Cultural Meetings

Preaction

Cultural Meetings

Knowing how to behave in a new culture, whether in a different country, at work or at school, can be a challenge. You probably do not often think about your own behaviour and choice of language when you are among your friends and family. But how much do you know about the culture and vocabulary of your future workplace? Having an awareness of cultural differences is important to avoid being rude or unprofessional.

Have you ever been in a situation where you did not understand the social codes? In pairs, explain and discuss.

awareness bevissthet/medvit rude frekk dressing up pynte seg properly riktig/rett denied nektet/nekta rarely sjelden/sjeldan Study the four next example texts. How do they demonstrate the importance of cultural awareness? Use the tips in the textbox below each example to discuss how to handle similar situations. OSCAR, 18: Norwegians are well known for not dressing up; we will go everywhere wearing sneakers. Unfortunately, many places abroad will not let you in if you are not properly dressed. I was out with friends in York, England, and one of them was denied entrance to a club because he was wearing white sneakers. He was told to come back with black shoes. We are not used to dressing or behaving differently for work, school or even many social settings. For instance, students in Norway do not wear uniforms in school, and you rarely see a teacher in a suit. We love our practical clothes, backpacks and Vurderingseksemplarall-weather jackets. Therefore, it is really important to be aware that this is not acceptable in many countries or professions.

TIPS! I’m sorry, I was not aware that there was a dress code.

→ Turn page for more examples and tasks.

EMMA, 17:

A friend of mine was travelling in Japan. One day he was hungry and stopped at a fast-food place for sushi. He brought his meal to a bench overlooking a nice park and sat down to eat. All of a sudden strangers started staring at him; one person came over and gave him some money, and another offered him a soda. He was later told that he should never have eaten in public. He should have eaten where he bought the food. Eating in the park was a sign that he was very poor or homeless, which is why people started giving him money and something to drink. We are used to eating and drinking whenever and wherever we want to, but this is not acceptable in many cultures. In the same way, your workplace may have lunchtime expectations; generally speaking, you should spend your lunch break together with your colleagues.

EMIL, 18: I work for a construction company. I’m not used to wearing a uniform, but now I do every day at work, and I have huge company logos on my front and back. One of the first days at work, I wore one of my normal hoodies instead of my workwear, and I was sent back to change. Later that day, during training, I was told that I have to Vurderingseksemplarwear my uniform at work. They will provide the clothes I need, but when I meet with customers, I represent the company and my uniform is a part of their profile. TIPS! I’m so sorry, I forgot my uniform this morning. I will make sure it won’t happen again.

TIPS! Where do you usually eat lunch or have a snack?

ACTION

20 Summarise the four example texts.

What were the social codes and how were these broken?

SOPHIE, 18:

Starting a new job is almost like being in a new country. You are expected to act politely, dress appropriately and speak respectfully, and this transition can be challenging to many. I am a hairdresser, and we took in a new apprentice in the salon. The apprentice behaved like she was at home. She spoke loudly on her mobile phone in front of customers, and she constantly posted on social media. She even had people visiting her at work. One time, two boys she knew just hung around in the salon for about an hour. They were chatting to her at the counter, they tried out products and then they started eating on the sofa in the customers’ waiting area. I think the boss had a serious conversation with her about mixing her private life and her work, because she has really gotten her act together since then.

21 Starting a new job is almost like being in a foreign country. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. 22 Discuss when it is not appropriate to: ● use your phone eat 23 Should there be clear guidelines for how to act, dress and speak, for instance, in school and at work? Give reasons for your answer. 24 Write a paragraph about a similar situation you have experienced or heard about where social codes were broken. 25 Research your future profession and possible workplaces for social guidelines. Write five suggested guidelines for how to act, dress and speak. Give reasons for your suggestions. provide sørge for / sørgje forVurderingseksemplar transition overgang apprentice lærling counter disk

TIPS! I’m sorry, I was not aware that I could not eat here.