tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62625986738190517122024-02-19T02:59:56.299-08:00The English and Cultural Learning ConnectionInspiring university students in Taiwan to use English to build relationships around the worldProfessor Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389771116768299946noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6262598673819051712.post-46941547946728443042019-09-22T20:30:00.001-07:002019-09-22T20:41:13.629-07:00Making Foreign Friends on Campus<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03MGfsUBN8Ki-ool1s2WSCJBwgCKehEQ-IjHLo9KdI88dUyZowmS1lUDnyWDlT9x4ttXlM-d7E2BdkBSrhAry6u1opj-H3tXstLoAddmEn8Dp_14_N56hc1JaMFsZtNqxMgsazsEP5Ug/s1600/-__a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="768" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03MGfsUBN8Ki-ool1s2WSCJBwgCKehEQ-IjHLo9KdI88dUyZowmS1lUDnyWDlT9x4ttXlM-d7E2BdkBSrhAry6u1opj-H3tXstLoAddmEn8Dp_14_N56hc1JaMFsZtNqxMgsazsEP5Ug/s640/-__a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>SDAD.edu</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As university freshmen, having a thriving
social life is important to maintaining happiness as a college student, so
building new relationships should be high on your list of priorities. The good
news is that you will have the opportunity to meet many new people in and out
of the classroom. The people you meet can vary depending on your major, your interests,
and the places you go. As our campus continues to welcome more and more
international students and teachers, you will most likely have the opportunity
to make friends with foreigners. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For many students, building a foreign
relationship brings too much stress, so they prefer to meet people from their
own culture since it is more comfortable. However, by meeting foreigners and befriending
them, you can make your college experience much more interesting and enjoyable.
<span style="background-color: cyan;">There are several ways that university freshmen can make lasting foreign
friendships on campus.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: yellow;">The
first thing to remember is to be brave.</b> It takes a lot of courage to meet a new
person, especially a person from a totally different background, language, and
culture. All it takes is an open mind and the willingness to say hello. Don’t
worry if your English is not good enough. You can use whatever you have
learned. Most foreign students in Taiwan, especially those who have just
arrived, are very eager to meet new Taiwanese friends. Why not be the one who
takes the first step to say hello? Start by asking them where they are from and
what their major is. This can open the door for a longer conversation. If not,
you can simply say welcome to them with a friendly manner and hope to see them
again sometime. Actively seek out opportunities to exercise your courage to speak
English and meet foreigners.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="background-color: yellow;">The
second thing to remember is to keep an open mind.</b> In her article, “<a href="https://www.hercampus.com/school/purdue/what-i-learned-having-foreign-roommate" target="_blank">What I Learned From Having a Foreign Roommate</a>,” Purdue University student Sonja
Schlobohm said that she was shocked to discover so many cultural differences
between her and her roommate from New Zealand. She assumed that because they
both spoke English, they would have a similar culture, but she found that wasn’t
true. On reflecting on her experience, she </span><span lang="EN-US">wrote, “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to meet an
amazing new friend, and to open my mind to a whole new perspective.” This is
one great benefit of making a friend with a foreigner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><b>Another way to
make foreign friends is to share an activity together.</b></span><span style="background-color: white;"> Whether it is team sports
or shopping, you can overcome the language barrier by sharing a common
interest. This makes your friendship much more fun and interesting for the both
of you. As you discuss cultural differences in the context of that activity, you
will probably find yourself laughing and enjoying the activity together even
more. If you plan to join a club on campus, which is a popular way of meeting
new friends, don’t be afraid to invite your foreign friend or classmate to your
club if he or she is interested. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;">In
conclusion, three ways to make foreign friends as a university student include
remembering to be brave, to keep an open mind, and to participate in activities
together. By doing these, you will find that the benefits of making a foreign
friend can go far beyond your imagination. You will not only prepare yourself
for an increasingly globalized world after graduation. Sharing laughter, hopes,
and dreams with someone of another country can make your university experience
a memorable one for years to come.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: black;"><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;">Copyright: Prof Dave 2019</i></span></span></div>
<br />Professor Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389771116768299946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6262598673819051712.post-84343294322675512082019-09-02T22:32:00.000-07:002019-09-22T20:39:31.076-07:00What makes you so special? The world wants to know!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFw_UlQ4JWEAPZPpCGvqo5IhSiGiQj-ToakfklR3j2Uj1V4aZXrIGD-7FZuAhFcawO8vZ8-KuRoULsCOW9vRElPg9f7HEMVoi_CclWMAkNxoPl6jVdW7i8GrazYjgMM6QZrNZoNQfvh4E/s1600/Cross-cultural-communications.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFw_UlQ4JWEAPZPpCGvqo5IhSiGiQj-ToakfklR3j2Uj1V4aZXrIGD-7FZuAhFcawO8vZ8-KuRoULsCOW9vRElPg9f7HEMVoi_CclWMAkNxoPl6jVdW7i8GrazYjgMM6QZrNZoNQfvh4E/s1600/Cross-cultural-communications.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>photo credit: bodhih.com</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is a proverb in English that states “No
man is an island.” What this means is that we are all interconnected, and we shouldn't try to live our lives alone. There may be times when we are separated from others for a time, but
making friends, being with others, and enjoying each other’s company are
essential to the human experience. As we spend time together, we grow together
and especially have the unique opportunity to learn from one another.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But how can we learn from one another? What
are some ways or methods that can help us get as much out of our friendships as
we can? According to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthaharrington/2016/11/29/how-to-learn-from-people-around-you-even-if-they-have-different-views/" target="_blank">an article in <i>Forbes</i> online</a>, young entrepreneur Sarah
Harrington shares <span style="background-color: cyan;">three tips that can help us learn from someone</span>, even if he or
she has different views from our own.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">First, Sarah tells us to <span style="background-color: yellow;">express genuine interest in the points of
view of others</span>. This means that when we ask him or her questions, we should
be sincere in wanting to know more about his or her personal, unique
experience. She quotes Dale Carnegie who once said, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FCFCFC; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can make more friends
in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years
by trying to get other people interested in you.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FCFCFC; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;">Second, Sarah reminds us to </span><span style="background-color: yellow;">be a good conversationalist</span><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;">. This means that it is not only about
asking questions and listening to answers. We also need to share our own
experiences or opinions in connection to the person’s answers to our questions.
Think of these two words: listen and share. This keeps the conversation
flowing.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally, Sarah suggests that we <span style="background-color: yellow;">ask him or her to share a story about how
they learned their lessons</span>. It is from a person’s personal story that we
often learn the most and remember what they told us. Then we can share our own
and they can learn from us in return.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In conclusion, we all need each other. This
is not only for people to accompany us in life, but also for the chance to
learn from another person’s experiences and points of view. From the article,
we can do this by expressing interest in him or her, sharing our unique
experiences, and telling our stories. There is so much we can learn from each
other. Next time you have the chance to meet someone new, ask yourself the
question, “What uniqueness does he or she offer the world?” We all have special
experiences different from others. Let’s share them together and grow together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Copyright: Prof Dave 2019</i></span>Professor Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389771116768299946noreply@blogger.com0