Stereotypes are generalizations about groups of people, they can be positive or negative, they can be based on some truth or completely invented. Clichés about national stereotypes can be great fun, but they mustn’t become prejudice! In this post I will try to talk about some stereotypes in a funny way. By laughing about the most common national stereotypes, you can understand the futility of some prejudices and the great value of diversity! I think that discussing about some national stereotypes could be very useful to understand not only other cultures, but even our own! In fact, looking at us through the eyes of someone else might make us think!
At any rate, to really understand a culture you have to experinece it first hand!
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At any rate, to really understand a culture you have to experinece it first hand!
"To travel is to discover that
everyone is wrong about foreign countries."
Aldous Huxley
SOME ACTIVITIES
1
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First of all, let's have a look at some of the most common national stereotypes:
Some printables:
What is your opinion, after having surfed the above sites? Do you know any other stereotypes about your country or about a foreign nation? Do you think that travelling could help better understand another culture? Why?
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2
Now, let's listen to this song.
"Englishman in New York" by Sting
Can you recognize any stereotypes in the song? Which adjectives or nouns are used to describe a British man? Are there any adjectives that refer to American people? Can you understand any differences between English and Americans?
3
Now watch the following video from the BBC and listen to what the British think about their own country's stereotypes.
How would you describe British people? What do you know about the British? Have you ever been to the United Kingdom?
4
Take a look at the following presentation. I have tried to compare British culture to my own culture summarizing the most popular stereotypes about these two countries. I have surfed the Net to take the pulse of the situation (I considered both the Italian and the British point of view) and I found some interesting and funny opinions (and videos)!
Sometimes it's good to laugh at some particular aspect, characteristic or attitude but, remember: we should never disrespect anyone!
Now prepare a presentation about some other cultures, using videos, links, songs, people's opinions or whatever you like! Remember to use irony always respecting others!
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