I want a major cultural change/experience for my next exchange program - Read inside (About Brazil).?
Moin! (: I'm currently an exchange student in Germany, and I am originially from USA. I am staying here for a year, but I've realized Germany really isn't too much different than the USA and so I find it a bit of a let-down. So for my 2nd foreign exchange year, I am going to go to South America. The problem is, I can't decide if Brazil is going to be a major culture shock. I've spoken with my friend that is an exchange student in Argentina now, and she says it's a big cultural shock. She sees poverty, potholes in roads, even big cities have raggedy buildings, and all that. And I decided that that's exactly the place I want to go! But, I'm also gay. And my friend that lives in Bolivia said that Brazil is a lot more gay-accepting and that I would have a lot better time in Brazil. But, in my perspective and I think most other people with knowledge on the subject, Brazil is a lot more.. well.. richer, more 1st-world-like, etc. than the other South American countries, therefore I feel like it would not be a large enough culture shock, than what I would feel in Bolivia or Venezuela or Argentina or Chile? So I MUST ask, Is Brazil a LOT more 1st-world than the other South American countries? Will I get a MAJOR culture shock, or only a small one? Will I see poverty in Brazil, often, or rarely? Will there be dirt roads? Will there be raggedy buildings in Brazil, even in big cities? Is it very modernized or would it be a great culture-shock-inducing experience? I hope by now you get what I'm trying to ask - please answer with as much thought as possible! Thank you! Liebe Grüße, Matthew Morris (By the way - you can email me at the_matness@yahoo.com , or add me on myspace.com/pifft or facebook.com/pifft if you have a lot of details! But please answer on this question first, thank you so much!)
Studying Abroad - 1 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
It depends upon what portion of Brazil you go to. There are very rich people in the cities in the south. There are also despairingly poor ones as well. In Rio the disparity is a big problem. If you go to the northern part of Brazil, the Amazon, you will see much poverty. Like any other country, you will also find great places to live and some middle class. Why don't you seek out some Brasilians in Germany? Lots of them live there -- there are expat Brasilian communities all over the world.
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Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Wolud scene 12 of The Da Vinci Code be suitable for 16 year old students?
Wolud scene 12 of The Da Vinci Code be suitable for 16 year old students?
I live in Argentina and I teach english as a foreign language I'm having trouble in finding what is motivating for this group in particular Do you think the scene about the Last Supper will catch their attention? What about the language used? Motivation thing I gave them Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's biography and the girls showed interest but boys were soon disconnected from the lesson As I'm teaching simple past if I talk about people from the very very past, they lose interest too Then I made them read Ferrari and McLaren's biography and boys engaged in conversation, not the girls That's why I say it's difficult to "catch their eye" Sorry!!! Burton and Deep's biographIES Ferrari and McLaren biographIES (grammar problem :p) Spelling problems too :o Last month, when Inception was promoted in my country, I saw the advances I must watch that movie I think it's a great one! I love the world of dreams
Movies - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I mean no offense, but 16 year olds don't really care much about religion. The movie would interest them though. And by the languange used, if you mean explict content... some things 16 year olds do make explicity look like suitable for new borns. Of course it can be different in your group, maybe, but this is something you should consider. And what was that about motivation? If you want a good teacher-students watchable movie with cool effects, nice story and good philosophy in the plot [perfect combination for 16 year olds] you definately need to see the movie inception. Please add the motivation thing explaination as a additional detail and I can answer better [i'll edit this to answer thst as well]. EDIT: Ok, the motivation thing. Now, you can use philosophy to revert to english classics and so on, I don't know about that. But the reality-questioning format works for both boys and girls,IMO. You can even follow it up with the Matrix triology if you want to. Action-philosophy-thrillers always work for all. You can take salt and psychoanalyse the characters to see how the film-makers used motivation as a double edged weapon in it. You can think up something along these tracks, I am sure. And best of luck with your teaching.
2 :
Yes
3 :
No. It's too long and complicated and there's too much background information to use. Use instead a shorter more self-contained video. Mr Bean, for example. It's humorous and you can exploit it well. But importantly, remember not to just show the video and sit back. You need to introduce it, prepare the class for it, have them watch it actively and not just passively.
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I live in Argentina and I teach english as a foreign language I'm having trouble in finding what is motivating for this group in particular Do you think the scene about the Last Supper will catch their attention? What about the language used? Motivation thing I gave them Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's biography and the girls showed interest but boys were soon disconnected from the lesson As I'm teaching simple past if I talk about people from the very very past, they lose interest too Then I made them read Ferrari and McLaren's biography and boys engaged in conversation, not the girls That's why I say it's difficult to "catch their eye" Sorry!!! Burton and Deep's biographIES Ferrari and McLaren biographIES (grammar problem :p) Spelling problems too :o Last month, when Inception was promoted in my country, I saw the advances I must watch that movie I think it's a great one! I love the world of dreams
Movies - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I mean no offense, but 16 year olds don't really care much about religion. The movie would interest them though. And by the languange used, if you mean explict content... some things 16 year olds do make explicity look like suitable for new borns. Of course it can be different in your group, maybe, but this is something you should consider. And what was that about motivation? If you want a good teacher-students watchable movie with cool effects, nice story and good philosophy in the plot [perfect combination for 16 year olds] you definately need to see the movie inception. Please add the motivation thing explaination as a additional detail and I can answer better [i'll edit this to answer thst as well]. EDIT: Ok, the motivation thing. Now, you can use philosophy to revert to english classics and so on, I don't know about that. But the reality-questioning format works for both boys and girls,IMO. You can even follow it up with the Matrix triology if you want to. Action-philosophy-thrillers always work for all. You can take salt and psychoanalyse the characters to see how the film-makers used motivation as a double edged weapon in it. You can think up something along these tracks, I am sure. And best of luck with your teaching.
2 :
Yes
3 :
No. It's too long and complicated and there's too much background information to use. Use instead a shorter more self-contained video. Mr Bean, for example. It's humorous and you can exploit it well. But importantly, remember not to just show the video and sit back. You need to introduce it, prepare the class for it, have them watch it actively and not just passively.
Read more other entries :
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Have you traveled to South America?
Have you traveled to South America?
I'm planning a trip with my bf and we are considering S. Am. (prob Brazil, Argentina, Patagonia area). Do you recommend somewhere great to visit? And what is the best way to get around (car, bus, plane??) Somewhere fun, safe and inexpensive for two college students.
Other - Latin America - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I've been to Peru and Ecuador. Both were incredible. It's not too expensive to travel in South America aside from the plane tickets. There's a big "backpacker's culture" there which means lots of inexpensive hotels, hostels, and inexpensive places to eat. Get a Lonely Planet travel guide to help you plan what you want to see. You should also check out www.gapadventures.com for trip ideas. They have both guided and independent packages that can save you lots of money. If you are going to a few different places in a short amount of time, you'll want to fly. If you want to stay for several weeks, take the bus-it's super cheap. Be sure to find out from your doctors if you need vaccinations or anti-malarial meds for the places you're traveling to. I am very much looking forward to my next visit. Especially want to go to Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls, Mendoza, and Santiago. Have fun.
2 :
I went to Brazil and Colombia last year.I spent alittle over 3 months in Brazil and 2 months in Colombia.I'd highly recommend both countries.The larger cities are more expensive in Brazil(Sao Paulo,Rio de Janeiro)I was in Belem,(northern Brazil) and Florianopolis(southern Brazil) for the most part.Depending on how much time you have and what you want to do,buses will tale you almost anywhere and very cheap about $1.00 for short distances(10-20 miles) and locally.I also rented a car for about $40.00 a day to go to some out of the way places.The island of Santa Canterina and Florianopolis was a fantastic area with plenty of beaches.The city of Belem( northern Brazil) was so different from southern Brazil.I was standing in an open market (Docka Station) and watched a canoe of native indians come to trade.I also went on an Amazon boat trip for 4 days and swung in the trees with the monkeys and ate pirhana.Overall amazing trip amazing trip for $5000.00 including flight.I shopped 1-2 months out on cheapo air and paid $650.00 roundtrip for flight with TAM airlines.Document everything with TAM,they love to make extra money on rich Americans(haha) and I got the standard vaccination and was never sick 1 day there.Hope this helps and have a wonderful trip where ever you go.Also check out www.poorbuthappy.com. Good Luck!
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I'm planning a trip with my bf and we are considering S. Am. (prob Brazil, Argentina, Patagonia area). Do you recommend somewhere great to visit? And what is the best way to get around (car, bus, plane??) Somewhere fun, safe and inexpensive for two college students.
Other - Latin America - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I've been to Peru and Ecuador. Both were incredible. It's not too expensive to travel in South America aside from the plane tickets. There's a big "backpacker's culture" there which means lots of inexpensive hotels, hostels, and inexpensive places to eat. Get a Lonely Planet travel guide to help you plan what you want to see. You should also check out www.gapadventures.com for trip ideas. They have both guided and independent packages that can save you lots of money. If you are going to a few different places in a short amount of time, you'll want to fly. If you want to stay for several weeks, take the bus-it's super cheap. Be sure to find out from your doctors if you need vaccinations or anti-malarial meds for the places you're traveling to. I am very much looking forward to my next visit. Especially want to go to Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls, Mendoza, and Santiago. Have fun.
2 :
I went to Brazil and Colombia last year.I spent alittle over 3 months in Brazil and 2 months in Colombia.I'd highly recommend both countries.The larger cities are more expensive in Brazil(Sao Paulo,Rio de Janeiro)I was in Belem,(northern Brazil) and Florianopolis(southern Brazil) for the most part.Depending on how much time you have and what you want to do,buses will tale you almost anywhere and very cheap about $1.00 for short distances(10-20 miles) and locally.I also rented a car for about $40.00 a day to go to some out of the way places.The island of Santa Canterina and Florianopolis was a fantastic area with plenty of beaches.The city of Belem( northern Brazil) was so different from southern Brazil.I was standing in an open market (Docka Station) and watched a canoe of native indians come to trade.I also went on an Amazon boat trip for 4 days and swung in the trees with the monkeys and ate pirhana.Overall amazing trip amazing trip for $5000.00 including flight.I shopped 1-2 months out on cheapo air and paid $650.00 roundtrip for flight with TAM airlines.Document everything with TAM,they love to make extra money on rich Americans(haha) and I got the standard vaccination and was never sick 1 day there.Hope this helps and have a wonderful trip where ever you go.Also check out www.poorbuthappy.com. Good Luck!
Read more other entries :
Friday, November 1, 2013
Wich country is the best?
Wich country is the best?
Wich country is the best for studying? I need everone's opinion. Here is the list of countries I can choose from for an exchange student program: ---------------------------------- ArgentinaFranceNorway AustraliaGermanyPanama AustriaGhanaParaguay BelgiumGuatemalaPeru BoliviaHondurasPhilippines BrazilHong KongPortugal CanadaHungaryRussia ChileIcelandSlovakia ChinaIndiaSouth Africa ColombiaIndonesiaSpain Costa RicaItaliaSweden Czech RepublicJapanSwitzerland DenmarkLatviaThailand Dominican RepublicMalaysiaTurkey EcuadorMexicoUnited Kingdom EgyptNetherlandsUnited States FinlandNew ZealandVenezuela ------------------------------------------ Thanks! I'm from Canada.
Other - Destinations - 17 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Australia was really fun when i went out there....
2 :
Scotland or France, but if you are in the U.S or Canada you should defenetly stay there
3 :
I think switching places with someone from Argentina, Coast Rica, or Panama would be pretty awesome!!
4 :
I've been to Australia, that place rocked, Hong Kong is great especially the nightlife and the shopping, the U.S. because it's multicultural, and Mexico is pretty cool too. I hope this helps.
5 :
Hong khong is kool pretty cloth and beautiful view or china you can go to china wall the world wonder
6 :
The main question that should be asked first is "WHAT" not "WHERE"...some countries and colleges are better than others depending on the major not the geographical location.
7 :
It depends what you want to learn. If you just want to know the country I would recomend Czech Republic or Mexico.
8 :
I would avoid a country whose dominant culture is one that shuns women or relegates them to second-class. This would include Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Turkey. I would avoid a poor country with dangerous roads, terrible infrastructure and high crime. Half of the countries on your list fit into this category. I would certainly avoid China, Argentina,Paraguay, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Ghana,Honduras, Phillipines, Hong Kong, Colombia, Thailand, Dom. Repub, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela (in addition to the countries I already listed above). Maybe i should have just listed the few countries left that I would recommend: France, Norway, Austrialia, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, UK, Netherlands, USA, Finland, New Zealand. That's it...
9 :
Australia is great. We talk english, have warm weather and great places to go. We are also very friendly and will always help another person out if they need it. Try to go to NSW or QLD though if you come here. We use to have exchange students at my school and they always had so much fun with us and they made really strong friendships with so many people.
10 :
G'day, This is what I know abt Australia, since I was an international students there... There are only 42 (soon to be 43) universities in Australia, all of them are fully accredited and they are tightly regulated, therefore the quality and recognition of their graduates are equal from wherever university you are studying from. The most important thing is you have to READ the course information carefully, since some courses may have the same name but different content. To find out the course that you are taking and where it is offered, I suggest you to go to Dept of Education, Science and Technology (http://cricos.dest.gov.au) and IDP Education Australia website (www.idp.edu.au). IDP is an organisation that gives information to international students who wants to continue their study in Australia. You need to make sure what psychology you want to study. Once decided on the uni, fill in the application form and send it together with certified copy of your academic qualification. Living cost... Sydney and Canberra have the highest living cost, followed by Melbourne & Brisbane, then Perth, Darwin, Adelaide & Tasmania the lowest. I am attaching a weblink from one of the uni in Melbourne as an indication. Hope this helps. E-mail me at mikegun(at)studentfirst.com.au if you have more questions abt study in Australia. Good luck for your study and welcome to Australia :)
11 :
Russia. Добри Вечаир
12 :
Sweden of course. The system of education there is one of the best in the world.
13 :
First of all, where are you from?? I'm from Indonesia, and studying in Indonesia will give u a great experience to embrance in a new culture ( and to Mr. PS --> WHO SAID WE SHUN WOMEN???? U watch too much political news!) Currently I am studying in Malaysia, level of english is quite ok. I would say it is a mixture of quite good facilities and standard of living with a quite strong local culture too I studied in Sweden before, and FELT IN LOVE WITH SWEDEN!! Everything was perfect, i love systembolaget, i love the cute guys, love all the pre-parties, parties, and after-parties, all in all i LOVE SWEDEN SO DAMN MUCH! (But i do not suggest u to come to Sweden if u r from a 4 season country, u'll find the weather is really irritating!) I've travelled a lot to Singapore and visit many Singaporean universities.. the education level is the highest in South East Asia.. people comman understanding about english is very high ( but then u must get used to their Sing-lish accent) and the infrastructure is good. I've travelled to Thailand too and it is a very unique place in a sense that they value foreigners very much but still u feel it pity coz u find it difficult to understand their accent.. I've travelled to Hong Kong, and probably will not wanna go there anymore coz it's too expensive for having leisure time! ( even my Swedish friend said so!) I've travelled to Norway and Denmark , beautiful countries, great education, but somehow i still prefer Sweden... I stayed during Winter in China, the only place that i enjoyed the most was Urumqi, Xinjiang (believe it or not!)! Anyway, i myself will go for an exchange student program.. my 1st study abroad will be in Turkey for 1 semester... and the 2nd semester i will spend in Ecuador..Simply because i am a person who loves to learn language n culture.. exploring new places which is something really new for me is the point...
14 :
Finland, with the best education system in the world (according to PISA results).
15 :
EGYPT PEOPLE ARE KIND AND FRIENDLY
16 :
Portugal
17 :
I would go with a Western European country. Not only will you get to study, you can easily see the rest of Europe.
18 :
Bolivia honduras-philippines
Read more other entries :
Wich country is the best for studying? I need everone's opinion. Here is the list of countries I can choose from for an exchange student program: ---------------------------------- ArgentinaFranceNorway AustraliaGermanyPanama AustriaGhanaParaguay BelgiumGuatemalaPeru BoliviaHondurasPhilippines BrazilHong KongPortugal CanadaHungaryRussia ChileIcelandSlovakia ChinaIndiaSouth Africa ColombiaIndonesiaSpain Costa RicaItaliaSweden Czech RepublicJapanSwitzerland DenmarkLatviaThailand Dominican RepublicMalaysiaTurkey EcuadorMexicoUnited Kingdom EgyptNetherlandsUnited States FinlandNew ZealandVenezuela ------------------------------------------ Thanks! I'm from Canada.
Other - Destinations - 17 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Australia was really fun when i went out there....
2 :
Scotland or France, but if you are in the U.S or Canada you should defenetly stay there
3 :
I think switching places with someone from Argentina, Coast Rica, or Panama would be pretty awesome!!
4 :
I've been to Australia, that place rocked, Hong Kong is great especially the nightlife and the shopping, the U.S. because it's multicultural, and Mexico is pretty cool too. I hope this helps.
5 :
Hong khong is kool pretty cloth and beautiful view or china you can go to china wall the world wonder
6 :
The main question that should be asked first is "WHAT" not "WHERE"...some countries and colleges are better than others depending on the major not the geographical location.
7 :
It depends what you want to learn. If you just want to know the country I would recomend Czech Republic or Mexico.
8 :
I would avoid a country whose dominant culture is one that shuns women or relegates them to second-class. This would include Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Turkey. I would avoid a poor country with dangerous roads, terrible infrastructure and high crime. Half of the countries on your list fit into this category. I would certainly avoid China, Argentina,Paraguay, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Ghana,Honduras, Phillipines, Hong Kong, Colombia, Thailand, Dom. Repub, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela (in addition to the countries I already listed above). Maybe i should have just listed the few countries left that I would recommend: France, Norway, Austrialia, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, UK, Netherlands, USA, Finland, New Zealand. That's it...
9 :
Australia is great. We talk english, have warm weather and great places to go. We are also very friendly and will always help another person out if they need it. Try to go to NSW or QLD though if you come here. We use to have exchange students at my school and they always had so much fun with us and they made really strong friendships with so many people.
10 :
G'day, This is what I know abt Australia, since I was an international students there... There are only 42 (soon to be 43) universities in Australia, all of them are fully accredited and they are tightly regulated, therefore the quality and recognition of their graduates are equal from wherever university you are studying from. The most important thing is you have to READ the course information carefully, since some courses may have the same name but different content. To find out the course that you are taking and where it is offered, I suggest you to go to Dept of Education, Science and Technology (http://cricos.dest.gov.au) and IDP Education Australia website (www.idp.edu.au). IDP is an organisation that gives information to international students who wants to continue their study in Australia. You need to make sure what psychology you want to study. Once decided on the uni, fill in the application form and send it together with certified copy of your academic qualification. Living cost... Sydney and Canberra have the highest living cost, followed by Melbourne & Brisbane, then Perth, Darwin, Adelaide & Tasmania the lowest. I am attaching a weblink from one of the uni in Melbourne as an indication. Hope this helps. E-mail me at mikegun(at)studentfirst.com.au if you have more questions abt study in Australia. Good luck for your study and welcome to Australia :)
11 :
Russia. Добри Вечаир
12 :
Sweden of course. The system of education there is one of the best in the world.
13 :
First of all, where are you from?? I'm from Indonesia, and studying in Indonesia will give u a great experience to embrance in a new culture ( and to Mr. PS --> WHO SAID WE SHUN WOMEN???? U watch too much political news!) Currently I am studying in Malaysia, level of english is quite ok. I would say it is a mixture of quite good facilities and standard of living with a quite strong local culture too I studied in Sweden before, and FELT IN LOVE WITH SWEDEN!! Everything was perfect, i love systembolaget, i love the cute guys, love all the pre-parties, parties, and after-parties, all in all i LOVE SWEDEN SO DAMN MUCH! (But i do not suggest u to come to Sweden if u r from a 4 season country, u'll find the weather is really irritating!) I've travelled a lot to Singapore and visit many Singaporean universities.. the education level is the highest in South East Asia.. people comman understanding about english is very high ( but then u must get used to their Sing-lish accent) and the infrastructure is good. I've travelled to Thailand too and it is a very unique place in a sense that they value foreigners very much but still u feel it pity coz u find it difficult to understand their accent.. I've travelled to Hong Kong, and probably will not wanna go there anymore coz it's too expensive for having leisure time! ( even my Swedish friend said so!) I've travelled to Norway and Denmark , beautiful countries, great education, but somehow i still prefer Sweden... I stayed during Winter in China, the only place that i enjoyed the most was Urumqi, Xinjiang (believe it or not!)! Anyway, i myself will go for an exchange student program.. my 1st study abroad will be in Turkey for 1 semester... and the 2nd semester i will spend in Ecuador..Simply because i am a person who loves to learn language n culture.. exploring new places which is something really new for me is the point...
14 :
Finland, with the best education system in the world (according to PISA results).
15 :
EGYPT PEOPLE ARE KIND AND FRIENDLY
16 :
Portugal
17 :
I would go with a Western European country. Not only will you get to study, you can easily see the rest of Europe.
18 :
Bolivia honduras-philippines
Read more other entries :
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