Week 8: De viaje en el mundo hispano - SPA II Honors

International travel provides one of the best opportunities for improving your Spanish proficiency, broadening your cultural understanding, and increasing your burden for missions. Visiting a Spanish-speaking country whether on vacation, business, or mission trips allows you to experience firsthand the cultural practices, products, and underlying perspectives of the people that live in those regions of the world. While traveling is often exciting, it can also be somewhat overwhelming as you try to navigate daily life in a new culture. The following list provides a sampling of some of the cultural differences you may encounter while traveling.  

1. Flight arrivals: In many Spanish-speaking countries, it is common to applaud after landing, especially after a longer international flight. Although this trend has decreased over the years, clapping is still a common way of expressing gratitude for a safe flight, to the flight crew for their service, or to the pilots for a particularly smooth landing. 
2. In-country travel: Use of public transportation is very common in the Spanish-speaking world and in some areas is an experience all in itself. For example, in come parts of Latin America, it is quite common for people to bring animals such as chickens and goats on the bus with them. Since seating is limited, children frequently sit on their parent’s laps, and adults stand in the aisles. However, even with the apparently chaotic nature of public transportation, Hispanic cultures often maintain certain norms of seating priority. For example, it is quite common for a younger person to offer his or her seat to an elderly person or an expectant mother as a way to show respect and concern for the needs of others.  
3. Queues: Standing in line is a normal part of life. However, social norms governing line formation can vary substantially by country. For example, in some areas when a person enters a bank or an office, rather than forming a line by the window people will call out “¿El último?” as a way of determining who he or she will follow in line. In other places, a number system is used to determine the order. Upon entering, you will typically need to find the machine that dispenses the numbers and then listen for your number to be called or watch for it to be displayed on a board. If you are ever in doubt about the appropriate way to queue up, just ask someone. Assumptions are often wrong and can come across as rude. 
4. Personal Space. It is helpful to remember that the Hispanic concept of personal space differs significantly from that of most other Western cultures. When people converse, it is very common for them to stand very close to each other. Keeping your distance can communicate that you are disinterested or distrusting of the person and can easily lead to offence.  
5. Greetings. If you visit a person’s home or attend a church service or function, remember to show respect by acknowledging each person individually upon arriving and before leaving. Above all, make sure you address your host personally and thank him or her for the invitation.

Below is an example video of a short travel video about Cuba. I found it to be a fascinating video and well done. Feel free to watch this at your leasure (plus it ties into El Escape Cubano) as well as don't hesitate to watch some of the other travel videos by company Wild Frontiers. Once you're done taking a look at this travel video, prepare and have a short 3-5 minute discussion in Spanish about travel, vacations, etc.

Source: Bob Jones University ¡Nuevos Amigos! Textbook, 3rd Ed.