LanguageTravelCulture

THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO INTERNATIONAL VISITORS & TOURISTS VISITING THE U.S & EXCHANGE STUDENTS COMING TO STUDY IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES

2017-11-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

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Inseparable Relationship Between: Language,Travel & Culture

2010-07-22T17:04:00.000-04:00

Let me start by recommending to those of you that usually travel around the world not to take your camera with you everyday and everywhere because it will keep you focused on the visual aspect of the surroundings instead of experiencing the real deals of appreciating the moments instead.

Let's face it, after all, at the end of the trip and once returned home, what will you remember ? Isn't it going to be the everyday people you were talking to, the history of the regions and its customs, the areas you visited and above all, the particular way they made you feel in their country.

Let's also remember that languages can unite but can separate people too. Although its primary role is to relate people to each other through the sharing of different cultures, religions, foods and above all, their
very warm social experiences. When talking to local people, try to use their language in order to communicate with them. Take it from me, they'll always appreciate your effort for doing so. I'm so sure that you'll get a lot out of it.

You'll be able to feel personally rewarded first hand by the warmth of their culture, their hospitality and their feelings toward you.

I really hope that you'll enjoy your trip abroad by trying their genuine local cuisine, by speaking their language and finally experience the new culture and surroundings.

Presented by Prof. Mario E. Alexandre, Specialist Foreign Students Orientation USA., for your own enjoyment and learning . Please read more of my articles on Language, Travel and Culture in future writings here on this blog. Grab a course or take lessons in Spanish online. You can find more info @
http://ehowtospanish.blogspot.com/. This article is published on my blog:
http://languagetravelculture.blogspot.com/
Any question about learning Spanish or traveling abroad, you can reach me at; malex500@gmail.com

Travel As You Enjoy Speaking Spanish, French German

2010-07-15T22:41:00.001-04:00

Most people when travel tend to use their home language, hoping some one will have to understand what they're saying. Fact of the matter is the other way around, and that is that most natives of the countries that one is visiting expect for the traveller to speak in their native languages, such as: spanish, french or german and not necessarily english. Not only that's not hard to do, but it's the right thing to do according to the rules of courtesy. When in Rome, hey, you speak italian or when in Spain you speak spanish.

Published by: http://languagetravelculture.blogspot.com/

CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT IN THE USA

2010-05-16T19:47:00.000-04:00

We're going to talk about what Language , Travel and Culture represent when transferred to another land in the person of an " international student."

   Let's take a look at a " foreign student " as the " stranger " in a country that becomes his temporary domicile, but which was not the locus of his socialization. Also, let's look at the coping and the adaptation process as one that will naturally force the " stranger " into being at odds with the host culture for:

   a) the stranger is to some extent expected to conform to the norms of the host culture;

   b) because the stranger's socialization stems from another culture, conformity to a new pttern may prove disturbing.

   c) because the stranger occupies a unique role in the host culture, he can enjoy a certain exemption from conformity, and even a certain freedom of aggression against norms.

       This aggression , as a result of frustration in conformity will be greater for strangers with long residence than for those with short residence.

        Adjustment as a process over time seems to follow a U-shaped curve: adjustment is felt to be easy and successful to begin with; then follow a crisis in which one feels less adjusted, somewhat lonely and unhappy; finally the student begins to feel better adjusted again, becoming more integrated into the foreign community.

        Please visit our Blog on Culture, Travel and Language in order to learn more about what it takes to adjust and learn the language of the host country, its customs and its educational system etc.

        Published by LanguageTravelCulture.blogspot.com and written by:

         MARIO E ALEXANDRE, Foreign Language And Foreign Student Specialist.

languagetravelculture

2010-04-30T18:01:00.000-04:00

ORIENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS...continue

2010-04-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

                                       ESL/SPANISH/FRENCH/FOREIGN STUDENTS


   The United States has a long history of accepting great numbers of foreign students into its universitues to pursue higher education. Those students generally come to gain skills or knowledge at a more advanced level
than is available in their home universities. Part of the problems that these foreign students face in common is in adjusting to this new cultural environment.

                                                  Needs and Problems of Foreign Students

    Various authors have discussed the needs and problems of foreign students oce they are living in their new environment. For example, a study made of Mexican students in the United States found that the greatest problem was caused by trouble with the English language. Other problems mentioned were lack of transportation and money, problems with university red tape, and the high degree of competitiveness ammong American students. Furthermore. a Japanese student studying in the United States wrote the following paragraph ;

     What I had to learn painstakingly throughout my three years of stay in the United States was the way of life in general : eating, buying, taking a bath, getting on a bus or train and above all, getting along with the people in this strange land called America that constantly bewilders a man ...

     This statement illustrates the difficulties faced by many students upon arrival in a new environment. So important are cultural factors in educational exchange that the value of a student sojourn abroad may depend upon the help he is given not only in finding the education he seeks but in learning how to deal with initial problems of adjustment and continuing problems of adaptation during his stay. To meet this need, a growinng emphasis is being placed by organizations and institutions concerned with educational exchange on some form of " orientation " : on making accessible to the international students the linguistic and cultural tools he needs to profit most from his educational experience.

      This Article was Written & Published by : Prof. MARIO ALEXANDRE, Esl/Spanish/F&rench/ Foreign Students Specialist. Orlando, Florida 4/27/2010
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2010-04-27T19:26:00.001-04:00

VACATIONING

2010-04-27T18:39:00.000-04:00

ORIENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS...continue

2010-04-27T12:27:00.001-04:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

2010-04-25T17:54:00.000-04:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

'ORIENTATION OF FOREIGN STUDENTS INTENDING TO STUDY IN THE USA" continuation...

2010-04-24T15:03:00.000-04:00

Statement Of The Problem- The great majority of these international students have come to this country for the benefits they expect to derive: the wide range of courses and area of study offered, specialized and expert teaching staff, exposure to a dominant world culture, and high standard of living. However, it is inevitable that foreign students can encounter problems in obtaining an American education. And I really know what it's all about, because I was there and I was one of them on campus at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

As a matter of fact, I am the author of the main study done about the whole problem of adjustment and
learning of Foreign Students at K.U. and therefore, I'd like to publish some excerpts of the final results and the main recommendations suggested in order to reduce and remedy its various effects.

We saw already from the previous post that one of the main problems was the lack of competence in the use and understanding of the English Language as an important tool in making social adjustment. And now, let's look at the second major difficulty for what it is. Well, here it is: It's when the foreign students attempt to adjust to the methods of study in the american institutions of higher learning. The problem is that the students in their home country may have been accustomed to lecture methods of teaching with perhaps little outside reading. Independent study may be for them a difficult task. Too much reliance may be placed by the foreign students on textbooks or on dictated notes. They may be unaccustomed to taking notes in class or to participating in seminars. To be continued...

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DIFFERENT PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY FOREIGN STUDENTS INTENDING TO STUDY IN THE U.S.A

2010-04-19T20:26:00.000-04:00

It's a well-known fact, that Foreign students who come to the U.S.A to study a Vocation or a Profession have faced different obstacles during their stay here.

The success or the failure of the foreign student will be determined by a variety of factors, only some of which are controlled by the College he/she attends. Some knowledge and understanding of these factors are essential to the teachers and advisers who deal with them.

Lack of spoken, written and auditory proficiency in English contributes to the academic and social maladjustments of foreign students. For example, a report of the Committeee on Foreign Students in American Colleges and Universities states that " proficiency in spoken and written English is perhaps the greatest factor in the academic success of the foreign student in the United States. " The report concluded that from 10 to 20 percent of the foreign students in this country lack enough competence in English to benefit from their study here.

Competence in use and understanding of the Engish language is an important tool in making social adjustment. If the students lack the ability to communicate easiily and effectively with American students and faculty, they may withdraw from contact and give the appearance of indifference and aloofness'. Thus, they may tend to associate with and rely on their fellow countrymen and thus withdraw even further from associations that can incrrease their familiarity with English and with the social customs.
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Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

2010-04-11T17:32:00.000-04:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

AN INVITATION TO A NEW WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY...

2010-04-11T16:45:00.000-04:00

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Thank you and Enjoy & Prosper !

INVITATION TO A NEW WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY...

2010-04-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

LanguageTravelCulture: VACATIONING

2010-04-08T16:58:00.000-04:00

LanguageTravelCulture: VACATIONING

2008-12-09T16:32:00.000-05:00

LanguageTravelCulture: vacationing

2008-12-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

LanguageTravelCulture: vacationing

2008-08-07T15:27:00.000-04:00

2008-08-07T15:26:00.001-04:00

2008-08-07T15:22:00.000-04:00

vacationing

2008-08-07T15:05:00.000-04:00

VACATIONING

2008-08-07T12:03:00.000-04:00

TRAVELING

2008-08-03T10:42:00.000-04:00

In order to introduce the "Basic Concept" about what "Travel" means, I'd say, it's "to go from one place to another" either traditionally by horseback, by bicycle or by train in our western culture.It meant that man had always used some form of traveling, way before our modern means of traveling today !

Imagine that we take for granted the modern railroad system, the Rapid Transit System in NYC, the Metro in Mexico City, in Caracas, in Paris and in so many other metropolitan areas in the world. There is also the AMTRAK rail service all throughout the U.S interconnecting people from different cities and entire families. And then, we have come to know for most of us of a certain age, the automobile on the streets and that includes all the cars, trucks, city buses, and deluxe buses with beds and toilet service. Notice that when man was using camel and horseback, there was only dirt road; and there was no knowledge of technological, sophisticated means of development. In a sense, culture and technology share the stage so to speak.
Today, we have super highways, overpass, walkpath suspended in the air and connecting different buildings. Compare that with dirt road, colonial streets etc.

And finally, there are planes, flying over mountain tops, crossing entire oceans, and airbuses transporting 200 passengers and more aboard. Also man has gone to the "moon and mars" an amazing feat ! Finally, we have the super "Cruisers" passenger lines floating on the seas across the world.They are said to be and feel like "a floating city." But, as we come to know and understand traveling today, the fastest way from one point to another is without discussion "The Plane". And that pretty much covered the different means of traveling we have at our disposal in order to reach our desired destinations.

Man will always travel for different reasons for sure. His motivation to visit friends and relatives will always be around. And man also travels for business purpose and definitely for pleasure, entertainment and vacationing! What do you think ?

Learning a new Language

2008-05-02T18:13:00.000-04:00

Learning a new language is a personal endeavor. It has several components and ingredients, one of which is: motivation, a time commitment, a learning format, an act of the will and a lot of practice. Anyone at any age has this amazing opportunity, that's one of the great thing about it.

I'm sure we've all heard throughout our "childhood years " and by the way, they were our best years ever, that: "you can't teach an old parrot to talk ." Well, actually, that's wrong ! Totally wrong ! Believe me! Personally, I had the highest pleasure to learn new languages after my teenage years. In my case, I always used multiple ways of picking up new words in another language. Consider the vast and fresh choices that we always have around us, for one: let's use our inquisitive skills by reading everything available within our sight. "

" While Traveling " It can happen on the road traveling through a different country and reading the traffic signs on the highways, on the streets. Reading car bumper stickers in a different language & this way we can learn new words, thus increasing our vocabulary.

As a 10 year old child growing up, I still remember, when I started to learn English, how I used to read the wrappers in English inside the "Joe Bazooka"bublle gums. Wow! I learned many new expressions and words that way. It was fun, nothing like classroom learning, you see; it was a creative activity. Sometime, I'd even read those wrappers in bed! That's just one example of one way I used to learn English. "Cartoons" was and still is, definitely a great exposure to any target language one wants to learn. Get in front of a TV and spend sometime listening to a language and find out fast that something begins to happen; slowly you start to hear certain words more often, and then, you begin to pick some meaning, as usual, meaning should take place " in context " because it's such an easier way to remember what words mean, and there in lies great part of the culture.

Then, of course, you need to reinforce the language learning through extensive reading of magazines, newspapers, watching movies, the news and talking to other speakers of the language, above all, native speakers.

"Culture " As related to language, plays a big role in its meaning. Every region tends to have "special and specific ways "to ascribe to words. "Meaning " is subject to many aspects of a culture. It can be: the prevailing history of a particular region, its beliefs and traditions, etc.
Pay close attention to cultural patterns, while learning the language, so that you could learn both at the same time: Language & Culture while Traveling.

Written & Published by: Mario Alexandre, Orlando, FL email: malex500@hotmail.com