Study abroad: Products, practices, and perspectives of a new culture

How does one adapt him/herself to an environment that is so different in almost every way? Noticing exactly how one is forming their gestures and body movements so as not to offend anyone, modifying one’s point-of-view on issues that seem so straightforward like cutting in line, and realizing that even facial expressions are partially culturally determined are among countless other topics within the situations that sojourners voluntarily place themselves for months at a time. How do they adapt to these strange new situations? What are some of the difficulties in adapting? What aspects of their home culture do they maintain? This paper examines the products, practices, and perspectives altered by sojourners (namely study abroad students) in order to adapt to a new culture allowing them to gain an overall increase in their intercultural competence as a result