Assignment #5: When daily tasks can be a challenge

This link is to a blog written by Karen Espinasse, an American writer and photographer who lives in France with her French husband and two children. Several times a week, Espinasse posts one of her photographs and writes a brief essay with French words sprinkled through it. She describes what it is like to live in a foreign country doing the small daily chores of life, like filling a car’s tank with gas. Each French word is defined at the end of the essay, but try reading the essay first before you look at the definitions. Here is the link: http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/2007/09/sans-plomb.html

What is your reaction? Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get you thinking:

• What was it like reading something that was written in two different languages?
• Could you understand the gist of the meaning before you read the definitions?
• How do you think you would react if you were in a similar situation—doing a simple task in another culture and/or country?
• Did you have a particular insight while you were reading this that you’d like to share?
• Have you had a similar experience?

In a one to three paragraph essay, explain your reaction and thoughts. You don't have to address all the bullet points above, but use them as idea triggers.

Assignment #4: What nonverbal clues say about you

In May, I participated in the commencement ceremony at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, receiving my Master’s of Science in Career & Technical Education. By chance, I was seated in the front row. As I watched the Bachelor’s candidates traipse past me on the way to the stage to receive their degrees, I noticed how many of them were wearing sneakers and even rubber flipflops. Some of the men had bare calves showing between too-short gowns and their sneakers—I assumed they were wearing shorts rather than actually being flashers in gowns rather than raincoats. These people were entering their next stage of life as college-educated adults with careers and had no idea that their first action as a graduate screamed, “I’m a kid and totally clueless as to how I should act in the realm of adults.” Conversely, the young men and women who were appropriately shod for a formal ceremony were presenting themselves as adults ready for professional positions.

For this week's assignment, describe a recent (within the last month or so) occurrence when you noticed someone over age 17 whose nonverbal clues were sending out the message “I am a clueless kid even though I’m legally an adult.” Then, describe another recent occurrence when someone was appropriately dressed for the environment in which you saw them.

Brainstorming cross-cultural topic ideas

This is an extra posting (sorry, not for extra credit) where you can ask questions, read other students' thoughts, and see my responses about topics for your cross-cultural presentations. What topics are you thinking about? What are you interested in? Do you want help with how your topic can be related to other customs, cultures, ideas? What about comparing your job with one in another culture? For example, if you are in the nursing program, consider comparing the duties of nurses in Western culture versus the duties of Native American medical practitioners? Have you traveled in another country? What customs did you observe that were very different from what we do in the Midwest? This is your chance to brainstorm with me and with other students. Have fun with it.

Note: This week's official essay assignment is just below this one, so don't forget to enter your comments there for the week.

Assignment #3: Symbols, words, and reality

Read the article titled “PG-13 Warnings” by Kenton Whitman. It’s located on his Web site at http://kentonwhitman.com/blog/2007/09/10/pg-13-warnings/ As you read it, think about how we’ve been looking at the way the meaning of language resides in people, not the words themselves. After you’ve read Whitman’s article, write 1-2 paragraphs describing your reaction to the article, and thoughts you had as a result of reading it.

Sexist language

No one noted (or used as an example for the classroom assignment) the sexist language quote I posted this week! It really sounds bad to 21st century ears, but remember--this man was writing a hundred years ago before we (men and women alike) became sensitive to the issues of gender in the English language.

Assignment #2: Perils of language

Photo by Dan Page, published in Time Magazine, September 17, 2007.

In this week’s issue of Time Magazine, there is an article titled “Words Don’t Mean What They Mean” by Steven Pinker. Read the article at this link:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1659772,00.html

For your comments, write a brief summary of your reaction to the article. Read what other students write. Notice the variety of reactions.