AN ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL SHOCK ENCOUNTERED BY INDONESIAN PEOPLE COMMUNICATING IN ENGLISH IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Abstract

This article provides an in-depth analysis of cultural shock encountered by Indonesian people communicating in English in foreign countries, especially English-speaking countries. The focus of this study is to find out the experiences of culture shock in a real-life during the stay in the host country and the way they overcome those experiences. This study will provide examples from various English-speaking countries and additional information on real-life experiences of culture shock from the informants. The writer does this study by doing interviews with ten people from Indonesia with several occupations who had an international experience, whether it was for working or studying in a foreign country. To prevent people from experiencing culture shock once they move and stay in a new place with different cultural backgrounds, individuals should learn and find out more information about other countries’ cultures before going to any country. The cultures include people’s ways of greeting, talking, interacting, socializing, behaving, eating, thinking, maintaining eye contact, and managing their time. It is important to note that every country has a distinctive cultural background and lifestyle.