I love how my communication theories class in this semester is revealing the multifaceted human nature via communications and relationships. While we the students are trained to look at issues "via different lenses," I find it interesting to observe human behaviors.
So the professor of communication brought up a debatable topic last week when we were learning about theories in intercultural communications. This area of study has been one of my favorite since I have experienced two very distinctive cultural backgrounds - the collectivistic Asian culture and the individualistic Eastern culture.
As an international student, it is amazing to find out how customs and practices can be totally opposite than one's origin. This does not limit only to students from the other side of the globe - even some of my Latin American friends find it extremely deviating with some of the living styles here.
From my observation, people from an individualistic culture are more likely to celebrate individual differences than a collectivist. For instance, I have heard it lots that domestic students would say, "I think you are a creative person..." rather than, "The students in our class are so gifted." This is merely an example. However, thinking about the differences in premises of such communications, it is generalizable to most everyday conversations.
Now, could this be a major issue? Maybe.
Many of us international students are "not prepared" for a different culture before we come to the United States. The best teacher of the "U.S. lifestyle" is often the films or movies showed in our respective countries. Hence, I often hear foreigners grumble about not seeing the "Vegas streetlights" or "California beaches" in the whole of U.S.
This makes me think about the importance of freshmen or new international students orientation. The recent survey (very recent, sent out just Thursday) from the administration to international students asked about their experience of first-week orientation. I applaud the fact the university is concerned about the new students' perception.
Having lived in St. Cloud for close to two years, I have seen - as well as participated in - numerous orientations for the new aliens. I find there are areas for improvement in terms of educating these new students about the local culture(s).
While the administrative works are important, we cannot neglect the fact that these students are like new born babies to this land. We know nothing about the people, the way of life, and the kinds of relationships between different groups here. In ESL 151 - Administrative Orientation and ESL 150 - Cultural Orientation classes, I find that the issue of intercultural communications and relationships were not completely addressed.
I cannot speak for all, at least I was not fully exposed to the lifestyles here during my first year of study. I suggest the coordinators for these courses to look into this issue and design a more practical curriculum that attend to the need to understand intercultural communications.
Yet academically, I want to commend the ESL Department for they are doing an amazing job in getting students learn about the differences across countries and cultural groups. That helped students to appreciate the value of identity and celebrate diversity.
Whether you come from a collectivistic background or individualistic, it is always beneficial to test some new water and experience the distinctiveness of other cultures. If you have the opportunity, go ahead and study abroad. Throughout the process, you will also learn to appreciate your own cultural identity. There is a common saying among communication scholars, "We don't know who discovered the water, but we're pretty sure it wasn't the fish."
