| Before you set out for that holiday or business trip | | | | handled carefully. From the students perspective, |
| to the South East Asian region, be aware that there | | | | they firstly would not want to appear slow or |
| are some cultural issues that may impact on your | | | | inattentive, and may have an issue in asking for a |
| experience. None of these are frightening or | | | | clarification in the class environment. Also, as they |
| off-putting in a big way, just good to know about | | | | would hold their teacher in high esteem, they would |
| and expect. Forewarned is forearmed as they say. | | | | definitely not want to allude that they lacked the |
| Probably the most discussed cultural issue in the bulk | | | | skills to explain things clearly. From the teachers |
| of South East Asian countries is the concept of face. | | | | perspective, they may find it difficult to accept a |
| Face, and not losing it, is an issue we do not place a | | | | student expressing confusion in the classroom. |
| great deal of importance on in the west, but be | | | | So in these countries, the student may well hold their |
| prepared for it in this part of the world. | | | | tongue and either ask a fellow student, or seek to |
| So what does this saving face mean? It means that | | | | speak to their teacher in private later. |
| when people deal with each other there is a greatly | | | | Another issue on this region that visitors may come |
| heightened awareness and priority on avoiding a | | | | across is etiquette at religious places. The term for a |
| perception of embarrassment or humiliation. This | | | | temple in Buddhist countries such as Thailand and |
| applies to you and to the other parties involved. An | | | | Cambodia is Wat. When visiting a Wat, be sure to |
| example would be a conversation between a student | | | | dress conservatively. There is no need to be formal, |
| and their teacher. The teacher explains a process, | | | | but please do not go in beach clothes or your short |
| and the student does not understand. In the west | | | | disco dress! Additionally, you will inevitably see a |
| this would not be a very big deal at all. The student | | | | collection of shoes at the door. This is simply as the |
| would be happy to, (and in fact be expected to), | | | | correct etiquette is to take your footwear off |
| alert the teacher that they did not understand, and | | | | before entering. So if you are planning a day of |
| ask for it to be explained in a different way. | | | | serious temple visiting, a good tip is not to wear lace |
| In the South East Asian countries of say Thailand or | | | | up shoes. You will find yourself exhausted by the end |
| Indonesia, this type of situation would need to be | | | | of the day if you do. |