Why, yes, it is. But the point is, they are in my class to learn Chinese. So I'm trying to get them to understand why it's important to learn Chinese, and to learn to be sensitive to other cultures (not just Chinese but any other culture). One of my students said, "What if I don't want to work or live there--I just want to go to visit there and see what it's like?"
I tried to have them imagine how people might react to their speech and mannerisms in Beijing. I asked them to think about whether it was more likely to make the natives of that city feel more comfortable or uncomfortable when they spoke English instead of Chinese. While most would guess uncomfortable, I still thought they might appreciate a better example, and came up with an analogy. (This was one that literally came to me on the fly.)
I had everyone imagine the image of a coral reef underwater. I had them visualize the scene, with lots of fish swimming around, going about their business. Then, I asked them what they thought would happen if a SCUBA diver came through, swimming really awkwardly and flailing around. What would happen to the fish? They'd most likely retreat into their safe holes and cower there until the diver has left. Is this SCUBA diver going to see much of the fish going about their business? Probably not.
What about the SCUBA diver that swims slowly, trying to blend in with the fish? They have more of a likelihood of seeing the fish going about their business, in their natural environment. Similarly, a person that tries to speak the language of the place they are visiting, that doesn't have mannerisms that make people uncomfortable, are more likely to have more meaningful encounters with the people native to that country.
Dr. Eric Shepherd at USF often talks about how important it is to learn proper body language and mannerisms, even how one holds a glass is observed by people--it's not just the language, but how you act that affects how you are perceived. That's why it's so important to always be aware of our surroundings and how we are perceived. While we can't possibly know everything about a culture and how to act, at least we can know enough not to walk onto Tiananmen Square all "gangsta." You're not in "da hood" anymore! So, are we going to be the SCUBA diver that scares all the fish away (and then come home complaining about not seeing any fish) or are we going to be the diver that swims quietly, carefully, and tries to act more like the fish that surround them?
I hope that this analogy helped my students be more sensitive and aware of cultural differences. I think I may need to refine and tweak it further, but I can probably use it with other grade level students as well. Let me know what you think...or if you have other examples of how important it is not to be a "bull in a China Shop" when you travel abroad!