DIP 6A.CULTURE SHOCK.HL.doc

Ho Chi Minh City Open University
Graduate School
97 Vo Van Tan, Dist.3, HCMC, Vietnam
ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET AND REPORT
Diploma in TESOL 6
Name of candidate: HUYNH TAN HOI
NGUYEN THI HONG LIEN
Student No: DIP6-011
DIP6-016
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.
Name of lecturer: DR. BAO DAT
Due date: 27 JANUARY, 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…Huynh Tan Hoi and Nguyen Thi Hong Lien…Date…27/01/2010
I. INTRODUCTION
1
Hometown is like a bunch of sweet star fruit. Therefore, people who live in their familiar
hometown for a long time can get difficult to integrate into the new community after
moving to another country. They go to that country for some purposes such as to live, to
work, to study or to travel and they have to confront and overcome many obstacles. These
obstructions formed a culture shock that they have to deal with to be adaptable in that
challenging society. In this research paper, we would like to illustrate our investigation

with two people who came from two different countries. They are examples that reflex
clearly culture shock that people often experience.
II. CULTURE SHOCK
1. Definition
Culture shock refers to the feelings and anxiety people have when they move to a
different culture. The symptoms are surprise, disorientation, uncertainty, confusion,
discomfort, etc.
2. Four stages
It is said that there are three, four or five stages of culture shock. However, in our
research paper, we would like to recommend four stages. A person who experiences and
gets familiar with these four stages will be successful to integrate in the new environment.
•
Honeymoon Stage: when they go to the new culture. They feel excited, eager and
stimulated…. Everything is new.
•
Frustration Stage: They feel everything is terrible. They suffer from the new
culture.
•
Understanding Stage: They feel comfortable and get familiar with the new culture.
•
Acclimation stage: they feel confident, accept differences and can overcome any
problems that happen,
III. HOW FOREIGNERS EXPERIENCE CULTURE SHOCK IN VIETNAM.
2
We are now living in Ho Chi Minh City. We both are working as English teachers and
English tourist guides for about ten years. Therefore we have so many chances to meet
foreigners around the world. We had interviewed some guests who came from America,
France, Japan, Australia, etc. Some of them said that they feel easy to live in other
countries; they neither care about nor experience culture shock. Some said that they feel
culture shock was their valuable living experience. The following are two typical

examples that we would like to present.
We met a Japanese student called Takahashi at the schoolyard of Ho Chi Minh City
University of Education. She is still alone and by the end of this year, she gets 23 years
old. By that time, she will have graduated from her Vietnamese literature faculty so that
we could make a conversation with her by Vietnamese without any language obstacles.
Now, this city has become her second homeland. She said that she wants to marry with a
Vietnamese man and work here, although she loves her country so much. When we asked
about her first days- experience in Vietnam, she said that it was so amazing.
After arriving at Vietnam she felt that she was on holiday because everything seems to be
new and interesting. Firstly, she appreciate living cost in Ho Chi Minh city. Everything is
so cheap and she did not pay so much for her casual things. In Japan, she has to pay
10.000 yen or 100 dollars for each durian fruit (3-4 kilograms) if she wants to enjoy it.
She could also have her breakfast at Pho 24 noodle soup restaurant with a reasonable
price. Second, she loves the local people’ simplicity. She was attracted by Vietnamese
children’ smile and motorbike taxi drivers ‘friendly faces. Some people do not look rich
but they seem so to be happy and very positive. Third, she liked the green colour and
favourable weather of this tropical country. Living in district 7 of Ho Chi Minh city, she
could hear bird singing and see white cloud wandering in the sky. It was December. That
3
the weather is so cool and the sun was shining through the branches of the trees made her
become as romantic as a poet.
However, after one month, she complained about many things although she studied rather
carefully about Vietnamese history, geography, literature, custom and language before
she went to Vietnam. She thought that everything would be fine and she could struggle
with any situation but many things were not easy for her.
She got confused with good manners between two countries. If Japanese people get
something from other people or before enjoying something, they usually say:
“itadakimasu”(could I have it?) or “sumimasen”(sorry to bother you) and bowl their head.
In the south of Vietnam, people will start their meal by saying: “xin moi”(enjoy your
meal) or “dung di”(try it). In Japan, when we meet someone (especially the older people,

managers or educated people such as professors, doctors…), we should bowl our head to
show respect toward them and say something like “ohayogozaimasu”(how do you do) or
“o genki desho ka?” (how are you?). Studying at the university, she often met different
people and she felt not only embarrassed but also difficult to say greetings because most
of Vietnamese people tend to exchange greetings in different ways. (Vietnamese people
usually tend to wink or smile, not to hug, to bow their head respectfully or to kiss). She
was also disappointed when some students at her university did not respond anything and
kept silent when se say “xin chao” (hello).
Except Pho noodle soup, Takahashi found a little bit difficult to enjoy Vietnamse food.
In Japan, she could have sashimi (raw seafood such as raw oyster, lobster, fish…), udon
(noodle), or sushi (rice wrapped with fish) for her lunch or dinner but she could not enjoy
the local food just because the ingredient and the way of cooking are so different from her
taste. When her Vietnamese friends invited her to have dinner with them at Lang Nuong
Nam Bo (Southern steak house), she wondered why her friends could eat some kinds of
4
dishes such as fried frog, baked scorpion, baked dog, etc.( Japanese people do not eat dog,
cat because they love them. They behave those animals as lovely pets. They do not eat
mouse, snake or strange insects). While her friends enjoyed the food, what she could do
was to pretend to be full and just had a sip of orange juice.
She missed her hometown when she thought about her friends, her family, her favourite
foods and her every cute corner of Osaka City. When she thought about that, she felt easy
and comfortable but Takahashi kept trying to make her dream (Vietnamese-Japanese
interpreter) come true. She cried many times in a week and wanted to go home. Seeing
people hugging or someone taking care each other would make her burst into tears. She
says: "I miss my country so much. I wanted to express my feeling and emotion but there
was no one to share with me. I have a few Vietnamese friends but I felt so lonely in a
crowd.”
She worried about her Vietnamese ability (she had studied Vietnamse language about 6
months before going to Vietnam) and found it hard to make conversation with the local
people. She wished she could use and distinguish between Southern and Northern

Vietnamese dialect successfully. She said “I knew that my language is not good enough
to make natural conversation with Vietnamese people, but at least I wanted to use my
own words to make conversation and I want to know more about Vietnam culture.” Now,
she understands that ‘fact is more interesting than art’, and what is called ‘fact and
fiction’ in language learning. The formal Vietnamese that she used to study at YMCA
language school is really different from natural conversation.
Another problem came with Takahashi was health. In Japan, there are 4 seasons: spring,
summer, autumn, winter and the weather is not so hot all around the year. The two hot
seasons and temperature keeps going up day after day in March and April in Ho Chi Minh
City made her feel worse. She said that the hot days made her so exhausted that she could
5
not have her meal. She lost her weight gradually, looked so thinner and she had to see the
doctor many times.
Takahashi also complained about security. She had to be careful of her pocket and
handbag because it is said that there are so many pickpockets there. The most surprised
thing she experienced in her past time was some young people like to drive motorbikes
zigzag in the forest of people. In Japan, most of people obey the traffic laws and that
means a person who runs the red light or drive in an abnormal way is considered as
strangers. As her observation, it seems there are so many Vietnamese people like to run
the red light and she found so difficult to cross the street even when the light turns green.
She asked us the reason but we kept silent for a while. We assumed that Vietnamese
people are very busy with their works and that became a habit without our knowing it.
There are some hygienic conditions that happened to Takahashi. She said that Japanese
people can drink water from faucet and of course, they do not worry about the hygiene.
Takahashi wondered if she could brush her teeth by that water and that was the reason
why she usually boiled water before using for any purpose. Furthermore, she could not try
the food on the street stand where the chopsticks, dishes, bowls are washed in the same
water and food is cooked in a bad hygiene condition. Even though she was so hungry, she
went home and cooked for herself.
Takahashi felt better once she had discovered how to adapt to her new environment and

got familiar with local people’ life after living in Vietnam about three months. She
recognized that she should not close the door and complain all the day. She took part in
some activities such ‘Chien Dich Hien Mau Nhan Dao’ (Humanitarianism Blood
Donation Campaign), Chien Dich Xoa Mu Chu’ (Illiterate Erasing Campaign) etc. She
could make more Vietnamese friends when she joined English speaking Club of Youth
foreign language Center on Pham Ngoc Thach Street at every weekend. She also met and
6
talked to some friendly and easy going students, cyclo drivers at the front gate of
University of Education or sometimes at a coffee shop on a pavement of Nguyen Van Cu
Street. That helped her to get through this time and that made her love Vietnamese people
more. Now she can enjoy ‘hot vit lon’ (boiled egg in which there is a small duck), fried
frog with butter or dog meat or even durian. She also noticed some changes in her
behaviour: wake up in early morning and do exercise at Tao Dan park very often. She
liked to care about other people and was more open-minded.
However she felt sad when she was back to her own country in her first summer vacation.
Takahashi said that she experienced "reverse culture shock" and she had to start again to
be adaptable with Japanese life. She missed Vietnamese food, missed the friends she met
in Vietnam and she wanted to have ‘banh xeo’ (pancake) for her lunch and ‘pho’ (noodle)
for her breakfast and speak Vietnamese language. Two month summer vacation in her
country was not long but she recognized that she should change her idea, behaviour to be
a more flexible person. (She should behave as a Japanese person when she lives in Japan).
We also interviewed an Australian person whose name is Mak Pryke. We met him at a
High Land Coffee shop on De Tham Street, Ho Chi Minh City. At the age of 65 years
old, he is still strong, active and so friendly. He said that he went to Vietnam for a few
months to look for a good chance to do business. Then, he will be back to Thailand where
he is a Sailpac event manager of a tourist company. He said that he has been living in
Bangkok Capital, Thailand about 20 years and Vietnam will be his third homeland. He is
the type of person who is not easily affected by circumstances. He thought that he could
live in Thailand and it will not hard to live in other Asian countries. However, something
bad and something good happened unexpectedly.

His first surprise was traffic problem. He wondered the way people blow [beep, blare] the
horn and run the red light so often when they are on the street. Perhaps, they are busy and
7
they want to go faster than as usual, but sometimes that seems to be just for fun. In
Australia or even Thailand, people usually wait the green light and rarely make noise in
order to disturb the others. He gets used to be stuck in traffic jam in Thailand pagoda
country where there are full of cars, but it is not easy to cross the intersection in Vietnam
because it seems that people do not want to give priority to walker.
He was also surprised at the way a few Vietnamese people speak English although their
English is not bad. For example, a waitress asked him in a strange voice and in a: “what
da ja want to eat ?” (What do you want to eat) or “what da ya wan ta rin?” (What do you
want to drink?) and smiled. He could not get what she wanted to say in that way of
speaking and pronouncing. He tried to listen, to guess and then he could understand what
she meant.
Traveling to many places, he recognized that there is so much rubbish. He was so
surprised and disappointed not just because of much rubbish but the way some
Vietnamese people waste them. After eating something, some people usually throw the
can, bottle or plastic box into the river or even on the street. After a football game or a
public music show, he found the ground full of rubbish and people left their seats without
caring how dirty the ground was.
Mr.Pryke felt a little bit tired about his unfamiliar things but he kept trying. Luckily, he
felt better after a short week and he could travel around the country or enjoy food at the
local food stand. He had been traveling to many places to discover the hidden charms of
Vietnam. Although he could not make a longer Vietnamese conversation, (he could only
say a few sentences such as ‘xin chao’ (good morning), ‘anh khoe khong?’ (how are
you?) or ‘di dau?’ (where to go?). He also likes the way to talk with Vietnamese people
by gesture when he cannot express what he wants to say by language.
Now, he is living in Thailand but he comes to Vietnam regularly. He is going to open a
tourist office in Ho Chi Minh City in some next months and everything is prepared
8

carefully. He will learn Vietnamese language as soon as he hopes that he is able to make
conversation with local people.
IV. SOME DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TWO
FOREIGNERS
Differences between Takahashi and Pryke are so clear. While Takahashi can speak
Vietnamese language very well, Mr. Pryke cannot. If Takahashi spent almost four
stages of culture shock in a longer time, Mr.Pryke felt a little bit difficult to adapt with
the new environment in a very short time. After came back to hometown, reverse
culture shock occurred to Takahashi but Mr. Pryke. However, they also have the same
point. They realized that they needed to learn language or change the way of thinking
to be suitable with their new hometown.
V. WHAT WE CAN STUDY FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES
First, life will be a lot easier if we can speak to people and understand what they reply to
you. That means we should learn the language before we move to another country. We
should find out the area where we are going to move on the Internet, from book, etc so
that we can get the newest formation about the people and life in that area.
Second, we should join a club, a sports team, and volunteer activities, attend a local
church, pagoda, or take a language class. We should meet new people and force ourselves
to become parts of the community will help us get familiar to new environment.
Third, we should get out and walk around our neighborhood so that people can see us. If
we stay at home and complain all the time, no one can help us. People will see us and we
can say “hello” to someone. We also keep smiling even if we feel tired. We visit the same
coffee shop, bookstore, or market. People will recognize us.
Last, we give ourselves a prize. We use our time to travel around the city or the province
where we are living. We have chances to discover the new and unknown things. This will
help us feel easier and more comfortable.
9
VI. WHAT WE CAN APPLY INTERCULTURE TO OUR TEACHING
Learning the second language learning is not like learning the first language. Learning
the second language is like an integrating process into a new culture. The learners who

are learning the new language can appreciate or complain about the new culture. We
teachers should choose good methods to guide our learner so that they can access the
new language without obstacles. We should explain the differences and similarities
between the home culture and the host culture systematically so that the learners can
understand, recognize and accept the new culture. Being acquainted with fictional
theories, the learners can apply in their real situation when they move to other English
speaking countries.
VII. CONCLUSION
It is said that hometown is like a bunch of sweet star fruit and if we do not love that
sacred place, we cannot become good people. We love our country
but when we are in
Rome, do as the Romans do.
To move to another country, we can get culture shock and then
when we are back to our first country, we can get reverse culture shock. However, if we
should not give up and keep trying to overcome difficulties, we can equip ourselves with
some precious living skills to struggle with any situation.
VI. REFERENCES:
Nguyen D (1985). Culture shock-A review of Vietnamese culture and its concepts of
health and disease. Cross-cultural Medicine. 142:409-412.
Jandt, F. E. (2001) Intercultural Communication. Third Edition. Thousand Oaks:
Sage Publication, Inc.
Culture shock. Retrieved January 10, 2010 from
Diane Schmidt. Culture shock. Retrieved December, 29, 2009 from
ing
10
11