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Public Speaking: an international perspective on humor

United States public speaking in public are becoming more diverse. It is your responsibility as a speaker to know and recognize a substantial portion of the public who come from different backgrounds. If you speak in a different country, again, it is up to you to find out local customs and types of humor that are appreciated in this place. The response to humor is very different for different cultures. Pay attention to this fact will give you a better chance of connecting with international audiences in and outside the United States You'll also be more aware of etiquette and customs that will make you a welcome speaker anywhere you go.

If you do not know with your audience in your pre-research program, you might ask, "How diverse is your group? Or do you have members of other countries? The Answers to these questions will help you plan your strategy for connecting with an audience.

I was doing my planning for a speech in Baltimore, Maryland and found that twenty-five percent of the audience was Asian Indian. I knew nothing about Indian culture and did not have much time to plan. What I knew was store Dunkin 'Donuts near my house has been owned and managed by Indians. It was a good excuse to stop, down a few eclairs, and do research. I told the owner that I wanted to accomplish and is happy to help. Of all the information he gave me the humor in India, I only used a single line. That's all it took to connect. The line was: "I want to tell all my new Indian friends I'm sorry Johnny Lever could not do. "Johnny Lever was one of the top actors in India. They lit and I went on the program.

If your local donut shop is managed by the appropriate nationality for your next speech, not worry. There are other foolproof methods to get the information you need. If you speak outside of the United States, obtain the opinion local people before trying to use humor. If you talk to the United States, look for members of the nationality to whom you speak. If you do not know everything, you can always call their embassy. I called our State Department, World Bank, Voice of America and many other public information. Just tell the receptionist that you want to talk to someone from the country of interest. Remember tell them that you want to converse in English.

In Hong Kong, you would never invite someone by putting your hand and curling your index before back. Why? Read more.

When it comes to foreign audiences, you should check carefully to avoid humor not offend someone accidentally. In some countries, you can hear people laugh openly on television or in public on matters that would be taboo in the U.S. This does not mean you can try to joke about the same topics in your presentation.

Even if your voice humor is OK, you need to familiarize with other customs in the country in which you speak. Customs are very different worldwide. It is easy to make mistakes when you are in a totally new environment. You'll never get the audience to laugh if you accidentally do something offensive. A good resource that gives you a glance fun at the customs in other countries is the book "Gestures: The Do's and taboos of Body Language Around the World" by Roger Axtell. This book gives much information on things to do and not do in public when in a foreign country. Here are just a few serious errors that could easily be made in a speech who offend;

1. In Columbia if you wanted to show the height of an animal that you keep your arm palm down and raise it to the appropriate height. If you try to show the height of a person, you do the same thing, but the palm is on edge. So if you wanted to show the height of a person, but you did it palm down as we normally would in the U.S., you'd be insulted by the person he or she is treated like an animal or you have confused your audience because they think now that you were actually talking about an animal that has the name of a person. See how crazy this can get.

2. I have another problem animals for you. In Hong Kong, Indonesia and Australia you do invite someone putting your hand and curling your index finger back and forth (as you would to coax someone on stage with you). This gesture is used to call animals and / or ladies of the night and would be offensive to your audience.

3. In Latin America and the Middle East people stand much closer while conversing. If you were interacting with a person of one of these cultures during a public speaking engagement and you backed off to maintain a personal space Normal U.S., you would send a very hostile. Asians, but usually stand farther away. Your understanding of this will keep you to continue throughout the scene. Keep this in mind too if you go to the public to interact with them. As they are seated, you control the space interpersonal.

Sometimes your mistakes are funny. Hermine Hilton, the expert from the memory well known, refers to an address in Nigeria where it tried to pronounce the names of members of the audience and innocently added sexual innuendo. She said that everyone falls on the floor laughing. The Most foreign audiences appreciate your effort to speak their language.

Here's a little more international language public board I ran across:

1. You might think you put your audience to sleep in Japan, but do not worry. In Japan, it is common to show concentration and attention public by closing his eyes and nodding his head and down slightly. – And then, maybe you're really boring.

2. Applause is accepted as a form of approval in most regions of the world. In the United States the applause is sometimes accompanied by whistling. If you hear whistles in many parts of Europe, you'd better run because it is a signal of disapproval.

3. If you were finishing a Speaking to Argentina and you said goodbye to the U.S., members of the audience could all turn around and come back sit. To them the wave means: "Hey! Come back. In other parts of Latin America and Europe the same wave means 'no'.

The book I mentioned earlier has hundreds of tips to help keep the audience on your side when you present outside U.S. Another good source of information and low cost international context is the "Culturgram" published by the David M. Kennedy Center for the Study International, part of Brigham Young University, located in Provo, Utah.

Each "Culturgram" is a four-page newsletter that gives you an easy to understand overview of the country of your choice. It includes customs and manners, as well as information on people and their lifestyle. References will resources towards further study. Currently "Culturgrams are available for 118 countries.

Visual

What of nationality and culture, cartoons and comics are the most universally accepted format for humor. A good resource is Witty World International Cartoon Magazine by Creators Syndicate 310-337-7003. If you talk to a small group, you can delay the magazine or pass it around. If you want use the cartoon or comic strip in a visual, you may need permission from the copyright holder. Always read the caption for a public abroad and give them the time to translate what you say. It may take what seems to be forever (4-6 seconds) to the idea of sinking in.

Cartoons and comic strips are seen in newspapers and magazines in most regions of the world. Newsstands in large cities tend to have periodic strangers, or you can find them in large libraries. It can be fun to collect cartoons and comic strips when you travel if you have a ready supply when you need it for a speech.

Be careful with your selection of cartoons. Many American cartoons would be quite the bomb if used outside the U.S. Much of our humor is based on making fun of someone else. Such humor is not understood in most parts of the world and is considered disrespectful.

Other forms of visual humor that transcend most cultural barriers are juggling and magic. I do not either, but good resources are available. Speaking With Magic is a book by Michael Jeffreys which not only teaches you simple tricks, but gives you points you can refer to the case. I received my copy of the Royal Publishing, Box 1120, Glendora, CA 91740 Phone: (626) 335-8069. For juggling and other magic books call or write to Morris Costume Catalogue 3108 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205 Phone: (704) 332-3304. There is a charge for the catalog, but it's worth it.

Lyrics

Terminology is different in most parts of the world even if the country is based English. Highly tested humor that would work anywhere in the U.S. may fall flat in another country simply because the public does not understand words. For example, in Australia, public speaking sessions in small groups are called unions. If you had to make a joke that used the word union, you can completely confuse the public and they will not laugh. People in most other countries do relate easily if you mention miles per gallon or miles per hour. You should avoid talking about seasons, sports figures or celebrities who have no name recognition worldwide. Rethinking all humor that you normally use and try to find the words problematic. It's hard to by yourself. Try to find a person familiar with the local culture to help you.

When using translators, humor is more difficult because the timing and the puns do not translate well. You may have to slow down considerably because of interpretation. Some speakers use half sentences to keep pace. It is very difficult and requires practice.

Speakers were known to have fun with interpreters (Of course, I would never do that). An unnamed speaker I know purposely whispered to his interpreter to see what would happen. The interpreter mumbled back. Then he muttered again. It was hilarious.

Even when the public speaks English, they may not be able to understand your accent. Check with the residents to see if you can be easy to understand. You may have to adjust your normal delivery and pitch rate slightly.

Art Gliner, a trainer humor long, gave me this advice: learn to say Happy New Year in different languages represented in his audience. This technique always gets a laugh and the farther it is from the New Year, the better. He also told me a word of welcome in the mother tongue works well also.

A little more tips from around the world:

* In general, Asians tend not to show excitement. The Thais are an exception. They want to have fun while learning. Make sure to take lots of small gifts to give and be ready to receive too.

* Do not expect applause from speaking in public in Australia. It does not seem to be part of their culture.

* Remember: the U.S. is the foreign country when you speak outside its borders. Many things can be different and you should be ready. Many countries have different standard paper sizes and use two holes instead of three punches. Any video you plan to use must be converted to PAL. You may need a converter to operate the equipment you bring with you.

* South of the border do not like us to refer to us as Americans. We must remember that we are not alone. There are Americans of North, Central and South Americans.

* In Japan, you should never use humor erased during your public speaking engagement is well received in American culture. In fact, the Japanese do not like humor in seminars at all. Conversely, Australians love humor.

The fact is that each culture has his likes and dislikes when it comes to humor. They also have customs that can be very different from ours. Your knowledge in this area will help you create a connection with your international audience. You must do your homework, but it's worth because laughter sounds the same and have the same good feelings in any language.

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About the Author

Tom Antion is a internationally recognized public speaker and
Internet marketer with over 2700 paid presentations to his credit.