Verbal/Nonverbal Communication
"Since arriving in Seville exactly two months ago today, I have learned a tremendous amount about the Sevillano culture. One of the most interesting parts of my journey thus far has been realizing how closely correlated verbal and nonverbal communication reflect cross-cultural comparisons between Spain and the United States. The Spanish gesture for greetings is very far removed from what I was used to in the United States. “Dos Besos” or two kisses one on each cheek is the customary Spanish greeting that is done by people of all ages and genders. This is a very stark comparison from either a handshake or the rare occasion of a hug as the traditional greeting in the United States. This explains how the Spanish culture is much more relationship orientated than in the United States. I have found that many cultural norms such as the dos besos would be considered as invasion of personal space in the United States.
Spaniards live for personal interaction with others and many of their customs reflect so. Instead of in the US where when you go out for a meal you sit, order, eat, and then leave, in Spain going out for a meal is about spending quality time with the person that you are with and it is common for a meal time chat to last a considerable amount of time. It is interesting how verbal communication reflects this cultural difference given that Spaniards have a word for a post meal time chat, sobremesa. This is a word that simply does not exist in the English language as it is considered inconsiderate to the restaurant to occupy their table after you are done using it for your meal." (Journal Entry)
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Sobremesa means after-meal chat time. Sobremesas can take place either post lunch or dinner time. There is no direct translation in English given the more fast paced lifestyle that does not allow for long meaningful conversations after mealtimes. The closest translation in English would be table-talk, except, after the meal has been finished. In Spain, after you finish a meal, it is customary to stay seated and indulge in an extensive sobremesa or post-meal chat with those who you ate with. For example, during my meals at my homestay, we would eat a large lunch while watching the news. Then after the meal, there would be sobremesa discussion where we would discuss either what we had watched on the news, or an element of our day.
This video outlines some of the Spanish greetings that I witnessed during my semester abroad. Most importantly being the dos besos (two kisses), a standard greeting throughout Spain. The dos besos was used in informal settings or as an introduction to meeting new people.
Typically, in formal settings a handshake was the most appropriate nonverbal gesture, however, I would commonly see professors who knew eachother at the university doing the dos besos. Prior to my semester, I knew that the dos besos were common in informal scenarios, however, I was not aware that they were the first step to introducing yourself in an informal setting. The dos besos reflect the personable and relationship oriented nature of the Spanish people. For example, the first time that I met my host mother, brother, and father, I did the dos besos with each of them.