After doing all our useful skype echanges I can say that this experience has been very exciting for us because we had the possibility to improve our language.
I think that thanks to this experience I enriched my culture knowledge about different aspects of American culture: I learnt a lot of things about the political system for exemple by doing comparisons with our political system; than I found out a lot of things about University life that I didn't know before as for exemple tha fact that almost all American students are overachiever, This means that they usually study all night long, and if is the case, they don't eat in order to keep concentrate themselves and not waste their time. This is interesting because , for example, in Italy is not like this, we don't have any kind of students rooms available for students during the night...Then from my peer Ashlee I found out that the common image we get from medias is the wrong image of Univeriaty life: Campus, for example,,are not so well-equipped as medias let us believe....they don't have any kind of new table for studying, they don't have a hearth in their rooms, they don't organize parties all nights...and so on.....
Then we talked a lot about our final project topic that is pregnant women rights and we I can proudly say that we have really well managed the work we have to do in order to built a coherente and interesting wiki page.....
I Have to say that the major benefit I got from these skype exchanges was that I really improved my listening. I wasn't used to talk with American people ( I just Had the possibility to live for a while in Wales and tha's why I'm just used to recognize Welsh or English accent rather then the American one)...so by doing my skype exchanges I improved my listening.
To conclude, I can say that the chance our teacher gave us to do these skype echanges has been the best thing I did until now during the years of my college.
mercoledì 14 maggio 2008
Our final project
Wow, finally we did our final project and I have to say that we have well managed things with our American peer Ashlee...first of all we decided the topic( that in the end was pregnant women rights) and then we share the work to do...Ashlee had to find some information about the situation in italy and me, Elisa and Cristina we searched some information about the American situation one....the aim of our work was to make a comparison between the two political and cultural system about this topic....
I thing that we did a really good job; I hope that you will like it!!
Stella
I thing that we did a really good job; I hope that you will like it!!
Stella
domenica 20 aprile 2008
immigration problem in Italy
Immigration problem in Italy is one of the major worries the State really wants to solve or to manage better.
After a first set of immigrant fluxes during 1990 the situation now got worse. The number of immigrants arrived in Italy has increased and the result is an extra-presence of foreigner people who often did not come here for working, but to start illegal or criminals actions.
The influx of immigartion was not yet a large problem. Italy has always had a very low rate of population so it was actually welcoming these workers. These migrants that were being shut out of other western European countries looked to Italy as an easy place to get into unnoticed. At first Italy was used as a way for foreigners to get into the European Union, and eventually many decided to stay once they crossed the border. In 1986, a law was passed by the Italian parliament that protected those workers from outside the European Union by giving them more rights and trying to secure them more jobs in Italy. This increased the amount of foreigners in the country.
Italy's geography make it a perfect spot for illegal imigration, and unfortunately many Africans have died somewhere along the route across mediterranena sea to get from places like Tunisia and Lybia to southern Italy.
Immigration policies within the European Union are much different than those between European Union and non- European countries. The hard part for these people is gaining entry into the EU, after that they probably will not eben need a passport to travel from country as a result of the Schengen Treaty of 1985, giving all members inside the EU the right to move freely across the borders.
Another way these immigrants find ways into the countries is quite creative: when their small boats are met by Italian coast guards as they are approaching the Italian shores, the immigrants find a way to make their boat sink, or cause the motors to stop working, so that there is no way they can be turned back. At this point, they know that the coast guard will have to rescue them by bringing them inland.
Some of the most visible problems being caused by this immigration are regional conflicts between groups of Italians and immigrants ( racism, violence) fluctuating unemployement rates, inreae of workers in unrecognized economic sectors, and the fact that the country is paying for a large amount of foreigners ro be inacrcerated in their prisons.
One reason why these people are not deported when they should be is the 1998 immigration legislation, more commonly known as the Turco-napolitano law.
Part of this law states that those foreigners who are arrested are to be judged by a magistrate. If the magistrate decides that this person will be deported, they are then given two weeks to appeal the decision, during which time they would be alble to slip underground and out of sight.
In July 2002, new legislation was passed, the Bossi-Fini Law which contained an amendment to the Turco-Napolitano Law, stating that illegal immigrants will be ordered to leave the countey within five days, during which time they will be held in Italian custody. The problem with this, however, is that proper deportation procedure is not always followed; foreigners are often not deported as they should be.
After a first set of immigrant fluxes during 1990 the situation now got worse. The number of immigrants arrived in Italy has increased and the result is an extra-presence of foreigner people who often did not come here for working, but to start illegal or criminals actions.
The influx of immigartion was not yet a large problem. Italy has always had a very low rate of population so it was actually welcoming these workers. These migrants that were being shut out of other western European countries looked to Italy as an easy place to get into unnoticed. At first Italy was used as a way for foreigners to get into the European Union, and eventually many decided to stay once they crossed the border. In 1986, a law was passed by the Italian parliament that protected those workers from outside the European Union by giving them more rights and trying to secure them more jobs in Italy. This increased the amount of foreigners in the country.
Italy's geography make it a perfect spot for illegal imigration, and unfortunately many Africans have died somewhere along the route across mediterranena sea to get from places like Tunisia and Lybia to southern Italy.
Immigration policies within the European Union are much different than those between European Union and non- European countries. The hard part for these people is gaining entry into the EU, after that they probably will not eben need a passport to travel from country as a result of the Schengen Treaty of 1985, giving all members inside the EU the right to move freely across the borders.
Another way these immigrants find ways into the countries is quite creative: when their small boats are met by Italian coast guards as they are approaching the Italian shores, the immigrants find a way to make their boat sink, or cause the motors to stop working, so that there is no way they can be turned back. At this point, they know that the coast guard will have to rescue them by bringing them inland.
Some of the most visible problems being caused by this immigration are regional conflicts between groups of Italians and immigrants ( racism, violence) fluctuating unemployement rates, inreae of workers in unrecognized economic sectors, and the fact that the country is paying for a large amount of foreigners ro be inacrcerated in their prisons.
One reason why these people are not deported when they should be is the 1998 immigration legislation, more commonly known as the Turco-napolitano law.
Part of this law states that those foreigners who are arrested are to be judged by a magistrate. If the magistrate decides that this person will be deported, they are then given two weeks to appeal the decision, during which time they would be alble to slip underground and out of sight.
In July 2002, new legislation was passed, the Bossi-Fini Law which contained an amendment to the Turco-Napolitano Law, stating that illegal immigrants will be ordered to leave the countey within five days, during which time they will be held in Italian custody. The problem with this, however, is that proper deportation procedure is not always followed; foreigners are often not deported as they should be.
venerdì 11 aprile 2008
skype exchange.......
My skype exchange is successfull going on!!!! This time I spoke with Ashelee and Elisa as well since last time I spoke alone with Ashlee...so most of all we spoke again about the same things we discussed last wednsday....but a little bit detailed this time.
We spoke about politics, and Ashlee tried to point us out the reason why she's going to vote for Obama....democratic valus, new face, no war...and so on.....then she explained us that in her opinion, the system of the " winner takes all" is not fair, because this system doesn't garantee en equal political rapresentation of everybody.
After She asked us our political preferences and, since me and elisa disagreed about our own political opinions, and we tried to explain Ashlee the reason why each of us is going to vote for one side or for the other one.However, after having said her that I'm not going to vote, she was surprised.I explained her that I really would like to vote, but that I have some " Technical problems" in doing it: i'm obliged to come back home that is in the south of Italy and to vote only in my electoral college....she was surprised because in America, even if you are in another part of the States, you can easly vote by getting an electoral card wherever you are...so this garantees to everybody the opportunity to vote. In my case I cannot vote here in Padova because I need this special electoral schedule that I just can get in my village municipality.
Pity....because I really want to vote and to express finally my political opinion....
We'll see what we'll happen!!!
see u
We spoke about politics, and Ashlee tried to point us out the reason why she's going to vote for Obama....democratic valus, new face, no war...and so on.....then she explained us that in her opinion, the system of the " winner takes all" is not fair, because this system doesn't garantee en equal political rapresentation of everybody.
After She asked us our political preferences and, since me and elisa disagreed about our own political opinions, and we tried to explain Ashlee the reason why each of us is going to vote for one side or for the other one.However, after having said her that I'm not going to vote, she was surprised.I explained her that I really would like to vote, but that I have some " Technical problems" in doing it: i'm obliged to come back home that is in the south of Italy and to vote only in my electoral college....she was surprised because in America, even if you are in another part of the States, you can easly vote by getting an electoral card wherever you are...so this garantees to everybody the opportunity to vote. In my case I cannot vote here in Padova because I need this special electoral schedule that I just can get in my village municipality.
Pity....because I really want to vote and to express finally my political opinion....
We'll see what we'll happen!!!
see u
venerdì 4 aprile 2008
Usa-Italy: culture topics I would like to explore further....
There are a lot of culture topics about my choice I would like to explore further.I chose America because I'm fascinated by everything is concerned with it.Politics, women human rights, lifestyle and so on...
I think that a really interesting topic to explore could be the one about women human rights.I chose this one because as we know, in Italy this topic is far from get the right importance it should have.Women got human rights in the past with vote opportutnity and job equal opportunities.However I have to denonce that , even if we have a lot of opportunities to participate in social life, I think that this is not enough. When a woman is pregnant in Italy, for example, she has not any kind of rights which can assure her that she can keep working.Or, for example, in Italy the period where a women can stay at home to take care about his child is so short that many women are obliged to leave her job in order to stay at home with her baby. I think that this aspect in America is completely different because I know( from a reasearch I've done), that women there have particular economic benefits or social helps from the State during their pregnant period. I would like to know more a bout this aspect because maybe in the future I could move to America and start working there...so that's why I'm so interested in it....
The other interesting culture aspect I would like to expolre further is the one about American lifestyle....from medias I get a relaxed image of people in America but at the same time i gather an overachiever image of them as well, I mean an image where people are stressed. So I think we have a distorted idea of american lifestyle...That's why I'm so interested in knowing always more about the real image of america's culture. Another aspect I woild like to know is the one about University life and college life there, which seems to be very important in America then in Italy. Talking with AShlee during my skype exchanges I got the impression that what we see on tv from American tv series like "Una mamma per amica", or " Veronica Mars" and so on is the reality. People in USA live for the University, they take part of every meetings or projects or partys the University organize for them...( while in Italy The University is just exams exams exams...we don't interact with the institution of Univeristy)....so Ashlee confirmed me that what we see in our American series tv is real and that colleges are well-equipped and homely.
So I would like to develop these two aspects of my culture topic.
I think that a really interesting topic to explore could be the one about women human rights.I chose this one because as we know, in Italy this topic is far from get the right importance it should have.Women got human rights in the past with vote opportutnity and job equal opportunities.However I have to denonce that , even if we have a lot of opportunities to participate in social life, I think that this is not enough. When a woman is pregnant in Italy, for example, she has not any kind of rights which can assure her that she can keep working.Or, for example, in Italy the period where a women can stay at home to take care about his child is so short that many women are obliged to leave her job in order to stay at home with her baby. I think that this aspect in America is completely different because I know( from a reasearch I've done), that women there have particular economic benefits or social helps from the State during their pregnant period. I would like to know more a bout this aspect because maybe in the future I could move to America and start working there...so that's why I'm so interested in it....
The other interesting culture aspect I would like to expolre further is the one about American lifestyle....from medias I get a relaxed image of people in America but at the same time i gather an overachiever image of them as well, I mean an image where people are stressed. So I think we have a distorted idea of american lifestyle...That's why I'm so interested in knowing always more about the real image of america's culture. Another aspect I woild like to know is the one about University life and college life there, which seems to be very important in America then in Italy. Talking with AShlee during my skype exchanges I got the impression that what we see on tv from American tv series like "Una mamma per amica", or " Veronica Mars" and so on is the reality. People in USA live for the University, they take part of every meetings or projects or partys the University organize for them...( while in Italy The University is just exams exams exams...we don't interact with the institution of Univeristy)....so Ashlee confirmed me that what we see in our American series tv is real and that colleges are well-equipped and homely.
So I would like to develop these two aspects of my culture topic.
giovedì 3 aprile 2008
new skype exchange
Last wednsday I did my third skype exchange with my peer Ashlee again.
First of all let me say that,as always, this is a very interesting and amazing experience that I would like to repeat almost everyday!!!!! We have the possbilty to improve our language and that's just fantastic!
We talked about different topics this time: we talked about the future, about politcs(the main topic in both our countries in this period), universty and so on.
About the future she asked me what I really would like to do after get graduated and what are the real job's opportunties I have with my Diploma here in Italy. I tried to explain her that after get graduated it is supposed to become "interpreter" but I don't really feel to become interpreter and that I just hope to work as airplane hostess or I hope to open a travel agency.She told me that for her is different because after gettng graduated she has real interestng job opportunites whitout doing any other higher course to specialize herself in archeology.After all we are talking about Amerca!!!The big dream of everybody! the country that gave to Italians a lot of oportunites to get success and a job in a very sad and tragic period of our past history.I said her that she's just lucky to live there!!!!
About politics we discussed mainly about our own politcal views and the differences between the Amercan and Italian electoral systems.
Ashlee asked me what's happening in Italy in ths period and I really didn't know where I could start from!!!!!It's really a mass Italy now!!!
First of all I tried to explain her the reason of Prodi's government failing: I said her that Prodi's government failed because it didn't get its aims hence it didn't get the trust by both the Camera and the Senato.That's why we have electoral campaign again.
Then she asked me something about Berlusconi and I tried to explain in brief who is he and how he worked during his past government.His government went on until the end of his normal period of stay without creating any kind of tragic and drammatc situation like Prodi has just done it.
Then I asked her what she thinks about American electoral campaign. She tried to figure me out how are the aims of Amercan candidates and in the end she told me that she will vote for Obama.She thinks that he could be the only good representative candidate of America:he is really democratic in his thoughts and in his aims.
After this we talked again about University and we both agreed with the fact that we are living a very stressful period because of the exams but that we are happy talking each other because like this we linked two far worlds just with a call!!!!!
g in tali
sabato 29 marzo 2008
yoga form: a new way to asses your intercultural competence
The yoga form is a very useful tool which allows us to evaluate our own intercultural competence.When living abroad you don't realize that you are using all attitudes learnt during your life( skills, way of thinking, way of manners etc..)
The YOGA form allows us to summarize our unconscious attitudes and competence in a very detailed way. By doing it you become aware of the your real intercultural skills and you recognize at which level you are.But mostly you know in which sectors you have to increase your intercultural objectives.In brief, the yoga form provides an assessment tool at various stages of intercultural development.
Intercultural competence, as we know, is the ability to develop and maintain relationships, the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with minimal loss and the ability to obtain cooperation with others.
Language and culture are dimensions of each other, interrelated.
In my opinion, the most interesting aspect about intercultural competence is that it offers us the possibility to go over the limitations about our own world view. It is useful to open ourself to the world and not to consider all cultures from an ethnocentric point of view( that is by judging cultures from our point of view by comparing it on the basis of our culture).
So intercultural competence allow us to become" global" participants " and so throughout yoga form we can assess our intercultural competence.
By doing it I couldn't complete the part about the level IV ( intercultural/ Multicultural specialist) because I didn't do any kind of specialist multicultural experience.( except working and studying abroad).
In conclusion I can say that it was very useful to complete this yoga form because it was a reflective moment on my real level of intercultural competence.
The YOGA form allows us to summarize our unconscious attitudes and competence in a very detailed way. By doing it you become aware of the your real intercultural skills and you recognize at which level you are.But mostly you know in which sectors you have to increase your intercultural objectives.In brief, the yoga form provides an assessment tool at various stages of intercultural development.
Intercultural competence, as we know, is the ability to develop and maintain relationships, the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with minimal loss and the ability to obtain cooperation with others.
Language and culture are dimensions of each other, interrelated.
In my opinion, the most interesting aspect about intercultural competence is that it offers us the possibility to go over the limitations about our own world view. It is useful to open ourself to the world and not to consider all cultures from an ethnocentric point of view( that is by judging cultures from our point of view by comparing it on the basis of our culture).
So intercultural competence allow us to become" global" participants " and so throughout yoga form we can assess our intercultural competence.
By doing it I couldn't complete the part about the level IV ( intercultural/ Multicultural specialist) because I didn't do any kind of specialist multicultural experience.( except working and studying abroad).
In conclusion I can say that it was very useful to complete this yoga form because it was a reflective moment on my real level of intercultural competence.
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