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Beryl OMonkiss
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agatha
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Turnoi
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Robert Vance
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barefootaquarius
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Easy to get burned.
Thu, 01/07/2010 - 07:23
I have been burned this week due to language and culture differences. In hind sight (a wonderful thing) I should have put in in writing but trusting people hear and understand what is being said.
This was to be my last semester in China, my spouse has had problems with food and returned to Australia. I stayed to fulfill my contract. My visa was to run out 9 Jan so after discussions with the school and office, it was agreed that I would finish early therefore saving the school quite a bit of money, no visa, no medical to get for two weeks work. I booked my return flight and proceed to teach my subject in the allotted time. My spouse had his medical/food problems sorted and decided to return to teaching next semester and so I would also return. Teaching plan and flights to remain. A month ago I contacted the office in preparation for medicals and extension of visa, reminding them of my early departure. Finally this week after several reminders and organising my own time (Christmas day) for medicals so that my students didnt miss anymore time (medicals can only be done mon-fri usually resulting in lost classes), we went to the PSB where there was a problem and it appeared that I would not get my visa/passport back before my flight.
Everytime I spoke about my leaving, I got "Yes, yes, we know". After a few terse emails and an apology, I have had change my flight to next week. They said yes, they heard what I was saying but didnt think it was right and so didnt do anything about it. The FOA has very good english but nobody thought to ask a question or to check. My exams are finished, I'm packed ready to go except for that pesky passport. Just a heads up that even a good speaker does not always understand what we are saying. Put things in writing!!!!
Thu, 01/07/2010 - 14:03
#2
Cultural and language issues
Get it in writing; wise advice. I started using it as the basis for tracking my maintenace issues. I am finally getting some emailed replies too as opposed to absloutely no response of any kind. Long way to go before there is something resembling a proper system, but it's improved. No idea whether the problem is cultural, personal, language, systemic or what.
Every time I start to feel a little settled something comes along to give me a shake and demonstrate how culturally different I am from those I see and hear. I came here to experience differences but sometimes its rather confronting. And I don't mean the spitting, dirt and the thought "have I just gone from patting dog to eating dog," type experiences.
Sun, 01/10/2010 - 12:26
#3
Gentleman's Agreement days...
Get it in writing; wise advice. ... No idea whether the problem is cultural, personal, language, systemic or what ...
Also RV commented: "...More than once, a huge misunderstanding has occurred because although they pretended to understand what I was saying, they really couldn't understand at all..."
Partially I would say it is as what indie48 stated, and partially RV's experience is correct, that there was pretense of sorts. But I think it is also possible partially due to the way life has changed today -- too much information coming into our lives, crowding our time and matters in each day. We sometimes find it a bit overwhelming with so many things to deal with each day -- unless your teaching schedule is like one uni-FT I met recently, having only a handful of hours of class-time per week, with some of the classes conducted inside the FT's apartment, using a DVD-player and a 36-inch TV!
We as humans sometimes also tend to forget things ourselves. If what deemed important to us is not viewed that way in another person's mind, it could easily get shoved to the back, and, out of sight, out of mind.
Sun, 03/07/2010 - 10:31
#4
Burn out
Yes, it is easy to get burned.....
There are a lot of thingsb causing you to suffer from some kind of culture shock or to feel very, very frustrated.......
After all, it's China, you know.....
What's this?
This is a very important point that you make and one that I have also learned the hard way (more than once). I have noticed that people in the international office will say 'yes' to almost anything that I say because they are eager to please and eager make me think that they speak English well.
More than once, a huge misunderstanding has occurred because although they pretended to understand what I was saying, they really couldn't understand at all.
This happened to me last year when I told a school in May that I would not be coming back in August. In July, they wanted to know why I wasn't coming back and they were angry about it because they were having a hard time finding foreign teachers. As a result, they took away some of my airfare money (completely illegal but nothing I could to about it).
Like Agatha said, it is extremely important to get EVERYTHING in writing...or at least anything that you care about...anything that could have consequences later on.