What is culture? Does the theory of culture shock help us understand the experiences of international students? Is there a second culture shock when students move from college to university? Marco Rossi from Edinburgh International College discusses culture in the context of learning and teaching.

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Culture, what’s it all about?

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Hello, Ciao, Hola
Who am I?
Manager of Academic & Student Services at Edinburgh International College,
Scotland, UK
“Born and bred” in Edinburgh, Italian family, lived in Spain
Why am I doing this?
Inspired by an online course “Intercultural Communication” created by
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/intercultural-communication
What am I hoping to achieve?
1. Increase awareness of the significance of culture and inspire further
discussion about how cultural issues impact on HE
2. Shed some light on students’ experiences when they move to a new culture
3. Pathway College students “double culture shock?!

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Where should we start…
(“The Inclusion Solution Cultural Umbrella,” n.d.)

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Where should we start…
(“British weather postcard,” n.d.) (“British Breakfast,” n.d.)
(“Touring Italy Masks,” n.d.)
http://fromspanishtoespanol.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/1/7/37175489/2920907_orig.jpg

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Peeling onions
Some aspects of culture are
easily noticeable
It usually takes interaction to
bring out or understand
deeper “layers” of culture or
identity
No matter what colour an onion
is on the outside, we are not
sure what is inside!
(Ethos, 2012)

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Culture “shock”
(Toto, 2013)

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Culture “shock”
(“Expressions: Shock,” n.d.)

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Culture “shock”
(The Tuscan, 2016)

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Culture “shock”
“a feeling of confusion felt by someone visiting a country or place that
they do not know”
(Turner, 2006)
Psychological: loneliness, homesickness, frustration with self or hosts,
depression, agitation, outbreaks of suppressed anger, aggression,
moments hostility, hatred.
Physical: headaches, stomach aches, dizziness, unsettledness,
seeking to suppress the bad feelings with too much eating,
drinking and sleeping.

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Feeling like a fish out of water!
(“A fish out of water by Carrie Jackson,” 2016)

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Feeling like a fish out of water!
In our own culture we can be said to be as comfortable as a fish is in
water.
To be “like a fish out of water” is…
• Where we unexpectedly or possibly even expectedly find ourselves
out of our context or cultural comfort zone
• Confused by cues
• Misunderstanding meanings
• Usually experiencing discomfort
This metaphor was used as early as 1952 by Kalvero Oberg
(Oberg, 1960)

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Carrying unnoticed cultural baggage
“Culture hides much more than it reveals and strangely
enough, what it hides, it hides most effectively from its
own participants. Years of study have convinced me
that the ultimate purpose of the study of culture is not
so much the understanding of foreign cultures as much
as the light that study sheds on our own.”
(Hall, 1998)

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The W Curve
(Hoffenburger, Mosier, & Stokes, 1999)

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Barriers v potential solutions
Misunderstandings in class
(understanding lecturers’ accents,
verbal v written communication
preferences)
Prior educational experience
(expectations of the role of the
teacher, tell me the answer, silence in
exams)
Integration (loneliness, being able to
continue hobbies)
Behaviours & sensitivities (punctuality,
dress, eating, sleeping habits,
personal space)
Use a variety of communication methods,
use of alumni to interview staff/CPD in
order to raise awareness
Pre departure information, orientation
activities, Student Charter
Orientation, social programme, Facebook
Group, student societies
Pre departure information (do students
always receive this info? is it in an
accessible format?)

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Pathway students “double culture shock”
• Differences between pathway College and host University
• Physical size of institutions can be very different
• Class format and contact time per week
• It can take a lot longer for students to get assessment feedback and
responses to emails
• Less “spoon feeding”
• Mix of domestic and international students
• EIC students enter in Year 2 or Year 3 when social groups have
already formed

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Q&A and Scottish phrases quiz with student!

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Want more…
Thought provoking…The danger of the single story (TED talk)
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_sin
gle_story
Funny…Cross cultural communication (Pellegrino Riccardi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyofREc5Jk
Further study…Check out the Future Learn course
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/intercultural-communication

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References
1. A fish out of water by Carrie Jackson. (2016). Retrieved December 16, 2016, from Fine Art America,
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/a-fish-out-of-water-carrie-jackson.html
2. British Breakfast. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from Made up in Britain,
http://madeupinbritain.uk/britimages/Full_English_Breakfast.jpg
3. British weather postcard. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from Social Media Pinimg.com, https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b6/2e/3d/b62e3de1f365c3f799a597147823d68d.jpg
4. Bull Fighting. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from From Spanish to Espanol,
http://fromspanishtoespanol.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/1/7/37175489/2920907_orig.jpg
5. Ethos, I. (2012, March 29). Iceberg analogy. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from Wordpress,
http://crossculturalargentina.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/iceberg-analogy/
6. Expressions: Shock. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from Pinterest, https://uk.pinterest.com/amckeen0428/expressions-
shock/
7. Hall, A. (1998). “The Power of Hidden Differences.” In Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication: Selected Readings.
Yarmouth, Vermont: Intercultural Press.
8. Hoffenburger, K., Mosier, R., & Stokes, B. (1999). Educational programming and student learning in college and university
residence halls. Columbus, OH: ACUHO-I.
9. Oberg, K. (1960). Cultural Shock: Adjustment to New Cultural Environments. Practical Anthropology, 7, 177–182.
10.Turner, B. S. (Ed.). (2006). The Cambridge dictionary of sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
11.The Inclusion Solution Cultural Umbrella. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from The Inclusion Solution,
http://www.theinclusionsolution.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/culture-umbrella.png
12.The Tuscan. (2016). Just another mile forward - just another mile forward. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from Any
Latitude, http://www.anylatitude.com/category/expat-life/culture-shock/
13.Toto, C. (2013, October 14). “The meaning of life” set early standard for shock comedy. Retrieved December 16, 2016,
from Big Hollywood, http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2013/10/14/meaning-life-original-shock-comedy/
14.Touring Italy Masks. Retrieved December 16, 2016, from Touring Italy, http://touringitaly.org/wp-
content/uploads/2014/02/cultura-e-tradizioni.jpg