Differences in Emotional Expressivity

 Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned this week was the study of the class watching a surgical procedure.  There were students who hardly seemed to react when they watched the video as a class, and yet when they watched it alone, they had the same facial expressions associated with strong emotions that others had.  Because I come from a society (the United States) that is okay with expressing emotions in public to some degree, the idea of someone reacting differently in a group vs when they are alone makes me...well, suspicious.  That may sound strange, but I have always had strong feelings about the notion that a person should always be true to themselves, no matter the situation.  This example seems to contradict that idea.  And yet, as I learn about different cultures and the things they feel are/are not socially acceptable, the more I begin to realize that I may need to fix some of my thinking.  

I am naturally a very expressive person.  In fact, you can usually tell how I feel about something simply by looking at my face.  Because of this, I tend to try and "read" people.  Honestly, my poor children know that when they answer a question I will not only be listening to what they say but looking at how they say it.  From their facial expressions to their body language - I absorb all of it to try and understand what they are really saying.  I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing.  Nonverbal communication can teach us a lot.  However, when we are interacting with people from different cultures, we need to remember that what we consider "normal" in the way we emotionally communicate may be completely opposite of their beliefs.  I know this can be difficult.  For example, because I am so expressive, when I come across people who are not, I often misjudge their actions as dislike or boredom, when in fact they are having a great time.  In a language classroom, especially, we need to understand the norms of expression for the different cultures we teach.  That way we will be able to connect with and learn from each individual student.