2/12/22; Week 6: "Personal Space Differences"

 Personal Space Differences

"Usually hidden under the surface of consciousness, occassionaly raising into awareness, personal space affects every part of human experience."

    I really liked this phrase because I believe it applies to every one of us. Each person has his/her own personal territory, which includes the are that exists around his/her possessions. We are influenced by the personal space and how others 'respect' it. It impacts our sense of self, our ability to use tools, our culture, and our social and emotional behavior. 

    The personal space is an important factor that affects our lives everyday. In the reading, it was presented the different Zone Distances. 

1. The Intimate Zone, between 6 and 18 inches (15-45 cm)
2. The Personal / Friends Zone, between 18 and 48 inches (46-1.22cm)
3. The Social Zone, between 4-12 feet (1.22-3.6m)
4. The Public / Audience Zone, (3.6 m)

    We must be very careful because there is serious room for misinterpretation regarding personal space.  It can easily lead to misconceptions and inaccurate assumptions about one culture by another. There are many cultural differences and we must adapt to them if we are in another country or with a person that comes to a whole different culture.

    As TESOL teachers, we need to take into account these differences and help our students to realize that each of us is different. It is wise to consider every perspective of why someone is keeping his/ her distance.