Education Systems around the World

This week, we read about the US education system. Please write about the education system in your country. This will be our last post of the session!

CESL Bazaar

On Tuesday, April 22, CESL held its semi-annual International Bazaar. Students from more than 30 countries displayed crafts, wore traditional clothing and played music from their homelands. Please write about your experience yesterday, either in terms of what you contributed from your country or what you saw and learned from another culture.

Film Reflection

This week, we viewed the film "Women: A True Story - The Gender Tango". Please post your thoughts on one of the women or female societies portrayed in the film.

Social Relationships

This week, we read about different aspects of socializing in the US. Topics included meeting new people, types of friendships, gender roles, common courtesies, being on time, and gift giving. Please relate an experience you had relating to one of these topics.

American Values & Assumptions

This week, we read about how Americans perceive foreigners and how foreigners perceive Americans. Although much of the text addressed stereotypes, some of what we discussed was true. This week, I'd like you to write about some experience you had dealing with Americans based on the part of the Althen's chapter 1 that you were assigned to summarize. Good luck!

Welcome to Tucson!

It's hard to believe that it is already 2008! Let me be the first to welcome all of our students and faculty, new and returning, to CESL for another great year. If you are new to the city, check out the local events website: http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/visitor.html. Winter is a perfect time to visit the zoo, watch a baseball game, or see an opera or live theater performance. You may even have the opportunity to go skiing on Mt. Lemmon! http://www.go-arizona.com/Mount-Lemmon-Ski-Valley. Yes, it does snow less than an hour's drive from campus! Check out the link box in the upper right hand corner of this blog to learn more about CESL, Tucson's weather, $10 shows at UA Presents! and the Website of the Week, where you can practice English. Have a great semester!
Robert

Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States. It is celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday in November. On this day, families gather together, and many people say prayers of thanks for the year's blessings. In many homes, a big dinner of roast turkey and dressing is served. Thanksgiving is traditionally a harvest festival. Similar festivals are celebrated in many parts of the world to give thanks after the years crops have been safely harvested.

This week, we'd like you to tell us about how you spent your Thanksgiving. Where did you go, what did you do, and what did you eat? Most importantly, tell us something you are thankful for in 2007. From all of us at CESL, Happy Thanksgiving!