Cultural Influences On Styles Of Writing And Presenting Ideas

If we return, therefore, to the first question asked at the beginning ­of this chapter - is it true that people from different cultures ‘think differently'? - then the answer appears to be: ‘Yes, in many cases'

They do'. And all students, even if they come from the same culture, must learn to ‘think differently' in the different disciplines they choose to study. So it is essential for you to learn to be flexible in your style of thinking and writing so you can select the style which is mos t appropriate for each task you have to do.

In the next chapters we shall help you to prepare for the shifts in study behaviour you may have to make when you go abroad yourself. We shall begin by explaining the system of education and the ways in which students are expected to study in Australia . If you are planning to go to Britain , Canada or the United States , you will find supplementary information for these countries in the Appendices. In Chapter 5 we go on to examine in more detail the process of critical thinking which is expected of tertiary students in all these countries.

Summary

In this chapter we have looked at cultural variations in styles of thinking which may interfere with study in a foreign institution. We have also examined the influence of different cultures on the ways in which students learn and the styles they use for presenting their ideas. For many Asian students, successful study abroad involves the need to develop a more analytical and critical approach to learing.