Doing the Transcultural Thing: Explorations in Living in the United States

Edition: 2

Copyright: 2023

Pages: 144

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$80.00

ISBN 9798765708910

Details KHPContent 180 days

Whether we are aware of it or not, every utterance we produce is an expression of who we are as individuals and what we believe. 

When we begin the process of learning an additional language, we are not only learning a new linguistic code (basic vocabulary and structures) that allow us to ask for directions, to shop for clothes, or to interact with a teacher, we are having to relearn how to be.

Designed for college students studying in an Intensive English Program (IEP), Doing the Transcultural Thing: Explorations in Living in the United States covers topics familiar to people from all over the world. Everyone must shop for clothes and other necessities. Every culture has sports. All people must learn to adapt to the weather conditions of their environment. 

Available in print and eBook formats, Doing the Transcultural Thing: Explorations in Living in the United States:

  • Sparks classroom discussion! The publication features chapters and views that should be read with a critical eye, knowing that not everyone in the US shares the exact same viewpoint. To do so would be to stereotype a nation. 
  • Is insightful! The book describes how certain behaviors are enacted in the US. It is meant to provide learners of English some insight into the strange and different ways people of the United States see bathing habits, why they have such strong opinions about guns, and how to navigate a college classroom. 
  • Is flexible! The textbook is not intended to be worked through on a linear basis. Vocabulary and structure do not build in sophistication or difficulty from one chapter to the next. 
  • Is comprehensive! Each chapter begins with student learning outcomes, vocabulary lists, warm-up questions; followed by two readings; and finally concludes with suggested activities and various websites for further exploration.

Unit 1: Daily Life 
1. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned (Monica Gruber) 
2. To Eat and Run: What Is American Food? (Christopher DiStasio) 
3. Learn the Ropes: U.S. Classroom Culture (Antonio Causarano & Pei-ni Causarano) 
4. Time is Money (Michael Schwartz) 

Unit 2: Academic Life 
5. Know by Heart and Learn by Rote: Classroom Etiquette in U.S. Universities (Morgan Hightower) 
6. Hit the Books: Grades and Academic Expectations in the US (Moussa Traore) 7. Logging on, Logging in, and Interfacing: Computing and the Internet in US Universities (Christopher DiStasio & Michael Schwartz) 
8. The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease (Croix C. Clayton)
9.  Friend Me: Connecting with Friends on Social Networking Sites (SNSs) (Kikuko Omori) 
10. Home Is Where the Heart Is: Culture Shock and Coping with Homesickness (Amy VanValkenburg) 

Unit 3: Intercultural Communication 
11. Don’t Beat Around the Bush (Michael Schwartz) 
12. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil: Negotiating Social Taboos in a Second Language Environment (Laura Code) 
13. What Hats Do You Wear? (Michael Schwartz) 

Unit 4: Of Interest 
14. Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water (Michael Schwartz) 
15. Baseball: America’s Favorite Pastime (Anna Wilson) 
16. Snowed Under (Michael Schwartz) 
17. He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, Us! (Fernando Gonzalez Lesniak) 
18. Getting Inked: The History and Popularity of Tattoos in the United States (Morgan Hightower) 
19. Under the Gun: The Culture of Firearms and Hunting in the USA (Alexandra Yarborough)

Michael W. Schwartz

Whether we are aware of it or not, every utterance we produce is an expression of who we are as individuals and what we believe. 

When we begin the process of learning an additional language, we are not only learning a new linguistic code (basic vocabulary and structures) that allow us to ask for directions, to shop for clothes, or to interact with a teacher, we are having to relearn how to be.

Designed for college students studying in an Intensive English Program (IEP), Doing the Transcultural Thing: Explorations in Living in the United States covers topics familiar to people from all over the world. Everyone must shop for clothes and other necessities. Every culture has sports. All people must learn to adapt to the weather conditions of their environment. 

Available in print and eBook formats, Doing the Transcultural Thing: Explorations in Living in the United States:

  • Sparks classroom discussion! The publication features chapters and views that should be read with a critical eye, knowing that not everyone in the US shares the exact same viewpoint. To do so would be to stereotype a nation. 
  • Is insightful! The book describes how certain behaviors are enacted in the US. It is meant to provide learners of English some insight into the strange and different ways people of the United States see bathing habits, why they have such strong opinions about guns, and how to navigate a college classroom. 
  • Is flexible! The textbook is not intended to be worked through on a linear basis. Vocabulary and structure do not build in sophistication or difficulty from one chapter to the next. 
  • Is comprehensive! Each chapter begins with student learning outcomes, vocabulary lists, warm-up questions; followed by two readings; and finally concludes with suggested activities and various websites for further exploration.

Unit 1: Daily Life 
1. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned (Monica Gruber) 
2. To Eat and Run: What Is American Food? (Christopher DiStasio) 
3. Learn the Ropes: U.S. Classroom Culture (Antonio Causarano & Pei-ni Causarano) 
4. Time is Money (Michael Schwartz) 

Unit 2: Academic Life 
5. Know by Heart and Learn by Rote: Classroom Etiquette in U.S. Universities (Morgan Hightower) 
6. Hit the Books: Grades and Academic Expectations in the US (Moussa Traore) 7. Logging on, Logging in, and Interfacing: Computing and the Internet in US Universities (Christopher DiStasio & Michael Schwartz) 
8. The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease (Croix C. Clayton)
9.  Friend Me: Connecting with Friends on Social Networking Sites (SNSs) (Kikuko Omori) 
10. Home Is Where the Heart Is: Culture Shock and Coping with Homesickness (Amy VanValkenburg) 

Unit 3: Intercultural Communication 
11. Don’t Beat Around the Bush (Michael Schwartz) 
12. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil: Negotiating Social Taboos in a Second Language Environment (Laura Code) 
13. What Hats Do You Wear? (Michael Schwartz) 

Unit 4: Of Interest 
14. Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water (Michael Schwartz) 
15. Baseball: America’s Favorite Pastime (Anna Wilson) 
16. Snowed Under (Michael Schwartz) 
17. He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, Us! (Fernando Gonzalez Lesniak) 
18. Getting Inked: The History and Popularity of Tattoos in the United States (Morgan Hightower) 
19. Under the Gun: The Culture of Firearms and Hunting in the USA (Alexandra Yarborough)

Michael W. Schwartz