Cultural Differences – An Introduction for ESL Students

Hi James.

Great lesson. Here in Brazil hugs is so common and also in writen we use hugs. Usually in final of emails, letters we say : huges.

I’m looking forward to see your next lesson. you’re really funny.

Take care (In brazil “Hugs”)

FC

hey james
great lesson, it was very funny and educative, specially asian”s hugs.

Dear Valen,

Let me wish you a flowerish future in the teaching field.

Yours

Y.K.Al Rifai
UAE

Yeah in Brazil is commom and nice and you meet someone, you give hugs and somentimes 2 or 3 kisses on the cheek.

You are absolutely right. We only teach the norms of how to greet in English, but never how to greet people from other cultures because we mostly interact with non-native speakers than with native speakers.
This video would have been perfect if you added what a small talk in the U.S. and Latin America would be. I think you only demonstrated one in an Asian context. Overall, well-thought lesson. I am going to use this video for one of my lessons that I am designing for a project.

Hi, I’m new to this site. (And I love it!) I’m from Hong Kong.
I think more and more Asian people are beginning to adopt the Western way of greeting. They hug too, but as for kisses, they are still rather conservative. (At least I myself seldom do it.)
The Chinese shake hands when they meet. And how long they hold each other’s hand depends on how much they like each other or how well they know each other. This is true for the Westerners too, right?
Sometimes instead of a handshake, what they give each other is a pat (lightly) on the shoulder; they may give a firm grip on both shoulders if they are really passionate or emotional.
But I think we are really passive in showing our emotions. Even for family who have not met for a long time, they don’t usually show much excitement or give big hugs to each other when they meet. They just hold hands or, like I said, pat on the shoulder(s). But they tend to look at each other with big smiles for a long time, to take a better look at the changes on the face perhaps.
Well, that’s what I know about (Chinese) people in Hong Kong.
Finally, I agree that we need to know about different cultures if we want to make friends from foreign places.

Tank you

Respected sir,
I am taking up TOEFL exam next week. I would like to know where can I find the recent TOEFL questions online so that i can practice more on it. I would like to know, in general, the topics that will be chosen as questions in the writing part.

Hello Mister:)
thank you very much your videos are helpful
but i want to ask about the Gerands & infiniteves could you pleas give us some information about it like for example
How can we memorize the verbs because they are more and its realy hard to me to memorize them!!!

Hi James, I am very new with your lessons. I really really enjoy your lesson. So nice.
Thank you

Can you tell me different cases to use between “each” and “every”!!!

Sorry, and all cases we use “the”

Thank you very much!!!

nice and funny video, next time include middle eastern and African culture ;)

thanks so much, this better way to learn free english as second language, I’d love to.

thanks so much, this better way to learn free english as second language, I’d love to.I’m a sudanese man.

HI JAMES THANKS FOR THE LESSON, SO USEFUL BUT THE LAST TIME THAT I SAY HI LIKE INCLINING MY SELF I ENDS IN A HEADACHE U KNOW WHAT I MEAN, WELL ITS WONDERFULL LEARN MORE ABOUT OTHERS AND I THINK THAT HUGS ITS LIKE TRYING TO MAKE A PERSON LIKE PART OF FAMILY

hi! i love your videos! they’re all a good help!
Hey, I just have some questions.
What’s the difference between would and could after the word wish.
EX:

I wish _____ I could play the piano.
a. would
b. could

One of my students asked me that. >.<

You’re so funny, teacher James! Keep it up!

Good lesson James i will adapt it to my classroom.i teach ESL in Asia and i am about to teach “culture” next week to my junior high students.

very useful lesson

I’m italian! A big hug and lots of kisses to everybody!
Ciao a tutti!

Great lesson! Here in brazil we are very close to each other. When we greet we shake hands, hug or kiss in the cheek.

actually it is not a comment but rather a request , I am an Algerian student and I am undertaking a project about cultural differences in an EFL / ESL chassroom , so would you e mail me articles and bboks that demonstrate this differences in terms of an intercultural approach

Really funy
Thank you

u r great!!!!

WOWOWOWO

wonder full i like it you are

a pat teacher in the word