Cultural Immersion: Do’s and Don’ts
12 July 2019Being in a different country does not mean you are suddenly immersed in the culture. To really absorb a new culture, you have to make the effort! If your goal is to have a completely new experience, which allows you to explore a new culture to its fullest, then hopefully these points will help!
Food
DON’T:
find that English bar in town, you’ll only meet other British people there, you
won’t be using your language skills and you certainly won’t be trying out new food
or drink (which means you’d be missing out!)
DO: Find that bar or pub that is
packed with locals (it’s usually a good sign). Order that drink that you can’t
quite pronounce and you just may find your new favourite!
DON’T:
eat out at food chains that you know, yes this includes McDonald’s. It’s easy
to fall for our home comforts but it’s not helping you discover the culture if
this is what you want to gain from the experience.
DO: Try out as many local
restaurants as possible. There is so much variety that can be found in any
country so go and try local restaurants, street food or even seek out a local
market!
Language
DON’T:
avoid speaking the language to save yourself the embarrassment of pronouncing
the words wrong.
DO: try to speak the language as
much as you can; locals really appreciate the effort and who knows, you may
make friends along the way who can teach you about the customs and traditions.
Plus, knowing that you were able to communicate with the locals will make it
feel worth the effort.
Pre-departure
DON’T:
arrive in a country without having researched the local customs and etiquette.
DO: do your research before and this
can help you immerse yourself in the culture much quicker and avoid too much
culture shock on arrival. To help you do this, use the FCO travel advice page
and the Travel
Aware website + do some general research online.
Search for blogs, social media groups or pages or even hashtags relevant to
your destination! Get a feel for where you’re going, and some advice from people
who have already been.
Get Busy
DON’T:
stay at home and catch-up on British TV (I know it’s tempting).
DO: go out and get involved with as
much as you can. Find a language tandem to practise your languages, find a
local volunteering group to get to know the community or find a class in
something you’re passionate about. Anything! Just do something that will get
you out meeting new people, discovering the area whilst doing something you
enjoy. It’s worth much more of your time.
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.” ― James A. Michener
For any travel advice, information and tips to various locations simply head over to The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website. Also, be sure to check out their Travel Aware website to help you avoid any trouble during your holiday.
Facebook: @fcotravel
Instagram: @travelaware
- September 2024
- August 2021
- March 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- May 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- February 2016
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- May 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014