10/16/21; Week 5: "Culture Miscommunication"

 Culture Miscommunication 

A little introduction...

    As you grow up, you are taught to act in a certain way to fit in, but what you suddenly have to go to a foreign county? Do you think you would manage to fit in there? What misunderstandings could occur because of miscommunication?
    Culture changes as you travel, you don't even have to go to another country to notice differences, and when you interact with another culture you notice different reactions, mannerisms, and gestures, sometimes you can think that it is funny, weird, or even rude when all the people around you see it as normal and acceptable. Culture can act as a barrier is we are not aware and open-minded of the differences, there are hundreds of cultures around the world, if you don't learn to accept this it can lead you to several misunderstandings rather than enjoy something new.

Relating it to education...

All my basic education has been in Mexico, and I had a friend that attended the same schools as me until she went to an American High School. Her dad would give me rides from school to my house when my mom couldn't pick me up, after a year of high school I took a ride and my friend was in the car, to catch up I asked her how was her experience in an American school, to my surprise she explained me several differences about the educational dynamics.
  • In America, you can choose the subjects you will take in the semester, while in Mexico, you follow the schedule the administration assigns to your group.
  • In America, you go to the teacher's class and have different classmates in each class, while in Mexico, you have an assigned group, and the teachers come to your classroom.
  • In America, everyone does their homework, while in Mexico, it is pretty common to see classmates asking for each other's notebooks to copy homework, and is seen as heartless to refuse.
  • In America, the process of a mathematical problem is really important, while in Mexico, is normal to do most of it mentally.
  • In America, if you are caught cheating on a test you are in big trouble, while in Mexico it is almost considered a talent and if you are caught you can get away with it with charisma.
While she explained all of this I could see how some things conflicted with what she was used to, and now I can se the importance of learning about the different cultures you are going to interact with and have an open mind.

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