Aims:

The activity aims at interlinguistic and intercultural comparison: words and linguistic expressions offer an occasion to discover differences in meaning and culturally connoted behavior.

How To:

Phase 1:

Children, even with the help of their parents, research words and rules (uses, gestures, ...) in some concrete situations in order to make a comparison between the different uses. For example:

 

- Words, uses and rules in conversation situations:

o How do we greet each other? What are the rules of behavior to speak politely? Consider these situations:

▪ When one of your parents goes to buy bread

▪ When you address a person older than you

▪ When you address a person younger than you

▪ When are you talking to your family member (mum, dad, grandparents, uncles, ...)

▪ When do address the teacher

 

-        Words, traditions and rules at the table: do you say something before you start eating? Are there any rules on how to set the table? Are there any rules of good behavior at the table? Do you behave in the same way when you are with your family and when you have guests?

 

-        Words, traditions and rules when a child is born: do you say something the mother and father? Is it celebrated in any way? When?

 

-        At weddings: do you say something to the couple? Is it celebrated in any way? What are the members of a couple called before getting married? And after?

 

Words, traditions and rules when putting a child to bed: do you say something to the child? And what does the child answer? Do you do something just before going to sleep?

 

-        Words, traditions and rules when receiving a gift: when do you give gifts? What do you say when someone gives you a gift? Do you use the same word in other situations? If so, which ones? What does the person who gives you the gift tell you?

 

-        Words, traditions and rules when invited to a birthday party: are birthdays celebrated? What do you say when someone invites you to a birthday party? Do you use the same word in other situations? If so, which ones? What do you say to the person doing the birthday? What do you sing?

 

- Words, traditions and rules when someone tells you that you have a nice hairstyle: are you comfortable? What do you answer? Do you use the same word in other situations? If so, which ones? ...

Examples of things to compare can be suggested by children and become part of daily conversation.

 

Phase 2:

A sort of plurilingual and pluricultural etiquette can be compiled digitally (power point or similar open source programs), on paper or re-enacted, creating video documentation. For each of the situations discussed above, material found on the web inherent to the situation (images, videos on youtube, songs, newspaper articles, ...) or audio / video material or situations in the family or with friends (eg images of a birthday party, audio of adults who greet each other, ...) can be collected.