Heh. Conversations. North Americans coming to Poland may find that conversation will not be exactly what they may be used to back home. The first element of this is not conversation itself, but rather a lack of it. Unlike most Americans who feel a need to fill empty space with words, Poles are very comfortable with prolonged silence or pauses during a conversation. This is a reflection in most Poles value reflecting on what whas just said, thinking before speaking and choosing words carefully. It is not only the manner in which conversations are conducted that may initially be uncomfortable to North Americans, but also the topics. With captialism being a relatively new arrival on the Polish stage, Poles are very interested in discussing money issues, and even exact amounts. Whereas asking someone how much money they make or how much they paid for something might be considered too personal in North America, this is not seen as taboo in Poland. The notion of disagreement in a conversation is also something that takes North Americans a while to grow accustomed to. Back home, at the first sign hint of a disagreement in a conversation, most North Americans will hastily change the subject or even end the conversation to avoid an uncomfortable disagreement. Poles dont have the same feelings. Instead, they see disagreement as a natural part of life and not something to be avoided. Disagreements are not given or taken as personal attacks by Poles, but rather as disagreement with a particular idea. Poles regard disagreement as a natural part of conversation and see no need to keep a false sense of harmony in some situations. Though disagreement with friends is generally not meant as a personal attack, the comfort with confrontation extends to the community as a whole. So if you do something stupid or culturally improper, expect that someone will say something or at least give you a disapproving look. It is not uncommon to see a Polish driver get out of their car to confront another driver who they feel has done something wrong. This is an especially regular occurance on the road leading to the school, where traffic merges from two lanes down to one. Younger Poles tend to handle confrontation more discreetly. If you are ever yelled at by a stranger while in Poland, it is likely going to be by an older person. Another aspect of Polish conversational style that unnerves many North Americans during their first experience with it is the animated style that many Poles demonstrate when speaking with each other. The Polish speaking volume is louder than what most Americans are used to. In fact, it isnt uncommon for new arrivals to wonder why everyone in Poland seems to be arguing. New arrivals who witness a Polish colleague engaged in a conversation such as this will often later ask, What were you arguing about? only to receive an answer of, Arguing? We werent arguing - merely having a conversation. For Poles, an animated exchange is regarded as part of normal conversation. welcometowarsaw.wikispaces/Understanding+Polish+Communication+Styles
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 20:12:42 +0000
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