Masaryk University
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MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE Adaptation to the Czech Culture: Case Study of a Student from Myanmar (Burma) Diploma thesis Brno 2014 Supervisor: Author: Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. Bc. Markéta Pluskalová Declaration I hereby declare that I elaborated this diploma thesis independently and that I have acknowledged all sources which have been used in this diploma thesis. .................................................... Bc. Markéta Pluskalová Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. for his patient guidance and valuable advice he provided me with during the working on this thesis. I would also like to thank my colleague and friend, Ywet Wai Aung, for her inspiration, time, patience and participation in the case study of this thesis. Abstract This diploma thesis is divided into two main parts – theoretical and practical. The theoretical part concentrates on defining the basic concepts, such as terms culture, cultural differences, communication, intercultural communication or culture shock. The practical part includes general information on Myanmar (Burma) and the case study of my classmate Ywet Wai Aung who comes from Myanmar (Burma). Cultural differences, her experience of culture shock and process of her adaptation to the Czech culture are topics described within the practical part of the thesis. Key words culture, cultural differences, culture shock, communication, intercultural communication, verbal and nonverbal communication, adaptation, Myanmar Anotace Tato diplomová práce je rozdělena do dvou hlavních částí - teoretické a praktické. Teoretická část se zabývá definováním hlavních pojmů, jako jsou termíny kultura, kulturní rozdíly, komunikace, interkulturní komunikace nebo kulturní šok. Praktická část obsahuje všeobecné informace o Myanmaru (Barmě) a případovou studii mé spolužačky Ywet Wai Aung, která pochází z Myanmaru (Barmy). Kulturní rozdíly, její zkušenost s kulturním šokem a proces její adaptace na českou kulturu jsou témata popsána v rámci praktické části této práce. Klíčová slova kultura, kulturní rozdíly, kulturní šok, komunikace, interkulturní komunikace, verbální a neverbální komunikace, adaptace, Myanmar Content Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Theoretical part ........................................................................................ 3 1 Culture .................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Definitions of Culture........................................................................................3 1.2 Cultural Concepts ..............................................................................................5 1.3 Cultural Differences ..........................................................................................7 1.4 Ethnocentrism vs. Ethnorelativism .................................................................. 12 2 Culture Shock ..................................................................................... 17 2.1 Symptoms of Culture Shock ............................................................................ 18 2.2 Stages of Culture Shock .................................................................................. 19 3 Communication .................................................................................. 23 3.1 Language. Symbols. Messages. ....................................................................... 23 3.2 Intercultural Communication ........................................................................... 25 3.2.1 Cultural Differences in Verbal Communication .................................................. 26 3.2.2 Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication ............................................ 27 3.2.3 Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication ............................................. 33 Summary of the theoretical part ........................................................... 37 Practical part .......................................................................................... 38 4 Introduction to the Case Study ........................................................ 39 4.1 Myanmar (Burma) ........................................................................................... 39 4.2 Ywet Wai Aung .............................................................................................. 46 5 Research topics ................................................................................ 48 6 Research Findings ............................................................................ 49 6.1 General Impressions of the Czech Republic ..................................................... 49 6.2 Cultural Differences ........................................................................................ 52 6.3 Culture Shock ................................................................................................. 55 6.4 Communication ............................................................................................... 58 Summary ................................................................................................. 61 Resumé .................................................................................................... 62 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 63 Appendix 1 .............................................................................................. 65 Appendix 2 .............................................................................................. 66 Appendix 3 .............................................................................................. 67 Appendix 4 .............................................................................................. 68 Appendix 5 .............................................................................................. 69 Appendix 6 .............................................................................................. 70 1 General Impressions of the Czech Republic ....................................................... 70 1.1 First Impressions of the Czech Republic ................................................................ 70 1.2 Impressions about the Czech Republic Now .......................................................... 73 2 Cultural Differences ........................................................................................... 75 3 Culture Shock .................................................................................................... 78 4 Communication .................................................................................................. 80 Bibliography ........................................................................................... 83 Published sources.................................................................................................... 83 Internet sources ....................................................................................................... 85 Introduction Nowadays, in the 21st century, it is quite common to meet people from different countries everywhere in the world. Our neighbours, classmates, colleagues, bosses or even members of our own family can come from different cultures. Multiculturalism has become inseparable part of our lives. People have their unique personalities shaped by their cultural background. The culture we come from or live in influences what we see, do, believe and say. It affects our expectations and behaviour, and we need to be aware of it. The simple fact is that what is normal or appropriate for us may seem very strange or even rude to someone from a different culture. There are various cultures all around the world and we should be aware of cultural differences in order to prevent misunderstandings when encountering with other cultures. Furthermore, we should be familiar with terms such as intercultural communication or culture shock. This thesis was written thanks to my Burmese classmate Ywet Wai Aung. When she arrived in the Czech Republic I tried to help her to adapt to the Czech culture and thus I started to be interested in intercultural topics. In my opinion, the importance of cultural awareness will continue to grow and it is the reason why I have chosen the topic “Adaptation to the Czech Culture: Case Study of a Student from Burma”. This diploma thesis is divided into two parts – theoretical and practical. The theoretical part focuses on defining the basic concepts – terms culture, cultural differences, intercultural communication or culture shock. The practical part includes the case study of my colleague, Burmese girl Ywet Wai Aung – her cultural and educational background, characteristic features of her verbal and nonverbal communication, her experience of culture shock. 1 The aim of the thesis is to state the theoretical foundations concerning the cultural topics in the theoretical part and describe Ywet’s process of adaptation to the Czech culture in the practical part. I will compare actual findings with theories analyzed in the theoretical part of this thesis. The main purpose of the practical part is to conduct a case study of my classmate Ywet which will serve to describe her experience of cultural differences and the process of her adaptation to the Czech culture. 2 Theoretical part 1 Culture 1.1 Definitions of Culture Since there is