system
Context: Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing . A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They decided that miscommunications were always possible, even over something as simple as"yes"and"no". On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren't paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, "Do you have cold drinks? "The woman there didn't say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows , which in Micronesia means"yes". Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was known for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, "Do you have cabbage today? "He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means"no". Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean"yes"or"no".
human
Where did Lisa talk about?
gpt
Micronesia
human
and what is that?
gpt
an island in the Pacific
human
what did she think?
gpt
people weren't paying any attention to her
human
what did she ask the woman?
gpt
Do you have cold drinks?
human
how did the woman reply?
gpt
She didn't say anything
human
Did she move anything?
gpt
yes
human
what?
gpt
her eyebrows
human
what does that mean in that country?
gpt
yes
human
Where did Jan talk about?
gpt
Bulgaria
human
where is that located?
gpt
Europe
human
What did she ask?
gpt
Do you have cabbage today?
human
how did the server respond?
gpt
He nodded
human
does that mean yes or no there?
gpt
no
human
Where did Tom have his experience?
gpt
India.
human
what did he ask his students?
gpt
if they understood
human
how did they respond?
gpt
different nods and shakes of the head
human
did Tom misunderstand the response?
gpt
yes
human
did his students understand?
gpt
yes
human
do head shakes and nods mean the same thing in India?
gpt
yes
human
what do all these people I've mentioned do in common?
gpt
They experienced different cultures