6.

1 Introduction
Who teaches English? The vast majority of instructors are people who know English as a foreign
language, and live and teach in their home countries. In many parts of the world, there is a desire
on the part of students to also receive instruction from people who learned English from birth,
people who know English as their native or first language. These students, seeking native
English-speaking teachers may travel to an English-speaking country to study, but others search
for native-speaking English teachers in their home countries. This demand encourages qualified
teachers from English speaking countries such as the U.S., England or Australia to travel to the
countries in which potential students live. This module focuses on some of the challenges and
rewards of living and teaching abroad.

Without a doubt, one of the most satisfying aspects of teaching overseas is having the
opportunity to live in another culture. Teaching abroad gives you a chance to truly experience a
foreign culture in a fundamental way that few tourists just passing through are able to do.
Ultimately, living and teaching overseas can have profound and wonderful effects on your life
and change you in ways that you never expected. As an English teacher abroad, you will have
the opportunity to learn about a new culture, language, people, and customs and return home
enriched with a broader knowledge, new skills, and wonderful memories.

At the same time, any new teacher who approaches the experience of teaching abroad
realistically has to be aware that the differences between cultures may cause discomfort,
misunderstandings, and even ill feelings on occasion, as culture shock affects an individual's life
overseas. Some experts describe stages of culture shock when the traveler arrives in a new
environment: the honeymoon, when everything is exciting and new; negotiation/anxiety, when
feelings of frustration or alienation may occur; adjustment, when routines are established and
fewer surprises pop up; and mastery, when the traveler feels comfortable in the new culture. In
essence, this final phase is when the traveler becomes bicultural.

In addition, teachers abroad may be in for a surprise when country shock also sets in shortly upon
arrival, and they discover challenging issues unique to that teaching location. Some of these
issues can include technology that does not work well, weather differences (such as dealing with
extreme heat or cold), poor public transportation, differences in standards of sanitation,
overpowering pollution, frequent power outages, different foods, the lack of favorite product
brands from back home, all the signs, notices and newspapers in an indecipherable language, and
many more large and small inconveniences. Moreover, there can be a general disorientation
concerning how things are done (paying the electric bill, for instance, or ordering in a restaurant),
or problems caused by the new routine at work. Teachers abroad may even find that boredom
that can set in without the usual array of favorite movies, TV shows, cultural events, or
bookstores that teachers are so used to back home.

Country shock, combined with cultural misunderstandings, could result in frustrations during
your time overseas if they are not handled properly and viewed with appropriate perspective.
Fortunately, you will see that with patience, education, insight, and reflection, these frustrations
can be dealt with, and you can have the marvelous experience you were planning. It just takes a
little effort.

6.2 Defining Culture

Acculturation and Surface Culture

When you first go abroad, you notice the obvious differences between your life in the new
country and life back home. People may look different, wear different kinds of clothes, drive on
the other side of the road, eat different kinds of food, greet each other with different gestures, and
so on. These are actually interesting and exciting features of your new life and are usually
perceived as positive aspects of life abroad, which is so different from your experience at home.
Such customs are usually referred to as surface culture manifestations of culture that are noticed
as soon as you get off the plane. These surface culture customs can be easily learned and
understood in a process called acculturation, simply getting used to the life lived in a new
country and a new culture. Anyone who is open to new ideas and willing to try new things can
become acculturated to a new society with relative ease.

Then, later on, having settled in and started living and working in the new country, you say something or
do something, and the reaction from local people is clearly not what you had expected. You sense
disappointment, embarrassment, laughter, or even anger coming from your local counterparts. Just as
likely, the local people do or say something that stimulates feelings of anger, embarrassment, or
disappointment in you. What happened? If the tense moments occur without any warning and leave
you without a clue, you could realistically surmise that what caused the problem was some violation of a
cultural rule that is part of something more complex than the more obvious surface culture. You have
now experienced deep culture.

Enculturation and Deep Culture

Deep culture is composed of the intangibles: rules, attitudes, and feelings within a culture that are
passed down from generation to generation. Examples of deep culture are a culture’s definitions of
honesty and ethics, ideas about how to treat superiors, how to negotiate what we want in life, and how
we make promises and commitments. The process of learning these important standards, which starts
from birth, is called enculturation. Outsiders can study and participate in a culture for years without fully
knowing all of its complexities, though each day can bring fresh insights.

At times, a newcomer can mistake an element of dress, a holiday celebration, or an element of etiquette
for surface culture, when to the members of the culture it is intimately tied to a deeply held belief. For
example, a woman’s choice to wear clothes that cover her arms when attending a church in a small
town in Mexico may be tied to propriety, modesty, respect for tradition, and the role of women – deep
culture indeed. Therefore, in this example, the choice of a certain blouse is more than just a clothing
choice. No one can anticipate and avoid all misunderstandings, but an open attitude combined with
humility can ease most situations.

Ethnocentrism

Another critical facet of the cultural conundrum is the trap of ethnocentrism. This is the idea that
the way we conduct our lives and the cultural choices that we make are inherently superior to all
others. A major cause of cultural incidents, ethnocentrism is when we proceed to do things in
another culture as we have always done them at home, because we know this to be the right way.
Unfortunately, in your new local culture, your way of doing things may be considered incorrect,
foolish, or even rude! Thus, learning to see beyond this concept of what is normal for us (and, of
course, every group in the world has its own ethnocentric view) helps us break out of the
ethnocentric mindset that lulls us into a sense of self-satisfaction and even self-righteousness. It
is not easy to do, but it is crucial in order to live and thrive in a foreign society and, moreover, to
teach students successfully in that society.

6.3 Challenges of Living in Another Culture

When it comes to adjusting to a new culture, previous personal experience has great impact. Are
you someone who has lived happily in a variety of places around the world already? Then you
probably have devised strategies for making smooth transitions to a new home. On the other
hand, some people taking this course are considering embarking on an experience unlike
anything in their lives up to now. Perhaps they have never traveled abroad, or have only done so
for short vacations. This module aims to stimulate thought and increase preparation for these
novice adventurers.

When examining different cultural perspectives, it is important to distinguish between

stereotypes and cultural generalizations. A stereotype is an opinion that all people in some
indicated group behave in a certain way. Stereotypes are always incorrect because all groups are
composed of individuals, and individuals vary. A cultural generalization is based on the idea that
societies have a standard way of doing things. Not every member of the society will follow that
standard precisely; however, the standard for different activities (such as gift-giving, for
example) will be different from one culture to another.

Common Cultural Issues

The number and range of potential challenges you might encounter overseas that could be
defined as being culture-related are, of course, infinite. While it is difficult to categorize them for
a quick summary, what follows is a list of some common issues you may face. These include
aspects of surface and deep culture, may speak to some degree of acculturation or enculturation,
and could possibly touch on ethnocentric attitudes:

Body Language

Body language in different cultures can be confusing and send mixed signals! Based on
unfamiliar body language, it may be difficult to determine if a person is pleased, angry,
interested, or offended.

Eye Contact

Eye contact (or lack of it) has different meaning in different cultures, which can be challenging.
In many cultures, people tend to be uncomfortable looking directly in another’s eye, as is
common in Asia. Or, people of another culture may generally be uncomfortable if the person to
whom they are speaking does not make eye contact, as is the case in North and South America.
There can be gender norms with eye contact, too; Muslim males do not traditionally look directly
into a woman’s eyes (a woman to whom they are not related) in conversation, and vice versa.

Body Contact

Body contact in greetings varies from culture to culture.

 Latinos often kiss the opposite or same sex in greetings, even if it is the first meeting.
 In Middle Eastern cultures, people kiss those of the same sex in greeting.
 There is little body contact in saying hello or goodbye among Japanese.
 Many groups of Asians and Africans never kiss or hug as a greeting.
 North Americans vary. In the recent past, public hugs and kisses were less common but
are now quite common among people who are close to one another; however, this form of
 greeting is non-existent in a business context, where a handshake is the only acceptable
greeting.

Touch

There can be misunderstandings from touching or failing to touch in different cultures. For example, you
may be seen as unfriendly, or overly friendly, depending on the cultural norms of the country and the type
of contact.

Hygiene

Customs related to cleanliness, such as whether to offer someone your right hand versus left
hand, are important. Offering the left hand is considered unclean in much of Asia and Africa and
all of the Middle East, since this is the hand used for bathroom hygiene. Feet are also considered
unclean in some cultures. Sitting with your legs crossed and your foot pointed towards another in
an office, for example, would be considered unacceptable in much of the world. The feet need to
be pointed down or legs not crossed at all.

Toilets

Toilets may be different in other cultures. They can be sit-down, as is common in North
America, or squat style, which is common in Africa and Asia. Toilet paper or water may or may
not be used, depending on the culture.

Promptness

The idea of time can vary from culture to culture. In many countries, time is a more fluid
concept, and arriving on time for something that starts at 6:00 p.m. may mean getting there at
7:00 or 8:00. In other cultures, punctuality means strict adherence to the agreed upon hour.

Gift Giving

Gift giving and receiving are cultural issues. In some cultures, admiring something may lead to
its being given to you, which can embarrass the recipient.

Taboo Subjects

Taboo subjects vary from one culture to the next. Can men talk about their wives (not
conservative Muslims) or can we talk about how much money we make (common in much of
Asia)?

Pets
Opinions about animals vary worldwide. Americans love their dogs, whereas not all cultures
share the same sentiment towards dogs as pets. Hindus consider cattle sacred, while Muslims,
Jews, and Hindus do not eat pork.

Assertiveness

Cultural norms vary when it comes to expressing opinions. An American, Canadian, or

Australian just says what is on his or her mind, while a Japanese person may have a strong
opinion but say nothing! What is behind this difference in behavior? People in many English-
speaking countries believe in expressing their feelings about something and then reaching a
consensus based upon the resulting exchange of ideas; Japanese, in general, do not like to risk
embarrassment by expressing ideas that may turn out to be contrary to the eventual consensus
reached by the group. They prefer to feel their way to an agreement, slowly and with time to
pause and reflect upon what they are saying and doing. Hence, there are silences.

Machismo

Machismo, an exaggerated attitude of masculinity, is often apparent in many Latin countries.

How can that affect a foreign woman teaching in this region? What is the role of women vs. men
in different societies? Is it changing worldwide?

Flattery

Feelings on giving and receiving compliments can vary worldwide. How free are you with
giving compliments? North Americans tend to offer compliments freely, but in German culture,
people may be more suspicious of flattery.

Consensus Building

The value of the group versus the value of the individual can be significantly different from one
culture to the next.

Humor

Humor in social contexts or in business contexts can also differ from one culture to the next.

Humility

Differences can be observed in how people view their own accomplishments. Do individuals
have a self-effacing attitude towards their accomplishments or are they proud of them?

Classroom Dynamics
Classroom dynamics, including issues such as students questioning the teacher’s authority,
students preferring to work in groups or help each other on quizzes (called cheating elsewhere)
or wanting to negotiate with the teacher on grades are all issues you may face in a new culture

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is more acceptable in some cultures, such as in China, whereas it can be

grounds for expulsion from class in North America. How would this affect your writing
classes if you were a teacher in China?

Obviously this is a very abbreviated list. Yet, it gives you an idea of the range of different
challenges that you may have to navigate in another culture. The truth is, most everything will be
different living in a new country and culture, and that fact is both a challenge and a great
attraction to going overseas. If you relocate abroad and only seek the familiar, you have probably
made a mistake in going. If you go abroad seeking a life that is culturally unlike what you are
accustomed to at home, then you have made a great decision. The challenge, then, is in learning
how to make the transition from the one life to the other.