Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

Can cultural awareness training be implemented online? In terms of logistics, of course it can. Many organizations are already doing it. The question is, can it be conducted online and deliver the results needed to help international professionals be more effective while working across cultures? In recent years, there has been an explosion of services in the online ESL industry to help professionals develop communication skills in English. English classes are often effective online but learning to communicate in English is not the same as learning to communicate in American culture. So, can international professionals develop cultural awareness online in the same way that they can develop verbal communication skills?

If you have done a little traveling or if you have encountered a lot of people from different cultures in your everyday life here in Boston, you have probably created your own theories about cultural differences and time.

"Culture" is a word that can be defined in so many different ways. So when we talk about how culture causes confusion and challenges between professionals in the workplace, it is sometimes hard to know what that really means. Well, it can mean a lot of different things! In today's article, we will talk about some of the areas where you might run into challenges when you work with colleagues from different parts of the world. By the way, culture is not just about countries! Culture can also vary by region, gender and age! To avoid stereotyping and generalizing, try to think about  where you, as an individual, fall on these dimensions and how that might be different from your colleagues and team members at work.

Why is cultural self- awareness the first and most important step to intercultural competence? Imagine this scenario: You are working as a part of an intercultural team at your workplace in a large, international city like Boston or New York. Your team consists of people of many different ages, backgrounds and cultures. One day there is a misunderstanding between your team members. There is a major problem that needs to be solved but everyone wants to take a different approach to solving the problem. Let's imagine that you fail to reach an agreement and your project and company suffers and probably loses time and money. Looking back on the problem, you might say that it was a logistical problem or a technical issue that prevented you from reaching an agreement. Would you ever consider that culture might have had something to do with it?

So you have been in the United States as an international professional or students for a few years.

2011 is almost history and it has been an exciting year at English and Culture! We have published a lot of new content this year to help you understand common English expressions, make conversation in English, set your English goals and adjust to life in the United States. Our goal is to answer your questions and make the transition to life in the United States easier for you by helping you develop English language skills and cultural competence. So why not take this opportunity to catch up on our most popular articles if you missed them in 2011.

If you are living and working in the United States with American colleagues, you might want to learn more about your own cultural values and the cultural values that determine the way that your American colleagues communicate and view the world.  How would you answer this question:

In today's post, we have some communication and culture tips from a current student at English and Culture. Consider this question: How are disagreements resolved in your culture? Is it done differently in your country than here in the United States? During a recent cultural training session with one of our students from Korea, we looked at the different styles of settling a disagreement in both the US and Korea. We also talked about how those different styles of disagreement might be rooted in deeper cultural values and styles of communication. Keep reading to find out this student's views on the different approaches to resolving a disagreement in the US and Korea.