Sue Klopp <msk at CVNS.NET>: Dangerous Gesture

[David Stephan]

This recently appeared on the Teachers of English as a Second Language
(TESL-L) list.

David Stephan

"Welcome to the Information Superhighway-- the world's largest four-lane
gravel road!"
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: Sue Klopp <msk at CVNS.NET>
To: TESL-L at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Dangerous Gesture
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 22:03:11 EDT
Message-ID: <199707290214.WAAAA03700 at m26.boston.juno.com>

X-No-Archive: yes



Help in the form of information is urgently needed for a situation
involving serious cultural misunderstanding. One of my students, a
Russian
<actually of Armenian descent> lawyer who until recently was employed as
a
handy man, is in serious trouble with the law because of the
mis-interpretation of a gesture. As part of his duties he must cut open
trash bags and dump their contents into a larger container. Recently he
was
performing this task when another employee came up to him and started
complaining about something.  He tells me that he has had much trouble
with
this particular woman, and as she was being particularly obnoxious that
day, he made a gesture with his hand, which to a Russian means, "I've had
it up to HERE with this person!"  Unfortunately, to an American the same
gesture means, "I'm going to cut your throat," and since he made the
gesture with utility knife in hand, the woman immediately started
screaming
and someone called the police. This student has been charged with making
terroristic threats and his unpaid public defender lawyer has offered
very
little assistance. He is currently being pressured into accepting a "plea
bargain", but he doesn't want to do that because he says he is
innocent--that he did not intend to threaten this person with bodily
harm.
My appeal to you TESL-L members is for information in printed form
concerning the meaning of this gesture in Russia: the index finger is
pointed and drawn forcefully across the throat.  Alternatively, if anyone
has spent time in the former Soviet Union or knows a Russian student who
could verify the meaning of the gesture, this information could help my
student a lot. Lastly, any information which could be provided to a jury
concerning the many differences among cultures for interpreting the
meaning
of various gestures--books articles, etc.--could prove helpful.  Thanks
in
advance for your efforts !
Sue <msk at cvns.net>

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