INFORMATION CENTER "WINDOW ON AMERICA"

Ми раді вітати Вас на блозі Інформаційного центру "Вікно в Америку". Тут Ви можете отримати актуальну інформацію про США та американську культуру в Україні, дізнатись про можливість взяти участь у гуртку Спілкування з носіями мови, різних тренінгах, конкурсах та скайп-зустрічах, переглянути улюблений фільм і обговорити його з друзями, прочитати книгу, мати вільний доступ до інформації, користуючись новітніми технологіями, задати питання працівникам Центру.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

AMERICAN ETHNIC FOOD

Warming-up

ACTIVITY 1: Predicting Similarities
Write as many entries as possible under each heading, either from your knowledge, or from what you imagine or guess to be true.
We are both …
We both have …
We both like …
When we were younger we both used to ...
In the future both of us will probably …
****************************
sports fanatics = love to play or watch sports
bookworms = to love to read
gamblers = to like to take chances
clotheshorses = are very fashion-conscious and often have a lot of clothes or spend a lot of time and money on their wardrobes
food freaks = really love food and eating
homebodies = prefer staying home to going out
workaholics = are very hard workers and often work and often work overtime
couch potatoes = prefer watching TV or reading to going out or getting exercise
Activity 2: IDEAL PEOPLE
What is the ideal parent, friend, or partner like? What are two qualities each should have and two qualities each should not have?
The person should be ... The person should not be ...
The ideal parent
The ideal friend
The ideal partner

WATCHING A MOVIE "United Tastes of America" (Dorinda Hafner)
Dorinda Hafner. Devoting her life to collecting recipes from around the world - and revealing the rich stories behind them - Dorinda now focuses her passion for food onto our great American landscape.
Video 1.
Italian American Tastes
Jewish American Tastes
Southwestern Tastes
Chines American Tastes
Video 2.
African American Tastes
Cajun Tastes
German American Tastes
Native American Tastes
Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorinda_Hafner
http://www.dorindahafner.com/uta.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzjZUZpVhk4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQai94HfBpI&feature=related
http://www.neatorama.com/2010/06/24/american-ethnic-food/

DISCUSSION: 10 Foods that Make America Great

1. 10 Foods that Make America Great

2.Hamburgers. Apple pie. Potato chips. Foods that helped shape American nation. What is more? New England clam chowder (Massachusetts), Pastrami (New York), Shoofly pie (Pennsylvania), Smithfield ham (Virginia).
3.The United States is a land of delicious eating from coast to coast and neighborhood to neighborhood. But its cultural and culinary mix makes it impossible to characterize.
4.Americans eat a lot. Most of Americans don't eat at home but prefer to go to restaurants. They can choose from many kinds of restaurants. There is a great number of ethnic restaurants in the United States. Italian, Chinese and Mexican food is very popular. An American institution is the fast food restaurant, which is very convenient but not very healthy. However there are some principles of American cuisine (if we may call it so). Americans drink a lot of juices and soda, eat a lot of meat, fruits and vegetables, not much bread. In the morning Americans have cereal or scrambled eggs, milk or orange juice.
5."There is no American food. When we begin to list American foods, either we talk about regional things like lobster or shrimp Creole, or we talk about spaghetti and pizza and hot dogs...One could argue it's what makes us great. The fact that we don't have a cuisine is a measure of our democracy and of our ethnic heterogeneity." —Sidney Mintz, Anthropologist
6.The United States is a land of delicious eating from coast to coast and neighborhood to neighborhood. But its cultural and culinary mix makes it impossible to characterize.
7.Native American cuisine is corn, beans and squash.

Introduction Questions

In your opinion, what is the nicest compliment that you can receive? Do you like to give compliments? To receive them? What do you think about people who give too many compliments?

Discussion Topic: Communication

1.Do you think that it is possible to make a true friend through the internet? Do you have any good friends who you have never met?
2.How important is it to you to be able to communicate your ideas to other people clearly? Is this difficult in a foreign language?
3.What about love through the internet? Do you think that people who have never met each other could experience true love?
4.Have you ever visited a foreign country where you didn’t speak the language? What did you do in this situation?
5.Do you think that you could have a romantic relationship with a person if both you and your partner could not speak each other’s native language?
6.In any kind of relationship, how important is it to be able to communicate with someone in your own language? Is anything lost in communication when you speak with someone on the phone or through the Internet?

Mystery Questions

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Communication

Introduction Questions

In your opinion, what is the nicest compliment that you can receive? Do you like to give compliments? To receive them? What do you think about people who give too many compliments?

Read more: Best Ways to Say Compliment to Women in Ukraine
http://www.svwsticker.com/best-ways-say-compliment-women-ukraine.html
Romantic Compliments for Any Girl | Most Romantic Things to Say
http://hubpages.com/hub/Most-Romantic-Things-to-Say

Discussion Topic: COMMUNICATION

1.Do you think that it is possible to make a true friend through the Internet? Do you have any good friends who you have never met?

2.How important is it to you to be able to communicate your ideas to other people clearly? Is this difficult in a foreign language?

3.What about love through the Internet? Do you think that people who have never met each other could experience true love?

4.Have you ever visited a foreign country where you didn’t speak the language? What did you do in this situation?

5.Do you think that you could have a romantic relationship with a person if both you and your partner could not speak each other’s native language?

6.In any kind of relationship how important is it to be able to communicate with someone in your own language? Is anything lost in communication when you speak with someone on the phone or through the Internet?

Mystery Questions

A volunteer from Nemyriv - Adam

DaTutor08@gmail.com

FRIENDS

Riddles
A certain month will begin on a Friday and will end on a Friday also. What month is it?
John is such a great painter that he was asked to paint the room numbers on all of the doors of the fourth floor of the local hotel. He painted all of the numbers from 400 to 499. How many times did he paint the number 4?

Discussion Topic: FRIENDS

1.For you, what is the definition of a true friend? How can you know that someone is a real, sincere friend?
2.How do you think that friendships develop? Do you choose your friends, or do they choose you?
3.There is a famous saying, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. How do you understand this expression? Do you agree or disagree with it?
4.Most people have been disappointed, or even betrayed by a friend in their lives. Is it possible to forgive someone in this situation? Can the friendship be saved if something like this happens?
5.Is it possible to have a true friendship between the sexes without any romantic feelings?

Mystery Questions

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

ENGLISH CLUB FOR BEGINNERS

Topic: Travelling
1. Do you like to travel? Where was the most interesting place you have ever visited?
2. Where would you like to travel to most of all? Where would you go if you had lots of money?
3. Which is better for you... to travel by camping in a tent, or to stay in a very nice 4-star hotel?
Interview Your Neighbor

Have you ever taken a very long train ride? How long was it? Where did you go?
Would you like to learn how to fly a plane? Would you be scared to be a pilot?
Have you tried any extreme sports? Which extreme sport do you want to try?
For you, which is the most comfortable type of transportation (bus, tram, trolley-bus, marshrutka) in our city?
Mimic Game
Games - Hot Potato

How to Play the Hot Potato Game

Like the children's game Simon Says, Hot Potato is a great learning game that can be exciting and fun. This simple game, using just one prop with no moving parts, teaches imagination, reflex action, listening skills and how to follow directions.

How to Play Hot Potato

1. Gather players in a circle, standing or sitting cross-legged. Explain the rules and make sure everyone understands, especially if you are playing with very young children. Players need be ready for a quick toss, so it helps to be prepared.
2. Ask young players to name some things that are hot. Hand someone the potato, encouraging him or her to pretend that it is HOT and to catch and throw it as quickly as they can.
3. Call, Go! and play some music on an instrument or recording device that can be paused easily. Game players begin to toss the potato around the circle, to the player next to them.
4. Stop the music! At this point, whichever player is holding the potato is "out." Throwing it after the music stops does not count.
5. Continue starting and stopping the music until all but two are "out." Last player to NOT be holding the potato when the music stops wins.
Read more: How to Play the Hot Potato Game | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2044152_play-hot-potato-game.html#ixzz1CsfuZPmW