Advanced: Listening and Speaking

Portfolio Speaking Task 2: Pair discussion (4 to 6 minutes):

You are considering moving abroad. Research attitudes to personal space and discuss how you might feel in two different
countries.

“When you talk about inappropriately touching another person, that is a huge invasion of personal space. It takes relatively special
social circumstances before it feels comfortable to be touched by someone. Even just sidling up too close to another person can be
an invasion of that personal space. It has a very real impact on people.”

(Worrall, S 2018, ‘You Need Your Personal Space - Here's the Science Why’, National Geographic, 20 January 2018, viewed June 6
2018,<https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/personal-space-between-us-graziano-peripersonal-dyspraxia/>

There can be many different ‘personal spaces’ in your daily life. Some are more obvious than others. List as many as you can think
of. One has been included as an example.

1. A table in a restaurant 6. ____________________

2. A bed in a room 7. ____________________

3. A seat on a train/bus 8. ____________________

4. Belongings in your room 9. ____________________

5. 10. ____________________

What do you consider to be an ‘invasion of personal space’ for each of these places? Talk with a partner.

Have you experienced any invasions of personal space - at home or abroad?

Different cultures have different attitudes to personal space. This can be very challenging when visiting, studying or working in
different countries. Read the quotes from people who have moved abroad over the page.

“Standing in one of the most crowded parts of Cairo, Giza Square, there's really no sense of personal space … Just now as I was
talking, a man brushed up right against me, didn't even notice, didn't even apologize because that's normal here.”
Advanced: Listening and Speaking
“[In Sao Paulo, Brazil] "I can see people are kissing each other and they don't worry about other people seeing
them."

Fadel, L and Garcia-Navarro, L 2013, ‘How Different Cultures Handle Personal Space’, NPR, 5 May 2013, viewed June 6 2018,
<https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/05/05/181126380/how-different-cultures-handle-personal-space>

Do either of these situations surprise you? Do they seem familiar? Where can you find more ideas about how different
cultures feel about personal space? Make a list of key terms for a Google search
. Find three credible websites that discuss this issue and list them below.

1. ________________________________________

2. ________________________________________

3. ________________________________________

You need to introduce the different destinations, discuss their attitudes to personal space and explain how you might feel if you
moved there. You will need to support your ideas with hypothetical examples or from your own experience.

You will share your first draft on Monday of Week 7. Please come to class prepared. Speak for 4.0 - 6.0 minutes.

You will give and receive peer feedback on Monday. You will use this feedback to revise your work and produce the second draft.