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Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
Practices and Perspectives of Spanish-Speakers and My Own
Prepare
Prepare: As you prepare to write your first discussion for this course, take a few moments to review the Notas Culturales from your primary text and to review any additional resources provided in the Instructor Guidance.
Read ¿Cόmo se Saluda la Gente? (p. 7).
Read ¿Tú o Usted? (p. 12).
Read Los Hispanos (p. 16).
Read Los Apellidos en el Mundo Hispano (p. 33).
Read El Español, Lengua Diversa (p. 46).
In the Student Activities Manual Capítulo 1, read and review SAM 01-55 Las Familias Hispanas [Más cultura].
Reflect
Reflect: Carefully review the questions listed below associated with the cultural readings. When you have reflected on your thoughts for each, you are ready to write your response.
Topic #1: ¿Cόmo Se Saluda la Gente?
How do people in the Spanish-speaking world greet each other?
How do your male friends generally greet each other? And your female friends?
How do greetings reflect a culture?
What does how you greet someone say about you?
In general, how much distance is there between you and the person(s) with whom you are speaking?
What does personal space look like around the world?
What factors contribute to personal space boundaries?
What do your personal space preferences say about you?
Topic #2: Nombres y Apellidos en el Mundo Hispano
It may seem unusual to use more than one last name at a time, but this custom is not unique to Spanish-speaking contexts. Are there any equivalents in the United States or in other countries?
Can you think of any advantages to using both the mother’s and the father’s last names?
What other naming practices or traditions are you familiar with?
In what setting might it be important for professionals to understand the structure of Hispanic names? What problems might Latinos run into because of the different structure of their last names? How could a better understanding of this structure on the part of service providers lessen confusion?
Explain what your last name means and from where it originates.
Do you have a personal anecdote you can share about your name?
Topic #3: Los Hispanos y el Español
Briefly explain the terms Latino and Hispanic. Describe how two people who are of Spanish-speaking heritage could be similar and how they could be different.
What are some equivalent terms that you could use to describe people from more than one English-speaking country? If you had to invent a term to refer to all English-speaking people and cultures, what term would you create?
What are some English words that are used where you live that are not necessarily used in other parts of the country?
What different accents of native speakers of English from the United States can you distinguish and easily identify? What different accents of native speakers of English from outside the United States can you distinguish and easily identify?
If you were to visit another English-speaking country, how much difficulty would you have communicating with the people that live there? Why?
How will your awareness of the diversity of the Spanish language and culture throughout the world influence your approach to studying the language and trying to communicate in the language?
Topic #4: Las Familias Hispanas
How important do you feel your extended family is in your life? In what ways does the importance of your extended family (or lack thereof) manifest itself in the way you choose to live your life and make important decisions?
How often do you get together with your cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents? Would you like to get together more frequently? Why or why not?
How much do you value the opinions of older people in your family?
Do you have godparents or people in your life that serve a similar role? What are the benefits of having those people as part of your personal support system?
In these areas of family practices and perspectives, do you think your case is similar to those of your friends? Do you think its representative of many people across the United States? Why or why not?
Write
Write: Choose one of the four topics listed above, and respond to the questions provided. Your response should be at least 300 words in order to provide sufficient detail and to demonstrate critical thought with respect to these unique cultural practices.
Discuss
Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers. For one of your responses, choose someone who posted on a topic different from what you selected. Share alternate views, provide personal experiences as they relate to the topic, expand upon ideas, or provide questions to encourage further elaboration of the topic. Each response should be a minimum of 75 words.
