How to make friends with people from a different culture? T
he rules are as follows:
Appreciate the Person.
Most Americans like to be recognized as individuals as someone special with unique personalities. Therefore, never say, “You’re from America so I want to be your friend.” Also don’t imply that the reason why you approached them is that you wanted someone to practice your English with. That t
urns people off.
Instead try saying,” You seem like a real nice and interesting person and I would like to get to know you better.” This way, they are much more inclined to be friendly because you see them as a three dim
ensional person and appreciate them for who they are in the inside. And by doing so, you not only learn about Americans and practice your English, but also gain a r
eal friend in the process.
Quit Calling Us Foreigners.
Please avoid calling a foreigner a foreigner especially in his face. The word makes people feel like an outsider, and even unwelcome, suggesting separation and insurmountable differences, widening an already existing gap in the situation. When Americans travel, they rarely say, “ I’m foreign to your place.” They tend to say, “ I’m new in town. I’m new here.” The reason is because new and unfamiliar things can become old and familiar. But can foreign things become native? Aha? You catch my drift.
Just Do It.
Some students like to be told about American culture but are less interested in spending the time and the effort to actually experience it. As Americans always say, “
Get your hands dirty.” You should have first hand and hands on experience, or you’ll never really know anything.
Find that Common Language.
Now I must stress the importance of finding a common language. By that I don’t mean Engli
sh, Chinese, German, French, etc. I mean finding something you have in common with another person on a spiritual and philosophical level: likes, dislikes, worldviews, ways of thinking , and attitudes toward life. And to start, you must first enhance your knowledge of the particular culture from which your potential new friend comes form.
小题1:The underlined sentence “ Get your hands dirty” means
.
| A．get involved | B．start with dirty work |
| C．talk about American culture | D．don’t wash your hands too often |
小题2: Americans prefer to make friends with those who
.
| A．avoid talking about their homeland |
| B．recognize their personalities |
| C．obey rules of communicating with friends |
| D．needn’t practice English while playing together |
小题3:According to the passage, which of the following is friendly?
| A．I am longing to make friends with an American. |
| B．This is my friend Tom, who is a foreigner. |
| C．There must be a gap between us in many things. |
| D．You’ve got a great personality. |
小题4:
