Introducing culture shock and adaptation questions

Welcome to the last week of this course! In this section, we discuss culture shock and intercultural adaptation. Considering key questions helps face the challenging path through the ups and downs of cultural adjustments that develop us.

For our closing week, we primarily focus on the topic of intercultural adaptation and how openly going through this process can help develop intercultural competence. We will discuss some ways to understand and face culture shock, how to cope with culture stress and fatigue and how to facilitate intercultural adaptation through these processes. It may help you better understand and personalize these topics if you begin by considering these questions:

1. Have you ever experienced living or studying in a new cultural context? How did you feel about it?
2. What do you know or understand about the process of adapting to a new and strange environment?
3. Can you think of strategies or personal attitudes that would help you to turn feelings of culture shock into positive learning experiences?

Reflecting on each of these questions may help you better understand the dynamics of intercultural adaptation, and prepare you for going through these adjustment processes and stages whenever you have to face them.