Hand Gestures in Different Cultures 1. Thumbs up ■ America and Europe: a 【T1】______ or approval sign 【T1】______ ■ 【T2】_

Hand Gestures in Different Cultures
Good morning, everyone. Today, we will talk about hand gestures and their interpretations in different cultures. Every day, we use our hands to explain our needs and thoughts. Hand gestures are a very important part of the body language. However, the same gesture can mean differently to people from different cultural background. Therefore, before we communicate with people in different cultures, we need to understand the meanings of gestures. Now we will look at some of the common gestures with their meanings.
First, thumbs-up. The thumbs-up sign in most American and European cultures mean that things are going according to your plans or something you approve of. However, the going good sign translates into a rude and offensive gesture in Islamic and Asian countries. In Australia, it means OK, but if you move it up and down, it is considered as a grave insult.
Next, the dog call. The dog call is a gesture where you curl your finger and summon someone towards you. In American and European cultures, this movement is mostly seen carried out by a tempting woman to her man. However, do not use this seductive gesture in Philippines. This is because this is one of the worst forms of hand gesture that is to be used only for dogs. This gesture could get you arrested in Philippines or maybe even punishable by breaking your finger, so that you never ever attempt to try this offensive gesture again. In Asian countries like Japan, the dog call is considered a rude gesture. In Singapore, it is indication of death.
Another common gesture, the OK sign. It is mostly considered one of the good gestures. It is used by curling the index finger over the thumb and the remaining fingers extended above them. In Great Britain and America, this means that everything is good, well or OK. Also, this sign is usually used by divers to indicate all is well or OK as the thumbs up sign means ascending. However, in Latin America and France it is considered as an insulting sign and it has negative connotations attached to it. In Turkey, the OK sign means one is a homosexual.
Then we come to the last sign, snapping fingers. Snapping fingers over and over may mean one is trying to remember something someone has forgotten. In Latin America, snapping fingers means asking one to hurry up. In Great Britain and America, one snaps fingers when one remembers something or gets an idea. However, in many cultures, snapping fingers close to someone’s face is considered to be an offensive gesture.
To sum up briefly, from one culture to another, hand gestures adopt a unique meaning. Those considered as a good gesture in one country may be termed as an offensive gesture in some countries. Therefore, while you are visiting a new city or country, it is important to learn what certain gestures mean so that you won’t offend anyone.