Although ESL/EFL students most of their time learning English, little time is often spent on learning about cultures and how to adjust to new environments. One of the greatest concerns is that people develop stereotypes (or negative images) about another cultures, and these perceptions can lead to making false judgements about other people. For example, many international students coming to Utah and the United States think that all North Americans eat is fast food (hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza), but they are surprised to see that the university cafeteria serves food from all over the world, and salads are a very popular choice.
So, is there a stereotype that people often have about your culture? If so, share what it is, and help us understand your culture better.
Randall
Welcome to the ESL blog by the owner of www.esl-lab.com. Share ideas about learning English as a second or foreign language. Study abroad, ESL programs, accent reduction, ESL study Tips . . . Anything related to learning English and cultural understading!
It seems that it's almost impossible not to come up with some sort of stereotypical characteristic of a group of people when talking about them and their culture. Countries, for example, are usually known for one of their traditional customs or another peculiar cultural aspect.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we must understand that people are different and they have different beliefs and lifestyles --even those who come from the same sociocultural background.