Learning to be sensitive about culture

gzlaser

STUDYING a foreign language seems to be a global trend these days. More Chinese are learning English, French and Japanese. And a Chinese craze is sweeping the West.

People say that learning a language can enhance your understanding of a country's culture and people. However, it can also change or refine one's personality, in my opinion.

I still remember my first encounter with an Englishman almost 30 years ago. I was a sophomore English major in Beijing at that time.

One day, as I was visiting the Forbidden City, I encountered a group of English-speaking tourists. At that time, Chinese rarely saw foreigners, let alone talked with them.

I was suddenly filled with a burning desire to talk and practise my English. So I approached one man and murmured to him \"Lovely day, isn't it?\" That, actually started my first conversation with a foreigner.

Back at school, I was a hero when I told the story to my classmates. They all marvelled at my courage talking with a foreigner. That was in 1979. I've become even more courageous since then.

Learning English has helped me cultivate extroverted traits, such as being braver, more risk-taking, more easygoing. It has also made me a more sociable and humorous person.

I once accompanied some American tourists to Henan Province. The weather was hot and we all wanted a swim.

After a lot of searching, I found a swimming pool, but it had no water. I reported this sadly to the head of the group and waited for complaints.

He got everyone together and announced: \"I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news for you. The good news is that we did find a swimming pool. The bad news is that there's no water.\"

Everyone laughed and nobody got upset. I also laughed, and I've been telling good news and bad news stories to my friends and students in this humorous way ever since.

In retrospect, I've also seen some of my American friends becoming more subtle and delicate in interpersonal relations after living in China and speaking the language for many years.

Language is a tool for communications. And it's also a bridge for globalization. My foreign friends and I are learning the other's language and each of us is refining our personality. Each of us is growing into a better communicator and more sensitive observer of foreign cultures.