International DOs and DON'Ts

April 15, 2015

Etiquette for the semester abroad

As a student , you often feel knowledgeable when it comes to intercultural topics. After all, we speak several languages and travel far and wide. Anyone who starts studying abroad quickly notices that communication across borders often fails because of the little things in everyday life. That's why here is the etiquette for some popular semester abroad destinations.

USA

Americans are usually polite and friendly. This includes e.g. E.g. inviting people to your home, even if you hardly know each other. However, this is rarely taken seriously and, just like the obligatory 'How are you?', is primarily a ritual. Good news for all notorious latecomers: A delay of 10 to 20 minutes is not a big deal in the private sector. If you then sit together in a restaurant, you can safely save yourself the trouble of looking for a suitable equivalent to the German 'Bon Appetit' - you don't want that at the table.

Great Britain

Even in the kingdom, sometimes the meaning between the lines matters. Your opinion will rarely be met with direct rejection. You usually hear 'very interesting', which actually means exactly the opposite. If you have to wear a suit and tie: a plain-colored tie is a good choice. In Great Britain, certain stripe combinations are a sign of membership in a student association or the military.

France

For the French, their language is the actual world language. That's why it won't be well received if you only speak English. There are also faux pas in the culinary area. Don't expect sweet cakes in a cafe. Here you only get a hearty snack with the café au lait. On the other hand, wine is drunk with almost every main meal. So you should tolerate a little alcohol, but getting drunk is not considered chic.

Türkiye

In Turkey, women and men are treated differently. Women should keep a little more cover up - be it in terms of clothing or their behavior in public. You should also not sit next to a man on public transport. The common sign for 'Okay' - forming a circle with your thumb and index finger and holding your hand up - should also be avoided. In Turkey this is an obscene gesture.

Obscene gestures also include spreading the thumb upwards. Moving your finger back and forth is considered an invitation to a homosexual adventure.

Once you're invited to dinner, know that more praise leads to more food. It is served until the guest definitely puts his knife and fork aside and immediately says that he is absolutely full. So that there are no misunderstandings, you should also know that haggling is part of the culture. Once you start haggling, the seller assumes that a deal will be made - if you stop haggling, you're a loser.

Sweden

Sweden is considered a progressive country. That's why strong perfumes are avoided - out of consideration for asthmatics and allergy sufferers. At times, if you have a strong scent, you may be looked at askance or even turned away at the dentist's office or a restaurant. Also good to know: In many public establishments you have to draw a number to get your turn - this also applies to the sausage and cheese counter in the supermarket.

Even when you go to a restaurant you wait. You don't go to a table yourself, you wait to be assigned one. If you are invited to a Swede's home, you should also be prepared for the fact that every food item - from butter to sausage, cheese and jam - has its own knife.

India

In India you can get the feeling of not being understood. For an Indian, bobbing his head shows agreement - only if he jerks his head left and right is that a negative. You first have to learn to see the subtle difference. As a student you shouldn't let men touch you. If advances are not rigorously rejected, this is considered consent. You should always eat with your right hand; the left hand is ultimately used on the toilet.

Japan

Is it any wonder that most etiquette offenses occur in Japan? You can already fail because of the greeting there. The lower you are in the social hierarchy, the deeper and longer you bow - how long does the student have to bow? In any case, older people rank above younger ones, men above women, customers above salespeople and guests above hosts. All clear, right?

In Japan it is not customary to shake hands when greeting. When greeting, men place their hands on their outer thighs, women place their hands on top of each other in front of their thighs. You also don't look each other directly in the eye. The fact that facial expressions and gestures are extremely important also has to do with the loss of face. Anyone who sees their reputation and public impact damaged, usually by being caught doing something unpleasant, will laugh away what they find to be an unbearable situation. However, this is not intended to be a provocation, but rather an attempt to get over the situation. If you want to stay in Japan for a longer period of time, you should also look for and find all kinds of locations. Because houses there are numbered according to the order in which they were built. So if you don't happen to know when the buildings were built, you can quickly lose your bearings. Site maps in public buildings often help. There are also behaviors at the table that Europeans find difficult to understand. In any case, you should sip your miso soup - if you don't, that's a sure sign to the host that you don't like it. However, you should never pour yourself a drink. The idea is that you think of each other at the table, which is why you always give each other more drinks. Blowing your nose in public is also a no-go.

Spain

Students in Spain should take it easy. Punctuality is not a basic virtue here and you can take a little rest around lunchtime. Part of Spanish casualness is that people almost always use first names. Only when meeting the king is the “you” appropriate. The most important information for German students in Spain: Please do not order “Coke”. What we call a sweet cold drink is also the Spanish word for “tail”.

Etiquette for the semester abroad As a student, you often feel knowledgeable when it comes to intercultural topics. After all, we speak several languages and travel far and wide. Anyone who starts studying abroad quickly notices that communication across borders often fails because of the little things in everyday life. That's why there is etiquette here

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