1. Have you ever made a mistake in another country?
2. If you have, what was the mistake?
Cultural differences
We make mistakes now"and"then in different countries. Read the following stories"and"find the mistakes.
One day in the new term in England, my university English teacher invited us to her home. She brought us some drinks before the meal. I said, “Thank you for inviting us to your home. Could you tell me when we can leave?” She laughed"and"said, “So, you can’t wait to leave?” Is there anything wrong? I didn’t realise my mistake until my friend told me later on. My question gave the feeling that I wanted to leave immediately.
— Ma, China
A British friend invited us out"and"he suggested a meal in a restaurant. At the end of the meal, I was very surprised. My friend expected me to pay my share of the bill. I was thinking, “He invited me, but why not pay for me?” Actually, it’s quite common to “go Dutch”, even if someone invites you in Britain.
— Kenji, Japan
I was sitting on a bus when an old lady got on the bus. There weren’t any empty seats. A man on the bus said very loudly, “Would you give the old lady your seat, please?” In fact, in Britain, younger people usually give their seats to older people. It’s a good thing to do.
— Kumar, India