the multiple demands for adjustment that
individuals experience at the cognitive,
behavioral, emotional, social, and
physiological levels, when they relocate to
another culture” (p. 168)
Culture shock
Hall (1981) and Althen (1994) also contend that foreigners who are able to effectively
communicate with members of the host culture are not as acutely affected by culture shock as
compared to those who lack language skill. Confidence initiating contact with insight and

proficiency leads to a mutually beneficial exchange in which both parties learn, enjoy, and
ultimately pursue deeper relationships. It is also strengthened by the belief in the importance of the
length of time in the host country as an important factor in determining how effectively foreigner
copes with culture shock. Thus, it can be referred to the fact that the longer the residence in
Vietnam, the more positive the attitude, interaction, adjustment, and achievement a foreigner may
achieve.
3. METHODOLOGY
Participants
Two selected foreigners are my friend and colleague. One is currently working as an English
Teacher of Bac My International English School and the other is the professor of Raffles College.
They all have been in Vietnam for a long time and are all teachers of roughly the same age (25-35).
Paul Davidson Nicole Baudisch
Gender Male Female
Age 27 32
Marital status Single Married
Researcher
As an English teacher for two years, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture
to a great extent. In particular, I devoted my efforts to learning the language, as I was convinced
that this was best way to understand the culture and the people. I was able to achieve an advanced
proficiency level in English in speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. In the research, my
motivation is merely to provide background and context to the participants’ interview responses. I
made every effort to avoid over-generalizations and the creation or perpetuation of stereotypes by
remaining aware of my own biases or perspectives.
Interview
Two approximately ten-minute interviews were conducted primarily by me in English. The
individual informal format involved the use of a semi-structured, open-ended set of questions. The
location of the interviews was in the school’s training room and in a coffee shop and the
environment was comfortable for the participants. The interviews were recorded in writing and
were designed to conduct just in two personal meetings which require around 15 minutes for each.
First interview

Interviewer’s full name: Pham Minh Trung
Interviewee’s full nam: Paul Davison
Nationality: British
Occupation: English Teacher
Place of work: Bac My International English School
1. How long have you been in Vietnam?
- 9 months
2. What are your cultural obstacles when you live in Vietnam?
- Being overcharged because of being unable to speak Vietnamese and negotiable
3. Do you overcome or fail to overcome those obstacles?
- Overcome (usually)
4. What are your method or tips to overcome them?
- Find out the real price of goods by looking in a supermarket or asking friends then refusing
to pay more than 10-15% above these prices.
5. May you tell an example of your most memorable shock experience?
- Paying twice the price for my motorbike because none of the stores would give me a fair
price as I’m foreign.
6. What is your opinion or lesson that you have after such culture experiences?
- If you are going to buy anything expensive, try to take someone Vietnamese with you.
Second interview
Interviewer’s full name: Pham Minh Trung
Interviewee’s full nam: Nicole Baudisch
Nationality: German
Occupation: University Professor
Place of work: Raffles College
1. How long have you been in Vietnam?
- More than one year
2. What are your cultural obstacles when you live in Vietnam?
- Well, I personally think the first obstacle is the language. It is quite difficult for me to learn
and speak. Traffic jam is something difficult for me in Vietnam since the movements of

vehicles are beyond my imagination. It’s also language that I have to pay a large sum of
money for agency when I ask them to help me look for an apartment to stay. They almost
charge a higher amount than usual
3. Do you overcome or fail to overcome those obstacles?
- I did overcome
4. What are your method or tips to overcome them?
- Try to make several Vietnamese friends, also keep a good relationship with them and ask
them to give me more assistance when living in Vietnam
5. May you tell an example of your most memorable shock experience?
- I used to buy goods with higher value as I really do not know how to bargain for the true
price.
6. What is your opinion or lesson that you have after such culture experiences?
- When buying something, I will go online to search for the appropriate price in advance or I
can ask for opinions or ideas from my Vietnamese friends.
Findings
After conducting the two interviews, I realize the same perception and experience between
the two participants even though they have different nationality and do not know each other. Also, I
work out some lessons and guidelines for effective communication for foreigners to overcome
culture shock – especially in language shock.
First of all, foreigners should start by assessing as accurately as possible the intercultural
obstacles that exist, such as language and problems of communication in general. More seriously, I
Vietnam, they should be aware that what is explicitly said is not necessarily what is implicitly
meant. Thus, they should check, verify, or spend time on checking communication accuracy,
especially when stakes are high. Second, in many cases, interpreters may serve a crucial purpose as
they may be transposers of meaning. It is also necessary to make sure that they are truly loyal to the
party who has hired them. Third, it must be clearly appreciated that there is always a part of the
language that cannot be translated.
4. LIMITATION
As the research project is focused on the obstacles caused by communication and culture shock, it
fails to profoundly analyze the influential factors of culture shock. Moreover, the number of

participants in the research is limited; thus, it cannot reflect the whole situation of culture shock.
References
Prosser, M. H. (1978). The Cultural Dialogue: An Introduction to Intercultural Communication.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Collier, M. J. & Thomas, M. (1988). Cultural Identity: An Interpretive Perspective. International
and Intercultural Communication Annual, 12, 99-120
Smith, A. G. (1966). Communication and Culture: Readings in the Codes of Human Interaction.
New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Barna, L. M. (1997). Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication. In L.A. Samovar & R. E.
Porter (Eds.), Intercultural Communication: A Reader (8
th
ed., pp. 337-346). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.
McLeod, K. D. (2008). A Qualitative Examination of Culture Shock and the Influential Factors
Affecting Newly-Arrived Korean Students at Texas A&M University. Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas
A&M University, United States Texas. Retrieved January 26, 2010, from Dissertations & Theses:
The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection.( Publication No. AAT 3321970).
Chapdelaine, R. F., & Alexitch, L. R. (2004). Social Skills Difficulty: Model of Culture
Shock for International Graduate Students. Journal of College Student Development, 45, 167-184.
Hall, E. T. (1981). Beyond Culture. New York: Doubleday.
Althen, G. (Ed.) (1994). Learning Across Cultures. Washington, DC: NAFSA, Association of
International Educators.