BTAN13000BA
American Civilization
Spring 2015
Tóthné Dr. Espák Gabriella
WED 14-16, Rm. 106.
Office: Main Bld 108/1
Seminar, 2 hrs, graded, for 1st year BA students
Office hours: TUE 14-15; WED 10-11
E-mail: gespak@unideb.hu
Web: ieas.unideb.hu/espak
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This seminar course is designed to improve first-year students’ language skills through acquainting
them with some of the core topics of American civilization, including geography and regionalism,
government, basic political concepts, politics and the Constitution, society, national holidays, and
everyday life. Special emphasis will also be put on certain aspects of American English. Students will
be graded on the strength of their class performance, an individual short lecture, short written
assignments (two response papers) and in-class tests (quizzes, end-term test).
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
Class attendance and participation in the discussion of the topics at hand are essential and considered
an important part of the final grade. In addition, each student will give a max. 10-minute presentation
during the semester on a pre-approved topic, prepared on the basis of the instructions discussed during
the first class. There will be short quizzes (not necessarily announced in advance) and an end-term
paper. Students will have to hand in TWO response papers during the semester. The details of the
specific assignments and other issues will be discussed during orientation.
DETAILED REQUIREMENTS :
(1) Participation in class: You are expected to be an active (and proactive) participant of classroom
discussions.
(2) Presentation: Each student is required to choose a presentation topic from the issues indicated under
the weekly discussion topics, or recommended either by the instructor or the students. Presentations
should be about maximum 10 minutes in length and should be interactive (with thought-provoking
questions to the class or various activities) to generate discussion. A typed handout strictly not longer
than one page should be sent or handed in to the instructor ONE WEEK before the presentation for
overview. Only handouts approved by the instructor can be presented. The handout should be only a
guideline to the presentation and not a word-by-word transcript. You must not read out your
presentation. The content of your talk, your performance and presentation skills as well as your
pronunciation will be evaluated. If someone does not show up when his/her presentation is due and does
not notify the instructor in advance, he/she will lose all the credit points on the assignment.
(3) Short quizzes: Students will write short tests or quizzes on the US map, the Facts and Figures handout,
the Election Glossary and vocabulary.
(4) Response papers: Students will be required to write TWO response papers of about one page based
on their readings, opinion and possible questions concerning any of the issues discussed that far. This
should not be a simple summary of the assigned text but should include reflections of the student on
the particular topic, its context, a comparison between the United States and Hungary, and even
“think-tank” questions for in-class discussion. The originality of the papers will be evaluated.
Plagiarized papers are unacceptable. Plagiarism will automatically result in ‘fail.’ If needed,
focus points for the papers will be offered by the instructor.
The response papers are to be typed (double-space, Times New Roman 12) and should be of about
450-500 words. Later submissions are not acceptable. In case you fail to prepare the response papers
when they are due you will lose all the credit points on the assignment.
(5) End-term paper: The end-term exam will be a comprehensive test on the material discussed during
the semester and it will also include a short essay question, and/or exercises expectable at the EYE
exam. There is no excuse for absences on this occasion.
ASSESSMENT:
The final grade will be calculated from the grades assigned on class participation (25%),
presentation (15%), short quizzes (20%, 4x5), response papers (10%, 2x5) and the end-term
paper (30%). More than three absences will result in a “not fulfilled” grade. Grades will be assigned
according to the following conversion formulae: 0-60% = fail; 61-70% = satisfactory; 71-80% =
average; 81-90% = good; 91-100% = excellent.
 More than three absences result in no signature. Please, note that absenteeism will not be
tolerated. If you must miss a class anyway because of illness or emergency, let me know, and
make arrangement to complete any work missed.
 Any form of plagiarism as well as permanent marking in the reading material belonging to the
Institute Library will result in a “no grade.”
READINGS:
The basic textbooks for the course are
Maryanne Datesman, JoAnn Crandall and Edward M. Kearny, American Ways. An Introduction to
American Culture (New York: Longman, 2005) and Pintér Károly, Szántó Ildikó, Jancsó Daniella,
Suba Ferenc and Surányi Emőke, Cultural Relations. Brit, ausztrál, Amerikai és kanadai
országismereti nyelvkönyv (Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2001). The relevant parts of textbook are
scanned and available electronically in the IEAS Library.
NB: Students are kindly required to make their own copy of the material and have all the texts
PRINTED OUT so that they could be at hand and available for classroom work.
Additional materials will also be distributed in class or made available digitally at the instructor’s
institute homepage. Students are also encouraged to check other sources available at the Institute Library
and on the internet, especially in connection with their presentation topics.
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION IN WEEK BY WEEK BREAKDOWN:
February 18
(Week 1)
INTRODUCTION, ORIENTATION
Orientation and introduction to the course, sign-up for presentation topics
February 25
(Week 2)
THE AMERICAN CONTEXT
Topics: symbols of the country, the national anthem, the flag, the great seal of the USA, etc.
Readings: Facts & Figures on the flag, anthem, capitol, mottoes, available at the instructor’s
homepage
Presentation topics: the story of the US flag, national and state symbols, the Great Seal of the
USA
March 4
(Week 3)
THE COUNTRY OF EXTREMES
Topics: American geography, cultural regions, the concept of the frontier, national parks
Readings: Cultural Relations: pp. 138, 140-141, 143-145; the US map, Facts & Figures on
population & geography trivia
Presentation topics: the national parks in the US, the figure of the Yankee, representative cities
in the USA
March 11
(Week 4)
GOVERNING THE COUNTRY
Topics: political institutions, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the federal government, the
system of checks and balances and the separation of powers
Readings: Cultural Relations: pp. 153-154, 159-161; American Ways: pp. 142-143.
Presentation topics: the Bill of Rights, a brief history of the US Constitution, impeachment trials
 Test on the Facts&Figures
March 18
(Week 5)
ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Topics: presidential and midterm elections, the stages of presidential elections: announcement,
primaries, national convention, TV debates and campaigns, election day, electoral college,
inauguration
Readings: American Ways: 144-145; Election Glossary available at the instructor’s homepage
Presentation topics: Barack Obama’s campaign: “Yes, We Can!”, the American political parties
March 25
(Week 7)
A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS
Topic: immigration to the US, the nation of immigrants, from the melting pot to the ‘boiling
pot,’ three groups in close-up: Hungarians, Chinese and Hispanics
Readings: American Ways: pp. 166-173.
Presentation topics: the Statue of Liberty, Hungarian immigrants, the melting pot
 Test: election glossary
April 1
(Week 8)
Instructor on leave
April 8
(Week 9)
ETHNIC AND RACIAL MINORITIES
Topics: women and ethnic minorities: Native Americans, African-Americans, HispanicAmericans, discrimination and civil rights
Readings: American Ways: pp. 166-173. (the same)
Presentation topics: Native Americans in US culture, the Black Civil Rights movement,
Hispanic-Americans in the US
April 15
(Week 8)
CONSULTATION WEEK, no class
April 22
(Week 10)
AMERICAN VALUES AND BELIEFS
Topics: freedom, individualism, volunteerism, patriotism and the American Dream Readings:
American Ways: pp. 28-34
Presentation topics: “America, the Beautiful,” patriotism in popular culture, the myth of the
American Dream
!!! The first response paper is due !!!
 Test: on the society
April 29
(Week 11)
“IN GOD WE TRUST”: RELIGIONS IN THE US
Topics: Puritanism, religious plurality, American churches
Readings: American Ways: pp. 52-59.
Presentation topics: the Mormons, the Amish, the Christian Scientists
 Test: criminal and legal vocabulary
May 6
(Week 12)
FROM AMBULANCE-CHASERS TO CELEBRITY LAWYERS
Topics: the sources of US law, the system of federal and state courts, crime and punishment,
death penalty, law enforcement
Readings: American Ways: pp. 163-169.
Presentation topics: crimes of the century in the US: a crime vocabulary, “Don’t dry your cat in
a microwave oven!” or frivolous lawsuits in America, Al “Scarface” Capone
May 13
(Week 13)
EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE US
Topics: education: public and private, higher education; scholarships, standardized tests; the
freedom of the press, media, newspapers and magazines, radio, television, popular culture,
sports: the big 4; technology and American culture; automobile nation; aviation; holidays
Readings: American Ways: pp. 191-201, 216-225.
Presentation topics: the American press, the contemporary broadcasting media, Hollywood,
sports, holidays, car culture
!!! The second response paper is due !!!
May 20
(Week 14)
END-TERM PAPER
NO CLASS