GESTURES

AROUND THE

WORL

WORKED BY:

#MesueseAurela

ENGLISH PROJECT

What are gestures? Gestures are a form of nonverbal communication in

which visible bodily actions are used to communicate

important messages, either in place of speech or

together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures

include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of

the body. Physical non-verbal communication such as

purely expressive displays, proxemic, or displays

of joint attention differ from gestures, which

communicate specific messages.

Some gestures might be insulting…

Be careful!!!

The thumbs-up signal is considered an insult in Iran,

where this is called a bilakh and roughly translates to

"up yours." The OK sign, where thumb and forefinger

meet to create a circle, is an obscene gesture if you're in

Brazil or Turkey, where you're comparing someone to a

particularly dirty part of the body. And if you're

motioning to someone in Latin America by using an

upward palm and waving your fingers back, you might

get a much friendlier response that anticipated, as this is

a common romantic solicitation.

Know your right from your

left

In Muslim countries, the right hand is reserved

for activities such as eating and shaking hands.

The left hand is used for cleaning yourself,

especially after using the toilet and, thus, is

generally considered unclean. Forgetting this

distinction and eating or handing something

over with your left hand is considered a terrible

insult.

Touching… Oops !? While people in Mediterranean

countries literally embrace one another,

reserved distance is preferred by most

people throughout East Asia. In Buddhist

countries, the head is actually considered

sacred and to touch someone's head, even a

child's, is considered a grave insult. And in

Qatar and Saudi, men and women are

forbidden from publicly embracing one

another.

Know your nose... In some countries, making an assortment

of hearty slurping noises while dining is taken

as a sign of appreciation, while sneezing at the

same table can garner you looks of disgust. In

Venezuela and Ecuador, sneezing at the dinner

table is considered quite vulgar. In Japan and

China, if you must blow your nose, don't pull

out a handkerchief, which is seen as a

repulsive "nose waste" receptacle.

Rice rules When dining in Asia, never use

your chopsticks to poke or spear your food,

and never use them to help pull a plate closer,

all of which are considered rude. Never cross

your chopsticks over your bowl, which, in

some areas, can indicate you're done with your

meal. Never use them to point at anything,

especially people. And perhaps most

importantly, never stick them upright in your

rice or pass food directly from one set of

chopsticks to another set. These actions mimic

rituals during a Japanese funeral where

chopsticks are set by the bedside of a newly

deceased, and when bones of the cremated

deceased are passed, chopsticks to chopsticks.

Silence is golden

Be aware that there are situations and places where

silence is the norm, if not required. In Northern

Europe, it's best to enjoy your sauna in silence; in

Western Europe, show your respect in churches

with quiet reverence; in East Asia, temples are

sacred places best experienced in silence. In some

African countries, as well as China and Japan,

mealtime is for eating, not chatting.

Going native Some tourists get a bit too involved in their immersion

into a society, ultimately offending a culture by trying

to adopt the local accent, donning native costumes or

"improving" the local life with tales or (worse)

examples of how things are "better" back home. Don't

show up in an Ecuadorian highland market wearing a

national costume. People will know you just bought it.

Really.

Flower power

Flowers are found everywhere, but their meaning

can be very different depending on their variety,

colour, number, and where you are. In France or

Austria, giving red roses signifies romance, while

presenting yellow roses in Mexico or Chile is a

commemoration of grief or separation. And if you're

in Hawaii, never refuse a lei, which is a sign of great

dishonor.

No shoes…

If you're in the South Pacific or parts of East Asia,

you'll need to remember to remove your shoes

before entering a house as a sign of respect (and

cleanliness). Feet are considered taboo in most

Muslim countries, and showing the soles of your

feet or tapping someone else with your shoe can be

quite offensive. And, of course, never throw your

shoes.

THE RAGE

Anger is increasingly okay in Australia. In

business , if you're the boss , it means you're an

alpha male or whatever the female equivalent is.

In more informal settings it's just showing your

feelings, it's called being emotionally healthy,

California-style. But for safety's sake assume

anger is generally not on when you travel. Many

countries around the world still put a premium

on emotional control in most settings. Your

anger could be radically misinterpreted. In some

African countries, such as Kenya, it could be

taken as a sign of mental illness.

COMPLIMENTS

"Oh, I love your settee!" is a harmless compliment - and perhaps a

little white lie - when visiting someone's house in the West. But be

wary of making such a remark in Arab and African countries, such as

Jordan, Senegal and Nigeria. Your host might think he or she is

obliged to give you the item in question.

The happy snap

It's easy enough to be offended in your own country by intrusive tourists

snapping your photo without permission. On other occasions, you might be that

intrusive tourist yourself. But the offence can go much further in certain African

countries, such as in rural Ghana, where people might fear.

The point Is this the way to your famous shrine/mosque/temple? Be

careful how you ask such questions when travelling. Pointing

with your finger is rude in so many countries it's probably

wise just to abandon the gesture altogether overseas. Use an

open hand instead to indicate direction.

Chin Flick

An illustrated guide to avoiding insulting the locals during

your next foreign holiday. Telegraph Travel does not accept

any reponsibility for violence, rioting or deportation that may

result from attempts to mimic the following gestures.

Idiot gesture

A South American gesture indicating stupidity, this

requires improve skills and an actorly flair. To perform, put

your fist to your forehead while making a comical overbite.

The gesture is most effective when accented with multiple

grunts. When executed correctly, you will be rewarded with

appreciative laughs, though not, perhaps, from your subject.

Moutza

Meaning: To hell with you! /I rub in your

face!/I'm going to violate your sister!

Used in: Greece, Africa, Pakistan.

PEPPER MILL

In southern Italy, craziness is indicated by this

gesture, in which one mimics the grinding of a

pepper mill. The implication is that the subject’s

addled brain is whirring as fast as the mill's blades.

The slurp

Slurping your soup - or indeed your coffee or tea - might be a

no-no at your average Aussie table but in Japan it's considered

good table manners. Slurping indicates you're enjoying the

meal.

Around the World

In Seven Gestures

1…… Japanese; “Watashi” (women) / “Boku”

(men)

Means: “Me”

How to do it: whereas we in the West point to our chest when

we want to say “I” or ask “me?”, the Japanese point to their

nose with their index finger.

2….. Arabic “al-Hamdu li-llaah”

Means:

“Praise be to God”

How to do it: after shaking hands, place right

hand across the chest and bow head briefly.

This is a sign of respect to someone of high

office or an older person, such as your

partner’s parents.

3……. Mandarin Chinese

“liù”

Means: “Six”

How to do it: extend thumb and little

finger, keeping rest of the hand closed.

The thumb indicates one set of five.

Unlike in most other countries, people

in China will use only one hand to

signify numbers one to 10.

4….Hindi “Namaste”

Literally: “I bow to you”

How to do it: press your hands together

palm-by-palm in front of your chest and

give a slight nod with your head at the

same time.

5….. Russian “Zachem tak slozhnu?”

Means: “Why so complicated?”

How to do it: reach behind head and

scratch left ear with right hand or vice

versa – means that something has been

expressed backwards or has been made

too complicated.

6….. Brazilian Portugese

“Papo-furado”

Means: “Not true”/ “Idle chat”

How to do it: palm facing down, tap

right under your jaw with the back of

your hand.

7…… Latin American Spanish

“Te lo juro”

Means: “I swear”/ “I promise you”

How to do it: thumb inside a clenched

fist, the hand is raised to the mouth and

the thumb kissed before throwing the

hand forward and flicking the thumb

up.