Christmas Explained
It’s December, and that means it’s the holiday season in the United States! The holiday season can mean different things to different people and communities across the country. While some Americans prefer to celebrate the winter season in general or nothing at all, December brings several important cultural holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Regardless of what you celebrate this … Read More
Five Unique Aspects of American Culture
People traveling to the U.S. often come with an idea of what American life and culture is like, based on what they see in movies and TV shows. One might imagine skyscrapers, bustling city streets, and road trips down Route 66. But how do these ideas measure up to reality? 1. The U.S. is big Travelers from other countries, especially Europe, … Read More
Can language change the way we think?
Have you ever been sitting in your language class and wondering why some words in your native language cannot be directly translated to the language that you are learning? Why does it seem that one language represents the same idea differently than another? Linguists throughout history have been interested in this very question. Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf studied … Read More
NWSE Pumpkin Contest Announcement!
NWSE Pumpkin Carving Contest Winners! The first place winner of the NWSE Pumpkin Carving Contest is Marin from Japan! We had a tie for second place: Tim from Germany and Alizee from France. So many of you submitted amazing pumpkins this year! We decided to give two prizes to the two students who got the next highest votes. Those … Read More