Cultural Adaptability Flashcards
What have you learned from your cross-cultural experiences which has helped prepare you for the FS?
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
I have learned that being able to speak the language of another (even in broken form) builds a foundation of trust and provides a springboard of empathy and goodwill. Whether in McDonalds speaking spanish (hamburgaza con queso), or teaching English in China (ni how) or Morocco (Salam wally koom), or in visiting museums in France (bonjour!) trying to speak the language of another is like giving a gift from the heart and really the thought is more important than the perfection of the speaking.
How have your perceptions of others changed by being abroad?
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
I have learned that there are kind, genuine, respectful, helpful, sincere, etc. people everywhere. The news leads you to believe sterotypes about certain countries or cities but at a personal level, we are all human who are working through maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
In terms of your corss- cultural experience, how has your life to date prepared you?
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
Working at McDonalds in HS gave me exposure to a wide range of different people. Retirees who were maried and just needed a supplemental paycheck. Immigrants who spoke spanish at home and just enough english to get by. Mid-career single parents who were living a hard life and this was the best job they could get with their GED. Teaching english in China (Skyline Language School) showed me the power of being adaptable and flexibile as not every student can learn at the same speed and each student struggles in different areas. So being able to adjust the curriclum to the needs of the students was the key to their success. Providing Prisoner Support was difficult in college because I had little in common with the inmates who I met with and tried to encourage. I think what kept me coming back was the fact that they felt encouraged that we hadn’t given up on them when they felt the rest of society had. It was like we recognized them as having value and respected the dignity they had as humans, despite whatever crime they might have done. Teaching english in Morocco (my wife has gone twice, myself once). Visiting France and Itally for pleasure. My wife has been to Agentina, U.K., and American Samoa. Foster parenting has brought us into contact with many different situations which typically involve someone from a different culture, even if the person is a baby or a child. In many ways, a baby who can’t speak or a child who can barely speak is no different than working with someone who speaks a language you cannot understand at all. Linda - foreign exchange student.
List a time when you had contact with someone from another economic background. How did you adapt?
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
Foster care. Truck drivers. British family on welfare. Linda. Money and status isn’t a big deal for me. People are created unique and special with value from The Creator. With someone who is far better off than me economically, I would say the same thing. I will probably be more reserved and let them take the lead or go first more often but I would still be able to relate to them.
Talk about a time you had to change to fit a subtle cultural difference.
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
British family. Tea drinking multiple times a day. Smoking frequently throughout the day. I had to adjust my expectations of “let’s leave for X activity” in 10 minutes to let’s leave in 20 minutes so they could get a tea or smoke before we actually left.
Describe a time when you had to work with a person who had different values than you.
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
Describe a time when your (political, religious, cultural, personal) beliefs/values were challenged. How did you deal with the situation?
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
With Lavinia when Brits were here? My political views were assumed and attacked.
What do you find most challenging in adapting to a different culture?
Cultural Adaptability. To work and communicate effectively and harmoniously with persons of other cultures, value systems, political beliefs, and economic circumstances; to recognize and respect differences in new and different cultural environments.
Learning the language would be the most difficult and more immediate issue faced. Being able to express the most basic of ideas can be a challenge when languages are different. With Linda, I used a translation app to help.
