Foreign Cultures & World Travel BONJOUR HOLA SALAM NI HAO CIAO γειά σου שלום halló こんにちは привет xin chào হ্যালো kumusta Hallo नमस्ते dia duit bok ہیلو ஹலோ હેલ્લો здравей

What is “culture”?

The almighty, unreliable WIKIPEDIA Merriam-Webster: –a particular stage, form, or kind of civilization –the beliefs, social practices, and characteristics of a racial, religious, or social group –the characteristic features of everyday life shared by people in a particular place or time

The customs, beliefs, social institutions, achievements and characteristics of a particular nation, people, or other social group.

What do you want out of this course? Discover some areas in the world that I might like to visit Discover some areas in the world that I might like to visit Learn how the United States compares to other countries Learn how the United States compares to other countries Learn more about “hot”, “developing” countries Learn more about “hot”, “developing” countries Learn fun facts about other countries Learn fun facts about other countries

Course Syllabus Procedures Expectations Miscellaneous items

How well do you know the U.S.? Grab a white board, marker and eraser. Keep track of your correct responses. “Why do I need to know this?”

1.Christopher Columbus discovered the land that we know of as America in 1492, but who gave America its name?

Amerigo Vespucci Italian merchant, seafarer and cartographer (1454 – 1512) Bonus Question: What is a cartographer?

2. Why were America’s original inhabitants called “Indians”?

Columbus started his journey in order to find a sea route to India. When he arrived in America, he was convinced that it was actually India. Bonus Question: What is the politically correct term for Columbus’ “Indians” today?

3. How many people live in the United States? 12 billion 12 billion 304 million 304 million 794 million 794 million 50 billion 50 billion Bonus Question: Where does the U.S. rank in population in the world today?

4. What is/are the official language (s) of the U.S.?

NONE !!! US English is considered the national language Individual states do have official languages and in some cases have more than one (i.e. English & Spanish)

5. Which 3 assassinations shook the U.S. in the 1960s?

President John F. Kennedy (JFK) – 1963 Martin Luther King – black, civil rights leader – 1968 Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) – Democratic presidential candidate; JFK’s younger brother – 1968

6. Which of the following statements is true? 18 is the age for sexual consent in the U.S. 18 is the age for sexual consent in the U.S. 18 is the age for marriage with parental consent in the U.S. 18 is the age for marriage with parental consent in the U.S. 18 is the age for marriage without parental consent in the U.S. 18 is the age for marriage without parental consent in the U.S.

7. What is the life expectancy in the U.S.?

77.7 years of age Bonus Question: Which country has the highest life expectancy with 82.1 years of age? Also higher than the U.S.: Japan, Switzerland, Iceland, Australia, Spain, Sweden, Italy, France, Canada, UK, and Germany

8. The English language has the most words. How many, exactly? 1 million 1 million 100, , , , , ,000 Less than all of these! Less than all of these! Bonus Question: How many languages exist in the world today? Hint: By 2020, there could be only 700 left.

“Why do I need to know this?”

So, what are you gonna learn? Countries Countries Languages Languages Populations Populations Religions Religions Holidays Holidays Customs Customs Arts Arts People People Places Places Travel Travel Geography Geography Food Food Technology Technology Facts & Figures Facts & Figures Weird things Weird things

Let’s talk CURRENT EVENTS Websites: –CNN, Yahoo, Google, MSN, MSNBC, New York Times, ABC News, NPR –Newspapers, Magazines, etc. What information is GOOD? Oral presentation –How many? How long? Written reflection –Summary & Personal Reflection (2 well- written paragraphs)

Expectations… What countries are you interested in learning more about? What cultural concepts do you want to know more about? What languages are you interested in learning basic expressions for? What kinds of work/assignments do you want to incorporate into the class? FINAL PROJECT 9 WEEKS REALITY…

DID YOU KNOW…?

The word vuvuzela appeared in the English-language dictionaries for the first time in What is it??? ll/?p=1545http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/n ll/?p=1545

France, not the U.S., is the most visited country in the world.

2011 was a big year for space travel… Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space 50 year ago. A U.S. space shuttle flew around the Earth for the first time 30 years ago.

The guy who discovered Uranus was a music teacher and organist

Southern Sudan is the world’s newest nation.

The top album for 2010 was I Dreamed a Dream by Susan Boyle.

The first U.S. Air Force combat mission in which all flight crew personnel were women took place in Afghanistan on March 30, 2011.

Tablet computers like the iPad rely on technology from 1855.

The smallest bones in the human body are found in the ear.

From RECYCLED PAPER, we get newspapers, cereal boxes, wrapping paper, cardboard containers, and insulation. From RECYCLED PLASTIC, we get soda bottles, benches, bike racks, cameras, backpacks, carpeting, and clothing. From RECYCLED ALUMINUM, we get cans, cars, bicycles, computers, and pots/pans. From RECYCLED GLASS, we get glass jars and tiles. From RECYCLED RUBBER, we get mouse pads, shoe soles, floor tiles, and playground equipment.

Dalmations are born without spots.

McDonalds is almost everywhere, except for about 50 countries in the world, including Cuba, Iraq, Vietnam and the Vatican City.

The U.S. has the highest obesity rates: 2 of 3 people are considered overweight and ½ of those are considered obese.

16% of Catholics, 10% of Protestants, 36% of Jews, and 3.5% of born-again Christians either believe there is no God or are not sure whether or not there is a God.

The literacy rate for Afghan women is 12%.

Cigarette companies are now going to have to include federally-mandated pictures on their labels, in addition to written health warnings html?tag=contentMain%3bcontentBody html?tag=contentMain%3bcontentBody

There are 300 million Americans. 131 million voted in the last election. 98 million voted in the highest record American Idol vote.

Number of vacation days/year United States: 13 Japan, South Korea: 25 Canada: 26 United Kingdom: 28 Brazil: 34 Germany: 35 France: 37 Italy: 42

The NEW 7 Wonders of the World: Colosseum, Italy Taj Mahal, India Great Wall of China Christ the Redeemer, Brazil Chichen Itza, Mexico Machu Picchu, Peru Petra, Jordan

Clothing… Bangladesh 2 million employed in the garment industry Garments account for 67% of the nation’s exports 80 hour avg. work week w/two days off per month: monthly pay $34 A living monthly wage in Bangladesh is $40 Indonesia A living monthly wage is $244 The actual monthly wage in the garment industry is $102 David Beckham’s sponsorship income from Adidas is $24 million, equivalent to the living wages of 100,000 Indonesians

Did you know?