This exercise will provide a solution to the difficulties you can experience when coming back home: storytelling. After reflecting, share your story with others in order to communicate the added value of study abroad.

Watch the following video episode, where our Digipassers discuss exam preparations.

Introducing Storytelling

Reverse culture shock is unpleasant, but it is also insightful to explore the reasons why you feel ‘shocked’ as it helps you to understand how you have grown and changed during your time abroad. Once you know and understand the reasons why you experience difficulty in getting reacquainted to your ‘old’ surroundings, you will be able to combat the feelings of reverse culture shock by communicating about your experience.

What have you learned and how have you changed? If you are struggling to put this in words, storytelling could be the answer!

A solution with storytelling: Communicate the added value of studying, learning, or working abroad

Do you have difficulty explaining the added value of your study abroad experience? What parts should you highlight to show what you have learned and how you have grown? You know and feel that you have changed, but you do not know how to put this in words?

If you are struggling to communicate the benefits of your study abroad experience, storytelling could be the answer!

Reverse Culture Shock - Storytelling.pdf

The 6 S's of Storytelling

Some common features characterize stories and they have been defined as the 6 'S's of Storytelling.

They are:

Story - the narrative content
Story architect - the author of the story
Storyteller - the media or people telling the story
Story listener - the audience
Show - the way the story is told, which creates emotional involvement
Set - the framework of the narrative, including time and space

In addition, other important factors are:

Story holder - the “echo chamber” of the listener, who repeats, reworks and changes the narrative
Story audience analysis - beliefs, interests, habits, etc.
Skills - the competences (and people) creating the effective content

Exercise: Use storytelling to describe yourself

In the Ambassadorship and Launching Your Career modules you will go more in depth with storytelling as a device to communicate your experience. In this exercise we will practice storytelling according to the 6 S's. Describe yourself following the prompts you receive in the exercise then analyse your answers according to the theory and 6 'S's of storytelling. Do you think it is appealing? What does it miss?

Click on the 'Take the Survey' button to start this exercise!

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