Reverse Culture Shock in the US Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jul 7, 2010 in Swedish Language
Five days ago I landed in the US. And not just for vacation. I am here to stay. For a while at least. It’s been a whirlwind these last few weeks, trying to cram European travel in, all the while preparing to move to a different country.
It’s an incredibly intimidating feeling to move across the Atlantic, even when this move was coming home. But home has become increasingly fluid for me over the last couple of years. After three years in Sweden, it became home. I created a life for myself filled with good friends, good family, a good job, and great memories. It was hard to take off from Stockholm. It might have been even harder to land in Newark and then Denver.
That’s when it struck me just how ingrained the Swedish language had become in my life. English was everywhere. In Sweden, every time I heard English being spoken in public, my ears perked up. I did a little tjuvlyssning if you will. And it was wonderful just to hear my native language being spoken. It always seemed to brighten my day just a little bit because it felt like a piece of home. But my life was dominated by Swedish.
I hadn’t realized just how immersed I had become. It was a wonderful realization. Kind of. Because while the language skills that can be picked up during immersion are impressive, returning to your home country can be overwhelming. Suddenly those English conversations that I would pick up on sporadically in Stockholm were everywhere in Newark. What should have been background noise became instead a steady stream of words and conversations that I was unable to block out. It was an incredible display of reverse culture shock and one that I was not expecting.
I knew there would be certain things during my move that would toss me into the heart of reverse culture shock. From the benign, like going to the grocery store, to the stereotypical, like driving everywhere. But I speak English. It’s my native language. It shouldn’t be overwhelming. But it was. Horribly.
What have you noticed when traveling abroad that has resulted in the most culture shock when you returned home?
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About the Author: Marcus Cederström
Marcus Cederström has been writing for the Transparent Swedish Blog since 2009. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Oregon, a Master's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a PhD in Scandinavian Studies and Folklore from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has taught Swedish for several years and still spells things wrong. So, if you see something, say something.
Comments:
Bill:
In 1985, at age 27, I moved to Iceland. From there to Denmark and now, finally, Sweden.
I immersed myself in the cultures of all these countries, and whenever I find myself in a dinner setting in my native Canada, I do find it “odd” that nobody thanks the host/hostess/cook for the meal when leaving the table. In Denmark, you politely say “tak for mad” after the meal, in Iceland it’s “Takk fyrir mig”.
Before moving to Scandinavia, I never thought to thank someone for the food they served immediately following the meal. But once I returned home after my first school year in Iceland, I found this lack of thanks actually somewhat rude.
I guess I subtly yet quickly passed through the culture warp.
Antonia Hulha:
May I ask, why did you move back to the states?
Kenia:
It’s sad to hear you’ve left Sweden, Marcus. I hope you keep blogging though, I’m sure that after living for a couple of years there as an immigrant you still have much to share with us.
Good luck with everything!
Marcus Cederström:
@Bill – it sounds like youve made quite a few moves, but I agree, there are certain things you quickly pick up without even noticing. Like the way I now automatically take off my shoes every time I enter someones house.
@Antonia – I will actually be going to grad school in the US.
@Kenia – it is a bit sad, but I will definitely keep writing and who knows, I might end up in Sweden again!
Luke (Sydney):
Reverse Culture Shock comes before Second Home Sick, so watch out 😉
Marcus Cederström:
@Luke (Sydney) I was afraid of that…
Minty:
When i visited England for 6 weeks when I was younger the first thing that hit me when i got home was a wall of heat and humidity hahaha! Going from cool 20 degrees england to 37 degrees Australia was not fun 😛
Marcus Cederström:
The weather can definitely be a shock to the system!
Ann:
Regarding the language bit, whenever I go back to my home town, I am shocked not only to hear English, but to hear it *exactly as I would say it.* I’m so used to hearing different accents in English, that to hear *my own* accent was has become . . . freaky. Like I’m getting stereo feedback.
Marcus Cederström:
agreed. completely. its amazing how what was once so common suddenly can seem so foreign.
Judy:
When I came back from Sweden after being an exchange student (30 years ago), I found myself using English-ized Swedish expressions when I was using my native language. I remember very well one time when I was talking to my friend’s mom about how I thought some contractor’s were working “in the black” when I meant being paid “under the table.” The look on her face was priceless because it sounded like a racial slur to her.
Marcus Cederström:
Im so glad that other people d that. I find myself doing way too much translating. it results in some pretty absurd sentences sometimes.
Linn Olsson:
The term ‘native language’ is interesting. Exactly what do we mean by it, how do we define it?
I also find it interesting, Marcus, that you say that English is your native language when you’ve spoken both English and Swedish your whole life, as well as you being born and living your first years in Sweden (Don’t worry, I’m not a stalker. Much.). Isn’t Swedish also your native language then? Can a person only have one native language? I think it’s an interesting topic for discussion.
I myself was born in Sweden, moved to England at the age of one, where we lived for about six months, then moved to Detroit, where we lived for little over a year, and then moved to Munich, Germany, when I was three. In England, the US and Germany my brother and I attended English-speaking preschools and schools, therefore I have always spoken English (and Swedish, since my parents are Swedes, born and raised). At home, my brother and I spoke Swenglish (and German when we were angry, haha!), at school we spoke English, and once every week or so we had ‘hemspråkslektion’ to keep up our Swedish proficiency. After five years in Munich we moved back to Sweden (Göteborg) and I was somewhat shocked to find that hardly anyone in my class spoke English (yet at least, since you know Swedes learn amazingly good English in school). Being eight years old, the new kid in my class and also being a “new” Swede, I guess I switched the Swenglish to “proper” Swedish (but I also tried to teach my classmates English apparently!). I never abandoned English though, as I sadly kind of did German, and nowadays I yet again speak Swenglish, instead of “proper” Swedish. This could be because of the huge influence English has on popular culture and so on, but I think mostly it has to do with me, my background and my future, since I am studying to become a gymnasielärare in Swedish and English.
To revert back to my questions about native language, I think I see Swedish as my native language, because 1) both my parents are Swedish and I have never had any other citizenship than Swedish, and 2) I’ve lived here for so long now (soon 16 years) that it is my “fall-back” language in any given situation. But for me, it isn’t easy labeling myself like that, since I speak English every day, all the time. My father is married to an English woman, so now I also have a whole English stepfamily to whom I regularly talk.
I just wanted to point out (with this looong post, sorry!) how interesting and fluent language labeling can be sometimes 🙂
Also, I get that reverse culture shock every time I’ve gone to England to visit the stepfamily, and come back to Sweden. It feels really weird hearing and seeing Swedish again, not to mention that the cars are on the “wrong” side of the road! 😉
Anywho, isn’t it just amazing how language, cultures and people can make you become a world citizen?! 🙂
Kram, Linn The Pink Viking