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PUBLIC SPEAKING resources for you
Public Speaking:
International Perspective on Humor 
United States
public speaking audiences are becoming more and more culturally
diverse. It is your responsibility while public speaking to be aware of and
acknowledge significant portions of the audience that come from diverse
backgrounds. If you are public speaking in a different country, again, it is
up to you to find out about local customs and types of humor that are appreciated
in that locale. The response to humor is quite different for different cultures.
Paying close attention to this fact will give you a greater chance of connecting
with international audiences in and out of the U.S. You will also be more aware
of etiquette and customs that will make you a welcome public speaking personality
anywhere you go.
If you are not familiar with your intended audience, in your pre- program research
you might ask, "How diverse is your group? Or do you have members from other
countries?" The answers to these questions will help you plan your strategy
for connecting with a particular audience for a public speaking engagement.
I was doing my planning for a public speaking program in Baltimore, Maryland
and found out that twenty-five percent of the audience was Asian Indian. I knew
nothing about the Indian culture and didn't have long to plan. What I did know
was the Dunkin' Donut store near my home was owned and run by Indians. That
was a good excuse to stop in, down a few eclairs, and do some research. I told
the proprietor what I was trying to accomplish and he was glad to help. Out
of all the information he gave me about humor in India, I only used one line.
That was all it took to connect. The line was, I want
to tell all my new Indian friends that I'm sorry Johnny Lever couldn't make
it. Johnny Lever was one of the top comedians in India. They lit
up and I went on with the program.
If your local donut shop isn't run by the appropriate nationality for your next
public speaking engagement, don't worry. There are other sure-fire methods to
get the information you need. If your public speaking program is outside the
US, get the opinion of local people before you attempt to use humor. If you
are public speaking in the U.S., seek out members of the nationality to whom
you are speaking. If you don't happen to know any, you can always call their
embassy. I've called our State Department, The World Bank, Voice of America
and many other public agencies for information. Just tell the receptionist you
want to speak to someone from the country of interest. Don't forget to tell
them you want to converse in English.
In Hong Kong you would never beckon someone by putting your hand out and curling your index finger back and forth. Why? Read on.
When public speaking
for foreign audiences you must check your humor carefully so you don't accidentally
offend someone. In some countries you may hear people openly joking on television
or in public about subjects that would be taboo in the U.S. That doesn't mean
you can attempt to joke about the same subjects in your presentation.
Even if your public speaking humor is OK, you need to become familiar with other
customs in the country in which you have your public speaking engagement. Customs
are quite different around the world. 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 fun look
at 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 lots
of information on things to do and not to do in public when in a foreign country.
Here's just a few serious mistakes that could easily be made during a public
speaking engagement that would offend:
1. In Columbia if you wanted to show the height of an animal you would hold
your arm out palm down and raise it to the appropriate height. If you are trying
to show the height of a person, you do the same thing, but your palm is on edge.
So, if you meant to show the height of a person, but you did it palm down as
we normally would in the U.S., you would have either insulted the person by
treating he or she like an animal or you would have confused your audience because
they would now think that you were actually talking about an animal that had
the name of a person. See how crazy this can get.
2. I've got another animal problem for you. In Hong Kong, Indonesia and Australia
you would never beckon someone by putting your hand out and curling your index
finger back and forth (like you might do 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 American and the Middle East people stand much closer while conversing.
If you were interacting with a person from one of these cultures during a public
speaking engagement and you backed away to keep a normal U.S. personal space,
you would be sending a very unfriendly message. Asians, however typically stand
farther apart. Your understanding of this will keep you from chasing them all
over the stage. Keep this in mind too if you go into the audience while public
speaking to interact with them. Since they are seated, you control the interpersonal
space.
Sometimes your mistakes are funny. Hermine Hilton, the well known memory expert,
tells of a public speaking engagement in Nigeria where she tried to pronounce
the names of members of the audience and innocently added sexual innuendo. She
said everyone was falling on the floor with laughter. Most foreign audiences
do appreciate your effort to speak their language.
Here's a few more international public speaking tips I've run across:
1. You might think
you are putting your audience to sleep in Japan, but don't worry. In Japan it
is common to show concentration and attentiveness in public by closing the eyes
and nodding the head up and down slightly. -- Then again, maybe your public
speaking really is boring.
2. Applause is accepted as a form of approval in most areas of the world. In
the United States the applause is sometimes accompanied by whistling. If you
hear whistles in many parts of Europe at your public speaking program, you better
run because it is a signal of disapproval.
3. If you were finishing a public speaking engagement in Argentina and you waved
goodbye, U.S. style, the members of the audience might all turn around and come
back to sit down. To them the wave means, "Hey! Come back." In other parts of
Latin American and in Europe the same wave means "no."
The book I previously mentioned has hundreds of tips that will help keep the
audience on your side when you are public speaking outside the U. S. Another
good and inexpensive source of international background information is the
Culturgram published by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies,
which is 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 common courtesies, along with
information about the people and their lifestyle. References point you toward
additional study resources. Currently Culturgrams are available for
118 countries.
Visual
Regardless of
one's nationality and culture, cartoons and comic strips 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 are public speaking
in front of a small group you can hold up the magazine or pass it around. If
you want to use the cartoon or comic strip in a visual, you may need permission
from the copyright holder. Always read the caption for a foreign audience and
give them time to mentally translate what you say. It may take what seems to
be forever (4-6 seconds) for the idea to sink in.
Cartoons and comic strips are seen in newspapers and magazines in most areas
of the world. Newsstands in large cities usually have foreign periodicals, or
you may find them in large libraries. It might be fun to collect cartoons and
comic strips when you travel so you have a ready supply when you need one for
a public speaking program.
Be careful about your selection of cartoons. Many American cartoons would totally
bomb if used outside the U.S. Much of our humor is based on making fun of someone
else. This type of humor is not understood in most areas of the world and is
considered disrespectful.
Other forms of visual humor that transcend most cultural barriers are juggling
and magic. I don't do either in my public speaking, but good resources are available.
Speaking With Magic is a book by Michael Jeffreys that not only teaches
you simple tricks, but gives you the points you can relate to the trick. I got
my copy from Royal Publishing, Box 1120, Glendora, CA 91740 Phone (626) 335-8069.
For juggling and other magic books call or write for Morris Costume's Catalog,
3108 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205 Phone (704) 332-3304. There is a charge
for the catalog, but it's worth it.
Words
Terminology
is different in most areas of the world even if the country is English based.
Highly tested humor that would work anywhere in the U.S. may fall flat in another
country simply because the audience doesn't understand one of the words. For
example, in Australia, public speaking break out sessions are called syndicates.
If you were making a joke that used the word syndicate, you may totally confuse
the audience and they won't laugh. People from most other countries will not
relate easily if you mention miles per gallon or miles per hour. You should
avoid speaking about seasons, sports figures or celebrities that don't have
world-wide name recognition. Rethink all humor you normally use and try to find
problematic words. This is difficult to do by yourself. Try to find a person
familiar with the local culture to help you.
When using translators in public speaking, humor is tougher because timing and
word play don't translate well. You might have to slow down considerably because
of interpretation. Some speakers use half sentences to keep up the pace. This
is very difficult and requires practice.
Public speakers have been known to have fun with interpreters (of course, I
would never do this). An unnamed speaker I know purposely mumbled to his interpreter
to see what would happen. The interpreter mumbled back. Then the speaker mumbled
again. It was hilarious.
Even when the audience speaks English they may not be able to understand your
accent. Check with locals to see if you can be easily understood. You may have
to adjust your normal delivery and rate of pitch slightly for your public speaking.
Art Gliner, a long- time humor trainer, gave me this tip: He learns how to say
Happy New Year in the different languages represented in his audience at his
public speaking programs. That technique always gets a laugh and the further
away it is from New Years, the better. He also tells me a word of welcome in
the native language works well too for public speaking.
A few additional tips from around the world:
* In general, Asians tend not to show excitement. Thais are an exception. They
want to have fun while they learn. Be sure to take lots of small gifts to give
out and be prepared to receive some too.
* Do not expect standing ovations when public speaking in Australia. It doesn't
seem to be part of their culture.
* Remember -the U.S. is the foreign country when your public speaking program
is outside its borders. Lots of things can be different and you should be prepared.
Many countries have different standard paper sizes and use two hole punches
instead of three. Any video you plan to use must be converted to PAL. You may
need a converter to operate equipment you bring with you.
* South of the border people don't like us to refer to ourselves as Americans.
We must remember that we are not the only ones. There are North Americans, Central
Americans and South Americans.
* In Japan you should never use self-effacing humor during your public speaking
engagement which is well received in American culture. Actually, the Japanese
don't like humor in seminars at all. Conversely, Australians love humor.
The point is that every culture has its likes and dislikes when it comes to
humor. They also have customs that can be very different from our own. Your
knowledge in this area will help you create a connection with your international
audience in your public speaking. You must do your homework, but it is worth
it because a laugh sounds the same and produces the same good feelings in any
language.
