Job Discussion Forums

[Volver]

I have to do a quick unit on manners for our students heading over to the US in a few months. They are all 15-17 and going into high school or junior college. I have very little time for this, so my idea was to touch on the manners that are OK in China but awful in the West. So far:

hacking and spitting
chewing with your mouth open
bones on the table or floor
nose blows
cutting in front of people
dental hygiene

What am I missing? Any other suggestions for teaching the little darlings how to act civilized?

Thanks.

V

[Mr. Leafy]

- please and thank you
- be aware of other people's personal space (including physical and noise)

But some of the needed advice depends on where you are. (I'm sure you've mentioned, but I forgot.) There are things I would have told my small town students that I don't need to in my current job.

But I think several guides on this topic have been published already. Shouldn't be too hard to find and borrow.

edited to add; FLUSH!

[rogerwilco]

Covering their nose and mouth when they cough, sneeze, and yawn.

[wawaguagua]

Ew. The other day I saw a grown man standing by the side of the road pressing one nostril shut with his finger and blowing a huge wad of mucus out of the other nostril. I mean, yes, that must feel very relieving, but pick a more private place, could you?

An overview of US tipping practices would probably be helpful for them.

They could probably use a reminder that just because other people around them are foreign doesn't mean they can't understand one's Mandarin social commentary. There are many “foreigners” who can speak varying degrees of Chinese these days and making the wrong comment might get you in trouble.

They could also probably stand to be told that saying “那个那个” (neh guh neh guh) as a speech filler might be misinterpreted as a certain racial slur.

Also:
- You shouldn't leave a door open when you enter or leave a store or restaurant (when the door doesn't automatically close).

- Men rolling up their shirts to expose their bare stomach is considered strange behavior overseas.

[rioux]

If a sign or signs read "No smoking" it really means "No Smoking".

One way streets really mean one way streets.

There is no need to scream in your phone.

Teach about what not to do on an airplane - smoking, pissing/crapping should be done in the lavatory (door should be shut and locked) and when finishing up shut the door behind you (no need to slam it) to prevent the smell of what you have done from permeating throughout the plane. Furthermore, please do not open the emergency exit to smoke, get fresh air, be the first one out of the plane, and/or wave good-by to friends/relatives.

It should also be pointed out that setting off fireworks inside the airport is not acceptable behavior.
http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0302/c90000-9024050.html


I saw this the other day at a buffet. A woman used her spoon to taste the food before putting it in her plate. She didn't like the food so she put the part she didn't eat from the spoon back in the tray. It was nasty.

[roadwalker]

Anyone older than a small child should be addressed directly. Asking "who is she/he?" about someone standing right next to the speaker bothers me, and probably many others.

[Babala]

I made a PPT on cultural differences using those East vs West pictures. I showed them each picture and asked them to describe the differences. PM me if you want it.

Also Bogglesworld has some worksheets on bad habits that are suitable for this age.

[nomad soul]

You can probably pull some ideas from this Breaking News English lesson, "China Vice Premier asks tourists to behave". You could also incorporate a group activity using a Venn diagram to compare and contrast manners between American and Chinese cultures.

[Shanghai Noon]

Don't go out to dinner with someone and spend 90% of the time on your phone.

[RiverMystic]

Do not use dinner plates as shovels at the buffet.

Google rude Chinese buffet in Thailand, Shanghai list.

[dean_a_jones]

As an overall approach, rather than pointing out every difference you might start with a simple principle. I find that most of the headaches/grumbles I have here stem from one issue: a lack of consideration or thought for others and how your behaviour might be having an impact on them. I have not been back for a while, and nowhere is perfect, but I know that what I had drilled into me growing up was that the best way to behave socially was to think about others, rather than myself, and adjust my actions accordingly. You might get them to build or brainstorm from there.

Otherwise, I have used this series of pictures in culture class before to discuss stereotypes, their truths and the possible reasons/ideas behind them: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/german-vs-chinese-what-are-the-cultural-differences. Some of them might be appropriate, and they were done by a Chinese person.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

Volver,

You seem to enjoy seeing others cast Chinese in a rather dim light. This particular thread you started comes to mind:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=104942&highlight=

[LarssonCrew]

In reply to the guy above me, they hardly help themselves though do they?

[wawaguagua]

[asiannationmc]