Overcoming cultural barriers while abroad
<p><span word="During">During</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pleasure">pleasure</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="students">students</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Nanjing">Nanjing</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Finance">Finance</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Economics">Economics</span>.</p><p><span word="Whilst">Whilst</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="met">met</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="bright">bright</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Chen">Chen</span> – <span word="English">English</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="Bill">Bill</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="favor">favor</span>, “<span word="Could">Could</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="write">write</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="editorial">editorial</span> <span word="column">column</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="barriers">barriers</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="overcome">overcome</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="journalist">journalist</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="country">country</span>.”</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="mind">mind</span> – <span word="I">I</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ask">ask</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="colleagues">colleagues</span> <span word="here">here</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="newspaper">newspaper</span>, <span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Zhao">Zhao</span>, <span word="referred">referred</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Frank">Frank</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="regarding">regarding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="concerned">concerned</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="barriers">barriers</span> <span word="needed">needed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="overcome">overcome</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="journalist">journalist</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Frank">Frank</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="wasn">wasn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="studying">studying</span> <span word="English">English</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="undergrad">undergrad</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="later">later</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="post">post</span> <span word="grad">grad</span>. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="mention">mention</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="attention">attention</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="subtleties">subtleties</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="nuance">nuance</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="finer">finer</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="intermediate">intermediate</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="learners">learners</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="barriers">barriers</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="encounter">encounter</span> <span word="Frank">Frank</span> <span word="remembered">remembered</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="incidents">incidents</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="stood">stood</span> <span word="out">out</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="covered">covered</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="animal">animal</span> <span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="protestors">protestors</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="women">women</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="clothes">clothes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cage">cage</span>. (<span word="What">What</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="thought">thought</span>!)</p><p><span word="Second">Second</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="Independence">Independence</span> <span word="Day">Day</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="co">co</span>-<span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="clad">clad</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="flag">flag</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="Frank">Frank</span> <span word="mentioned">mentioned</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="acceptable">acceptable</span> <span word="here">here</span>.</p>
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