6 — 
Overcoming difficulties

Though Study Abroad is often described by students as having been the experience of a lifetime, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be all plain sailing. At one point or another, you’re bound to face challenges while abroad. In this section, you can read about some of the most common difficulties faced by students abroad, along with advice for how to cope in these situations.

Culture Shock

Arriving in a new cultural environment, as exciting a prospect as it may well be, can at times be a daunting and disorientating experience. Culture shock is the term used to describe this feeling of confusion, doubt or nervousness which is caused by being in a place that is very different from what you are used to. It is usually described as having four stages: Cultural Euphoria, Cultural Confrontation, Cultural Adjustment, and Cultural Adaptation (Paige et al, 2002)

1. Cultural Euphoria: This stage, also known as the “honeymoon stage” refers to that feeling of initial excitement upon arrival, and is what is usually experienced by the tourist for the duration of their stay. In this stage, there is a tendency to view the host country through rose-colored glasses, focusing in only on the positive aspects of the country, ignoring more complex and less obvious ones.

2. Cultural Confrontation: During this next stage, usually about a third or half way through the stay, the honeymoon essentially comes to an end. Just as the initial excitement is wearing off, difficulties may begin to arise: Perhaps you start to notice things that you don’t like quite as much as in your home country, maybe you miss your friends and family and feel homesick, or perhaps you start to struggle with your language and cultural gains, finding that your skills aren’t improving quite as much or as quickly as you had hoped. While this stage can be the most challenging, it can also be the most rewarding, helping you to develop your intercultural awareness and develop strategies for coping with cultural differences.

3. Cultural Adjustment: Having made it out of the woods, this stage involves feeling increasingly comfortable and competent in your host country. While everything may not be perfect, you may feel like you have effectively settled in, having overcome the difficulties you have faced and having become more familiar with your new home.

4. Cultural Adaptation: This last stage is characterised by being completely comfortable with the target culture. You can communicate effectively, and have gained a great deal of confidence in your ability, and have taken on a great deal of the target culture as your own. While you realise that you still have a great deal to learn, you can notice the extent to which you have developed your intercultural skills.

Each person is different, and so they best way to cope with difficulties faced abroad may not be the same for everyone. First off, try and think about what helps you feel better when you’re feeling down back home. Lots of these things can be done abroad, such as going for a walk, watching a funny film or reading a favourite book. Next, if you’re feeling homesick, don’t be afraid to call home every once and awhile. Touching base with those you love can often make you feel much better. Another good idea is to share your thoughts with other students studying abroad: chances are that they are going through, or have gone through something very similar. Lastly, if you still feel like you are struggling, make sure to seek help from your university by checking what kind of student support is available, or by contacting your Erasmus coordinator to ask for advice.

Affective Factors

These are emotional factors which affect second language acquisition. These feelings or emotional reactions may concern the language, the people who speak the language, the culture where the language is spoken, or the language-learning environment (Gass, 2013), and can positively or negatively affect language acquisition. Some such factors include attitudes, motivation and anxiety.

An individual’s motivation for learning a language can evidently vary greatly, and even language learners with the most remarkable abilities will be unable to accomplish long term goals if they lack the motivation to do so (Dörnyei, 2014). Motivation is consequently one of the most common terms used by teachers and students to explain the success or failure of an individual’s learning, and unfortunately, keeping students motivated has been said to be the second most complicated challenge for teachers (Hadfield & Dörnyei, 2013). That’s why, throughout your SA, it’s vital to try and stay motivated in order to reap the most benefits.

Some students wish to learn a language in order to get to know people who speak that language (integrative motivation), while others may only wish to learn in order to enhance their future career prospects (instrumental motivation). What’s more, this motivation may come from the student themselves (intrinsic motivation) or perhaps from an outside source, such as a parent or teacher (extrinsic motivation). Research has shown that the context of Study Abroad can provide a rich, authentic learning environment wherein students’ language anxiety is lowered and motivation toward the foreign language is increased (Gabriella Morreale, 2011). What’s more, learner motivational and attitudinal deficits may prevent students from interacting with target language speakers, denying them access to vital language learning opportunities (Isabelli García, 2006).

So what can you do to ensure these affective factors facilitate rather than inhibit your learning? First, try to understand why learning the language is important to you. Why not make this a regular topic in your language learning journal? Write about your personal motivations for learning, as well as how you feel they affect your language learning. Next, try to foster a positive attitude towards the target language, by developing your intercultural skills (see Intercultural skills). Lastly, if you suffer from language anxiety, check out some tips for overcoming your fears.