Ideas to accommodate a
New Culture
- Experience cultural events: Go to the national and local events organized: The Thanksgiving Parade, the National celebrations like Martin Luther King Day in the US or Flag Day in Canada, the open nights at the museums, national sport games such as hockey for Canada or basketball for the USA. Participate in the traditions to get to know the history and what’s important for the locals.
- Enhance your language skills: Find some ways to practice regularly the language by avoiding only staying with your peers and building other relationships with local people.
There are many ways to improve and enrich your vocabulary such as: Attending free classes, joining social groups like non-profit organizations, participating in activities… All of these ideas and interactions will contribute significantly to your progress.
Demonstrating your willingness to integrate and putting in effort is crucial. You will then become more familiar with expressions, understand jokes and humor, grasp the nuances of the language, and eventually communicate almost like a native! - Explore around: Walk a lot in the city/town you live, go to every street, enter the local shops, try the local restaurants, visit the museums…
If you have a chance; Go away for a few days to visit the country and do the highlight attractions that the country has to offer, the historical sites, the touristic and local sites. This is your opportunity to really immerse in the culture and know locals’ habits, lifestyle, and feel like you are on a long-term vacation trip.
A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.
Mahatma Gandhi
