For those of you in my “Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 )” class, here are the guidelines for your Mid-Term Group Project:
Mid-Term Project Guidelines Fall_09
If you have any questions, let me know!
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 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 Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link 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 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 Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link 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 6 from the textbook which covers UK 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 Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.
Attention: This is week there was a disturbing number of students who showed poor judgment and chose to behave unethically during the reading quiz. Don’t waste your time or mine, have respect for yourself and your education and demonstrate that you are capable of success without resorting to cheating!
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 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.
If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link 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 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.
If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.
Attention: This is week THREE and some of you have already missed class! Please don’t let this become a habit, or your grade will be negatively impacted. (If you do not attend class, it is impossible to pass, even with a perfect score on the final exam!)
Cross cultural communication can be a tricky business. These basic tips can go a long way in minimizing misunderstandings and maximizing your cross cultural communication skills….
Here are some simple tips to help you improve your cross cultural communication skills:
Slow Down
Even when English is the common language in a cross cultural situation, this does not mean you should speak at normal speed. Slow down, speak clearly and ensure your pronunciation is intelligible.
Separate Questions
Try not to ask double questions such as, “Do you want to carry on or shall we stop here?” In a cross cultural situation only the first or second question may have been comprehended. Let your listener answer one question at a time.
Avoid Negative Questions
Many cross cultural communication misunderstandings have been caused by the use of negative questions and answers. In English we answer ‘yes’ if the answer is affirmative and ‘no’ if it is negative. In other cultures a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ may only be indicating whether the questioner is right or wrong. For example, the response to “Are you not coming?” may be ‘yes’, meaning ‘Yes, I am not coming.’
Take Turns
Cross cultural communication is enhanced through taking turns to talk, making a point and then listening to the response. Read the rest of this entry »
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 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.
If you would like to have the Presentation Notes from this week’s class, click on the link to view or download them.
I received word today that H1N1, commonly called “Swine Flu”, has been found this week in several students at H.I.S.T. So far, classes are NOT canceled, but the faculty are requesting that all students take extra care so that we can keep the spread of this flu to a minimum. If you think you are coming down with the flu, DON’T COME TO CLASS!
Seriously, it’s better to miss a week of class than it is to get all the rest of us sick! Here are some more tips if you think you might be sick;
So, it’s been quiet around here all summer, sorry about that! It’s not because nothing was happening, in fact, the opposite is true! We were VERY busy this summer with the end of the Spring ‘09 semester and the arrival of 13 cultural exchange students from America!
Now the Fall ‘09 Semester has begun and in addition to the class I taught all last year, The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries ( 英语国家社会与文化入门 ),I am now also working in the foreign exchange office of the Hunan Institute of Science and Technology ( 湖南理工学院 )!
I have some new and exciting responsibilities that are going to make this next semester a new challenge, but one that I’m really looking forward to! I’ll be sure to post a story or two here about how things are going!