I семестр уср №1

Черты национального характера белорусов и представителей англоязычных стран: сходства и различия

1. Содержание

   1. Тема:«Черты национального характера белорусов и представителей англоязычных стран: сходства и различия».

   2. Формулировка задания

Read the following texts about American and English national characters.

1. Пошаговая инструкция к выполнению задания

• Pre-Reading Activity: before reading these texts share your associations about the features of the enumerated national characters with your group mates.

• Reading Activity: while reading the texts answer the questions.

• After- Reading Activity: after reading check your predictions; prepare questions to your group mates about national characters.

• Get ready to fulfill a test based on the texts.

2. Информационно-методический блок

1. Материалы, необходимые для выполнения задания (при необходимости)

Pre-Reading Activity

Do you have any knowledge of the following? Answer the questions.

1. What is national character?

2. What does national character depend on? Explain your point of view.

3. What stereotypes concerning national characters do you know?

4. Describe your conception of American and English national characters.

Reading Activity

While Reading the texts answer the following questions:

1. Describe American and English national characters according to the text.

2. Do they have much of common? What description do you like more? Why?

After- Reading Activity

Express your point of view.

1. Do features of your character coincide with those described in the text? What features of other nationalities do you possess?

2. In what country do you want to live? Why?

2. Основная литература, необходимая для выполнения задания

3. Контрольный блок

1. Форма контроля учебных достижений студентов

Контроль учебных достижений студентов осуществляется в письменной форме.

2. Содержание контрольной работы

Контрольная работа представляет собой тестовые задания на понимание прочитанного.

What Americans are like?

The USA is populated by a large and highly-diverse collection of individuals. It’s difficult to generalize about what Americans are like.

The American society is composed of people from many social, cultural, ethnic and national backgrounds, different social standings and vastly different philosophies of life. But still there are some features which are typical of an average American.

1. Americans are individuals. They have strong family ties, but individuality and individual rights are most important for them. Americans want to control their own destinies without outside interference. It also leads Americans to an honest respect for other individuals and on insistence on human equality.

2. Americans are independent and self-relied. From an early age children are thought “to stand on their own two feet” (an idiom meaning to be independent). It means achieving both financial and emotional independence from their parents as early as possible. Americans believe that they must be self-relied in order to keep their freedom. Most students in US choose their own classes, select their own majors (= main subject), follow their own careers; arrange their own marriages instead of following a parental plan.

3. Americans are direct. Very direct. Honesty and frankness are more important to Americans than “saving face”. They may be blunt at times and in polite conversation they may bring up topics and issues which one can find embarrassing, controversial or even offensive. Americans are quick to get to the point and their directness encourages Americans to talk over disagreements.

4. Americans are very informal. They like to dress informally, entertain informally and they treat each other in a very informal way, even when there is a great difference in age or social standing. Students and professors often call each other by their first names. Each student usually has his own table, they may even sit on the floor during their lectures or on the grass in campus. To some people this informality may seem disrespectful, but it is a part of US culture. Although there are times there are times when Americans are respectful of and even sentimental about a tradition, in general there is a little concern for set social rules.

5. Americans are competitive. They place a high value of achievement and this leads them to compete against each other. Everywhere there is a friendly and not so friendly competition. Although often competitive, Americans also have a good sense of “team spirit” of cooperating with others to achieve a goalThey may do something nasty if they feel that the person is better than themselves, to spoil someone’s career.

6. Americans are achievers. They are obsessed with records of achievement in sport, in business and elsewhere and they normally keep them on their office walls or displayed them at home walls. Americans like to show off.

7. Americans are friendly but in their own specific way. Friendship among Americans turns to be shorter and more casual than friendship among people from other cultures. This has something to do with American mobility, and the fact that Americans don’t like to be dependent on other people. Also Americans tend to “divide” friendships, having friends at work, friends in aerobics or family friends.

8. Americans ask a lot of questions. Some questions may seem pointless. You may even asked very personal questions by someone you have just met. These questions usually grow out of their interest or curiosity. Silence makes Americans uncomfortable. Small talks about the weather or the latest sport events help to avoid silence.

9. Americans are often accused of being materialistic. ‘Success’ is often measured by how much money a person has, how much profit a business makes, how many material goods a person accumulates. Expensive possessions are symbols of one’s financial success, but for Americans this materialism is natural and proper. They have been taught that it is good thing – to achieve, to work hard, acquire more material badges of their success, and like people from elsewhere, they do what they are taught. Many Americans are materially successful and still have time to appreciate the cultural, spiritual and human aspects of life. Their motto is: the earlier you start working the more material badges you can acquire.

10. Americans are time-conscience and value punctuality. They keep appointment calendars and live according to a schedule. They are usually on time for appointments. American students seem to be always in a hurry and sometimes this makes them appear rude. Americans are generally quick, energetic and get many things done by rushing around.

11. Americans tend to be geographically naive. Many US students are not very knowledge about international geography or world affairs. Very often they ask uninformed questions about current events. Probably, because the USA is not surrounded by many other nations, some Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world.

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