

The first action is considered rude because it is similar to what beggars do when asking for money the second is a visual reminder to the incense burned to honour the dead. Guests should also not tap their bowls with their chopsticks or place them upright in their rice bowl. Firstly, guests should always wait for the host to start the meal and should not eat before him or her food is served and shared from the “lazy susan” (a revolving table that allows access to all foods), guest should not pick and play with the food as this shows disrespect to your host. Mostly though the biggest faux pas are made at the dinner table which, if you are unaware, can turn into a nightmare of etiquette for the unprepared. The gesture of offering something with two hands shows that they are giving it with their whole body and is a mark of respect, so you should show you respect their values by receiving their offering in the same way. Firstly, money, gifts and other tokens (such as business cards) will often be given with two hands and they should be received as such. There are many things interns should bear in mind before coming to China to help them avoid appearing rude or offensive. What cultural faux-pas should teachers be aware of?

However as a direct comparison, Chinese students are much shyer, quieter and more respectful than their western counterparts. However this doesn’t mean that all children are angels in the classroom, kids will be kids and you will still experience some need for classroom management. Teachers have always been held in high esteem in Chinese culture, with the word for teacher literally translating to “old master” – pupils will not question their teacher and accept their teachings as the truth. Do students still see teachers as an authoritative figure? That being said, they are often very open to new teaching ideas brought in from the West, with education methods like Montessori becoming more popular in the bigger cities. Parents who pay for their children’s education consider it an investment and will expect results. What are the attitudes of parents towards teaching?Ĭontrary to parents in the West, China’s parents are heavily involved with the schools their children will attend and expect the best. Men tend to be less vocal about their experience and the most likely to be embarrassed about feeling some culture shock whereas women tend to be more vocal about their experience. Does culture shock affect ages and gender differently?Ĭulture shock affects everybody differently but you can notice some subtle differences with the way different groups of people react to their own culture shock. Exploring will also help you to get to grips with the surrounding area and make you feel less disorientated and comfortable in your new surroundings. What seemed daunting at first becomes familiar and friendly.
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The more you learn, the more you realise that China is not a scary place. The best way to overcome culture shock is to take a deep breath and explore. How can you overcome culture shock on arrival?Īrriving in China can be an attack on the senses: so many new sounds, sights, smells and food to taste! It can be a little overwhelming and can make you feel out of your depth.

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