Essay

Im a international student, so please dont use any hard words in the essay.

Taking a Side

So far this semester, our essays have been getting us thinking about ourselves and the world around us in new ways. The first essay was about analyzing ourselves, while the second essay was about analyzing something we encounter on a day to day basis. The third essay will involve the analysis of a point of view, where you pick a side in a debate and argue your position.

Select an issue with at least two sides to it that you encounter on a regular basis. It can be something as big as mounting international tensions or something as personal as your preferred brand of soda. The important thing is that there are at least two sides to the debate, and that you can sustain a discussion for the entire essay. You must be persuasive and argumentative in this discussion, and must support your point of view with sound reasoning and concrete examples. Do not simply assert your opinions and let them stand alone; prove your points. Bias is unavoidable, so you must be aware of your biases and use them constructively.

Requirements:

· A strong thesis statement that makes clear what issue you are addressing, what side you are taking, and why.

· A properly used counter-argument.

· 12 point font, double spaced, Times New Roman

· 4-6 pages

Please let me know via email by Wednesday what topic you’ll be writing on. Because of their excessively controversial and sensitive nature, there are a couple of topics I’d like you to avoid. Please no arguments about abortion, the death penalty, gay marriage, or marijuana legalization.

First Draft Due 4/15, at least 3 pages

Final Draft Due 4/29

Some potential topics for this essay:

· The current political climate.

· Any of the propositions on the ballot that aren’t against the above rules.

· The value of a university education.

· Your favorite brand of soda.

· The best/worst novel written by a favorite author.

· The best/worst movie, game, etc.

· The value of popular culture.

· The cause of the obesity epidemic.

· The value of professional sports.

· The enduring existence of the American Dream.

· The best tech company currently active.

· The root causes of the Civil War.

· Why Pluto should or shouldn’t be a planet.

Surname 6

Student’s Name

Instructor’s Name

Course

Date

Do International Students Face Culture Shocks Currently

Cultural shock is a common term, and especially
when an individual moves from one country to another. Cultural shock can be defined as anxiety produced by a person moving from one familiar culture to another entirely different social or cultural environment. Some argue that despite any preparation beforehand, the feeling is always overwhelming. However, others are of the opinion that cultural shock is not very common today with the new technology where people can communicate with people from such cultures and information is readily available concerning different culture. However, whether a person moves to a country with the same language
, the process of assimilation to new culture can at times be of great emotional turbulence. This mostly applies to international students, which are considered normal. Therefore, international students experience cultural shock.

Being away from home familiar places and faces and getting used to new customs and people, unfamiliar weather changes and foods as well as different study methods can make an individual feel anxious and lonely. Some of the symptoms of culture shock include having feelings of home sickness, worrying and lack of concentration. This is common to all international students who have not been into United States or other countries to familiarize themselves with such cultures.

When a student travels to a foreign country to study, many challenges will be awaiting him or her in the new land. Such a student is usually filled with hope for the future and ambitions (Westrich 1). However, most of these students lack accurate or enough information on what life really is like on the new land (Keny 67). These students will get frustrated when they land and find a different reality on the ground; language barriers, cultural differences, financial difficulties and at times racial segregation (Frank and Maria 56). Some of these students will survive this and pursue their education and achieve their dreams. Others will drop out of schools and colleges and become illegal immigrants while others will go back to their home countries having not achieved their academic goals (Keny 74)

One of the major cultural shocks that students face as their challenges is language differences. Most students who travel from parts of the world where English is not spoken to the United States of America and other western nations will have a big problem living a normal life or even attending schools and colleges which teach in English (Westrich 1). Many students who travel to the USA for studies mainly originate from Africa, where English is not spoken in many countries. Others are from the Middle East where Arabic is the dominant language or Asia where they speak many different languages (Keny 97). Even those students who can speak English will find a variation in the language and will need some time to adjust and learn the differences (Frank and Maria 88).

Opponents of cultural shocks state that most student currently studies different languages in school such as English, Spanish and French among others. With this knowledge it becomes quite hard for students to encounter language cultural shocks. Also, with the development of technology in most places, individuals can learn languages through online tutors to prepare themselves for such languages in schools where they are supposed to undertake their studies. Furthermore, those students who travel to the USA and cannot speak any English are at times required to undertake Basic English course when they land and before they are admitted to colleges (Lipson 1). This is to enable them pursue their courses and fit into the community. Without this, it would be impossible to study any course in the USA. Those who can speak English but need some improvement may be admitted to the courses they travelled to pursue but are required to study English on part-time basis (Westrich 1).

This challenge is therefore addressed by testing the students before they travel. There is an English exam that international students are required to sit for before travelling to the US.
This test does prevent some of those students who cannot speak and write English from travelling to the USA. However, this is of little benefit because it only serves to block some students whose dreams are shattered and some of those who pass will still find it difficult to converse when they get to America (Lipson 1). The more appropriate method of addressing this challenge would be to give exclusive training to these students before they travel in order to empower them with English skills and enable them to have good command of the English language (Keny 127). This will enable them to go straight to class when they get to America, which will also reduce some financial costs. The USA embassies and missions could be running these courses, or a collaboration of the USA universities and colleges with some of the local colleges of some target countries. This English course should aim to improve the spoken and written English of these students (Westrich 1).

Also, with new technology and translators available online, it’s now possible for people to communicate with different languages through translation

A cultural difference has been addressed by proponents of the topic as one of the major cultural shocks to students. An international student who originates from Asia and Middle East will have a very difficult time when he or she lands in America (Lipson 1). This is because the western way of life is very different and complex for them. The dressing, food, interaction between women and men, and other cultural aspects in the West differ from what happens in their mother countries. Some of these students are used to some religious and cultural practices and they are unable to carry out the same practices because the required facilities may not be available or the practices are not accepted in America (Keny 156). This problem plays a key role in preventing these students from integrating into the society, which they feel is immoral. They may also view the American way of life as being against the teachings of their religion and they will resist any effort to integrate them and help them live comfortably.

However, opponent of cultural shocks state that this challenge has currently been addressed by different programs online giving information concerning different cultures of the world. Some programs provides accurate information on the nature of life in the United States and other countries to prepare students willing to study abroad have access to different culture. This program also helps them make an informed decision when they
chose to travel (Westrich 1). This will also help prevent the feeling of rejection when they do not fit well in the society because they will have travelled with the knowledge of the western way of life that they will encounter in the USA.

Additionally, most countries have nowadays been assimilated with the western culture and this has made most students adapt easily to the western culture. With the occurrences of different social sites such as facebook, and others, the culture of different societies has been brought to the light. This has therefore reduced cultural shocks on most international students. Some countries even hold cultural events and exhibitions not only to sell the USA heritage but also to educate the locals on the American way of life. The students, when they get to the United States, are encouraged by their teachers and peers
in America to learn and understand the American way of life and integrate into the society (Keny 189). Some colleges and universities also organize cultural events that help international students understand the American way of life while Americans learn the international students’ ways of life. This brings about some sense of understanding and acceptance and the students will have a better life (Westrich 1).

In conclusion, cultural shock can be argued in two faces; both being present currently and being an ending aspect in the current society. Unlike in like some decades ago, cultural shock was so common to almost all international students. This is not the case currently and with new technology, most people are adapting to cultural differences.

Works cited

Frank, G and Maria, A. A guide for students: How to fit into a foreign land.
London: Hiprinters, 2010. Print

Keny, H. Living in a foreign land: life in America for foreign students. New York:
Routledge, 2007. Print.

Lipson, C. Succeeding as an international student in the U.S. and Canada: a
guide to studying in North America. 2010. Web. <

http://www.charleslipson.com/speechtopics/Succeeding-as-an-

international-student.htm>

Westrich, A. Challenges faced by international students: a new way of thinking.
London: November 2008. Web

This is a lot of good information but most of it is coming from your sources and simply says culture shock is a thing. This doesn’t mean like much of an argument. You could argue that it’s a bigger deal than most think, and that more needs to be done about it. This last point seems to be your actual argument, but it needs to be presented in your thesis and argued throughout the essay.

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�Thesis could be stronger

�So.. language ISN’T a big deal? Or the argument ISN’T valid?

�This means closer to an actual Thesis

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