ICC 2nd Video (Back Off, Man!)

During this class, I used the ""Closing the distance" exercise found on pages 178-179 in our ICC textbook, (Crossing Cultures in the Language Classroom).  The idea behind this exercise is to show students how the concept of "personal space"  and "eye contact" differs between cultures.  I tried this exercise with 3 different classes and unfortunately this is the best example I could conjure in regards to the'eye contact' exercise.

I started by calling on 4 "volunteers" to pair up into 2  teams (an A Team and a  B Team).  One member from  each team had to exit the room with out any instructions, (members A2 and B2)  Once A2 and B2 left,  I informed the  "A1" member that when A2  returned to class, he needed to hold a conversation with him without breaking eye contact.  Although A1 executed the exercise poorly, the results went as predicted in the ICC textbook.  For example, A2 would often look away from A1 by either looking at the class or at the whiteboard.

Team B had a similar exercise, however the focus during this exercise was to focus on personal space.   When B2 returned to class, I had the B1 student invade B2's personal space when he entered the room... The results can be seen in the attached video.

Once the exercise was over I asked both the A2 and B2  students how they felt during the exercise, in which both replied  uncomfortable.  I then asked why they felt uncomfortable, and with the help of the class,  they  informed me about  the rules of personal space and eye contact which are common in Korea.  I then asked  asked A2 and B2 that  if it was a girl (someone of the opposite sex) which invaded their personal space or made such strong eye contact, would they feel different then if it was a boy, to which, of course, they both answered "yes", stating that they would feel "good".  I then informed the class that each country has a different  set of rules regarding eye contact and personal space, and they must be careful not to overreact if they ever find themselves having a conversation with people from different countries.  For example, a woman (from a different country) may not be interested in a man just because she is standing close or has strong eye contact.  If the man interprets the woman's body language incorrectly, many problems may arise.  I also informed the students that eye contact is very important in America, and if eyes contact is avoided, many Americans may think that a person is lying.

Finally I told the class that no one culture is correct in terms of eye contact or personal space, and if they are ever placed in an uncomfortable situation that they should express how they feel, although they need to be tactful when doing so.