Culture shock in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City Open University

Graduate School

97 Vo Van Tan, Dist.3, HCMC, Vietnam

ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET AND REPORT

Diploma in TESOL 6

Name of candidate: Phan Đình Tuấn

Student No: Dip6A-040

Email address: tuanphandinh@yahoo.com

Name of coursework subject: Intercultural Communication

Title of this item of work: Culture Shocks in Vietnam

Name of lecturer: Dr. Nguyễn Bảo Đạt

Due date: 6th January, 2010

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP:

I certify that the above assignment is my original work, and it is based on my own research. All sources used by me have been documented. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement.  This piece of work has not previously been submitted for assessment in this or any other subject or course at this University or elsewhere. 

Student’s Signature………………………………………….

Date: 5^th January, 2010

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      In the process of the study, many individuals and offices help me a lot. I could not have finished the paper without their nonstop efforts. Their responsibility for my study makes me feel that I have been working on something very important.

      I express my gratitude to the Ho Chi Minh City Open University and her Departments in charge of our study for giving us the best conditions. Without them, pen would never have touched paper.

      I would like to thank Dr. Nguyen Bao Dat, our beloved lecturer, for his invaluable instructions, support and helpful encouragement. We have been fortunate to share the unique benefit of his input and enthusiasm. These, truly, have been a source of inspiration and confidence. I could find them in no other way.  

      My special recognition goes to Mr. Ronald L. Hunt, Mr. Ngo Ky Anh and Mr. Corbin L. Cherry for providing me with excellent ideas and for sharing so many wonderful things besides the talks. They are all essential in helping me implement the paper in time.

      Finally, I owe sincere and earnest thankfulness to my colleagues at Ben Tre College. They have been willing to support me and help me with the office task during the course time, giving me much more free time to fulfill the course requirements.

Phan Đình Tuấn

5^th January 2010

INTRODUCTION

      Culture is the motivation and goal for development. Most countries in the world would like to boost their own cultures to make a very positive contribution to their national growth, prosperity and glory. In parallel with the top economic strength, for instance, American and Japanese cultures are very special and well known all over the world for what come from these two countries. American education, Japanese electronic and high-tech goods and so on are things which people from other countries are longing for not only due to the quality but also due to the standards and lifestyles that they would like to follow. The benefits from culture are visible. That is why, surely, a study about culture or even about one aspect of it is essential and practically significant.

      Like other countries, Vietnam has confirmed the roles of culture in the society, especially, in the period of integration and development. From that point of view, intercultural communication and intercultural awareness have become more important than ever in Vietnam since the Vietnamese government began to carry out the open-door policy in 1986. Intercultural communication opens up a multiplicity of possible worlds. Without intercultural communication, there would be something secret and unexplainable in each culture.

Figure 1: “The more we get together, the happier we will be.”

      Source: www.juliaferguson.com/shock.html

      However, intercultural communication also brings us real challenges for sure. In this paper, I would like to present a very brief literature review of culture shock, the result of my interviews, a discussion of the differences between the Vietnamese culture and the American one, and lessons drawn from the interviewees’ experiences.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Theoretical Framework

What is culture shock?

      When people move to a different country, or even a different area of their own country, they may experience some form of culture shock. Truly, almost everyone has a culture shock in some way. Some people are surely affected in a more serious way than others. So what is culture shock? According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock on 25th January 2010, culture shock is defined in the following way:

“It refers to the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, uncertainty, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within a different and unknown cultural or social environment after leaving everything familiar behind and they have to find their way in a new culture that has a different way of life and a different mindset such as in a foreign country. It grows out of the difficulties in assimilating the new culture, causing difficulty in knowing what is appropriate and what is not. This is often combined with a dislike for or even disgust (moral or aesthetical) with certain aspects of the new or different culture.” (“Culture_shock”, 2009)

Culture shock is definitely a serious condition that needs to be watched, and checked upon. I personally have suffered from it on numerous occasions.

Phases of culture shock

      Also according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock on 25^th January, 2010, culture shock is divided into 3 phases:

1. Honeymoon Phase: During this period the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light, wonderful and new… During the first few weeks most people are fascinated by the new culture. They associate with the nationals that speak their language and are polite to the foreigners. This period is full of observations and new discoveries. Like many honeymoons this stage eventually ends. “When an individual sets out to study, live or work in a new country, he or she will invariably experience difficulties with language, housing, friends, school, work…”

2. Negotiation Phase: After some time (usually weeks), differences between the old and new culture become apparent and may create anxiety… These reactions are typically centered round the formidable language barrier as well as stark differences in: public hygiene; traffic safety; the type and quality of the food... This phase is often marked by mood swings caused by minor issues or without apparent reason. This is where excitement turns to disappointment and more and more differences start to occur. Depression is not uncommon.

3. Adjustment Phase: Again, after some time (usually 6 – 12 months), one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host country no longer feels all that new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more "normal". One starts to develop problem-solving skills for dealing with the culture, and begins to accept the culture ways with a positive attitude. The culture begins to make sense, and negative reactions and responses to the culture are reduced. Reaching this stage requires a constructive response to culture shock with effective means of adoption.  (“Culture_shock”, 2009)

      The division of culture shock phases can be different. Jandt (2001) confirms that the phases can be divided into 4: “initial euphoria, irritation and hospitality, gradual adjustment, and adaptation or biculturalism” (pp. 340-341). Other sources also pay close attention to another way of dividing phases, including reentry shock. One example of this can be found at http://www.nhtvwiki.nl/wiki02/index.php?title=File:Culture_shock.jpg (Figure 2).

Figure 2: A summary of the different stages

Source: Culture_shock.jpg

Symptoms of culture shock

     Symptoms of culture shock can appear at different times and are different from one person to another due to individual differences and contexts. Here I list some in common. They are:

• Sadness
• Loneliness and homesickness
• Pains
• Insomnia or sleep deprivation
• Feeling vulnerable or powerless
• Anger
• Identifying with the old culture or idealizing the old country
• Trying too hard to absorb everything in the new culture or country
• Lack of confidence

      Although people’s ways to overcome these symptoms are not the same, we may feel that younger people usually cope with it better than the older. However, be ready to deal with symptoms of culture shock again simply because, even after all, they can come back!

      Further information on symptoms of culture shock can be found at http://www.nhtvwiki.nl/wiki02/index.php?title=Culture_shock#Symptoms_of_culture_shock

Data Collection

      The data here comes from the interviews with foreigners, my life observation and experience and the material reviews.

      I have been supposed to interview some foreigners in Vietnam to find out culture shocks which they have had during the time they have lived in Vietnam. I interviewed three foreigners (For further information, see Table 1).

 Table 1: Interviewees’ personal information

Name	Ronald L. Hunt	Ngo Ky Anh	Corbin L. Cherry
Career	Lecturer	Policeman	Ph. D., Veteran of Vietnam war
Email/Website	ronhunt@sonic.net	kango626@yahoo.com	www.vnvetsforkids.org
Nationality	American	American	American
Address in Vietnam	15A/21, Le Thanh Ton, District 1, HCM City	59B, Binh Thanh Hamlet, Binh Phu Village, Ben Tre City	None

      It was so interesting and easy to interview Mr. Hunt and Mr. Cherry because I had had a great chance to join them as their interpreter on a one-day-charity trip to Ba Tri District of Ben Tre Province (also my hometown) in the Mekong Delta, South Vietnam on 20^th October 2009. They came and offered 26 wheelchairs to 26 handicapped children. Our pictures on this trip and more information about them can be seen at http://www.pbase.com/jimthomp/image/118514498 and www.vnvetsforkids.org respectively. I have kept in touch with them so far and when I asked them for interviews, their help arrived without hesitation. Now Mr. Hunt is living at 15A/21, Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Cherry, who I just interviewed via email, returned home. Moreover, luckily, Mr. Anh who has worked as a policeman in the USA since 1983 is my neighbor at present. He often comes to Vietnam on some special occasions like Tet holidays for family reunion. Mr. Anh and I spent days sharing things we both are interested in. All of the interviewees spent years in Vietnam.

      I asked them these questions:

      1. Could you tell me about your cultural experiences such as intercultural obstacles to living in Vietnam? What did you expect on your first trip to Vietnam?

      2. How long did these culture shocks last?

      3. What was the most outstanding culture shock experience?

      4. What do you think about the Vietnamese culture? Do you know reasons why we have these cultural differences?

      5. How can you adjust yourself when living in Vietnam?

      6. What can you suggest us to do in order to decrease culture shocks and make intercultural communication better?

And then in order to summarize the information given, I sent them a checklist asking them to mark the problems with A (very good), B (good), C (bad) and D (very bad) (see Table 2).

Table 2: Marking on issues

Names	Ronald L. Hunt	Ngo Ky Anh	Corbin L. Cherry
English in Vietnam
Traffic
Economic issues
Family ties
Social issues
Governmental responsibility

      Besides these interviews, I also read books to find out more concrete supporting ideas for my paper. And finally I did surf on the internet for other sources of information which may help me cement and clear my explanations.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The Result

      In the first place, the interviewees find the Vietnamese people resourceful, creative and generally happy and content. They maintain that instead of many difficulties and problems, the Vietnamese are warm, friendly, hospitable and curious about other cultures. Another good point is that the living pace here is suitable to them. It is not very stressful in some big cities and it turns out to be very peaceful in the countryside. They admit, moreover, there are many things they can see more clearly and feel better than they expected. Vietnam has not closed its door to other countries in some ways. It is more uninhibited to some countries and so are the Vietnamese. Another detail is that the rapid economic growth of Vietnam has made a strong impression on them. Today Vietnam’s new face tells them that the Vietnamese will overcome difficulties and gain prosperity someday.

      However, in the second place, I was really surprised to learn that they were so willing to talk about their culture shocks in Vietnam. And here are some common culture shocks in details that I have summarized through the talks:

      Culture shock 1 (CS1) is about language barrier. The first culture shock they experienced is the language. They can not speak Vietnamese and when they first moved here they had much difficulty adjusting to life here. They were expecting more people to be able to speak English, but that was a mistake. “I decided to live in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City because I sensed that more Vietnamese had experience with foreigners in this area and I could find more people to speak English” Mr. Hunt said. Mr. Cherry also complained that some of his interpreters seemed to act well in daily conversations, but ineffectively in a particular job. In addition, it was difficult for them when they would try to set up internet service, purchase things in a store, buy sim cards and ask for directions. They do not deny that if someone speaks English in Vietnam, she or he is able to get a better job and more opportunities for promotions.  Most businesses here give the best positions to people who can speak English well.  So, they find no reasons why more people here do not try to learn English. It may be understood that the people can not afford to study.

      Culture shock 2 (CS2) is about terrible traffic. They are shocked by the lack of good transportation here. Most cities in America and even in other countries have a metro or subway system to get around the city easily. Ho Chi Minh City still relies mostly on motorbikes, and the roads are terrible and congested all the time.  There were also no highways connecting one city with another.  In their country, people can travel on a highway and drive fast to go from one place to another.  “Here it takes several hours to go to cities like Da Lat or Nha Trang” Mr. Hunt said.  Also, in their country, the traffic rules are very strict and everyone obeys.  “Here,” Mr. Anh, a US policeman, emphasized many times, “people drive on sidewalk, drive wrong way on one way streets, and rarely obey red lights or people walking.” Especially, he does not know why drunken motor - riders and drivers are not punished strictly enough for breaking the transportation laws here. They can not believe their eyes that getting a taxi at the airport is also a problem. Most people are usually jostling against each other in a crowd instead of standing in a queue to wait for their turn or something.

      Culture shock 3 (CS3) is about economic issues. As mentioned above, the interviewees find Vietnam economy stronger than they expected. Yet, it is still very weak if compared with those of the neighboring countries. They are surprised at how many people in Vietnam are poor and not working.  There are not many companies setting up factories and businesses here. When they went to nearby countries, such as Manila, the Philippines, Taipei, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, they saw many western companies there. Mr. Hunt said “The government in Vietnam makes it so difficult to do business here.” In Mr. Cherry’s opinions, this discourages many investors, and so they feel it is easier to set up business in a neighboring country. The interviewees, finally, conclude that this policy hurts the economy here and contributes to so many people being unemployed.

      Culture shock 4 (CS4) is about family ties. Mr. Anh is impressed by the strong family connection of Vietnamese people. He feels lost in America when families are not so strong and especially, when people grow up: they usually leave the family and start their own life after they finish university education. But Mr. Cherry and Mr. Hunt believe it is not unusual for Vietnamese young people to live with their families beyond 30 years old and often stay in their parent’s home all their lives, even after they marry and have children.  Although they admit that it is really great when the families stay very close and the young people feel strong responsibility to take care of their parents when they grow old, such a thing does not usually encourage self - determination, self – reliance or self - support and freedom. It is very rare in the west. They think part of the reason is that the Vietnamese young people do not earn much money and can not afford to live away from their family. They are also very surprised that Vietnamese parents still make decisions for their children that effect their lives, even when the children are grown in their 20’s or 30’s. Vietnamese parents do not usually allow their children to make their own decisions and learn from their successes or failures.

      Culture shock 5 (CS5) is about governmental responsibility. Probably the most shocking experience, in Mr. Cherry and Mr. Hunt’s eyes, has been the lack of assistance the government, or the local provinces do to support the sick and disabled people in Vietnam. Because most of their work is with charity and humanitarian assistance, they can see clearly that there are so many families who can not afford medical care or surgery for their disabled children or family members. Mr. Cherry said proudly “In my country, there are many organizations that help financially and care for those people.” In Vietnam, they think, people rely almost entirely on outside help and the local governments do very little and seem to have little interest. It leaves the people to feel that their government does not care about them and makes them feel helpless and alone. They hold the view that it is really a struggle to get the right attention of the government officials to the plight of poor older persons, poor street children and children from broken homes, jobless women and the other underprivileged groups.

      Culture shock 6 (CS6) is about social issues. The interviewees are saddened to see so many Vietnamese, especially young people, smoke cigarettes, gamble and take to drinking. They added that there are too many pubs, bars and illegal sidewalk casinos everywhere. In the west, these places have to be gathered in one certain area and there is much publicity and advertising against smoking or drinking because of the health risks and social evils. But they see no such advertising here and the young people appear not to care how bad these habits are for them. In addition, their dissatisfaction also comes from their partners’ being late for appointments so often. It seems that people here accept this without feeling uncomfortable. Punctuality is also a matter of form in many government offices.

      In summary, the problems the interviewees have faced occur everywhere daily, and the Table 3 below can show the interviewees’ general views on these issues (see Table 3). This table requires no further explanations. To be frank, Vietnamese people themselves have been facing them for years. Anyway, I always keep in mind that what they have talked about Vietnam has encouraged me to get to know more about my own culture and, interestingly, can help us build up a better Vietnam.

Table 3: Marking on issues

Names	Ronald L. Hunt	Ngo Ky Anh	Corbin L. Cherry
English in Vietnam	C	B	C
Traffic	D	D	C
Economic issues	D	C	D
Family ties	C	A	C
Social issues	C	C	C
Governmental responsibility	C	B	C

Discussion of Differences

      It is a fact beyond dispute that Vietnamese people need to make great changes to bridge the gap or/ and to bridge the cultural differences. There has been no excuse for our bad administration, corruption, rude behavior, social evils, poor public hygiene, environment pollution, unemployment any longer. The people here are all tired of these. I myself sometimes feel the same and think about these in the same way as the interviewees do. I really share their opinions.

      However, after having a closer look at some of the basic Vietnamese features, I have got more constructive explanations. Things are not what they look like. It is not very far from the truth that Vietnamese people are not shocking people and many of these culture shocks are just a typical reaction to differences. These differences, the so – called culture shocks, can lead to misunderstanding. Misunderstandings of Vietnamese culture have led to many unfortunate incidents, including court cases, causes for the small number of tourists to Vietnam and damage to the image of Vietnam. (Many tourists come to Vietnam only one time and refuse to come back!) To get beyond the reactions of culture shock like this requires a self-conscious effort to understand the reasonableness of other people’s way of life. Here are brief descriptions of special and basic features that are frequently misconstrued by foreigners, especially, by those who pay a visit to Vietnam for the first time and that may help them avoid unexpected events and bring unexplainable things in Vietnamese culture to light:

      Firstly, “Vietnam is an agricultural civilization based on wet rice cultivation with ancient Dong Son culture as one of its defining aspects. The major stimulation of Vietnamese culture's development comes from indigenous factors, with Chinese and Indian influence serving to further enrich it...” (“Vietnam”, 2010) Still based on wet rice cultivation, the Vietnamese have formed a seasonal (agricultural) culture with simplicity, adaptability to circumstances and harmony with nature highly spoken. This is different from an industrial one with principles, conquering nature and punctuality considered the best. This kind of lifestyle is less stressful. “People tend not to rush because their concept of time is much more elastic. In contrast to the almost compulsive punctuality of Americans, Vietnamese people frequently arrive late for appointments.” (Nguyen, 1985, p. 410) Also, this kind of lifestyle is practically and seasonally flexible and changeable. “Ở bầu thì tròn, ở ống thi dài” (Water changes its shape in accordance with its container) is a very popular Vietnamese saying, singing for practical adaptability to specific circumstances. Being strictly law – abiding is really a hard thing. That is why (traffic) regulations are still rather difficult and annoying for them to understand fully and obey exactly. When people are out, much attention could be paid to the saying “chỗ nào đi được” (place where they are able to move) by the Vietnamese instead of   “chỗ nào được đi” (place where they are allowed to move) by the Americans.

      Secondly, with an agricultural civilization and nearly 70 % people living in the countryside, a close family member relationship is necessary for Vietnamese people to share the job of cultivation and reaping by hand in a short time. Because American culture stresses individualism, Americans find it difficult to appreciate the power of kinship for the Vietnamese. Nguyen, D. (1985) affirms that “The family is the fundamental social unit that is the primary source of cohesion and continuity in traditional Vietnamese society which commands children to honor their parents. One's behavior, for better or for worse, reflects not only on oneself but also on the family.” (p. 410). The family may be involved in his/her decisions, and they may not leave such a decision solely to him/her. Such an obligation and prolonged closeness which may create friction, mutual dependency and a common origin of emotional illnesses are one of the traditional Vietnamese values.

      Vietnamese people, thirdly, did spend years in wars. The culture and economy have hurt seriously. The Vietnamese have been reconstructing the country. Now they need time, cooperation, and above all the empathy to heal all sorrows, wounds and conflicts. The types of CS2, CS3, CS5 and CS6 can be seen not only in Vietnam but also in any other developing countries in the world. Of course, the Vietnamese will have to adjust much, but the time and level of adjustment will necessarily vary with the situations involved.

      Fourthly, though Vietnam is a place where many cultures from east to west meet, the Vietnamese are most strongly influenced by the Confucian code of ethics and Buddhism. For Confucianism, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism on 19^th January 2010, the man - to - man relationship is extended by analogy to a series of five bonds in which the seniors are the decision - makers:

1.      Ruler to Ruled

2.      Father to Son

3.      Husband to Wife

4.      Elder Brother to Younger Brother

5.      Friend to Friend (“Confucianism”, 2010)

For Buddhism, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism on 19^th January 2010, these five precepts below are training rules in order to live a better life in which one is happy, without worries, and one can meditate well:

1. To refrain from taking life (non-violence towards sentient life forms)
2. To refrain from taking that which is not given (not committing theft)
3. To refrain from sensual (including sexual) misconduct
4. To refrain from lying (speaking truth always)
5. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness (drugs and alcohol…) (“Buddhism”, 2010)

Further information on Confucian and Buddhist beliefs can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism respectively. Both Confucian and Buddhist beliefs urge Vietnamese persons to be shy and modest. “These religious concepts and beliefs have been transmitted through the generations to produce an attitude towards life that may be perceived as passive. Self-control is another traditional value of the Vietnamese. Emotions are typically kept to oneself. They may be painful, distraught and unhappy, yet they suffer in silence and in privacy and rarely complain except perhaps to friends or relatives” (Nguyen, D. 1985, p. 410). Sometimes, conflicts must give them a secret joy to measure themselves against their troubles. Therefore, while Americans are goal-oriented, Vietnamese prefer activities that develop the human essence, such as philosophy, poetry and meditation. Unlike Americans who look to the future and plan for progress, Vietnamese cherish and uphold their ties with the past. Vietnamese people, for example, always inflame incense daily to worship their ancestors. Therefore, for foreigners, a knowledge about Vietnamese culture and beliefs could further their capacities for empathy and tolerance so that they will see Vietnamese people as persons culturally worthy of attention and respect, not as persons worthy of pity or compassion.

      In brief, the culture shocks as mentioned above have occurred inevitably. The process which the interviewees have experienced is regular and natural. Everything they see, hear, or feel is strange to them just because they have stepped out of their own world. I have reviewed some features of the cultural Vietnamese background here with the hope that such unexpected things can be avoided.

CONCLUSION

      This study is very significant and teaches me many precious lessons.

      Firstly, as a learner, I think the study of culture shock in particular and this Intercultural Communication course in general have brought me from unanalyzed to analyzed state about many aspects of culture, especially about culture shocks. I have understood it is completely normal that culture shocks will occur in some way when one culture hits another or even when two cultures coexist. Culture diversity makes culture shocks occur. Besides that, I have also recognized the phases, symptoms and the way to deal with culture shocks. With the knowledge and the very teaching method drawn from Mr. Dat, I will be able to become a more experienced teacher of English. It is true because I remember that to teach, in fact, is partially to transform experience into lessons inasmuch as lessons reenter experience. Transformation of experience into lessons opens a new teaching way to old lessons of culturally traditional values. Intercultural Communication is more than a course of culture.

       Secondly, as a teacher of English, things presented above are repeatedly helpful to my teaching practice. I will try harder to help my students improve their intercultural awareness and competence with better language proficiency. I will train them some adaptation skills. I will integrate indigenous cultures into English language teaching. And if I can advice someone when she/he enters a new culture, I would like him/her to remember the 2 A’s (Ask and be Aware) or a 3C (Cross – Cultural Competence). I know that the most sensitive situations always require awareness of the basic values, beliefs and traditions that have been imprinted for an entire lifetime.

      As a Vietnamese, lastly, I am proud of our historical heritage of 4,000 years of civilization. I will try my best to make our cultural features clearer to my foreign friends. Moreover, I recommend that more intercultural communication activities such as festivals, art exhibitions, beauty competitions, sports events, and workshops should be taken place more often yearly. Through these activities, Vietnam will let the world know more about itself and the world will recognize the characteristics and diversity of Vietnamese culture.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Do, T. K. L. (2010). Dac trung van hoa lua nuoc cua nguoi Viet the hien qua tuc ngu (Characteristics of Vietnamese wet rice culture in proverbs). Retrieved January 20^th 2010, from

http://www.vienvhnn.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12:-c-trng-vn-hoa-lua-nc-ca-ngi-vit-th-hin-qua-tc-ng-&catid=10:ngon-ng-hc&Itemid=10  

Jandt, F. E.  (2001). Intercultural Communication: Culture shock (3^rd ed.). Sage Publications, 14: 340-343, 19: 479-480.

Nguyen, D. (1985). Culture shock: A review of Vietnamese culture and its concepts of health and disease. West J Med, 142:409-412

Perrin, R. (2004). Pocket guide to APA style. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Wikipedia. (December, 2009). Culture shock. Retrieved            January 25^th 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock

Wikipedia. (January, 2010). Buddhism. Retrieved January 19^th 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

Wikipedia. (January, 2010). Confucianism. Retrieved January 19^th 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism

Wikipedia. (May, 2009). Culture shock. Retrieved January 27^th, 2010 from http://www.nhtvwiki.nl/wiki02/index.php?title=File:Culture_shock.jpg  

Wikipedia. (2010). Vietnam. Retrieved January 21^st 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam

William Drake & Associates. (2002). Excerpts from Managing Culture Shock. Retrieved January 27^th 2010, from http//:www.juliaferguson.com/shock.html