What makes up the cultural potential of a text in a foreign language? Provide your own examples. 


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What makes up the cultural potential of a text in a foreign language? Provide your own examples.



What makes up the cultural potential of a text in a foreign language? Provide your own examples.

 

The cultural potential of the text is perceived as a sum total of several diverse elements, or components:

I. cultural things:

a) words and phrases without an equivalent; (‘cultural things’ need to be specially explained, or commented on, if the text is to be understood by a foreign reader )

Ex.: In the US ‘right away’ - within the next few minutes vs in Russia ‘right away’ with its possible translation «сейчас» means a period ranging from ‘in 5 mins’ to ‘within half an hour’

Russian words «тоска, душа»:

тоска по родине - homesickness, она тоскует по маме - she misses her mother

со всей душой -with all my heart

со всей душой - to touch smb to the heart

b) words and phrases with a partial equivalent;

пальцы - fingers, toes; ноги - foot,legs

 

- bits of information that have no equivalent in the learner’s own culture (cultural information)

 

II. the idiom - the standard way of expression in this or that communicative situation (you sound better/worse than me - у вас все лучше/хуже, чем у меня; sort oneself out - look after yourself, to go out - to socialise)

III. cultural stereotypes - allusion or reference to a more generalised kind of cultural information. These are beliefs, values, attitudes or principles specific to a certain national, rather than the international, community (connected with the country’s history, economy, and politics, and are the products thereof) For example, the British - snobbish, reserved, overpolite to the extent of becoming devious and individualistic.

The American always stick to a healthy way of life

IV. cultural topics -language units or bits of information that call for further cultural study. In other words, every text provides a starting point for more research into the cultural background behind it. For example, pound – the British non-metric unit of mass, or the statutory mile – a traditional non-metric unit of length in the States.

 

What is the idiom (idiomaticity)? What examples of the idiom can be found in the documentary “Stephen Fry in America”?

THE IDIOM – the standard way of expression in this or that communicative situation, the extensive use of phrasal verbs and various link words and phrases of the same register. (you sound better/worse than me - у вас все лучше/хуже, чем у меня; sort oneself out - look after yourself, to go out - to socialise) Not to be confused with AN IDIOM, a countable noun used to describe a colourful metaphorical phrase like ‘pay through the nose’.

Examples:

1. New England, Eastport: “it's just a very useful way of getting around the city!” – get around /get about = move; being somewhere or moving somewhere is conveyed through phrasal verbs in English (hang around, hang about, etc)

2. New York State, Adirondack Mountains: There's a hunting season for practically everything - bear, moose, squirrel … You name it, they shoot it or trap it. – used to say that no more examples are needed (что угодно; что хочешь; и много чего ещё)

3. Massachusetts, Boston: The Colonists were fed up with paying taxes to a parliament that didn't actually represent them. – сытый по горло, их достали налоги

4. New York City: (John) Today we're gonna go in the black taxi. (Stephen) Yeah, I'm going to take you in... = We are going to have a ride together (я вас прокачу, лол); take in has a lot of other contextual meanings (to take care of, to deceive, to get arrested, etc)

5. Washington D.C.: It's comedy gold! (about Capitol Steps) – smth. gold is used to describe the thing as classic, great and superior; comedy gold – a very good humour, especially in its unintentional hilarity. Idiomaticity here is also in the word order.

 

Positive stereotypes

• Fry about primaries in New Hampshire: all Americans have a sense of connection and pride about their democratic beginnings, involvement in the democratic process.

• Jimmy Wales: American culture is built on old inspirational values. Freedom of speech, the idea that ordinary people can come together and build something, can-do spirit.

Negative stereotypes

• The U.S. government is associated with “ venality, corruption, incompetence, lying, cheating, philandering, filibustering, gerrymandering. ” This stereotype is reflected in the performances of satirical groups like Capitol Steps.

Other stereotypes

• Ice-cream is “as American as Apple Pie”

• Jimmy Wales is thought to be rich because of the grand scale of Wikipedia project, as noted by Fry “I'm not talking to one of the famous dotcom billionaires then?” In reality, Wikipedia is a non-profit organization, only ten people work on it, others are volunteers.

5) What is an assumption? What is a belief from an intercultural perspective? What assumptions and beliefs can be found in the documentary “Stephen Fry in America”?

Cultural stereotypes include beliefs, values, attitudes or principles specific to a certain national, rather than the international, community.

Assumption - a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof (OED). Assumptions: certain expectations from something; somebody is expected to do something or to behave in this or that way in certain kind of situations. Some phrases mean different assumptions for people from different countries. For example, for a Russian ‘cup of tea’ means a hot drink accompanied by a wide variety of cakes, various snacks, while for an American this phrase means just that – a cup of tea, with, perhaps, a lonely cookie for company.

Belief - something one accepts as true or real; a firmly held opinion (OED).

Stephen Fry in America

Assumptions

Big portions of food. Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream has real pieces, chunks, not just little bits, big hunks of chocolate.

Maine, Eastport - the lobster capital of the world.

New Hampshire is well-known for its role in the US presidential primaries.

Groton in Connecticut is home to the US Navy nuclear submarine force,

Newport, Rhode Island - enormous houses, or cottages as the rich call them. Now, they're mostly owned by the Preservation Trust that tries to keep them from falling down because the kind of multi-billionaires who live now don't want to live in this style.

Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families" or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth". The term typically describes a class of the rich who have been able to maintain their wealth over multiple generations, often referring to perceived members of the de facto aristocracy in societies which for historical reasons lack an officially established aristocratic class.

New York – a lot of immigrants. Manhattan is just being cleansed of a lower and middle class that are moving out to Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Queens – mostly Italians. The British here are pretty invisible, they don't look like a community. The only place you'll find them in numbers is one of the pubs downtown if there's football on.

Atlantic City is the gambling capital of the eastern seaboard.

Delawareans will tell you proudly that theirs was the first state to be incorporated into the Union.

Washington DC is a mix of imposing architecture, nationalistic symbols, broad boulevards, the 19th century grandeur of Lincoln's memorial, the White House and Capitol Hill. It feels more European, a product of the enlightenment. Politics is the main industry here.

 

Beliefs

Democracy. All Americans have a sense of great connection and pride about their democratic beginnings, and their sense of being involved in the democratic process (politics on the stump, house parties).

Freedom. Witchcraft is a legal religion in the USA (Salem).

Freedom of speech. Satirical groups make fun of the US politicians (Washington DC).

Equality. All men are created equal (American dream).

Gender equality. There is only one submarine force left that hasn't incorporated women because there isn't room for extra facilities and so on.

Business. Two hippies started making ice-cream in Vermont (Ben and Jerry’s). Ordinary

people can come together and build something - can-do spirit (Wikipedia).

Strong puritan work ethic. You have to work hard to achieve success. (Hard workers in Maine).

Money. People still aspire to enormous wealth, money's not a bad thing. Puritans were not afraid of money at all.

Simplicity. One of the many things one can say about America is that Americans dislike complexity, so they will make simple solutions to everything that they possibly can. Even when the complex answer is obviously the correct answer, or intriguing answer, they want a simple yes or no.

 

 

6) Comment on some of the mainstream American values. (Where Russians go wrong …, Stephen Fry in America or individual answers)

Stephen Fry in America.

Beliefs:

Democracy. All Americans have a sense of great connection and pride about their democratic beginnings, and their sense of being involved in the democratic process (politics on the stump, house parties).

Freedom. Witchcraft is a legal religion in the USA (Salem).

Freedom of speech. Satirical groups make fun of the US politicians (Washington DC).

Equality. All men are created equal (American dream).

Gender equality. There is only one submarine force left that hasn't incorporated women because there isn't room for extra facilities and so on.

Business. Two hippies started making ice-cream in Vermont (Ben and Jerry’s). Ordinary

people can come together and build something - can-do spirit (Wikipedia).

Strong puritan work ethic. You have to work hard to achieve success. (Hard workers in Maine).

Money. People still aspire to enormous wealth, money's not a bad thing. Puritans were not afraid of money at all.

Simplicity. One of the many things one can say about America is that Americans dislike complexity, so they will make simple solutions to everything that they possibly can. Even when the complex answer is obviously the correct answer, or intriguing answer, they want a simple yes or no.

 

Where Russians go wrong in spoken English

Positive Thinking means possessing a relentlessly positive attitude towards life and other people, the belief, that, thought there may be setbacks, in the long run things will work out. In America a whiner is a loser. You should show a positive face to the world. positive thinking is reflected in the language: life-affirming experience, downsizing/ rationalizing. An American is told to keep smiling. The American attitude is “better luck next time”.

Individualism. For the American, everything in life depends on the individual, who must shoulder full responsibility for his words and actions and “go for the gold”. Blaming others or one’s surroundings for various misfortunes wins no sympathy.

Aggressive self-presentation. Everyone should look healthy and energetic. At job interviews you have to present yourself in a positive light, self-praise.

Consumerism. Positive thinking is continually fueled by a consumer culture. An unhappy client will not make purchases or buy a house. One goal of advertising is to make undesirable and useless products look desirable and useful.

America feels it controls its own destiny. In a society based on individualism, each person bears ultimate responsibility for his life and actions. An individual cannot assign responsibility to someone else or to external forces (The buck stops here). In America a fatalist is considered to be a passive, lazy individual. In America the linguistic-cultural universe stresses the active, positive, rational an predictable nature of an individual’s life. “Fate” is applied to individual episodes (She was not fated to marry him). To indicate a positive fate they use the word “destiny” (He was destined to be elected president). In Russian fate is irreversible and inexorable.

 

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Opportunity, and Equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. The American Dream is rooted in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that "all men are created equal" with the right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

 

7) Comment on some of the mainstream English values. (Where Russians go wrong…, Stephen Fry in America or individual answers)

 

Lynn Visson:

1) Think positive, show a positive face

• fine/great (Great, see you on Tuesday. It was great to see you.)

• keep smiling

2) Everything in life depends on the individual

• Tomorrow is another day.

• Go for the gold.

• Believe in yourself.

3) Tendency to be honest and straightforward

• fraud and lies are unacceptable

• Вы говорите неправду rendered as “That’s not the case/not true/ I think you are wrong/in error/mistaken.”

• Ой, вру! (когда ошиблись) – I’m mistaken/that’s wrong/sorry.

• I don’t doubt your word…

4) Active attitude towards life. Americans don’t believe in the power of fate

• Don’t just stand there, do something!

 

 

8) How do the English/ Americans/ Russians come across abroad? (Where Russians go wrong … or individual answers)

Cheating

Russian students who are used to cheating or copying from smb’s else’s paper during an exam are often tacken aback by the attitude of Americans to such behaviour. American society is individualistic and they believe that everyone should do their own work. Therefore Americans won’t tolerate cheating in any form.

 

9) Choose any Russian stereotype of the Brits/Americans and comment on it.

Russians find British humour sarcastic and self-deprecating, which is probably true.

The key to understanding British humor is knowing not to take yourself too seriously. Brits tend to highlight their own flaws. They make light of their failures so as to appear more humble, approachable and relatable. There is no room for egos in British humor. Awkward encounters, clumsiness and embarrassing moments are all well-established self-deprecation material.

Combine self-deprecation with a dose of understated sarcasm and you have the key ingredients of British humor. They use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon and try to avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary. It helps them to conceal their real emotions which they are often ashamed of.

 

But

1) It doesn't mean smth wonderful?

" I am OK, but I have been terribly busy and I am a bit tired".

"The film was OK, but I'm not crazy about it."

2) The repetition of OK conveys the speaker's irritation

"Ok ok, you have already told me twice".

3) OK as "Понятно? Ясно?".

4) Americans put the question on positive form to some one who is obviously NOT all right. Russian " вам плохо"?" Means " Are you OK?"

"Of course"- the Russian word " конечно" is less forceful. And the response " of course" to the question " shall we meet tomorrow?" Makes the speaker sound annoyed. An appropriate answer will be yes, sure absolutely. The phrase "конечно, я это сделаю"" of course I'll do that" implies that the speaker is asking about something obvious and offensive meaning " what dumb question you're asking!"

(has no idiomatic equivalent in English as from the earliest childhood they were told “do your own work” ”think your self”. Thus in America to refuse someone permission to copy a test would NOT be considered as “ Unfriendly or selfish”)


What to write about

1) Why you are applying – your ambitions and what interests you about the subject, course providers and higher education.

2) What makes you suitable – any relevant skills, personal qualities, experience or achievements gained from education, work or other activities.

 

DIFFICULTIES:

1) Intercultural - As the idea of “tooting your horn” is somewhat alien to the Russian mentality, Russian-speaking applicants may find it difficult to write about personal achievements and qualities that make them suitable for the course.

2) Linguistic - Russian-speaking applicants may find it difficult to stick to one and the same register. Sometimes their personal statements suddenly switch from a formal to an informal register.

 

 

17) Comment on some of the rules of English politeness. Provide examples. // If you were to develop a lesson plan on English politeness for adult learners what would be your main focus?

‘Please’ or ‘excuse me’, ‘would’ or ‘might’ are necessary since in English the interrogative constructions does not ensure courtesy. + ‘Excuse me, would you have a pen?’ or ‘Would you happen to have a pen?’.

The main trouble a language learner may face while making a request is the transformation of the Russian ‘negative’ question into a polite positive request in English. It should be highlighted that to sound authentic one should use such constructions as ‘Could you please/kindly’, ‘Could/May I bother/trouble you to’ (do whatever) or a ‘word of politeness’.

For example,

Could you please give me/Could I please have some coffee?

Could you please pass (me) the milk?

 

 

Comment on some of the cultural similarities and differences between English and Russian classified ads. Provide examples. //If you were to develop a lesson plan on this topic for adult learners what would be your main focus?

Classified adds, sometimes known as small adds, are short advertisements in newspapers and magazines. They are also known as Classifieds because they are typically grouped together with other adverts of a similar type under category classifications, e.g. Accommodation, Events, and Lonely Hearts

 

SIMILARITIES:

They are often printed in the publication’s normal typeface and don’t usually have sophisticated photos or wordings.

They are usually charged by words, so people placing ads try to use as few words as possible. Abbreviations are very common:

 

Accomodation:


Pcm – per calendar month

Pw – per week

Exd – excluding household bills

Inc – including household bills

f/f – fully furnished

n/s prof – a non-smoking personal in a professional job (solvent)

ch – central heating

d/g – double garage

pppn- per person per night


Lonely Hearts:

Wlt – would like to meet

Ltr – long term relations

Gsohe – good sense of humor essential

 


 

What makes up the cultural potential of a text in a foreign language? Provide your own examples.

 

The cultural potential of the text is perceived as a sum total of several diverse elements, or components:

I. cultural things:

a) words and phrases without an equivalent; (‘cultural things’ need to be specially explained, or commented on, if the text is to be understood by a foreign reader )

Ex.: In the US ‘right away’ - within the next few minutes vs in Russia ‘right away’ with its possible translation «сейчас» means a period ranging from ‘in 5 mins’ to ‘within half an hour’

Russian words «тоска, душа»:

тоска по родине - homesickness, она тоскует по маме - she misses her mother

со всей душой -with all my heart

со всей душой - to touch smb to the heart

b) words and phrases with a partial equivalent;

пальцы - fingers, toes; ноги - foot,legs

 

- bits of information that have no equivalent in the learner’s own culture (cultural information)

 

II. the idiom - the standard way of expression in this or that communicative situation (you sound better/worse than me - у вас все лучше/хуже, чем у меня; sort oneself out - look after yourself, to go out - to socialise)

III. cultural stereotypes - allusion or reference to a more generalised kind of cultural information. These are beliefs, values, attitudes or principles specific to a certain national, rather than the international, community (connected with the country’s history, economy, and politics, and are the products thereof) For example, the British - snobbish, reserved, overpolite to the extent of becoming devious and individualistic.

The American always stick to a healthy way of life

IV. cultural topics -language units or bits of information that call for further cultural study. In other words, every text provides a starting point for more research into the cultural background behind it. For example, pound – the British non-metric unit of mass, or the statutory mile – a traditional non-metric unit of length in the States.

 



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