A couple of weeks ago I had my students write down some stereotypes and/or questions they had about America/American Culture. Here are some examples (loosely edited for grammatical mistakes):
- Is it true that all Americans are fat and have breakfast at McDonald's?
- Are there dangerous ghettos in Los Gatos? (hahahaha)
- In typical American films, a teenager's life is all parties, drunks, and drugs.
- Is it necessary to be rich to live in NY or California?
- Does someone near you have a gun? If so, do they really feel safer?
- Everyone in America is either obese, has had plastic surgery, or is rich.
- I think that in America there is a lot of pollution and factories and there are few parks, places with trees and animals, and little nature.
- People in the United States eat fast food.
- I think that few people know where Spain is.
- Is it true that American people eat hamburgers everyday? (prob. the #1 stereotpye Europeans have about Americans. Yes, I love hamburgers. No, I don't eat them everyday)
- Are there many people who speak Spanish in the U.S.A.? (hmmm...)
What do you think about these stereotypes? How would you answer these questions? What stereotypes do you have about Spain?
My students also have these stereotypes. I actually haven't eaten a hamburger in years.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole people wouldn't know where Spain is...is wrong. However, they wouldn't know where to locate, say, Barcelona. Probably.
Stereotypes of Spain: siesta, lots of sun, bull fights, and flamenco.