Task
Writing a letter to explain
cultural misunderstandings
Skills building 1: completing a text
Tips on completing a text by listening:
1. Make sure you read the text first so
you understand the subject of the
text and the type of words that you
are likely to hear.
2. Try to guess the words that might be
used to fill in the blanks.
3. Look for clues in the sentences and in
the words before or after the blanks.
4. Decide if it is content words or
grammar words that you are
listening for.
Listening
Your school has some visitors from
abroad. Your headmaster asked you
and your classmate to show the guests
around. Something puzzled you during
the trip. Listen to the conversation
between you and your classmate, and
complete your diary entry on page 42.
Reading
A few days after you and your
classmate had taken the visitors
around Beijing your classmate found
this article in a magazine. Circle the
taboos that help explain some of the
strange incidents that happened when
you showed the visitors around.
Suggested answers
If you are from India, you may not
eat beef because of your religion.
If you are from the West, you
probably would not like to eat
chickens’ feet.
 In India, it is impolite to shake
hands or give someone something
with your left hand.
 Remember not to just put the
business cards in your pocket
without looking in Japan .
Listening
You want more information about
cultural habits, so you go to one of your
teachers, who has traveled to the USA
and Japan, for help. Listen to your
teacher and fill in the blanks in your
notes below.
Skills building 2: asking questions
When we want to find out about
something, we need to ask questions.
We can use questions beginning with
the following words:
What – when we want to find out
about something specific.
How – when we want to find out the
way something should be done.
Which – when we want to specify
which one of a choice of
possibilities.
When - when we want to inquire
about time.
Why - when we want to find out a
reason.
Where - when we want to find out
about the place in which
something happened.
Practice
You want to ask your classmate about
the following things. Form your
questions with the correct question
words first, and then find a partner to
answer questions. Answers can be
found in the magazine article on page
43. Take turns asking questions.
Suggested answers
1. What food do the people from India
not eat?
2. Which hand shouldn’t be used to
shake hands with or give things to
people from India?
3. What do Japanese people have to
buy when they travel anywhere?
4. What should you do when a Japanese
person gives you a business card?
5. What does the OK sign mean for
Japanese people?
6. Why do people from the USA do not
like crowded places?
Skills building 3: writing a letter of
apology
When writing a letter of apology,
you need to include the following:
 your address
 the date
 an opening
 the purpose of the letter should be
given in the first sentence.
 an explanation
 a closing phrase (to apologize again)
 your name and signature
Practice
You want to write a letter of apology to
the foreign visitors to explain
misunderstandings. Find a partner and
discuss what to include in the letter.
Each person should write a different
part.