Soon I will be working with a group of visiting Chinese teens (15-17y/o), directing English lessons, speaking with them, and taking them out for group tours around my state.
I’m a Japanese major so I know about Asian cultures, but my knowledge on China in particular is pretty limited. Before they arrive I want to learn some things, primarily customs, but I’m having a hard time finding information on customs outside of eating and business etiquette. In case it matters, I don’t know what region of China they’ll be from other than it’s simply mainland China.
So if you could answer what you do know, it would be really appreciated!
1. What are some common Chinese gestures? (Like in the US a thumbs-up is good; thumbs-down is bad.)
2. When in school do Chinese students typically begin to study English?
3. Aside from the obvious politics and religion, are there topics that Chinese usually avoid discussing with people who aren’t close friends?
4. I’ve read that in China spitting isn’t a big deal. Are they likely to know it’s not as acceptable in the US? We’re going to some very crowded and tourist-targeted outdoor areas, as well as a theme park, and I don’t want anyone we meet to think poorly of them.
5. Are there any other things the Chinese do that Americans might frown upon, or vice versa?
6. Are there any American music groups, TV shows, or movies that are popular in China currently that they might know about? Alternatively, is there a really popular Chinese TV show or movie that *I* should know about?
7. Is there a type of food (junk food or otherwise) that’s not sold in China?
1. They count on their fingers different than we do, our ‘time out’ symbol is used a lot (essentially the same meaning). All photos have the peace sign, but for them it means victory.
2. My students start learning at age 3, most start in middle or high school. Your students probably started pretty early.
3. To me it seems like they talk more about superficial things. They worry about ‘face’ so they’re not as open about personal topics. They like to give advice, especially unsolicited. They don’t date at that age, so its mostly a non-topic.
4. High schoolers don’t seem to spit as much as adults. Plus I’ve seen teens in America spit. Worry more about #5.
5. They think its ok to litter, they’ll leave their trays on the table at McDonalds, girls don’t shave, they don’t shampoo their hair as much, they don’t wear deodorant, they don’t understand the US tipping system, they might yell for their waitress. They might not like the US openess and bluntness.
6. Lady Gaga is really popular, as is a lot of mainstream pop music. They watch a lot of Prison Break and Gossip Girls. NBA is huge. Most of our movies also go to their theaters, so they’re very aware of Hollywood.
7. China has a lot fewer candy bars. They have cake, but it tastes like cardboard. No one bakes cookies or brownies. KFC and McDonalds are popular, but it is very hard to find Mexican, Italian and other ethnic foods. Cheesy items aren’t common (except pizza). Be careful with food, they seem to be less adventurous than Americans, but will be polite and will tell you the food is delicious even if they don’t like it.
Be aware, students in China are much less mature than their American counterparts. This isn’t a dig on them, it is a function of the way they were raised. They have made almost no decisions on their own, they know almost nothing about sex, they really believe what they see on TV. Start off expecting 12 year olds, you can readjust your expectations after you’ve met them. You will probably stay saner that way.
Chinese people are also all fairly the same, and they are proud of this. But as a result they don’t really get how much variety there is in America. They tend to think we are all blue eyed, blond hair and eat hamburgers at McDonalds for every meal.
