Using "anti-American".

[metal56]

I've enjoyed reading the comments here.

I use the term "anti-American" in sentences like
"Is that another anti-American riot they're showing on CNN? Could you please switch it to Gilmore Girls?"

Are The Gilmore girls anti-Muslim?

[lolwhites]

I think here you have to allow for the figurative and not the literal meaning. "America" has become a symbol for many things and to be pro- or anti- American is to be for or against what you perceive America to symbolise.

Sure, but that is precisely why it is such a lazy term. Since "America" is a symbol for so many things, those who consider themselves anti-American need to be clearer about exactly what it is they're against. I have a colleague in from the USA who encounters a great deal of not very well veiled hostility from her students (even though they all listen to rap and eat fast food - go figure) just because she's a US citizen.

Finally, I think that anyone who uses the term "anti-American" is probably assuming that their listeners share their prejudices. After all, to understand the speaker requires that the listener knows what aspects of "America", real or perceived, are being referred to.

There probably isn't a teaching poiont to this discussion but I've tried to keep it semantic rather than political.

[metal56]

Sure, but that is precisely why it is such a lazy term. Since "America" is a symbol for so many things, those who consider themselves anti-American need to be clearer about exactly what it is they're against.

I haven't come across many who would consider themselves anti-American. I've come across thousands who would accuse others of being anti-American.

Googled:

73,400 páginas en inglés de "are anti-american".

486 páginas en inglés de "we are anti-american".

666 páginas en inglés de "am anti-american"

I have a colleague in from the USA who encounters a great deal of not very well veiled hostility from her students (even though they all listen to rap and eat fast food - go figure) just because she's a US citizen.

Are rap and fastfood considered as American-only products by those students?

There probably isn't a teaching poiont to this discussion but I've tried to keep it semantic rather than political.

The point is that the term arises in many of my classes and on fora all over the world. Students ask what it means and why people use it. They need definitions.

[metal56]

Is there a teaching point to this discussion?

I would hate to see this forum becoming a political blog.

Suddenly, lots of student have been asking about terms (such as "anti-American" and "fascist-muslims") they are coming across on blogs and fora all over the world. What are you going to do to help them find definitions of those terms?

[lolwhites]

Are rap and fastfood considered as American-only products by those students?

To be honest, I'd be surprised if they'd given it any thought.

[metal56]

Are rap and fastfood considered as American-only products by those students?

To be honest, I'd be surprised if they'd given it any thought.

Me too. Rap and fastfood are universal things.

[metal56]

Metal 56

Thanks for the link. The content is to depressing to be amusing. The paranoia that is stirred up by this kind of thinking is a key to preventing reasoned thought. I mean, of course, the kind of thinking the paranoia machine in the media creates as opposed to the researchers quoted although the stuff from the economist was a fine piece of satire. But in general, I find the effect of the "free press" a bit reminiscent of the effect of the sheep in Animal Farm.

Even more depressing:

Extract:

This government by syllogism makes no sense at all. Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda have challenged the US government; ergo anyone who challenges the government is a potential terrorist. That Bin Laden is, according to US officials, a "fascist" while the other groups are progressives is irrelevant: every public hand raised in objection will from now on be treated as a public hand raised in attack. Given that Osama Bin Laden is not a progressive but is a millionaire, it would surely make more sense to round up and interrogate all millionaires.

The rest is here:

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/McCar ... esist.html

[stephen]

Is there a teaching point to this discussion?

I would hate to see this forum becoming a political blog.

Actually, I would like you to explain how you could explain this term in a nonpolitical manner. Although this hasn't come up in class, we have been discussing stuff like cloning and genetic enginnering recently. How can you bring in certain vocabulary and how they are perceived without touching on some form of moral interpretation? (After all, students have views on this kind of thing and want to know how to express them in English.) (Incidentally, I'm not talking about God, so please no smart comments on that score. But rather the rights or wrongs of company's being able to patent the human genoneme, genetically patent crops, etc.) The trick in such situations is to try to introduce and discuss it from a range of perspectives. AntiAmerican is much harder because their are only two. It is a black and white word. Understanding this kind of language use in English is valuable for them although I don't get into it in class intentionally. But if it comes up it is good to be able to explain this

Personally, I try to avoid discussing politics, but if students ask a question about vocabulary then I think it is part of my job to discuss it with them.

Stephen
Please feel free to correct me with a suitable explanation of what you believe I've missed if you feel that Anti American can be explained from a variety of positions.

[stephen]

M56

An excellent post.

You're right. It is even more depressing. But at least, some people can still see it.

Stephen

[metal56]

M56

An excellent post.

You're right. It is even more depressing. But at least, some people can still see it.

Stephen

Yes. No rose-coloured glasses for us.

Personally, I try to avoid discussing politics, but if students ask a question about vocabulary then I think it is part of my job to discuss it with them.

Many times, in Spain, the ability to discuss politics is a requirement of the students upon the teacher. I found the same was true in Lithuania.

[stephen]

Domestic politics are a real hot potato in Taiwan. Just look at their position with China. I'd imagine the cultural differences on this score are pretty big as regards Taiwan and Spain. They certainly don't bring politics up in class very often.

[metal56]

Domestic politics are a real hot potato in Taiwan. Just look at their position with China. I'd imagine the cultural differences on this score are pretty big as regards Taiwan and Spain. They certainly don't bring politics up in class very often.

I'm sure they don't.

[JuanTwoThree]

Opening this up a bit, apparently coursebooks steer clear of the following:

"politics, alcohol, religion, sex, narcotics, isms and pork"

to avoid offending and of course to sell the same book on every market. Obviously the final P is a shorthand for delicate cultural differences.

This list, which conveniently acronyms as PARSNIP, is precisely what some students in Spain do want to discuss in class, though a minority is extremely uncomfortable with the idea. Usually the same people are also not keen on the idea of speaking about the most anodyne of subjects either, though there are some who are normally very chatty but don't care for PARSNIP.

Obviously it varies considerably from culture to culture and I've heard some friend-of-a-friend stories about teachers put on the next plane for unfortunate class content or comments, even if the students "started it".

But if students raise their need for the language of PARSNIP issues then I think the teacher has to respond and not be the one to say what is and isn't a taboo topic, unless the job's in jeopardy. Putting the world to rights at 4 am is, I hope, exactly what they'll be doing on their ERASMUS exchange years or on the beach in wherever they'll be in the future.

In my opinion they need to practise the function of all night serious student chat as much as that of anything else. But what of classes in the UK with a mixture of backgrounds, and how to accommodate the minority?

[metal56]

In my opinion they need to practise the function of all night serious student chat as much as that of anything else. But what of classes in the UK with a mixture of backgrounds, and how to accommodate the minority?

Ask the minority to make a list of topics that they would have no problem in discussing in class. Then have them interview the majority to see which of those topics the majority would not want to discuss. I've done this exercise many times and there are always one or two topics that the majority either have no interest in or refuse to discuss. Finally, tell the minority that it's all swings and roundabouts.



As for the restricted content of most - not all - ESL books, have you seen this article before?

Extract:

Of course, the way UK EFLers infantilise their classes is in
direct response to the way late teenage and adult learners
regress as they step over the threshold of the language classroom.
Back in the classroom, these learners revert to earlier, learnt
behaviours which hang uneasily from their adult shoulders. The
regressing student and the infantilising teacher form a happy,
mutually-reinforcing couple. And yet, out of school, both are
adults.

http://nti.educa.rcanaria.es/tea/TEAM1/24.pdf

[JuanTwoThree]

Parent-Child

Host-Guest

Coach-Team Member

Preacher- Congregation

Which is closest to Teacher-Student?

Certainly the regression that Mario R describes suggests that many students feel most comfy with the first. So some do produce more language when they are talking about "naughty" things. Others less.