Our 2nd Presentation
Topic: Language & Culture
Due: 20th & 21st of October
Length: 4-5 minutes EACH person 
Groups: Pairs only** (not the same pairs as the 1st presentation)
Visual Aid? Yes! PowerPoint presentation, Prezi, and visually pleasing paper handouts are
acceptable.
DO NOT USE: Movie clips, music, or YouTube, etc. There’s just not enough time! I want to
hear you speak!
Think and talk about the following quotes. What do they mean? Do you agree or disagree? Consider your own
experience with learning a second language, and your experience studying your first language.
Do you think it’s possible to learn a language without learning about its culture?
“Not everyone who knows how to write can be a writer. Not everyone who knows two languages can be a
translator.”
- Nataly Kelley, author
“Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.”
- Benjamin Lee Whorf, linguist
“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.”
- Rita Mae Brown, author
“Those who know nothing of foreign languages, knows nothing of their own.”
- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, writer/poet/statesman
“To have another language is to possess a second soul.”
- Charlemagne, aka King Charles I (768-814 a.d.)
Possible Topics:
Language & Culture in Music
Storytelling & Cultural Values
Myths/Legends of your culture
The Language Classroom
Compare/Contrast English Lang/Culture & your First Language/Culture
History of your Lang/Culture
How to Learn your First Language
Globalization & Language
Watch a TED Talk for Inspiration-- Patricia Ryan: Don't insist on English!, John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!!
Choose a speaking partner that you have not worked with before. Come up with a topic that is
related to Language & Culture (you may use the quotes above for inspiration).
Partner’s Name:
Chosen Topic:
Agree on a time to meet in the library to research your topic:________________________
**For the 3rd presentation, you must work with a new partner!