Day 6
Wed. Apr. 7
English lesson: Check-in
Speaker summaries & Discussion: Hofstede & American Factory
Intro to Boyhood
Homework
➤ English Homework: Notice one new word or phrase
I forgot to create the Box folder for this homework last time, so please complete it now!
Between now and next class, notice and write down one new word or phrase (preferable a phrase -- a combination of words) that you could imagine using to communicate in the situation you identified, or about the topic you identified.
Note the context: Who said or wrote it? What was the phrase being used to refer to or describe?
Then, write a sentence using that phrase to express something meaningful to you — a sentence that you could actually imagine saying or writing in the future.
Put these things in a Word document and upload it to Box (Folder: “6-New word or phrase”).
➤ Read and summarize Osland & Bird (2000)
Read Osland and Bird (2000), “Beyond Sophisticated Stereotyping: Cultural Sensemaking in Context.” Focus on these key terms: What is a “paradox”? What is “sensemaking”?
Write a brief summary of the article, but don’t attempt to capture everything the authors say. Instead, try your best to explain your understanding of what the authors seem to be saying, focusing on one point you find particularly intriguing or thought-provoking. Explain that point as clearly as you can (according to your understanding) and then, in a separate paragraph, explain why you find it intriguing or thought-provoking. Upload your summary to Box (I’m expecting about 200 words total for this assignment—it doesn’t have to be long), to the folder called “7-Summary-response to Osland & Bird.”
Come to next class ready to share that point with us.
➤ Speakers: Rixin, Wu You, Xinyi
In 2-3 minutes, summarize your understanding of what Osland and Bird are saying. (You can divide up the work however you wish: each of you can focus on a different topic or point explored in the article. Again, there is no need to try to explain everything they say, or to pretend that you have a complete understanding. Just explain the ideas as you understand them.)
➤ Start Watching Boyhood
I’ll ask you to have finished watching Boyhood for Wednesday of this coming week. However, since it’s such a long movie, you might want to get started watching it now. You can access a version of this movie with Chinese and English subtitles here on Box. (Note that the Chinese subtitles aren’t always accurate, though.)
For your next paper (due Friday April 23rd) I’ll ask you to pick something the characters in Boyhood do (an action or behavior) that you find particularly mysterious, intriguing, or hard to relate to, and research that behavior in the context of American culture. (I’ll say more about this next class.) So as you watch, keep an eye out for things the characters do that you’re curious about and might want to research and write about.