DoastheRomansDo,butDoNotLoseYourself

　　AsanEnglishmajorstudent,welearnmanythingsaboutothercountries,especiallyabouttheEnglish-speakingcountries,andourultimategoalistocommunicatewithforeignersproperlyandevenliveintheforeigncountrycomfortably.Inmyopinion,“DoastheRomansDo”isthemostusefulprinciplewhenwearecommunicatingwithforeignersorliveinforeigncountry,butthisdoesnotmeanthatweshouldforgetournationalcharactersorloseourselves.

　　Inthiscase,thereisnodoubtthatthisJapaneselearnerbowsalottoherAmericanprofessors.Becausebowingintheircultureissoimportantthattheywilldoitinmanysituations,anditisalsobecomeahabitintheirdailylife.Therefore,eventhisJapaneselearnerstudiesoutofJapan,sheisstilldoingthis.Sowecansaythatone’sculturealwaysmakesadeepeffectinone’slife.However,fromherwords,wecanfindoutthatsheisalittleethnocentric.Firstofall,weallhavethecommonsensethatonceonegoesintonewenvironment;heorsheshouldlearnaboutthelocalcultureandtryeverymeanstobelikeanativeperson,butthisJapaneselearnerjustdoesthetotallyoppositething.Sheneglectsherprofessors’advicenottobowsoofteninAmerica,besidesshesaysthat“IfIdon’tdothat,I’mnotbeingrespectfulandIwon’tbeagoodperson.”Second,fromherwordsweknowthatsheknowstheAmericancustomthattheydon’tbow,butsheinsistsdoingthis,ignoringtheAmericanlocalculture.Itisknowntousallthatethnocentrismoccurswhenone’snationisseenasthecenteroftheworldandthebeliefs,values,norms,andpracticesofhisorherowncultureistakenassuperiortothoseofothers.SoIthinkthisisoneofthereasonsthatwhyshewillbowallthetimeinAmerica.

　　Forme,aChineselearnerofEnglish,IthinkwhenwearecommunicatingwiththeEnglish-speakingpeople,weshouldnotandthereisnonecessarytotryhardtobehaveverballyandnonverballyinthesamewayastheydo.Becauseeveryonehasitsownenvironmentofgrowingandeveninthesameenvironment,everyfamilystillhasitsownfamilytradition.SoIthinkthereisnocomparabilitytocomparehowdifferentbetweenyourandtheforeigners’behaviors.Butwestillshouldlearnabouttheirculturalcustomsfirstbeforestartingthecommunication,andthenbehaveasnaturallyaspossible.Inaddition,whenwehavetheinterculturalcommunication,weshouldneitherthinktoohighlyofourownculture,norlookdownuponourownculture.Becauseifonethinkstoohighlyofhisorherownculture,heorshemaybeethnocentric;ifonelooksdownuponhisorherownculture,heorshemaynotlovethenation,andifeverypersoninthiscountryallbehavelikethis,thiscountrywillbedestroyedsoonerorlater.

　　Thereisoneexampleaboutmyself.ThoughIdonotgoabroad,Istillhavetheinterculturalcommunication.Duringmyvisittothe2010ShanghaiExpo,Irealizethateveryoneismoreorlessethnocentric;foreveryonehasthesenseofcompetitionwhichmakeseveryonewantstobethebest.AsIarrivedinShanghai,Iinstinctivelythinkwe,thenativeXiamenpeople,arebetterthanpeopleinShanghai.SomyfriendandIspokeournativelanguagemuchmoreoftenthanweareinXiamen.ItseemsthatwewereafraidthatnooneknowswewerefromXiamen,sowetriedeverymeanstoshowourowncharacters.What’smore,whenweheardsomeonespokewiththesameaccentlikeoursandsawthecarnumberbeganwithMinwhichisshort