Question

When visiting foreign countries some people think that it is advantageous to learn their cultures and taditions. How do you think people can learn other cultures and traditions? Why do you think that some people are interested in learning those traditions and cultures while others are not?

Give reasons for your opinion and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Sample answer

It is common to experience culture shock when visiting other countries with different traditions and customs, particularly for an extended period of time. Some visitors are interested in adapting to foreign cultures and effectively manage culture shock; some people are not. There are several reasons why we can better enjoy travelling with an open mind and develop an appreciation for cultural differences across the world.

As visitors in foreign lands, we are probably in for the feeling of disorientation, insecurity and anxiety in unfamiliary situations. altogether known as culture shock. This phenomenon is understandable because values, behaviors and social customs we routinely take for granted no longer serve us in different surroundings. Of course, it takes time to learn a 'do-as-Romans-do' attitude, but it is always advisable to keep an open mind. We ought not to give in to the temptation to isolate ourselves into the comfort of what is familiar. Perhaps, all we need is a little more patience to understand the new environment in its historical and social context. In all events, the right thing to do is to observe objectively, and not to judge automatically as if anything different is 'wrong' or 'negative'.

To better appreciate differences culture-wise, it is also important that we learn beforehand enough background information about a country we are ging to. In case we know close to nothing about that country, it means that we might have no interest in its culture, so why should we visit there in the first place? For visitors, a little bit of knowledge about a foreign culture tends to be misleading. But it doesn`t have to be that way. For instance, making an effort to learn the local language and social customs can increase communication skills and proper behaviors, both being of great help to demonstrate an interest in a different culture as well as integrating with the local community. In fact, before travelling it pays to learn something of many things about a foreign country's culture and tradition, ranging from the greetings to the clothing to the before-meal ceremonies.

Visiting a foreign country can be a rewarding experience if we are open-minded and knowledge-conscious toward any different culture. It seems necessary to reduce the negative impact of culture shock so that the entire visit would become pure fun. After all, when we come across a new environment, we don't expect to experience everything exactly like back home,do we?

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