Dialogue

Read and translate the dialogue into Russian. Practice good reading of the dialogue. Change the names in the dialogue and learn it by heart. Act it out with a partner.

Meeting by chance (in the street)

Mike	Hi, Grace, how are you doing?
Grace	Mike! Hey, how are you?
Mike	Not bad. Where are you going?
Grace	Over to Jerry’s. How about you?
Mike	Oh, I just got off work. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!
Grace	Well, I better let you go get some supper.
Mike	Yes. It was great seeing you again. Maybe we could get together sometime.
Grace	Sounds good. I’ll give you a call. OK, Mike. Enjoy your meal.
Mike	Thanks. Bye.
Grace	Bye.

Text 2

Read and translate the text into Russian. Ask 10 questions on the text. Retell the text.

Culture Shock

Specialists in intercultural studies say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. They call the feelings which people experience when they come to a new life culture shock.

There are three stages of culture shock. In the first stage the newcomers like their new life. Then the newness wears off. They begin to hate the city, the country, the people and everything else in the new culture. In the final stage of culture shock, the newcomers begin to get used to their new life and enjoy it.

Some of the factors in culture shock are obvious. Maybe the weather is unpleasant. Perhaps the customs are different. Perhaps the public service systems such as telephone, post office or transportation are difficult to understand. The language may be difficult. The food may seem strange to you. If you don’t look similar to the natives, you may feel strange. You may feel like everyone is watching you. In fact you are always watching yourself.

Who experiences culture shock? Everyone does in some form or another. But culture shock comes as a surprise to most people. The people with the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their own countries. They were active and successful in their community. They had hobbies or pastimes which they enjoyed. When they come to a new country, they do not have the same hobbies and positions. They find themselves without a role and must build a new self-image. People begin suffering homesickness, imagined illness or even paranoia (unreasonable fear). When people suffer from cultural shock they want to protect themselves from unfamiliar life. They have the sense of security in their room or apartment, but it does not solve the problem of cultural shock. Only familiarity and experience are solutions of culture shock.

Word list:

culture shock – культурный шок to get used – привыкнуть to experience – испытывать a stage – этап a newcomer – новичок to wear off – постепенно проходить obvious – очевидный perhaps – возможно a custom – обычай different – различный difficult – сложный, трудный similar to – похожий на

the natives – местные жители difficulties – трудности successful – успешный to build a new self-image – создать новое представление о себе самом to suffer homesickness – тосковать по дому to imagine illness – придумывать болезни unreasonable fear – необоснованный страх to protect oneself – защищать себя unfamiliar – незнакомый a sense of security – чувство защищенности familiarity – осведомленность, знания a solution – решение (проблемы)