Hunan Cross Cultural Education

For my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book Two / Second Edition)”

This week’s lesson covered unit 6 from the textbook and the lecture was an overview of Religion in the United States of America.  We covered religious diversity in America today, described the most popular religions in America and discussed current trends surrounding religion.

If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.

For my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book Two / Second Edition)”

This week’s lesson covered unit 5 from the textbook and the lecture was an overview of The economy of the United States of America.  We covered the fundamentals of the USA’s economy and discussed some of the unique characteristics that set it apart from other economies around the world, including China’s.

If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.

For my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book Two / Second Edition)”

This week’s lesson covered unit 4 from the textbook and the lecture was an overview of The political system of the United States of America.  We covered a range of topics including the formation of the USA’s government as well as some of the fundamentals of how the USA’s political system works.

If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.

For my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book Two / Second Edition)”

This week’s lesson covered unit 3 from the textbook and the lecture was an overview of The United States of America’s ‘Beginnings’.  (The text inaccurately refers to this as “American Beginnings”)

If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.

For my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book Two / Second Edition)”

This week’s lesson covered units 1 & 2 from the textbook and the lecture was an overview of New Zealand’s history, politics, major elements of NZ society and unique cultural characteristics.  This is the only class we will spend talking about NZ this semester, so if you were absent or didn’t pay very close attention in class, be sure to spend a little extra time reviewing the units in the book and maybe borrow a classmate’s class notes!

If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.

Next week we begin our study of my home country, the United States of America!

This week’s lesson covered unit 16  from the textbook which discusses Australia’s  Religion & Worldviews (unit 16).  The primary focus of this unit was on the various worldviews and religions present in Australia and how and when they were introduced to the continent.

If you would like to have the PPT slides from this week’s class, click HERE to view or download them.

___

This post is for my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book One / Second Edition)“

This week’s lesson covered unit 15  from the textbook which introduces Australia and takes a look at The Land & People (unit 15).  The primary focus of this unit was on the indigenous peoples of Australia, often referred to as ‘Aboriginal’ peoples of Australia.

If you would like to have the PPT slides from this week’s class, click HERE to view or download them.

___

This post is for my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book One / Second Edition)“

This list contrasts some of the values assumptions which affect teaching and learning in China.  It is general in nature, and you may want to argue with some of its assertions.  We feel that it may be helpful in giving some handles with which to grasp some of the cultural differences.

For the next two weeks, everyone should be working with their groups on the Mid-Term Group Project.  Each group received a copy of the Group Project Guidelines along with your list of cultural stereotypes.  Please pay close attention to these guidelines as you prepare your written and oral reports!  Following directions is the key to doing well on the project!

Here is a sample presentation from a previous class that you might find interesting;

If you’d like to see some similar presentations from previous years, check out the videos HERE.  (Some of these are examples of GOOD presentations, some are examples of POOR presentations – you can watch and decide which is which!)

___

This post is for my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book One / Second Edition)“

This week’s lesson covered units 9 & 10  from the textbook which covers British Media (unit 9) and British Sports, Holidays & Festivals (unit 10).  In this unit we discussed the traditional media (TV, Radio, & Newspapers) and how radically things have changed in this area since your textbook was written.  (Your textbook doesn’t even mention the internet!)  We discussed the over-all effect the internet is having on society and we discussed the trends that can be seen in the traditional media and what that might look like 10 or 20 years into the future.

We also discussed sports, holidays and festivals in the UK.  We pointed out that the UK is rather diverse, so there are also a diverse set of sports, holidays and festivals enjoyed by UK citizens.  However, there are still some predominant sports and holidays enjoyed by the average British person.

If you would like to have the PPT slides from this week’s class, click HERE to view or download them.

___

This post is for my students at the Hunan Institute of Science & Technology ( 湖南理工学院 ) who are taking the course: “The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ) : An Introduction (Book One / Second Edition)“