Archive for the ‘West’ Category

Fall ’10 Week 7: (Unit 8 – UK Foreign Relations)

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

This week’s lesson covered unit 8  from the textbook which covers British Foreign Relations.  In this unit we discussed the major bodies that affect British foreign policy (both domestic and international) and we covered the significant international events of the past 60 years or so that have shaped modern British foreign policy.

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

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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)

Fall ’10 Week 6: (Unit 7 – UK Education)

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

This week’s lesson covered unit 7  from the textbook which covers the British Education System.  In this unit we discussed some of the history and original motivations for the creation fo the modern education system in England.  We also noted differences in the usage of common terms between different Western country’s education systems.

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

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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)

Fall ’10 Week 5: (Unit 6 – UK Literature)

Friday, October 15th, 2010

This week’s lesson covered unit 5  from the textbook which covers the United Kingdom’s Literature.  In this unit we focused not on a long list of British authors and the books they wrote, rather, we focused on the general trends observed in British literature as well as the possible reasons driving those trends.

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

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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)

Fall ’10 Week 4: (Unit 5 – UK Economy)

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

This week’s lesson covered unit 5  from the textbook which covers the United Kingdom’s Economy.  We spent some time defining some of the important terms needed in order to have an intelligent discussion about modern economies and then we took a look at the recent history of the UK economy.

We discussed how statistics can often times be misleading when used to describe economic matters, especially when used by people who are biased or who have an agenda.  Therefore, having perspective on the topic is always a good idea when discussing economics.

If the reading quizzes still seem impossible to you, then maybe you need to evaluate how much effort you are putting into your reading and preparation every week.  Talk to me if you feel like you need advice!

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

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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)

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Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Fall ’10 Week 3: (Units 3&4 – UK Government, Politics, Class & Race)

Friday, September 17th, 2010

This week’s lesson covered units 3 & 4  from the textbook which covers Government, Politics, Class & Race in the United Kingdom.  Like last week, we pretty much only covered the basics, we’ll go over some of the more fine details over the next few weeks as we take a deeper look at the UK.

The key to success in this class is YOU and the amount of effort you put into preparing for class (by carefully reading your assigned units) and your effort to listen and understand the class lectures.  Another important factor is to ask questions when there is something you don’t understand.  Please don’t hesitate to ask questions at appropriate times during class!

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

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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)

Fall ’10 Week 2: (Units 1&2 – UK Introduction)

Friday, September 10th, 2010

This week’s lesson covered units 1 & 2  from the textbook which is an Introduction to the United Kingdom.  We covered just some of the basics, we’ll go over some of the more fine details over the next several weeks as we take a deeper look at the UK.

I know that the ‘pace’ of my lecture seems fast to many of you.  Don’t worry, it is supposed to seem that way!  Do your best to keep up and I guarantee your listening comprehension will improve rapidly!

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

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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)

Week 15: Canada (Units 15-18 Canada overview)

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

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 was the final week of classes before the final exam.  We continued with a concise overview of some of the important information from units 15 – 18 concerning Canada that guest teacher Erica began last week.

The final exam is coming up real soon.  The units that are covered on Exam that you need to study for are;
  • New Zealand (Units 1&2)
  • USA (Units 3-9, 11-13)
  • Canada (Units 15-18)
Remember that exam questions will come from both the textbook reading as well as the classroom lectures.  There will be a mix of True/ False questions, Multiple Choice questions, and Fill-in the Blank questions.  I wish you all the best!

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

Week 14: Canada (Units 15-18 Canada overview)

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

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 there was a guest teacher, Erica!  Thank you very much for kindness as she gave a brief overview of some of the important information from units 15 – 18 concerning Canada!

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

Week 13: USA (Unit 13 – Sports & Scenic Spots)

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

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 13  from the textbook which is about Sports and Scenic Spots in America.

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

Week 12: USA (Unit 12 – US Foreign Policy)

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

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 12  from the textbook which is about US Foreign Policy.

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