The Rotary Youth Exchange experience: The middle wave of culture shock
扶輪青少年交換經驗:
第二波文化衝擊
Some Rotary Youth Exchange students may experience a delayed homesickness a few months after arriving in their host country, a phenomenon known as the "middle wave" of culture shock. Psychologist Dennis White, a member of the District 6220 (parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, USA) Youth Exchange Committee and past RI Youth Exchange Committee chair, helps students, parents, host families, and Youth Exchange officers identify the symptoms and find ways to cope. Read his article below or view the full article on the North American Youth Exchange Network Website.
有些扶輪青少年交換學生,可能在抵達接待國數月後,才經歷到遲了許久浮現的想家念頭,這種現象稱為「第二波」文化衝擊。心理學家Dennis
White為6220地區(美國密西根與威斯康辛州一部分)青少年交換委員會成員暨國際扶輪青少年交換委員會主委,他協助學生家長、接待家庭和青少年扶輪委員判斷症狀並找出處理方法。請詳閱他在下面所寫的文章,或是前往北美青少年交換網站瀏覽全文。 |
Rotary Youth Exchange students who departed for their host countries in late August are in the middle of their fourth month abroad around late December. Despite the fact that most of them are having a very positive experience, this is a time when it is fairly typical for many of them to be experiencing a second "wave" of culture shock, longer and more difficult than that which they experienced upon arrival in their host country.
八月下旬前往接待國的扶輪青少年交換學生,到了十二月下旬,約是在國外逗留的第四個月期間。儘管多數學生都擁有非常正面的體驗,對許多人而言,此時正是經歷第二「波」文化衝擊的常見時間點,這一波文化衝擊,較剛抵達接待國時體會到的衝擊,更加長久與艱困。
There are usually at least four stages
that exchange students experience:
交換學生體會到的文化衝擊,
通常至少有下列四個階段:
1. Excitement and enthusiasm. This is the feeling that accompanies travel to a new place, seeing and doing so many new and different things, and meeting new people.
1.興奮與熱情:這是隨著抵達新地點、眼見耳聞並親手從事諸多嶄新或不同於以往的事物,再加上見到陌生人而浮現的感受。
2. Irritability. No matter how understanding and accepting the student may try to be, there will be many times when they just don't like or understand why their host culture is the way it is, and they can't seem to make the feeling go away.
2.
焦躁:無論學生試著表現出多麼理解與接受的態度,還是會碰到多次完全不喜歡/瞭解接待文化為何有此風格的情況,而且,他們似乎無法擺脫這種感受。
3. Adaptation. This is when students learn to accept that they will have to adapt if they are going to be successful in their host culture.
3.
適應:學生若想順利融入接待國文化,就得在此時學著適應必須適應之事。
4. Biculturalism. This is when they realize that they have become competent in another culture and can see the world and function from another, very different point of view.
4.
二元文化:此時,學生瞭解到自己能勝任另一種文化,並從另一種截然不同的角度,來觀看整個世界和運作。
The lowest point comes at about four months, or near the middle of December.
What exactly is the student experiencing at this point? Most tell us that this
is where the feeling of irritability is at its greatest, because they do not see
an easy way to feel better. They have not necessarily figured out how to get
along better with a host family or to be included more in school activities.
最低潮的時間點約是四個月、或是接近十二月中旬時出現。學生在這個時間點,到底會有何種體驗?大多數學生告訴我們,由於找不到簡單方法讓自己好轉,此時的焦躁感最為嚴重。他們不一定能找出如何與接待家庭相處得更好,或是進一步融入學校活動。
Most probably, and certainly most important, they may have not yet learned enough [of the] language to really understand what is going on, or to communicate what they want to say to others. After a few months of this, it is very natural to get very frustrated and wish that everyone and everything just made more sense. They may just experience it as a global feeling of discomfort and dislike of the culture.
最常見且最重要的一點是,學生尚未學到充分的語言來實際理解現況,或是向他人表達出自己的真正想法。幾個月後,他們自然會深感沮喪,所有人事物只讓他們變得更敏感。學生或許對文化只感到全然不快且厭惡。
Following this period, they are entering the longest but most rewarding of the four stages of culture shock. This is where the students not only learn much more language and understand the culture much more, it is where they begin to learn much more about themselves. They get a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. They learn new coping skills or use existing ones that they may never have known they had. It can be helpful if Youth Exchange officers/counselors and parents understand that this is what many students are going through at this time. It can be extremely helpful to a student in this stage to just have someone with whom they can express their feelings without fear of getting in trouble or offending anyone. It can also be helpful to point out to students that this is probably the lowest point they will experience, and that things will begin to get better as they continue to work at adjusting.
這段時期之後,學生遂進入文化衝擊的四個階段中,最為漫長卻最具價值的階段。學生在這個階段,不僅學到更多語言,更深入瞭解文化,並開始深入理解自我。他們更瞭解自己的優缺點所在。學生學習到新的應對技巧,或是運用自己不曾知道具備的既有技巧。青少年交換委員/輔導員和家長,若能瞭解到這是許多學生在此時會經歷到的情況,對他們將甚有幫助。對這個階段的學生而言,有人能讓其坦率表達自我感受,無須畏懼陷入麻煩或冒犯他人,將有極大的幫助。此外,向學生指出此時或許是他們經歷到的低潮期,情況將在他們繼續努力適應後好轉,同樣有所幫助。 |
Ask a Youth Exchange officer
詢問青少年交換委員
What are some tips to prevent early returns, and what are some ways to help those students who experience homesickness?
避免學生提前返國的秘訣有哪些?
哪些好方法能協助想家的學生?
Glenda Sales, chair of the District 5130 (California, USA) Youth Exchange Committee, replies:
美國加州5130地區青少年交換主委Glenda
Sales答覆如下: |
Virtually all students experience homesickness during their trip abroad for a year. At the inbound orientation, we give the students tips for having a successful exchange. One of the most important pieces of advice we give is to "disconnect" from their home country and focus on their new family, school, and community. They should continue to smile, and ask if they can help out and get involved with their host family. The No. 1 way to have an unsuccessful exchange is to not participate. Do not hide out in your room. Do not miss school. Do not talk to people in your home country all the time.
幾乎所有學生在前往國外遊學的一年內,都會經歷到想家的情形。我們在接待學生說明會上,向學生提出順利度過交換期間的訣竅。其中,我們所提最為重要的建議之一,就是「切斷」與母國的關係,轉而全心投入新家庭、學校與社團。他們應繼續笑著詢問,是否需要幫忙做家事,並積極融入接待家庭。交換計畫失敗的首要原因就是不參與。學生不要躲在自己的房間、刻意逃學、或是僅與同一國的人交談。The District 5130 Youth Exchange Committee has created an "emotional chart" that tracks students' typical experiences throughout the year. During the rebound debriefing, we often hear from the students that just knowing the emotional process and being able to prepare for it was a big help.
5130地區青少年交換委員會製作了「情緒表」,來追蹤學生在這一年常經歷到的情緒。我們在歸國交換學生簡報會議中,常聽到學生提到瞭解情緒過程而能事先做好準備,對他們是一大助力。 We have developed our program around this emotional calendar to help the inbound students get over some of the tough times. One trip that we do is called the "Blues Buster." We take the students to San Francisco during Fleet Week, a U.S. military celebration and exhibition, for a tour of the city. This trip has no other agenda but to reacquaint the inbound students with each other and give them a safe place to talk about their experiences and get some words of advice from their peers. It takes place in the middle of October, when students have come down from the excitement of their arrival and have settled in with their first host family but are facing the holidays and their first move to a new host family in the next month or so. This one weekend seems to give them the extra boost needed to carry them through the holidays. Usually by January, the students are fully acclimated to their new environment and really start to enjoy their time abroad.
我們按照這份情緒月曆來發展計畫,協助接待學生度過一些最為艱困的期間。我們設計的旅遊行程之一為「打擊憂鬱」。我們在艦隊週(美國的軍事慶典與展覽週)帶領學生去舊金山進行市內觀光。這趟旅遊沒有其他行程,純粹讓接待學生重新認識彼此,提供他們一個安心的地方,談談彼此的經歷,並從同儕身上獲得一點建言。這趟旅程是在十月中旬進行,學生剛抵達時的雀躍之情,在此時已經漸漸冷卻,亦適應了第一個接待家庭,不過,現在的他們正面臨到放假,以及下個月左右將搬至新接待家庭的問題。這個週末似乎能讓他們獲得額外的勇氣來度過假期。通常到了一月左右,學生就能完全融入新環境,開始享受在國外的時間。 |
How a big opportunity changed my life 改變一生的重要契機 |
![](http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/newsletter/youth/Marina.jpg) As Rotarians Dennis White and Glenda Sales discussed above, Youth Exchange students experience stages of culture shock followed by adaptation, and districts can help students overcome their homesickness. The story below is a wonderful example of the voyage one student has taken on her exchange. Mariana Soares Amorim, hosted by District 5950 (Minnesota, USA), writes of her excitement, difficulties, and growth while she was a 2008-09 outbound exchange student from Brazil.
如扶輪社員Dennis
White與Glenda
Sales在上面所述,青少年交換學生在適應後,仍會經歷到幾個階段的文化衝擊,扶輪地區能協助學生克服想家的情緒。下面的故事正是一名學生在交換期間經歷到的旅程實例。美國明尼蘇達州第5950地區接待的學生Mariana
Soares Amorim,寫下了自己在2008-09年間成為巴西交換學生,前往美國所經歷到的雀躍、困境與成長。
Like every teenager, I had my dreams, which I never thought I would do, and not just because of a lack of opportunity, but because I thought I wasn't strong enough. One of them was going to a different country and exploring a new culture. Then Rotary International gave me the opportunity to build a new story for myself. It started with a very nice person who found in me something more than I did.
我跟每個青少年一樣懷抱著夢想,不過,自己從不曾想過會實現,不僅是因為沒有機會,還包括自認仍不夠堅強。我的夢想之一就是前往國外探索新文化。當時,國際扶輪給了我這個機會,讓自己得以打造全新的故事。故事的起點是一位非常棒的人,在我身上找到了我不曾察覺的事物。
The acceptance letter came one month after the placement testing. When I got the mail, I couldn't open it. I called my mom's work and said, "Mom! What should I do? The letter came!" My mom, laughing at me, said, "Open it - that's the only thing to do." So I opened it, and the first words I saw were, "Congratulations! You are one of the next Rotary exchange students." I started crying. From 45 students, they chose 25 to represent our country in a different nation, and I was one of these students.
核准通知書在安置測驗後一個月寄到。收到信的我壓根不敢拆開。我打電話到母親的辦公室並說:「媽!怎麼辦?信寄到了!」母親笑著對我說:「拆信啊
–
這是你唯一要做的事。」所以我拆了信,躍入眼中的第一句話是:「恭喜您!您是下一批扶輪青少年交換學生之一」。我忍不住哭了出來。扶輪社從四十五名學生中,選出二十五名學生代表國家前往外國,我正是其中的一名。
I have tried new things and had good and difficult moments, both happy and sad. The only thing that I was sure of was that I would never give up my dream, even in extremely hard situations. I told my mom, "For everything we went through together, and all the money we spent for that, I'll stay no matter what."
我嘗試了許多新事物,體會了欣喜與低潮的時刻,其中有樂亦有悲。我唯一確定的是,自己不曾放棄過夢想,即使處於極端困境中亦然。我告訴母親:「為了我們攜手度過的一切,為了我們為此耗費的金錢,我無論如何都會留下來。」
I have learned English. I was able to talk with people in a couple of months, and that made things easier and made me believe more in myself. It was hard for me to go to classes and not understand anything and to adapt to the culture. It was hard for me to stay without my mom's and dad's hugs and talks, without friends who would be there for me when I needed to cry. But to live without all of that just made me grow up.
我學了英語以後,兩、三個月就能與人交談,這項成果讓整個情況為之改觀且變得簡單,也讓我對自己更有自信。當我去上課時卻完全不了解內容,也無法適應融入其文化,這對我來說實在是一件很難受的事。需要放聲大哭時,卻沒有父母的擁抱和安慰,也沒有朋友在身邊,這也同樣令我難受。不過,當沒有了這一切而能繼續生活,這會使我成長。
I can say that today I'm a new person with new visions of life, and I'm so much stronger than I was before. Being away from home gives you time to find who you are and learn a lot about yourself, and it gives you the opportunity to see how people love you and miss you. Sometimes I think I'm just dreaming, and I will wake up and be in Brazil and never have gone on an exchange. Then I realize that it is reality, and it has changed me for the rest of my life.
我現在可以說自己是全新的人,擁有全新的人生視野,較以往的我更為堅強。離家給了人們時間以找出自我,而且更瞭解自我,這同樣給了自己機會,瞭解人們如何愛著與想念自己。有時,我會以為自己不過在作夢,醒來後發現自己仍在巴西,從來不曾成為交換學生。然而,我體認到這確實是現實,徹底轉變了之後的人生。
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Rotary Foundation Month and Family Month
扶輪基金月與家庭月 |
In anticipation of Rotary Foundation Month in November and Family Month in December, Youth Exchange officers are encouraged to promote The Rotary Foundation's programs among fellow Rotarians and Youth Exchange students and to strengthen the overall ties within the family of Rotary.
考量到十一月為扶輪基金月,十二月則為家庭月,此處鼓勵青少年交換委員,向扶輪社員及青少年交換學生,宣傳扶輪基金會的計畫,加強與扶輪家庭的所有聯繫。The Foundation offers humanitarian grants and educational programs, such as Rotary World Peace Fellowships, to further its mission of building international goodwill, understanding, and peace. Learn more about the Foundation's programs.
扶輪基金會提供人道獎助與教育計畫,扶輪世界和平獎助金即是一例,藉此拓展打造國際親善、理解與和平的使命。請點選此處以進一步瞭解扶輪基金會的計畫。
Building peace, one act at a time
逐步打造和平 ![Gregorio Hernandez (left) and Lisa Monette (right) plant trees in Thailand as an act of peace.](http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/newsletter/youth/090914_actsofpeace.jpg) Lisa Monette knew she wanted to do something for her class project that would have a lasting impact.
Lisa Monetta知道自己應該做些什麼讓自己的課堂專題具有深遠的影響。
Monette, a Rotary World Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University, joined forces with three other peace fellows who were thinking along similar lines. Together, they dreamed up A Million Acts of Peace, an effort they launched online 27 August to encourage one million people to carry out one act of peace each.
Monetta為朱拉隆功大學扶輪世界和平獎助金學生,她與三名志同道合的和平獎助金學生並肩合作。大家共同想出了「百萬和平行動」計畫,這是他們在8月27日上線推出的活動,旨在鼓勵一百萬人分別從事一項和平行動。
"The idea sort of grew out of the thought that people can do little things that may not mean that much," Monette says. "But if you have a million people doing little things, you can have a big impact."
Monetta說:「這個想法的浮現概念,部分源自人們能做到不一定代表龐大意義的小事。不過,如果一百萬人都能透過舉手之勞,就能集結成一股龐大的影響力。」
Monette's collaborators include Gregorio Hernandez Jr., a major in the Philippine army; Raseema Alam, a peace-building trainer and consultant from Canada; and Virender Singh Malik, a retired colonel from India. All have now completed the three-month program. In addition to the Web site, the peace fellows created a page on Facebook and are heavily promoting their effort through Twitter.
Monette的合作者,包括身為菲律賓軍隊少校的Gregorio
Hernandez Jr.,加拿大打造和平訓練師暨顧問Raseema
Alam,以及退休的印度上校Virender
singh Malik。所有人如今完成了為期三個月的計畫。除了網站以外,和平獎助金學生還在Facebook架設活動網頁,透過推特(Twitter)大力宣傳活動。
Their Web site defines an act of peace as "anything you do to further your understanding of another person, place or culture." It can also include efforts that help the vulnerable, outcast, or needy. So far, Monette says the group has tallied more than 150 acts of peace, counted as people e-mail them or contact them via Facebook.
他們的網頁將和平行動定義為「能夠讓自己深入瞭解其他人物、地點或文化的任何事」。網頁上還包括協助老弱婦孺、遊民或低收入者的活動。Monetta表示,到目前為止,該團隊已經登記了逾150件和平行動,這是透過人們電郵告知,或是在Facebook上聯絡來計算。
Monette was sponsored for the Rotary World Peace Fellowships program by the Rotary Club of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She took a short leave from her job as a spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, specializing in issues related to Asia and terrorism and security worldwide.
Monette獲得加拿大安大略省渥太華扶輪社的扶輪世界和平友誼計畫贊助。她暫時與工作告假,為加拿大外交與國際貿易部演講,著重在亞洲、恐怖主義與全球安全議題。
She says her grandfather was a Rotarian, and her father, aunts, and uncles participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. As a high school student, she took part in a one-week program sponsored by the Ottawa club that brings students to the Canadian capital to teach them about citizenship and develop their leadership skills.
Monette表示祖父為扶輪社員,父親、伯母與伯父都參加了扶輪青少年交換計畫。她還是高中生時,參加過渥太華扶輪社贊助的一週計畫,這項計畫的目的是帶領學生前往加拿大首都,讓其瞭解市民權利並培養領導技巧。
"We really think this has a good connection to Rotary," she says. "It fits with Rotary's values. Rotary is all about peace."
她表示:「我們確實覺得這是與扶輪之間的良好連結,這項計畫完全契合扶輪價值。扶輪正是提倡和平。」
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Newly certified districts |
Every two weeks, the list of noncertified districts is updated online.
Congratulations to district 3201 (India)! |
Reminder to Youth Exchange officers |
Inform RI's Youth Exchange staff of early returns experienced in your district or multidistrict. Please forward an e-mail with the student's name, reason for early return, date of return, and hosting and sponsoring districts to youthexchange@rotary.org |
Upcoming Youth Exchange events
If you would like information on your national or international conference published in upcoming editions of this newsletter, please e-mail us at youthexchange@rotary.org |
Rotary-UN Day 7 November New York City Organized by RI representatives to the United Nations, this program will include a youth panel featuring a speaker from Interact and Rotaract, who will each present a description of a hands-on international club project. Information: www.riunday.org
29th Annual Brazilian Youth Exchange Conference
19-22 November
Serrano Resort Convention and Spa Hotel
Granado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
South Central Rotary Youth Exchange (SCRYE) 2010 Winter Conference 29-31 January Radisson Hotel Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA Contact: Don Peters
The 15th Annual Japan Youth Exchange Conference Nishi-ku, Osaka, Japan 15-16 May, 2010 Osaka YMCA Conference Centre Contact: Shindo Kondo | |
Questions and comments
Please send any questions, comments, or ideas for future issues of this newsletter to youthexchange@rotary.org.
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