P a g e 1 EFL Teaching Community Lesson Plan: by Nina Weinstein International Greetings –Body Language Reading: If you’re traveling to Japa n, knowing how to bow is very helpfu l. People greet ea ch other by bowing. Bowing expresses a feeling of respect, thanking, apologizing, greeting, etc. Bowing seems simple, but there are different ways of bowing . Bend from your waist with a straight back . Men usually k eep their hands on their sides. Women usually put their ha nds together on their thighs with their fingers touchi ng. If the person is higher status or older than you are, bow deeper and longer to show respect.Deeper bows show different things. Bending 15 degrees shows a casual greeting. Bend 30 degrees to greet customers and thank someone. This is the most commo n type of bow. If the situation is more formal, bend 45 degrees and look at your feet. This bow shows deep respect, a formal apology, asking for a favor, etc. If you’re traveling to the United States, you’ll need to understand the common greeting, a handshake. Friends shake hands. In business, co-workers shake hands. Women, men and even children can shake hands. Shaking hands also seems simple, but there are some important things to remember. When you shake ha nds, you must make eye co ntact. In other words, look directly into the other person’s eyes the whole time you’re shaking hands. Shake hands firmly. If you give a weak handshake, the othe r person might feel that you’re weak. They might also feel that you don’t like them or want to touch them. If your handshake is firm enough, you should feel the other person’s hand get a little narrower. Don’t break bones, but your grip should look firm.
