The article "Pearl to be inducted into National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame" announces the induction of a current coach at the University of Tennessee. Basketball coach, Bruce Pearl will be officially accepted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Museum on June 8 of this year. His ceremony will be held at the Suffolk Jewish Community Center in Commack, N.Y. The article also mentions additional inductees who will join Coach Bruce Pearl on this special occasion.
In regards to the cultural issues, the article is very brief and vague. It is evident that being accepted into a Jewish hall of fame is a cultural matter because of religion. It would have been beneficial to the readers, as well as the overall article, if the reporter would have dug deeper into this subject.
To further uncover the culture of the article, the reporter should have performed some research himself. Facts pertaining to the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Museum would have been helpful and also entertaining. When and why was this hall of fame created? Who are some influential people in this hall of fame? What criteria does a nominee have to meet to qualify as possible candidate for this honor? In general, how does society view this Honor?
Interviewing Coach Bruce Pearl would have been very advantageous. The reporter would not only be looking at this subject from the outsider perspective, but experiencing it firsthand would lead him to the insider perspective as well. Questions worth asking him would be how he reacted to being accepted into the Nation Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Is it an honor that he has always wanted to reach? How has knowing that he will be inducted changed his life? The most important question would be how the Jewish religion has played a role in Pearl’s life.
It would be useful if the reporter would have interviewed others additionally. Gathering other people’s views on this subject would bring further support to his article. An interview with the director of the hall of fame or even the rabbi of Pear’s local synagogue would bring more culture into the article.
An ethnographer could make the article better-rounded for this given cultural event. Performing further research on this topic and representing many perspectives would answer many of the reader’s unanswered questions.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Venus vs. Mars
I am my true character… only when I am comfortable. I am myself during the moments when I can talk for hours on the phone about anything or even nothing at all. I am who I am when I can share secrets and gossip without holding back. The times when I am free to share the deep feelings I hold with all my friends are when I feel the most comfortable.
Occasionally I find myself in situations where I feel as though I cannot fully act myself. I find myself feeling like an outsider simply observing the events that are occurring. I experience uncertainty, questioning if I should step within the boundaries into reality and engage in these events. Not knowing what to say or how to properly act makes me nervous and feel somewhat uneasy, therefore hindering my communication through language.
Work meetings or class discussions are prime examples of situations in which I feel abandoned from my language. My co-workers and peers contribute to debates and arguments while I witness from outside their circle. It is not that I am unconcerned or careless about the discussion, but I feel apprehensive about speaking out and voicing my opinion. I am hesitant because I am afraid of failure. I do not want to appear ignorant from making a thoughtless comment. The special moments when I do contribute to a discussion, I consciously map out in my mind exactly what I am going to say.
After reading the article entitled “Put Down That Paper and Talk to Me” written by Tannen, I realized that it is true that men report and women rapport. Our own discussions that we hold in our English class serve as an example. Those students who speak out and carry on the discussions are primarily boys, while the girls occasionally give their input.
About five minutes after reading “Put Down That Paper and Talk to Me”, the article became reality. As soon as my boyfriend came over to my apartment to hang out, he flipped on the TV. He insisted that he finish watching the basketball game which he could not possibly miss. I expected our night to be chill, one in which we could simply talk. But naturally, his view of hanging out is different from mine. I started to feel disappointed until I remembered what I had just read; the manner in which men communicate contrasts to the way women communicate.
Immediately after the game was over, I suggested that we go to Starbucks. Coincidently we each saw our best friends. My conversation with my girlfriend was about our week. We chatted about how crazy it was that Humes Hall caught on fire and how she was afraid all her clothes were set ablaze. We also spoke about her new potential boyfriend. My boyfriend however, recounted every single play of the game he just watched. It was almost as if it was a competition between him and his friend of who could remember the most plays.
Within an hour, I experienced countless examples that reflected the article I had previously read. It served as a friendly reminder of how two genders differ so greatly.
Occasionally I find myself in situations where I feel as though I cannot fully act myself. I find myself feeling like an outsider simply observing the events that are occurring. I experience uncertainty, questioning if I should step within the boundaries into reality and engage in these events. Not knowing what to say or how to properly act makes me nervous and feel somewhat uneasy, therefore hindering my communication through language.
Work meetings or class discussions are prime examples of situations in which I feel abandoned from my language. My co-workers and peers contribute to debates and arguments while I witness from outside their circle. It is not that I am unconcerned or careless about the discussion, but I feel apprehensive about speaking out and voicing my opinion. I am hesitant because I am afraid of failure. I do not want to appear ignorant from making a thoughtless comment. The special moments when I do contribute to a discussion, I consciously map out in my mind exactly what I am going to say.
After reading the article entitled “Put Down That Paper and Talk to Me” written by Tannen, I realized that it is true that men report and women rapport. Our own discussions that we hold in our English class serve as an example. Those students who speak out and carry on the discussions are primarily boys, while the girls occasionally give their input.
About five minutes after reading “Put Down That Paper and Talk to Me”, the article became reality. As soon as my boyfriend came over to my apartment to hang out, he flipped on the TV. He insisted that he finish watching the basketball game which he could not possibly miss. I expected our night to be chill, one in which we could simply talk. But naturally, his view of hanging out is different from mine. I started to feel disappointed until I remembered what I had just read; the manner in which men communicate contrasts to the way women communicate.
Immediately after the game was over, I suggested that we go to Starbucks. Coincidently we each saw our best friends. My conversation with my girlfriend was about our week. We chatted about how crazy it was that Humes Hall caught on fire and how she was afraid all her clothes were set ablaze. We also spoke about her new potential boyfriend. My boyfriend however, recounted every single play of the game he just watched. It was almost as if it was a competition between him and his friend of who could remember the most plays.
Within an hour, I experienced countless examples that reflected the article I had previously read. It served as a friendly reminder of how two genders differ so greatly.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Language Through the Eyes of a Child
As a naïve child, I thought I lived a normal life. My days reflected what I saw other children doing. I played hopscotch with neighborhood kids, climbed carelessly to the top of trees, and tumbled down hills creating grass stains upon my knees. As I reflect upon the days of my youth however, I recognize that one aspect of my childhood was quite different from many children my age. I realize my parents gave me a gift that surpasses all other gifts. My mother and father gave me the gift of experience. As a child, I unconsciously learned two languages simultaneously through experience.
Throughout my first years of childhood, my father spoke to me in English while my mother spoke strictly Japanese to me. They did the same for my older sister. It was not a struggle to pick up both languages because I was exposed equally to both. Speaking a second language came with ease and seemed only natural for me.
As my sister and I became a little older, we would come home from school and my mother would attempt to hold Japanese lessons. Her goal was to teach us advanced vocabulary, complex grammar, and how to write using unfamiliar characters. It was challenging to learn in this type of setting because I felt almost as if I was forced to continue learning Japanese. It became increasingly difficult to learn as we progressed through our weekly lessons.
My mother recognized our struggle to learn in a teaching type atmosphere. She understood that my sister and I needed to be surrounded by the Japanese language in order to effectively learn it. The only manor in which I could become completely fluent was to be in an entirely Japanese environment.
I lived among sushi, chopsticks, and bullet trains during the summer months from when I was seven years old until I was thirteen. Throughout those years I learned the distinctly different Japanese culture, customs, and ultimately the language. My sister and I lived with my grandparents who knew only a handful of English words. It became a game when we encountered a word that we did not know how to say in Japanese. We described the unknown word with symbols such as drawings or other similar objects until the translation for that particular word was discovered.
Watching television shows was yet another way I picked up certain Japanese words. Seeing and hearing unfamiliar words in context led me to comprehend far more Japanese than in any lesson back at home. My grandparents found it humorous that my sister and I sang along to certain commercials. The thought that we were learning new words and sentence structure never crossed our mind. We sang merely because it was our choice and at the same time entertaining. Resembling my learning process as a toddler, I was again learning the language unconsciously.
As I became progressively comfortable with Japanese, English strangely sounded foreign. I rarely heard English spoken when I was out in public. It was almost shocking the few times I heard English because it stood out greatly over the Japanese voices. It is very odd when you feel distant in some sense from your own primary language. This same routine of becoming accustomed to the Japanese language occurred each summer I visited my grandparents.
As I look back upon my childhood, I understand more clearly the importance of learning a language through experience. The methods and conditions in which a language is learned are imperative. Being forced to learn prohibits learning, but subtle efforts of wanting to learn brings you knowledge. Tom Bodett clearly encompasses the exact feelings of my youth as he says, " The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson."
Throughout my first years of childhood, my father spoke to me in English while my mother spoke strictly Japanese to me. They did the same for my older sister. It was not a struggle to pick up both languages because I was exposed equally to both. Speaking a second language came with ease and seemed only natural for me.
As my sister and I became a little older, we would come home from school and my mother would attempt to hold Japanese lessons. Her goal was to teach us advanced vocabulary, complex grammar, and how to write using unfamiliar characters. It was challenging to learn in this type of setting because I felt almost as if I was forced to continue learning Japanese. It became increasingly difficult to learn as we progressed through our weekly lessons.
My mother recognized our struggle to learn in a teaching type atmosphere. She understood that my sister and I needed to be surrounded by the Japanese language in order to effectively learn it. The only manor in which I could become completely fluent was to be in an entirely Japanese environment.
I lived among sushi, chopsticks, and bullet trains during the summer months from when I was seven years old until I was thirteen. Throughout those years I learned the distinctly different Japanese culture, customs, and ultimately the language. My sister and I lived with my grandparents who knew only a handful of English words. It became a game when we encountered a word that we did not know how to say in Japanese. We described the unknown word with symbols such as drawings or other similar objects until the translation for that particular word was discovered.
Watching television shows was yet another way I picked up certain Japanese words. Seeing and hearing unfamiliar words in context led me to comprehend far more Japanese than in any lesson back at home. My grandparents found it humorous that my sister and I sang along to certain commercials. The thought that we were learning new words and sentence structure never crossed our mind. We sang merely because it was our choice and at the same time entertaining. Resembling my learning process as a toddler, I was again learning the language unconsciously.
As I became progressively comfortable with Japanese, English strangely sounded foreign. I rarely heard English spoken when I was out in public. It was almost shocking the few times I heard English because it stood out greatly over the Japanese voices. It is very odd when you feel distant in some sense from your own primary language. This same routine of becoming accustomed to the Japanese language occurred each summer I visited my grandparents.
As I look back upon my childhood, I understand more clearly the importance of learning a language through experience. The methods and conditions in which a language is learned are imperative. Being forced to learn prohibits learning, but subtle efforts of wanting to learn brings you knowledge. Tom Bodett clearly encompasses the exact feelings of my youth as he says, " The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson."
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Virtually Deceptive
I immediately became interested in weasel words as I began reading William Lutz’s article, “Empty Eggs: The Doublespeak of Weasel Words.” I had never before heard this word or even the concept of this word. It is obvious to me that advertisers creatively present their products to the consumers in a manner that makes us believe that we cannot live without their product. However, I never realized that we are only attracted to these products by means of the advertisers’ skillful use of words, often times meaningless and empty. They embellish their products with promises. As expected, consumers only pay attention to these promises and do not take it upon themselves to discover what makes this product so superior to other products. It is our job as consumers to comprehend the true and literal meaning to advertisers’ claims.
I am now aware that I am a vulnerable victim of weasel words. It did not take me but a few seconds to find a dozen products in my makeup bag that shined with weasel words. The first product that caught my eye was a bottle of TYLENOL®. The label noticeably read, “EXTRA STRENGTH fast acting pain reliever.” This product is a prime example of the use of weasel words. If consumers read this claim literally, it would not mean anything at all. What does “extra” mean? Is the strength of this product above their previous formula, more enhanced than their competitors’ drugs, or does it give you “extra strength” compared to not taking anything at all for pain? “Fast acting” and “reliever” are yet more weasel words.
The second product I came across was a bottle of “infallible never fail makeup.” There are a lot of claims that the producer makes on this two inch bottle. Did L'Oréal really invent a makeup that is incapable of making mistakes and that is successful at all times? As much as I would hope, this is not true. The VOLUM’ EXPRESS TURBO BOOST ® mascara is my favorite “weaseled” product. Turbo literally refers to what creates a combustion in the engine that causes a car to accelerate rapidly. The words “volume,” “express,” and “boost” are all in reality meaningless words when describing mascara. The advertiser leaves the name of the product open to our imagination. It is full of claims and promises that are deceptive when not taken literally.
It is not necessarily wrong that producers label their products with weasel words. Their main goal is to sell their product, and in doing so, they tweak their words to grab attention. Consumers are taken advantage of everyday by not peering into the literal meanings of words. Without even realizing, you may also be a victim of weasel words.
I am now aware that I am a vulnerable victim of weasel words. It did not take me but a few seconds to find a dozen products in my makeup bag that shined with weasel words. The first product that caught my eye was a bottle of TYLENOL®. The label noticeably read, “EXTRA STRENGTH fast acting pain reliever.” This product is a prime example of the use of weasel words. If consumers read this claim literally, it would not mean anything at all. What does “extra” mean? Is the strength of this product above their previous formula, more enhanced than their competitors’ drugs, or does it give you “extra strength” compared to not taking anything at all for pain? “Fast acting” and “reliever” are yet more weasel words.
The second product I came across was a bottle of “infallible never fail makeup.” There are a lot of claims that the producer makes on this two inch bottle. Did L'Oréal really invent a makeup that is incapable of making mistakes and that is successful at all times? As much as I would hope, this is not true. The VOLUM’ EXPRESS TURBO BOOST ® mascara is my favorite “weaseled” product. Turbo literally refers to what creates a combustion in the engine that causes a car to accelerate rapidly. The words “volume,” “express,” and “boost” are all in reality meaningless words when describing mascara. The advertiser leaves the name of the product open to our imagination. It is full of claims and promises that are deceptive when not taken literally.
It is not necessarily wrong that producers label their products with weasel words. Their main goal is to sell their product, and in doing so, they tweak their words to grab attention. Consumers are taken advantage of everyday by not peering into the literal meanings of words. Without even realizing, you may also be a victim of weasel words.
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