Intercultural project 2019-1

Subject: Anglophone language and culture

Title: This is what makes us unique!
Objective: Explore and celebrate our own cultural identity by reflecting upon its key
features in relation to other cultures.

Description
This project builds from one popular local TV show called “Los puros Criollos.” This
show explores key cultural practices, assumptions and meanings people in Colombia
share regarding issues such as national symbols (examples of episodes: La bandera, El
himno nacional); eating habits (examples of episodes: El tamal, La lechona); religion
(examples of episodes: Rituales religiosos, El sagrado corazón); leisure activities
(examples of episodes: El tejo); and many other issues of our everyday life (e.g. El
rebusque, Economia criolla). Most of the episodes can be found on-line at
(https://www.rtvcplay.co/los-puros-criollos). The project consists of extending this way
of approaching our culture to now explore English speaking cultures of our interest. To
do that, the following steps are proposed:

Stage 1
1. Become familiar with the TV show, its format and nature by watching some of
the episodes you feel most attracted to (at least five).
2. Watch and analyze an episode from Los Puros Criollos in class. The analysis
could focus on the aspects that students will need to complete the wriiten and
oral assignments from this project: format of the program and the cultural
practices, assumptions and meanings addressed in each episode.
3. Choose one (different) Anglophone country you would like to explore. For a list
of countries, students may visit:
http://www.emmir.org/fileadmin/user_upload/admission/Countries_where_Engli
sh_is_an_official_language.pdf ).
4. Investigate and examine cultural practices in the chosen country. You are
advised to use different sources of information such as internet, books, movies,
and people who live/have visited the country. At this point, you should start to
take systematic note of the information found.
5. Identify three key cultural practices/symbols/issues you’d like to explore in
depth (such as the ones addressed in Los Puros Criollos).The topics addressed in
Keynote may also guide the selection (e.g. wealth distribution, lying practices).
 Products stage 1:
a) A compare and contrast magazine article: Drawing on the information gathered,
as well as your own experiential knowledge, write a 500-word article for The
World Cultures Magazine, comparing and contrasting the meanings people have
built around the three cultural practices/symbols/issues you’ve chosen, with
equivalent issues in our local culture.
The text should have the following structure and develop at least the following
three themes:
 Title
 Introduction: What are you going to do?
 First paragraph: Compare and contrast cultural features of the first
theme chosen.
 Second paragraph: Compare and contrast cultural features of the
second theme chosen.
 Third paragraph: Compare and contrast cultural features of the
third theme chosen.
 Conclusion: Brief summary of the content of the article
The following are some useful resources you may use to develop this task:
 Useful list of expressions:
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/compare-and-contrast/
 Video on writing compare and contrast articles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJY2JqKEkvQ

b) Oral presentation: You should prepare a 6-8 minute talk, presenting some of the
key points you developed in your article. You are allowed to use audiovisual
materials to support your talk. However, if you are using slides, you may only
include pictures. If you are using videos or audio-recordings, their length cannot
exceed 1.5 minutes.

Stage 2
Following on from the information gathered and discussed in the first stage of the
project, now you should:
1. Select only one of the cultural themes of the Anglophone culture you have
already discussed.
2. Find new sources of information about it. Collect new information.
3. Plan how to make a 5-8 minute video reporting it, following a similar format as
“Los Puros Criollos”
 Products stage 2:
a) An opinion essay: In light of all the information gathered throughout the project,
write a 500-word opinion essay, guided by the following question: What makes
Colombians unique?
The essay should have the following structure and develop at least three broad
opinions:
 Title
 Introduction: What are you going to do?
 First paragraph: Opinion 1 and at least 2-3 reasons for your
opinion.
 Second paragraph: Opinion 2 and at least 2-3 reasons for your
opinion.
 Third paragraph: Opinion 3 and at least 2-3 reasons for your
opinion.
 Conclusion: Brief summary of the content of the essay
The following are some useful resources you may use to develop this task:
 Example of opinion essay and some tips:
https://www.murphycentre.ca/trudy/English3201/HandoutWritingtheOpi
nionEssay.htm
 Video on opinion essays:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqwzYoThUpg

b) Video: An original creation of the students about the issues they have explored
in-depth, using the format of Los Pruros Criollos as reference.

Assessment:
Following the curricular principles of DEIN, assessment will combine formative and
assessment procedures. Formative assessment will take place at specific moments (at least
2) each teacher establishes to keep track of the process to develop the project. This is a
moment for offering recommendations, further guidance and solving doubts. The written
and oral products of each stage will be assessed summatively. This process will be
supported by general pre-established assessment criteria students are given beforehand.