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This week we met to talk about the quizzes we took and about articles we read, translated, and summarized (in Swedish). Both of these activities were really productive. In terms of the quizzes it was helpful to go back and see where I had been wrong about certain grammar rules and where I needed to learn new words/rules. She had us translate sentences into Swedish which was neat because up until that point I hadn't considered how you would translate certain question words or what the rules were in Swedish for when you have two verbs in a row (do you conjugate the second verb!?). I also was able to make note of where I needed more practice and plan on adding words/rules to my study list.
Next we went over 1-3 articles that we had read in Swedish and then translated into English and then summarized in Swedish. This was helpful because it forced me to really think about what the article was saying because I had to be switching back and forth. It taught me that I knew a lot of words already and that I still have a lot more to learn. The articles ranged for me-- I understood almost all of one and found it easy because I already knew about the story in English. And then the others were progressively harder for me to understand and then summarize in Swedish. Even in my summaries I learned things in Swedish that I didn't know. Overall this was a helpful exercise but still overwhelming to think of all that I still don't know!
Here is one of the learning task that I've been working on: the age in Korean.
In order to talk about the age, the number used are different from the ones used when talking about money and time.
There is a special rule when used the number 1, 2, 3 and 4 that I have listed after the explanation of how to write your age. In the example attached, the first phrase means " I am 22 years old", you can substitute the signs on the first line with the other numbers written below to be able to write your age in Korean.
As I watched the Culture Shock video, I could definitely relate to a lot of the comments as well as understand and empathize with the students. Although I grew up in the United States, coming from a South Asian background, I had a few similar experiences. Because American culture is quite different from South Asian culture, I had to learn to find the balance of both cultures as well as learn to adapt to different customs and/or mannerisms that were unique to each culture.
Also, I have several International friends who have told me many stories that are similar to the ones in the video. International students undergo several challenges as they live and study abroad. One thing that was mentioned in the video as well as my peers have commented about is how Americans greet each other in passing. Usually, Americans say “Hey, what’s up?” or “Hey, how are you?” yet they don’t actually expect a complete response to this question. Many international students find this frustrating and strange. Why would someone ask you how you are if they aren’t going to stop and hear what you have to say?
The video also talks about how students initially experience loneliness or homesickness when they first encounter culture shock. This was also mentioned in the reading for this week. We experience culture shock in a series of stages. First, we are amazed and excited about our new environment. However, we then may begin to feel lonely and may seek out resources to help ease the transition. Being an International student is definitely not easy. Students are placed out of their comfort zone and are forced to take risks and experience new things. It takes a while to adapt to the customs of the home country.
Watching the video also made me reflect on my abroad experience this past summer in Spain. When I first arrived, I wanted to see everything, do everything, and meet everyone! However, after a while I started to feel out of my comfort zone a little as I had to put in the extra effort to speak in Spanish and meet the natives. If I wanted to get the most out of my experience, I knew that I had to put in more on my part. It is also important to understand cultural differences instead of quickly becoming frustrated.
While watching the Culture Shock video during Tuesday's class, I found myself nodding along throughout at least third of video. It resonated a lot with me. As an international student, I could relate to a lot of things that were mentioned.
I always thought of culture shock as something that would literally shock you, but I now realize that it's a whole process. It can take anywhere from two weeks to two semesters. Even though I grew up knowing a lot about American culture, it was still very hard for me to be 100% comfortable when I first started studying in the States. Being away from my family, speaking in a different language all day and living on my own for the first time was tough.
No matter how much a person knows about a culture, she/he will always go through some sort of culture shock. It's inevitable. But knowledge will definitely make the transition easier. Though I don't plan on going to Pakistan any time soon, I believe knowing one another's cultures makes relationships stronger. It lessens problems that come from miss-communication and is important to know the language better.
So I realized there was a flaw in my plan to practice speaking. I don't actually know if I am pronouncing the words correctly. So I need to figure out how to practice speaking by myself but actually learning the right pronunciation. I thought about google translate for a second but then I realized google probably pronounces it just as bad as myself. I think I will try to look for some videos with subtitles or something along those lines. Or maybe even skype my friends some more. I have a few friends in Iceland and Sweden who speak Swedish. Perhaps if I could some how coordinate with them to speak once a week, that could help with improvement. But I am just so gosh darn shy when it comes to speaking it. Oh well I'll figure it out. I also went to the global studio to check out what Swedish material there was. I didn't have a lot of time to spend there but I think it could be helpful, I just really need to review the basics. As for meeting this week, we did practice speaking the sentences we prepared and asked the questions we had. I think what has really been helping me is forcing myself to spend an hour on Swedish each day and by the time I have class with Louise I have a list of questions to ask.
Goals for weeks 4 and 5:
-learn greetings
-learn how to describe my family
Resources and activities to achieve my goals:
-learn the common vocabulary from Emily
-use the YouTalk app to practice greetings
-use Rosetta Stone to learn vocabulary on family and greetings
-watch YouTube clips for greetings
How I will evaluate my success:
I will evaluate my success by practicing my greetings until they sound correct to me and then practice them for Emily. I will have her tell me how my pronunciation is and what I need to work on. I will also show her my family tree which I will be using as an artifact and have her evaluate the correctness of my vocabulary on that.
Second Cultural Post: Business Meetings
For the second cultural post I decided to research and talk about business meetings.
The first important thing is to make an appointment a couple weeks in advance (3 or 4) from the meeting. Also, most business meetings are scheduled mid-morning (10 AM to 12 PM) or mid-afternoon (between 2 and 4 PM).
Secondly, the punctuality is prime as it is a sign of respect. If you realize that you may be a little late, it is best to call ahead to say so. Only top executives can be late by a few minutes.
Then, it is apparently not unusual for Korean executives to cancel appointments with little or no notice. The cancellation may be due to an unexpected and unavoidable situation. However, if it’s happened before, it may be a signal that they don’t really want to do business or need to delay the process for some reason, and it is up to you to figure that out.
Finally, gift-giving is a common practice when doing business in Korea. The gifts given at the first meeting are intended to acquire favours and to build relationships. Then you will have to wait until your host has presented his gift, you will have to use both hands to accept it in order to be polite. The gifts exchanged should be of similar value, with that of greatest value going to the most senior person.
For the first Artifact, I posted a basic korean conversation when meeting someone for the first time.
The conversation is appropriate to use when meeting anyone for the first time, the ton is polite and correct. The words and questions are accurate to get basic information such as the name, the job, the industry from someone.
Few words are have incorrect pronunciation so it is easy to tell that I am a foreign speaker. Finally, I do not speak nearly as fast as a native speaker.
In order to improve, the most efficient way is to keep practicing by engaging in conversations with my instructor.
First Cultural Post: What are your cultural learning goals for this semester?
During this semester I am interested in learning more about how to do business in Korean, the behaviors and expectations. I know that in Asia and in Korea specifically, the way that one is doing business is drastically different from western cultures. Some regular actions for us can be perceived as rude in Korea and there are some expectations from Korean people that are important for someone to meet in order to be accepted.
It is an interesting topic for me since I plan to meet some partners in Korea, to set up some meetings there and to eventually sign some contracts. I will probably use manuals and websites focused on 'doing business in Korea' in order to learn the behavior of Korean businessman along with the vocabulary needed.
