Post 373: Why Learn About How Other Cultures Greet Each Other?

Post 373: Why Learn about how other cultures greet each other?

I say it in one word: respect.  In American culture for instance, it is okay to look someone directly in the eyes and shake their hand.  When you look someone directly in the eye, this tells the other person that you are honest, genuine and you respect that other person.

In Asian cultures, you do not look someone directly in the eye because if you do look someone directly in the eye (especially someone of higher rank than you), then, you are showing disrespect to that person.

There have been many instances where failure to understand cultural differences have resulted in disaster.  If you are a businessman, and you travel to Japan hoping to make a big deal with Japan for your American company, and you look at a high ranking Japanese businessman directly in the eye while shaking his hand, you may lose the deal since Japanese custom involves looking downward and bowing to a high ranking Japanese businessman.

Cultural faux pas like that gives the Japanese businessman that you are someone who did not study cultural customs and that you do sloppy business. 

If a Japanese businessman comes to America hoping to score a big deal with an American company, same token, the Japanese business has to learn the American custom of looking someone directly in the eye to show honesty, respect while shaking hands to seal the deal.

If you have a class full of Asian students and you wonder why those students never meet you in the eye directly, now you know why. An Asian student is showing the teacher respect by looking away.

Knowing your students' culture will help you as a teacher avoid such cultural faux pas and avoid embarrassing teaching gaffes when dealing with international students for the first time.

Before teaching at your new ESL school, take the time to research the school to find out the student demographics. If that ESL school has a high percentage of Asian students, then learn more about Asian culture. If that ESL school has a lot of European students, then learn more about European culture. In this way, you will be able to adapt to the class and the students will respect you more. Remember, learning about another culture's customs and greeting is all about respect.