Globally, there are many differences between the French people and the English-speaking people. This can be seen primarily through the news and cartoons. The most important difference is non-verbal communication during a conversation between friends or professors. There are different rules about what to do with your hands, arms and facial expressions. For the first three weeks, I made an effort to observe many of these rules, so that I won't make anyone mad. Below, I describe some examples of the rules I had to become aware of when I moved to France
Firstly, if you are meeting a friend or an elderly person, the number of kisses you do on either side of that person's cheek depends on the region of France you are in. These kisses are called la bize. Generally, you should give two kisses by default, but in Paris, four is common for people who already know each other! There is an online map to understand how many kisses you give per person, depending on how well you know them and where in France they are from. It can go from one to four kisses. So, when you meet someone for the first time, you have to give them, for example, two kisses. Then, you have to repeat this once it is time to leave.
