The Geography of Manners
Grammar: discourse markers and connectors
A Level 5 English lesson exploring culture.
What's in this lesson
A Level 5 (advanced) ESL lesson on culture, practising discourse markers and connectors. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Geography of Manners
In 2019, the Dutch airline KLM quietly removed a safety video after Japanese passengers complained that it showed someone pointing with one finger — a gesture considered rude throughout much of East Asia. The video was replaced within days. What struck observers was not the speed of the response but the fact that a hand gesture, something so effortless and unconscious in one culture, could carry such weight in another. Cultural psychologists call this the invisible curriculum: the unspoken rules every society teaches its members, usually without a single formal lesson.
Vocabulary
- carry weight
- left unsaid
- read as
- speak volumes
- embedded
- explicit
- invisible
- persistent
- unequal
Discussion questions
- Have you ever felt confused by someone's behaviour in another country?
- Are there habits in your culture that foreigners often misunderstand?
- Should people adapt their behaviour when they travel abroad?
The Geography of Manners
Grammar: discourse markers and connectors
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
Sign up to access full lesson plans
Start with a free trial — 5 lesson generations included
Get Started Free