Culture And Second Language Learning Essay Example for Free

Culture And Second Language Learning Essay Through the conduction of studies, it has been discovered that learning a second language, particularly in a situation where second language learning is given particular importance, requires an immersion into the lingua and cultural societies of the native speakers of the second language that is to be learned (Wan 44-45). This requirement is extremely important to be followed as the immersion on the societal components of the second language of the native speakers helps the learner to obtain more hands-on learning benefits when trying to acquire second language abilities (Wan 45). Literature Review Although numerous language specialists do conclude that culture and social groups exercise great influence on the acquisition of second language abilities, these specialists are still bound to not realize that the components that involve this situation are interconnected and are not distinct entities from each other (Wan 46). It is crucial to understand that learning a second language involves factors that cannot exist without the existence of other factors (Wan 47). Most recently, it has become a trend to become immersed in the culture of the native speakers of the second language through the use of the internet (Wan 47). Numerous second language learners browse the web in order to get immersed into the native speakers’ culture (Wan 47). Numerous second language learners can definitely learn through the utilization of this method as the web has got a lot of information from around the world to offer to the browsers (Wan 47). Methodology And Data Analysis Result of the surveys participated in by English language learner students: 3 1. Methodology: They have had difficulty forming friendships due to language barriers. Data Analysis: A little over 65 % of these people have had trouble forming friendships with English native speakers in the United States due to language differences. It is often uncomfortable to form a friendship with people whom you often encounter difficulty in conversing with. An interesting conversation turns sour when you have difficulty conversing with someone. The people who face this difficulty with English native speakers often become lonely while living in the United States if they are not able to find friends that share the same language as them. 2. Methodology: They have had difficulty achieving their academic goals than they would have if their instruction at school were conducted in their native language. Data Analysis: Although non-native speakers of English who are proficient in English are the only non-English speaker foreign students who are admitted for formal academic studies at schools in America, English proficient non-native English speakers also still encounter difficulty in their academic studies than they would have if the instruction was conducted in their own language. This is such the case as the mentioned students still are not used to the English language. These students most usually converse with their circle of influence in their native language, hence, this situation causes them to become awkward in utilizing the English language in their academic studies as well. The most objective advice that can be recommended from this situation is for the students to use the English language often even when conversing with non-native English speakers who form their circle of influence. Or, it would be better if these students would be able to find native English speaker friends who would be willing to practice conversing with 4 them in English on a regular basis. It would also be helpful for these students to practice sharpening their English language writing skills through regularly utilizing writing drills. 3. Methodology: Language barriers often make the students feel a longing to go home to their country. Data Analysis: Numerous students who experience difficulty learning English in the United States are usually not able to adjust to their social environment in the country. As a result they often feel that they are social outcasts and feel that they don’t belong in the community. Because of this situation that they may get into, they may become inclined to go back to their home country. 4. Methodology: Language barriers may have the tendency to make the students inculcate a lower self-esteem. Data Analysis: The students feel that they are not smart enough as they are not able to efficiently learn a second language. This dampens their spirits of good self-esteem. 5. Methodology: These students become the targets of discrimination pranks in the United States. Data Analysis: Numerous of these students become the victims of prank jokes just because of their limited English language abilities. They are seen as vulnerable group of people as they create a self-image of being dumb or â€Å"not smart enough† due to their limited English language abilities. 6. Methodology: These students become too dependent on an English proficient relative, family member or friend while in the United States. Data Analysis: This becomes the situation as the students may not even be able to convey simple information to strangers (e. g. , giving orders at a restaurant) due to their limited 5 English language abilities. The mentioned family member, relative or friend may eventually feel that these students are becoming a burden on them as time goes on. 7. Methodology: Numerous students are reluctant to learn English as a second language because they feel that learning it would cause them to somehow exhibit disloyalty to their own language and culture. Data Analysis: It now a common trend that people do somehow paint a picture on other people as being â€Å"colonially influenced† if they try to learn a second language. This causes these second language learners to become self-conscious when trying to learn a second language. If these people become too self-conscious to learn a second language, they may also give up the pursuance of a goal to move to another country and other goals that come with it. 8. Numerous people abandon their culture altogether and adapt the culture of the native speakers of the second language that they are learning. Learning a second language ultimately also causes one to get immersed in the culture in which that language belongs. Therefore, there are times that the culture of the learners gets totally abandoned as these learners try to learn a second language. This situation is sometimes viewed negatively by others. Results Learning a second language definitely has its ups and downs. The learners would just have to weigh in whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages as a basis in making their decision to learn a second language. However, we can definitely see that as long as the teaching of the second language is executed properly, numerous students are able to learn the language efficiently and utilize their second language fluency in worthwhile activities and 6 and professions. Discussions Three questions need to be answered in order for specialists to improve second language teaching and learning (Conference Probes Second Language 1). These questions are the following (Conference Probes Second Language 1): 1. What are the strategies on research that need to be executed in the implementation of second language education in America (Conference Probes Second Language 1)? 2. What are the strategies on research on the execution of second language education in the United States that need to be improvised (Conference Probes Second Language 1)? 3. What are these research strategies that are deemed to be effective (Conference Probes Second Language 1)? Reading, writing and speaking fluency of a second language does not come automatically if one has acquired extensive knowledge on the language usage (Swiderski 4). A culture’s main foundation is the official language that comes with it (Swiderski 6). When one first learns a language, he/she automatically first learns its corresponding culture (Swiderski 6). A language mirrors its corresponding culture (Swiderski 6). However, the language and the culture are not exactly similar in every ways (Swiderski 6). Because when learning a language one learns all about its usage, its interconnected component, culture, is also being learned during the process of learning the language (Swiderski 6). Therefore, language and culture are still 7 Regarded as separate entities (Swiderski 6). We can really see that a language tells about what kind of culture it evolves in (Swiderski 13). For example, a classroom where an English language learning class is held comprises of styles and settings that tells about the culture of the country where the school that houses the classroom is located (Swiderski 13). Significant differences in the way that the English language is used among the native and non-native speakers of English are considerably noticeable (Lucas 59). However, there are some questions that arise from this conclusion (Lucas 73). These questions are the following (Lucas 73): 1. Do the students make requests to their professors directly or indirectly (Lucas 73)? 2. Is politeness evident in the way that the students make the requests (Lucas 73)? Conclusions Charles Hutchison, Lan Quach and Greg Wiggan wrote in their article entitled, â€Å"The Interface of Global Migrations, Local English Language Learning And Identity Transmutations Of The Immigrant Academician,† English language instructors who experience teaching students belonging to different cultures, experience the following culture shock situations: 1. Problems in differences in teaching and learning. 2. Problems in differences in curriculum and assessment. In the article entitled, â€Å"The Interface Of Global Migrations, Local English Language Learning And Identity Transmutations Of The Immigrant 8 Academician,† using the social-constructivist (and cognition) theories as references, instructors of English language classes experience changes in the way they view language through the following ways: 1. They may be forced to conform to the students and their circle of influences’ viewpoints and theories. 2. They may experience communication barriers. Furthermore, the authors state in the article that the English language instructors come to realize who they really are and their vocation objectives due to the following reasons: 1. They shape what types of people their students become and their students’ self-esteem. 2. They struggle in helping their students realize their own identity as a minority in the United States. 9 Works Cited Hutchison, Charles, Quach, Lan Wiggan, Greg. â€Å"The Interface of Global Migrations, Local English Language Learning And Identity Transmutations Of The Immigrant Academician. † Forum On Public Policy: A Journal Of The Oxford Round Table (2006). Lucas, Sigrun. â€Å"Students Writing Emails To Faculty: An Examination Of E-Politeness Among Native And Non-Native Speakers Of English. † Language, Learning Technology 11 (2007): 59, 73. Swiderski, Richard M. Teaching Language, Learning, Culture. Westport: Bergin Garvey, 1993. Wan, Shun. â€Å"Second Language Socialization In A Bilingual Chat Room: Global And Local Considerations. † Language, Learning Technology 8 (2004): 44-47. â€Å"Conference Probes Second Language Research Needs. † Reading Today August 2001.

Hasidic Judaism Essay -- Judaism

Hasidic Judaism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism established in Eastern Europe during the 1800’s that put spirituality and a connection with God through mysticism at the forefront of its beliefs. In order to understand Hasidic Judaism, one must understand that Judaism is not only a religion; it is also a philosophy and a way of life for the Jewish people. One of the oldest monotheistic religions, Judaism has evolved over the years since the time of the founding fathers. Like any culture or religion, however, Jews have never been without conflict or disagreement amongst its people. Schisms amongst Jews over long periods of time have led to a branching out of sects and Jewish institutions. What led to the separation of denominations within was a fundamental disagreement on the interpretation and implementation of Halakah (Jewish religious law). Before the 18th century there was little differentiation between sects of Judaism; Jewry was based on Talmudic and Halakhic study and kno wledge. Constructed as an overly legalistic religion before the 18th century, the Hasidic movement popularized by Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer sought to spread Judaism through the common man’s love of and devotion to God. Eastern European Jewry had established itself firmly amongst small villages in Poland since the 13th century . Remaining fairly stable, Jews in Poland uniformly followed and studied Rabbinic Judaism based on oral and Talmudic law. The only differences amongst Jewish Orthodox beliefs were between those who studied Jewish mysticism, or Kabbalah, and those who saw it as heretical. During the 17th century, the schism was brought into the spotlight by the False-Messianic movement of Shabbatai Tzvi, who was later forced to convert to Islam by the Ot... ...ity through mysticism allows the common man to feel importance, and to feel importance is one of the universal goals of man. Knowing this, Hasidism was a great fit for the type of communities it attracted, stemming from the psychological insight provided with Hasidism to answer the common person’s struggle with existence and self importance. Works Cited Elior, Rachel. The Mystical Origins of Hasidism. Oxford: Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2006. Print. Magid, Shaul. Hasidism on the Margin: Reconciliation, Antinomianism, and Messianism in Izbica/Radzin Hasidism. Madison, Wisc.: University of Wisconsin, 2003. Print. Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People: A Place in the New World. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1992. Print. Sears, Dovid. The Path of the Baal Shem Tov: Early Hasidic Teachings and Customs. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1997. Print.

Analyse and comment on the success Essay

Analyse and comment on the success of the title sequence of Baz Luhrmann’s 1997 film adaptation of ‘Romeo & Juliet’Â  The 1997 adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet by Baz Luhrmann was attempting to reach out to a younger audience by modernising the old play with new ideas, even though the old text was kept. Set in modern times with modern things that a young audience could relate to, Luhrmann successfully hauled Shakespeare’s text from 16th century Verona, Italy to late 20th century Miami, USA. The purpose of this essay is to review, analyse and comment on the use of Luhrmann’s background to help him in making the movie, the success of the film but most importantly the cinematic success of the title scene. The location was specifically chosen to represent modern times. America was the most modern country available. Although Luhrmann wanted to shoot the film in Miami, it was seen by the mayor of Miami as unrealistic to put the city on hold while they shot the movie; Mexico’s capital city, Mexico City was used instead. It had everything the crew needed, it had a typical city milieu; it was perfect. As the movie was going to be originally set in Miami, the characters had to at least look like they were from Miami. The Montague household wore very casual Hawaiian t-shirts, which were not buttoned up but hung loosely on the wearer. The Capulets wore very serious, cool clothes, mostly dark colours like black and grey. The choices of clothes used were to symbolise gangsters and mob mentality. ‘from ancient grudge break to new mutiny’ were being portrayed by Luhrmann, as two rival gangs. Casting was very much a big thing in Luhrmann’s version. He had to pick actors that young people could relate to. It was hard finding such actors, as the young and popular ones had problems reading Shakespeare’s diverse and complicated old English text. Luhrmann knew that Leonardo Di Caprio would be perfect for Romeo, as he was a heartthrob worldwide, and would bring in the young girls, who adored him. Throughout the movie we are shown images of power. These images are more abundant in the opening title scene. Images of guns, violence and police are shown to create an atmosphere of chaos and anarchy. The guns are used, again to create a modernised version of the old play. The guns represent the swords used by the people in the sixteenth century, and they are referred to as swords by the actors, ‘put up thy swords.’ Religion is one of the main themes in the play, and Luhrmann uses many powerful images to show this in the opening title scene. Two statues of Jesus are filmed round about either side of the city. The statues are opposite each other with their faces facing inwards, as if looking over the people of ‘Verona’ and keeping guard. Also the Christian crucifix is used to replace some of the Ts in the scripture which occasionally flash between the montage of images of police, violent riots and arrests; the scripture is repeating the important parts of the sonnet that opens the play. Cinematography is used to great effect in the opening scene. Zooming and panning left and right all help to create the effect of disorder and chaos. Before the title of the movie is actually shown there is a montage of images; each clip lasts only for a split second. Each clip is taken from the movie to show the audience that it isn’t an old fashioned soppy love story, but a violent, tragic blockbuster. Using the scenes of gun fights and violence the montage really creates an adrenalin rush. The music and the backing track for the title scene really goes with the visual picture on the screen. Fast tempo gets the blood pumping and again it helps to cause chaos. It has real power as it builds up towards the end of the title scene; during the montage of images it speeds up and the power of it envelops you. Then finally we see the title of the movie and the music stops after a few seconds after the title falls into view and the audience is left in silence. In conclusion, considering all the areas of the title scene, Baz Luhrmann has successfully given birth to a fantastic opening to Romeo and Juliet. The title scene underlines key aspects of the sonnet which opens the play, to help the people in the audience who don’t understand Shakespeare and even the ones who do. He introduces the principle characters, again to stop the audience from getting confused. The use of exciting images, such as the gun and the images of police and violence makes certain people in the audience stay and not walk out because they may believe it to be boring; many teenagers would believe Shakespeare to be boring. The opening scene had a very strong effect on me personally. It really made me want to see the movie again, even though I had already seen it about three times. The scene gripped me and not many title scenes have done that to me. Baz Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet was a complete success.

A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Charleston Animal Society

In Bitzers piece â€Å"The Rhetorical Situation† a rhetorical situation is described to be composed of three different key concepts. The first being exigence, exigence being the reasoning behind why the situation is happening in the first place. The second is the audience, which is who it is directed towards. The last point is constraints, anything that would influence the situation that is taking place. The Charleston Animal Society has a website with lots of information about their organization which is an example of a rhetorical situation The text found had a link to a website which is the â€Å"What We Do† tab of the Charleston Animal Society. This page has a brown background set behind the white text with the logo in the top left and a†¦show more content†¦This means that regardless of how the animal is they will not euthanize it compared to other shelters where if an animal gets to a certain point they will put it down. (The logo of the kill free program they run) The next point to the rhetorical situation is the audience. In the case of the Charleston Animal Society their main demographic is people who are pet owners or pet lovers. Using advertisements that make people feel empathy for the animals which makes the targeted people want to donate and help their cause. The typical age group of these people tends to be younger and with the use of technology as their main source of information the targeted people have to be a little tech-savvy. CAS has multiple fundraisers throughout the year that the people that want to help can, which raises money for the organization and helps the sheltered animals The final part of a rhetorical situation is the constraints of the piece of literature. With this webpage there are a few things that can contribute as constraints. One being the fact that there is a lot of information on the page with a few varying sections. Another would be the fact that it is online which would require the viewer to hav e to understand how to use technology which could cut out a demographic from adopting pets. A confusing part about this webpage is that it has a logo in the top left corner which is of the organization but on the webpageShow MoreRelatedLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesReasons ................................................................................................ 236 Deceiving with Loaded Language ................................................................................................... 238 Using Rhetorical Devices .................................................................................................................. 240 Review of Major Points .............................................................................................