Ibunka!_Unit11 / OSF 11

People in Other Cultures Part 2

People from a range of cultural backgrounds responded to the ΖEXQND 6XUYH\ on this topic. Here DUH D IHZ RI WKHLU UHVSRQVHV IRU \RX WR UHDG DQG WKLQN DERXW

SURVEY

Q1 :KDW GR \RX GR ZKHQ \RX VKDUH D VSDFH IRU H[DPSOH EHLQJ LQ DQ HOHYDWRU WR WKH WK ȵRRU ZLWK RQH other person, or waiting in line at a supermarket) with people you don’t know? Which would you feel more comfortable with: making some small talk, or ignoring that person? Why?

1

2

I don’t say anything. I act as if no one is there. I think it's the norm in Japan.

I would feel more comfortable behaving as if that person didn’t exist. If I don’t know that person, I don’t see a reason to communicate.

Yuta -DSDQHVH HQJLQHHU KDV OLYHG LQ $XVWUDOLD DQG WKH 8$(

Millie &RVWD 5LFDQ \RJD WHDFKHU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ

11-01

11-02

3

In France people usually keep to themselves, or might just say a word of greeting at most. But when I lived in the USA, I was surprised that people would always try to start up a conversation. The same thing happens when queuing for the supermarket cash register. Many American people soon engage in some light HTS[JWXFYNTS .Y XJJRX QNPJ YMJ^ KJJQ F SJJI YT ƳQQ YMJ XNQJSHJ

Jacques )UHQFK SURIHVVRU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ KDV OLYHG LQ WKH 86$

11-03

4

Once, as I was waiting in line to order in a fast food restaurant in Japan, an American man standing in front of me turned, saw me, and began to chat. This wasn’t so strange for me, since in my country we sometimes make small talk with strangers while we are waiting. It felt pleasant to have a little conversation.

11-04

5

Brent $XVWUDOLDQ ODZ\HU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ

But as we waited longer for our orders, he started getting more and more personal. He told me what he’d seen and done in Japan, what he did for a living, and then he started telling me about his family. He even got out photos of his children to show me. This felt too sudden and intimate. It was a little embarrassing to me.

11-05

COMPREHENSION 1

Read the responses and mark the statements true or false .

True False

VOCABULARY

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