Task Writing a letter to explain cultural misunderstandings

Skills building 1: completing a text Tips on completing a text by listening: 1. Make sure you read the text first so you understand the subject of the text and the type of words that you are likely to hear.

2. Try to guess the words that might be used to fill in the blanks. 3. Look for clues in the sentences and in the words before or after the blanks. 4. Decide if it is content words or grammar words that you are listening for.

Listening Your school has some visitors from abroad. Your headmaster asked you and your classmate to show the guests around. Something puzzled you during the trip. Listen to the conversation between you and your classmate, and complete your diary entry on page 42.

Reading A few days after you and your classmate had taken the visitors around Beijing your classmate found this article in a magazine. Circle the taboos that help explain some of the strange incidents that happened when you showed the visitors around.

Suggested answers   If you are from India, you may not eat beef because of your religion.   If you are from the West, you probably would not like to eat chickens ’ feet.

 In India, it is impolite to shake hands or give someone something with your left hand.  Remember not to just put the business cards in your pocket without looking in Japan.

Listening You want more information about cultural habits, so you go to one of your teachers, who has traveled to the USA and Japan, for help. Listen to your teacher and fill in the blanks in your notes below.

Skills building 2: asking questions When we want to find out about something, we need to ask questions. We can use questions beginning with the following words:

What – when we want to find out about something specific. How – when we want to find out the way something should be done. Which – when we want to specify which one of a choice of possibilities.

When - when we want to inquire about time. Why - when we want to find out a reason. Where - when we want to find out about the place in which something happened.

Practice You want to ask your classmate about the following things. Form your questions with the correct question words first, and then find a partner to answer questions. Answers can be found in the magazine article on page 43. Take turns asking questions.

Suggested answers 1. What food do the people from India not eat? 2. Which hand shouldn ’ t be used to shake hands with or give things to people from India? 3. What do Japanese people have to buy when they travel anywhere?

4. What should you do when a Japanese person gives you a business card? 5. What does the OK sign mean for Japanese people? 6. Why do people from the USA do not like crowded places?

Skills building 3: writing a letter of apology When writing a letter of apology, you need to include the following: your address the date an opening

the purpose of the letter should be given in the first sentence. an explanation a closing phrase (to apologize again) your name and signature

Practice You want to write a letter of apology to the foreign visitors to explain misunderstandings. Find a partner and discuss what to include in the letter. Each person should write a different part.