Page 112 - CROSS CULTURE

When communicating with someone who has a different

native language or accent than you do, avoid using slang terms and

be conscious about speaking clearly. Slow down and choose your

words carefully. Ask questions to clarify anything that you don’t
understand and close the conversation by checking that everything

is clear to the other person.

Cultures also have different non-verbal ways of delivering

and interpreting information. For example, some cultures may

treat personal space differently than people in North America,

where we generally tend to stay as far away from one another as
possible. For example, if you get on an empty bus or subway car

and the next person who comes on sits in the seat right next to you,

you might feel discomfort, suspicion, or even fear. In a different

part of the world, this behavior might be considered perfectly

normal. Consequently, when people from cultures with different
approaches to space spend time in North America, they can feel

puzzled at why people aim for so much distance. They may tend

to stand closer to other people or feel perfectly comfortable in

crowds, for example.

This tendency can also come across in the level of acceptable

physical contact. For example, kissing someone on the cheek as a

greeting is typical in France and Spain—and could even be a

method of greeting in a job interview. In North America, however,
we typically use a handshake during a formal occasion and

apologize if we accidentally touch a stranger’s shoulder as we

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