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Cultural differences
Fast reading Please go through the dialogue quickly and then answer several questions. 1. How many people are involved in this dialogue? Who are they? 2. Where did this dialogue take place? 3. Where do they come from?
Learn something about Brunei
Brunei
Fast reading Ma Li try to accumulate some more information about cultural differences. ?
Detailed reading Please spot the topics that are mentioned in this dialogue. 1. Thanksgiving 2. eye contact 3. wedding in Brunei 4. Wedding in Italy is different from one in the UK. 5. body language 6. Common people can’t wear yellow. 7. People open the present as soon as he is given it. 8. Chinese people greet each other by shaking hands. 9. Take off shoes before going inside a house. 10. Use thumb to point
Detailed Reading 1. What does Thanksgiving celebrate? It’s to do with celebrating the first harvest after the settlers from Europe went to live in the USA. 2. What is eaten at Thanksgiving? The huge turkey.
3. In the West, when is the polite time to open a present? Why? In the west , it is polite to open a present when someone gives you one. Because people want to see the person’s reaction. 4. What can you not drink at a wedding in Brunei? Alcohol.
5. What should you do instead of pointing with your first finger in Brunei? Pointing with our thumb. 6. What customs do Chinese cities and Brunei have in common? Taking shoes off before you go inside someone’s house.
√ √ √ √ √ Detailed reading Italy Brunei USA People celebrate Thanksgiving. There are some differences in a wedding reception. The newly-weds are expected to give presents to the guests. Common people can’t wear yellow. People there usually use thumb to point. √ √ √ √ √
act out Detailed reading Suppose you have a good friend from Britain, you are going to give a present to him/her…and after two days he/she gives you one in return…
Read the passage carefully and fill the table. People from different countries Different situations Different reactions
The American/ the British About Thanks-giving The American/ the British Presents The American: talk much about Thanksgiving the British: know nothing about it The American open it when receiving it and so do the British people
The British/ the Italian About the wedding The guests give presents to the newly-weds in the UK while it is opposite in Italy
People from Brunei/ people in some other countries Pointing to others People in Brunei point with their thumb while others with their first finger
People from Brunei/the British About the wedding Men and women sit in different areas in Brunei and with no alcohol in the wedding
similarities ? 1. People from UK and USA usually have the same attitudes towards receiving presents. open as soon as receive 2. There are similarities between wedding traditions in the west. throw confetti 3. People in both Brunei and China take off shoes before going inside a house.
Consolidation This time you are supposed to retell the cultural differences you have got from the dialogue, you may start like this: I am Ma Li/Waled/Peter, today in the chat room I learned a lot about cultural differences, in Brunei…and in the UK… in Italy…all these are so amazing.
Reading Strategy: understanding the use of examples The text we read is a dialogue on cultural differences. So in this kind of text we should use examples to explain concepts and ideas. Sometimes we use examples to support arguments and sometimes used as interesting stories.
Read the dialogue carefully and try to find out the sentences explaining the concept of cultural differences between English speakers from different countries. Our American teacher is always talking about Thanksgiving… The British teachers didn’t know what he was talking about…
Try to find out the sentences supporting the argument that there are differences as well as similarities between West weddings. In the UK, the guests are expected to give presents to the newly-weds, but in Italy …
Try to find out the example used as an interesting story about cultural misunderstanding. The British teacher who opened the present as soon as he was given it at the end-of-the term ceremony…
Extension (more information about cultural differences)
Extension (more information about cultural differences) body language eating cultural differences architecture style festivals
Cultural Shock UK USA Italy Brunei
Debate A world full of cultural differences or a world full of cultural similarities, which are you for?
Homework 1. Please search for more cultural differences. 2. Review what we have leant today. 3. Finish the exercises in workbook.
good staying with you Thank you
on the 4th Thursday of November Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate the first harvest after the first settlers from Europe went to live in the USA. turkey
Detailed reading Differences in wedding reception in Brunei? The man and the woman __________________. No ________. Play _______ for a long time, sometimes _______. sit in a different area alcohol drums all night
Detailed reading Italy UK guest