Whether you are moving to Czechia from South Africa, Slovenia, or even Slovakia, you will experience some degree of culture shock. And while “culture shock” can have a negative connotation, it doesn’t have to. Take it from me - an American expat living in Czechia since 2018. The United States and Czechia are no doubt culturally different (see the encyclopedia entry on: car culture, or socks-with-sandals). But today, this country is my home-away-from-home.
Here are four tips to overcoming culture shock.
Gaffe, faux pas …Okay, this isn’t France, but you get the point - living abroad means living outside your comfort zone, which means awkward moments are inevitable. Once, while walking home as a teacher on the last day of school, I stopped into Albert with a ton of flowers that I had gotten from my students. I wanted to express to the security guard that I already owned the flowers. But, because of my elementary Czech, the man believed that I was offering him a bouquet. My face turned red as I clarified. Though it may have been slightly uncomfortable in the moment, I now know that these misunderstandings are a natural (and truthfully, amusing) part of moving abroad.
Though I can chuckle about the time I accidentally courted a stranger, I want to be able to communicate with the people around me. Around 2021, I began to take conversational Czech lessons online through a platform called iTalki. There are thousands of teachers on iTalki teaching hundreds of languages. In the last five years, I have taken more than 100 lessons with five teachers. I enjoy our conversations, and we talk about everything from day- to-day life, to philosophy, to politics, to religion. The most important skill I’ve gained from these lessons is a sense of confidence. A sense of confidence to make an appointment, to ask for help, to join a conversation. A sense of confidence to say, “Dobrý den, ja jsem učitelka a dneska byl poslední školní den. Chtěla bych říct že ty kytky jsou moje - neukradla jsem je!”
“Culture Shock” can be so destabilizing because so many aspects of a foreign country can be different. But inevitably, some aspects of a new culture will resonate with you. For me, that’s spending time in nature, which is a big part of Czech culture. A few years ago, I learned of “Steza Českem” - a hiking route that encompasses the entire country. So far, I’ve completed five short sections of the trail. I don’t know when (or even if) I’ll close the 2,000 km loop, but the experience has definitely brought me closer to Czech culture.
Another great resource in addition to iTalki is SlowCzech. They have great materials like transcribed podcasts, thematic stories, and online classes. Occasionally, they have meet-ups in Prague and Brno that are open to any language level. I’ve been to a couple of these gatherings, and can’t wait for more. Grab a pivo, meet some new people, and make some new friends!
So, did any of these tips resonate with you? What part of living in a new country scares you the most? Intrigues you the most?
Hiking the Stezka Českem in October
Seems Like Just Yesterday I Had My First Lesson on iTalki
Stephanie Parascandolo
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