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surname.
As most people speak French and Arabic tles may be in
either languages. Common tles are “doctor”, “professor”, and
“lawyer” in English or “docteur”, “professeur”, and “avocat” in
French. Some religious scholars may be called “Sheikh”, elders
are respec ully called “hadj” related to people who went to the
holy city of “Mecca” and made pilgrimage.
Algerians tend to be somewhat direct in their communica on
style but are not confronta onal. One should never cri cize
another publicly as it can cause shame on oneself and one’s
family. In these cases an indirect style is more appropriate.
Avoid talking about poli cs, sexuality, and religious issues un l
a stronger bond has been established, and even then tread
lightly. Good ini al topics of conversa on include sports, family,
Algerian music, food, and culture.
Reference books for protocol and e que e in your country: (For
example, we use Emily Post’s E que e)
No specifi ed and based on Religion and tradi ons.
What ques on do you have about American customs?
None
The Rela onship
The importance of personal rela onships cannot be underes mated.
Always invest in building trust and rapport. You will no ce that
Algerians do not leave a great deal of personal space between each
other. Preserving honor/reputa on is important. Algerians will try to
preserve their reputa ons telling people what they think they want
to hear even if it is not the truth. It is important to bear this in mind
when communica ng with Algerians, i.e. do not cause them to lose
face especially in public. Within Algeria the “you scratch my back and I
scratch yours” mentality works. Try and do favors for people as this will
mean they owe you one back.
Food in Daily Life: The na onal dish of Algeria is couscous, steamed
semolina wheat served with lamb or chicken, cooked vegetables,
and gravy. This is so basic to the Algerian diet that its name in Arabic,
“Ta’am”, translates as food. Common fl avorings include onions, turnips,
raisins, chickpeas, and red peppers, as well as salt, pepper, cumin,