Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Topic 1 - All About Culture
Topic 1 - All About Culture
Topic 1 - All About Culture
1.1. Pre-interpreting
Dating
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1.2. Interpreting Practice
Discuss and guess the overall meaning of each of the talks based on the notes given.
Then, listen to the talks, use appropriate techniques and do interpretation into
Vietnamese.
1.2.1. Dating is the traditional first step towards marriage. But nowadays, young
people date in different ways. Listen to the following talk about dating in America.
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1.2.2. Eating betel nut is a common habit which is practised in Southeast Asia. Listen
to an American sharing his experience with betel nut eating.
- When I was about sixteen, in high school in Australia, my teacher gave me a book to
read called, “The Surprising Asians”.
- had a wonderful time and met people from Cambodia and Laos, Thailand and
Vietnam and learned about their culture and tried the food that they ate
- it really captured my imagination
- one thing that stayed in my memory was the description of eating betel nut.
- it was such an interesting thing to eat this nut that made your mouth red and gave
you a feeling of, that stimulated you a little bit like maybe coffee or another stimulant.
- some markets in Bac Ha, near Sa Pa
- her mouth was very red with betel nut juice
- took me down the street to a little shop
- it would be very strange for a Westerner to want to chew betel nut
- she very kindly got the nut and the leaves and the lime and prepared it for me so I
could try it.
- to taste bad in some way
- it really just tasted like leaves
- when I first read about chewing on betel nut
Find the best possible equivalent to the Vietnamese words and phrases given.
Listen to the talk and practise interpreting into English.
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- vùng nhiệt đới châu Á, khu vực Trung Á, Đông Nam Á và một số quần đảo trên Thái
Bình Dương
- ngôn ngữ của trầu cau
- biểu trưng cho lối ứng xử giao tiếp giữa các mối quan hệ trong xã hội
phương tiện để biểu lộ tình cảm con người với nhau
- nét văn hóa độc đáo, tồn tại xuyên suốt quá trình phát triển của lịch sử dân tộc
- đang dần mai một
(From Vietnam Airlines Inflight Magazine)
Notes:
old legends and documents
the custom of chewing betel leaves and areca nut
betel quids
the Pacific archipelagos
symbol of social relations and means of expressing mutual human affection
folded betel leaf/ white limestone/ a piece of yellow areca nut
cinnamon bark or straw wisps
polyphenol extract/ antibactria agent
crimson lips and cheeks/ a smile revealing black teeth/ hallmark or symbol of female
beauty
offering during religious rituals
betel kits
fading into obscrunity
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1.4. Home Task
PAIRWORK
With a partner, think of other habits commonly practised in your country which might
not be seen elsewhere in the world.
Now listen to your partner sharing what they know about that habit and practise
interpreting.
GROUPWORK
In groups of four or five, decide on a cultural topic/ issue/ story and search information
for a presentation. Design a group presentation (either using visual aids, power point
slides or posters) in Vietnamese or English. Take turn to be the interpreter and practise
interpreting the presentation into the target language.