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Gestures

Gestures

Date: Apr 27 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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Learning a language is only half of learning to communicate with people from other countries. Gestures, or nonverbal communication, are also very important and, if misused, can cause a lot of misunderstandings between cultures.

Listen to John and me discuss the meanings of different gestures.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

John

John

Dave

Dave

John:  You ever worry that you’re offending somebody when you give some gesture like the “A-OK” gesture when you’re overseas? I’m always kind of confused. I’m like, “Is this something that people can relate to?”

Dave:  Well, I think it’s something to be aware of. I had a friend who I taught with when I was in Japan, and he had spent two years teaching in Saudi Arabia, I believe. And he would always give his students the thumbs-up gesture when they did something good. And they’d always get really angry with him. He found out later that thumbs-up has a bad meaning in Middle Eastern cultures.

John:  Yeah, I’ve heard that, too. And what about the okay sign that we always give. Doesn’t it have other meanings in other countries?

Dave:  Yes. So, yeah, in the U.S. it’s “okay!” but in Japan it’s “money,” right?

John:  Yeah.

Dave:  And then, in France it means, like, “you’re a loser” or “you’re a zero.”

 

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Discussion

Winona Ryder and George W. Bush like to give the “Longhorn” gesture, a symbol for the Longhorns, the University of Texas sports team. However, in Italy the “Longhorn” gesture is very rude. When you use it, you are saying that someone’s wife has been sleeping around. In Sweden, the “Longhorn” gesture is a symbol of satanic worship.

Here is a great site with a list of common gestures and what they mean in different countries:

Gestures

 

Comments

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vivi bulat

Romania

You are a zero means you are not important…you are nothing…insignificance

05:11 AM Sep 21 2007 |

MANARI

MANARI

Saudi Arabia

Good lesson I enjoyed it.

08:38 PM Apr 29 2007 |

Josh K

Josh K

Guatemala

A lesson interesing

03:59 PM Apr 29 2007 |

jefevalim

jefevalim

Brazil

In Brazil this gesture means some like “f* you”

12:50 PM Apr 29 2007 |

getchar

getchar

Algeria

when someone needs to offend someone else it’s better to use a gesture than telling bad words…!!

10:14 AM Apr 29 2007 |

Satomi

Satomi

Japan

it was funny!

02:10 AM Apr 29 2007 |

snello

snello

Saudi Arabia

wrong wrong worn,, thumps up doesn;t have a bad meaning in Saudi Arabia,, we use it all the time,, we take it as a (good for you )sign =.=

05:20 PM Apr 28 2007 |

valleylad77

United Kingdom

looking for that special person.

11:14 AM Apr 28 2007 |

somaliland

somaliland

Somalia

Gestures, or nonverbal communication,are very important and, if misused,you might cause a lot of misunderstandings between cultures.in my country “OK” Sign means insult,and inicates intense angry.

07:09 AM Apr 28 2007 |

Alesia

Alesia

Peru

In Peru the American “OK” gesture means you are homoxesual o.O…what a meaning!!

02:52 AM Apr 28 2007 |

rebecca.lixue

China

the thumbs-up in China means you are great

01:09 AM Apr 28 2007 |

isabellaego

Botswana

somebody can hit u here in my country (colombia) if u make him the longhorn gesture jajaja

12:53 AM Apr 28 2007 |

calipha3

calipha3

Egypt

Thumbs-up gesture in Egpt means perfect or very good thing.

04:10 PM Apr 27 2007 |

hudengkui

hudengkui

China

very nice,valuable and worthy!approve it!

01:39 PM Apr 27 2007 |

ayenk

ayenk

Indonesia

zero in japan mean coin or small change

11:07 AM Apr 27 2007 |

abdeeq

abdeeq

Somalia

being no one

06:27 AM Apr 27 2007 |

inayet

China

very good

03:15 AM Apr 27 2007 |

lyamlf123

lyamlf123

China

The thumbs-up gesture is same mean in America and China.

12:59 AM Apr 27 2007 |

carol_123321

China

It is useful.And i learned a lot from it.

05:51 AM Feb 15 2006 |

reelex

Canada

neat lesson, kinda short tho..

08:24 PM Feb 12 2006 |

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