11.3 Body Language and Gestures

Do people in your country use this gesture? Do you?

A woman greeting with her two hands raised and put together as if in prayer and the head is bowed.
Som Peah Gesture © Tep Ro, 2021, CC0 1.0 Universal.

1. Pre-reading

Cambodia has specific body language and gestures that reflect politeness, respect, and hierarchy. Talk about some common body language and gestures in Cambodian culture with a partner.

Match the Khmer statements with the English ones.

2. Reading

David and his colleague, John, are having a conversation about the upcoming meeting with a CEO of a company in Cambodia. Have you noticed any specific body language and gestures in the conversation?

ចន៖ ឯងបានជួបប្រធានក្រុមហ៊ុននៅកម្ពុជាហើយឬនៅ?

ដេវីត៖ អត់ទាន់ទេ។ ប៉ុន្តែជំនួយការរបស់ខ្ញុំបានសុំការណាត់ជួបជាមួយគាត់ហើយ។​

ចន៖ ឯងប្រាកដជាមានបទពិសោធន៍ការងារច្រើនជាមួយក្រុមហ៊ុននៅកម្ពុជាហើយ មែនទេ?

ដេវីត៖ បាទ! ជាពិសេសភាសាកាយវិការ។​ ខ្ញុំបានសង្កេតឃើញថានៅកម្ពុជា​​ ភាគច្រើនពួកគេទទួលឯកសារនានាដូចជា កិច្ចសន្យា កិច្ចព្រមព្រៀង ដោយប្រើដៃទាំងពីររបស់ពួកគេ។

ចន៖ ប្រហែលជាវាជាកាយវិការដែលបង្ហាញការគោរពទៅកាន់ភាគីម្ខាងទៀត​ មែនទេ?

ដេវីត៖​ បាទ! ក្រៅពីនេះ អ្នកខ្លះទៀតដាក់ដៃទាំងពីរត្រង់ក្តោបចុះក្រោម​ ពេលនិយាយទៅកាន់ភាគីម្ខាងទៀត។

ចន៖ គួរឲ្យចាប់អារម្មណ៍ណាស់! ប្រហែលជាខ្ញុំគួរតែស្វែងយល់ពីរបៀបនៃការទំនាក់ទំនងគ្នារបស់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរ ជាពិសេសក្នុងបរិបទធុរកិច្ច។

After reading, answer the following questions.

Below is a summary of the conversation you just read. Complete the sentences using words or phrases from the conversation.

3. Post-reading

The Word ដើម្បី “in order to”

ដើម្បី “in order to” is used with an infinitive form of a verb to express the purpose of something. It is commonly used in formal and written language.

Examples

  • ដើម្បីបង្ហាញការគោរព ខ្ញុំគួរ​តែអោនក្បាល​បន្តិច​នៅ​ពេល​ដើរ​កាត់​នរណា​ម្នាក់​ដែលមាន​ឋានានុក្រម​ខ្ពស់ជាង។​ “In order to show respect, I should slightly bow my head when passing someone in a higher hierarchical position.”

John is preparing for an important business meeting​ in Cambodia. Read and rearrange the description of what he is doing and what he needs to prepare.

Following the example provided, imagine you are preparing for an important business meeting. Write a paragraph using at least five vocabulary words to describe what you are doing and what you need to prepare. Conduct research on other body language and gestures in Cambodian culture that you should know and practice during a business meeting in Cambodia. Record and share the paragraph with your friends/teacher for further feedback.

If you get an error message when you press the Record button, it may be that your browser does not support this recording device.

Please try again in a browser like Chrome. 

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