The last Monday we spent in Austria, we had an English lesson with Elisabeth in 6B. The topic was culture shock. Culture shock is the reaction that you experience when you spend some time among people from a different culture.
First, we did a test in pairs to see who the most adaptable person in the class was. It had questions like: How much time have you spent living in another country? That person was Beatriz García, who has lived in Australia for nine months. Later, we made groups of five or six people. Each person had to take a piece of paper where a phase of the cultural shock was explained, and then tell the others what that phase consists of. For example, my phase was re-entry shock, which is the fact of feeling a stranger in your own culture. That is, when you go back to your original culture and all your family and friends realise that you have changed, but they don't understand why.
Later, we put all the phases in order. This is the result: the first is called Honeymoon. It happens at the beginning, when you arrive to the new culture and you find everything absolutely wonderful.
Second one is the Negotiation Phase, it consists of realising that now you are different from what you were before, and you feel frustrated and angry with yourself for this reason. The third one is called Adjustment Phase and it is the acceptation of the new culture, the adaptation to the new routines, taking what you like of your own culture. And finally the Re-entry Shock is the last one.
The conclusion we got to is that everyone has to adopt to new situations throughout their lives, when this happens one can choose between facing it in a positive way, enjoying every new thing, or just comparing the new culture or situation with the one that you come.
Inma
History Class on: Maria Theresa
Today we have had a class about Maria Theresia. It class was very funny, because one Austrian girl dressed up like Maria Theresia and explained details about her life and her physical appearance. To me she looked like an old woman. After that the Austrians explained more interesting things about their history.
by Dani
