2/13/2021; Week 06; Response to "Personal Space Differences"

 Each 02/13/2021; Week 06; Response to “Personal Space Differences”.


Each culture indeed has specific boundaries when it comes to personal space. However, how would someone figure out individuals' protective bubble since we all come from different backgrounds? In the early 1960s, the American anthropologist Edward Hall presented studies of human relationships with each other. He describes the interpersonal distance between people in four zones. The intimate zone, the personal zone, the social space, and the public zone. Each zone has a distinct territory measurement. For instance, Westernized culture tends to have space zones larger than Southern European countries or Latin American countries.

When I came to the USA to study English, one of the teachers talked to us about cultural differences we might encounter while living in the country. Out of all the points he mentioned, one of them stuck out to me. It was the one about personal space. He explained how people in the States do not get very close to other people when they first meet. This helped me to understand the reason my roommate would walk away every time I wanted to tell her something.

I believe that the world is becoming smaller as time goes by. In other words, it is not hard to find people from Europe or Asia in America or vice versa. In recent years, I have seen more cultural awareness in school and at work around the world. We still have a long way to go, but it is nice to see the beginning of this realization and the need for cultural tolerance. Although, I believe the distinction between one culture to another is slowly merging into a new culture or perhaps new cultures.

One of the potential challenges I could face as an ESL teacher is to make incorrect assumptions about my students who come from another country and people in general. During this semester, I have learned a lot about social habits and values from other countries. It has helped me evaluate my behavior, my principles, and my beliefs. I want to teach my students about cross-cultural differences to help them feel more comfortable and confident to deal with what might be different to them. 




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