PROVINCIA DEL CHACO

MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN, CULTURA, CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA

Instituto de Educación Superior “San Fernando Rey”

Profesorado para la Educación Superior en Inglés

Names:

● Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán

● Flores, Anahi Victoria
● Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella

Course:. Culturas de Los Pueblos de la Lengua Extranjera II.

Lecturer: Ms. Sara Kuc

Due date: 20th May

– Resistencia, Chaco –

CICLO LECTIVO 2022

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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella

I.E.S “SAN FERNADO REY” PROFESORADO DE INGLÉS

CULTURAS DE LOS PUEBLOS DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA II
2022 - CLASS ASSIGNMENT N° 1
Due date: 20th May

Guide for the assignment:

• Name and page number must be written in the upper, right corner on every page
• Work in pairs
• Names Eg. Susana Gomez, Jorge Ramos…
• Course Culturas de Los Pueblos de la Lengua Extranjera II
• Lecturer Ms Kuc
• Date May 20

A) Find in different sources definitions for these words (do not forget to
acknowledge the sources)

Identity stereotype ethnicity immigration segregation racism

discrimination

● Identity

1. The characteristics, feelings or beliefs that make people different from others. E.g.
national/cultural/personal identity or ethnic/racial identity.1
2. A person's name and other facts about who they are. The fact of being, or feeling
that you are a particular type of person; the qualities that make a person different
from others.2
3. The distinguishing character or personality of an individual: individuality.3

● Stereotype:

1. A set idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an
idea that is wrong: for example, racial/sexual stereotypes.4

1 identity noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's
Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
2 IDENTITY | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
3 Identity Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
4 STEREOTYPE | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
2. A fixed idea or image that many people have of a particular type of person or thing,
but which is often not true in reality and may cause hurt and offense. For example,
cultural/gender/racial stereotypes.5

● Ethnicity

1. A large group of people with a shared culture, language, history, set of traditions,
etc., or the fact of belonging to one of these groups.6
2. The fact of belonging to a particular ethnic group (a group of people that share a
cultural tradition).7

● Immigration

1. The process of coming to live permanently in a different country from the one you
were born in or the number of people who do this.8
2. The process by which people come in to a foreign country to live there, or the
number of people coming in.9
3. Travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there.10

● Segregation

1. The act or policy of separating people from different groups, for example people of
different races, religions or sexes, and treating them in a different way. For example,
racial/religious segregation or segregation by age and sex.11
2. The separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary
residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate
educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means.12
5 stereotype_1 noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced
Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
6 ETHNICITY | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
7 ethnicity noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's
Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
8 immigration noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's
Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
9 IMMIGRATION | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
10 Immigration Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
11 segregation noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced
Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
12 Segregation Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
3. The policy of keeping one group of people apart from another and treating them
differently, especially because of race, sex, or religion.13

● Racism

1. Policies, behaviors, rules, etc. that result in a continued unfair advantage to some
people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race.14
2. A belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and
that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.15

● Discrimination

1. The practice of treating somebody or a particular group in society less fairly than
others, e.g. age/racial/gender/sex discrimination (= because of somebody’s age, race
or sex).16
2. Treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way
from the way in which you treat other people, because of their skin colour, sex,
sexuality, etc. 17

Answer the following questions and explain them in your own words.

B) Consider ‘How to Be an Alien’

1. Explain the title. What do you think ‘alien’ means in the title? In what way is it suitable to the
story? Does it have a positive or negative meaning? Why do you think this?

The title “How to be an Alien” is related to all the people who are actually outcasted from
society, either because of their own cultural background, ethnicity, sexuality and also if they
are from a different country. We think it has to do with the fact that some people end up
feeling like an Alien at some point in their lives, and it can be quite hard to overcome when it

13 SEGREGATION | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

14 RACISM | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
15 Racism Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
16 discrimination noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced
Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
17 DISCRIMINATION | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
comes to survival, either in a new cultural background or society. Personally, we think it has
a negative connotation attached to it, that doesn’t mean being an Alien is bad, but it can be
very damaging in people’s life; being judged, discriminated or just insulted in some type of
way, it can affect one’s life so much deeper than we usually think. On the other hand,
relating the title to the story where Mikes defines himself as an alien during all his life, except
the period when he lived in his natural country. He also narrates the moment when his
English girlfriend says to him if he wanted to get married to her, and how he decided to pay
attention to the advice of his mother, who said that it isn't a good idea to get married with a
foreigner, with an alien. But she thought that he and his mother were aliens. That is why, we
believe that we cannot really make prejudices about people in general, even though we all
do it unconsciously all the time. I will have to say that sometimes we can be wrong about the
other person, or we can even think about being Aliens ourselves, to actually realize in the
end, that we were not really being outcasted for being unique, but really it was just other
people projecting their own lack of knowing onto us.

2. Find examples in the book where the British are described as hypocrites.

Some examples that we could find in the short story are:

Mikes talks about how we have to answer to outward provocations if we want to seem
English, and how to do a continental. Then, the author tries to explain the difference
between bargaining, just done by continental, and to compromise, a praiseworthy habit in
England. Like to be a hypocrite. Here he gives us advice if we want to be an English
hypocrite.

Another example that we found was that when Mike talks about people in England learning
how to speak slowly and quietly so you cannot really understand them, in addition to that, he
also said that in England it is bad manners to be clever or be proud of your intelligence,
because usually English men do not show that they are clever, but they use a few words to
say a lot. It was really interesting to read that part, because it can be interpreted as English
people being described as hypocrites as well, for the fact that they do not really say what
they really mean, and they prefer to be polite and not to disrupt the peace, instead of just
ruffle some feathers, which is necessary at some point by being direct. Finally he mentions
that English people have no soul, that is why they usually like to say less than what they
actually mean.
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
Next example that we would like to mention is when Mike talks about a dynamic where you
are interacting with a English friend, he said that if he asks you if you are well “How do you
do”, to him, it doesn't really matter if you are well or if you are dying of a terrible illness, just
for the sake of politeness, sometimes English people would be really invested and interested
in what you have to say, but they don’t really show any type of real interest in what you are
saying, but just for the sake of being polite, they would just pretend to do so.

3. Although Mike uses sarcasm and mockery to refer to British strange habits, the British
thought the book was highly amusing. Why do you think that was?

We can see some pages where the author talks about his impression of the book when it
was published and the way he thought it was going to be accepted. It's a kind of preface
where he says that this book was going to be a personal defiance. He thought that English
people would kick his backside or maybe they would up in arms against him. But it wasn't
this way. All people congratulated him, because they thought that How to be an Alien was a
critical work of English society, but in a funny way. So they were very happy and satisfied
because they felt that the book was made thanks to them.

4. Why do the British queue?

British people usually have a reputation for being “civilized queuers” and even nowadays it
seems that it forms a part of their own culture where it has transformed itself into some sort
of humorous characteristic for tourists. They usually queue for the bus, cinema, the
supermarket, for ice cream and even for a boat; but they do it in a more civilized way than
most, they loathe others being rude or stepping out of their way in order to gain advantage in
the queue, because it is not an honest way to do so. Interestingly enough, from what we
could find, queueing it’s actually all a bit of a myth, because there is evidence that suggests
that it was born from the Brits wanting to create fairness and equality among their peers.
Simply put, just wanting to show a bit of respect to each other, that is why they take it
personally when someone is out of line in the queue, because for them it is really important
to do it correctly, even though, they may complain or roll their eyes on the line, but they still
are doing it correctly or in a civilized way.

5. What does ‘naturalised’ mean in the book’s context?

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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
In the book’s context, “naturalized” means that to be a person, a real one, you have to
become British. “If you are not naturalized, you are not a real person”. So, you have to
change your mind, your lifestyle, you have to speak English all the time (forget about your
mother tongue), start consuming books written by English writers, you do not ever speak
other language (only if it is French with a really bad accent), and try to incorporate “we” when
you referred to any English thing (but you have to know that that does not mean you are
really one of them and they will let you know).

6. Do you agree with the author’s opinions about England and English people? Why or why not?
Expand.

I have never met an English person, but we can have a vague idea of what they are like by
watching them in a movie or if we closely follow the life of a famous English singer or football
player on social networks. It is clear that the author, George Mikes, is more qualified to give
an opinion about the subject since he lived in England and what is more, married an
Englishwoman. However, as regards English humor, I disagree with his way of seeing it. I
consider the English particularly funny, in a different way, but brilliant. Mr Bean is one
exponent of that witty sense of humor. To add more, taking into account how culturally rich
the country is, plus all the historical events they lived directly and indirectly and how that
affects the formation of a society, I would feel proud in so many aspects of being English and
of course, I would act with some arrogance with such a legacy. It is something to be proud
of, but it does not allow you to be cruel or to feel superior to others, in that point, I agree with
the author.

C) Read the article ‘Are English People So Different?’ by Pilar Bayona.

1. Which aspects of the English culture are mentioned? What are the main differences
between British (mentioned in the text) and Argentinian culture?

One of the aspects mentioned about the English culture is that they tend to wear whatever
they want no matter the opinion of people surrounding them and without complexes.
Another one is the fact that English families don’t treat their children like possessions, which
means that they don’t have problems with them living away at an early age (for instance, in
Moreover, they really enjoy their traditions and living the Royal Family's ceremonies and
extraordinary events. In addition, English people are described as punctual people and it’s
related to the well known tea at 5 o'clock which includes specific types of food like biscuits.
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
One of the main differences between British and Argentinian culture is the language: English
and Spanish. While one of them is simple and orderly, the other is complex and has
complicated accents, according to the author. Another one is family life and passion as
regards bonds in all types of relationships. In Argentina, spending time and special
occasions with family is common, and even some Argentinian families have the tradition of
meeting at least once a week to share a meal together. Instead of this, and according to the
article, British people don’t have these kinds of costumes, their family identity is rather weak
and the notion of family has generally low profile, but this doesn’t mean that they love their
relatives less, just have their own manners to express it.

2. What factors in your view create the sense of identity in a country? Compare them to
the ones presented in Chapter 4 of Britain for Learners of English.

In our point of view, factors that create the sense of identity in a country are related to the
characteristics that compound the citizens' social image and the society in itself. These
elements can vary; but, in our opinion are: language, religion, traditions, costumes, ethnic
groups, social classes, food, literature, dance, music, patriotical dates, arts, education, type
of government, political parties, etc.

And related to the ones mentioned in Chapter 4 we could find:

● Social classes: the class structure in Britain is not just wealth which determines
someone’s class. The most obvious sign comes when a person opens his or her
mouth, giving the listener clues to the speaker’s attitudes and interests.18
● Language: learn the same language first (English).
● Ethnic identities: the people of the four nations have been in contact for centuries.
With minor variations and exceptions, they look the same, eat the same food, have
the same religious heritage, learn the same language first and have the same
attitudes to the roles of men and women.19
● Genre roles: differentiation between the sexes has decreased sharply in the past few
decades.
● Sense of nationality: the sentimental view of the country and national pride.20

18Britain for learners of English. James O ’Driscoll. Chapter 4. Page 50

19Britain for learners of English. James O ’Driscoll. Chapter 4. Page 43
20Britain for learners of English. James O ’Driscoll. Chapter 4. Page 44
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
● Family life: family gatherings of any kind beyond the household unit are rare.21
● Religion: people whose ancestors came from lowland Scotland or England are self-
consciously Protestant and people whose ancestors were native Irish are self
consciously Catholic.
● Politics: politics is not an important part of a person's social identity in modern Britain.
There are many people who regard themselves as belonging and being active
members of a political party. The very small minority feel this sense of belonging
strongly and deeply. 22

The following will be considered when assessing your answers:

Content.
Your own contributions, Language:
grammar, vocabulary, spelling and
discourse organization.

CONTENT + Good Content was OK and deeper analysis is shown. These

INTERPRETATION two points were incomplete: Parts C1 and 2-show
critical thinking but comparisons were missing.
Well done

GRAMMAR Very Good

USE OF LANGUAGE/ Very Good Appropriate

VOCABULARY

Report Assessment: 8 (nine)

21Britain for learners of English. James O ’Driscoll. Chapter 4. Page 48

22Britain for learners of English. James O ’Driscoll. Chapter 4. Page 54
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella
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Names: Bruksch, Gonzalo Lucas Hernán
Flores, Anahi Victoria
Pedraza Arce, Tamara Antonella

References
● Cambridge English Dictionary:
Meanings & Definitions
● Dictionary by Merriam-Webster:
America's most-trusted online
dictionary
● Oxford Learner's Dictionaries | Find
definitions, translations, and grammar
explanations at Oxford Learner's
Dictionaries
(oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com)
● James O ’Driscoll (2006). Britain for Learners of English. Chapter 4.