2007-05-31

intercultural capsules to learn

Part 1: Defining Culture

Part 2: Developing Global Perspectives

Bibliography, here

Download Looking at Ourselves and Others
[102-page document here. (pdf–1.7 MB)]

source, http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/publications/looking/index.cfm

intercultural portraits

Preview of Looking at Ourselves and Others: "Looking at Ourselves and Others
introduces students to the concepts of perspective, culture, and cross-cultural relations. The guide is designed to help students recognize and appreciate differences in perception among individuals and cultures, define culture and recognize its role in developing perceptions of ourselves and others, challenge assumptions, promote cross-cultural awareness, and provide opportunities to practice the behaviors that make cross-cultural communication possible. (Peace Corps)"

many human languages (online source)

Rosetta Project
is a global collaboration of language specialists and native speakers
building an online archive of all documented human languages. The
Rosetta Archive provides nearly 100,000 pages of material
documenting over 2,500 languages.
(National Institutes of Health)
   Go to this website

2007-05-30

Linguists, Accents and a Cost/Benefit Equation

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10554046&sc=emaf
All Things Considered 30 May 2007· Accents are important markers of individual social identities. They can determine how we are perceived by others and whether we are considered part of the dominant culture. In California, some foreign-born speakers of English are trying to reduce their accents to avoid discrimination or advance their careers. But some linguists question why that is necessary.

2007-05-21

language creativity - names for counting (animal) groups

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/young_naturalists/namegame/

The Name Game January - February 1997 by Janice Welsh

Most people know that fish hang out in schools and sheep gather in
flocks. But have you ever heard of a pride of lions? How about a
kettle of hawks or a charm of finches? The English language has more than
1,000 names for groups of things.
The names for groups of fish and wildlife date back to the Middle
Ages,when knights and lords on horseback chased all kinds of animals.
Many of the words used to describe groups of animals were hunting terms.
Hunters might pursue a dray of squirrels, a fall of woodcock, or
a spring of teal. Herd is one term people still use to describe a group
deer, cattle, or elephants.

Where Do Names Come From?
Many names for clusters of critters are listed below. As you look at the
names, think about what might have led someone to choose a
particular one. The choice might have been inspired by:

An animal's action - a leap of leopards
A sound the animal makes - a murmuration of starlings
A repetition of word sounds - a gaggle of geese
What people think about the animals - a richness of martens
The animal's home - a nest of rabbits
What the gathering looks like - a knot of toads
Some names are mistakes. A school of fish, for example, was first called
a shoal of fish. Fish gather in a shoal, a shallow place in a
river or lake. A long time ago someone translated shoal of fish as school
of fish and passed it along.

2007-05-14

RACE exhibit 2007

[personal subscription or library-based connection needed]

The Public Education Project of the AAA: "Race: Are We So Different?"
Yolanda T. Moses
General Anthropology Bulletin of the General Anthropology Division,
Vol. 14, No. 1: 1-3.

http://www.anthrosource.net/doi/abs/10.1525/ga.2007.14.1.1a

------------------------------------------------------
A Tour of the AAA-Sponsored Race Exhibit
David McCurdy
General Anthropology Bulletin of the General Anthropology Division,
Vol. 14, No. 1: 3-8.

http://www.anthrosource.net/doi/abs/10.1525/ga.2007.14.1.3

2007-05-03

languages, customs, prehistory environment

The Rosetta Project: All the languages of the world. This is a publicly
accessible online archive of all documented human languages: over 2,300
are represented, with more being added all the time. www.rosettaproject.org/

Portals to the World is a starting point for studying other countries.
Learn about the culture, economy, geography, government, history,
languages, politics, religions, and other aspects of more than 150
nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Find links to authoritative,
in-depth information selected by area specialists and other staff at the
Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html

Preserving Indigenous Traditions Through Storytelling,

http://beta.edutopia.org/node/3971 [Hawai'i lore and student project]

NPR 2 May 2007 Prehistoric Lifestyles: Building as Climate Allows,

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9949575

NPR 2 May 2007 Climate's Role in Human Evolution,

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9966090

fieldwork techniques/technology

http://www.editthis.info/fieldworkguide/Main_Page
[by a couple of ethnomusicology grad students; about fieldwork technology]