- Do some research about the culture of your target language and write about the 'linguistic aspects', e.g., body language, how people talk about time, etc.
Using the Geer Hofstede measure of identifying cultural parameters of Korean, South Korean culture is extremely collectivist and has a high respect for hierarchy that is prevalent in its language. For example, the collectivist culture means that South Korea has high emphasis on the communities and within families. Korean has different words for different members of the family, ranging all the way from cousin-in-law, and different words for each family member based on which gender you identify with. It highlights the importance of each individual family member, a characteristic that does not occur in other languages, such as English.
Body language, in Korean culture, occurs a lot during introductions. Bowing is a common occurrence, and is expected to occur among nearly every member of society. During conversation, eye contact is considered rude, especially if the one initiating the eye contact is a junior or a lower member of the organization.
Korean, is a monochronic culture, as meetings and appointments are expected to be on time. There are usually no excuses to when the meeting begins, as one is expected to be on time. However, this rule isn't super strict, as a fair warning beforehand will suffice.
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