Germany, you will see people knocking on their table

DVD script: Amazing Cultural Facts and Traditions Around the World 05/08/2015 Culture created by Ester Villalobos Gutiérrez  In a country like Germany, you will see people knocking on their table rather than clapping to applaud at the end of a master class or a really good meeting. Clapping is reserved for theater and concerts!

The Germans are quite organized people but there are times when the reality really doesn’t match the expectation. Join a queue in a German supermarket and see what happens when a new checkout opens. They rush to the new queue! If you are not fast enough, maybe you can spend more time than expected waiting in line.

 Have you ever noticed how people introduce themselves in Spain?

The Spaniards are well-known for being loud and friendly. If you happen to visit Spain, don’t be surprised if a girl kisses you twice - once on one cheek and once on the other cheek - to introduce herself. It’s the Spanish way of saying “Hello!”  Do you like cheese? If so, when you stay with a French host family make sure to spare some space in your stomach for the dessert. In France people tend to enjoy a plate of tasty cheese after meals.

 In Russia if you accidentally step on someone’s foot, this person will also step lightly on your foot. Why? The first thought that will come to your mind is that it’s due to revenge. Far from this, the Russians do that to avoid future conflict with this person.

 In some Asian countries such as China, Korea or Japan, a sign of approval and appreciation of someone’s cooking is to eat the soup loudly - what is considered rude in most western countries. However, in Japan don’t blow your nose loudly! It is considered very rude. So if you need to clean your nose while you are in the Land of the Rising Sun, do it privately or turn your back to your companions before doing it. And remember, do it quietly if you want to avoid offending anyone.

Activity 1c Work in pairs. Write questions with: How many/ How/How old/Who/Why/When/What.

Possible questions:

1) When is International Youth Day celebrated?

2) How old is this holiday? 3) What was this holiday established by?

4) What was the theme of IYD in 2019?

5) Why is good education very important? etc.