Cultural Differences - The Invisable Wall - by EnglishMeeting

5

Our planet beautiful big many different

countries which means many different

languages many different cultures for

some people this can create conflicts

it's not only a language problem it's a

cultural problem in this country they do

things different hate that in this

country that's the world we live in

sometimes this can make us feel sad

depressed

it can make us feel angry at another

country another culture another type of

people but perhaps that's not the best

way to go in this world that's not the

best way to think perhaps sometimes I

believe if we take a little time to

understand the why why does this person

act that way why does this person say

that well in this country they see

things differently

Oh in this country you know they have a

background of this and that

in my country we don't well that makes

us different

I think it's important to know comp

conflicts and differences are not only a

language problem there an understanding

problem so today I'd like to look at

thinking a little deeper about this

issue of differences and why a person

may not feel at home in a foreign

country

why a person cannot connect with certain

people while they're in a different

country if we can understand this we

might be able to feel much better

wherever we're living much happier much

more comfortable much more at home and I

think if we can feel this way we can be

more successful and achieve what we want

to achieve in life connect with a lot of

people how more friends and have more

life experiences

perhaps one of our challenges of living

in this big beautiful world is using our

brains to overcome our conflicts our

differences and trying to rise over the

anger we might sometimes feel the

sadness we might sometimes feel when

we're dealing with people from another

country and another culture

welcome to English meeting.com i'm dave

scanda i had an opportunity to interview

a courageous and sincere language

learner from Russia named Olga Olga has

a unique life she traveled to many

different parts of the former soviet

union with her family as a child and

later married a man from Sri Lanka who

is living in Russia this couple moved to

Sri Lanka together and live there for

eight years in search of a different

life they both moved to Australia where

Olga has been living now for four years

Olga wrote to me in a response to a

documentary clip that i'm working on

regarding language learning and cultural

issues for immigrants she boldly explain

some things she was feeling as an

immigrant in Australia most language

learners don't speak about how they feel

within a new language or living in a new

country I believe it's important to

express your feelings to the right

people especially when you're an

immigrant feeling happy and comfortable

in your environment is important for any

human being and even more important for

a language learner negativity can kill

efforts to learn or improve the second

language

you may notice Olga's unique accent it's

a mixture of Russian and Sri Lankan take

some time now to learn about Olga's

situation perhaps it is similar to yours

maybe you have some ideas to help her

and people like her

this film might even help you

I spoke to Olga from los angeles

california in the United States and

reach her in Australia using skype

I'm talking to Olga and Olga why don't

we start off with me asking you where

you're from

I'm originated from Russian from Russia

ok that's and what what part of Russia

my last place was slain ground and grad

but i was traveling alone in Russian

because my father likes to travel and i

was living in different places mean as

you were growing up as a child I you you

lived in different places

yes we hadn't be country like 15 now

it's eating separate countries

that's right yeah but it used to be one

big country so i was born in some way in

the comics fan so okay so you lived in

many different parts of Russia and you

mentioned to me before that you lived

for a number of years in sri lanka yes

eight and eight years and why don't you

tell us why did you move to Sri Lanka

because i'm a guy from Sri Lanka and

married him and it events treatment

country there i see and did you meet

this man in Russia

yeah he was studying laying that you

must study together

icic so it was a it was a man and a

romance that brought you to Sri Lanka

yes nice the ok and then how did you

like living there

yeah and physical that was very young I

was wanting okay and I think been in

this age it's easy to adapt to any

country it's easier for example now on

38 so it becomes more difficult with

aging

and the technicals like it doesn't

matter which countries like is even

interesting to greatly funny

sure sounds like an adventure into

engine and quite different country than

Russia is it was different

its climate is different tradition is

different they have very strong

tradition and what did you do it was one

of the things you liked about it could

be anything food culture people I let

bench feeling some people it's very me

and like and don't like it then very

simple and unsophisticated now if you're

from Sri Lanka please please don't take

offense

she is a language learner and is doing

her best to describe in her mind she's

not trying to offend no one's mad here

right

anyone mad no good now back to the

interview

uh-huh and it's really easy to talk to

them you don't have tension and actually

Lex I'm talking to them I feel relaxed

you feel relaxed so perhaps when you say

that there are more of a simple people

like they're not trying to hide anything

or trying to impress you they're just

being themselves would you say that

might be true and yes it eats something

like bent and that's it

well why don't you tell me why do you

think they were so easy to talk to i was

thinking about that question because you

asked me last time but was a beauty is

me in Australian and me being in sri

lanka the difference between right you

mentioned australia just for the people

who are listening now you're living in

Australia just for those who are

watching this

but we haven't gotten to that part of

the story yet so what that's ok that's

ok i'm just wondering well what do you

think what why do you think they were

easy to talk to in sri lanka and

sometimes it's difficult to explain

because sometimes sometimes you talk to

a person and you feel good by talking to

him you feel relaxed with that person

and sometimes you talk to another place

them you feel ten you want to run away

like and you don't know why

and sometimes you i try to analyze it

but I you got a license and things it's

just you just feel certain be and there

is not no logical explanation maybe for

that

ok ok well i was thinking about that

it's a it's a big problem for me i was

thinkin invited a few so kind of your

legs and Sri Lanka and here you would be

good kind of tense right and i think

it's difficult to explain maybe it's

connected to any given so you use one

person you feel good and what will be

good people smiling with you but with

one person you will be relaxed and open

with other person evil you want to get

out run away

right right yeah well what I'm what I'm

getting from you is it's hard to explain

it Im precisely but your example of you

know two people who are both good people

but one person you feel very comfortable

with and the other person you don't feel

comfortable at all with I think

everybody can relate to that and and in

those situations we we don't know all

the time you know why that feeling is

about so okay so you lived there for

eight years and then what brought you to

Australia

because metal it's a good country little

bit thought it will be easy like living

in EM in us straight there and we will

be comfortable and economic it treat

very comfortable to leave economically

develop and by the Sri Lanka so we don't

do come and try here i see so wasn't

like a job that brought you there

anything of that sort it was just the

country seem very open to you and it

seemed like a fun place or a positive

place for you to move to instrument God

there was some kind of problem that was

a war in the tunnel in single ease and

we had a lot of terrorists they put

bombs in there is no home

let's isn't that the reason is

economical I think it's all right to

live in the country but you can travel

if you live in solanke and work they're

very difficult if you want to go some

other country they have their money like

$MONEY rupees compared to dollars is so

little that when you go when you go out

of the country you you gon do anything I

say you don't have much spending money

in other words that yes I'm trouble you

can live inside the country and it was

difficult economically financially but

it was difficult living there

ok ok i see so how long have you been

living in australia i think four years

no around for years

ok and we're we're talking you know

about some of the issues that you've had

living in Australia

in terms of culturally speaking since

since you've been there you know used

for years moving to any country in the

beginning is always jarring it's always

a little bit shocking and that sort of

thing do you feel more comfortable

living there now then you did your first

year and they said that still you

uncomfortable with Australian people and

you felt that the same nice to feel

uncomfortable you do

ok it will be getting better or

something for use

yeah it's getting better

ok now one of the things that we talked

about before this recording was that

this kind of cultural divide that you

are experiencing and you perhaps don't

feel as comfortable with the Australian

people and I believe you described it as

an invisible wall between yourself and

them could you elaborate a little bit

about that

yeah i think it's helped me to

understand Australian people because i

have a different influences you in my

life and they have like different

influences on their lives better living

in a totally different world and I'm

living in a different world and I can

compare it like computers example their

pc and mac we have water computers but

we are not functioning the different

programs its cardholder ICS and when you

okay so

when you talk with them I how is it

different than other people that you'll

perhaps your length or in another

country where you felt more comfortable

you feel like they're not opening up to

you do you feel like yes I feel they

don't opening up to me I say canto yeah

hi how are you

but never get friendly for some reason

or never talk more deeply all some will

never become very friendly they never

become we never become friends never

become friends so well what kind of

interaction have you have in terms of

getting to know people do you have to do

work in there

ok so you have Australian colleagues

where you work

AM L right yeah we can you need to talk

at work we are talking than them and

then lunch break but it said mmm yeah

not good friends going from light

greetings

hi how are you too small talk to friends

these are important steps in connecting

to culture and language those who

remained isolated from the target

culture by not making friends can

inhibit cultural understanding and

language development it's my belief that

it should be your goal to make friends

with the people who are the native

speakers of the second language right

right well how would you characterize

yourself in terms of you know being a

Russian person do you feel like you

carry a lot of the

whatever this might be like a Russian

persona with you and living now in

Australia and do you think perhaps that

cultural background clashes with the

Australian personality it's difficult

chief I i also live in sri lanka and

then I know one thing I'm very good with

asian people even i'm not with Russian

much leg and not not that easy even for

me like contractions it kind of the best

I feel that people who his connection to

all some routes from Asia summaries from

Asia while walking that that's maybe

what they're like in australia i have

friends like that or born in Australia

but parents are maybe from Asia of

eataly of other countries i say well but

what do you think it is about the asian

people that helps you to connect with

them or you don't you don't know it's a

mystery

well well I mean since you've had a lot

of different experiences in your life do

you

I mean how do you see yourself do you

see yourself as a Russian woman in terms

of your personality in terms of your you

know the way you perhaps interact with

people and not kind of scent rushing now

I mean little bit not Russian because i

was living in Sri Lanka as well

right right so you have a lot of it

influence from that

yeah and I think the reason like Russian

personalities because if you take for

example individual person Russian I and

compare like influences which is like in

different influences I had or depression

person head

like a lot of revolutions we had wars

and we had a little unfair things happen

in Russia a lot of insecurities in

Russia political economical so all this

will affect that person and that person

bill will and talk differently will have

different jokes right take for example

Australian person

nothin happenin Australian economically

stable or politically of all right now

they happen much just Aboriginal problem

Devils like um maybe 200 years ago

hundred years they had but otherwise

they're like all right that's right

there if the job haha joke's Apple

sample Russian jokes will be beat a

cheetah and for example Australian

personal joke he will jump Frankie

because of different influences the on

his own that Australian best life

Olga speaks about a country's history

including war and how it influences

culture influences people how it affects

interaction with other people

this is very important to understand

when interacting with those from another

country instead of saying well I don't

like those people from such-and-such a

country or oh I think those people are

kind of rude

perhaps it is wise to consider the

country's background for clues and

understanding why some people behave act

interact as they do all dimensions that

Russian jokes maybe on the bitter side

well Australian jokes maybe on the light

heart

its side this is a great example how of

how countries background effects its

culture

that's how we are forming our

nationality or character right there is

an author's Chinese because we have

different influences something happened

to us and that's how we behave now like

behavior displayed on the beginning of

early

well I think that's very astute to

recognize that and that could very well

be a big part of this disconnect me

being American i have not been to

Australia so I cannot speak for

Australians what I can speak about is

perhaps my interactions with some

Russians that I've known or instead of

saying Russia some Russian and so you

know former Soviet bloc countries that

were part of the Soviet Union and this

is just a very generalization so of

course this does not you know I'm not

trying to say that you know them all

people like this way but in and just

from an American perspective perhaps

sometimes just the Russian personality

can come off as a bit strong and direct

compared to the way people are here and

sometimes sometimes it's fine some peeps

some Americans really like that other

people shy away from it because it makes

them feel uncomfortable and I wonder do

you think perhaps any of that is

happening in your situation and I don't

have the book Russians they like been

direct them then

man I never had back you've never heard

that

yeah I never heard that somebody see oh

well maybe they don't want to say it to

its old it is set to me and he liked it

what is what did they say something

about you that they drink hard and all

that even worse than that

well well I'm sorry i I'm just a little

confused i thought you said no one no

one has said that before to you then

told about me what you said

Oh about you but not about Russian

people and my it means i am rushing to

clarify what is happening at this moment

in the interview

Olga has heard other people describe her

as direct strong rude and possibly some

worst comments but she hasn't heard

these words direct strong rude to

describe the Russian personality

this is a moment of realization for Olga

interestingly it makes her feel better

because she thought it was a personal

problem that made her so different or

two strong one in fact it was the

culture she grew up in the personality

of Russians as she said now you're

Russian please don't be offended

we are not saying Russians are rude just

different and she is just explaining

with courage her experiences are we good

all good ok let's continue because they

never seen russia russian people so they

comment about meeting are right right

and it is Russia and their the Russian

personalities been right right so you

know it's valuable and that's that well

you know I mean look at you

so many you know we we live in a world

with so many different cultures

different backgrounds and all cultures

I mean first of all we're talking about

a mix so perhaps one culture is going to

get along with another culture well well

you know a different country doesn't mix

so well but all of our culture all the

different cultures of the world have

their good points and bad points and I I

wouldn't you know I'm not even saying

it's a bad . i'm just saying that in in

a in my small experience with a number

of people from that part of the world

that's what I've seen how i met some

Americans react and of course myself as

well and you did a you know a a very

good job of explaining you know the

background of Russia you know what made

that country and Russia yes indeed has

been through a lot and in all of those

experiences shape the the people and

like you mentioned in Australia much

different background we could talk about

you know other countries that haven't

been you know conquered or anything like

this like like Thailand is something

like that and then you you can look at

the people in a sociological or a cult

cultural anthropological viewpoint and

you can kind of shape some understanding

or perhaps some opinions about those

people but the thing is in terms of

American perspective if somebody comes

off as too harsh

well the Americans will will think even

though it's not intended that way they

they will think all that person is a

little rude is a little not so nice and

they might back away from that person a

little bit and

if you grow up with that and that's part

of who you are and everything you you

don't you

it's like you don't mean anything bad

that's that's that's your background

that's what you know so what do you do

in that situation so well let me ask you

do you think that could be what what

could be happening in terms of australia

and the Australian people

oh no I confused no but it's good to

know that everyone misses kind of brush

in quality is also think that this it's

in my personal quality and are you mean

you're that that that you were rude that

was a personal quality of yours

no I just like this and I'm like that

okay because I'm reaction because I'm

okay

some people can be nasty and so we could

say it I mean it doesn't have to be said

in terms of rude i mean some it could be

described as just strong or direct you

know like we often say all this person

has a strong personality

yeah direct more better look or root ok

its equipment i had a lot from my

husband alot he said oh but can I said

that Russia like that he's behind like

that

so it's good to hear that Russian if the

Russian like national quality not

talking to my community right absolutely

do that that's like what i was saying

before but I mean that's where you you

come from and in Russia it's not

considered rude that's the way a lot of

people are just like like my background

is Italian and I I thought about it

oh you did yeah you don't go to look on

dissent Italian right now

amazing oh I don't like a hundred

percent american ok you in your

personality you have the influence

difference i feel that uh huh i feel

that you're not like American American

little bit you're different

well I take that as a compliment thank

you i do believe I'm different because

of many factors in one of the main

factors that I believe that is true is

because I've traveled to a number of

countries and I've had a lot of

different experiences and that has

changed me and hopefully made me a

better person because of that but what I

was going to say about my Italian

background is that Italians often and

Italian Americans to of course often

speak loudly like around family in this

sort of thing and they you know people

joke about this and I don't mind people

joking about this at all but like you

know Italians like to move their hands

and their arms around a lot and hey you

gotta do this and you know maybe they're

talking to like the father is talking to

the Sun and he's telling him something

he wants him to do if somebody else from

another family was watching that they

would be thinking why is your dad

yelling at you know at my friend over

there why is he doing it and then the

family member would say oh he

not yelling you know but that's just the

way a lot of them are you know at the

dinner table sitting around the dinner

table say all why are you doing that

blah and people start raising their

voices and they're moving their hands

around and that's the way the family is

that's the culture and when somebody

else sees that they think these people

are very mad at each other they're

they're yelling at each other when

they're really not so that's my little

story to connect with your story which

is of course different but we we are

where we came from so much of us and

perhaps that's what's going on now when

you when you deal with the Australian

people i'm just wondering like how do

you react to them inside like how do you

feel like you think that there i'm being

superficial with you

how do you feel when you're dealing with

people in this country think is the text

Russian I feel that superficial like

when they talk to me because of my

background I like the people talk a bit

directly what they want to do or and and

I feel about Australia and their necks

superficial I say and not truthful like

think

we are not saying Australians are

superficial Australians are great people

nice people smart people just wonderful

people

she is just honestly relating her

experience to us with the English that

she has learned up until now

does that make any sense

ok anybody offended all of you

Australians you understand right

thank you

oh I really appreciate your

understanding that and now back to

interview I mean do you think they're

being when you say not truthfully

talking about dishonesty or they're just

not being fully honest with you they're

just letting a little bit out but

they're not letting everything out

yes yes it's like that have you have you

ever asked in Australian person about

that 90 it's not yet at last all day

watching

yeah well it's a difficult subject it's

it's very very touchy

I think it would be very helpful to you

know to talk to somebody from that

culture and get some kind of feedback on

that like perhaps a friend that you feel

comfortable with at work or something

like that and if you perhaps approach

them by saying you know this this is may

sound kind of crazy but i just want to

ask you a few questions and it's nothing

personal

you know what would you mind if I asked

some things about you know the culture

here that could prove to be very I don't

know insightful for you do you think

that's possible

mmm I don't think it will be useful

living because you need it is and who

look like you for example who knows both

cultures they then he can tell something

but Australian hotel you know you I I

feel you're like that it's shallow or

you are you are like me how to say steak

well right here no we are not the normal

that's normal for us that can't believe

it that's how we talk to people and this

is how I feel they do not explain

anything if you're not in light immune

to anything you need another person will

have that inside to strength it sent

people any other culture to explain that

ok ok then took the bit like it bc and

I'm Mac but you don't have connection

ask you to and they're running their and

how they can explain you need it done

listen we'll know bought sides

well i just want to point out that right

now you're on a mac and i'm on a pc and

we are connecting if it's in a regional

problem i concede yeah I don't think

that's a pc or mac problem i don't think

that's a pc mac problem i think that's

another problem but we are talking to

each other and we we are connecting it

on some level but on some that one kind

of scent right right i mean

I my suggestion would be not to not to

use too strong of words like fake or you

know phony or anything like that and if

if people are around you you know that

could give you some kind of feedback I

understand what you're saying but that

the third-party situation mayne ever

mayne ever happen

you've been there for four years and

wherever we're living in the world you

know we deserve to be happy and

comfortable and and connect with people

and we're at a time in this world where

you know we should be accepting all

people from different countries we

shouldn't be showing like racism and

things like this and hopefully that the

Australian people adhere to that

philosophy where I live I live in

Southern California where there's people

from all over the world and generally

speaking people are very accepting of

people from all countries they even you

know they usually find them more

interesting because they're from a

different country and they gravitate to

them even more because they want to get

to know somebody from another country i

mean that's that's one of my thoughts

it's just my two cents and you know to

put it to somebody in a light way say

you know i'm from russia i know my

personality is different

um oh why do you think this is happening

you know don't you know I wouldn't say

anything to them like you guys

you seem fake or you seem like you're

very superficial i would i would just

ask their opinion about perhaps my

interaction with people and and how they

how they feel about it you know it might

be helpful if it's not you know just

tell you no thank you

always always keeping a positive i

remember when i was in college I studied

Russian as a foreign language and we had

a teacher

who was telling us about some trips they

took to Russia and she was telling us

about one of the first trips to Russia

they were a group of American students

and they got off the plane and they were

so excited and you know when they went

up to where you show your passport and

all of that and you need to interact

with that person they were like smiling

they were smiling and so happy and then

the Russian people working at the

passport check . whatever that's called

can't remember the name they were like

looking very serious and looked at them

very strangely like why are you smiling

and it was kind of a bit of a shocking

first cultural experience that they had

because they were all smiling but nobody

else was smiling and at first they

didn't understand that does that make

some sense to you

you know it's not that it sounds what

let Russian people don't smile right

right right so you know they're there

was a there was a divided their this

makes me think of the phrase when in

Rome do as the Romans do

well what do you think about that phrase

yeah i think that Justin trying to deal

stadion well the thing is sometimes when

people hear that phrase we see well some

people feel like oh I don't want to like

pretend I'm somebody who i'm not but i

don't think that's the essence of the

the meaning of that phrase the way i see

it as you know is you know with being

being open-minded and you know certain

keys unlock certain doors and you know

like for instance if I talk to somebody

and I talked

to them like with a lot of downward

intonation in America they will think

I'm a little hard edge like if i say did

you get the report when is it going to

be done

I don't have all my paperwork together

as opposed to did you get that report

yeah i was just wondering about that i'm

not so sure about it if my intonation

goes up and I don't sound like this

downward intonation at least in America

people will definitely respond to to me

differently and perhaps you know be

doing like you know more of a study of

how how they interact and and that sort

of thing in terms of intonation patterns

how we body body language is a big thing

you know different countries you know in

terms of like Oh or they do they fold

their arms do they keep their arms open

do they smile a lot you know do they

make a lot of eye contact

do they not make a lot i contact you

know it's like when I go to the Far East

and Asia they don't make so much eye

contact you know so if i don't want to

make somebody in one of these Far

Eastern countries feel uncomfortable

I don't look at them in the eye as much

as I would in America because I I want

them to feel comfortable and I know it's

different and I know I'm in a different

country and I'm just adapting to the way

they do things and sometimes it provides

me some help and it makes things work

better

what do you think about that is good as

i can activate removably let's say you

have a very nice smile to your smiling

right now remember i only smiled with

you

oh thank you thank you

well maybe we should I should mentioned

i heard about this through facebook when

you and I connected on Facebook and and

we were posting some things about a

video i made and you you posted your

comments in response to a video about

this was a girl from China who moved to

America and then you kind of you spoke

about your experience a bit and I found

it very well interesting 41 and

something worthy to discuss because what

you're experiencing

I you know is something that people

experience in you know all over the

world when they go to a different

country it may not be exactly the same

thing but they're there are divides and

my feeling is everybody deserves to feel

good and comfortable and happy where

they are and perhaps trying some new

things trying a different path

considering some different ideas could

make one's life a lot more comfortable

and you know i'm not saying i have all

the answers because I sure don't

and I've had my frustrations living in

other countries and I didn't have the

answers for all for all of those

situations analyzing the other people

what do they do

why do they do it ask some questions i

mean if you had some Australian people

you could even ask some questions to

like you know why do you say this phrase

or why do you do this and why do you do

that if you say in a very like

non-threatening way you know I think

people would would be happy to help you

out the problem you know another problem

could be and this is just an idea that

came to my head is that you know your

Russian you look you know like you look

like you could be an American

you look like you could be an Australian

you look like the people now if you look

very different if you looked like you

were I don't know

east asian you know very Chinese or

something people with people may what's

that they'll it's ready

well yeah they're more prepared like oh

this person is very different from us

and therefore we will yet get ready we

will make more of an effort to connect

with this person and be more

understanding because of the differences

but perhaps this is just speculation

because you look like an Australian

could very well look that they respond

to you differently and your job is a

little more difficult because of that

they may look at you like well you're

just one of us so why do you act that

way you know and they don't even realize

they're doing that we're going to

probing a little deeper and because of

that it makes your job much different

because you're just as different as that

Chinese person you're from Russia you're

from very very far away very different

culture of course totally different

language you know different almost

everything so that could be happening

you

yeah so perhaps your job could be to you

know be to analyze the the culture and

the people and ask some very polite

non-threatening questions and and see

what happens

one thing I used to do when I wanted to

find out something from people I didn't

know too well or I didn't know at all is

I would tell perhaps a white lie and now

it wasn't always a lie but sometimes i

would just say I would approach somebody

either through email or directly face to

face whatever and i say i would say i'm

studying i'm a student right now and I'm

doing some research on this topic

do you mind if I ask you a few questions

and then usually people are very

responsive they're like oh ok fine but

if I just went up to somebody and I say

you know why do people do this they may

they may think well that's strange why

you asking me that and they may not want

to respond but you know if I say you

know i'm studying this which is actually

not a lie because you are studying it

you're just not in a formal program it

tends to open the door and it's always

worked for me I've just I started with

one question and then I usually started

talking to that person for like a half

an hour and what I found was that person

really enjoyed answering the questions

the person usually found it interesting

that somebody else was interested in him

or her or their country or their culture

yeah yeah so is my head

yeah and so what would be great is maybe

if you tried some some of this and then

we could get some some feedback and see

how it's going and and that sort of

thing because I would like I would like

your life to be more comfortable in in

that land where you're living and i'm

sure you would too and i think this

could be a great learning experience for

everybody for you for me and for people

who watch this because oftentimes well

let me back step for a moment you told

me that you learned English when you

were in sri lanka yes right and it's i

find it your I find you to be very

interesting because you're from Russia

but your you don't have a Russian accent

you have like an Indian or sri lankan

accent and that's very rare especially

for me I've never heard that before so

when we learn language like you learn

language in sri lanka you learn to speak

English

we learned a lot about the language and

oftentimes we talk about some cultural

issues but we usually don't get very

deep into cultural understanding like

politicians are supposed to be schooled

on the cultures that they have to

interact with and things like this and

perhaps if we as language learners we're

able to do some little deeper study in

cultural differences and successful ways

to connect with other people because we

can talk about cultural issues all day

long

Oh in Russia we do this in Australia

they do that or in sri lanka they do

this and Australia they do that

okay that's nice interesting but the

bottom line is how can we successfully

connect with these people

that's what we're really after if i was

going to move to Japan asking questions

about Japanese people if I know some

Japanese people here I could ask i could

do certain things and perhaps by do you

know studying people culture asking a

lot of questions I can really connect

with the people and feel comfortable

with them and if they say something or

look at me in a certain way I don't

think they hate me you know i think oh

that's what Japanese people do know

japanese people do it this way and then

I can feel good about myself and keep

moving on so perhaps this could be one

study in that regard where we're looking

at the people of Australia and how can

we understand them and perhaps you could

give us some feedback and some insight

on that it's interesting what you are

talking it's it's important to I'm been

coaching by the culture you can make

better or faster progress by living in

the country along so that thinks the but

it will think here for years to

understand right but if you would expect

for this way I think it will be faster i

agree a hundred percent i've i've known

people who have lived here in America

for over 20 years and barely know the

language barely know the culture and

i've known people who've lived here

under a year and just adapt very fast

and the difference is what you just

mentioned you know that second person

the one who adapted fast really focused

on studying the people the culture and

asking questions and trying to

understand it and made a big point in

doing that and thus things happen

rapidly for that person i know people

who leave in this in Australia like is

that 20 years

uh-huh and they don't meet with

Australian and they don't put effort to

learn language so they like same they

don't read English after 20 years living

here they don't they hardly even

speaking english right I know it's same

same thing here it's really funny I

remember I asked somebody in that

situation what they thought about

cultural difference like American

culture and their response to me was

there is no American culture like well

what do you mean there is no American

culture are you kidding but you know

they just they're in their own world

they're in their own contain world and

they don't really know much about the

country at all

it's as if they're living in their home

country because they're not speaking the

language they're not interacting with

the people and they're not making an

attempt to learn with effort and it is

very important because we don't effort

for example I'm I talk in English or I

am I told this language the English

language 411

yes now but i didn't put effort i didn't

put much enough effort i think and i i i

made progress my first my reading three

years then it stopped because I learn

certain amount of language and it was

enough instrument care for people to

understand me

people and I make mistakes and I'm

talking so i stopped putting effort to

learn language and my language my that

ability also stopped and I didn't

develop after that it didn't develop the

left so it was in the same level unless

you put $PERCENT effort things will

change

right right yeah I understand what you

mean I've also seen that same thing here

like out people will reach a certain

level so that they can get by and they

can communicate but they don't move it

above that level and many more doors

perhaps would open if they moved it

above that level it's and uncomfortable

more or less comfortable row nothing

left nothing there is nothing else

there's no no one pushing it yeah right

still unless you will feel I'm now I

think it uncomfortable in Australia

because i think my English is not enough

my language my knowledge of language is

not enough to communicate i can

understand sometimes what they not kind

of set and some words especially jokes i

can understand

no said the most difficult a new do you

watch Australian TV news

yeah okay and times sometimes like what

phor like entertainment

do you watch Australian TV shows or do

you watch russian TV shows I i wish this

d what we have here know what you're

having

russian isn't right it's because I like

one show ocean Russian I was rushing TV

I like one particular show

Oh in Russian on Russian TV but we like

in majority i watch Australian but now

it's not australian-american it's it's

all different

oh I said to make it to mix yeah well I

was just thinking in terms of yeah if

you leave me

right right if there was some like TV

shows where Australian people are

speaking and they're speaking fast and

perhaps that would help you to absorb

those you know more difficult areas like

jokes and you know perhaps some things

that you have a hard time understanding

i think it's fine to watch russian shows

too i mean absolutely you can't cut

yourself off from everything but you

know perhaps that helps a bit

yeah I which I which australian Schultz

that's good release

ok now i also learned how to understand

movie don't understand Ashley words

really i think that is people who

yeah I love and even i know and that can

predict hold more condition I understand

everything but sometimes I don't then

except some certain little bit that can

understand but I and send the movie very

well because movie it's not only words

some other things story

yeah so I learned that to pay attention

more for how people look and how

expression on the faces that kind of

thing I say okay that's very good so

you're you're looking at it from

different perspectives

yeah that's good that's good well you

know like i said before i can't speak

for Australians

all I can do is perhaps you know give

you my two cents from what I've

experienced in terms of and what I've

seen in terms of Russians and Americans

and you know like and i already

mentioned this but I'll just say a few

of these again perhaps you know smiling

a lot to them upward intonation when you

talk is very good saying thank you a lot

and not using strong words to describe

something special is a special

instruction Russian yeah yeah I don't

want people to think that I'm

anti-russian because i'm not at all I'm

just I'm just trying to be forthright

and honest about you know some things

I've seen and some things I've

experienced because i love Russian

people they they are great people and

you know everybody in the world is

different and has different things but

this is just something that I've seen in

terms of some Americans and some rush

Russians or former Soviet bloc country

people who have come to America

these are some things that I've seen it

that can that can help and sometimes the

use of strong words can be like a real

turnoff to Americans and if if you can't

think of another word it i believe it's

better to say you know something i can't

think of a better way to describe this

so forgive me if this word is too strong

but here it is blah blah then they'll be

more understanding about it and i also

think like I said before since you look

like you could be Australian

there's nothing wrong with reminding

people and saying oh you know I you know

my language skills because I'm Russian

you know and just saying that your

language skills in my opinion seemed

quite good i understand everything you

say

so if you were living here i think we

could communicate without any problem

but if you did use some strong words i

know it would put off some people but if

you remind people I'm from Russia you

know i'm i still have a language problem

why I'm still working on my english

people love to hear that they love to

hear that and it opens their mind it

reminds them this is a language learner

they have a much more difficult job than

I do because I'm a native speaker and

sometimes people need to be reminded you

know and it sounds funny that you have

to be the one to remind them because in

your mind you know that your language

learner but they may not be thinking

that all the time and perhaps that might

help a bit you know

tell them I'm from Russia I'm still

working on my language I'm sorry did

when I can't think of another word but

this is the best word I can think of

right now and then say blah blah so how

would I describe how would you use that

you know how would you change that you

could ask them how how would you say

that idea you know being in Australia

you know and then perhaps you get some

good tips that way okay and I'm always

here for you can talk to me and i'll do

my best to support you and try to help

you out the best I can and perhaps after

we run this will get some good ideas

from some ppl watching as well but it's

you know this this cultural divide is

never easy and you're a very brave

person I mean so many people would not

you know venture to other countries and

and try living here try living there and

that's a very brave thing to do so i

think it's great that you're doing that

i did not get it it will be so difficult

and she lanka the color that it's a big

culture difference difference in culture

between their students

yeah but it was not difficult for me but

I think maybe rushes to direct the

Russian this is very strong and direct

and Australia which is very kind of you

mean Australian so that's kind of not

Machine Records it was alright and sri

lanka sri lankan personalities like I

could say that simple little bit lazy no

functional they can see one thing and in

all ways they could be late so maybe

this kind of its cost Russian maybe

I say I say I say it was into like it

was easy living in sri lanka but here it

becomes like it but I feel a lot of

tension were depression write something

already like tents and and getting

depressed especially it's happened when

I was studying in university here last

year I was studying with young young

girls room and demonstrated and I'm not

young so I was feeling very isolated and

very depressed i stopped studying i can

study i was coming home and feeling very

bad and yeah I say no I can understand

that you know another suggestion that

comes to mind is you you should get

involved in some some groups with some

people down there you know all you do

yes but what do you do it different it's

a i'm going to every religious community

uh-huh it's we have it will give society

uh-huh most people are different I then

the Australians but they different

so you don't have problems connecting

with them

no well that's good well that's

important that you have some people i

mean do you think you could talk to some

of these people about these issues

yeah I will oh good good I don't know

that mixed meat right okay good good and

he gets a meeting and you know they're

you know just other ideas are i imagine

that like a meetup.com is worldwide and

you know anything that you have an

interest in from you know painting too

rollerblading to end like sports are

like a book reading or anything I mean

any any type of activity i know in

America there are groups for those and

if you can get in you know with the

group like that on you know just having

something in common you know and the

more people you can connect with that

way I think it really advanced this you

know of you connecting with the culture

so much faster

you know you know you start talking you

make friends with them and then you know

you learn more and more you feel closer

to them and at a friends in Australian

right rise i would try you know go up go

to go online and look up meetup.com and

look at all the different activities

going on in your area and joined some of

the groups if you don't like it you

don't have to go back you know it's no

problem but you just might like it and

if you like it and you're given an

opportunity to connect with some more of

these people i think it could be a great

thing

yes I i do it in its it would like

people do get friends rise right on it

just right

hobbies and things like that i have

hobbies

oh good yeah that's great that's great

and it showed that but it's different at

work it's a different way like a bit

different Australians because i have

interest in certain things

yeah that's the interest unite unite us

right in okay well very good well this

has been a very interesting talk

olga and I really appreciate you are you

coming on and sharing your experience

with us that that was a really important

thing because some you know a lot of

people feel these things and they just

don't talk about it

and myself I'm involved in language

learning but i'm interested in the

greater issues and I've experienced what

you're talking about as well so i hope

that this will help a lot of people and

will keep track of this and we'll we'll

talk to you down the line and see how

things are coming for you think I also

learned a lot of things today by talking

to you and especially about the trash

and quality which I wasn't aware no good

this Russian dude click miss them that

their eyes I didn't know that then yeah

i'll try to put effort i think to to get

the nose Australian culture and be more

active

yeah to be more active and get more

friends Australian friends and

communicate with them more often it

thinks they know well that sounds great

i I'm glad to hear that and you're very

welcome and thanks for being on so I'm

going to sign off now and I hope you

have a wonderful rest of your day and

let's be in touch soon ok Olga ok need

it and goodnight i think what time is

there it's 825 at night and you don't

think you'll find he had so you have the

rest of your day okay you have some

afternoon left that I'm gonna go eat

dinner right now Dina and take my dog

for a walk

the lady nice talking to you and thank

you so much take care of ger it's not

too

okay bye-bye