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Now a days, it became easy to study abroad and travel to foreign countries because of the globalization. However, I think many people will struggling to communicate with foreign people when they go to travel or studying abroad. This is because, we are all different characteristics, culture, race and regions. We are always try to understand these things but in the practical field but in fact, it is very difficult to build good relationship with them communicating effectively. So in this article, I would like to provide some tips to communicate with foreign people. However, this is applicable to communication with the same nationality.
Accept difference
When you communicate with foreign people, you might encounter the situation that you feel culture shock. For example, you are studying abroad in India. You are going to eat some lunch with your Indian friends. But the time you see your friend, you feel culture shock because your Indian friends eat lunch with their hands. Honestly, you might feel it is unfamiliar and weird. If you encounter this situation, firstly, please accept this habit. You can ask to your friends about these habits. Then you can understand and get used to these habit. Please do not try to avoid them. Try to search for their origin and think by yourself why they are act like that. If you think, you might find out the great origin of culture and country.
Keep smiling
No matter how you are disappointed, I recommend you to smile to the other person. This is because smile make people happy no matter how they are different. Also, if you shocked by experience other culture, this is no body fault. This is result of effort of both of them. For example, I have visited foreign country when I was thirteen and I have experienced culture shock. I was thinking like I wanted to communicate with locals eating some Japanese food together. Then, I made rice ball for them. However, they are unwilling to eat this rice ball because they are unfamiliar with rice ball and they have never experienced before. I was so shocked but I tried to smile. It was not fault of them. Finally, they are tried to eat this rice ball.
Get experience without hesitating
If you want to decrease your fear to communicate with foreign people, I would like to recommend to try to copy these habit and culture. Once you act like you are the local in the region. This means that for example, if you are studying abroad, I would like to recommend to try to eat the local food and imitate their habit in their life. It will make your mind close to the culture in the region.
Try to find common people with foreign people
If you want to understand foreign people, I highly recommend to look for the common point in them. We are different characteristics but focus on it too much is not good. If you find some common characteristics with your foreign friends, you will feel very close to them and you will be very friendly with them. Do not so think about differences. We have differences even if we are in the same nationality.
