PERSONAL SPACE DIFFERENCES
In general, we can define personal space as the space of air that we need around us to feel comfortable with other. It can be subjective, but there are similarities in each culture. According to Amanda Erikson, in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/04/24/how-close-is-too-close-depends-on-where-you-live/?utm_term=.16859cae377a), some researchers sort the world into "contact cultures" (South America, the Middle East, Southern Europe) and "non-contact cultures" (Northern Europe, North America, Asia). In the first one, people have less difficulty with proximity. There are more visual and physical contacts among people. On the other hand, in the second one, people avoid visual and physical contacts. They do not like to have their personal space violated. Therefore, it is always important to observe the body language of others to not cause misunderstandings. And in extreme cases, like crowded environments, these characteristics can be neutralized temporarily.
As a rule, Brazilians are known as warm people. There are visual and physical contacts like hugs and kisses on the cheek, even in strange people. However, in the South region, people have a heritage of Northern Europe, and consequently, we are seen as cold, or even rude people. Two months ago, I went a doctor and I felt really uncomfortable when he greeted with a kiss on my cheek. Next week, I am going to see the same doctor and I am suffering since now because I will greet him with a kiss. He is not wrong, neither I am. We just have different points of view about personal space limits.
In our ESL/EFL classrooms, we probably will be faced with both kinds of students, and we will know what is going on. For that reason, it will be important to try to find a balance. Students and teachers must respect each other and their particularities. And whenever possible, teachers should bring these topics to the classrooms, and this way students could learn why certain attitudes differ among them. Many times, my Northeastern students think that I am an unfriendly teacher because to them it is normal to talk close and touch the other person during conversation, but to me, it is too much. Fortunately, I am working on my own perceptions and I hope do not scare my dear students anymore.
Maybe you should act the missionaries who are not allowed to kiss a sister in the chick, they have the benefit of having a plausible explanation for that.... I did have a awkward situation once when I was in my mission. When I did baptize a sister after given her the Holy Ghost she stand up and greet us with a kiss, I was caught up off guard, the good thing is the mission president was in the baptism and I did not have to explain anything.
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