Governor’s School for Excellence in Chinese Language and Culture The University of Delaware June 16 – August 5, 2007
E-Journal Project
Part 1: “Journaling” the cross-cultural rollercoaster Part 2: Documenting our journey Part 3: Group presentation Part 1 of this project will help you to make sense of your experience in China. Chances are that you will find yourself being tested on more than just Chinese language during your 7 weeks abroad. Keeping a personal journal and meeting weekly to discuss your insights will help you to work through the extreme emotions (frustration, anger, exhaustion, joy, surprise, wonder) that come from living in another country. Part 2 will involve building a weekly newsletter. Each participant will personally be responsible for documenting a specific topic each week, in at least one written journal entry and one photo (assignments in chart below). At weekly meetings, we’ll review/edit what you’ve written (as well as photos you’ve taken) and create a group newsletter for your families and friends to read at home. Part 3 will turn Part 2 into a concrete presentation. Using the text and photos from the weekly newsletter, we will build a rough PowerPoint slideshow which you can edit further once you return home. You can use this for your presentations to your school, community group, sports team, church, local library – you name it! _____________________________________________________________________________ On-site Journal Assignments – due the day our group meets: Group 1 Activities Places People Xian Compare Activities Reflection Group 2 Compare Activities Places Xian People Compare Reflection Group 3 People Compare Activities Shanghai Places People Reflection Group 4 Places People Compare Shanghai Activities Places Reflection
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Activities: Compare: People: Places:
things that we do (from flights to calligraphy to eating dumplings) things that differ from home (from restaurants to bathrooms to grocery stores) local folks that we get to know (from host families to “buddies” to guest speakers) things that we see (from local architecture to your new homes to the Great Wall)
Governor’s School for Excellence in Chinese Language and Culture The University of Delaware June 16 – August 5, 2007 On-site Group Discussions/Exercises: Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Reading between the lines: cultural assumptions (1.2) Universal, cultural or personal? (1.6) The concept of self – individualism & collectivism (pg. 31) Comparing American and Chinese views (2.3) On the Road Styles of communication – indirect vs. direct (3.2) Who’s in control – activism & fatalism (pg 143) How we’ve grown