RESPECT THE BUBBLE
Personal Space across cultures varies and is a real thing to be understood. Countries such as Romania and Saudi Arabia all like their personal space and want you to respect it. United States and the UK fall near the middle, with Peru and Argentina at the opposite end of the comfort range. Argentina is considered a very friendly nation with the people allowing you to stand as close as .76 centimeters away.
(Indy100 article, 31 March 2017)
(Indy100 article, 31 March 2017)
When learning about the differences between cultures, there are the common 'tip of the iceberg' things our minds automatically turn to. Folk dancing, games, food, literature, and music are a few of them. But when we dive deeper below the surface there are many more differences between cultures. Personal space is one of those things we may not think of off the top of our head. When getting to know your group of English language learners, this is one area you may want to understand. Are you a "close talker?" (see Seinfeld episode clip below) Or do you prefer to keep a personal, invisible bubble around you most of the time? You may need to understand where your students are on the scale, so that you can prevent uncomfortable and awkward situations in the classroom. As your students become more relaxed with the language, they should be learning what personal space looks like in the USA. Those awkward moments may lessen as time goes by.
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