COMMUNICATIVE STYLE
Chileans are generally indirect in their communication styles, but can become very animated and assertive when if they get emotional. Communication styles tend to be tuned to people's s feelings. Confrontation is generally avoided in order not to jeopardize another's honor or dignity - it may therefore be necessary to read between the lines in order to fully understand what is really meant. Chileans stand very close when conversing.
GREETINGS
With first introductions, a handshake is the custom. Male Chileans may greet each other with hearty hugs, with women customarily kissing each other on the cheek. Direct eye contact is important.
Chileans are generally indirect in their communication styles, but can become very animated and assertive when if they get emotional. Communication styles tend to be tuned to people's s feelings. Confrontation is generally avoided in order not to jeopardize another's honor or dignity - it may therefore be necessary to read between the lines in order to fully understand what is really meant. Chileans stand very close when conversing.
GREETINGS
With first introductions, a handshake is the custom. Male Chileans may greet each other with hearty hugs, with women customarily kissing each other on the cheek. Direct eye contact is important.
FOOD
Food has a very special place within Chilean culture. Chileans normally eat four times a day. The first meal of the day is breakfast, which mostly consists of rather light fare including toasted bread with butter and instant coffee with milk. Lunch (served between 1:00 and 2:00 P.M.) is the big meal of the day. Traditionally two main dishes are served. The first course may be a salad of some kind. A common salad is the ensalada chilena, including sliced onions, chopped and peeled tomatoes, an oil and vinegar dressing, and fresh cilantro (coriander). The second dish generally includes beef or chicken, accompanied by vegetables. Around 5:00 P.M. Chileans take once, an afternoon tea with bread and jam, that often also includes cheeses and palta (avocados). Once, which means "eleven," is evidently named after the British tea time - 11:00 A.M. Around 9:00 P.M. most families serve dinner, which is usually a single but substantial dish, most often accompanied with wine grown in the many Central Valley vineyards.
Food has a very special place within Chilean culture. Chileans normally eat four times a day. The first meal of the day is breakfast, which mostly consists of rather light fare including toasted bread with butter and instant coffee with milk. Lunch (served between 1:00 and 2:00 P.M.) is the big meal of the day. Traditionally two main dishes are served. The first course may be a salad of some kind. A common salad is the ensalada chilena, including sliced onions, chopped and peeled tomatoes, an oil and vinegar dressing, and fresh cilantro (coriander). The second dish generally includes beef or chicken, accompanied by vegetables. Around 5:00 P.M. Chileans take once, an afternoon tea with bread and jam, that often also includes cheeses and palta (avocados). Once, which means "eleven," is evidently named after the British tea time - 11:00 A.M. Around 9:00 P.M. most families serve dinner, which is usually a single but substantial dish, most often accompanied with wine grown in the many Central Valley vineyards.
Chilean cuisine has both Indian and European influences. The national dish, porotos granados, for instance, has ingredients characteristic of Indian cooking (corn, squash, and beans), with distinctly Spanish contributions (onion and garlic). As may be expected in a country with an extremely long coast, seafood has a prominent role in local culinary preferences. Traditional Chilean seafood includes locos (abalone), machas (razor clams), erizos (large sea urchins), and cochayuyo (seaweed). Another national delicacy is caldillo de congrio, a soup of conger eel, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, herbs, and spices. (Taken from Culture of Chile.)
FAMILY
The nuclear family is by far the dominant household unit in Chile. Most Chileans live with their parents until they are married. Although the nuclear family constitutes the basis of Chilean households, grandparents continue to exert considerable authority in family affairs. Moreover, and either by necessity or by choice, grandparents (especially widowed grandparents) frequently live with the family of one of their daughters or sons. Married children normally visit their parents over the weekend and it is not uncommon for them to talk with their parents by phone almost daily. Aunts, uncles, and cousins are also considered to be close relatives and they frequently meet at family and social gatherings. (Taken from Culture of Chile.)
CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT
At first, you might be tempted to cling to other International students, especially those from your home country. While it is comforting to depend on fellow expats as friends, you will limit your Chliean experience. Try to make a sincere effort to meet and get to know Chilean people. You will find that people are genuinely warm.
One way to get to know Chilean people is to arrange an intercambio in which you exchange one hour of Spanish conversation for one hour of conversation in your language. Even if your Spanish does not need the practice, it is a good way to meet and get to know a Chilean.
SPACE AND DISTANCE
Chileans are close communicators physically and so will often touch each other when speaking and maintain little physical distance between speakers.
POPULATION AND RELIGION
Of the approximately 16.5 million inhabitants of Chile, ethnically 95.4% are white and white-Amerindian, 4% are Mapuche, and 0.6% are other indigenous groups.
Regarding religion, 70% of the population is nominally Roman Catholic, 15.1% are Evangelical, 1.1% are Jehovah’s Whitness, 5.6% belong to other denominations and the remaining 8.3% are not associated with any religion (from the CIA World Factbook).
BOOKS
• Roraff, Susan and Camacho, Laura. Culture Shock! Chile: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette
• Perrone, Caterina. Chile - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture