cultural awareness文化意识

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Issue

Hand-shaking Bowing

Self-Introduction Company Rank Use of Gestures Interpersonal Distance Pausing Eye Contact Bodily Contact

Possible Suggestion

Use hand signs while you talk

Touch visitors on the hand / head / foot Dip your head to show respect

Wait a few seconds between sentences Use a firm grip

Look people in the eye when speaking Explain your level in your company Offer tea / coffee / alcohol

Stand close to the listener while talking Take visitors to late night bars / clubs Give a little speech about yourself Give expensive presents

Here are some issues to think about when you are a visitor or receive a visitor from abroad. Match the issues with the ideas. Then decide if the ideas are good or bad.

Good / Bad

10 Gifts

11 Refreshments 12 Entertaining

When we receive foreign visitors some actions are inappropriate. The following adjectives describe different types of such actions. Match each problem on the left with one of the likely results on the right.

Problem Likely Result

causing puzzlement and uneasiness causing a mild negative reaction making visitors laugh

lacking awareness of your visitor’s (senior) rank sending your visitors to sleep making an inappropriately large effort causing an extreme negative reaction

1 excessive 2 offensive 3 off-putting 4 boring 5 disrespectful 6 disconcerting 7 culturally insensitive 8 a source of amusement lacking awareness of your visitor’s customs / manners

Discuss the issues above with other class members.

Try to decide which (4) issues the following people should be most careful about.

a) a U.S. citizen visiting your country on business

b) a company in your country receiving visitors from the U.S.

Copyright © 2002 by Charlie Marshall