The line between what someone means and what they say can be blurry, and with body language there's even more room for mistakes.
These slipups happen more frequently across cultures, and flashing a simple peace sign in the wrong place might just end in a confrontation.
Korbin Demmick, a coordinator for Auburn Abroad, said his American language and customs are often misunderstood by his friends from the United Kingdom.
Demmick said using the word "pants" may inadvertantly start a conversation about underwear, and flashing a peace sign backward is the equivalent of flipping someone the bird.
"I'm sure there would be times when you could do something very insulting and not have a clue," said Joan Layne, senior coordinator for Auburn Abroad, "but I think people try to give you some leeway if they understand that you don't know their culture very well."
While it can be intimidating to travel abroad with limited knowledge of the language, Layne said simple body language can help transcend the barrier.
"Generally, you can just kind of indicate what you want or point at something and maybe get the person to tell you what the word is and that kind of thing," Layne said.
Timothy Penix, senior in computer science, spent almost a year studying abroad in Japan and learning the culture.
"Before I learned the language, it was a lot of hand gestures and me speaking really loud English thinking they would be able to hear better," Penix said. "It was more hand gestures and pointing and me looking like I needed help or needed to know something, and the majority of the time they would understand and try to help me."
Penix said positioning chopsticks in rice in a certain way might indicate death, as having chopsticks pointing straight up in the bowl is a tradition often used at funerals in Japan.
When Penix went to a restaurant and used the chopsticks improperly he was quickly corrected, and he said he learned a lot through this type of trial and error.
"It took a little while because one of the big things in Japan is when you enter a home you take off your shoes and put on slippers, and I made that mistake the first day I got there," Penix said.
Taking off his shoes when he enters a house is a habit Penix still practices even in America, and he said there are other Japanese practices he has incorporated into his everyday life as well.
But using the right gestures sometimes isn't enough. Being assertive with body language can be just as important, Demick said--a lesson he learned from personal experience.
"I was waiting for a bus one time, and I was really timid and not waving down the bus, so they didn't stop at all," Demmick said. "You almost have to be very authoritative and step out and wave down the bus."
Adapting to a new environment may be hard, but Layne said there are ways to make the change relatively painless, such as not wearing name-brand clothes or outfits with American flags.
"You don't want to advertise, 'Hey, I am a tourist,'" Layne said. "You try to be aware of what the locals wear. Just blend in as much as possible, and don't complain about all kinds of stuff.
"We tend to want our sweet tea and our refills and things like that are not always that easy to get abroad."
Layne said simply trying to learn the culture can earn the respect of the locals, and most people are helpful once they see someone making an effort to adapt to a new place.
"When we were in China, the protocol for even handing someone your card is to hold it with both hands in an offer kind of thing," Layne said.
Layne said there's no way to learn everything about a society from books, so the best way to learn about new cultures is to go out and become immersed in one.
"We always encourage students to learn something about the culture, but even so there are so many things that I think it just takes time and just being in the area," Layne said.
During the time he spent in Japan, Penix said he learned a lot and met plenty of great people. He said to be successful it's important to travel with the right mindset.
"One of the biggest things to remember is that you are the foreigner," Penix said. "You need to remember the rules, the culture and the guidelines when you get there. But, of course, above anything have fun."
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