Challenges and Benefits of Interviewing an International Student

The world is becoming more and more connected as things such as telecommunications, transportation and mass media expand and develop around the world. We live on a planet where cultures frequently collide, clash, coexist and cooperate on a daily basis. Understanding other cultures and countries is important in many ways, simply from getting along with people on a day to day basis, all the way to considering that things such as genocide are not tolerable, and possibly understanding why it happens. One way to learn about cultures is from actually visiting them, but an easier way which is closer to home is simply talking with people from distinct cultures that already live around you. Interviewing students from other countries can be a very challenging task, but it also can result in many important benefits.

Often times we have difficulty with people from other cultures, whether it be a conflict in fundamental beliefs, difficulty communicating, or simply because we view them as foreign and different. People interpret the world around them based on their culture, and this leads to most challenges between multicultural people when trying to understand each other [1]. This raises challenges of the different styles in which we communicate, and what we feel is acceptable to discuss, and even the fundamental meaning of things that seem completely unambiguous. We must be patient and keep an open-mind while ensuring we treat others as equals when trying to understand them. When we take the time to understand others views and how they see the world, and as we spend time learning about other cultures, our ability to understand and get along with other people improves greatly. A common problem that can arise from difficulties in understanding other cultures is to view others as being lesser or wrong because of their differing views [1]. It is extremely important we are aware of this challenge, and do not dismiss others as inferior simply because they live under different cultural views. When we interview people from other countries to better understand their views and cultures, keeping our minds open and assuming equal ground allows us to make an honest effort to overcome challenges that will arise.

By overcoming these challenges, there are many benefits that come to us. As stated earlier, we have a better understanding of other people and can better communicate and get along with them. This is clearly essential for everyday life in a world where more and more cultures and people are coming together everywhere, creating an entirely new mix of culture. Cultural diversity is becoming more and more prevalent in America, and the combination of different cultures is often beneficial to society [2]. By working with people from other cultures, we find new views of the world we live in, and come to find new ideas that our culture would not normally consider. We also prepare ourselves to live and coexist in a world where no culture can be proven correct or incorrect, and where combining cultures often provides the best solutions. If we want to live in a world where people are treated fairly and equally, or at the very least where people can coexist, it is imperative that we consider the challenges and benefits of learning about other cultures, considering that one of the ways we can do this is by interviewing people from different backgrounds.

Works Cited

[1] DuPraw, Marcelle E., and Marya Axner. "Toward a More Perfect Union in an Age of Diversity: Working on Common Cross-cultural Communication Challenges." PBS. PBS, 1997. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/ampu/crosscult.html>.

[2] Kerby, Sophia. "10 Reasons Why We Need Diversity on College Campuses." Center for American Progress. Center for American Progress, 9 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/10/09/41004/10-reasons-why-we- need-diversity-on-college-campuses/>.