Re:When a Chinese PhD Student Meets a German Supervisor [pdf]
by LeanderK on Sunday October 23, 2016 @09:32AM
(#12773483)
what i never understood is why learning the language and culture is not the immediate #1 priority, i think its the only way to really integrate and prosper in an foreign country. Of course there are more pressing issues (getting a place to sleep, get to know you working environment and responsibilities), but i would dedicate every second i can to practice the language and understand the culture (not in the academic sense).
Re:When a Chinese PhD Student Meets a German Supervisor [pdf]
by wsy on Sunday October 23, 2016 @03:25PM
(#12774998)
It seems so, but in Germany it is not #1 priority. In my research lab in Germany, we were PhD students from about 15 countries, and the work language was English. This is very common for science and engineering research. So a student from China can either spend time learning German to improve his/her social life, or spend time reading and writing in English to achieve better academic results. Usually it is difficult enough for them to become fluent in English, which is necessary to publish papers. Guess what happens.
-One thing i know works very well in Germany is that you need to learn their language and culture. Try to understand how these people think and why they think like that. That will make your life easier.
-As foreigners we also want meet and mingle with our own kind. And that's okey because it's the best way to beat homesick. However, sometimes it's also recommendable to mingle with other foreigners from other countries. Find out what works for them. At the university for example, you could find such English speaking people like the Americans, UK citizens and even established Africans living and working in that area.
-Also, thankfully there are 'meetups' nowadays. You are able to meet and connect with local and international people with different professional backgrounds