Living in a foreign country is very different to just visiting it on holiday. Nearly everybody experiences ‘culture shock’ when they stay in a country that has different languages, customs and systems from their own. They will experience excitement, frustration and fear, but finally get used to that foreign culture. For some people the shock will last for just a few hours, but for others, it will persist for weeks or months.

在国外生活和到国外旅游有很大的不同。几乎每个出国的人都会因为不同的语言，风俗而有文化冲击的体会。他们的经历分为兴奋期，沮丧期和恐惧期，直到最后完全适应了国外的文化。有些人这种文化冲击的感受只是几个小时，然而有的人是几个星期或几个月。

Any problems?

‘I cannot communicate very well with people who speak dialect,’ Lily admits. ‘The Mancunian accent isn’t in the IELTS exam, so I had a slight problem at first,’ Umar nods. ‘Mancunians say /bUz/ instead of /b√ s/, for example.’ In addition, the Mancunian dialect also has some unique words and phrases. For example, being ‘mad for it’ is to be full of enthusiasm. Also, a ‘chip barm’ is a bread roll with chips as the filling.

语言是最大的问题，所以学生考雅思再出国也是明智的。但即使通过了雅思考试，去到的英语国家，人们讲英语和你听的录音也是不尽相同的，因为他们有口音。甚至有些特别的俚语表达是你在中国的书本是没学过的。

 

Any final advice?

Before you arrive, learn more about the culture and history of the country, and lay a good language foundation for yourself. If you’re feeling homesick, then having food from your own country really helps. So when you choose a foreign city in which to study, consider whether there’s a community from your own country there.

我的建议是在去之前可以先了解一下当地的文化，看看他们的电视或电影。如果允许的话，不防带点家乡的食物去。其实身为一个中国人，我们是不用担心去到的地方会没有中国人的，哈哈~~！