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Esquina Cultural: Consejos para Saludos en Ingles |
Cultural Corner: Tips for Meeting and Greeting in English by Jenny Juhnke English can sometimes feel like a strange language, when you meet someone for the first time, or possibly the only time, in a casual setting. Complete strangers will make eye contact, smile, and say, “How are you?” and then continue, without waiting for a reply. Many times, my students will ask, “Why does the person ask me this question and they don’t wait for my response?” The answer is this: American English doesn’t have a cultural “Good day!” or “Nice to see you!” as the normal first greeting, as many other languages do. In Germany, it is customary to greet based on the time of the day, “Guten Morgen” (Good Morning) or “Guten Abend” (Good Afternoon) is the way someone says hello to a neighbor or even to a stranger. So, in American English, when someone walks by and says, “How are you?” they are not asking for a long reply about how you are actually doing—but this doesn’t mean the person is cold or unfeeling. Just respond, “Fine, thanks, and you?” or “I’m fine.” Then, smile and continue walking—It was just a way to say hello in English. See ad on page eight for more information about English classes |