This week we have to make a report about how to approaching people. This time we also need someone who is not Indonesian to explain about how they approach people in their country. My correspondent is a 24 years old male from Melbourne, Australia named Andrew Henderson. We just call him by his nickname that is Andy.
From the information that I got from Andy, there are some differences in approaching people in Australia and Indonesia. In Australia, it is not a common thing to talk with someone who we did not know before on the street or public places. They only talk to people on that kind of places when they have a certain purpose such as asking direction, subway schedule, or public service. On that kind of situation they usually use formal language to give respect to the people they ask to.
Another situation that mostly found when people have to approach another is when they were in the party or there is their friend who let them know about someone. On that kind of situation we must make a conversation with other person that we do not know before. There are some polite and impolite questions in the western country in the term of approaching people. Some polite question that may ask to the people that we have just met is such as name, address, school, etc. There are also some impolite questions that can not ask to the people we have just known because it is too private so it can disturb someone’s privacy. This kind of question consists of question about age, especially for women, religion, financial or money, such as how much your money, sometimes about family, etc. In addition, when you are interesting in someone, it will be better when you directly ask whether they were available or not than just flirting. That is polite and acceptable in the Australian culture.
There are also special gesture and response in approach people. Australian will make direct eye contact to the person they talk to. If there is someone who shies when they talk to them, then they just stop the conversation. It is more polite to talk to the point than just say unimportant thing. They also felt disturb when people who have just they know ask some private business such as, where you have been going, where will you go, etc. In Australia there is polite to call someone with their fist name, although they have just know. They call someone with the title, Sir, Mom, Mr., Mrs., only if they person have higher position in the society such as teacher and senior citizen. This condition was only done by children. When they become adult people they just call their High school teacher or lecturer with their fist name because they think they are in the same level. Usually they speak in formal language with senior citizen, but if the have been having close relationship they may use informal language, even call the person with their first name.
No Comments Yet
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
