Paps

Activity

1. After reading the paragraph, comment on the following statements:

a) observations about many people from the United States
b) observations about the English
c) an observationabout Japanese children
d) the meaning of lowering one’s eyes in Japan
e) why looking for a long time may be considered disrespectful
f) the meaning of widened eyes in Chinese culture


2.Before receiving a visitor form a foreign country – or before travelling abroad – you need to think about the cultural issues that may affect the relationship.

a) What things do you consider areimportant to avoid being disrespectful?
Now read the interview to Peter Welch, the Director of an international company who talks about what he thinks is important in preparing for business contactswith people from other cultures. He mentions several key areas to find out about. Identify six of them.
Interviewer: So, if you are going on a business trip, or meeting someone from
another country– perhaps a different culture – what do you
need to think about?
Peter: Well, it’s not so obvious. I always try to know something about
the actual political and economic situation in the othercountry
– the politics. the economics. I should always know something
about that, about what’s happening. Also if I’m going abroad, I
find out a little about the infrastructure – I mean thetelecommunications, the transport, that sort of thing.
Interviewer: And do you find out about the general background, basic
information about the country?
Peter: The culture yes. Certainly, thereligion, the language – I might
learn some polite phrases – the geography, maybe a little
history. And how people live, what kind of culture it is, how
people socialize, food, drink, all that isvery important.
Interviewer: How about family life?
Peter: Yes, that too. How families live, about the relation private live
and business, do they mix… so on.
Exercise
 Complete the...