952214 Multicultural Communication

Hugh Fox III

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC

PAGE

Introduction

3-5

Prezi Presentation Countries

6-7

How to Say Hello in 30 Different Languages

My Big Fat Greek Wedding Wikipedia Entry

9-13

My Big Fat Greek Wedding Hidden vs. Visible Culture

14-15

Low vs. High Context Worksheet

16

Deciphering Facial Expressions

17

Culture and Emotion

18-19

Direct versus Indirect Communication Style

20

Body Language Around the World

21-22

Pushing Hands Wikipedia Entry

23

Pushing Hands Literary/Cultural Analysis

24

The Wedding Banquet Wikipedia Entry

25-26

The Wedding Banquet Cultural Identity Worksheet

27

Hofstedes Six Cultural Dimensions

28-34

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Introduction

My philosophy of second language teaching is to combine a high interest message + high touch
media + high tech media! For media I combine high touch and high technology. Motivation is
extremely important in the second language learning and the appropriate choice of message and
media can help motivate students.
The high touch media part of my lessons includes the use of props and video. I use props and
costumes to engage all the senses including the kinesic sense. Teaching with multiple modalities
accommodates different perceptual learning styles. The use of costumes is a fun activity that
lowers anxiety, boredom and doubt and lowers the affective filter. According to Krashens Input
Hypothesis, a lowered affective filter should enhance second language learning. I also use video
as the common classroom experience of a Language Experience Approach (LEA) lesson in order
to engage all the senses of the students prior to discussion.
The high tech media part of my lessons includes both hypermedia and student centered
technology projects. I use my blog to provide a hypermedia mode of instruction and this
increases teacher control over lesson content. The use of online hypermedia content means the
instructor can more readily control the difficulty level of text presented in the classroom for
lecture and/or discussion purposes. The instructor can easily share lecture and/or discussion
notes by sending links to the notes via social media. The students can access information that
was not presented in class through hyperlinks in the online lesson. The hyperlinks are designed
as extensions for remediation or enrichment.
When appropriate the students in my classes do technology based communication projects.
Second language learners may be unsure of their English skills but still have a strong interest in
technology that motivates them to try to communicate to their fellow students via technology
based communication projects. The infusion of technology as a communication tool in the
second language classroom also improves the technological competence of the students. Finally,
the best way to teach second language learners how to talk about technology is through
technology projects.

If the main second language objective of the class is the development of Basic Interpersonal
Communication Skills (BICS) then I pick topics from pop culture. I also use more high touch
media rather than a high tech media when BICS are the main goal.
If the main second language objective of the class is the development of Cognitive Academic
Language Proficiency (CALP) then I use authentic academic materials. I also rely more on
hypermedia to communicate complex material in a fun and interesting way in which the pace of
comprehensible input is tightly controlled. I am also more likely to put an emphasis on
technology based communication projects.
In either case, I use prior research that I have done on what EFL students find interesting in order
to guide my lesson content decisions. In Fox (2004) the focus was just on student interests. The
follow up article Fox and Miller (2007) compared student interests with textbook content and
found there was a poor match. This packet is an attempt to provide research based high interest
topics that is superior to that of most textbooks. In my opinion, effective second language
teaching is the masterful synergy of message and media to create optimal conditions for
learning!
In all my lesson plans there will be both a BICS and CALP activity but I vary the ratio of time
spent on the BICS versus CALP objective depending on the level. The table below is an
approximation of the ratio of time this instructor will spend on BICS versus CALP activities
depending on the ESL level.

If the level of the students is very low then I might focus on the BICS activity and forego the
CALP activity altogether. On the other hand, even with a very high level class, I would never
neglect the BICS activity altogether. The BICS activity acts as a natural motivational warm up
activity that introduces the CALP activity even in the case of very high level ESL learners.
References
Fox, H. & Miller, A. (2007). What EFL Topics do Students find Interesting? Hwa Kang
Journal, 13, 99-110

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Fox, H. (2004). A Study of ESL Teachers and Their Attitudes About Computer-Assisted
Language Learning Usage, Hwa Kang Journal of TEFL, 10. 37-56

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Prezi Presentation Countries
The students will pick one of the countries listed below for their Prezi presentation. Every
student must pick a different country. The student will discuss the business culture of that
country which includes customs and etiquette of that country.
Afghanistan
Angola
Australia
Bahrain
Belgium
Bolivia
Brunei
Cambodia
Central African Rep
Colombia
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
Guinea
Honduras
Indonesia
Israel
Japan
Kiribati
Kuwait
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Madagascar
Mali
Mauritius
Monaco
Mozambique
Nepal
Niger
Pakistan
Paraguay
Portugal
Rwanda

Albania
Antigua & Deps
Austria
Bangladesh
Belize
Bosnia Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Chad
Comoros
Croatia
Denmark
East Timor
Equatorial Guinea
Fiji
Gambia
Greece
Guinea-Bissau
Hungary
Iran
Italy
Jordan
Korea North
Kyrgyzstan
Lesotho
Lithuania
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Mongolia
Myanmar, {Burma}
Netherlands
Nigeria
Palau
Peru
Qatar
St Kitts & Nevis

Samoa
Senegal
Singapore
Somalia
Sri Lanka

San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
South Africa
Sudan

Algeria
Argentina
Azerbaijan
Barbados
Benin
Botswana
Burkina
Canada
Chile
Congo
Cuba
Djibouti
Ecuador
Eritrea
Finland
Georgia
Grenada
Guyana
Iceland
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Kazakhstan
Korea South
Laos
Liberia
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Montenegro
Namibia
New Zealand
Norway
Panama
Philippines
Romania
St Lucia

Andorra
Armenia
Bahamas
Belarus
Bhutan
Brazil
Burundi
Cape Verde
China
Congo
Cyprus
Dominica
Egypt
Estonia
France
Germany
Guatemala
Haiti
India
Ireland {Republic}
Jamaica
Kenya
Kosovo
Latvia
Libya
Macedonia
Maldives
Mauritania
Moldova
Morocco
Nauru
Nicaragua
Oman
Papua New Guinea
Poland
Russian Federation
Saint Vincent & the
Grenadines
Sao Tome & Principe Saudi Arabia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Sudan
Spain
Suriname
Swaziland

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Sweden
Tajikistan
Tonga
Turkmenistan
United Arab
Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam

Switzerland
Tanzania
Trinidad & Tobago
Tuvalu
United Kingdom

Syria
Thailand
Tunisia
Uganda
United States

Taiwan
Togo
Turkey
Ukraine
Uruguay

Vanuatu
Yemen

Vatican City
Zambia

Venezuela
Zimbabwe

The students will take a vocabulary test of the words listed in the table below

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My Big Fat Greek Wedding Wikipedia Entry
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 Canadian-American romantic comedy film written by and
starring Nia Vardalos and directed by Joel Zwick. The film is centered on Fotoula Toula
Portokalos, a middle class Greek American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek upper
middle class "White Anglo-Saxon Protestant" Ian Miller. At the 75th Academy Awards, it was
nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. A sleeper hit, the film became
the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time,[2] and grossed $241.4 million in North
America, despite never reaching number one at the box office during its release (the highestgrossing film to accomplish this feat).
1) Plot
Fortoula Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) is going through an early midlife crisis. At thirty,
having had her childhood, adolescence and adult life plagued by bad luck she feels that she is the only
woman in her family who has failed at being a typical Greek girl. Her family expects her to be
more like her 33-year-old sister Athena (Stavroula Logothettis) and marry a Greek boy, make
Greek babies, and feed everyone until the day she dies. Instead, Toula is stuck working in the
family restaurant in Chicago, Dancing Zorbas. Frumpy and cynical, she fears that she is doomed
to be stuck with her life as it is and always has been. One day while at the restaurant, Toula briefly
becomes enamored with and embarrasses herself in front of Ian Miller (John Corbett), a handsome
school teacher.
An argument with her overly-patriotic father, Gus (Michael Constantine), who merely wants his
daughter to marry and settle down rather than pursue a career, causes Toula to want her own life, away
from the restaurant and her intrusive family. After some persuasion by his wife, Maria (Lainie
Kazan), Gus reluctantly permits Toula to begin taking computer classes at a local college, Toula
then trades her glasses for contact lenses, curls her hair, and begins to wear make-up, improving her
confidence, mood and self-esteem. Armed with her skills, Toula convinces her mother and her Aunt
Voula (Andrea Martin) to get Gus to allow Toula to work at Voulas travel agency instead of the
restaurant.
Toula does better in her new job, even catching the eye of Ian who is amazed at her makeover and
becomes smitten with her. Despite Toula being shy whenever she sees Ian, they finally introduce
themselves indirectly, fall in love and begin to date. Toula tries to keep the relationship secret from
her family, until some weeks later when Gus finds out due to the closeness of the Greek American
community. He throws a fit because Ian is not an ethnic Greek (a xeno), and he orders Toula to end
the relationship and tries to set her up on dates with Greek men, but Ian and Toula continue to see
each other against Guss wishes. Ian proposes to her, and Toula accepts. Gus is hurt and infuriated,
feeling that his daughter has betrayed him. Ian wanting to be with Toula agrees to be baptized in the
Greek Orthodox Church, an act which earns Guss grudging respect and the acceptance of the rest
of the family. As the months pass, the wedding planning hits snag after snag as Toulas numerous
relatives helpfully interfere by imposing their ideas into her planning. The situation reaches its
head when Gus and Maria invite the entire family to what was meant to be a quiet introductory
dinner with Ians demure and private parents. The Millers are not used to such cultural fervor, and are
completely overwhelmed, a situation made worse by the copious amounts of ouzo they accidentally
consume. The evening is a failure, with Gus complaining that the Millers are too dry, like a piece of
toast. The wedding day dawns with liveliness and hysteria, and though Toula is nervous the
traditional Greek wedding itself goes without a hitch albeit in a comical fashion. At the Reception
Gus gives a speech accepting Ian and the Millers as his new family and as his wedding gift, he

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presents the newlyweds with a deed to a new home. Following the reception and colorful Greek
dancing, Toula and Ian drive away to begin their honeymoon and married life together. An epilogue
shows the new couples life six years later. They have had a daughter, Paris, who complains that she
would prefer not to go to Greek school. Toula placates her by assuring her that when the time
comes, Paris can marry whomever she wants. As they walk towards Greek school, it is revealed that
their home is right next door to that of Toulas parents.
2) Cast
Nia Vardalos as Fortoula Toula Portokalos
John Corbett as Ian Miller
Lainie Kazan as Maria Portokalos
Michael Constantine as Kostas Gus Portokalos
Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula
Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos
Gia Carides as Cousin Nikki
Joey Fatone as Cousin Angelo
Stavroula Logothettis as Athena Portokalos
Ian Gomez as Mike, Ians best man; he is Nia Vardaloss real-life husband
Bruce Gray as Rodney Miller
Fiona Reid as Harriet Miller
Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. White
Arielle Sugarman as Paris Miller
Frank Falcone as Suitor/Bartender at LeJardin
3) Production
My Big Fat Greek Wedding started as a one-woman play written by and starring Vardalos, performed
for six weeks at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Los Angeles in the summer of 1997.[3] Vardalos
later jokingly stated that she only wrote the play to get a better agent.[4] The play was based on
Vardaloss own family in Winnipeg in Canada and on her experience marrying a non-Greek man
(actor Ian Gomez).[4] The play was popular, and was sold out for much of its run, in part due to
Vardaloss marketing it across Greek Orthodox churches in the area.[5] A number of Hollywood
executives and celebrities saw it, including actress Rita Wilson, who is herself of Greek origin;[5]
Wilson convinced her husband, actor Tom Hanks, to see it as well.
Vardalos began meeting various executives about making a film version of the play and began writing a
screenplay as well. However, the meetings proved fruitless because the executives insisted on making
changes that they felt would make the film more marketable, which Vardalos objected to: these
included changing the plot, getting a known actress in the lead role (Marisa Tomei was one name
mentioned),[5] and changing the familys ethnicity to Hispanic.[4] Two months after the plays initial
run ended, Hankss production company, Playtone, contacted Vardalos about producing a film based
on her vision for it; they also agreed to remount the play in early 1998, this time at LAs Globe
Theatre.[3] Hanks later said that casting Vardalos in the lead role brings a huge amount of integrity to
the piece, because its Nias version of her own life and her own experience. I think that shows
through on the screen and people recognize it.[4]
In 2000, while in Toronto doing pre-production for the film, Vardalos and Playtone producer Gary
Goetzman overheard actor John Corbett (who was in town shooting the film Serendipity) at a bar,
telling a friend of his about having read the script for My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and being upset that

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he couldn't make the auditions. Vardalos and Goetzman approached Corbett and offered him the part
of Ian Miller on the spot, which he accepted.[4]
Parts of the film were shot in Greektown, Toronto
Despite being based on life in the Greek community of Winnipeg, the film was set in Chicago and
shot in both Toronto and Chicago. Torontos Ryerson University and Greektown neighborhood feature
prominently in the film. The home used to depict Gus and Maria Portokalos residence (as well as the
home bought next door at the end of the film for Toula and Ian) is located on Glenwood Crescent just
off O'Connor Drive in East York. The real home representing the Portokalos residence actually has
most of the external ornamentation that was shown in the film. Also, some minor parts of the movie
were shot in Jarvis High School in Toronto.
After a February 2002 premiere, it was initially released in the United States on April 19, 2002.
That summer it opened in Iceland, Israel, Greece, and Canada. The following fall and winter it
opened in Turkey, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Hong Kong, Brazil,
Norway, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Taiwan, the Philippines,
Egypt, Peru, Sweden, Mexico, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Switzerland (German speaking region),
France, Poland, Kuwait, Estonia, and Lithuania. It was finally released in South Korea in March 2
5) Reception and performance
My Big Fat Greek Wedding became a sleeper hit and grew steadily from its limited release. Despite
never hitting the number one spot and being an independent film with a $5 million budget, it ultimately
grossed over $368.7 million worldwide, becoming one of the top romantic films of the 21st century
according to Echo Bridge Entertainment.[1] It was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2002 in the United
States and Canada,[6] with USD$241,438,208, and the highest-grossing romantic comedy in
history.[2] Domestically, it is also the highest-grossing film never having been number one on the
weekly North American box office charts.[7] The film is among the most profitable of all time, with a
6150% return on an (inflation adjusted) cost of $6 million to produce.[8]
The movie received generally positive reviews. Based on 121 reviews collected by Rotten
Tomatoes, the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 76%, with an average rating of
6.7/10. The websites critical consensus was, Though it sometimes feels like a television sitcom,
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is good-hearted and lovable.[9] By comparison, Metacritic, which assigns
a rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 62, based
on 29 reviews, which is considered to be Generally favorable reviews.[10]
6) Lawsuits
The cast (with the exception of Nia Vardalos, who had a separate deal), as well as Hankss production
company, Playtone, later sued the studio for their part of the profits, charging that Gold Circle Films
was engaging in so-called "Hollywood accounting" practices.[11]
7) 10th-anniversary edition
In 2012, a 10th anniversary edition of the film was released. The edition includes a DVD version
and a digital copy of the film and features deleted scenes as well as a 30-minute retrospective with
Vardalos and Corbett.

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8) My Big Fat Greek Life
Main article: My Big Fat Greek Life
The film inspired the brief 2003 TV series My Big Fat Greek Life, with most of the major characters
played by the same actors, with the exception of Steven Eckholdt replacing Corbett as the husband.
Corbett had already signed on to the TV series Lucky. He was scheduled to appear as the best friend of
his replacements character, but the show was cancelled before he appeared. The show received poor
reviews from critics noting the random character entrances and serious plot adjustments that did
not match the film.
The 7 episodes from the series are available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, whose
TV studio division produced the show.
9) References within the film
Throughout the entire film, Gus continually uses Windex, the popular window cleaner, as a remedy for
everything. The film makes references to Zorba the Greek (1964), The Lost Boys (1987), That Thing
You Do! (1996), and Meet the Parents (2000), while spoofing Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967).
10) Cultural references to the film
Another independent Canadian feature, Mambo Italiano (2003), referenced Wedding. The film was
also parodied in the 2006 film Date Movie. The films title has been used as a snowclone, being copied
across various titles:
An episode of the 15th season of The Simpsons is titled "My Big Fat Geek Wedding".
A 2003 Fox reality series was entitled My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance, followed up in 2004 by the
short lived My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss.
The 2005 film My Big Fat Independent Movie was both named after, and parodied, the film.
A 2006 episode of Veronica Mars is titled "My Big Fat Greek Rush Week".
In 2008, TV production firm DCD Media produced My Big Fat Mexican Wedding, a documentary
about the marriage of Manuel Uribe, formerly the worlds heaviest man, with his girlfriend Claudia
Solis.
NDTV (a Southeast Asian Broadcast Channel) runs a series of episodes on lavish weddings, called
My Big Fat Indian Wedding.
An episode of Ben 10 is titled My Big Fat Alien Wedding.
Channel 4 in the UK produced a documentary called My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding about gypsy and
traveler weddings, followed by a mini-series called Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.
An episode of the cooking show Good Eats revolving around gyros was titled My Big Fat Greek
Sandwich.
11) Sequel
In a 2009 interview for her film My Life in Ruins, asked about a possible sequel for My Big Fat
Greek Wedding, Vardalos stated that she had an idea for a sequel and had started writing it, hinting
that, like Ruins, the film would be set in Greece.[12] Asked about a sequel again in a November,
2012 interview, she stated, Well, actually, yes. And its only now that I've really become open to the
idea. Over the years, I've heard from everybody about what the sequel should be. People next to me at
Starbucks would say, 'Hey, let me tell you my idea,' and I'd be like, 'Hey, I'm just trying to get a

13
cup of coffee.' I never thought much about it. But then when John (Corbett) and I recently sat down
to do that interview (for the 10th anniversary edition), we laughed so hard through the whole thing.
It made me think that its time. He said, Come on, write something, will you?" And I now think I
will. We have such an easy chemistry together. And we have chemistry because we never 'did it.'
Thats the surefire way to kill chemistry in a scene. You have to make sure your actors don't 'do it' offscreen. If they don't 'do it,' then they'll have chemistry on camera.[13] On May 27, 2014, various
news and media outlets reported that a sequel is in the works. Nia Vardalos later confirmed this
via Twitter, and she also has written a script for the film.[14] The sequel is set for a March 25, 2016
release date.[15]
12) References
[1] My Life in Ruins (PDF). Echo Bridge Entertainment. Retrieved on May 12, 2008
[2] TV Review - My Big Fat Greek Life. Entertainment Weekly. 2003-04-07. Retrieved 200809-28.
[3] My Big Fat Greek Wedding Headed for L.A.'s Globe Jan. 15 -- and Film, Willard Manus,
Playbill, January 15, 1998
[4] My Big Fat Greek Wedding: About the Production, Hollywood Jesus, 2002
[5] Nia Vardalos interview, Robin Rea, Screenmancer.com [6] Box Office Mojo
[7] Top Grossing Movies that never hit #1. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
[8] Staff (September 15, 2010). The 15 Most Profitable Movies of All Time. CNBC.
Retrieved September 15,
2010. The rankings cited in this article have been disputed as some movies were not included.
[9] My Big Fat Greek Wedding Movie Reviews, Pictures. Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved
2010-05-08.

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My Big Fat Greek Wedding Hidden vs. Visible Culture
http://foxhugh.com/tv-series-esl-discussion-questions/my-big-fat-greek-wedding-multiculturalexercise/

Class Exercise
Which of the following items on the list are examples of visible culture? Which of the following
items on the list are examples of hidden culture?
1. facial expressions
3. religious rituals
5. paintings
7. literature
9. ideas about leadership
11. holiday customs
13. ideas about friendship
15. foods
17. understanding of the natural world
19. the importance of work
21. music
23. general world view
25. rules of social etiquette

2. religious beliefs
4. importance of time
6. values
8. child-raising beliefs
10. gestures
12. ideas about fairness
14. ideas about modesty
16. eating habits
18. concept of self
20. concept of beauty
22. styles of dress
24. concept of personal space
26. housing

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The students will do the class discussion exercise or the group exercise depending on their
knowledge level of cross-cultural communication.
Class Discussion Exercise
1) The students will label 1-26 above as being an example of visible or hidden culture.
2) The students will work with a partner and compare and contrast Toula's and Ian's family in
areas 1-26 above before participating in a class discussion.
3) After watching the YouTube videos about cross-cultural marriage, the relative importance on
marriage of areas 1-26 will be discussed.
Group Exercise
Group 1) Compare and contrast Toulas and Ians family in the areas of visible culture.
Group 2) Compare and contrast Toulas and Ians family in the areas of hidden culture.
Group 3) Compare and contrast the communication style of Toulas and Ians family in terms of
direct versus indirect communication.
Group 4) Compare and contrast the communication style of Toulas and Ians family in terms of
emotional expression.
Group 5) Compare and contrast the communication style of Toulas and Ians family in terms of
low versus high context communication.

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Low vs. High Context Worksheet
http://foxhugh.com/multicultural/low-vs-high-context-communication/
The student will be able to discuss the overall concept of low versus high context cultures. The
student will be able to apply the concept to the areas of association, interaction, territoriality,
temporality and learning.
High Context

Low Context
Association

Interaction

Territoriality

Temporality

Learning

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Deciphering Facial Expressions
http://foxhugh.com/multicultural/deciphering-facial-expressions/

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Emotion and Culture
http://foxhugh.com/multicultural/cultural-dimension-display-of-emotion/
The students will be able to discuss the topic of emotion and culture.
1) What does the video have to say about Darwin?
2) What does the video say about Plutchiks wheel of emotions?

3) What does the video say about pessimism versus optimism?

Optimist vs Pessimist

4) What about US optimism?

-EU pessimism vs. US optimism

5) What is a realist?
-Should You Be Optimistic, Pessimistic or Realistic?

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6) How do cultures differ in the area of emotional expression?
-Cultural Dimension: display of emotion
-Two Dimensional Model of Emotional Display

7) Describe the difference between emotion and feeling.

-Where Do We Physically Feel Emotions?

8) Describe the Three poisons (Buddhism)

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Direct versus Indirect Communication Style
http://foxhugh.com/multicultural/direct-versus-indirect-communication-style/
1) The student will be able to define and use direct and indirect communication.
2) The student will be able explain productivity, candidate recruitment, racist terms, the need for
a safety helmet at a construction site, enhanced health insurance and cons of outsourcing.
Group 1 Do two role plays in which you discuss productivity problems with a worker. Use
direct communication in the first role play and an indirect communication in the second role
play.

Group 2 Do two role plays in which you are trying to recruit a candidate. Use direct
communication in the first role play and an indirect communication in the second role play.

Group 3 Do two role plays in which you are trying to convince your boss for the need for
computer training (Office) for new employees. Use direct communication in the first role
play and an indirect communication in the second role play.

Group 4 Do two role plays in which you are trying to warn a candidate about using racist
terms at the workplace. Use direct communication in the first role play and an indirect
communication in the second role play.

Group 5 Do two role plays in which you are trying to get a worker to wear his safety helmet
on a construction site. Use direct communication in the first role play and an indirect
communication in the second role play.

Group 6 Do two role plays in which you are trying to convince the boss that the company
should use an enhanced health insurance plan versus the current plan. Use direct
communication in the first role play and an indirect communication in the second role play.

Group 7 Do two role plays in which you are trying to convince the boss widget
production for your company should not be outsourced. Use direct communication in the
first role play and an indirect communication in the second role play.

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Body Language Around the World
http://foxhugh.com/multicultural/gestures-around-the-world/
The student will be able to discuss gestures, greetings using body language, proxemics and
public displays of affection from a cross cultural perspective.
1.0) GESTURES
1.1) What does thumbs up mean in America?
1.2) What hand sign means victory or peace in America?
1.3) What hand sign means a ok in America?
1.4) What hand sign means stop in America?
1.5) What does the Texas Long Horn mean and how does it look like?
1.6) What gesture can get you arrested in the Philippines?
1.7) What gesture means settle down in the US?
1.8) What gesture resembles the Thai wai and what does it mean in Japan?
1.9) What are some black girl gestures?
2.0) GREETING BODY LANGUAGE
2.1) What are some hand shake pointers?
2.2) What are some Thai wai pointers?
2.3) What are some considerations when bowing in South Korea?
2.4) What are some considerations when bowing Japan?
3.0) PROXEMICS

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3.1) What are the three types of body distance?

3.2) What are some differences in personal space between different cultures?
4.0) PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION AROUND THE WORLD (PDA)
4.1) What are some annoying types of PDA?
4.2) How is PDA viewed in Japan?
4.3) How is PDA viewed in India?
4.4) Describe PDA in South Korea.

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Pushing Hands Wikipedia Entry
Pushing Hands (Chinese: ; pinyin: tu shu) is a film directed by Ang Lee. Released in
1992, it was his first feature film. Together with Ang Lee's two following films, The Wedding
Banquet (1993) and Eat Drink Man Woman (1994), it forms his "Father Knows Best" trilogy, each
of which deals with conflicts between an older and more traditional generation and their children as
they confront a world of change.
Plot
The story is about an elderly Chinese t'ai chi ch'uan teacher and grandfather who emigrates from
Beijing to live with his son, American daughter-in-law, and grandson in a New York City suburb.
The grandfather is increasingly distanced from the family as a "fish out of water" in Western
culture. The film shows the contrast between traditional Chinese ideas of Confucian relationships
within a family and the much more informal Western emphasis on the individual. The friction in the
family caused by these differing expectations eventually leads to the grandfather moving out of the
family home (something very alien to traditional expectations), and in the process he learns lessons
(some comical, some poignant) about how he must adapt to his new surroundings before he
comes to terms with his new life.
Title
The title of the film refers to the pushing hands training that is part of the grandfather's t'ai chi
routine. Pushing hands is a two person training which teaches t'ai chi students to yield in the face of
brute force. T'ai chi ch'uan teachers were persecuted in China during the Cultural Revolution, and
the grandfather's family was broken up as a result. He sent his son to the West several years
earlier and when he could he came to live with his family with the expectation of picking up
where they left off, but he was unprepared for the very different atmosphere of the West.
"Pushing Hands" thereby alludes to the process of adaptation to culture shock felt by a traditional
teacher in moving to the United States.
External links
Pushing Hands [1] at the Internet Movie Database
References
[1] http:/ /www. imdb.com/ title/tt0105652/
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Pushing Hands Literary/Cultural Analysis
http://foxhugh.com/tv-series-esl-discussion-questions/pushing-hands/
1.0) What is the point of view of the movie?
2.0) What is the plot of the movie?
3.0) Describe the following characters using the Fox Character Analysis Pyramid.
3.1) Describe Sihung Lung as Mr. Chu.
3.2) Describe Fanny de Luz as Linda.
4.0) What is the theme of the movie?
5.0) What is the setting of the movie?
5.1)Describe Chinatown, New York
5.2) What is Thai Town like?
5.3) What are some similarities between Chinatown and Thai Town?
5.4) How important is the setting?
6.0) What is the genre of the movie?
7.0) Does the movie have any cultural lessons?
7.1) Wikipedia describes the story as a fish out of water story. What is the meaning of the
fish out of water idiom?
7.2) What is destroy the Four Olds?
7.3) What is t'ai chi ch'uan?
7.4) Why was t'ai chi ch'uan banned in China?
7.5) How does Confucianism value of filial piety effect the communication between Mr. Chu
and his daughter-in-law Martha?
7.6) How is t'ai chi ch'uan a communication metaphor?
8.0) What are some similarities between Pushing Hands and The Wedding Banquet?
8.1) Which film do you like more and why?

25
The Wedding Banquet Wikipedia Entry
The Wedding Banquet (Chinese: ; pinyin: Xyn; Wade-Giles: Hsi yen) is a 1993 film about
a gay Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a mainland Chinese woman to placate his parents
and get her a green card. His plan backfires when his parents arrive in the United States to plan his
wedding banquet. The film was directed by Ang Lee and stars Winston Chao, May Chin, Ah Lei
Gua, Sihung Lung, and Mitchell Lichtenstein. The Wedding Banquet is the first of three movies that
Ang Lee would make about gay characters; the second is Brokeback Mountain and the third being
Taking Woodstock. The film is a co-production between Taiwan and the United States. Together with
Pushing Hands and Eat Drink Man Woman, all made in Taiwan, all showing the Confucian family at
risk, and all starring the Taiwanese actor Sihung Lung, its forms what has been called Lee's "Father
Knows Best" trilogy.[1]
Plot
Wai-Tung Gao and Simon are a happy gay couple living in Manhattan. Wai-Tung is in his late
20s, so his tradition-minded parents are eager to see him get married and have a child in order to
continue the family line. The early part of the film is madcap comedy. When Wai-Tung's parents hire a
dating service, he and Simon stall for time by inventing impossible demands. They demand an opera
singer and add that she must be 5'9" have two PhD's and speak five languages. The service actually
locates a 5'8" Chinese woman who sings Western opera, speaks five languages and has a single PhD.
She is very gracious when Wai-Tung explains his dilemma, as she, too, is hiding a relationship (with a
Caucasian man). At Simon's insistence, Wai-Tung decides to get married to one of his tenants, WeiWei, a penniless artist from mainland China in need of a green card. Besides helping out Wei-Wei,
Simon and Wai-Tung hope that this will placate Wai-Tung's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Gao decide to fly in
from Taiwan, bringing US$30,000 to hold an extravagant wedding for their son. Wai-Tung dares not
tell his parents the truth, because his father, a retired officer in the Chinese Nationalist Army, has just
recovered from a stroke; they go through with the wedding. However, the heartbreak his mother
experiences at the courthouse wedding prepares the story for a shift to drama. The only way to
atone for the disgraceful wedding is a magnificent wedding banquet. After the banquet, Wei-Wei
seduces the drunken Wai-Tung, and becomes pregnant. Simon is extremely upset when he finds out,
and his relationship with Wai-Tung begins to deteriorate. Shortly after, Mr. Gao has another stroke, and
in a moment of anger, after a fight with both Simon and Wei-Wei, Wai-Tung admits the truth to his
mother. She is shocked and insists that he not tell his father. The perceptive Mr. Gao has seen more
than he is letting on; he secretly tells Simon that he knows about their relationship, and,
appreciating the considerable sacrifices he made for his biological son, takes Simon as his son as
well. Simon accepts the Hongbao from Wai-Tung's father, a symbolic admission of their relationship,
but Mr. Gao makes him promise not to tell anyone; without everyone trying to lie to him, he points out,
he'd never have gotten a grandchild. After making an appointment to have an abortion, Wei-Wei
decides to keep the baby, and asks Simon to stay together with Wai-Tung and be the baby's other
father. In the final parting scene, as Wai-Tung's parents prepare to fly home, Mrs. Gao has forged an
emotional bond to daughter-in-law Wei-Wei. Mr. Gao accepts Simon and warmly shakes his hand. In
the end, both derive some happiness from the situation, and they walk off to board the aircraft, leaving
the unconventional family to sort itself out.
Cast
Winston Chao as Gao Wei Tong ( Go Witng)
May Chin as Wei-Wei ( G Wiwi)
Ah Lei Gua as Mrs. Gao
Sihung Lung as Mr. Gao

26
Mitchell Lichtenstein as Simon
Dion Birney as Andrew
Jeanne Kuo Chang as Wai-Tung's secretary
Michael Gaston as Justice of the Peace
Ang Lee (cameo) as Wedding guest
The Wedding Banquet
Reception
The Wedding Banquet received mostly positive reviews; it currently holds a 96% "fresh" rating
on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]
Accolades
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 66th Academy
Awards and also nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It won the
Golden Space Needle of the Seattle International Film Festival and the Golden Bear at the 43rd Berlin
International Film Festival.
Adaptations
In December 1993, a novelization of the film, titled Wedding Banquet (
Wedingu Banketto) and published in Japan, was written by Yji Konno (
Konno Yji). (ISBN 4-8387-0508-5)[3]
In 2003, a musical staging was performed at the Village Theatre. It was directed by John
Tillinger, choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, with music by Woody Pak and book and lyrics by Brian
Yorkey. Yorkey, Village's associate artistic director, said this of the production, "The film
succeeds because of Ang Lee's delicate poetry, and there is no way we can replicate that or
translate that into a musical. So we took the story a step further. Whereas the film ends very
ambiguously, our musical goes on past where the film ends". The show starred Welly Yang as
Wai Tung.[4]
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

27
The Wedding Banquet Cultural Identity Worksheet
http://foxhugh.wordpress.com/multicultural/the-wedding-banquet-xi-yan-cultural-identityworksheet/

The student will be able to discuss cultural identity and the related concepts of ethnic identity
development, ethnicity, gender, language, nationality, race, religion, identity politics, market
segmentation, internet identity and apply these concepts to enhance cross-cultural
communication.
1.0) What is cultural identity?
2.0) What is ethnic identity development?
3.0) What is gender identity?
4.0) What is racial identity?
5.0) What are some of pros and cons of nationalism?
6.0) What is language identity?
7.0) What is sexual orientation?

28
8.0) What is religious identity?
9.0) What is ethnic identity?
10.0) What is the difference between ethnicity and race?
11.0) What is the relationship between the internet and cultural identity?
12.0) What are some practical applications of cultural identity?
13.1) Politics Identity Politics
13.2) Business - Marketing Segmentation
14.0) What do you think is the dominant cultural identity for each character and why?
14.1) Mr. Gao
14.2) Mrs. Gao
14.3) Simon
14.4) Wai-Tung Gao
14.5) Wei-Wei
15) How would you describe your own cultural identity in terms of ethnicity, gender, nationality,
race and religion?
16) How can we apply cultural identity theory to enhance cross-cultural communication?

29
Hofstedes Six Cultural Dimensions
http://foxhugh.com/multicultural/hofstede-index/cross-cultural-organizational-behavior-andhofstedes-cultural-dimensions/
1.0) Power Distance Index (PDI)
PDI is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the
family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more
versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a society's level of
inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. Power and inequality, of
course, are extremely fundamental facts of any society and anybody with some international
experience will be aware that 'all societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others.
China (80), Thailand (64), US (40), Japan (54), World Average (55)
1.1) Egalitarian vs. Hierarchical
1.2) China is more ________ than Thailand.
1.3) The US is more _______ than China.
1.4) Thailand is more ______ than Japan.
1.5) Thailand is more ______ that the World Average.
1.6) China is less ________ than Thailand.
1.7) The US is less_______ than China.
1.8) Thailand is less ______ than Japan.
1.9) Thailand is less______ that the World Average.
1.10) How do you think PDI affects leadership, overall?
1.11) If your boss asks for your opinion, that is negative, then what should you do?
1.12) What sort of school issues should be voted on by the students, if any?
1.13) Your boss is about to release a statement in English to a newspaper. You notice several
mistakes in the statement. Your English is actually better than her English since you have
studied in an English speaking country but she hasnt. What should you do?

30

2.0) Individualism (IDV)

IDV is on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals
are integrated into groups. On the individualist side we find societies in which the ties between
individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him/herself and his/her immediate
family. On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are
integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and
grandparents) which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.
China (20), Thailand (20), US (91), Japan (46), World Average (43)
2.1) Individualistic versus Collectivist
2.2) China is more ________ than Thailand.
2.3) The US is more _______ than China.
2.4) Thailand is more ______ than Japan.
2.5) Thailand is more ______ that the World Average.
2.6) China is less ________ than Thailand.
2.7) The US is less_______ than China.
2.8) Thailand is less ______ than Japan.
2.9) Thailand is less______ that the World Average.
2.10) What are some in-groups that Thais belong to?
2.11) What does guanxi mean in Chinese? How does guanxi reflect collectivism in Chinese
society?
2.12) If an old class mate asks for a special price from your company because of your
relationship then what should you do?

31
2.13) If your sister asks you to get your niece an entry level job at your company then what
should you do?
2.14) Which is more important for success in business? Who you know or what you know?
2.15) Your father is a successful business man. You want to be a musician but your father is
totally against this idea and thinks you should study business and even work for his company
when you graduate. Should you go ahead and study music despite the objections of your father?
2.16) What does the Thai word kreng jai mean? How does kreng jai reflect collectivism in Thai
society?

3.0) Masculinity (MAS)

MAS versus its opposite, femininity, refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which
is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. The IBM
studies revealed that (a) women's values differ less among societies than men's values; (b) men's
values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and
maximally different from women's values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to
women's values on the other. The assertive pole has been called 'masculine' and the modest,
caring pole 'feminine'.
China (50), Thailand (34), US (62), Japan (94), World Average (50)
3.1) Masculine versus Feminine
3.2) China is more ________ than Thailand.
3.3) The US is more _______ than China.
3.4) Thailand is more ______ than Japan.
3.5) Thailand is more ______ that the World Average.
3.6) China is less ________ than Thailand.
3.7) The US is less_______ than China.
3.8) Thailand is less ______ than Japan.
3.9) Thailand is less______ that the World Average.

32
3.10) One of your employees has a sick mother and has been absent or late almost every other
work day for more than a month. What should you do?
3.11) Is a company like a family or not?

4.0) Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)

UAI deals with a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to man's
search for Truth. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either
uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel,
unknown, surprising, and different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the
possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the
philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth; 'there can only be one Truth and
we have it.
China (60), Thailand (64), US (46), Japan (92), World Average (64)
4.1) During a brainstorming session the Chinese employees are much more quiet than their
American counterparts. How would you explain this difference in behavior using the UAI
concept?
4.2) Could Steve Jobs have started Apple in Japan? Why or why not?
4.3) Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft! Your classmate and close friend
also wants to drop out of college to start his own company and keeps mentioning Bill Gates.
What advice would you give your friend?
5.0) Long-Term Orientation (LTO)
LTO vs. short term orientation: First called "Confucian dynamism", it describes societies' time
horizon. Long-term oriented societies attach more importance to the future. They foster

33
pragmatic values oriented towards rewards, including persistence, saving and capacity for
adaptation. In short term oriented societies, values promoted are related to the past and the
present, including steadiness, respect for tradition, preservation of one's face, reciprocation and
fulfilling social obligations.
China (118), Thailand (44), US (29), Japan (80H), World Average (45)
5.1) Long-Term Orientation versus Short-Term Orientation
5.2) China has a more ________ than Thailand.
5.3) The US has a more _______ than China.
5.4) Thailand has a more ______ than Japan.
5.5) Thailand has a more ______ that the World Average.
5.6) China has a less ________ than Thailand.
5.7) The US has a less_______ than China.
5.8) Thailand has a less ______ than Japan.
5.9) Thailand has a less______ that the World Average.
5.10) You have job offers from two companies. One company is very stable and large and is
offering a low starting salary and is famous for having low salaries compared to other companies
but offers life time employment. The other company is new and much smaller and is offering a
much higher starting salary. The new company may or may not be around in two years in your
opinion. Which company should you work for?

6.0) Indulgence versus Restraint (IVR)

Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural
human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that
suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.
Indulgence as a cultural value also tends towards a perception of personal life control, while
restraint as a cultural value tends towards a perception of helplessness and that what happens in
one's life is beyond his/her own control.
Clinicians may find that, in response to a disability, individuals from a culture of indulgence feel
that they have control over their future level of function and participation in life activities;
meanwhile, individuals from a background of cultural restraint may have a sense of helplessness
and be less actively involved in taking control over their involvement in functional activities
outside of the clinic.

34
Additionally, in cultures valuing restraint, leisure activities are of lesser value, which may prove
important to consider in selecting functional therapy activities. Cultures valuing indulgence place
higher importance on leisure and so activities considered enjoyable may be more appropriate for
individuals with this cultural trait.
China (24), Thailand (45), US (68), Japan (42)
6.1) Indulgence versus Restraint
6.2) China has more ________ than Thailand.
6.3) The US has more _______ than China.
6.4) Thailand has more ______ than Japan.
6.5) China has less ________ than Thailand.
6.6) The US has less_______ than China.
6.7) Thailand has less ______ than Japan.

35