The following article talks about how difficult it can be to change corporate culture when it contrasts significantly with the local culture. For example, I know from my teaching, how difficult it can be for people who have been brought up to treat people in authority...
In this TED Talk video entitled The World’s English Mania, Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English — “the world’s second...
This article from the Harvard Business Review discusses the difficulties faced by many immigrants when adapting to a new culture. He introduces the concept of “over-switching” – going to far from your normal behaviour when attempting to behave in a...
First impressions are largely influenced by our faces By Jonathan Webb, Science reporter, BBC News Approachable? Intelligent? People’s responses to 1,000 photographs were used to build the model. Whether it’s a curled lip or a keen cheekbone, we all make...
What name do you use when addressing people at work? If you come from a culture that highly values status, it may feel rude to use first names with someone who holds a higher position than you. Even as a teacher, I find many students have difficulty calling me...
The Northwest Passage refers to a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America. This route travels through the waterways of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago which connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Northwest Passage is one of Stan...
