Teaching English is not the same as teaching any other school subject since it is a second language. Thus, apart from teaching grammar, vocabulary, listening, reading, writing, speaking and pronunciation, we should also bear in mind the cultural aspect.
Different cultures have different manners and if we want to make a request in England we have to take into account than the British are much more polite than Latin American people.
The postcard on the top shows this in a very funny way. The man is about to drown but the gentleman only throws him the life belt when he asks for it in a polite way. In this website: /www.lgpcards.com/ you can find more postcards about how to be British.
Here are some useful tips that you could teach to your students about English customs:
* Visiting people in their houses:
When you are invited at someone's home it is nice to take a gift for the host and hostess. A bottle of wine, bunch of flowers or chocolates are all acceptable. Sending a thank you note is also considered appropriate.
* Say "Please" and "Thank you":
It is very good manners to say "please" and "thank you". It is considered rude if you don't.
* Say "Sorry":
If you accidentally bump into someone, say 'sorry'. They probably will too, even if it was your fault!
* Smile:
A smiling face is a welcoming face.
* Do not greet people with a kiss:
They only kiss people who are close friends and relatives. A handshake is the most common form of greeting among the English and British people and it is customary when you are introduced to somebody new.
* Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging:
This is only done among close friends.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario