Culture Shock (Khue-Phung)

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 :
NGUYỄN THỊ KHUÊ - TRẦN THỊ THANH PHỤNG
Student No:
Email address:
( Tran Thi Thanh Phung )
( Nguyen Thi Khue )
Name of coursework subject:
COMMUNICATION and CULTURE
Title of this item of work:
CULTURE SHOCK
Name of lecturer: Dr. BẢO ĐẠT
Due date: February 6
th
, 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: … …PHUNG , KHUE……………. Date: Feb 5
th
, 2010
Communication and Culture - Culture Shock
CULTURE SHOCK

‘Most people who live abroad for an extended period experience difficulties in adjusting to
the new culture; this is commonly called ‘culture shock’. In order to understand culture
shock, one must remember that our ability to function in the world depends on our capacity
to read hundreds of signs, respond to subtle cues, and behave according to countless explicit
and implicit rules. At home we know how to read street signs, how to use the telephone,
how much to tip, etc. Much of what we do in our daily lives is automatic and requires little
thought. Abroad, the reverse is true and simple tasks become difficult because we don’t
know how to behave, our actions and words don’t get the expected responses, and we don’t
understand the messages we are getting. We are confronted continuously with new ways of
thinking, valuing, and doing things. Sometimes, our common sense is no longer useful. This
disorientation that can cause severe stress is culture shock. Fortunately, culture shock is
predictable and manageable and, if foreigners are prepared for it, they can do a great deal to
mitigate its effects’. (‘Culture Shock’ by Dr. Carmen Guanipa, Dept. of Counseling and
School Psychology, San Diego State University)
In our modern world of exponential intercultural exchange language is seen as ‘an unifying
force, rather than a barrier to human interaction’. In fact, many of world’s problems are the results
of cultural misunderstanding. ‘Feeling of disorientation, of discomfort due to the unfamiliarity of
surroundings’ (Martin & Nakayama 1997: 169 ) happens to most people who come to another
country. All foreigners who travel oversea are like ‘a fish out of water’. The reason for this feeling
is that when they encounter a new culture they do not have enough knowledge and understanding
about the signals, their culture helps to shape their identity, and many of the signals of interpersonal
communication such as body language, words, facial expressions, tone of voice, idioms or slang,
which are different in various cultures. Further more, ‘everything is fair’ in new places, they are
often excited about new sights, new sounds, new smells and tastes. The longer they live in a foreign
country , the more culture shock they encounter, and the more culture shock they overcome , the
more they feel at home.
We had opportunities to talk face to face and through e-mail with some foreigners from
America ( Mr. Jason – professor, 48 years old), Singapore ( Mr. DC Chew – businessman, 33),
Thailand ( Ms. Sasiporn – employee ), France ( Mr. Clarke – doctor, 45 and Ms. Angelique – sale
person ), Japan (Mr. Haroshi Harada –director ), Switzerland ( Mr. Mathias Baumgartner – teacher ,

31), Germany ( Mr. Christian Nagel, Head of Marketing, 51), China ( Mr. Gao-Kunfeng, a fund
manager, 34). Most of them have lived in Vietnam for more than 8 years. Two have got married to
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Communication and Culture - Culture Shock
Vietnamese ladies (Mr. Jason and Mr. Clarke). With various kinds of job, they shared a lot of
cultural obstacles to living in Vietnam.
The difficulty most of them encounter is language. It is language, which can help us
succeed in a multicultural world, also can cause confusion if we do not really understand it. Because
Mr. Chew’s command of the language was poor, he used to worry, ‘Language is a barrier. In the
provinces it is even more difficult to communicate if one is unable to speak Vietnamese’. As to Mr.
Jason, he has problems with the complexity around the pronouns, ‘I can never figure out what to
call people (anh, chi, em, co, bac, ba, chu, cau, di, etc), particularly for older people’. In fact, in
Vietnam, the way as well as the title we call others is very important. It implies the consanguinity,
social relationship, position, and also the feeling of speakers. It is not simple as in some foreign
countries, especially Western countries, they just have ‘You’and ‘I’.
Talking about the way of calling others, Ms. Angelique added ‘everyone in Vietnam has to call
their parents-in-law by Mum or Dad, but in France, they are not your parents, just call them by first
name…’ It is like the way we call our friends or peers! Like what we have mentioned before, the
way we call others also implies how much we respect others. Therefore, if we call our parents or
parents-in-law by their first names, we will be blamed rude.
Besides, Mr. Clarke has found out an interesting opinion about Vietnamese family , that is
‘Ten daughters means nothing, one son means everything’ ( Nhat nam viet huu, thap nu viet vo).
That is why his parents-in-law still wanted to try one more though there are 8 daughters in their
family. Fortunately, they won in the last attempt. ‘If it had not been a son , we would have tried
again and again’ said his father-in-law. It is because Vietnamese life is influenced by ancestors
worship, only the son can maintain the family name from generation to generation, and because of
the strong influence of the Chinese culture, ‘the family comes before individual and boys are valued
and more important than girls’, the son’s role is to replace a deceased father, to protect the name
and reputation of the family for the sake of living as well as the dead.
The following experience comes from Mr. Jason and Mr. Clarke, who have got married to

Vietnamese ladies; Mr. Jason expressed, ‘I like the support offered in a Vietnamese family unit, but
dislike the age hierarchy. I believe respect should be earned and not expected at any age’. In fact,
according to Eastern culture, children have to respect and obey their parents and the elder without
questioning. And ‘the husband and wife relationship is that the wife should listen and obey husband
without questioning’ (Vietnamese Culture 4). Unless their parents die, they mustn’t decide any
serious things, related to the family, without asking for permission even though they are mature or
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Communication and Culture - Culture Shock
they have already had their own family with grandchildren. In some countries, when people date,
they do not need to go to see the parents first, after some dates if they really like each other, they
will do. In Vietnam, they have to ask their parents for permission from the first date. If his or her
parents do not like her or him, the parents will not allow them to date even their children love the
other. Therefore, Haroshi Harada did not date with his girlfriend any more. He told us that on the
day he was introduced to her family, her parents asked him so many questions about his family,
friends and work and so on that he was so ‘afraid of her parents’. And later, his girlfriend had to
break up with him because her parents did not allow her to date with him.
Together with some differences in family, at work foreigners also gain lots of ‘amazing’
experiences. Mr. Clarke, for example, is a doctor in Ha Noi FV hospital, he was really shocked at
some medical treatments from Vietnamese people. He told us the case of a man from Nam Dinh
Province. The man took his 5-year-old daughter to hospital with many bruises on her chest and
back. He explained that bruises came from coin rubbing –‘cạo gio’, it was an old folk remedy in his
village. ‘But she does not feel better!’said the man. Many Vietnamese people often use traditional
treatment at home before going to hospital. ‘It can be too late’ said angrily Mr. Clarke. This is very
easy to guess because the living standard of people in some remote areas such as mountainous, or
countryside or ethnic minority is still low, they lack of money or transports to go to hospital or to
the doctor’s, especially, they have few opportunities of updating modern technology or latest
information.
One more example is Mr. Mathias Baumgartner, a teacher from Switzerland. He shared with us
that on the Vietnamese Teachers’ Day, some students offered him some gifts, he refused, but they
insisted. It is because in his country, ‘If students offer gifts to teachers, it can be interpreted as an

effort to gain favorable consideration.’ He did not know that in Vietnam, in order to show their
gratitude to teachers, students often offer presents or cards together with best wishes, it is popular
on The Vietnamese Teachers’ Day. Thanks to the explanation of some Vietnamese friends, gifts are
‘Okay’ with him now.
‘Cultural shock derives from both the challenge of new cultural surroundings and from the
loss of a familiar cultural environment’ ( Rhine smith, 1985). Therefore, living in Vietnam, a new
country, foreigners can’t help encountering shock in their daily life. They may feel sad,
disappointed, frightened, angry, or aggressive, they may complain about the host country, they even
want to ‘go directly back to my own country’ (Mr. Jason) or ‘want to return to homeland’ (Mr.Gao-
Kunfeng). ‘This really bothers me’ is what Mr. Christian complained as he was at some common
places such as theatres or bus stops or at the cashiers’ because ‘there is no line but all at the same
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Communication and Culture - Culture Shock
time !’ However, that is a common scene in Vietnam, it is because we get used to the thinking that
‘the more we get together, the merrier we will be’. Thus, instead of standing orderly and quietly in
lines, Vietnamese people like making groups to gossip… This habit has existed for ages, it is really
not easy to make a change.
Also at some entertainment centres, foreigners felt distinguished because they have to pay higher
than Vietnamese people. This upsets Ms. Angelique and Mr. Jason, they suggested there should be
a standardized ticket price for all, ‘I can accept that students or young and old people be given
discounted tickets as they do not work and have no income. But I do not think it is reasonable for
tourists to pay higher as they may feel cheated and as a result they may not return’. This idea may
open a new problem for our government to solve! Anyway, we think the difference in payment is
just a way to hold the balance or reduce the unbalance of income or rates of exchange. And it is
common to think that most foreigners, who are from developed countries, with high standard of
living, with ‘dollars or euro notes’, will certainly have a rich life in Vietnam. Further more, they are
paid higher than Vietnamese people in most cases of working. So, it is fair, isn’t it ?
Food is another aspect foreigners have to struggle when living in other country. Mr. Clarke made a
comment, ‘There are some differences in what is considered eatable, ‘dog meat’, or ‘mam tom’ for
example’, and Ms. Angelique added, ‘I cannot contact fish sauce and shrimp paste’. ‘I learn quickly

to never go near it again!’, that is the way they protect themselves. However, most of the foreigners
we talked to expressed their love of Vietnamese food with many interesting cooking styles, taste
and flavours, ‘the local food has a fantastic diversity throughout the country and excellent’ Mr.
Chew praised.
Much culture shock or culture bump involves misunderstanding about what politeness means.
Actually, politeness can be learnt in different ways, so ‘trying to understand how politeness works
in various culture may help one become more tolerant when someone seems to be rude to you’. Mr.
Haroshi Harada, a director in a Furniture Limited Company in Binh Duong Province, said that
Vietnamese people sometimes asked him about income, marital status or religion, it was not easy
for him to answer, because he thought it was privacy, he did not like answering those personal
questions. Therefore, he just smiled in most cases. In reality, it is true to be impolite to ask those
personal questions if you belong to other countries, but in Vietnam, it is very popular because they
sometimes ask those questions just for fun, for continuing the conversation, not always for detail
information. It is just a way to socialize or to get to know each other.
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Communication and Culture - Culture Shock
‘Effectively dealing with cultural shock requires recognition of cultural shock occurrences
and implementing behaviors to overcome cultural shock with stable adaptations.’(By Michael
Winkelman). Some foreigners have realized that the new culture has good and bad things to
consider, and it depends on number of culture values that foreigners have to process. They start to
define themselves and establish goals for living. They accept the culture’s ways with a positive
attitude. Therefore, in case of the different ticket price, Mr. Jason said, ‘Sometimes I will just pay
it. Other times I think it is just wrong and go elsewhere. This depends on my mood’. He knew what
to do to survive in a new place!
This phenomenon occurred to Mr. Chew and Ms. Sasiporn, too. After a long time of shock of the
traffic, Ms. Sasiporn is used to it now, ‘I go with the flow, even drive on the sidewalk when
necessary!’, Mr. Chew even comforted himself by comparing the traffic jam in Ho Chi Minh city
with that in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Jakarta, ‘it is still not too bad !’ In order to understand
Vietnamese people more, with time he has learnt basic Vietnamese so he can communicate a little.
“It really makes my business easier”. Sometimes ‘I am with local friends, so no problem…’. He has

developed intercultural friendship to overcome his problem. This experience proves that
understanding the culture from the counterparts’ point of view helps reduce stress and makes it
easier to accept. It also confirms the statement that ‘successful adaptation requires accepting the fact
that it is normal to face problems in a new culture and seeking solutions for problems instead of
denying their existence.’ ( By Michael Winkelman)
In general, they all got shocked on the first few days in Vietnam, Mr. Jason said when he
first walked out of the airport, he was ‘frightened’ because he was ‘surrounded by ten taxi drivers’,
they talked to him at the same time, later he got lost because the taxi driver could not find the
address, and in the taxi, he witnessed an accident, traffic jam…, that is why he had to walk to find
the address. In addition, the curiosity of some Vietnamese people discomforted him, ‘some kids
even walked up to rub our arms to see what we felt like! I kept asking myself, What planet have I
landed on?’ said Mr. Jason. However, ‘I am used to it now. It helps that I do not look like a tourist
anymore. I just ignore the taxi drivers now and walk directly to the taxi company I want’, ‘It was
not long before many people from the neighborhood were following us out of curiosity’. When we
asked him how he had dealt with those shock experiences, he answered , ‘It just took some time to
start feeling comfortable. When I first go to a new country, I am usually quiet and reserved for the
first few days until I begin to get used to things’. This is really a good experience.
On the contrary, Mr. Jason, who has problems with the pronouns, feels powerless, he was “shy
away from speaking to older people for fear of offending them’. That’s why Mr. Bao Dat said,
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‘language is powerful if you can control.’ And Haroshi Harada left for China to overcome that love
shock. Both of them cannot do anything as there are so many differences in family tradition and
languages. In fact, running away or returning to homeland are also common ways for those who
cannot get over shock.
Afterwards, the culture starts to make sense, negative reactions or responses to the culture
are reduced when they-foreigners recognize that problems derive from the inability to understand,
accept, and adapt. They begin to feel a balanced view of the people and the customs. They are
familiar with the environment and desire to explore. They may find themselves in the host country,
they spend a lot of time on doing something they want, on going out around, on speaking to local

people. A feeling of relaxation and sense of humour may be experienced. They have found
themselves preferring things in the host country to ones at their country.
Mr. Gao-Kunfeng, a fund manager in Binh Duong, really enjoys looking at Vietnamese women
wearing Ao Dai, so he told his female staff to wear them every day at work. In Mr. Mathias
Baumgartner’s opinion, he likes spending his holiday in Sapa, a foggy city where he can leave the
noise from the city behind. As for Mr. Christian Nagel, he prefers to go to the countryside with his
family at weekends because he can breathe fresh air and tastes some traditional Vietnamese food
there. With some friends, Mr. Chew sometimes spends free time having some street food about
5,000 dong, especially, food such as ‘Com Sinh Vien’ only 8,000 – 10,000 dong and a cup of ‘Tra
Da’ 1,000 dong…
Preparation is a good first step before going to a new place or new culture so that one can
minimize cultural shock, but when asked “Did you prepare anything before coming to Vietnam to
avoid shock?”, most of those foreigners responded that they did not have any preparation or
expectation, they just come with an open minds ‘so that I am able to appreciate all the little
beautiful things’ said Mr. Chew. Mr. Jason was more pessimistic, he said the only exposure to
Vietnam he received was war movies. So he imagined a Vietnam with ‘dirt roads, rice fields,
conical hats.’ However, he was very surprised to see high-rise buildings, shopping malls and
Citibank. Mr. Christian added ‘Ho Chi Minh City is becoming a more cosmopolitan city and
English can be widely used to get around compared to 7 years ago’. After living in Vietnam for 8
years, Mr. Clarke has found out that Vietnam is a country of interesting things to discover, so he has
studied the language in order to better comprehend the country. As for Mr. Jason, he found the
quality of life to be better here, ‘the cost of living (for me) is lower, so I do not worry as much about
paying bills and so on. I can take more holidays and enjoy life more than I could in my own
country’. He said he had many foreign friends who came to Vietnam to work and permanently
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settled down with their family and they love it. It is over the time of shock, they just accept the
situation and adapt it, they know how to deal with shock rather well, Mr. Gao-Kunfeng got an
experience: ‘Do in Rome as Rome does’. It really works because it helps him survive and find
‘motivation for acculturation’.

In order to readjust to initial culture shock successfully, we need time and effort, there may
be some disappointing time at first, but it will be worth of it because we can not only study about
another culture, but gain a greater understanding of yourself and your own culture as well. With
the traffic problem in Vietnam, Ms. Angelique thought, ‘It makes me appreciate the infrastructure
back home.’ Mr. Jason said ‘Who really needs a buffet? Luxurious life of the states no longer really
appeals to me,’ and Ms. Sasiporn supported that she would rather eat some street food with 20 baht
than go to a buffet when back to Thailand. Even staying in Vietnam for just a few years, Mr.
Mathias Baumgartner indicated that he sometimes found that he was not happy with other
foreigners when they started to complain about Vietnam. He often told them to have an open mind
and try to understand their staff rather than just complaining about their staff. “An eye for an eye
the world goes blind”.
All in all, culture shocks appear everywhere in life especially when we are in a new place.
They can disappear not so long after, also can they last long or never disappear. Some foreigners
who were interviewed shared, ‘If you show an interest in other person’s language and culture, they
will show an interest in you.’ In fact, every country, every family, every work has good and bad
things. As human beings we should be tolerant and considerate to others and the world would be a
better place.
‘How many roads must a man walk down
Before they call him a man ?
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ? ’
( ‘Blowing in the Wind’ – Bob Dylan )
The Vietnamese people are the last natural human people in the world, that may or may not
exactly true, but the Vietnamese people certainly do possess a culture richness and diversity
rarely seen in even the most ancient of nations. Most important though, Vietnamese people
are the exceptionally attractive, culturally diverse, and hospitable people that still light up at
the sight of foreigners.’ ( Adapted from There and Back Again by Beulah F. Rohrlich.)
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REFERENCES

Intercultural Communication. Third Edition.
Handouts from Dr. Bao Dat.
Article: Cultural Shock and Adaptation – By Michael Winkelman
http//: www.sfuca/coop/international/culture-shock.pdf
http//: www.docjax.com/document
http//: www.crosscultural.com/articles.
http//: www.vietnam-culture.com.vn
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