REVISION ON INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

I. Test Format

Question 1: (6pts)

State what you know about one cultural issue (give examples or make comparison
between Vietnamese culture and others to illustrate your answers)

Question 2: (4pts)

Explain or make a comparison about one issue/feature in different cultures.

II. Questions
1. Ways the English/American and the Vietnamese make introductions.
Introductions are significant in almost every country in the world. Each
country has its own ways of making introductions. Americans and Vietnamese
have some similarities in the way they make introductions, but they also have
differences that need to be aware of.
First of all, both countries used titles when greeting. Titles are used when
there is a difference in status or age between two individuals. In America, they
often use formal titles and last names to call people who are older or of
different status. For example, Students meet their teacher and they have to call
their teacher “Mr”, or “Ms” with the teacher’s last name to show their
respect toward their teacher. In Vietnam, people also used titles when they
meet someone, but instead of calling the opposite person by their last name, we
often call each other by our given names. Secondly, Americans and Vietnamese
tend to have a small talk after greeting. In America, many Americans greet by
saying “How are you?”. This is usually a form of greeting rather than an
actual inquiry about your well-being. The common response is “I’m good,
thanks. How are you?”. Giving an answer that is deeply personal or less
positive can make the situation uncomfortable if you are not very familiar with
the person. In opening deeper conversations, Americans often ask people about
their occupations like “So, what do you do?”. By contrast, Vietnamese people
tend to ask questions that are personal like “ How old are you?”, “Are you
married?”. Because when people greet in Vietnam, they need to know if the
person they are talking to is older or younger than them in order to have a
proper way of addressing. According to the Vietnamese concept, asking people
about their age and status is a way to show that they want to get close. Finally,
A handshake is the most common greeting when meeting someone for the first
time or in a professional setting in America. Handshakes should be firm and
accompanied by direct eye contact throughout the greeting. On the other hand,
 the Vietnamese are also accustomed to shaking hands. Some Vietnamese might
use two hands to shake by resting the left hand on top of the grasp with the
other person's hand. Bowing the head while shaking hands indicates respect.
Elders should be greeted especially respectfully.
In conclusion, there are some similarities in the way America and Vietnam
make introductions, but between two countries also have certain differences.

2. Addressing terms in the English and Vietnamese culture.

Since the dawn of humankind on Earth, we have well established our

domination upon the Earth and as our territory spreads all over the world, our
population does the same. This creates the diversity in culture in each
designated area. Specifically, we will discuss the difference between
addressing terms in Vietnam versus in the USA.
First and foremost, there are many expressions that are used in English-
speaking countries but not in Vietnam. The most noticeable examples are
"Thank you" and "Sorry". In the USA, people will say "thank you" frequently
as a polite response to different kinds of favors and compliments, and it's
almost done instinctively. It is completely different in Vietnam where these
terms are more often than not kept in the heart instead of saying out-loud.
When you do something for someone in Vietnam, you will rarely hear the term
"Thank you" but you can clearly notice their gratitude through their facial
expression and normally you will get something in return. This difference is
based on the fact that Americans think that saying sorry and thank you
expresses brave action while most Vietnamese people often see having to
apologize as an act of self-indulgence.
Secondly, dirvectness while speaking is perceived drastically differently in
the two countries. In America, direct-honesty and frankness are more
important to Americans than “saving face”. They are quick to get to the main
point and typically do not spend too much time on formal social amenities.
They prefer talking over disagreements and trying to patch up
misunderstanding themselves rather than asking a third party to mediate
disputes. Many expressions in the USA also exemplify their directness in verbal
communication such as: "Don’t beat around the bush”, “ Let’s get down to
business” or “Let's get to the point”. If they don’t like sth, they will say
directly “ I don’t like it”. However, Vietnamese people, who value ingenuity
and softness, are careful in the communication process, value courtesy and at
the same time solve problems, often value the process more than Americans,
accept compromise and avoid conflicts. It is also considered rude to say
directly: "I disagree with you" or “You’re wrong” in most situations.
Last but not least, silence is interpreted by Vietnamese people in a different
way compared to Americans. In the USA, even two or three seconds of silence
can become uncomfortable as they consider silence in a conversation to mean
disapproval, disagreement or unsuccessful communication. They often try to
fill silence by saying sth even if they have nothing to say. According to some
 Japanese, Americans ask too many questions and do not give the other person
enough time to formulate a careful answer. In contrast, Vietnamese, as well as
most Asian people, long silence are tolerated to create an appropriate answer
and to not interrupt the others, which makes the Americans think Asian people
appear too passive and uninterested in the conversation.
In conclusion, there are definitely many differences in addressing terms in
Vietnam compared to in the USA. This just goes to show how differently we
have managed to develop our culture and create a beautiful variation of
traditions.

3. Cultural conflicts in two different cultures.

Cultural conflict is a dislike, misunderstanding, or struggle between
communities that have different philosophies and ways of living. Some
misunderstandings can be considered skipped, but some are too serious to
ignore.
Firstly, The way Vietnamese and American people make small talk after
greeting each other is really different. In America, people like to ask questions
that are not too personal, they just simply ask questions like “ Where are you
from?” or “How are you?”, “What do you do?”. Americans prefer asking as
many meaningless questions as they can to avoid awkward silence. By
contrast, Vietnamese people like to get straight to the point. When we first meet
a person, then “How old are you?” is almost the question that is asked the
most. It is crucial preliminary detail about someone, as it tells us what pronoun
should we use to address them. Beyond this question, other questions like “Are
you married?” or “How much money do you earn a month?” are also
commonly asked. Secondly, children in two cultures have different choices in
the way they choose to live. In America, as far as youngsters have legal
independence, they might go far away from their homes and start to live
independently and probably just hope to see their family once a year.
Conversely, Vietnamese teenagers choose to stay as close to family as
possible. Because no matter how old we are, in the eyes of parents, their
offsprings are always little kids that they want to protect. Besides that, family
duty is very important and it is our responsibility as a son or a daughter to take
care of our parents and elder family members. Finally, Vietnam and America
are very dissimilar in enjoying the sun. American people really love sunlight,
they always go to the beach at the sunniest time as they want to get tanned
skin. In the US, they like tanned skin and they assume it’s the result of traveling
and enjoying a lot, or in another word, it shows affluence. On the other hand,
Vietnamese people don’t like sunlight. They think the sun is like their enemy.
They fear the hotness from the sun, or even worse is the fear of getting tanned.
When foreigners first come to Vietnam and they walk along the street, it is not
difficult to see women who cover from head to toe, with only their eyes
exposed. In Vietnamese culture, the whiter the skin, the more beautiful a
person is. Because according to the concept of people from ancient times, dark
 skin was associated with farmers, and white skin meant people of the
sophisticated “indoor” class.
In conclusion, cultural conflict happens between two or more communities
all over the world, in order to avoid some unnecessaries misunderstandings,
we should learn about diverse cultures.

4. Ways to adjust to a new culture.

Cultural shock usually happens when a person has to live in a totally
different environment. The subjects often faced with this case are migrants or
international students. These are some ways to help people adapt easily to a
new culture.
First of all, people should read articles and watch videos about the culture
they are about to encounter. The internet has great sources for those looking to
travel or study abroad and can provide students with the basic knowledge they
need to know to live in a new culture quickly and can avoid potentially
embarrassing situations. Secondly, befriending locals is an excellent way to
adjust to a new environment and learn more about it. When you find yourself in
an unfamiliar situation, try to think of it as a new adventure. Be open to
accepting cultural differences and alternative ways of doing things. The
unfamiliar may be frightening at first but in time you will find yourself taking
these once-unfamiliar situations for granted. Allow yourself to be curious
about the way things are perceived and done in this new environment. Local
friends can teach us new things like their traditions, customs, and norms, they
also can give us insight, and help us acclimate. On the other hand, making
friends from a similar cultural background as us are also crucial. Fellow
friends can relate to us and empathize with our struggles and can also become
a great source of comfort while abroad. Thirdly, improving our language level
allow us to increase our communication skills and integrate into the local
community. It is well-known that language shapes thinking and multilingual
are considered to have multiple personalities. When we speak a country’s
language very well, we might find it easier to understand its inhabitants and
get into its shoes.
In conclusion, there are a variety of ways to adjust to a new environment and
these are just a few means to help us adapt to a different culture.

5. Non-verbal communication in the English and Vietnamese culture.

Good communication is the foundation of successful relationships, both
personal and professional. But we communicate with much more than words.
Most of the messages we send to other people are non-verbal.Non-verbal
communication includes our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture,
and tone of voice.We can see some differences in non-verbal communication of
Vietnamese and English people.
First of all, respect is conveyed by the use of special terms of address and
certain stylistic devices. But respect is also expressed by nonverbal behavior. A
 Vietnamese student who sits quietly and listens attentively to the teacher wants
to express respect to his teacher. This behavior has often been misinterpreted
by the American teacher as passivity and non-responsiveness. It is also out of
respect that the Vietnamese student avoids eye contact with the teacher when
speaking or being spoken to. By American standards, a person acting in this
way would appear suspicious, unreliable, or mischievous. In Vietnamese
culture, however, looking into somebody’s eyes, especially when this person is
of a higher status (in age or in social or family hierarchy) or of a different
gender, usually means a challenge or an expression of deep passion. The
proper respectful behavior is to avoid eye contact in talking who is not an
equal or the same sex.
Secondly, the smile is sometimes enigmatic to the American observer, is
another nonverbal symbol conveying the feeling of respect in Vietnamese
culture. It is used as an expression of apology for a minor offense, for example
for being tardy to class, or as an expression of embarrassment when
committing an innocent blunder. For the Vietnamese, the smile is a proper
response in most situations in which verbal expression is not needed or not
appropriate. It is used as a substitute for “I’m sorry”, “Thank you” or “Hi!”
It is used instead of a ready yes to avoid appearing over-enthusiastic. A smile
is also a proper response to scolding or harsh words that one does not harbor
any ill feelings toward the interlocutor or that one sincerely acknowledges the
mistake or fault committed.
Thirdly, it should be noted that for certain feelings, Vietnamese culture
prefers non-verbal communication while American culture is more inclined to
use verbal expression. For casual and informal circumstances, feelings of
thankfulness or apology are not expressed by verbal expression such as “thank
you” or “I’m sorry” but by non verbal, silence or a smile. Parents and
teachers never say thanks to their students for a small service, such as closing
the window or passing the books around. A smile will do in this case. The
person who gives a compliment never expects a “thank you” in return. In
Vietnamese culture, a verbal expression of thanks in this case amounts to a
lack of modesty from the person who receives the compliment.A smile or a
blush in the face is the proper response to a compliment. If a verbal response is
necessary, one would deny the compliment, saying that one does not deserve it.
In conclusion, non-verbal communication has a huge impact on the quality of
your personal and professional relationships. What people communicate
through their body language and non-verbal signals affects the way people see
and respect each other.

6. Male – female relations in different cultures.

Male – female relation varies in international society when each country has
its own perspective about this opposite relationship. England, Viet Nam, and
Japan are considered to be the case-in-points for this topic.
 First of all, in England, men and women socialize and collaborate freely to
contribute to society and develop a variety of relationships. Single people of
opposite sexes can be close friends without doubt and prejudices and
furthermore, they can share their personal issues with each other which won`t
be interrupted by romantic feelings. Besides, to couples, they may date with or
without the intention of getting married as they see it as a way to experience
and chance to know more about themselves. Married men and women
sometimes consider each other best friends as spouses. They also socialize with
members of the opposite sex. This does not mean there is no limitation between
these relationships. There are still some invisible constraints existing to
prevent them from getting too far. Secondly, the role of male-female relations
in Viet Nam nowadays are always acknowledged to be crucial when
Vietnamese are often easy-going and look up to the opposite sex’s relationship.
Male children can get to know and make friends with female ones without
being shy or reluctant. Opposite sex relations also appear in work
relationships as an effective tool to integrate to a new environment and collect
more experience. But the contrary happens, it turns into a marriage
relationship when a wife often has to obey the husband’s family rules and
quarrels or arguments seem to be rude or disrespectful. Moreover, the wife
finds it hard to have an opposite sex friend when she gets married due to the
fact that the husband can easily envy and make a fuss about it, leading to
domestic violence or even divorces. Finally, this kind of relation in Japan often
causes arguments when many people suppose it to be a prejudice. Throughout
history the relationship between men and women in Japan has been constantly
changing. In ancient times men and women had the same rights within
families; leaders were women as well as men. In the Nara period things
changed and men started to have more power within the aristocracy and, after
many years, women started to lose their succession and heir rights in the
families. The woman’s role was limited to nurturing children and handling the
family`s chores. In contrast, men's role is to be the breadwinner to make a
living for the whole family and have all the power to control every significant
aspect of the family.
In conclusion, day by day, the relations between male-female in different
cultures are more and more improve and not strict with a tons of fixed rules as
in the past.
7. Family values in the English and Vietnamese culture
The family in every country is considered the foundation for people's growth
and society. Cultures change over time in response to economic, political, and
cultural developments, however. Therefore, “family values” vary from
household to household, from country to country, and from generation to
generation.
 First of all, it is the size of an ideal family. In Vietnam, the Vietnamese
household follows the extended multi-generational pattern because they think
the more children the more wealth. Moreover, whenever there is a special
occasion for family gathering, it will look huge and bring the sense of warmth
and protection. So that a typical extended family often includes three or even
four generations and typically consists of grandparents, father, and mother,
children, and grandchildren, all living under the same roof. On the other hand,
the family structure in the USA is two married individuals living together and
providing love and care for their biological offspring. They consider a nuclear
family is the best choice when everyone can have the privacy and live in the
ways they desire without any interruption. Secondly, the difference in the way
to raise and educate children also shows the contrast between English and
Vietnamese culture. In Vietnam, parents protect children so carefully and
willing to prepare the best way for their child. This is a good thing but it only
conforms with the early years as it may cause serious conflicts when the child
runs away from responsibility, and over-depends on their parents if the
protection is lengthened. Whereas to people who follow English culture,
independence is a major point in formulating a child’s personality. Many
children are taught at a very early young age to make decisions and be
responsible for their actions. It is normal for children to have their separate
rooms and can personal hygiene by themselves at an early age without their
parents by their side. Last but not least, in Vietnamese culture which is
influenced by Taoism, people tend to dignify the tradition and attachment
between family members, so parents usually want to live with their kids with the
hope that the children will support and maintain them when they get older. In
contrast, the West is more liberal and atheistic. Some elderly want to live alone
or go to a nursing home rather than stay at home with their children because
they don't like their life being disordered and vice versa.
In conclusion, the concept of "family value" is rooted in each individual
culture thus making the values different for different societies.
8. Educational Attitudes in Vietnam and in other English-speaking countries.
Educational attitudes in Vietnam and in other English-speaking
countries have some in common and also differences.
Firstly, let’s take a look at similarities. It is no doubt that any country will
have an "honor system". It demands that the student be honest in all areas of
school work. Actions related to cheating, plagiarizing, and copying someone’s
homework are all prohibited, and anyone who tries to break the rules will be
punished depending on their level of fault. Another similarity is shown in the
relationship between teacher and student. In class, the teacher will maintain
the instructor’s role, but outside of the classroom, the teacher and student can
be friends. They can hang out, have coffee or have a meal together, or even
interact with each other on the internet.
On the other hand, educational attitudes in Vietnam and in other English-
speaking countries are still different. In Vietnam, students must obey their
teacher’s commands and remain absolutely silent during a class period. But in
some other English-speaking countries, students may talk, eat, and smoke
during lectures as well as criticize a teacher’s methods or contradict his or her
statements.
Another point is that the roles of teacher and student in the classroom and
teaching style are not the same in different education systems. In Vietnam,
students learn and take notes without understanding the origin and reason
behind the knowledge, as well as without implementing the knowledge in real-
life situations. Because the emphasis of teaching is on theoretical knowledge
rather than class discussion, teachers focus heavily on textbooks. Likewise,
students don’t actively interact with teachers and ask questions. However, in
other English-speaking countries, many courses are organized around
classroom discussions, student questions, and informal lectures. Besides
teaching new lessons, teachers encourage and emphasize the importance of
class discussion and participation. Students listen to the teacher but also speak
up about their opinions and discuss questions with the teacher.
In conclusion, similarities and differences in educational attitudes in Vietnam
and in other English-speaking countries have shown the pros and cons of the
education system in our country, and maybe in the future, Vietnamese
education will change with the integration of educational ideas from Western
countries.

9. Wedding ceremony in Vietnam and in the United Kingdom / the United States
(similarities and differences).
SIMILARITIES
In every nation, a wedding is organized with many formal ritual observances.
Vietnamese and English both share some similarities in wedding ceremony.
 Firstly, both countries have wedding traditions in early time. As early as the
sixteenth, up to the nineteenth century, marriages in Vietnam and England
were arranged by parents or guardians. The bride and bridegroom often were
not acquainted until their marriage. The parents often made the marriage
arrangements and betrothals while the bride and bridegroom were small
children at the age of three to seven. The children would continue to live with
their own parents and meet from time to time for meals or holiday
celebrations.These prearranged marriages came under fire in the late
seventeenth century when a judge held that betrothals and marriages prior the
age of seven “utterly void”. However, they would be valid if, after the age of
seven , the children called each husband and wife, embraced, kissed each
other, gave and recieved Gift of Token. Secondly, Vietnamese and English
culture have the same ceremony structure. Today, a lot of Vietnamese couples
have their wedding ceremony done in chuches which is very much similar to
American and Western style, including exchanging vows and wedding rings.
It’s symbol for their forever cohesion. In the ritual, the master of the
ceremony would give the wedding couple advices on starting a new family. The
groom and the bride’s parents would take turn to share their experience and
give blessing. The groom and the bride then exchange their wedding rings.
Finally, a meal will be serve to all the guest that have attended the wedding. A
banquet is scheduled in the evening at a hotel or a big restaurant. It is always
a delight feast that all relatives, friend, and neighbors are invite. A music band
is usually hired to play live songs. At the banquet, the groom, bride, and their
family are once again introduces to the guests and everyone will drink a toast.
Dinner will be served at the tables.During the reception, the groom, bride, and
their parents will stop by each table to say thank to their guests. A lot of
wedding nowadays are followed by a dancing party, which is opened by the
groom and the bride’s first dance. The party does not recess until very late at
night. The newly wedded couples then leaves for their honey moon.
 In conclusion, wedding is a sacred ritual . In many cultures, it is also a way
to celebrate and announce to everybody that two individuals will stick together
for life.
DIFFERENCES
In every nation, a wedding is organized with many formal ritual observances.
Vietnamese and English both have engagement and wedding ceremony in
marriage arrangerment. However, engagement and wedding ceremony are
completely different in detail.
First of all, the engagement in Vietnam and England have some
dissimilarities. In Vietnam, The groom’s family and relatives go to bride’s
house. They bring about three or twelve trays (It depends on the finance of the
groom’s family) that contain betel leaves and areca nuts , wines, cigarettes,
etc. People who hold the trays all wear traditional dress ao dai , normally red
ao dai because red is a symbol of happiness . The groom’s parents ask for
permisson for their son to get marriage . In England, before wedding , bride
and groom organize a party as an engagement party. Families, relatives,
friends of bride and groom join together, they are witnesses of the coming
marriage. The couple then give reasons of the party to guest. They exchange
rings and cut the cake. In the engagement , two families discussed the date of
marriage very carefully. Vietnamese consider that suitable time and date of
wedding affect much their future. Secondly, the way the Vietnamese and the
English prepare for the ceremony is also a huge difference. Preparation takes
such a long time, normally wedding is arranged at home. Houses of the bride
and groom are well decorated with ribbons, flowers, etc. The atmosphere is
full of music and happiness. Some days before the wedding, the couple go to
try wedding attire on. Nowadays, Vietnamese brides often choose white dress
instead of traditional dress Ao Dai. After that invitation cards will be given to
each guest with betel leaves, areca nuts and cakes. Just before the wedding
ceremony, the groom’s family decorate vehicles with flowers as their
responbility is to go and pick up the bride from her home. The couple need to
make up and dress well, they all want to become the most attractive people in
 their wedding. On the other hand, the english has one good rule of ceremony
site decor is to let nature speak to itself. They prefer celebrating in places such
as a bluff above the crashing surf with the sunset behind, a house of worship, a
church or a synagogue. Bridal gowns are less ornate that the traditional
Western style dress. Anything fancy would require a special trip to a major city
and be very expensive. Brides rarely kept their gowns for their daughters.
Finally, the Vietnamese and the English have different things to do after the
wedding ceremony. After wedding, Vietnamese young couple often don’t have
honeymoon. The day after in the morning the new husband and wife visit the
bride’s family. They bring buiscuits, sweets, chickens, sticky rice, etc because
bride’s family will use these food to cook meal for all family eat together.
Newly wed couple (now husband and wife) pray their ancestor. If the groom’s
house is far from the bride’s house. young couple can visit their parents – in –
law in some days later. Newly wedded English couples then leave for their
honeymoon. Unlike that, Vietnamese couple spend honeymoon at home and of
course they are free at work that day.
In conclusion, Vietnam and England culture share some similarties, but it is
also has a variety of differences.
10. Cultural features of personal relationships in Vietnam and in other English-
speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States…
(similarities and differences).
SIMILARITIES
Personal relationships refer to close connections between people, formed by
emotional bonds and interactions. These bonds often grow from and are
strengthened by mutual experiences. The features of personal relationships in
Vietnam and in England share some similarities.
First of all, the relationship Among acquaintances is the basic relationship in
one’s cultural. They collaborate for the society development. People in both
countries build up connections and relationships to gain knowledge,
experience about various aspects of society to achieve certain goals. This leads
to more innovation, efficient processes, increased success, and improved
communication contributing considerably to their nations.
Secondly, the use of terms are compulsory to show specific attitudes and
express common emotions. This also presents the social status among
individuals to select appropriate behavior. In other words, by employing a
certain addressing terms, speakers want to express his or her feeling or
respect, solidarity and intimacy to the addresser.
Thirdly, both countries have the same feature in male – female
relationship.Men and women socialize and collaborate freely to contribute to
society and develop men a variety of relationships. Single people of opposite
sexes can be close friends without doubt and prejudices and furthermore, they
can share their personal issues with each other which won`t be interrupted by
romantic feelings. Besides, to couples, they may date with or without the
intention of getting married as they see it as a way to experience and chance to
know more about themselves. The bottom line is nowadays the relationship
between a man and a woman is easier and more open-minded for making
friends or being a lover. With the development of modern devices, people have
a more flexible way to communicate with others, and that helps the
relationships of the different genders become more varied and easier. Let's
overlook that, we could realize that children even know how to love someone at

a very young age.

In conclusion, Although the two countries have huge differences in both
culture and geography, Vietnam and the UK still have similar characteristics
in their personal relationships.
DIFFERENCES
Personal relationships refer to close connections between people, formed by
emotional bonds and interactions. These bonds often grow from and are
strengthened by mutual experiences. The features of personal relationships in
Vietnam and in England share some similarities, but it also has a variety of
differences.
 First of all, child raising is the most conspicuous feature which shows the
difference. In Vietnam, children are always considered to be the family`s
treasure, so the growth of each child is carefully supervised and instructed by
family members, especially parents or grandparents to lead them to success
quickly and nurture the next generations. It is a good aspect of Vietnamese
society life but sometimes it may cause serious conflicts when the child may
take too much responsibility, and pressure and they might get depressed and
exhausted. Whereas to people who follow English culture, it is not uncommon
for English parents to put a newborn in a separate room that belongs only to

the child. This helps to preserve the parents’s privacy and allows the child to
get used to living and working independently, the first step toward personal
development. Every child is encouraged to cut the apron strings to experience
and learn about the world by themselves. Secondly, the relationship between
men and women is also different. In England, married men and women
sometimes consider each other best friends as spouses. They also socialize with
members of the opposite sex. This does not mean there is no limitation between
these relationships. In Vietnam, problems in marriage relationship happens
when a wife often has to obey the husband’s family rules and quarrels or
arguments seem to be rude or disrespectful. Moreover, the wife finds it hard to
have an opposite sex friend when she gets married due to the fact that the
husband can easily envy and make a fuss about it, leading to domestic violence
or even divorces. Finally, the relationship between teachers and students is
also contradictory in the way of teaching. While in Viet Nam, students regard
teachers as their parents, so they barely rely on and follow their instructions,
leading to the lack of independent learning and limited practical
knowledge.Learners in English culture only consider teachers to be their
instructors, they just need them whenever they get in trouble. The rest of the
lesson they will learn by themselves and find their own ways to receive the
knowledge effectively.
 In conclusion, Vietnam and the UK still have similar characteristics in their
personal relationships, but two countries have huge differences in both culture
and geography.

11. Definitions of culture, communication, cultural communication and

intercultural communication.
12. Use of titles in introductions.
13. Eye contact and handshaking in introductions.
14. Small talk after introductions.
15. Directness and indirectness in speaking.
16. Ways of expressing common needs in different cultures.
17. Initiating and maintaining conversations.
18. Circles of friends, mobility and friendship in different cultures.
19. Child raising, the nuclear and the extended family.
20.Teacher – student relationships and independent learning.