Teaching Chinese enables one to get to know people from different countries, so the
Chinese language school is also a culture melting pot. Of course, when people gather together, gay laughter is a regular customer, but frictions from entrenched cultural difference also come from time to time. There is no right or wrong about this difference, but when what has been melted into the blood of one nation happens to be against by another nation, it is difficult to explain it clearly and to eliminate the misunderstanding. What we can do is to try our best to avoid these conflicts or to find compromise solutions after things have happened.
Considering the social environment and national character, China is in a period of rapid development, and almost everyone is busy in order to live a better life. It seems normal for us to cancel our appointment for temporary business, because everyone will come across special circumstances, which is understandable. So when the boss who studies English wants to cancel the course, we think it is understandable. However, for the foreign teachers, now that we have already made an appointment to meet them in advance, we will be dishonest and unreliable if we don't come, unless we still pay for it. These different time cultures make it especially difficult for two people to communicate and understand.
And the way foreign teachers ask for money is more straightforward and more European. However, in the view of Chinese people, it is unthinkable to be completely unsympathetic. Europeans and Americans are used to explaining things face to face, especially when it comes to money. Nowadays, many payment ways like "splitting the bill" are borrowed from this culture. However, Chinese people seemingly prefer camaraderie than money.
Look, different thinking cultures lead to great differences in behaviour pattern. It is hard to judge who is right and who is wrong. This invisible cultural hand often obscures our eyes in cross-cultural communication.
