Introduction to Book & Assignments

Book Organization

• NOT your ordinary textbook.• Book Has:– 5 Chapters – Green Reference Section

Chapters• Organized By Theme• Each has 8 readings ranging from less than 1 page to

15+ pages that relate to the theme in some way. (don’t panic – we won’t read every reading in the chapters!!!)

• The readings come from other textbooks, nonfiction books written by experts, journal articles, newspapers and magazines.

• Our challenge this year will be to use the readings to help guide and support our thesis statements for our essays as we learn how to incorporate outside sources into our writing.

Green Section

• Contains a review of the following:– Parts of an essay– Planning, organizing, writing, proofreading and editing

(all the steps in the writing process)– A guide on how to write using outside sources (ideas you

get from our readings, online research, other books, etc.)

– As we work through our first essay we will visit each section as a guide – after that, I strongly suggest you refer back to this section when writing for this class.

Homework Assignments

• This purpose of this class is to improve your reading and writing skills dramatically in a short period of time. As a result, this is a homework intensive course.

• You can expect to have an average of one hour of homework per every hour we spend in class each week.

• We are in class 5 hours each week, so you should expect to spend roughly 5 hours outside of class working on assignments for this class.

Homework Assignments

• You have 2 types of homework assignments for this class – vocabulary assignments and journal entries.

• You will have a vocabulary assignment for MOST readings you are assigned.

• You have six assigned journal entries.• ALL vocabulary and journal assignments MUST be

submitted via Dropbox.• The due dates for ALL assignments can be found in

the calendar in your syllabus.

Vocabulary

• After the readings in the WHITE portions of each chapter there are several sets of questions and exercises, including a few that deal with expanding our academic vocabulary.

• There are NOT vocab exercises for the readings in the GRAY sections of each chapter.

• Example:– Take a look at p. 4-5 – this is the start of the first

reading you will be assigned.

Example

• Before each reading are some pre-reading activities. Don’t worry about this – skip it!

• Immediately under the title for each reading is a short paragraph describing who the author is and where the reading came from – this is important information you NEED to read.

• Next is the reading itself (obviously you need to read that).

Example

• Look on p. 13-17• After the reading are several sections that start

with gray highlighted titles that contain writing prompts, discussion questions, etc.

• What we need to find are the VOCABULARY sections. There will usually be 2 or 3 per reading.

• Completing these is what will make up your grade for your vocabulary assignments.

Example• There are 2 vocabulary sections for the first reading (p. 15

& 16)• The first give you practice with negative prefixes, the

second is vocabulary in context (there is a vocabulary in context section for every reading – the other vocabulary exercises vary depending on the reading)

• You MUST complete ALL vocabulary sections for each reading to receive the completion points for that reading.

• I STRONGLY advise you complete the vocabulary sections BEFORE reading the assigned reading. It will greatly help you understand the reading.

Example

• Vocabulary assignments must be typed in Word.• Type your name on the first line.• Type the title of the reading on the second line.• Type the title of the vocabulary assignment on

the next line.• Type your answers only (you do NOT need to

type the instructions, etc.)• Save your work as Vocabulary-Title of Reading

Example

• The example vocabulary exercise word document can be found on our learning web page.

Journal Entry Assignments

• You have 6 journal entry assignments.• Each entry should be 300-400 words. • For MOST journal entries, you will have a

choice of writing prompts that cover different readings (so if you don’t understand one of the reading very well, you can write your journal entry on the other prompt)

• See handout for journal assignments.

Journal Entry Format

• Journal Entries must be typed in Word and uploaded to Dropbox.

• First Line = Name• Second Line = Which option you selected• Save as: Journal Entry #• Points will be deducted for grammar, spelling and

punctuation errors. Please be sure to proofread your work before submitting.

• Please DOUBLE SPACE your work.

Example

• The example journal entry can be found on our learning web page.

Readings

• For MOST classes you will be expected to read 1 or 2 of the readings BEFORE class.

• If you do not read the assigned reading(s) before class you will be unable to understand or participate in that class.

• As a result, you will be a distraction.• I do NOT allow distractions in my classroom, so if

you come to class unprepared you WILL be asked to leave and you WILL be counted absent.

First Assignments

• For WEDNESDAY:– Read Althen’s “American Values and Assumptions” – Complete the vocabulary exercises that go along with

the reading and upload to Dropbox.• For Next Monday:– Read Tang’s “Polite but Thirsty”– There is NO vocabulary exercise for this reading.– Read Levine’s “Time Talks, With an Accent”– Complete the vocabulary exercises that go along with

the reading and upload to Dropbox.

Intercultural Communication

Chapter 1

What the Chapter is About:

• This chapter explores cultural differences in values, beliefs and behaviors and the intercultural problems that sometimes result from this differences. You will consider how people from diverse cultures regard time, express themselves verbally and nonverbally, and interact successfully.

Self Reflection

• Sit and reflect on the following question for 5 minutes. – What are the most important social and cultural

values influencing your own beliefs and behaviors?

• Be prepared to share your thoughts!

Class Debate

• Do you think think are more similarities or more differences among people around the work in the way they think, behave and communicate?

Small Group Discussion

• Number off to 3 (hint: DON’T count to 4!)• Find your group• Discuss your assigned question.• You will share your answers with the class.

Small Group Discussion

• Group #1: What are the major obstacles to intercultural communication? How can they be reduced? (think about concepts of time, personal space, appropriate conversation topics, etc.)

• Group #2: If you live in another culture for an extended period of time, should you embrace the proverb “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”?

• Group #3: do you think that when you live in a new culture your values, opinions or behavior change in any way?

Agree or Disagree?

• Read the statement on the overhead. • Decide if you agree or disagree with the

statement.• Hold up the blue card for agree or the pink

card for disagree.• Be prepared to share the reasons for your

answer.

• It’s usually better to do things by yourself than to accept help from other people.

• Not everyone’s opinions are equally valid and worthy of consideration.

• People do not have control over their own destinies.

• Nature should be controlled and used in the service of human beings.

• When young people are 18 years old, they should be encouraged to move away from home.

• Competition is a strong value in my culture.

• If someone does something that bothers you, you should express your feelings openly and directly to the person.

• When living in a foreign country, you should try to assimilate by embracing the nation’s customs and practices.

• People in my culture are quite informal in their personal and professional relationships.

• It’s better to focus on the future than to think too much about your culture’s past – it’s customs, traditions, and heritage.

“American Values and Assumptions”

By Gary Althen

Preview the Reading

• Previewing each reading can help give you a better idea of the reading topic, organization, and other important information that can help you to better understand the reading.

Preview Step #1

• Read the italicized paragraph under the author’s name to learn about the author and where and when the reading is from.

• Who is Althen?• Where did this reading come from?• When was it written?• What guesses can we make from this information and

the reading title about what the reading will be about?

Preview Step #2

• Skim the reading – Look for bold section titles (subheadings) and read them.

• If there are no subheadings, skim the first sentence of each paragraph.

• What subheadings are in this reading?• What do these subheadings tell us about the

reading?

Preview Step #3

• Look at the bottom of each page. Sometimes there is a line with numbered notes under it. These notes are about vocabulary (people, places, things) in the reading that you may not be familiar with and that probably aren’t in a dictionary.

• Skim through the notes so you are familiar with the vocabulary BEFORE you come across it in the reading.

Preview Step #4

• Read the first paragraph or two. • The first or second paragraph often contains the

author’s thesis, or at least will give you a better understanding of the main idea and purpose for the reading.

• After reading the first two paragraphs, what do you think the rest of Althen’s writing will focus on?

After Previewing:

• I STRONGLY suggest that after you finish previewing each reading that you take the time to complete the vocabulary assignments BEFORE reading the reading.

• That said, I can’t make you do this, and the final choice is up to you.

Remainder of Class:

• You have the remainder of this class to begin working on the vocabulary assignments for Althen, and/or to begin reading the article.

• This does NOT mean you may leave early.• Use this time wisely to avoid having so much

homework to complete before class on Wednesday.

Analyzing Readings

• Readings all have a main idea or thesis. Sometimes this main idea is stated, sometimes it is implied.

• The main idea or thesis tells you the point the author is trying to made in the reading.

• Althen’s main idea is implied in his second paragraph.

• What is it?

Analyzing Readings

• The author’s thesis or main idea is supported by major and minor supporting details.

• These are explanations, examples, facts, reasons, numbers, etc. that show why the author’s main idea is correct.

Analyzing Readings

• There are two types of supporting details:– Major Details• Directly support the author’s main idea or thesis

– Minor Details• Help to fully explain the major details

Analyzing Readings

• Each of Althen’s subheadings has a main idea along with major detail (topic sentence) and minor details to support it.

Analyzing Readings

• We will look at the first subheading and find the main idea and major and minor details together.

• Then you’ll work in small groups to analyze the remaining subheadings.

• When we’re done, we’ll be able to put together a complete set of notes in the form of an outline for the reading.

Individualism

Main Idea: (hint: paragraph #1)

Supporting Details:

Groups

• There are 8 other subheadings.• Each group will analyze 2.• Therefore, we need 4 groups.

• Group 1: Competition & Time• Group 2: Privacy & Directness & Assertiveness• Group 3: Equality & the Future, Change & Progress• Group 4: Informality & Achievement, Action, Work &

Materialism

Discussing the Reading

• What main idea is Althen trying to communicate? How does the main idea relate to other ideas in the reading?

Discussing the Reading

• Some of the values and assumptions Althen discusses in the reading overlap with each other. Some of these complement each other (fit together) and some seem to contradict each other (don’t go together).

• Find an example of cultural values that seem to fit together and ones that contradict each other.

Discussing the Reading

• Can you tell how Althen feels about the issues he discusses (does he like or dislike these values, or can you not tell what his opinion is)? How objective do you consider his writing to be?

Reflecting on the Reading• On your own, spend the next 20 minutes writing a response

to the following question:

• Are the U.S. values that Althen discusses similar to or different from those in the culture with which you are most familiar? Explain. Focus on 3 or 4 of the values mentioned in the reading.

• Be prepared to share.• SAVE your reflection – it will help you plan your first essay!!!

Previewing the Next Readings:

For Monday, you will read Tang’s “Polite but Thirsty” on p. 36-39 AND Levine’s “Time Talks With an Accent p. 27-35

Remember to complete the vocab exercises for Levine. There is no vocab for Tang!

Preview Step #1

• Read the italicized paragraph under the author’s name to learn about the author and where and when the reading is from.

• Who is the author?• Where did this reading come from?• When was it written?• What guesses can we make from this information and

the reading title about what the reading will be about?

Preview Step #2

• Skim the reading – Look for bold section titles (subheadings) and read them.

• If there are no subheadings, skim the first sentence of each paragraph.

• What subheadings are in this reading?• What do the subheadings or first sentences

tell us about the reading?

Preview Step #3

• Look at the bottom of each page. Sometimes there is a line with numbered notes under it. These notes are about vocabulary (people, places, things) in the reading that you may not be familiar with and that probably aren’t in a dictionary.

• Skim through the notes so you are familiar with the vocabulary BEFORE you come across it in the reading.

Preview Step #4

• Read the first paragraph or two. • The first or second paragraph often contains the

author’s thesis, or at least will give you a better understanding of the main idea and purpose for the reading.

• After reading the first two paragraphs, what do you think the rest of the reading will focus on?

Remainder of Class:

• You have the remainder of this class to begin working on Tang & Levine.

• This does NOT mean you may leave early.• Use this time wisely to avoid having so much

homework to complete.

Note Taking Practice• Split into 2 groups.• Group 1 will write a complete set of notes for Tang using the

handout.• Group 2 will write a complete set of notes for Levine using

the handout.• Each group will give a short (@ 5 min. long) talk about the

main ideas and support found in their reading.• I’ll post each group’s notes to our learning web page so

everyone has a set to refer to when we start working on our essay, so it’s in your best interest to put a good amount of effort into your work.

“Time Talks, With an Accent”

By Robert Levine

Discussing Levine

• What feelings does Levine experience while encountering cultural differences in perceptions of time? Have you experienced any of these feelings when confronted with a different orientation to time?

Discussing Levine

• How does Levine define “social time”?• What are its components?

Discussing Levine

• According to Levine, why is adjusting to a foreign concept of time so difficult?

Discussing Levine

• What does Levine mean when he says that the rules of punctuality are “inseparably intertwined with cultural values” (par. 14)? In which ways does a society’s concept of time reflect cultural values?

Making Connections

• What did Althen say about time as an American cultural trait?

• How does Levine’s essay complement Althen’s writing about time?

“Polite but Thirsty”

By Yaping Tang

Discussing Tang

• What is the significance of the title, “Polite but Thirsty”?

Discussing Tang

• The reading identifies five (5) differences between American and Chinese culture that cause culture shock. What are these differences?

Discussing Tang

• Look at the chart on p. 38. The chart explains the five stages of culture shock. Think about your initial adjustment to living in Houston. Can you identify an example of a time when you went through any of these periods of culture shock?

Making Connections

• How do Tang’s five differences help to illustrate the cultural values Althen discusses?

• Do any of Tang’s differences deal with time? If so, how do they fit in with Levine?

Making Connections

• All three authors either state directly or imply ways to minimize cultural misunderstanding. Are there any suggestions that are common to all three of the authors?

Reflecting on the Readings

• Spend 20 minutes writing on the following:

• Think about the values inherent to (held by) your own culture that you identified in your reflection from the last class.

• What ways can you think of to help minimize cultural understandings for an American visiting your country?

• KEEP your reflections! They will help with planning your first essay!

Journal Entry #1• Option #1: (Based on Tang)• Summarize the reading. Discuss the experience you have

had adjusting to life in Houston, including any culture shock you encountered. How does your experience compare and/or contrast to Tang’s?

• Option #2: (Based on Levine)• Summarize the reading. Discuss a difficulty or

misunderstanding you’ve experienced as a result of cultural differences in perceptions of time. How does your experience compare and/or contrast to Levine’s?

Journal Entry #1

• Be sure you address EVERY part of the entry prompt in your answer.

• Part #1: Summarize• Part #2: Discuss• Part #3: Compare & Contrast

Summarize the Reading

• A summary is a SHORT (1 paragraph for our readings) restatement, in your own words, of the main ideas of a reading passage.

• Use your notes to help you condense the information in the reading down.

Summarize the Reading

• DO NOT copy statements from the original reading. Summaries MUST be YOUR OWN WORDS!

• ONLY include the author’s main ideas. Don’t try to include every supporting detail.

Example Summary - Althen

• In “American Values and Assumptions,” Gary Althen contends that cultural variations exist in values and assumptions relating to human nature, social relationships, activity, time and people’s relation to nature. He maintains this can cause problems when individuals from different parts of the work interact. In an effort to help minimize intercultural tension and misunderstanding for visitors to the United States, he identifies and discusses the predominant cultural values and assumptions of the country, particularly individualism.

Discuss

• Option #1: (Based on Tang)• Discuss the experience you have had adjusting to

life in Houston, including any culture shock you encountered.

• Option #2: (Based on Levine)• Discuss a difficulty or misunderstanding you’ve

experienced as a result of cultural differences in perceptions of time.

Discuss

• Discuss = explain or give a narrative of.• Be sure to include details (like examples)

Compare & Contrast

• Option #1: (Based on Tang)• How does your experience compare and/or

contrast to Tang’s?

• Option #2: (Based on Levine)• How does your experience compare and/or

contrast to Levine’s?

Compare & Contrast

• Compare – show the similarities between• Contrast – show the differences between

• Look at the discuss part of your answer. • Compare it to your notes about the reading.• Find ways in which your experience is similar

or different to Levine or Tang.

Essay #1

Essay Topic

• You have been asked to be an advisor for American teachers who are working with students from your country. Write a 500-600 word essay entitled:

• ___________ Ways: a Guide for American Teachers.

• Discuss the values, assumptions, and customs that American teachers need to understand in order to avoid cross-cultural conflicts with their students.

What type of essay is this?

• In L3 & L4, you wrote essays that focused on one method of organization. – Division & classification– Cause/Effect– Compare/Contrast– Narrative– Argument– Etc.

What Type of Essay is This?

• In this class, our focus is to COMBINE multiple methods of organization in each essay to best address the writing prompt.

• That means that different parts or even different paragraphs of your essay may follow different methods of organization.

Examples

• Several examples of paragraphs for this essay follow.

• Identify what method of organization each uses.

Example #1• Colombians place a premium on punctuality in the

classroom. Students are expected to arrive on time to class because this will allow them to learn the lesson and topic through a complete lecture. In addition, it is a polite way to show the instructor interest in his or her class. If a student shows enough interest, the teacher will be kind when the student who is occasionally late has a question. However, if a student usually arrives late, he misses important tips to follow the class discussion. Moreover, it will be harder for him to fit in easily because of the information he does not have. Punctuality in Colombia, as in the United States, plays an important role for students to make progress.

Example #2• Punctuality for social events is not considered to be very valuable for

Panamanians. They have tehir own hour, which they call “Panamanian hour.” This means that they arrive about one hour late for unimportant social meetings and appointments. While they are always on time to work, school, and anything they consider important, they take their time in their social life. This custom is passed from generation to generation because children learn it from their parents. When Panamanians arrange to meet, the time that they choose needs to be one hour or more earlier than the time when they actually meet. For example, if they have a school meeting for a project, and they want to meet their Panamanian classmates at 1:00 p.m., they have to tell their classmates that the meeting is at 12:00 p.m. Then, they might hear from one of them, “Panamanian hour, right?” Unlike Americans, who tend to be punctual for almost all meetings, Panamanians do not pay attention if somebody is late since they do not value time as “a resource that, like water or coal, can be used well or poorly” (Althen 10).

Example #3• I quickly learned the value of time in the U.S. after I started working

for an American Company. I used to manage my time like a Korean. When I worked in Korea, I had a lot of business meetings. I was usually waiting for clients from 30 minutes to 1 hour because it is common in Korea to wait for a meeting to begin. However, my American boss was not happy with me when I arrived 10 minutes late for a staff meeting. He told me to arrive on time in the future, or I might lose my job. After that experience, I understood that “Korean time” does not show concern for other people’s schedule, but with Americans “time is money,” so employees cannot be late. This situation is also likely to occur with Korean students if they do not understand the premium that American teachers place of punctuality in a classroom. In addition, teachers should be aware of the Korean attitude toward directness and informality.

Essay Guidelines

• Your essay should have AT LEAST 5 paragraphs, be double spaced, in 12 pt. Times New Roman font; include a title and the identification of the writer, course, instructor, and date in the upper left corner. You are expected to use Althen, Levine, and Tang as sources. You MAY NOT use any outside sources other than these.

Audience, Purpose & Tone

• Audience: American Teachers

• Purpose: Help them avoid cultural misunderstandings with students from your culture.

• Tone: Objective, third-person point of view (ex. = Althen)

Grammar Focus

• Use present tense correctly to express generalizations about cultural traits.

• Use a variety of sentence types: simple, compound, complex.

• Edit out on your own your subject-verb agreement and word form errors during proofreading.

Vocabulary Focus• Correctly use any word form of the following words & phrases:

• Adjust• Consider• Typical• Undesirable• are/are not inclined to• Place a premium on• value• conflict• Culture shock• have/has a positive (or negative connotation

Outside Source Focus

• Begin integrating quotations and summaries from the readings into your essays.

• Simply cite sources including the author’s last name and the page # the information came from.

• (Notice: this focus doesn’t include “correct”. Since this is our first time citing sources, I fully expect mistakes to be made. The important thing is we learn from the mistakes we make.)

Citing Sources

• Althen, Tang, and Levine are your sources to explain to your reader what American cultural values are in contrast to (and thus may cause trouble for) your cultural values.

• Use direct quotations and summaries of different passages from the readings as supporting details in your essay.

• When you summarize or quote an outside source, you need to let your reader know where it came from.

Citing Sources

• If you include the Author’s name in the sentence, just put the page # from the reading that the information you used is found on.

• Example:• Gary Althen states that individualism is the most

important American cultural trait (5). • Competition is another important trait, so much so

that Althen argues that “Competitiveness pervades the society” (7).

Citing Sources• If you do not include the author’s name in the sentence, then

put the author’s last name AND the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

• Examples:• Competitiveness is an important American cultural trait, so much

so that “Competitiveness pervades the society” (Althen 7).• American culture is much less formal than many other cultures.

This can be seen in American’s clothes, body language, phrases of expression, and body language (Althen 9).

Practice• Write a sentence containing a quote or a

paraphrase from EACH reading (3 total) that includes the author’s name. Cite the page number at the end of the sentence.

• Write a sentence containing a quote or a paraphrase from EACH reading (3 total) that DOES NOT include the author’s name. Cite both the author’s name and the page number at the end of the sentence.

• When done, come up and show me your work.

Remainder of Class• You have the remainder of class to work on the

prewriting for your essay. • You MUST outline your essay before writing it.• Use the handout provided as a guide for planning and

outlining your essay.• ALL steps in the writing process (your outline, drafts,

peer editing worksheets about your essay, etc.) MUST be submitted along with your final draft.

• You MAY NOT leave early.• Use this time to cut down on the amount of

homework you will have!

REMINDER:

• Journal Entry #1 will be graded TOMORROW! Please be sure you have it uploaded to Dropbox by 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.

• You MUST bring a COMPLETE, TYPED, PRINTED (not on an electronic device) to our next class or you will NOT be able to participate. If you can’t participate you will be asked to leave and counted absent.