We already emphasized: Shock is the wrong word, irritation is better. The internal control of our behavior is disturbed. You have to re-learn what is right and wrong, how to behave in certain situations, what is polite and what is not, how to greet and say good-bye, how to mourn with others and how to…
We should have known: The moment we arrive in another country, some health problem arises and we have to figure out an alien healthcare system. Anna probably already had a mild flu when she boarded the plane. Now the unfamiliar climate and the stress have triggered it again. Anna asks around among our colleagues and…
When you move to a new, fascinating region, first you are pleased. Many new things are usually perceived as exciting, assuming you came voluntarily. If you were someone persuaded to relocate or had to travel, this phase of honeymoon may not happen. The so-called culture shock consists of four steps: Honeymoon Frustration Adjustment Mastery After…
We landed in Africa and everything, but really everything was different. We had expected some, but so many differences. Uncomfortable border officials who wanted an address which we didn’t have. An incredible number of control: luggage, passports, with body scanning and all alike. Within a short time we were totally intimidated. After a few weeks…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] We haven’t been in Aix-en-Provence for two weeks yet when Mike wants to take some photos of our house to show them on the home page later. So he takes the elevator from the 8th floor down to ground floor and ambles across the square, half of which is a parking lot, the other…
PhD, the highest level of education, is not typically focused on language learning, but on something else. The language is the base. The thesis is something new on grammar, literature or whatever. In my case, it was grammar. The language itself is only a means to an end. You need it as the foundation of…
Bernd FW Springer: Das kommt mir spanisch vor ! Einführung in die deutsch-spanische Kommunikation. (That sounds like Spanish to me! Introduction into the German-Spanish communication.) Munich, iudicium, 2012; 277 pages, 28 euros. Arne has already written a lot on this blog about the importance of culture: About the importance not only of learning the language,…