5/25/2018 Lesson 5. Cultural Miscommunication

5/25/2018 Lesson 5. Cultural Miscommunication

I have a great time listening Brother Ivers lesson about Cultural Miscommunication, https://video.byui.edu/media/04+Cultural+Miscommunication+/0_3aaa6xxh/28027982

I think there are two types of Cultural Misunderstandings. The first type is very mild and it doesn’t hurt anyone. The second type is more dangerous because it could cause real hurt feelings and serious problems.

Such cultural differences belong to the first type when people from some Asian countries politely refuse complements or refuse gifts when it is offered to them. In some cultures, it is also polite to refuse refreshments two times and agree to get it when it is offered the third. time.

The second type of cultural misunderstandings according to my understanding the different way how some people talk to each other and how they listen. African American people tend to look at the person when they are talking to them and look somewhere else when they are listening. In the White American culture, it is the opposite way.

In Bulgaria and Albania people nod with their head when they think no and shake their head when they think yes.

I took me a while to make connections with what Brother Ivers was talking about until I realized that I am actually doing the same thing. When someone complements on my children, I always reject it and mention something that they are not doing that well. When someone offers me something I refuse it even if I want it.

The last time I had a really funny story. I love Family History work and I really wanted to try to have a DNA test to find out more about my ancestors. A sister who is serving in a family history calling and we often exchange letters with each other, one day sent me a letter and offered me a DNA test as a gift. I know that it is expensive and I kindly refused it. I was actually so mad at myself, because I really, really wanted that test. I was even thinking, “
Why am I doing this? Why I cannot just accept it?” She nicely explained that her son made test and they didn’t find out anything special, so she would like to give to someone who is from a different country and who might find out something interesting. I was fighting with my inner-self, “accept, not to accept, ask for it, refuse it”. I then convinced myself that it is OK to accept it and then I wrote her a letter, that I would love to have it.

I remember a saying my dad taught me. He usually says to me: “If they give you accept it, if they hit you run away from it”. This is actually a funny Hungarian rhyme. The funny thing that even though my dad said this to me, but he does the same thing. He also politely refuses things. On the other hand, my mom always offers to the missionaries snacks or food several times. That is really just our culture, we offer to everyone several times, or at least until they accept it.

                                                     Would you like a slice of cake?

I think as an EFL teacher we need to be aware of the cultural differences our students might have. We all want that our students would succeed, so it is our duty to investigate the differences and also to call attention to them, so our students would also know about them. Teaching about cultural differences is also a great topic. It is really an interesting topic and besides that it is very useful. We need to prepare our students to be "international citizens".