SDLC 105 Learning Journal 5

[Rosa M. Colon]

The culture shock video really made me empathize more with exchange students here at the University of Richmond.  Sometimes it can be difficult to truly understand the basic struggles that a person from another country may experience on a daily basis.  Not only are they trying to further develop their understanding of a new or unfamiliar language, but they are also trying to get a grasp of the cultural differences.  One thing that really stood out to me from the Culture Shock movie was when one of the students was talking about how another student gave him a friendly "what's up" while passing him one day.  Naturally, the exchange student responded by providing more information that what the American student expected because culturally the phrase "what's up" can serve as another way of just saying hey.  This confusion indicates the need for people travelling to another country to have some cultural understanding that applies not only to traditions but also to language and simple every day life tasks.