Tips Ask Questions
Many foreigners are reluctant to ask questions of the natives.
They feel embarrassed by their ignorance of simple
things or by their limited English proficiency. for you, as a foreigner, to remember that you are the
one unfamiliar with the local culture, society, and ways of
behaving. Your limited knowledge can make even simple
tasks like going to the bank more difficult than is necessary.
questions.
Whenever I talk with newly arrived foreign students
about asking questions, I advise them how they can do
so without embarrassing themselves. I suggest that they
begin their questions by saying, “Excuse me. If you introduce your question
that way, I explain, people will understand that you have a
valid reason for asking your question and they will not
consider you foolish or childlike.
university five years previously. “I still remember your advice
about how to ask questions,” he said, “by explaining
When you have questions, ask them. If the first person
you ask is not helpful (or patient), ask another. But
If you were in your home country, you would probably
offer the same advice to travelers there.
Some of your questions will be requests for practical
information. “Where is the closest service station?” for example,
or “Where can I get my hair cut?” ask more general questions. Ask people for their opinions
that appear in this book. You will find that people
have differing views about them, and you will begin to
see that this book’s generalizations about Americans are
indeed merely generalizations and subject to exception
and qualification.