Living with people from different cultures during your internship 2022
How to live in good relations with people from different cultures during your internship? By doing an internship with Animafest you will meet many people and get to know beautiful places in Spain. You will experience the culture of the country and you will have to adapt to a new environment. It’s a great experience, but for some, it can be overwhelming. So how do you feel comfortable among new people, in a new place?
Learn as much about your host country as possible. Read through travel forums, guidebooks, news reports, or novels. Talk to people who have been there or better yet are from there. Get to know as much as you can about what’s considered polite or rude-and prepare yourself for some of the differences before you go.
When you meet new people, to better get to know each other, plan to spend some time doing what each of you likes to do in your spare time. This way you will give some insight as to what type of person you are and will be much more relatable. Also, the other person might be from somewhere where they do not usually do these activities. Cook meals together, go out on the town, listen to music, take a weekend trip, play some board games. The opportunities to bond and learn from each other are endless, but sometimes it can take some initiative to actually make it happen.
Set learning goals for your internship abroad trip. This may be obvious, but make sure you have goals for your study abroad trip and make sure they include learning about your host culture. Do you love food? Make it a goal to learn how to cook a local dish. Study abroad’s a challenge, an introduction to a new culture, and an emotional roller coaster at times.
It’s OK to feel overwhelmed and need a break from your host country just make sure it’s a healthy distraction and you don’t spend your whole time locked up in your house! Talk to other students about how to feel. You’ll likely know other students who are studying abroad with you.
Talk to them about how they feel about your host culture. Ask them about how they feel, strategies they’ve used to cope with cultural differences. Also, learn from them. They may have figured out something you’re still confused about like why everyone keeps saying a particular phrase or how to politely say “no” when your host mom insists you finish everything on your plate.
Push yourself to make local friends. Of course, you’ll learn more from them. They’re experts in their own culture and will be able to explain all the crazy little questions you have. And if they’re a truly good friend, they’ll pull you aside and tell you if you’re unwittingly doing something offensive or weird. Maybe you don’t agree with some philosophies, and maybe it doesn’t make sense within your own cultural context, and it doesn’t have to. Just try to understand where they’re coming from. Ask questions, be non-judgmental, be an anthropologist!
Get involved with the local community. Part of your feelings of the culture shock may happen because you feel like too much of an outsider, so get involved in your local community as much as possible. If you went to church at home, go to church there. If you volunteered at home, find a volunteer project in your host city. Join a sports team, go to major festivals, and make this new home a real home!
Make an effort to learn the local language during an internship. Even if your program is in English, make an effort to learn a few basic phrases in the local language. It’s not just a way to understand more of the culture but also to make friends feel more included.
Friendship is powerful. It is our connection to each other that gives meaning to our lives. Our caring for each other is often what motivates us to make a change. And establishing connections with people from diverse backgrounds can be key in making significant changes in our communities.
As individuals, and in groups, we can change our communities. We can set up neighborhoods and institutions in which people commit themselves to work to form strong relationships and alliances with people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. We can establish networks and coalitions in which people are knowledgeable about each other’s struggles, and are willing to lend a hand. Together, we can do it.
If you want to visit all these places, register on our website animafestexperience.com and do your internship with us!
