Entry #5 - Cultural Encounters

In your fifth blog entry:

You have now been in your internship for at least 12 hours. Use your journal and think back on all the time you've spent at your host organization so far. 

Make cultural observations and ask the people in your internship about anglophone culture. Then compare the anglophone experience with Quebecois culture.

• What cultural objects are displayed in the host organization? (Religious symbols? Flags? Paintings? Posters? Sculptures? Advertisements?)

• Do you hear music played during your internship? If so, what kind? Do people listen to radio? Ask them which stations they listen to.

• Do you see newspapers, flyers or pamphlets lying around? Ask the people in your internship what newspapers, books and magazines they read? 

• Ask people how they feel about different holidays: St. Jean Baptiste vs. Canada Day, Do they celebrate Thanksgiving, Easter, etc? Or other holidays? What do they do to celebrate?

• For those who celebrate Christmas (don't assume that everyone does) ask about their celebration. Do they go to midnight mass? Do they open presents on the 24th or 25th? What special dishes do they prepare? What is the connection to religion for them? 

• Describe other cultures you have been exposed to in your internship. What have you learned? What has surprised you?

Describe the types of English you have been exposed to

• Have you heard any slang, expressions or informal language?

• Have you done any reading or writing in your internship?

• Have you had the opportunity to use your 5 idioms from our class notes?

Rewards and challenges

• What has been the most difficult aspect of the internship for you so far?

• What has been the best part about the internship?

If you are in English 100/101, you should write 150 - 200 words

If you are in English 102/103, you should write 300 words

Entry #4: The world is your classroom

In your fourth blog entry:

Discuss linguistic interference

Describe ways in which your first language (or second language) has interfered with your communication in English. Tie in some of the theory we discussed in class, week 2 (check back in your notes). Have you noticed any challenges caused by linguistic interference? What misunderstandings or realizations have you had due to accent, grammar, vocabulary or idioms and expressions? How do these observations contribute to your progress as a language learner?

How is learning English different in your internship than in a classroom?

Make comparisons between being in a language immersion situation and being in a language classroom. 

• How are you able to acquire language without a traditional structured classroom setting? 
• Reflect on language learning strategies that have been effective or not
• What challenges have you faced?

Select 2 - 3 new words, expressions or structures

Where did you hear/see this word or expression? Define the word or expression and explain a situation where you could use it in the future.

You may also describe your reflections on the rewards and challenges of the internship experience.

Remember:

If you are in English 100/101, you should write 150 - 200 words

If you are in English 102/103, you should write 300 words

** You will be evaluated on language, structure and content.

See you soon for your summative oral presentation!

Entry #3 - Diving in!

"Immersion brain" from the New York Times article 'How Immersion Helps to Learn a Language'

In your third blog entry:

Describe interactions you’ve had in English and what you learned from them

What was said? What was communicated through body language? What was new for you (expressions, intonation, polite language)? How will this interaction contribute to your progress as a language learner?

Describe your observations of anglophone culture

What have you noticed that is different from a typical francophone environment? How do people greet each other? Do they use first names / last names / titles? What type of humour do people use? What do people do to show politeness? What happens when people disagree? How do people dress? Do they take long breaks? Do they show up on time?

Select 2 - 3 new words, expressions or structures

Where did you hear/see this language? What was the context? What does it mean? How will it be useful to you in the future?

You may also describe your reflections on the rewards and challenges of the internship experience.

Remember:

If you are in English 100/101, you should write 150 - 200 words

If you are in English 102/103, you should write 300 words

** You will be evaluated on language, structure and content.

Have a great week!

p.s. The schedule for the mid-internship presentations is posted outside my office (2.460)