Romania

Romanian culture values and respects age and experience, viewing older people as wise and entrusting them with group decisions. This respect for the elderly is not the only indication of Romania’s hierarchical nature. Positions of power are also well respected, and titles are considered important.

One thing you may notice about your Romanian student is a strong desire for privacy. This is highly evident in Romanian culture, as people in Romania tend to be more reserved and can appear shy. Even once your student develops a relationship with you and begins to open up more, he/she might not share as much as a typical American teenager would.

Romanians tend to be fairly direct about how they feel, but they can be more reserved about discussing ideas and plans. It may be helpful to ask follow-up and clarifying questions.

Fun Fact: Rather than watching for a groundhog to see its shadow, Romanians watch for brown bears to take a break from their hibernation to determine whether spring is near or winter will continue.