Now Ngoc's American teacher seems a bit frustrated with her. Ngoc sits very still, listening carefully to the strange sounds of the words, keeping her eyes on the book in front of her. Ngoc has seen her teacher, a young woman, look directly into the eyes of men in the class. But teachers must know what is right, and Ngoc should not question her teacher's behavior. Misunderstandings like this are common in multicultural settings.
All human beings are ethnocentric at the start.
We are acculturated by the society in which we are born, and we see the world through the lens of that culture. When we are confronted with experiences that cannot be explained, we begin to become aware that there are other lenses through which to see the world. Ngoc's teacher has been taught that direct eye contact implies openness and honesty, while averted eyes suggest deceit and suspicion. Until both Ngoc and her teacher realize that they are viewing the world from different perspectives, Ngoc will remain confused and her teacher will continue to be frustrated. Furthermore, we are largely unaware of our own body language.