Caitlin CP #5

Date/Time: February 5th, 2016, 12:30-1:00pm
Location: Hecht House lounge

1) What did you learn and share with your conversation partner(s)?
 




Today Nhan definitely seemed more comfortable and very eager to communicate with me. We had a fun time talking about food and cooking. We also discussed weight in both America and Vietnam. Nhan also told me about how his driving practices have been going. I shared with Nhan a lot about my own favorite foods, family, and cooking as well.
 
2) How did the CP session inform your awareness of other cultures?

I learned that in Vietnam, a 15 year old boy is expected to weigh less than 110 lbs. This really surprised me and my first thought was to be worried about Nhan's younger brother. I was indeed reminded that just because most American boys weigh more than that, it doesn't mean that other cultures are unhealthy. It just means that diets and healthy weight standards are different elsewhere.

3) How did the CP session inform your awareness of your culture?

 This session informed me about the importance of food in American culture. Food is such an important part of my life and it does hold more meaning than just a way to fuel the body most of the time. Usually we don't eat with people we don't know or don't like, so inviting someone to eat with you implies a trust and closeness and cooking for someone here in the US is a really big deal that shows how much you value that person and their company. I would not have realized these things if Nhan and I had not talked about the importance of food in each of our respective cultures.

4) How could you apply what you learned to your teaching practice?

Food is an easy thing to talk about and I don't think that they require much vocabulary so I think that the topic of food would make for an easy speaking practice for students in the future. Often times we link certain foods with specific periods in our lives and so may be prompted to talk about our memories. I think that having my future students talk about food would be a good way for them to practice speaking English and help them gain confidence in communicating their personal ideas, opinions, and recipes using English!