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Welcome to Barbara's WIKI page for intermediate core.
| student's name | link to student page |
| Noriel Agrazal | Noriel's page |
| Dayiris Barrios | Dayiris's page |
| Bara Battah | Bara Battah |
| Raquel Castillo | Raquel Castillo |
| Hyun Joo Chough | Hyun Joo Chough |
| Nestor Diaz | Nestor Diaz |
| Mirta Garcia | Mirta Garcia |
| Emily Gill | Emily Gill |
| Jose Maes | Jose Maes |
| Jessica Rodriguez | Jessica Rodriguez |
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WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE? |
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NORIEL AGRAZAL JAN.-15-2009
American Culture American Culture is a little bit different from my culture. Americans are friendlier with foreigners than in my country. I have just been here a few days and I have seen that Americans are free and they like to meet people and help people who need help. To me it is nice because I thought that Americans would be less talkative and things like that. I am really surprised because I never imagined that this culture could be so nice. Everybody is friendly and they like me. In addition to that, in this culture they also eat meals like the same meals that I used to eat in my country. There are other aspects in this culture that I love. I have been here not long, but I really hope to continue learning about this culture that is wonderful.
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FEB- NORIEL
NORIEL AGRAZAL
American Culture
American culture is an interesting issue. The Americans have so many more habits and customs than people in Panama. They are used to being friendly and helpful; moreover, they always are focused on you in order to give their help to you when you need it. This culture has characteristics like courtesy. They always let to people cross the street even, they are in a hurry. They always let people past first. Another aspect is that people here drive in an organized way with the speed required. It does not happen in Panama. There everyone in the city drives in a crazy way, especially the taxis and buses. Americans are polite everywhere and they are so respectful. They also are organized. Americans try to have everything already planned ahead in order not to lose time improvising while the activities are taking place. They are also honest. During the time that I have been here, I have never heard that somebody has stole anything from someone and it says a lot about this culture. All these aspects make this country special. As I wrote before, this country has one of the best characteristics that a place must have and it is due to culture. The culture is one of the aspects that is going to determine how glad a person feel about being in a place.
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MARCH – NORIEL
What I Know about the United States I have been here in the United States for two months. In this time I have had the opportunity to learn about American culture. As well as, improve my English skills. I have learned how to develop some sports like playing Ping Pong, and how to ski. United States has wonderful things. Two of them are their culture and their history. American culture is so different from the other cultures. For example U.S. people are polite and discreet, and there are places where people don’t say excuse me or use word like, thank you, please, you’re welcome, and other expressions that show how educated and polite the people who live in a place are. Americans are not the kind of people that get involved in a problem easily for getting involved in people’s life. They also have specials food as part of their culture. For instance, pie is one of the most popular desserts as well the green salad, hamburger, hot dog, french fries, and so on. United States also has an important history. At the end of the seventeenth century, many people from Great Britain and other countries in Europe began to establish their colonies in North American lands. Then several problems arose between native Americans, and the people who came from Europe. Later in 1776 George Washington decided to change the war rules, and they attacked the British troops while they were sleeping on Christmas; acts that were unusual that time. In this way, Gorge Washington could win the war and he became at the first president of the United State. The history United States, and its culture are aspects that I am really interested in continuing to study. The first president of the United States was George Washington, and as a great general he set the tone for the new country. In addition, the United States has an excellent culture, aspects of this culture that I am going to try to continue practicing.
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JAN – DAYIRIS Dayiris Barrios
Date: 01-22-09
American people have different behavior from people from other countries like my country Panama. Men are respectful with women and they are not bothering them all the time like in Panama. In my opinion, here in the U.S. the people are kind and people have good eating habits. For example, I can see that people like to eat vegetables. They are looking for the healthier food and in other parts of the world this does not happen. Here in the U.S, specifically in Vermont, people are accustomed to the weather; sometimes I can see people walking outside the buildings without gloves or wearing shorts. People here listen to other kinds of music like pop rock, but in Central America we listen to salsa, meringue and so forth. The teachers or professors have a different way to teach. In Central America like Panama and Nicaragua we can’t call our professor by their first name because it is disrespectful, but here it is different. The culture in the U.S. has some differences with other cultures, but in general, we also have some common things. |
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FEB – DAYIRIS
American Culture. Name: Dayiris W. Barrios
I have been in the United States for almost six weeks and I have learned many things about the United States in this time. American Culture is a strong mixture of customs and traditions from different countries around the world. Since I arrived here, I have realized that American people are really kind. People like to talk with me even though I am not from their country. The food in the United States is called fast food. Now, I understood this issue. In my opinion, American People are too busy to cook complicated meals, so they prefer to prepare this kind of food because it is easier and faster. The weather is another aspect that influences American Culture. In the United States there are four seasons, so people are accustomed to these changes. In my country, we just have two seasons, and the temperature is almost always the same, but here, specifically in Vermont, The temperature is unpredictable. I’ve learned a lot about the academic culture in the United States. In my country we do not have homework everyday, we just have three test per term. The students here at Saint Michael’s have good values such as responsibility, punctuality and honesty, and the class schedule is stricter than in Panama. The music is totally different from my country. I had the opportunity to dance a popular folk dance called Contradance. This dance is so cheerful and fun. I heard that this dance can be found in different parts of the world, but here in the United States, more specifically in New England, it is very common. On the other hand, young people like to hear hip hop, rock and this kind of music; however, Panamanian people prefer tropical music such as salsa and meringue. In conclusion, I’ve learned many things about the American culture, so these things helped me to understand and appreciate this beautiful country and its culture.
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MARCH – DAYIRIS Writing Assignment. Dayiris Barrios. What do I know about American Culture? I have learned a lot of things about the American Culture. I have been in the United States for two months and I have seen different characteristics of the American Culture. Two aspects that I have noticed are very important are culture and the politic. The culture in the United States is a combination of different customs around the world. The culture includes a lot of things such as food, daily life, entertainment and so forth. The food in the United States is a fusion of flavors of diverse parts of the world. Since I arrived here, I have tasted a lot of kinds of food. American people have a busy daily life. People work with a lot of passion, and sometimes they spend almost all day in their workplaces. The work of the American people has a direct relationship with the food that they eat because they do not have enough time for cooking in their houses. In the United States the people have a lot of thing to do, specifically in Vermont. People can practice any sports that they like, for example skiing , snowboarding and ice skating. The United States has a strong political structure. The way that American people choose the president is different than in my country. The American people do not choose the president directly. Instead of that, the president is chosen by a system that includes both ideas of the people that wrote the constitution. I had the opportunity to be here in the United States in a historical moment. This moment was the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. The government of the United States is divided into three branches. These branches are the executive, the legislative and the judicial. I learned a lot of thing about the politics of the United States. For instance, the bills of rights, the immigrants in the United States and other interesting topics about the politics here.
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JAN - BARA 1-19-09
What you think about the American culture?
My impression about the American culture is positive. I like a lot of things in the American culture. Before I came here I thought that I would face hard people who don’t care about each other like the people that I see in the movies. However, from the first moment when I arrived in the USA, I found that the people are so friendly. They like to help, and a lot of them even have a sense of humor. I think that all of the rules here are different from my country. The driving laws, the way that people talk to each other, and the freedom to talk about any subject are different. I am so glad that the people judge you by how you deal with them, not for your color, language or religion.
Bara Battah
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FEB – BARA 2-19-09
What you think about the American culture?
I dreamed all of the time to live in a free country. I saw people in movies talking about this country and how it free all of the time, but I didn’t understand the meaning of freedom until that I came here. The feeling of self expression is so amazing; you can say anything about the government’s political acts and the government will not hurt you. I think that the constitution of this country was written by the smartest people that ever lived. It contains judgments for every issue in the people’s life and it covers everything that connects the government and the citizens. Before I came here I thought that I would face hard people who don’t care about each other like the people that I see in the movies. However, from the first moment when I arrived in the USA, I found that the people are so friendly. They like to help, and a lot of them even have a sense of humor. I was surprised about how people care about each other and they like to know what happened to you, give you advice and hear and ask a lot of questions all of the time. I think that every thing here is different from my country. The academic life is different; the relationship between the teachers and the student is like the relationship between friends. Most of the teachers use humor during their classes and that’s how they make the student look forward to the next class. I am so glad that the people judge you by how you deal with them, not for your color, language or religion.
Bara Battah
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MARCH – BARA Date: 3.4.09 Prof: Barbara Sargent Name: Bara Battah USA
American history is full of interesting events. It is a history about one of the biggest nations in the world that was made by people who believed in freedom and fought hard to get it. The United States is one big mix of the all world cultures. American History is so important because it explains how these many cultures became one strong, modern, free and independent nation. It is important to know about American History to understand the American political system. The American history is so young when compared with the history of other cultures. In the 18th and the 19th century many people from Great Britain and other countries in Europe began to settle in Britain’s North American colonies. They were searching for a new life and they wanted to have religious freedom and to change their economic situation. The British king at that time controlled all of the North American lands, and forced the people who lived in these lands to pay high taxes to the British government. The people didn’t like this and this is where the expression “No taxation without representation” came from. The American people began to fight for their rights and after a short period they got their independence. The US began to accept many people from different countries and that’s how many opportunities came about; many job opportunities were found in the big new country and that made many people leave their mother countries and come here to begin a better life. At some period the Americans found that if they brought a people from Africa, they could use them as slaves in their different jobs and then they would make a lot of money. That’s how many African were forced to leave their country and come here as slaves. When the 13 Colonies became independent from Great Britain people wanted a strong government that was controlled by a democratic system. The American people wanted to have freedom in every part of their lives. The Constitution was written to insure that the people would choose every law and they would control them selves. The government system was built in a special way so that it would not let any president control the government; the president can make a law only after the people accept it, and no one in the government can make anything without the agreement of the other government branches. This is the most successful system in the world because people will make their politics forever. I feel that I have gotten a lot of information in this short period that I have spent here. Now I like the politics because I understand it more than at any time ever before. It is interesting to understand real freedom and to know all of the details that we study about that to show how Americans got this freedom.
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JAN – HYUN JOO
JAN. 21. 2009 HYUN JOO CHOUGH
AMERICAN CULTURES
I’d like to say that American culture is freedom in one word. America consists of many people who come from various countries, so there is a lot of culture in America. I think the most important is how to make these people as one union naturally. I could get to know some culture from media like the news on television, the internet and so on. One cultural aspect is table manners. It is rude to leave the table without excusing yourself and you should not make sounds which are made of gas from your mouth after you eat something and digest food. It is rude to do this, so you must avoid doing this. Another cultural difference is the way to order at restaurants. If you order dinner, it is very complex. First, you can choose wine. After drinking wine, you can order an appetizer. This is to prepare to eat main dishes. At last you can order liquor such as whisky and brandy, provided in small quantities after meals. These are cultural different not found in Asia but these are rules for freedom in America. The differences are very surprising and interesting.
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FEB – HYUN JOO
Mar. 2. 2009 Intensive English Program BARBARA SARGENT HYUN JOO CHOUGH
AMERICAN CULTURE
A year ago I never thought that I would be in the U.S. today even though it had been my dream. Almost two months have passed since I came to the U.S. I think that it is not only short but also long. The time is going too fast. This writing makes me look back on what I passed through. I have learned a lot about American culture in the U.S. The first thing I experienced was on the bus. I live in the North Campus of St. Michael’s College, so I always take the shuttle bus to attend my classes because they are on main campus. One day the bus driver asked me my name and then whenever I take the bus, he calls me by my first name in a friendly way and we say hello to each other. Of course I always call him Gill. It is his last name. I did not know that he remembered the names of students who take his bus until I heard him call my name. It makes me feel free. I think that just saying only the first name could not happen in Korea because there are a lot of other words which can be used when we call other people. For example, in Korea we never use just the first name unless they are very close. We must use an honorific title like Mr. or Dr. Another surprise was found in the classroom. I was surprised when I saw that students went to the restroom during the class without any notice. It could not be imagined in Korea. I think that these things seem to be small but they are meaningful. At a glance it seems rude to call a professor by the last name, but they use it naturally. Going to the restroom in class seems to be rational, but it is rude in the sight of Korean people. I think that these are possible in the U.S. because we have different cultures and use different language. These are cultural differences not found in Asia but these are reasonable. The differences are very surprising and interesting.
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MARCH – HYUN JOO
Mar. 4. 2009 Intensive English Program BARBARA SARGENT HYUN JOO CHOUGH
What I know about the U.S.
I have seen and felt a lot of things about the U.S. since I came here. There is something impressive which is not found in Korea. I think that the way of thinking is based on culture and the culture is created by history. To know American culture and history is helpful in understanding the American way of thinking and living which I have seen in the past 8 weeks. I usually take the shuttle bus to come to the main campus because I live in the North Campus. Also I had a chance to take the van to go to the Barnes School class. When I took a car and move somewhere, I found that the driver stopped fully at an intersection even though there was no one and no car at the intersection and the driver could go without stopping. It is not found in Korea. Perhaps it could be different depending on who drives a car, but I think it is relative to the culture or way of thinking. I visited two other places while I was the U.S. One is Boston and the other is Montreal. I visited a lot of famous and historical places and took some pictures. Casually I studied these places in the classroom. I did not know the history of the U.S in detail but now I can think about the background of the U.S. Most people who came from Britain and settled wanted a new life and had the same opinion against the Stamp Act. These reasons led to independence. The immigrants and Native Americans are a big portion of U.S. history. These and many others make it possible to have a mixed American culture. The way of thinking of people who grew up in the U.S. is very rational and direct. It also appears in the way Americans write and can be found in the history of the U.S. Writing needs to be clear because people have various customs and cultures, and these need to be explained clearly in a low context culture. I want to learn and see more about the U.S. while I stay here and would like to think as American think. Also I hope all that I learn about the U.S. will be a good influence on my life.
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JAN – NESTOR 01/22/09
AMERICAN CULTURE
Everybody has watched a movie from The USA but what are their customs? What do they like to do? To answer these questions, we must know about American Culture. Americans always are very hardworking and punctual in their schedules and activities; for that reason the USA is the most productive country in the world. They have everything in order; if we see a map of the USA, we can see an almost geometric division of the land in the different states; it is the same with the streets and buildings. Americans are friendly. They always bring their help to others. Americans have different activities to have fun. On weekends they like to travel, dance, watch movies and other things. Junk food is very popular; for example, Americans love hamburgers and pizza. Many people like country music; there are many country music stations. Americans don’t like to talk about politics and religion. They love the national things better than other cultures. In my opinion Americans are very united like the name of their country “the United States.”
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FEB – NESTOR
American Culture
I have been in the US for 6 weeks, and I have learned a lot of things about this country; I have learned about their lifestyle, education, government and customs. Americans always are very hard-working and punctual in their schedules and activities; for that reason, the USA is the most productive country in the world. They have everything in order; if we see a map of the USA, we can see an almost geometric division of the land in the different states; the streets and buildings, in addition, have good distribution. Americans are friendly. They always bring their help to others. Education is an important element in the American Culture. They have great techniques for writing, reading and studying. Americans have a special format to take notes; this format facilitates studying. Americans teacher use the latest technology to teach; for example, they use smart boards and LCD projectors. The USA Government works with a system called check and balance. To do this, the government has three branches, legislative, judicial and executive. Each branch has a special job, but these branches have to work together to make decisions; for example, if the legislative branch approves a law, and the judicial branch thinks that the law is unconstitutional, they can reject the law. The federal system is another important quality of the US government. It is a political system that divides the government into central and state government.
The USA is considered the country of opportunities. Every year more people decide to immigrate to this country; for that reason, American Culture has received influences from several parts of the world. Americans have different activities to have fun. On weekends they like to travel, party, watch movies, practice sports and other things. Junk food is very popular; for example, Americans love hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza. Many people like country music; there are many country music stations. Some Americans don’t like to talk about politics and religion because these topics are controversial, but many do. They love the national things better than other cultures. Americans have an ordered lifestyle and a good education system; additionally, the USA government has a separate structure in order to work better. The USA has a low context culture as a result of different customs people have brought to America.
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MARCH – NESTOR What I know about American culture In my visit to the USA I have learned a lot of things about the United States of America. In general, politics is very important in the USA because the American life depends on politics. In addition, the educational system in the USA is efficient and modern. Politics is very important in the USA. The US Government is complicated but efficient. It works in a system called Checks and Balances. In this system the government has three branches, legislative, judicial and executive; each branch has a special job. These branches have to work together; if the legislative branch approves a law and the judicial branch thinks that the law is unconstitutional, they can reject it. In this way the laws that rule the American life are made. The Constitution is the document where we can found all the rules of the nation. To modify this document the government use amendments. The current amendments in the constitution talk about the Freedoms and the basic rights in the American life. The federal system is another important political element. It is a political system that divides the government into central and state governments. This separation facilitates the government’s work because each part can do specific work. The central or federal government attends to the things that affect the nation. On the other hand, the state governments are responsible for the states. In my visit to the USA I was able to see the Inauguration. This event was very important to the Americans because the president represents all the US citizens, and he impacts the American life directly because he is one of the three branches that works together to govern this country. The education system in the USA is wonderful. Americans are always worried about the education of their children because they are the future. The American education is awesome. I have visited two different levels of education, and in these two levels I saw efficient techniques for teaching. Teachers and professors focus their attention on the exchange of information between students and educators. In this way Educators could know if the lesson is assimilated. In addition, Americans teacher use the latest technology to teach; for example, they use smart boards and LCD projectors, internet and multimedia resources. Educators teach interesting techniques for studying; one of these techniques is taking notes. With this system students could assimilate very fast because they could study in their own words. Politics is an important element in the US lifestyle because everything in this country works around it, and the education system in the US is advanced in comparison with other parts of the world. I am very happy because I have learned a lot about this wonderful cuntry, and all this information will be useful in my life.
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JAN – MIRTA American Culture
American Culture is very different from my culture; for example, there are many differences in food, weather, activities and people's behavior. There are a variety of foods such as salad, fruits like apples, pears and peaches that are very expensive in my country. This week I have eaten delicious dishes such as sandwiches, pizza, French fries and chocolate cookies. Everything is delicious for me. The weather is very cold, but I like to see the snow. It is a beautiful experience. I had never traveled abroad and I am enjoying this time. The activities in Vermont are very interesting. I want to learn to ski and snowboard. People's behavior is very nice because Americans are very polite. They always say "hi" and I consider that they are very happy people. I like American Culture; I have learned many things this week. Iwant to know aboutthis country. I am going to share my experience with my family and my friends. When I arrive in Nicaragua, I will miss Vermont. it is very good to know about other cultures because Ican appreciate my culture more and also share it with people from different countries. |
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FEB – MIRTA American Culture I have learned many things about the political, social and cultural life in the U.S.A. I learned the importance of the ten amendments in the Constitution and freedoms that people have in this country. The American citizens have freedom of speech, religion and the press. Also I have learned about the process of electing the president. There are two important political parties, the Democratic and Republican. The goverment is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. They have different responsibilities, and they work together for better development in the country. I have found more about American society. Children have a different style of education. They attend schools from 8 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. Teachers have many resources in their classroom. It is excellent for a better teaching. The cultural life is very interesting for me. The Nicaraguan and Panamanian students have visited the most important places of Vermont. We have attended different cultural activities like contra dance, theater, movies, games, skiing and skating as well as cultural interchange at public schools and service learning with children and seniors. Also I could know more about American culture with my host family. They have shared food, trips and games with me. I enjoy staying with them. In conclusion, to know about American culture has been a wonderful experience. The social, political and cultural life is uniquein the U.S.A.
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MARCH – MIRTA
Date: Wednesday 4th 2009 Professor: Barbara S Name: Mirta Alvarez
A wonderful experience in the U.S.A
I have been in the U.S.A for seven weeks, and I have learned new things about American life. They have a different academic life, and American culture is also very interesting. The academic life is different from my country; for example, I could see that the relationship between Professor and students is close. It is positive because students feel safer in an environment of trust and friendship. Classes are very dynamic; as result, students participate many times. Teachers can use many technological resources such as computers, smart boards, and projectors in the classroom. Children have a different schedule. They spend more time in school. I think that teachers can have better control in their development because students do many activities and practice their new knowledge. In the academic life students receive their grades in a way that shows quality and quantity. I enjoyed the cultural part of the U.S very much. I am accustomed to eating the delicious American dishes. I could taste different food from Venezuela, Panama and Korea. It was an exciting activity that we shared with our professor. This meeting allowed us to know more about another culture. I learned to ski, skate and bowl. I liked contra dancing. American has a beautiful and rich culture. In conclusion, the Academic life in the U.S.A is excellent and students are taught well. I learned that American culture is diverse and fascinating. It has been a unique experience for me. I will remember this country forever.
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JAN – EMILY Name: Emily Gill Date: 21-01-09
American Culture
American Culture is different from my culture; for example, when the students are beginning their studies, they go away from their homes and live in the dormitory of the university where they are studying. Another thing is when they have classes, they have to be on time and if they are not on time, it is better not to go to the classroom. American people do not like to talk about their ages; they think this is impolite and sometimes people from another country ask them their age. The people are very friendly and nice; for me it is a very good way to be and I want to learn more about this culture.
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FEB – EMILY Name: Emily Gill
American Culture
I have learned new things about American Culture related to its organization, interest and other things. People here are very organized. They have an agenda for all their activities, not just for activities in their jobs, but also for extracurricular activities. American people interact and participate in different kinds of activities; therefore, they are very intelligent and they have great personalities. They share with people from different countries. Additionally, I realized that people really like to read. For example, when I go to the cafeteria or to any other place, everybody is reading. I have seen people reading on the public buses. It is great because in my country not all people have the habit of reading. It is really wonderful. The United States is a multicultural country, so they are always interested in learning about different cultures too. They are friendly and very nice people. In conclusion, American Culture is great. American people are not only intellectual but they also like to share and learn about different cultures.
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MARCH – EMILY What I know about American culture
I have learned new things about American culture. The most important topics that I have learned are about culture and academic life. American culture has a great diversity in its food, daily life, entertainment and so on. The food is very different; American people like fast food. They like to drink soda and different kinds of energy drinks. They have an extra meal between breakfast and lunch; it is called brunch. In my country we have just breakfast, lunch and dinner. In The United States, people like to take part in different kind of activities. They have very interesting sports like snowboarding, skiing, sledding and others in this season of the year. I have had the opportunity to know about the interests that American people have in learning about different things, for example, languages, customs, habits and the history of others countries. Americans are kind and if you need help they help you; additionally, I have had the opportunity to go to different places here and in each one I learned interesting things. To illustrate, I saw the process in the ice cream factory. Ben and Jerry’s is a big factory with the best ice cream taste in Vermont. Lake Champlain chocolate is absolutely great. When we went there, someone talked to us about the process in this factory. The Chocolate of Vermont is one hundred percent delicious. American culture is great and I really like to know about it. American academic life is very different. The educational system has good devices that the professors can use when they are explaining different topics in class. They like to do all the things on time. The classrooms have very good equipment and students are very comfortable there. The relationship between students and professors is nice. The students can call the professors by the first name. It doesn’t seem impolite to them but in my country it is different. The professors like to share experiences with the students because American schools have a great diversity of students from different countries around the world. In conclusion, American culture and Academic life are diverse. These aspects have a great role in American society. I am really thankful and happy because I have been able to learn about a lot of things in a multicultural place.
Name: Emily Gill
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JAN – JOSE
Course: Intermediate Core Date: 1/22/09 Prof: Barbara Sargent Name: Jose Antonio Maes
What are you ideas about American Culture?
My impression of American contemporary culture is that it is multicultural because many people of different nationalities live here. For example, we can find many restaurants to serve different kinds of food and beverages like Italian, Asian, Spanish, Arabic and more. America seems to be a safe place and most of the cities are very secure to live and walk in. Most of the areas have four seasons and great places to go on vacation. The government has a lot of impact on the rest of the world, and they can change the economics and political conditions deeply. The American people live in a true democracy full of liberty and freedom, but I think the great majority of the people do not agree with the war in Iraq because it is unjustified that many American young people died for this cause. I have a lot of hope for Barack Obama’s government and his international politics in South America, especially with the Venezuelan Communist government and for the future of the war in Iraq and his posture with the Gaza conflict. The Americans permanently fight to uphold human rights in the world and to maintain democracy.
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FEB – JOSE
What are your ideas about American Culture?
At this time I have been here in Vermont for almost six weeks. A lot of things have happened since the last summary about the American Culture. I have been learning very important things about American History and Culture, so now I know about the political system and the structure of the U.S government. Furthermore, I was studying about the electoral system to elect the President and Vice President and the different Amendments to the U.S Constitution. In fact, the Amendments show me the evolution of this beautiful country and so many historic and important events. I have met a lot of wonderful people from the U.S and other countries. Therefore, I have changed my mind about the American people. Living here I have understood a lot of political decisions and the way most American people think. I could see the amazing presidential inauguration of Barack Omaba and feel the important decisions that he made in his first week. You can feel like you are part of the contemporary history of this country and of the entire world. To summarize, in a few weeks I have learned so much about American Life and Culture. Now I know why a lot of people want to live here because there is a strong government with a good political and electoral system.
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MARCH – JOSE
03/03/2009 Intermediate Core Prof: Sargent Jose Antonio Maes
What I know about the United States
I have been living in the United States for almost eight weeks. I have learned a lot of things about this wonderful country. Two of the most important subjects that I have learned about are the Constitution and the political system. The Constitution of the United States is one of the most guaranteed constitutions around the world. It was adopted on September 17th , 1787 and 27 amendments have been added. The first ten amendments received the name of “Bill of Rights”, the most important list of rights and freedoms for the people who live or stay in the United States. Some of these amendments have been interpreted in two different ways, and this has generated controversy, for example, the freedom of religion and the separation between church and State and the right to bear arms. The Supreme Court, which is in charge of interpreting the Constitution, has been making decisions to indicate to the people and the government about the right way to exert these rights and freedoms. The U.S political system is very transparent and democratic. The power of the government has been distributed in three different and independent branches, the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial. The President and Vice-President represent the Executive branch. The Congress integrated in the House of Representatives and the Senate represents the Legislative branch. The Supreme Court represents the Judicial branch. This system is called “checks and balances”. For example, the Congress is in charge of making laws but the President can veto the law approved by the Congress; also the Supreme Court can declare the law unconstitutional. I was very excited to be able to see the process and discussion and the making of local laws in the State House of Vermont. In conclusion, the Constitution and the political system in the U.S are fundamental to the country. Although these are very different from my country’s system, I applaud the freedom this system gives its citizens.
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JAN – JESSICA
Date: 01/22/09 Name: Jessica Lopez Rodriguez
American Culture
When I came here, I was so excited because I did not know that American culture is very different from my country. American people have more freedom, they can leave home when they are eighteen years old, and then they look for a job, an apartment and live alone or sometimes with friends. Also the kind of food is different because they eat a lot of meat. For me the most interesting thing is that all American greet other people and it does not matter if they know you. Furthermore the weather is different; in my country it is too warm and here it is very cold. Also the grading scale is different because Americans use letters from A to F and other countries use numbers. |
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FEB – JESSICA
Date: 02/25/09 Name: Jessica Lopez Rodriguez.
American Culture
When I arrived here, I did not know that there were many different things in the United States from my country, so I was very excited to learn new things and meet people from a different culture.
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MARCH - JESSICA Date: 03/04/09
New Things to Learn
In these seven and a half weeks that I have been in Vermont, I have learned about American people a lot. I have been in different activities with many people from different countries, and I did not know that there were so many new things to explore such as life style and culture. These things were very exciting for me.
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JAN – RAQUEL American culture
American people have a different culture than others in the world. For example, students leave their homes when they finish high school because they have to go to college. American students are very friendly with international people that they meet and they try to support them. In the USA students have freedom because they live without their parents, so they have to learn for themselves how to live their life. Another different thing is the food like soup, salad, and vegetables. The most important is the weather; sometimes it is very cold, but in spite of the weather, I like the United States.
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FEB – RAQUEL Raquel del Pilar Castillo Diaz 18th February, 2009 Professor Barbara
American People
American people have different customs than other countries in the world. American people have been independent since they were young. They start to live alone when they are seventeen years old because they have to go to college; for this reason they grow up really fast. However, American students have freedom because they live without their parents, so they have to learn for themselves how to live their life. For this reason, they became confident because they have power to decide what they want to do with their future. On the other hand, American professors use different strategies of teaching. They use smart board to teach different topics in class. They try to get the students’ attention and motivate them in the beginning, middle and end of the class. American professors like their student to participate in class, so they give a lot of homework to get them involved in the course material. American students have different ways of studying. To get good grades, they have to read a lot of books, write many essays and have homework everyday. American students have to study everyday to remember what they learned in class. Everyday, the teachers evaluate how much the students have learned in class. As a conclusion, I think that American people are more independent than other cultures because they have a different education system. They learn when they are young how to care for themselves and how important studying is. |
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MARCH - RAQUEL Raquel del Pilar Castillo Diaz March 4th, 2009 Professor Barbara
American People
I have been in the United States for two months and it has been a beautiful experience because I met new friends, amazing professors and unforgettable memories that will always be in my heart. The biggest surprise for me were the lifestyles and academic lives of Americans because it is completely different from Nicaragua. American people have different customs than Nicaraguan people. They have different ways to live, eat, have fun and educate their children. They also grow up to be independent people because since they were young, their parents taught them how to live their life. So when they grow up they know how to care for themselves. Therefore, American families have a habit of sending their children to college to live alone because some of them live far away from their college. It’s better and safer for them to live at the college than for them to travel many hours each day. Another difference is that American professors have different techniques for teaching American and International student. They use Smart boards to cover and explain different topics. They try to be as clear as possible with the students about evaluation and credits. American professors try to get the students’ attention with questions, tests, quizzes and they give a lot of homework to make students better understand the course material. In conclusion, American people have different lives styles from Nicaraguans, but this lifestyle is an integral part of life. Academic life in the United States is important because education is essential for American people. Although American people have different customs than other countries, they are special people who work very hard.
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