Being in a different country does not mean you are\nsuddenly immersed in the culture. To really absorb a new culture, you have to\nmake the effort! If your goal is to have a completely new experience, which\nallows you to explore a new culture to its fullest, then hopefully these points\nwill help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Food<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DON\u2019T<\/strong>:\nfind that English bar in town, you\u2019ll only meet other British people there, you\nwon\u2019t be using your language skills and you certainly won\u2019t be trying out new food\nor drink (which means you\u2019d be missing out!) DON\u2019T<\/strong>:\neat out at food chains that you know, yes this includes McDonald\u2019s. It\u2019s easy\nto fall for our home comforts but it\u2019s not helping you discover the culture if\nthis is what you want to gain from the experience. Language<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DON\u2019T<\/strong>:\navoid speaking the language to save yourself the embarrassment of pronouncing\nthe words wrong. Pre-departure\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DON\u2019T<\/strong>:\narrive in a country without having researched the local customs and etiquette. Get Busy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DON\u2019T<\/strong>:\nstay at home and catch-up on British TV (I know it\u2019s tempting). \u201cIf you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the\nreligion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.\u201d<\/em>\n\u2015 James A. Michener<\/p>\n\n\n\n For any travel advice, information and tips to various\nlocations simply head over to The Foreign and Commonwealth\nOffice\u2019s website<\/a>. Also, be sure to check out their Travel\nAware website<\/a> to help you avoid any trouble\nduring your holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook: @fcotravel <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram: @travelaware<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Being 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 […]","protected":false},"author":1433,"featured_media":3628,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[268,269,270],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-international-exchange","category-summer-programmes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4QQbz-Wv","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1416,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/seattle\/","url_meta":{"origin":3627,"position":0},"title":"Seattle","author":"Lorna Hayne","date":"November 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve only got 2 and a half weeks of school left before finals start- where has the time gone?! In Canada, you get a day off for Remembrance Weekend, so we bussed to Seattle for the weekend- we stayed in City Hostel- which was in an amazing location. We went\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Placements"","block_context":{"text":"International Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/international-exchange\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Seattle at dusk ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2016\/11\/15064017_1456117984415603_826402847_o-254x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6554,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-exchange-ambassador-deeksha\/","url_meta":{"origin":3627,"position":1},"title":"Meet the Exchange Ambassador – Deeksha","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"June 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Deeksha Venkatesh School and Degree programme: MLANG And BA of Modern Languages and Translation Host University: Shandong university Host Country: China Tell us about why you chose to study abroad\u00a0 I always wanted to explore and learn more about China What are you looking forward to the most about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "GO Student Ambassadors"","block_context":{"text":"GO Student Ambassadors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/go-student-ambassadors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_0920_Deeksha-Venkatesh-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_0920_Deeksha-Venkatesh-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_0920_Deeksha-Venkatesh-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_0920_Deeksha-Venkatesh-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_0920_Deeksha-Venkatesh-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_0920_Deeksha-Venkatesh-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3006,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/lingomap-food-and-drink-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":3627,"position":2},"title":"Lingomap: Food and drink","author":"Emily James","date":"February 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello, me again! Este semestre yo estoy ense\u00f1ando ingles en Salamanca, que es una ciudad en el noroeste de Espa\u00f1a. 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This month I have been given the title of 'Local and Regional Culture and Characteristics of your Country' which is\u00a0a perfect title for where I'm living now. Perfume Capital of the WORLD! Grasse is extremely significant as it is the perfume capital of the world. Throughout\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/03\/image1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/03\/image1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/03\/image1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/03\/image1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2780,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/lingomap-food-and-drink\/","url_meta":{"origin":3627,"position":5},"title":"LingoMap: Food and Drink","author":"Bayan Ali","date":"January 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Bonjour tout le monde! (Hello everyone!) Bienvenue \u00e0 mon premier blog pour Routes into Languages LingoMap. (Welcome to my first blog for Routes into Languages LingoMap.) This blog will focus on the topic of food and drink in Nantes. 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\nDO<\/strong>: Find that bar or pub that is\npacked with locals (it\u2019s usually a good sign). Order that drink that you can\u2019t\nquite pronounce and you just may find your new favourite! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDO<\/strong>: Try out as many local\nrestaurants as possible. There is so much variety that can be found in any\ncountry so go and try local restaurants, street food or even seek out a local\nmarket!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDO<\/strong>: try to speak the language as\nmuch as you can; locals really appreciate the effort and who knows, you may\nmake friends along the way who can teach you about the customs and traditions.\nPlus, knowing that you were able to communicate with the locals will make it\nfeel worth the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDO<\/strong>: do your research before and this\ncan help you immerse yourself in the culture much quicker and avoid too much\nculture shock on arrival. To help you do this, use the FCO travel advice page<\/a>\nand the Travel\nAware website<\/a> + do some general research online.\nSearch for blogs, social media groups or pages or even hashtags relevant to\nyour destination! Get a feel for where you\u2019re going, and some advice from people\nwho have already been. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDO<\/strong>: go out and get involved with as\nmuch as you can. Find a language tandem to practise your languages, find a\nlocal volunteering group to get to know the community or find a class in\nsomething you\u2019re passionate about. Anything! Just do something that will get\nyou out meeting new people, discovering the area whilst doing something you\nenjoy. It\u2019s worth much more of your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n