Cultural differences

Let’s get to know each other

1. Tell something • Hobbies & interests

about yourself: • What countries
• Name (cultures) do you
• Age fancy?
• Where are you from
• What do you do?
Let’s discuss the following quotes

“All people are the same. It’s only their habits

that are so different.” Confucius
“Culture is the learned behaviour of a society or a
subgroup.” Margaret Mead
“Once you are aware of your own mental models
and cultural predispositions, and once you can
respect and understand that those of another
culture are legitimately different, then it becomes
possible to reconcile these
differences.”Trompenaars
“
Restaurant tips

Are tips at restaurants common?

How much is a reasonable tip?
Work dinner parties

Do wives and husbands attend work parties?

Gestures

What are some unique gestures (thumbs up,

middle finger, etc) in your country?
Gift exchange

When you travel, is it common to exchange

gifts?
How about Christmas or any other holidays?
Living with parents

How old do kids live with their parents?

Greetings

How do you greet in your country?

Do you bow or do handshakes?
Safety and crime

Do you think your neighborhood is safe?

What kind of crimes happen in your area?
Punctuality

How often are friends late?

How about buses and trains?
Is it rude being late?
Food and health

What is a typical meal?

How healthy is it?
Are gyms becoming more popular?
Sports

How do sports players show respect after a

game?
Are there any unique sports in your country?
Multiculturalism

Is your country multicultural?

Is multiculturalism a good thing?
How has your country been influenced by
other cultures?
How has you country influenced other
cultures?
Gender discrimination

Do women and men make the same amount

of money for doing the same job?
Is there much gender discrimination in your
home country?
 Do you think "when in Rome, do as the
Romans do" is always good advice? Why or
why not? Have you ever been in a situation
where you felt you had to "do as the Romans
do"?
 Quiz
What do people do with their shoes when they go into a
house in Estonia? In the USA? Why?

Answer:
Estonians take them off so as not to bring in dirt;
Americans and other westerners leave them on to show
respect for the homeowner (this isn’t my home and I
won’t treat it as such)
 How many flowers do you give someone for their
birthday? take with you to a funeral? What about in
England?

Answer:
We give odd for birthdays, even for funerals.
England: colour is more important: white is
generally (although not always) for funerals. A
dozen roses is meant to be an expression of love.
At what age do you think you can vote? sign
contracts? drink alcohol? drive? in Estonia,
South Africa, the USA, and Japan?

Answer:
  Vote Contracts Drink Drive
Ukaraine 18 18 18 16 (supervised)
SA 18 18 18 17 (learners)
USA 18 (17 in 18, 19, 21 21 14-16
primaries)
Japan 20 20 20 18
When you’re in China, what shouldn’t you do
with your chopsticks when eating rice?

Answer:

Don’t leave them in the main rice bowl

What’s the main meat consumed in the USA,
China, and Israel?

Answer:

US: Chicken and Beef; China: Pork; Israel:

Chicken and turkey
 How do people greet each other in France,
Britain, and Japan?

Answer:

France: kiss on cheeks (changes from town to

town); UK: shake hands; Japan: bow (and
shake hands)
What does “thumbs up” mean in Europe?
What about Iran?

Answer:

Europe: Good, well done!; Iran: up yours

 What are the most important celebrations in
your culture? What are they in another culture
you know?
WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT US ALL?
Feedback time