They say that Americans are linguistically handicapped. That may be a stereotype, but I can personally vouch for it! Having grown up in Saudi Arabia and having to tell people that I know only English is embarrassing. While many Americans can get by just fine on only English and American culture, many Europeans are forced by the nature of Europe to have more linguistic and cultural knowledge than us Americans, which in an increasingly valuable skill in our progressively globalizing world.

 

-Content Level: Beginner-

In this episode Dallas speaks with Stefan Linden in The Netherlands about working in a multicultural work environment and what it’s like integrating into expat society. Stefan works in a European organization that requires multi-lingual communication as well as cultural understanding on a daily basis. He discusses his move from Germany to The Netherlands and the process of adapting to the new environment, workplace, and culture.

 

In the episode, we discuss:

-What it’s like and personal experiences integrating and working in a multicultural environment

-The impact of different languages on communication

-Benefits of a multicultural work environment

-Risks in a multicultural work environment

-Handling conflict brought on by cultural misunderstandings