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Reverse Culture Shock


Tresco
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I have chummed up with a young French man who is going to Oxford to do a post-grad course. His English is very good, but he has never set foot in the UK before.

He is very resourceful and independent, but I have been trying to help him with some practical things. That's all going well, but I want to ask for a favour.

I know there are some French people here (you know who you are), and also plenty of British people who have older children (you know who you are too) who have basically grown up here, but visit/live the UK now. For you, the latter group, the 'favour' may involve speaking with your offspring, and I know that isn't always easy or convenient, or is that just me?

We all know things about the culture shock this way (from UK to France) but what were your, or your childrens experiences in the other direction? (France to England).

Saligo Bay's post and the responses about 'what french things' we do has helped me get e few thoughts together, but I really would like a bit more on this.

He's a really nice young man, from a small town, but has been studying in Paris, and living outside Paris, again in a small town.

 

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I think your young french friend will find the drinking culture a shock especially round Oxford of which I know very well having lived not too far away most of my life. He should be prepared for eccentric behaviour too from seeing how students there behave - anything from jumping into the Isis naked to wearing strange clothing and doing pub crawls for charity whilst tied to other people,normal studenty type things. The food may come as a shock and he may find he needs to get a weekend/evening job to finance his studies a bit and meet other people for his language skills. The actual freedom and amount of money young people have inthe UK today is one of the things both my kids discovered the last time they visited three years ago and the range and choice of shops and eating places made it seem very dull here. My two also said they wouldn't like to live inthe UK full time as people weren't so friendly but enjoyed a visit and would likek to go again and see London for the first time. He would be best prepared to have a bike too to get around, cars are prohibited in a lot of Oxford and bikes are the best way to travel and make sure he gets a good padlock and chain to stop it being stolen too.
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He should not be surprised (in Oxford) when people call him “My Duck”. At first it can seem a bit strange, some old overweight bar tender calling you “my duck” when serving you. However, it does not indicate some unusual (and undesirable) intent by the person but is a “quaint” (?) Oxfordshire custom (only done by those born and bread in Oxfordshire - so he should not try it or it may easily be mis-interpreted).

Ian
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This reminds me of the time when the Oxford police contacted us - student son's belongings at that time were included on our house content insurance policy through a student extension - to say his stolen bicycle had been 'found' and would he like to come and reclaim it?

As the theft of his bike had taken place quite a while before our son had already replaced it with a S/H one courtesy of the insurance.

Seems the thief had been apprehended by the police for bag-snatching - having a handbag in his possession that was plainly not his. The bike had been traced to our son by the police coding on it.

Pointers: good lock essential, insurance helpful and vigilance necessary.

Sue

 

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As a post grad student in Oxford he will no doubt have been invited to the induction course for international students. The post grad population is incredibly multi cultural and the support services in the colleges are generally good. As a middle aged person with undergrad aged children I find the drinking culture shocking but I really think it is no better or worse than other UK towns.

Most of the international students I come across really enjoy their time in Oxford although some of them do find the pressures of the work daunting to start with and it seems that sometimes the peculiarly Oxford aspects of the place are what makes it special for them.

You mention that his English is good but if he does have any problems with it then there may be appropriate courses at the Language Centre.

Good luck to him.

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If he drives then there are quite a few things he needs to take on board - in addition to the obvious driving on the other side of the road

 

 Lane discipline  - stay in the right (fast) lane at all times until someone tries to pass you on the right.  Then pull in sharply without indicating.

Priority à White - white vans have priority even when they don't

Red lights - adivisory except when there is a camera or policeman

Speed limits - advisory on motorways except in road works where there will be cameras or unless you see a large yellow box by the side of the road (camera).

.

Coutesy to other drivers - if you see someone in front indicating to move into your lane - close the gap and bumper hug the vehicle in front.  This will leave space behind for the chap to move into.

 

Sorry if this a jaudiced view but each time I return to the UK the average quality of driving seems to have gone down another couple of notches.

Pedestrian crossings (seriously this time) operate differently to France - you do actually stop to let people across

 

Anyone any others

 

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The last time we drove in Oxford it was a nightmare due to the hundreds of bikes on the move,you really do have to watch your side mirrors for fear of hitting anyone. Best not to have a car as there are regular trains to other towns and public transport within the city itself,plus I would imagine there are high parking fees these days and lots of yellow double lines to contend with.

He won't be spolit for things to do for leisure if Oxford hasn't changed too much - theatres, cinema,ice rink,restaurants and lotsof pubs to name a few.

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Hi

These answers are great, I can make a very comical list up for him.

He's not going to one of the 'posh' colleges, he's going to Brookes. He'll have a couple of friends who are going there too, also a couple going to Staffs. (probably what used to be North Staffs Poly) and a couple to London.

I don't know where he'll be living. I'll ask him next time.

These answers have been useful for me; I've taught International Students from plenty of places, but not France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A friend moved from living closeby to this uni a couple of years back because although it was a residential area, it was unbearable from the volume of traffic being left any and everywhere every day and the people going back and forth past her house. Isn't this the "more mature going back to get qualifications" place of education as well?
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Deimos, he's doing an MSC (Science). As a science phobic type person, I have not dared delve too deply into this, but I will. He is helping me with my French, I'm helping him with his English, once it gets down to the dissertation, I may as well start thinking about it now!

Val 2, is Brookes a more 'mature students' type of place? I think that might be well worth passing on, the difference in atmosphere etc.

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re. Brookes: I think they take students of all levels and not just mature students. I stayed there once for a conference weekend and the student flats that we were staying in smelled of something very strange! (ho hum, maybe cannabis?)

Grandaughter (very shy quiet girl) of a French friend of ours went to Oxford as an assistante and loved it. She made far more friends there than she ever made in France.

Gill

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Very interesting to read this topic as my daughter leaves this afternoon to start a 4 year course at Brookes (Film Studies & languages) I believe there are lots of french students there.

She went to an open day in April & one of the lecturers told her about the drinking culture.

I think she's worried that everyone will be talking about TV programmes that she hasn't seen ! (That's what happened to her brother in Manchester 2 years ago)

Rose
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