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Topic 35 of 60

Discussion picture Discussion questions Key words

Picture warm-up

1. What do you see in this picture?
2. Who are these people, and what are they doing?
3. Does this look like your life here, or in your home country? How is it the same or different?

Discussion questions

1. What is a custom from your culture that Americans might find surprising?
2. What American custom surprised you when you first arrived?
3. What is culture shock? Did you experience it?
4. What gestures mean something different in your culture?
5. How do people show respect to older people in your culture?
6. Is personal space different in your country compared to the U.S.?
7. How important is being on time in your culture?
8. What stereotypes do people have about your country? Are they true?
9. Which parts of American culture have you adopted?
10. Which parts of your culture will you never give up?
11. How can people from different cultures understand each other better?
12. Do you think the world is becoming one culture? Is that good or bad?
13. What is a taboo topic in your culture?
14. How do people in your culture show that they are happy or upset?
15. What would you teach an American about your culture in five minutes?

Key words

Say the word, then read the example sentence out loud.

• culture
  American culture values independence.
• custom
  Taking off shoes inside is a custom in my country.
• culture shock
  I experienced culture shock in my first month here.
• adapt
  It took me a year to adapt to life here.
• gesture
  A thumbs-up gesture is rude in some countries.
• personal space
  Americans usually want more personal space.
• stereotype
  Not everyone fits the stereotype.
• respect
  We show respect by using titles like “Mr.” and “Mrs.”
• taboo
  Talking about salary is taboo for many people.
• diverse
  Our class is very diverse.
• heritage
  I’m proud of my Mexican heritage.
• assimilate
  Some immigrants assimilate faster than others.
• identity
  Language is an important part of cultural identity.
• values
  Family is one of our most important values.
• tolerance
  Tolerance helps different groups live together.

Next topic: 36. Life in the USA

Topic chosen by comparing popular ESL conversation resources (see How these topics were chosen). Questions and example sentences are original to this collection. Translations are a guide and should be reviewed by a fluent speaker.