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Settling into an Iso-Immersion
Settling into an Iso-Immersion
Your iso-immersion program at Concordia Language Villages is on-par with traveling to and living in a foreign country. To help you prepare for what most refer to as ‘culture shock’ or ‘culture stress’, you should be prepared to expend significant mental energy understanding and communicating in the foreign language.
Please remember that this demand on mental energy, you finding yourself out of your comfort zone and in an unfamiliar setting and training program, may increase stress levels and leave you with less mental and emotional reserve. The set-up of this iso-immersion creates disruption and ambiguity in your daily schedule and routine, and it limits some freedoms and introduces elements that you personally cannot control. It requires agility to adapt in multiple ways.
When adapting to this iso-immersion, issues that may be easily dealt with in a more familiar setting can become higher stress situations.
When adapting to this iso-immersion, issues that may be easily dealt with in a more familiar setting can become higher stress situations.
You may notice that:
Focusing, concentrating, and completing tasks and assignments are more difficult
Sleeping arrangements may impact normal sleep patterns.
Physical reactions, such as headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite and stamina may occur.
This Intensive training environment changes your normal patterns of rest, relaxation, personal and work-life balance.
Experiencing a different culture can bring up BOTH negative and positive feelings, even when experiencing an immersion while still in the US.
Unfamiliar foods and different eating/snacking patterns may disrupt the regular diet you and your body are accustomed to and the functioning of your digestive system.
These things are normal and the mental fatigue from constant language immersion, a novel small group community setting, and unfamiliar foods and customs may result at times in over-stimulation of the central nervous system, which you might notice as feeling impatient, irritable or fatigued.
Expecting these changes and being aware of them can help when they occur.
Expecting these changes and being aware of them can help when they occur.
A few other tips that may help you as you navigate possible effects, include:
Accept that these reactions are normal and will come and go.
Realize that adjusting will take some time.
Keep an open mind and apply a perspective of curiosity, exploration and discovery.
Focus on the positive; have a laugh; focus on having fun.
Actively engage with this community and identify ways you contribute to the success of others and thereby yourself.
Set priorities for each day to take advantage of this unique ‘like no other’ immersion experience.
Give yourself a break. Find ways to relieve stress and develop an effective self-care routine during the iso-immersion.
In the Culture Matters Workbook from the Peace Corps, you will find reflective exercises and anecdotes about how culture shock can impact any immersion setting.
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