Response #6

Description of the differences found between the two movies "Shall we dance?"

By contrasting the Japanese movie from 1996, and the American version from 2004 we find culture specific differences that reflect their respective societies.

Shall we Dansu?

Involves characters who are repressing their true emotions because they don't wan to be found out. The tacit or underlying message is that they feel embarrassed about what is going on and don't want to be found out. The interaction is impersonal, event hough it goes on long enough to create a strong relationship. It remains very formal.

The Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez version:

The relationship quickly becomes more intimate. The tacit message is more one of feeling entitled to being allowed to do something different. The dancing requires a close relationship, but not necessarily an inappropriate one. They are showing the need for a person to be allowed to express themselves through dance.There is a lot more "invading of space", touching, and eye contact in this movie version.

Week 6

This a state of the art equipment designed to suck up the mess of oil currently found on the beaches of Florida and Texas. It can be used by tourists, environmentalists and capitalists that want to produce their own gasoline from crude oil, or simple help clean up the beaches. It works like a vacuum cleaner, but has a mini oil refinery built into it to help with sustainable development. On sale now for only 99.95$, "El Sucko" is available at your local hardware store, or order one at
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Week 5 European cultures

This was a popular poster that went around in the early 90's leading up to the circulation of the Euro and the joining of the different European States. Even though we have a common currency, we still differ greatly in culture and the way we see each other.

Week 4

From Culture in Second Language Teaching by Elizabeth Peterson and Bronwyn Coltrane

Finding a way to transmit cultural understanding when teaching students of second languages is an exciting challenge. The difficulty lies in helping them realise the nuances that arise from the deep differences in language expression. Why a certain sentence structure or a specific personal pronoun is appropriate in one context and not another is not easy to teach, without expanding their cultural background. The teaching aids that include role plays, culture capsules, film, and literary texts are very useful. I have had the chance to use these more interactive methods when trying to convey understanding that cannot easily be taught through grammar study only. This use of authentic materials forces us and our students to become true anthropologists. It will gradually increase our level of empathy for the customs of the target culture and give us more insight to be able to teach the language better.

Week 3

I enjoyed the concept of connecting the different principles that are taught in the various classes of our mayor, and have been looking for the similar points that are at times repeated in one course to another. I think that it becomes easier to learn when we see the whole picture and are able to make links that help us to remember the main or important ideas.

Week 2

For me culture doesn’t assume as much what is right or wrong, but rather what and why certain things have been accepted by the majority of people in a specific place or context. It isn’t always easy for me to adapt to a foreign way of living, especially when I have seen another way that I like more or feel works better. However, when one takes the whole culture into consideration, with its history and problems, it becomes easier and I find myself becoming more understanding.