Министерство образования и науки Российской Федерации Федеральное агентство по образованию

Государственное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования

«Хабаровская государственная академия экономики и права»

И. А. Ковалёва

US : Culture, Society, People Part one

Учебно-методическое пособие

Хабаровск 2010

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ББК Ш 143.21 X 12

US : Culture, Society, People : учеб.-метод. пособие. Part one. / сост. И. А. Ковалёва. – Хабаровск : РИЦ ХГАЭП, 2010. – 112 с.

Рецензенты : Т. Н. Лобанова, доцент кафедры ЛМК ТОГУ, канд. пед. наук; И. А. Воробьёва, доцент кафедры иностранных языков ДВИМВ, канд. психолог. наук.

Утверждено издательско-библиотечным советом в качестве учебнометодического пособия

Учебное издание

Ирина Алексеевна Ковалёва

US : Culture, Society, People Part one

Учебно-методическое пособие

Редактор Г.С. Одинцова

680042, Хабаровск, ул. Тихоокеанская, 134, ХГАЭП, РИЦ

© Хабаровская государственная академия экономики и права 2010

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Предисловие

Учебно-методическое пособие предназначено для преподавателей английского языка, ведущих курс страноведения по учебному пособию “US:Culture. Society. People”(часть 1). Пособие разработано в контексте социокультурного подхода к обучению иностранному языку и ставит своею целью ознакомление с географией, важнейшими этапами истории, политикоэкономическим устройством, культурой, основными особенностями американского образа жизни. В основу подачи материала положен лингвострановедческий принцип, предполагающий изучение особенностей истории США, социально-экономической структуры американского общества, быта, нравов, обычаев через призму языка.

Материал части 1 учебного пособия представлен в 11 главах (CHAPTERS), включающих несколько разделов (UNITS). Тематика курса отражает исторический, политический, экономический и культурный аспекты. Глава 1 даёт общие сведения о географии, населении, восьми экономических и культурных регионах и входящих в них штатах, крупнейших городах США. Исторический блок (главы 2 11) включает изучение событий, начиная с открытия Америки до Гражданской войны в США 1861–1865гг. и периода Послевоенной Реконструкции и иммиграции. Америка индустриальная и постиндустриальная (19–20вв.), важнейшие события, произошедшие в США в 20-м веке, а также политическое и государственное устройство США. Темы, связанные с системой образования, американским вариантом английского языка, бизнесом и другими аспектами, дающими наиболее полное представление о жизни американцев в современном обществе, рассматриваются в материалах

«US: CULTURE. SOCIETY. PEOPLE», часть 2.

В данном учебно-методическом пособии даются рекомендации по организации учебных занятий по данному курсу. В начале каждого раздела студентам предлагаются вопросы для предтекстового обсуждения. В помощь преподавателю приводится список словарных и страноведческих единиц

(Vocabulary and Cultural Literacy List), содержащий понятия, персоналии,

языковые реалии со страноведческой направленностью, языковые реалии, связанные с важнейшими историческими событиями, культурно-историческими и социальными ассоциациями; языковые реалии, связанные с географическими понятиями, особенностями национальной культуры, общественно-политической жизни, государственным устройством, экономикой, традициями и обычаями страны изучаемого языка. В ходе занятий рекомендуется давать пояснения по отдельным страноведческим реалиям (с фонетической отработкой лексики). Где возможно, проводить сравнительно-сопоставительный анализ с русскими и англоязычными реалиями и понятиями. Лексические упражнения направлены на расширение лингвострановедческого словаря. Для усвоения лексического материала целесообразно использовать такие виды речевой деятельности, как устное обсуждение, ролевые игры, презентации, написание сочинений, выполнение проектов. При изучении дисциплины необходимо осуществлять различные виды текущего и итогового контроля, формы и содержание которого должны соотноситься с целями и содержанием дисциплины.

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To the Teacher

This course may be taught chronologically beginning with CHAPTER 1 or thematically focusing upon specific subjects. It can be used as a complete course for intermediate/upper-intermediate level students; or specific units can be extracted to supplement and provide substantive input into a general course. The text gives students the opportunity to integrate English language enhancement with the study of physical, political, and economic geography of the USA; eight cultural regions, and the history of the country.

Part One contains eleven chapters divided into units. Each unit will take four hours to complete. The video may be integrated within the activities. During the first two hours (one week) students’ attention is focused upon the introduction and vocabulary activities. Pre-reading activities include : (1) Warm-up discussion questions that stimulate thinking about some of the main points of the reading; (2) prereading vocabulary (Place names and peculiar ethnic words and Cultural Literacy List and Definitions including as well names of nationalities, proper names, geographical names).The vocabulary includes not only words that might be new to the students but introduces the students to key vocabulary items that are also related to central themes in the reading. Each entry indicates the part of speech of the word followed by the list of synonyms. Sometimes different meanings are numbered. At the end of many entries there is a list of antonyms, shown after the word Ant. The students are asked to find these words or phrases in the context and grasp their precise meaning. For each Unit at least 20-22 words (including cross-cultural concepts, political, economic terms) are extracted for the vocabulary exercises. The exercises which vary from chapter to chapter, follow a number of formats, including: synonyms, multiple choice, matching, definitions, words in sentences (context), fill-in, and phrases and expressions.

In the last two hours the students will work directly with the organizational activities of the unit. The comprehension questions appear in both multiple choice and open-question formats (Complete the sentences, True or False, What associations do you think of in connection with …”? Answer the questions) and are intended to help students and teachers to assess whether the class has grasped the main ideas and understood details from the readings. Answers to the comprehension questions are in the teacher’s manual. Discussion questions allow students to discuss the meaning of the reading test and go beyond the text and discuss opinions of and reactions to the information presented. In addition, the students are given the opportunity to discuss cross-cultural similarities and differences related to the topic. Small-group/team work is used during Conversational Activities (Consider the Issue; Comment on the words or phrases; Talk It Over; Where do you stand?) which allow students to take their

“stands”, share their opinions (reasons) with the like-minded classmates, to explain why they have taken that stand or to express their disagreement with a particular statement / opinion and give their reasons for disagreement. Each unit contains conversational activities to supplement the reading passage. Teachers may assign home-work using the reading and Writing sections (a Composition/ Essay) of each unit. Teachers may wish to have students prepare reports using more detailed information on issues or present the information as a project. Some of the topics may be suggested for homework as independent reading. Or the teacher may have the class

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read some passages silently immediately before discussing them (even after they have read them for homework). The teacher may wish to divide the class into small groups and have each group responsible for summarizing the content of particular sections, or ask the students to summarize or paraphrase sections of the readings for writing assignments.

Assessment of students’ progress over the course may include: Quiz, Test (commonly, every other unit is followed by quiz or test), or Review Questioning. An answer key is available. For Final Evaluation students will have to either prepare a report or self-directed project on the issue chosen, or take the exam at their option.

US: CULTURE. SOCIETY. PEOPLE

(Part One)

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UNIT I CHAPTER I GENERAL INFORMATION (p.p.5 – 11)

Guidelines: This CHAPTER (Unit 1) gives the general information about the USA presented in statistics; and provides a study material on physical geography (location, area, geographical features, chief rivers, lakes), climate, and national makeup of the country as the demographically complex and diverse society.

Pre-reading activities include: (1)Warm-up discussion questions; (2) pre-reading vocabulary: Place names and peculiar ethnic words, including as well the list of geographical names, proper names, names of nationalities, make up the bulk of the vocabulary. The students are asked to pronounce these words correctly and remember.

Cultural Literacy List and Definitions (melting pot, mainstream culture, cultural /ethnic /religious diversity; identity, nationality, citizenship etc.) respond to the need to expose students to cross-cultural concepts early in the course of learning. Students read and discuss information on the cultural diversity that exists in the USA; thus when reading “American”, “nationality,” “nation” throughout readings, students will understand both the limitations and the breadth of the words. At least 20 words ( including cross-cultural concepts,) in this unit are extracted for the vocabulary exercises of synonyms, multiple choice and definitions formats. The comprehension questions (complete the sentences, answer the questions) and Discussion questions allow students to discuss the meaning of the reading test and go beyond the text and discuss opinions of and reactions to the information presented. In addition, the students are given the opportunity to discuss cross-cultural similarities and differences related to the 3 Topics for discussion. The topics may also be given as a written assignment (Writing an Essay on one of the topics).

US STATISTICS. GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY. NATIONAL MAKEUP. MELTING POT, SALAD BOWL, OR PIZZA?

Warm-up

1.Is it possible for you to describe America and Americans in a few words?

2.How many adjectives would you use to describe Americans? Did you and your classmates describe Americans similarly?

3.What are these characteristics and attitudes based on?

4.Do you know what the official language of the USA is?

5.Which of the countries has the biggest area: Russia, Canada, or the USA?

Place Names and Ethnic Words: The Gulf of Mexico – Мексиканский залив; the Appa`lachians [эpз`leitsjзnz ] Аппалачские горы; the Cordillera – Кордильеры; the Rockies – Скалистые горы; the Atlantic Lowland – Приатлантическая низменность; the Mexican Lowland – Примексиканская низменность; the Colorado Plateau [`plэtou] Плато Колорадо; Wyoming [wai`oumin] – Вайоминг (штат); the Death Valley – Долина Смерти; Миссури [mi`zuэri]; the Ohio River [ou`haiou] – Огайо; the Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Lake `Michigan, Lake Huron [`hjuэrэn]; Lake Erie [`iэri]; Lake Ontario) – Великие Озера (оз. Верхнее, оз.

Мичиган, оз. Гурон, оз. Эри, оз. Онтарио); The Niagara Falls [nai`эgэrэ]

Ниагарский водопад; the St. Lawrence River [seint `lo:rэns] – р.Святого Лаврентия;

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5.mainstream (culture) – the values, beliefs, and behavior of the dominant group in a society where behavior of the group is based on its values

6.diversity – the fact that vary different people or things exist within a group or place

7.nationality – legal status of being a citizen of a particular country; cf.: citizenship - legal right to be a citizen of a particular country

8.life expectancy –the length of time that s/one is likely to live –продолжительность жизни

9.GDP –gross domestic product: the total value of the goods and services that a country produced in a year, not including income received from money invested in other countries – ВВП; GDP growth rates – темпы роста ВВП

10.welfare – (1) благосостояние, благоденствие = well-being; (2) the system by which a country looks after its citizens by providing them with education, medical care, or money if they are unable to work – система социального обеспечения (Am.) money given to people who do not work or who are in need – пособие

11.census – an occasion on which government officials count the people who live in

the country and record other information about them – перепись населения

12.identity – who you are; the qualities that make s/one or sth what they are and different from other people

13.assimilate – begin to consider yourself part of a community or culture rather than being foreign

Hispanics – relating to those in the US whose family originally came from a country where Spanish is spoken; Latino – s/one from Mexico, Central America, or South America who speaks Spanish or Portuguese; a citizen of the USA whose family was originally from Mexico, Central or South America

Native Americans – those who belong to one of the tribes who lived in North and South America before Europeans arrived; cf. American Indians

Blacks – relating to a race of people with dark skin, especially people whose families were originally from Africa; Jews – members of the group of people who lived in Israel and believed in Judaism in ancient times, and who now live in many places all over the world, including Israel; Jewish – еврейский

Vocabulary Check

I. Choose the word that best defines the italicized word.

1. We value the rich ethnic and cultural diversity of the group.

II.Find the words in the text by their definitions.

1.stop being effective or making progress ( falter)

2.likely/intended to make someone believe something that is incorrect or not true (misleading)

3.something such as a tradition or problem that exists as a result of something that happened in the past (legacy)

4.the qualities that make someone or something what they are and different from other people (identity)

5.be more successful, or to progress more quickly than others (get ahead)

6.to begin to consider yourself part of a community or culture rather than being foreign (assimilate)

7.unfriendly or threatening behavior or feelings toward someone (hostility)

8.the origin of your parents or other older members of your family (descent)

9.the system by which a country looks after its citizens by providing them with education, medical care, or money if they are unable to work (welfare)

10.who you are; the qualities that make s/one or sth what they are and different from other people (identity)

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11.an unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially the feeling of not liking a particular group of people (prejudice)

12. legal right to be a citizen of a particular country (citizenship)

Comprehension check

I.Complete these statements according to the text.

1.Most members of ethnic groups long established in the USA have lost much of the distinctiveness of their culture; they think of themselves as …(“plain Americans”)

2.Many are strongly influenced by the ancient …(legacy of their parents) whose traditions emphasize … (family solidarity, discipline, hard work, and schooling)

3.Asian American immigrants usually move into economy through…(small business enterprises)

4.Even after six generations American citizens of Asian …(descent) are still identified as …(Asian Americans) while Americans of European descend are usually referred to as …(Americans) after a single generation.

5.Hispanics are now the fastest …(growing minority group in the USA)

6.…(People conflict and prejudice) increases when economic life falters, because people see themselves as competing for …(the scarce resources, such as jobs)

7.It’s not surprising that US is counted among the most …(heterogeneous) societies in the world.

8.Most Americans are Christians, but America cannot be called …(a Christian country)

9.This process of …(assimilation, or Americanization) – becoming part of …(the “melting pot” ) – has characterized the immigrant experience in American history.

10.Any person born on American soil automatically has the right to …(American citizenship)

II. Answer the questions for discussion and comprehension (pages 7, 11).

Topics for Discussion

Discuss in groups of four these topics.

“The citizenship is not derived from race or culture but from place of birth or by free choice.”

“‘To become fully integrated into national life, members of ethnic groups have to lose much of the distinctiveness of their culture.”

“Race is no doubt still a factor in the American culture.” Is it a factor in Russian culture?

CHAPTER 2 COMPOSITION OF THE COUNTRY

Guidelines: This chapter provides a study material on political geography of the USA, its administrative division, and eight cultural regions (i.e. regions defined by the