1. COMM 321 INTERCULTURAL SKILLS
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION BODY SPEAKS LOUDER: BODY LANGUAGE IN INTERCULTURAL SETTING
COMM 321
INTERCULTURAL SKILLS
Kenan BASARAN

3. Communication Verbal Non-verbal (words)
Paralanguage: Vocal Behaviors (volume,stress, pitch, speaking rate)
Personal Space: Territory between us & others (contact & non-contact cultures)
Eye Contact
Facial Expressions: 6 emotions
Gestures
Time orientation: Monochronic (punctuality, plans and obligations first)& Polychronic(Personal obligations first)

4. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: BODY LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS (CUSTOMS)
Personal Space: Territory between us & others (contact & non-contact cultures)
INTERPERSONAL DISTANCE IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
CULTURES HAVE CONVENTIONS FOR THE APPROPRIATE DISTANCE APART FOR TWO PEOPLE TO STAND WHILE CONVERSING.
IN BRITISH CULTURE THE USUAL DISTANCE FOR CONVERSATION IS APPROXIMATELY ARM’S LENGTH, 2-3 FEET, AND ANYONE APPROACHING NEARER MAY BE SEEN AS AGGRESSIVE.
PEOPLE FROM SOUTHERN EUROPE, TURKEY, ARABIC COUNTRIES AND LATIN AMERICA EXPECT TO STAND CLOSER AND MAY INTERPRET A BRITISH PERSON’S PREFERRED DISTANCE AS COLD OR ARROGANT.

5. Eye contact in different cultures
THE AMOUNT OF EYE CONTACT REGARDED AS ACCEPTABLE OR NECESSARY IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS IS CULTURALLY SPECIFIC. FOR EXAMPLE:
ARAB
A LOT OF EYE CONTACT: TOO LITTLE COULD BE DISRESPECTFUL, BUT UNRELATED MEN AND WOMEN MAY AVOID EYE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AS THIS COULD BE SEEN AS FLIRTATIOUS.
BRITISH
THE SPEAKER MAKES EYE CONTACT BUT PERIODICALLY LOOKS AWAY TO AVOID ‘STARING’; A SPEAKER WHO DOES NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT MAY BE SEEN AS UNTRUSTWORTHY.
A LISTENER IS EXPECTED TO LOOK AT THE SPEAKER: NOT TO DO SO IS SEEN AS DISRESPECTFUL, OR IMPLIES THE PERSON IS NOT LISTENING.
Kenan BASARAN

6. Eye contact in different cultures
SOUTH ASIAN
DIRECT EYE CONTACT CAN BE SEEN AS AGGRESSIVE AND DISRESPECTFUL.
JAPANESE AND CHINESE
DIRECT EYE CONTACT FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE OF SECONDS IS DISRESPECTFUL, ESPECIALLY TOWARDS PEOPLE SEEN AS SOCIAL ‘SUPERIORS’.
AFRO-CARIBBEAN
THE SPEAKER LOOKS AT THE LISTENER AND THE LISTENER LOOKS AWAY: LOOKING AT THE SPEAKER MAY IMPLY CHALLENGE AND DISRESPECT.
Kenan BASARAN

7. MEANING OF GESTURES
MANY OF US USE HAND GESTURES TO EMPHASISE WHAT WE ARE SAYING.
WE MAY UNCONSCIOUSLY USE MORE HAND GESTURES THAN NORMAL WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH SOMEONE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH, IN ORDER TO MAKE IT ‘EASIER’ FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND US.
HOWEVER, HAND GESTURES MAY CARRY QUITE DIFFERENT MEANINGS IN OTHER CULTURES. FOR EXAMPLE:
A THUMBS UP SIGN, USED IN WHITE BRITISH CULTURE TO MEAN ‘THAT’S RIGHT’ OR ‘IT’S GOOD’,
IS AN OBSCENELY OFFENSIVE SIGN IN SOME WEST AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN CULTURES.

8. MEANING OF GESTURES
MAKING A CIRCLE BETWEEN THUMB AND INDEX/MIDDLE FINGER, USED IN BRITISH CULTURE TO MEAN ‘PERFECT’,
THIS IS AN OFFENSIVE OR OBSCENE GESTURE IN SOME SOUTH EUROPEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN CULTURES, AND HAS A VARIETY OF OTHER MEANINGS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
BECKONING SOMEONE BY HOLDING YOUR PALM FACE UP, CURLING IN FINGERS AND THUMB, AND CURLING THE INDEX FINGER BACK AND FORTH, USED IN BRITISH CULTURE TO MEAN ‘COME HERE’, IS...
IN SOME FAR EASTERN CULTURES RESERVED FOR ANIMALS AND COULD BE INSULTING WHEN USED TO ADULTS.
IN SOME PARTS OF SOUTH AMERICA THE SAME GESTURE IS HIGHLY FLIRTATIOUS.

9. TOUCH IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
EACH CULTURE HAS CLEAR RULES ABOUT WHO MAY TOUCH WHO IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
IN SOME CULTURES, TOUCHING IN PUBLIC IS ONLY ACCEPTABLE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF THE SAME SEX.
IN SOME CULTURES TOUCHING IN PUBLIC IS ONLY ACCEPTABLE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF OPPOSITE SEXES.
IN SOME CULTURES HIGH LEVELS OF TOUCH ARE NORMAL (E.G. LATIN AMERICAN, SOUTHERN EUROPEAN AND ARAB).
IN SOME CULTURES (E.G. JAPAN) PUBLIC TOUCHING IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL.

10. TOUCH IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
IN BRITISH CULTURE, PUBLIC TOUCHING IS NORMALLY CONFINED TO A GREETING HANDSHAKE, BUT
TOUCHING AS AN EXPRESSION OF SYMPATHY MAY BE ACCEPTABLE.
SOME CULTURES HAVE SPECIFIC PROHIBITIONS ON TOUCHING. FOR EXAMPLE:
IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, PEOPLE MAY REGARD THE HEAD AS THE SEAT OF THE SOUL AND NOT TO BE TOUCHED.
IN SOUTH ASIA AND ARABIC COUNTRIES, THE LEFT HAND IS REGARDED AS UNCLEAN AND
IT IS INSULTING TO TOUCH A PERSON WITH THE LEFT HAND OR
TO HAND SOMETHING TO THEM FROM THE LEFT HAND.

11. WAYS OF SPEAKING AND LISTENING
THE WAY THAT A PERSON SPEAKS IS OFTEN ASSUMED TO REFLECT THEIR EMOTIONAL STATE AND INTENTIONS.
YOU MAY DRAW AUTOMATIC INFERENCES ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON BASED ON HOW THEY SPEAK AND LISTEN.
HOWEVER, THE SPEAKING AND LISTENING CONVENTIONS OF DIFFERENT CULTURES VARY WIDELY AND THIS INCLUDES:
THE NORMAL SPEED AND VOLUME OF SPEECH
THE MEANING OF EMPHASIS GIVEN TO PARTICULAR WORDS
THE MEANING OF INTONATIONS
HOW TO INDICATE IT IS THE OTHER PERSON’S TURN TO SPEAK
HOW TO SHOW YOU ARE LISTENING
THE MEANING OF NODDING OR SHAKING THE HEAD
HOW TO STRUCTURE THE CONTENT OF SPEECH.

12. BRITISH ENGLISH STANDARD SPEECH CONVENTIONS
BRITISH ENGLISH USES EMPHASIS TO INDICATE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT OR NEW INFORMATION WITHIN A SENTENCE, OR TO SHOW EXCITEMENT OR ANGER.
SPEAKING LOUDLY CAN ALSO INDICATE ANGER AND EXCITEMENT.
A STATEMENT CAN BE TURNED INTO A QUESTION BY RAISING THE TONE AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE
(“SHE’S ONLY JUST ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL” TURNS INTO
(“SHE’S ONLY JUST ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL?”)
A LISTENER FROM A DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUND WILL NOT NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND THESE IMPLICATIONS.

13. BRITISH ENGLISH STANDARD SPEECH CONVENTIONS
IN A POLITE EXCHANGE BETWEEN SPEAKERS OF BRITISH ENGLISH, ONLY ONE PERSON SPEAKS AT A TIME, AND
THE SPEAKER PAUSES WHEN THEY HAVE FINISHED TO SHOW THE OTHER PERSON THAT IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK.
THE LISTENER NODS AND MAKES BRIEF COMMENTS (‘YES’, ‘I SEE’, ‘REALLY?’) TO SHOW THEIR INTEREST.
LISTENERS APPRECIATE CLARITY, DIRECTNESS, AND LINEAR THOUGHT, AND
EXPECT THE SPEAKER TO MAKE THEIR MOST IMPORTANT POINT FIRST.

14. IN OTHER LANGUAGES A PERSON SPEAKS MORE QUICKLY TO CONVEY IMPORTANCE.
SPEED AND EMPHASIS
IN SOME LANGUAGES A PERSON SPEAKS MORE SLOWLY TO SHOW THAT THE INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT, AND
IN OTHER LANGUAGES A PERSON SPEAKS MORE QUICKLY TO CONVEY IMPORTANCE.
INTONATION
MANY LANGUAGES USE A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF INTONATION THAN BRITISH ENGLISH.
SOME LANGUAGES SUCH AS CHINESE ARE TONAL, AND THE MEANING OF INDIVIDUAL WORDS IS CHANGED BY CHANGING THE INTONATION.
A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH MAY ASSUME THAT A PERSON WHO IS USES A LARGE TONAL RANGE IS ANGRY OR OVER-EXCITED,
WHILE THAT PERSON MAY ASSUME THAT THE SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH (WITH THEIR LIMITED TONAL RANGE) IS UNINTERESTED.
A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH MAY TURN A STATEMENT INTO A QUESTION BY RAISING THE TONE OF THE END OF A SENTENCE,
BUT THIS MAY NOT BE UNDERSTOOD AS A QUESTION BY SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES.

15. THERE IS A WIDE VARIATION IN THE ‘NORMAL’ VOLUME OF SPEECH, AND
THEREFORE IN THE PERCEIVED MEANING OF ‘LOUDER’ OR ‘QUIETER’ SPEECH THAN THE LISTENER USES AS A BASELINE. FOR EXAMPLE:
A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH MAY BELIEVE A PERSON IS ANGRY OR OVER-EXCITED IF THEY SPEAK AT WHAT IS, FOR THEM, A NORMAL VOLUME,...
BUT WHICH IS LOUDER THAN THAT COMMONLY USED IN BRITISH ENGLISH.
A PERSON FROM LATIN AMERICA, WHERE NORMAL SPEECH IS QUIETER THAN BRITISH ENGLISH, MAY THINK A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH IS SPEAKING ANGRILY TO THEM,...
AND MAY IN TURN BE PERCEIVED AS SHY AND WITHDRAWN.
Photo: Demian Saborio

16. CULTURES VARY IN HOW THEY SHOW IT IS SOMEONE ELSE’S TURN TO SPEAK.
TAKING TURNS
CULTURES VARY IN HOW THEY SHOW IT IS SOMEONE ELSE’S TURN TO SPEAK.
IN SOME CULTURES, A SPEAKER STOPS TALKING TO SHOW IT IS THE OTHER PERSON’S TURN, AND
IT IS RUDE FOR THE OTHER PERSON TO BEGIN UNTIL THE FIRST PERSON HAS STOPPED.
IN SOME CULTURES, A SPEAKER MAY SHOW THAT SHE HAS FINISHED BY SPEAKING MORE SLOWLY AND QUIETLY, OR MAY BEGIN TO REPEAT HERSELF.
IN SOME CULTURES, TALKING AT THE SAME TIME AS SOMEONE ELSE IS POLITE AND FRIENDLY.
Photo: Andrew C

17. LISTENING
A PERSON MAY DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE LISTENING IN A RANGE OF WAYS. FOR EXAMPLE,
IN SOME CULTURES A LISTENER IS NOT EXPECTED TO GIVE ANY AUDIBLE OR VISIBLE SIGN OF LISTENING.
IN BRITISH CULTURE A LISTENER IS EXPECTED TO LOOK AT THE SPEAKER, AND TO RESPOND WITH FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, NODS AND BRIEF COMMENTS.
A JAPANESE PERSON MAY CLOSE THEIR EYES TO SHOW THEY ARE LISTENING CAREFULLY.
IN SOME CULTURES, IT IS RESPECTFUL NOT TO LOOK AT THE PERSON WHO IS TALKING TO YOU  

18. IN SOME CULTURES, SMILING INDICATES HAPPINESS, OR IS
NODDING AND SHAKING THE HEAD
IN MOST CULTURES NODDING THE HEAD MEANS ‘YES’ OR ‘I AM LISTENING’, BUT IN OTHERS (E.G. BULGARIA) IT MEANS ‘NO’.
IN SOME CULTURES SHAKING THE HEAD MEANS ‘NO’, IN OTHERS IT MEANS ‘YES’ OR ‘ALRIGHT’.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER CULTURAL VARIATIONS FOR INDICATING ‘YES’ AND ‘NO’.
FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE FROM THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT MAY BOBBLE THE HEAD FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO SHOW AGREEMENT.
SMILING
IN SOME CULTURES, SMILING INDICATES HAPPINESS, OR IS
USED BY A LISTENER TO ENCOURAGE THE SPEAKER AND TO SHOW ATTENTION.
IN SOME FAR EASTERN CULTURES, SMILING MAY BE USED IN SITUATIONS OF HAPPINESS, ANGER, EMBARRASSMENT, SADNESS OR APOLOGY.

19. DIRECT/INDIRECT STYLE
IN SOME CULTURES, THE CONTEXT OF THE CONVERSATION IS A HIGHLY IMPORTANT PART OF ITS MEANING, AND MUCH IS IMPLIED WITHOUT BEING SAID.
LISTENERS FROM THIS TYPE OF CULTURE MAY PAY AS MUCH ATTENTION TO THE SPEAKER’S BODY LANGUAGE, FACIAL EXPRESSION, AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME GIVEN TO THE CONVERSATION AS TO THE...
ACTUAL WORDS USED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SPEAKER IS ‘REALLY’ TRYING TO SAY.
IN SOME CULTURES, THE MEANING OF A CONVERSATION IS STRAIGHTFORWARDLY CONTAINED IN THE WORDS, AND LISTENERS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO ATTACH SIGNIFICANCE TO THE CONTEXT.
SOME CULTURES LIE IN THE MIDDLE: THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS WHERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS IMPLIED RATHER THAN STATED OPENLY, AND OTHERS WHERE A DIRECT STYLE IS USED.

20. TRY TO AVOID SAYING ‘NO’
ACTING WITH DEFERENCE (RESPECT)
SOME CULTURES HAVE STRONGLY HIERARCHICAL ATTITUDES, WHILE OTHERS ARE MORE EGALITARIAN (EQUAL RIGHTS).
IF A PERSON FROM A HIERARCHICAL CULTURE (SUCH AS MANY ASIAN AND AFRICAN CULTURES) PERCEIVES A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL AS A SOCIAL ‘SUPERIOR’, HE/SHE MAY:
BEHAVE DEFERENTIALLY
TRY TO AVOID SAYING ‘NO’
SHOW ONLY POSITIVE EMOTIONS, AND NOT EXPRESS HER TRUE FEELINGS
SMILE A LOT TO SHOW POLITENESS AND COMPLIANCE
BE VERY CONCERNED TO AVOID ANNOYING OR CREATING WORK FOR THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.
Photo: D.J. Jones

21. SAYING ‘NO’, SAYING ‘YES’
IN HIERARCHICAL CULTURES IT MAY BE RUDE TO SAY ‘NO’ TO A HIGHER STATUS PERSON,
BUT THESE CULTURES HAVE WAYS TO EXPRESS ‘NO’ WITHOUT SAYING IT DIRECTLY.
THESE MAY NOT TRANSLATE READILY INTO ENGLISH, SO A PERSON MAY RESORT TO ‘YES’ WITHOUT MEANING IT LITERALLY.

22. ‘PLEASE’ AND ‘THANK YOU’
BRITISH ENGLISH USES ‘PLEASE’ AND ‘THANK YOU’ TO FRAME POLITE REQUESTS:
WITHOUT ‘PLEASE’ (OR AN EQUIVALENT SOFTENER SUCH AS ‘WOULD YOU MIND...’), A REQUEST BECOMES AN ORDER.
SOME LANGUAGES DO NOT USE A SEPARATE WORD ‘PLEASE’, BUT INCORPORATE POLITENESS INTO THE REQUEST BY USING A DIFFERENT FORM OF THE VERB OR PRONOUN.
WHEN A PERSON FROM SUCH A LINGUISTIC BACKGROUND (E.G. URDU) SPEAKS IN ENGLISH, HE OR SHE MAY OMIT ‘PLEASE’ WITHOUT ANY INTENTION TO SOUND ARROGANT OR DEMANDING.
IN SOME LANGUAGES, ‘PLEASE’ AND ‘THANK YOU’ ARE RESERVED FOR SITUATIONS OF PARTICULAR KINDNESS AND GRATITUDE, AND NOT EXPECTED WHERE A PERSON IS DOING THEIR ORDINARY WORK.
How rude! Who does she think she is?
Hold my baby!

23. HOW DOES BODY SPEAK?
LIKE ANY SPOKEN LANGUAGE, BODY LANGUAGE HAS WORDS, SENTENCES AND PUNCTUATION.
EACH GESTURE IS LIKE A SINGLE WORD AND ONE WORD MAY HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MEANINGS.
Kenan BASARAN

24. BODILY SPEAKING…
ACCORDING TO THE SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGIST, EDWARD T. HALL, IN A NORMAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO PERSONS, LESS THAN 35% OF THE SOCIAL MEANINGS IS ACTUALLY TRANSMITTED BY WORDS.
SO, AT LEAST 65% OF IT IS CONVEYED THROUGH THE BODY (NON-VERBAL CHANNEL).
Kenan BASARAN

25. Let’s Examine How Body Communicates, from head to toes
Kenan BASARAN

26. HEAD NODDING THE HEAD “YES” IN MOST SOCIETIES
“NO” IN SOME PARTS OF GREECE, (Former)YUGOSLAVIA, BULGARIA, AND TURKEY
TOSSING THE HEAD BACKWARD
“YES” IN THAILAND, THE PHILIPPINES, INDIA, LAOS
ROCKING HEAD SLOWLY, BACK AND FORTH
“YES, I’M LISTENING” IN MOST ASIAN CULTURES
Kenan BASARAN

27. Nodding
Moving the head from side to side could indicate agreement in Asia,
whereas elsewhere in the world a similar shaking of the head means the opposite.

28. FACE
Kenan BASARAN

29. FACE EMOTIONLESS MIXED-UP EMOTION
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS REFLECT EMOTION, FEELINGS AND ATTITUDES, BUT…..
THE ASIANS ARE SOMETIMES KNOWN AS
EMOTIONLESS
MIXED-UP EMOTION
Kenan BASARAN

30. EYES CLOSED EYES EYE CONTACTS ENCOURAGED IN AMERICA, CANADA, EUROPE
RUDE IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES AND IN AFRICA
RAISING EYEBROWS
“YES” IN THAILAND AND SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES
“HELLO” IN THE PHILIPPINES
WINKING EYE
SHARING SECRET IN AMERICA AND EUROPE
FLIRTATIOUS GESTURE IN OTHER COUNTRIES
CLOSED EYES
BORED OR SLEEPY IN AMERICA
“I’M LISTENING AND CONCENTRATING.” IN JAPAN, THAILAND, CHINA
Kenan BASARAN

31. EARS EAR GRASP CUPPING THE EAR PULLING EAR
“I’M SORRY.” IN PARTS OF INDIA
CUPPING THE EAR
“I CAN’T HEAR YOU.” IN ALL SOCIETIES
PULLING EAR
“YOU ARE IN MY HEART” FOR NAVAJO INDIANS
Kenan BASARAN

32. NOSE “SOMETHING SMELLS BAD.” UNIVERSAL “IT’S CONFIDENTIAL.” ENGLAND
HOLDING THE NOSE
“SOMETHING SMELLS BAD.” UNIVERSAL
NOSE TAP
“IT’S CONFIDENTIAL.” ENGLAND
“WATCH OUT!” OR "BE CAREFUL.” ITALY
Kenan BASARAN

33. NOSE
POINTING TO NOSE
“IT’S ME.” JAPAN
BLOWING NOSE
IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES, BLOWING THE NOSE AT SOCIAL GATHERING IS ‘DISGUSTING.’
Kenan BASARAN

34. CHEEKS CHEEK SCREW CHEEK STROKE GESTURE OF ADMIRE - ITALY
“THAT’S CRAZY.” GERMANY
CHEEK STROKE
“PRETTY, ATTRACTIVE, SUCCESS” MOST EUROPE
Kenan BASARAN

35. LIPS AND MOUTH WHISTLE, YAWN, SMILE, BITE, POINT, SNEEZE, SPIT, KISS..
KISS. IN PARTS OF ASIA, KISSING IS CONSIDERED AN INTIMATE SEXUAL ACT AND NOT PERMISSIBLE IN PUBLIC, EVEN AS A SOCIAL GREETING.
KISSING SOUND. TO ATTRACT ATTENTION IN THE PHILIPPINES, TO BECKON A WAITER IN MEXICO.
FINGER TIP KISS. IN FRANCE, IT CONVEYS SEVERAL MESSAGES, “THAT’S GOOD!” “THAT’S GREAT!” “THAT’S BEAUTIFUL!.”
Kenan BASARAN

36. LIPS AND MOUTH (Cont’d)
SPITTING.
SPITTING IN PUBLIC IS CONSIDERED RUDE IN MOST WESTERN CULTURES.
IN THE PRC AND MANY OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, SPITTING IN PUBLIC IS TO RID A PERSON’S WASTE AND, THEREFORE, IS HEALTHY.
Kenan BASARAN

37. THE LIP POINTING LIP POINTING
(A SUBSTITUTE FOR POINTING WITH THE HAND OR FINGER) IS COMMON AMONG FILIPINOS, NATIVE AMERICANS, PUERTO RICANS, AND MANY LATIN AMERICANS.
OPEN MOUTH.
ANY DISPLAY OF THE OPEN MOUTH IS CONSIDERED VERY RUDE IN MOST COUNTRIES.
Kenan BASARAN

38. ARMS
SOME CULTURES, LIKE THE ITALIANS, USE THE ARMS FREELY. OTHERS, LIKE THE JAPANESE, ARE MORE RESERVED; IT IS CONSIDERED IMPOLITE TO GESTICULATE WITH BROAD MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMS.
FOLDING ARMS
ARE INTERPRETED BY SOME SOCIAL OBSERVERS AS A FORM OF EXCLUDING SELF, “I AM TAKING A DEFENSIVE POSTURE,” OR “I DISAGREE WITH WHAT I AM HEARING.”
Kenan BASARAN

39. ARMS (Cont’d) ARMS AKIMBO.
IN MANY CULTURES, THIS STANCE SIGNALS AGGRESSION, RESISTANCE, IMPATIENCE, OR EVEN ANGER.
ARMS BEHIND BACK, HANDS GRASPED
IS A SIGN OF EASE AND CONTROL.
ARMS IN FRONT, HANDS GRASPED, COMMON PRACTICE IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES,
IS A SIGN OF MUTUAL RESPECT FOR OTHERS.
Kenan BASARAN

40. HANDS
OF ALL THE BODY PARTS, THE HANDS ARE PROBABLY USED MOST FOR COMMUNICATING NON-VERBALLY.
HAND WAVES ARE USED FOR
GREETINGS,
BECKONING, OR
FAREWELLS.
Kenan BASARAN

41. HANDS
THE ITALIAN “GOOD-BYE” WAVE CAN BE INTERPRETED BY AMERICANS AS THE GESTURE OF “COME HERE.”
THE AMERICAN “GOOD-BYE” WAVE CAN BE INTERPRETED IN MANY PARTS OF EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA AS THE SIGNAL FOR “NO.”
Kenan BASARAN

42. How to be rude without realising
Wave hand with the palm facing outward to greet someone.
In Europe, waving the hand back and forth can mean “No.”
This is also a serious insult in Nigeria if the hand is too close to another person’s face.

43. HANDS (Cont’d) BECKONING.
THE AMERICAN WAY OF GETTING ATTENTION (RAISING A HAND WITH THE INDEX FINGER RAISED ABOVE HEAD) COULD BE CONSIDERED RUDE IN JAPAN, AND ALSO MEANS “TWO” IN GERMANY.
THE AMERICAN “COME HERE” GESTURE COULD BE SEEN AS AN INSULT IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES.
IN CHINA, TO BECKON A WAITER TO REFILL YOUR TEA, SIMPLY TURN YOUR EMPTY CUP UPSIDE DOWN.
Kenan BASARAN

44. HANDS (Cont’d)
HANDSHAKING IS A FORM OF GREETING IN MOST WESTERN CULTURES.
IN THE MIDDLE EAST, A GENTLE GRIP IS APPROPRIATE.
IN MOST ASIAN CULTURES, A GENTLE GRIP AND AN AVOIDANCE OF DIRECT EYE CONTACT IS APPROPRIATE.
Kenan BASARAN

45. HANDS
HAND-HOLDING AMONG THE SAME SEX IS A CUSTOM OF SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP AND RESPECT IN SEVERAL MIDDLE EASTERN AND ASIAN COUNTRIES.
Kenan BASARAN

46. HANDS (Cont’d) RIGHT HAND.
THE RIGHT HAND HAS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN MANY SOCIETIES. IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND IN ASIA, IT IS BEST TO PRESENT BUSINESS CARDS OR GIFTS, OR TO PASS DISHES OF FOOD, TO GET AN ATTENTION, USING ONLY THE RIGHT HAND OR BOTH.
LEFT HAND
IS CONSIDERED UNCLEAN IN MUCH OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND IN PARTS OF INDONESIA.
Kenan BASARAN

47. How to be rude without realising
Pass an item to someone with one hand.
In Japan this is very rude.
Even a very small item such as a pencil must be passed with two hands.
In many Middle and Far Eastern countries it is rude to pass something with your left hand which is considered “unclean.”

48. HANDS (Cont’d) HANG LOOSE. (THUMB AND LITTLE FINGER EXTENDED)
COULD CONVEY DIFFERENT MEANINGS:
IN HAWAII, IT’S A WAY OF SAYING, “STAY COOL,” OR “RELAX.”
IN JAPAN, IT MEANS SIX.
IN MEXICO (DO VERTICALLY), IT MEANS, “WOULD YOU LIKE A DRINK?”
Kenan BASARAN

49. HANDS (Cont’d) CLAPPING HANDS.
RUSSIANS AND CHINESE MAY USE APPLAUSE TO GREET SOMEONE.
IN MANY CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, AUDIENCE FREQUENTLY CLAP IN RHYTHM.
Kenan BASARAN

50. FINGERS
THE “O.K.” SIGNAL. (THE THUMB AND FOREFINGER FORM A CIRCLE) MEANS
“FINE,” OR “O.K.” IN MOST CULTURES,
“ZERO” OR “WORTHLESS” IN SOME PARTS OF EUROPE
“MONEY” IN JAPAN
AN INSULT IN GREECE, BRAZIL, ITALY, TURKEY, RUSSIA AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES
Kenan BASARAN

51. FINGERS (Cont’d) “THUMB-UP” MEANS:
“O.K.” “GOOD JOB” OR “FINE” IN MOST CULTURES,
“FIVE” IN JAPAN; “ONE” IN GERMANY
AVOID A THUMB-UP IN THESE COUNTRIES: AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, GREECE, TURKEY, IRAN, RUSSIA, AND MOST AFRICAN COUNTRIES.
Kenan BASARAN

52. Good
The thumbs up sign has positive connotations in the UK and US

53. Good? In Iran and Spain the 'thumbs up' sign is considered obscene
The thumbs up sign has positive connotations in the UK and America, but in Iran and Spain the 'thumbs up' sign is considered obscene
In Iran and Spain the 'thumbs up' sign is considered obscene

54. Okay?
The 'okay' sign is obscene in Greece, parts of Eastern Europe and Latin America. It could also mean 'worthless' or 'zero' in France. In Japan, this means “money”.
The 'okay' sign is obscene in Greece, parts of Eastern Europe and Latin America. It could also mean 'worthless' or 'zero' in France. In Japan, this means “money”.

55. FINGERS (Cont’d) POINTING.
POINTING WITH THE INDEX FINGER IS COMMON IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE.
BUT IT IS CONSIDERED IMPOLITE IN JAPAN AND CHINA WHERE THEY FAVOR USING THE WHOLE OPEN HAND.
MALAYSIANS PREFER POINTING WITH THE THUMB.
Kenan BASARAN

56. LEGS AND FEET IN ASIA, DO NOT POINT WITH YOUR TOES.
IN ASIA AND SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, PUTTING FEET UP ON A DESK OR ANY OTHER PIECE OF FURNITURE IS VERY DISRESPECTFUL.
SITTING CROSS-LEGGED, WHILE COMMON IN NORTH AMERICA AND SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, IS VERY IMPOLITE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.
Kenan BASARAN

57. LEGS AND FEET (Cont’d)
IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES, A SOLID AND BALANCED SITTING POSTURE IS THE PREVAILING CUSTOM. SITTING CROSS-LEGGED SHOWS THE SIGN OF DISRESPECT.
IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND MOST PARTS OF ASIA, RESTING THE ANKLE OVER THE OTHER KNEE RISKS POINTING THE SOLE OF YOUR SHOE AT ANOTHER PERSON, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A RUDE GESTURE.
Kenan BASARAN

58. WALKING
WALKING CAN REFLECT MANY CHARACTERISTICS OF A CULTURE. FOR EXAMPLE,
IN PARTS OF ASIA AND SOME OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES, MEN WHO ARE FRIENDS MAY WALK HOLDING EACH OTHER’S HAND.
IN JAPAN AND KOREA, OLDER WOMEN COMMONLY WALK A PACE OR TWO BEHIND MALE COMPANION.
Kenan BASARAN

59. FINALLY, WE CAN LEARN TO BE MORE SENSITIVE TO OUR OWN BODIES –
TO SEE HOW THEY EXPRESS OUR FEELINGS AND
TO SEE OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US. WE
DO NOT HAVE BODIES;
WE ARE OUR BODIES.
Kenan BASARAN

60. THANKS! AND …..
YOUR
THOUGHTS
EXPERIENCES
QUESTIONS
Kenan BASARAN