International Student's Abroad

Culture is embedded in the way communicate!

I recently went to Puerto Rico, where the country, a U.S. commonwealth, has its own unique culture. From the traditions, politics, architecture, dress, and food, to the way in which people greet each other and converse with each other – its cultural flavor is very different from that in the United States.

Spanish is the primary language of those who live in Puerto Rico, however, English is the second language taught in school. So, you would assume then, that all Puerto Ricans speak English with confidence, right? Wrong, according to many Puerto Ricans I met. Like many, they view themselves as foreign speakers of English.  And like many of you, have learned English from a non-native English speaker.

Some of the people I met there watch American television, and because of this, understand much more English than they can speak. I bring this up, because this is an excellent way to improve one’s English comprehension skills.

If you can, tune into American television to prepare yourself for listening to American English. You will also learn about American culture this way.

I recommend the following Sitcoms – otherwise known as situation comedies.

Hulu.com is a great way to access American television programs.

http://www.hulu.com/  (Only available to people in the U.S.)

For those living outside the U.S., use these links to view episodes from these shows:

Modern Family http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family

The Middle http://abc.go.com/shows/the-middle

The Office  http://www.nbc.com/the-office/

Parks and Recreation http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/

Gossip Girl http://www.cwtv.com/shows/gossip-girl/

Ugly Betty http://www.tvduck.com/Ugly-Betty.html

And of course – American News channels – CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN