Cultural Awareness for Cabin Crew

This article was contributed to English for Cabin Crew
http://aviationenglishasia.blogspot.com by Angel

Cabin crew are front liners of the aviation industry. We regularly travel on international routes, our passengers come from different parts of the world and we work in a culturally diverse environment. And when one suddenly interacts with another of a totally different cultural background, there are bound to be cultural misinterpretations that can cause embarrassment or be considered offensive, unless we are equipped with a skill called Cultural Awareness.

Cultural awareness can also be considered as a foundation of communication itself. In order for us to have effective communication, it is essential to have the understanding of why we are the way we are, our beliefs, practices and values that make up our cultural background (self-awareness). Being culturally aware also involves trying to gain information about how we are different from other people or other nationalities(cross-cultural awareness). It is especially essential for cabin attendants to have this skill because they belong to a business that deals with giving quality service to passengers who come from different cultural backgrounds. Your airline may not require you to be fluent in other languages but they will be extremely impressed by a cabin crew member who has taken the time to learn their passengers' customs and/or traditions. Some instances wherein an appropriate behavior for one culture may be considered inappropriate in other cultures are:

• Thumbs-up. This simple sign happens to have different meanings: It could mean an affirmative sign or “OK”, or this can also be used as a sign for hitch-hikers who need a lift. It can also be insulting to others because it may mean “up yours” if the thumb is jerked sharply upwards.

• Touching during conversation. This depends on the culture of the person you are talking to. For instance, for some people from Japan, Germany, England and USA it may not be appropriate to touch someone while in conversation but for some people from France, Italy and Spain it is just natural for them to continually touch as they talk.

• A man holding another man's hand while walking may be a strange sight to some people but it is a sign of mutual respect to middle eastern men.

• Making a “V” sign with your two fingers may easily mean a sign for “victory”, but if the palm is facing the person making the “V” sign, it is meant to offend and means “up yours” to people from some parts of Europe.

• If someone asks for directions to the “Loo”, “CR”(comfort room), “WC” (water closet), “powder room” or “wash room”, don't be confused because all of these terms mean “Toilet”.

• Looking straight into someone's face and looking them in the eyes while talking to them may be natural to others because it expresses an interest in what the other person is saying, but for some, like people from Japan, it is considered rude to do so.

These are just some of the examples of cultural differences a cabin crew may encounter . So how do we develop cultural awareness? Since culture usually manifests itself in our subconscious, we may find it difficult to develop cultural sensitivity. Some of the main considerations we can do in order to be conscious and develop cultural sensitivity are:

• Asking for information from a foreign counterpart (for example, a foreign colleague).

• Researching the information (internet, books, movies, etc.)

• Welcome the similarities and accept the differences between different cultures.
  

• Avoid making assumptions and judgments.

• Learn how to empathize.

• Think outside of your comfort zone.

Cultural awareness plays an big role in determining if a flight will go smoothly for a cabin crew member or have disastrous results. This is why cultural awareness courses are an essential part of cabin crew curriculum during their training so that they may increase their knowledge of different cultural practices and apply these to the situations they may encounter in their future flights.

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