I often experience different intercultural behaviors in a foreign country. They could be related to the individuals’ cultural values, beliefs, and languages etc.
I remembered the time when I just came to Singapore. Things were so different to me; building infrastructures, food, languages and almost everything else. Living in a cosmopolitan city like this was a very huge transformation to me. It took me more than a year to adapt to the student’s life in school and two years to appreciate the local foods, and now I am still in the process of learning and exploring new things.
Among all the differences, the local teaching style was the most influence to me. Generally, Singapore’s education system motivates students to lead others, express themselves, adapt to different environments and, of course, it also motivates many other aspects. On the other hand, Myanmar’s education system is very conservative. Students are taught to follow. They do not get chances to present their own ideas. Furthermore, students are not encouraged to be creative but to follow the tradition in Myanmar.
I could still recall the first semester of my study in Singapore, I was given some school assignment projects for the first time in my life. I was very nervous and totally lost. I had no idea how a project should be done. It was also a first-time-experience of doing presentation in the class. In my mind, I was thinking that these were just some basic requirements of the higher education. However, I saw that the local classmates were very skillful in handling the projects and presentations, and they were also very capable in expressing their thoughts and ideas. Then, I started to realize my disadvantages in those aspects of work and I also got to know that “it is the culture of Singapore, the way students are educated.”
Those were major cultural transformations for me; moving from conservativeness to a more proactive attitude. The expectation on the students, to be more creative and self-reliance, is very challenging. I really had a hard time adapting to it in the beginning, and yet still in the learning process.
To summarize it, we are always trying to integrate into the environment we live in. In the end, we find ourselves being a part of it and losing or forgetting some parts of our own native cultures.
I remembered the time when I just came to Singapore. Things were so different to me; building infrastructures, food, languages and almost everything else. Living in a cosmopolitan city like this was a very huge transformation to me. It took me more than a year to adapt to the student’s life in school and two years to appreciate the local foods, and now I am still in the process of learning and exploring new things.
Among all the differences, the local teaching style was the most influence to me. Generally, Singapore’s education system motivates students to lead others, express themselves, adapt to different environments and, of course, it also motivates many other aspects. On the other hand, Myanmar’s education system is very conservative. Students are taught to follow. They do not get chances to present their own ideas. Furthermore, students are not encouraged to be creative but to follow the tradition in Myanmar.
I could still recall the first semester of my study in Singapore, I was given some school assignment projects for the first time in my life. I was very nervous and totally lost. I had no idea how a project should be done. It was also a first-time-experience of doing presentation in the class. In my mind, I was thinking that these were just some basic requirements of the higher education. However, I saw that the local classmates were very skillful in handling the projects and presentations, and they were also very capable in expressing their thoughts and ideas. Then, I started to realize my disadvantages in those aspects of work and I also got to know that “it is the culture of Singapore, the way students are educated.”
Those were major cultural transformations for me; moving from conservativeness to a more proactive attitude. The expectation on the students, to be more creative and self-reliance, is very challenging. I really had a hard time adapting to it in the beginning, and yet still in the learning process.
To summarize it, we are always trying to integrate into the environment we live in. In the end, we find ourselves being a part of it and losing or forgetting some parts of our own native cultures.
