Upon watching the Culture Shock video, I realize the greater challenges that other international students [who do not natively speak English] have to take. At the University of Richmond, the majority of courses, excluding foreign languages, are taken in English. The entire city is in English, and you can get by with just knowing English. An international student at UR would need to learn English, which is to them a foreign language, and take all the courses at the University in that language. That means that not only does the international student have to know the ins and outs of his science class, but he also needs to understand the parallel English words associated to the subject. Other than English, I would not be able to learn about another subject in Chinese or Korean.
If I were studying abroad in Korea, there would be no "time out." If I am trying to buy food from a market, I can't tell everyone to stop speaking Korean and switch to English. I need to know all the Korean equivalents of words I want to say in order to survive. In some ways, not knowing is what will cause the frustration and feelings of loneliness. In addition to being required to know the native language of the country, you must also know the culture. Actions that are accepted and expected in America may be totally different from that of Korea. "What's up" in America represents a casual "hello," but in other countries may be an invitation to sit down and discuss.
From this situation, I now understand why sometimes it is easier to just stick with peers who speak the same language as you do. It is a common complaint on our campus that international students just stick together and "do not" want to associate with the American students. However, as described by one of the international students in Culture Shock, it is only because it is a more comfortable environment and they often feel embarrassed for speaking to us in non-fluent English. When one experiences culture shock, the video describes an individual experience homesickness and frustration. I believe that is why when you finally meet someone who can speak the same language as you do, it is an oasis, a safety hub where you can take a breath and recuperate from culture shock.
It is difficult being an international student, and I can now see why Australia or any other native English-speaking country is a heavily sought after location for UR students to study abroad.
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