I have never changed schools, not even once. For the past 18 years, I have always lived in a densely populated city called Bandar Lampung, a city located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. I had always been surrounded by familiar faces every day and never thought I would move to a country far from home. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is my first cross-cultural experience, and to say I am grateful and impressed would be an understatement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay During my first week at Beppu, I faced cultural differences in some occasions which are rather difficult to overcome; considering that my home country, Indonesia, has its own culture that is shaped around hundreds of ethnic groups. But as the saying goes: “In Rome, do as the Romans do.” “This refers to the crucial importance of adapting to the customs of people who find themselves in a certain place or situation and not sticking only to one's original culture. I knew that the old concepts I had brought from home would make it difficult to adapt to a new circumstance. Fortunately, I gradually got used to the new culture over time and what I finally realize is that all the hardships I went through are what made me who I am today. Today, intercultural communication continues all over the world. . We currently live in a globalized world and we are invited to interact with people from different countries and cultures. The increasingly diverse workforce increases the need for us students to have expertise in intercultural communication. There are many ways to improve our intercultural skills. To begin with, we must be able to overcome our own stereotypes, because only when individuals put aside their differences and work together can they succeed. Then, even with all the research you've done and all the experience you have, you'll still make mistakes here and there. Show a willingness to ask when you have something you're unsure of to avoid cultural faux pas. Finally, take a deep breath and enjoy the entire ride. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Remember that this whole learning process is a lifelong lesson and it will gradually improve the more time you spend communicating with people of different cultures different. With a little work and effort to understand each other, it is entirely possible that our intercultural communication will increase significantly. Works Cited Chua, RYJ and Roth, Y. (2016). The impact of culture on creativity: exploring the interactions between culture, creativity and innovation. In Handbook of Research on Innovation and Creativity (pp. 253-271). Edward Elgar Publishing. Gudykunst, WB and Kim, YY (2003). Communicating with strangers: an approach to intercultural communication (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Hall, E.T. (1976). Beyond culture. Anchor Books. Hofstede, G. (2001). The consequences of culture: comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations. Sage Publications. Kim, Y. Y. (2016). Intercultural communication and adaptation: an integrative theory. Routledge. Nasr, M. (2016). Develop communication skills.