On Culture

I've been working as an undergraduate student consultant for the American Language Institute on campus for a couple months now. My job involves working with international teaching assistants enrolled in the oral skills class with their teaching, English language skills, and also easing the adjustment to the university/ the U.S. My ITAs this semester are form China, S. Korea, and Turkey.

Part of the job requirement is the culture aspect. But how exactly do you teach/learn culture? What is American culture? I've been using an "I enjoy this...do you?" approach and in turn my ITAs have shared what they like to do and parts of their lives with me. So far we've watched movies and performances, shared meals, gone shopping, visited community centers and listened to music. We've also been engaging in much conversation about topics ranging from affirmative action, the education system, interracial dating, sororities and frats to religion and health. While pronunciation and grammar exercises are straight forward ( I sometimes feel like I'm channeling Henry Higgins), culture is implicit and relative.

Related Article: Unclear on American Campus -NYT
Is there a similar expectation for foreign teachers to adapt to the native language in other countries? Since English is so widely used, do English speakers naturally expect others to cater towards them?

Diavolo Dance Theatre

Program Board performing arts committee brought Diavolo Dance Theatre onto campus this Monday night for an amazing performance. They did crazy stuff... scaled walls, danced on and leapt off of moving arcs. The show reminded me much of Cirque de Soleil, I later learned that Jacques Heim (whose name I can finally spell correctly after much practice while making posters) had choreographed for "Ka."

It was great to see Bovard packed. The committee had tried to target students that wouldn't normally attend a performing arts event by making announcements to the large GE classes in all fields and working with ResEd instead of limiting our audience to theatre/artkids and dance emphasis students.

email from arthur

Alex,

Just FYI, it is your mom's birthday today. You might want to call her later...

Later Alex!
a

Haha, I heart my family

Parent's Weekend Performance

In Argue Plaza, in front of a heat tray of stuffed mushrooms. I guess I have an affinity of sorts for bird dances. First there was the bluebird, then the flamingo, and now the peacock.

#214, my room

a)cut up MFA 2005 catalog b)vanity c) slide of HK freeway on reading lamp d)asian babar