Explorations in American Life and Language

Improve your ability to communicate effectively at work and at home! Learn about different communication style preferences, which will help improve your understanding of yourself and others. Examine communication preferences, such as how to gather information, make decisions, and manage time. Discover how recognizing differences in communication styles can help you to overcome conflicts and communicate with ease and grace.

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Develop strategies for successful intercultural communication in professional and social settings. Examine and discuss the functional and practical components of communicative interactions and how processes differ among cultures. Through such activities as role playing, case studies, and analysis of videos and transcriptions, learn ways to creatively address intercultural challenges. Topics include socially appropriate ways to request, refuse, compliment, and hedge.

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In the U.S. and worldwide, a new report found that “amid unprecedented threats to journalists and media outlets,” global press freedom has declined to its lowest point in 13 years. Explore the concept of freedom of the press, debate its merits, and discuss real life examples. Bring your experience and opinions to this interactive, lively conversation about this timely topic.

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Discover the do’s and taboos of workplace etiquette in the U.S. and globally. Learn to create a positive first impression in the office and professional social settings. Identify, discuss, and practice major business etiquette interactions, including introductions, greetings, networking, and small talk, and when at social events. Develop a strategy for building your professional image at home and abroad.

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Avoid an embarrassing faux pas by learning the essential tips for American dining etiquette. Increase your global awareness and sophistication through lively discussions of the cultural norms related to social etiquette in your classmates’ native countries. Practice navigating food, drink, and conversation in business and social settings, including cocktail party etiquette, networking, and buffet and sit-down dining. Learn to wine and dine with confidence in this interactive, engaging, and useful course!

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Explore the contemporary fascination with celebrity that crosses generations and national boundaries. How does this obsession with music and film icons, sports heroes, famous politicians, and “fat cat” entrepreneurs affect us all on a larger scale? Short-lived craze or long-term cultural change? For better or for worse? Examine this phenomenon through thought-provoking discussions, multimedia presentations, and communicative activities.

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Examine five decades of pop culture, including music, movies, TV, fashion, advertising, sports, and cyber-culture, and track their changes over the last 50 years. Learn about the days when hula hoops, hip-huggers, and grunge were all the rage. Explore the origins of such musical genres as rock ’n’ roll, disco, punk, heavy metal, hip-hop, and rap.

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What is power? How have women struggled to gain power—political, social, physical—in America and in other countries? What victories have women won, and what victories are still in the future for the young women of today? Explore these questions and more through movies, music, readings, and discussions.

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Explore digital marketing, the arena where marketing meets the internet, wireless devices, and other digital media. Examine online advertising, search engine optimization, participation in social media, and the analytics of web and social media. Develop the ability to design, implement, and evaluate digital marketing strategies through a combination of lecture, case studies, hands-on exercises, and mini-course projects.

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For better or for worse? View selections from mass media to examine people’s growing dependency on social media. Explore the lines between the real world and the virtual world. Analyze, discuss, and debate this phenomenon and its effects on society. Bring your real life experiences and opinions to this sweeping look at the role of social media in today’s world.

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Explore examples of various genres of contemporary and late modern art. Delve into and discover or expand your knowledge of remarkable artists and their intriguing artworks. Exchange ideas, opinions, and insights through discussions and other activities. Create and present your own virtual art “exhibition” with script and accompanying audio tour. Delight the artist in you with this informative, engaging course!

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In this hands-on course, students obtain the basic skills needed to effectively manipulate a digital image and use the computer as a tool for visual art. Examine digital art concepts and discuss examples of digital media in contemporary art. Learn painting and drawing techniques, photo retouching and photomontage through the exploration of various Adobe Photoshop tools. Interactive, fun, and useful!

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Explore cultural differences in values and norms, drawing on the latest research. Learn strategies to adapt your behavior in unfamiliar cultural settings and thrive in any business environment. Topics include the challenges of working in multicultural groups, motivation and leadership across cultures, and the fundamentals of decision making and negotiating in cross-cultural interaction.

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As citizens of the world and consumers of the earth’s riches, students will have the opportunity to study and analyze keys to a peaceful, sustainable, and just global community. The Earth Charter and the Declaration of Human Rights will provide the basis for thoughtful reflection and lively discussion. From the global to the personal, learn to problem solve using nonviolent conflict-resolution techniques.

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An in-depth look at the many faces, cultures, and neighborhoods that makes New York City one of the most unique, dynamic, and diverse cities in the world. Look beyond the usual tourist attractions to discover new and different places to eat, drink, play, stroll, and explore in “the city that never sleeps.” Make your New York City experience as exciting as the city itself!

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Explore various means of modern storytelling. Learn about effective visual communication using appropriate shot composition, storyboarding, and editing workflow. Through hands-on activities, learn how to create and share stories using such vehicles as videos, podcasts, photo essays, and creative writing. Enjoy this opportunity to share and express your creativity in a captivating, modern way.

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Are there times when your life and the world around you seem especially challenging? The foundation of a well-managed and balanced life can be created through essential building blocks of self-awareness and self-regulation. Explore mind/body tools, including biofeedback and relaxation techniques, and examine the basic principles of health psychology. Journey toward achieving regulated self-care that enables optimal performance, both personal and professional.

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Do you speak and understand English well but sometimes feel that you “can’t make heads or tails” of some Americans’ speech? Increase your vocabulary and understanding of American idioms, phrasal verbs, and slang in this course. A variety of materials is used to help students identify, clarify, learn, and practice the informal language of everyday American life.

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For intermediate-level students: Strengthen your grammar and conversation skills through a variety of stimulating activities that emphasize practical application to communication tasks, such as speaking and writing. Improve your grammar through interactive exercises that focus on challenging grammatical structures. Enhance your conversational ability and increase your vocabulary and listening comprehension through structured and open-ended activities, which may include videos, song lyrics, and both pair and group work.

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Know what you’d like to say, but can’t find the right words? Expand your working vocabulary for use in everyday situations and relevant content areas. Communication activities and a variety of materials add interest to the acquisition of target vocabulary. Frequent short writings and presentations strengthen understanding and use of new vocabulary. Great for intermediate-level English speakers!

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Are you eager to refine and perfect your business communication skills? This course will help you to enhance your listening skills, overcome nervous energy in workplace settings and speak with elegance, thoughtfulness and professionalism. Class discussions will cover a wide range of topics, including understanding how to improve your speaking, presentation and listening skills – all critical aspects of communicating effectively.

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Develop your oral and written communication skills for a business or workplace setting. Focus on enhancing your competency in holding productive professional conversations; writing effective business messages; and applying successfully for professional positions, including creating job application packages and polishing interviewing skills.

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Create a marketing plan, calculate a marketing budget, and build successful branding. Explore the process of planning and exchange of ideas, goods, and services, from inception to consumption through creative activities. Gain an understanding of methods of market analysis together with marketing strategy and its implementation. Marketing from soup to nuts!

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For intermediate level students: Increase your confidence and accuracy in communicating in English through lively interactive in-class activities, discussions, and a review of a range of grammatical structures based on an assessment of student needs. Contemporary issues will be the basis for development of vocabulary and fluency for use in social and professional settings.

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Continue to increase your confidence and accuracy in communicating in English through additional interactive in-class activities, discussions, and a review of a range of grammatical structures based on an assessment of student needs. Contemporary issues will be the basis for development of vocabulary and fluency for use in social and professional settings. If you are a high intermediate to advanced English speaker, this course is for you!

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Examine selling techniques for a variety of sales situations, such as business to business, business to consumer, phone, internet, and outside sales in this interactive course. Learn how to get past the gatekeepers and get in front of the decision makers, how to plan a territory, effective networking, creating the perfect sales pitch, and efficient time management.

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Thinking about choosing a career, hunting for your dream job, or changing jobs? Increase self-awareness of your natural interests, analyze your preferences, assess your marketable skills, and polish (or create) your résumé. Through class discussions, gain an understanding of the job search process and its critical aspects, prepare for the interview, and grasp their relationship to landing a satisfying career.

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Your friends and family think your idea is wonderful—but is it business worthy? Examine the key business planning techniques that transform ideas into viable businesses. Through hands-on activities, explore concept evaluation, market analysis, financial backing, and new business legal requirements. Building on this information, learn how to create an effective start-up business plan.

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From blogs to articles to full blown novels and everything in between, examine the techniques of writing to get published. Learn how to create your hook, build believable worlds and characters, research stories, and engage readers. Through practice, expand your understanding of the building blocks of the business of writing, from the idea to publication on all media platforms.

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Expand your leadership skills, which are important whether you work at home or in a business setting. Review leadership models and identify your own preferences to become a more effective leader. Class discussions include how to adapt your leadership style to different situations, recognize and respond to different conflict styles, and understand different verbal and nonverbal cues when communicating with others.

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Examine and explore the key strategies of preparing for and embarking on a successful job search. Topics discussed and practiced include employment goals, cover letters, résumé writing, compiling references, interview techniques, essentials of follow-up, and email etiquette. Hands-on, interactive, practical, and fun, this course provides the information and practice to put your best job-search foot forward.

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Explore different documentary photography styles, forms, and content. Examine various photographic techniques and their effect on pop culture throughout history. Through image-based lectures and hands-on shooting assignments, learn the basic principles of documentary photography. Delve into and discuss examples of photography that spark your interest. Build a foundation that will sharpen your visual and critical skills.

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Set and create an inspirational picture of your goals through the creation of a Vision Board. Examine the research behind how setting, writing, and seeing tangible goals can expedite their achievement. Verbalize, organize, and visualize your short-term and long-term goals. Be guided through the process of creating your own Vision Board to keep, inspire, and grow with. Some materials required.

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Did you know that Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world? In this lively, interactive course, your knowledge of English will help you develop the vocabulary needed for real-world conversations in Spanish. At the end of the course, you will have the skills and knowledge to continue developing your Spanish language proficiency on your own.

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Castles in Romania, medinas in Morocco, caves in Mexico, hutongs in China, coffee farms in Colombia, vineyards in California – just some of the fascinating places you’ll discover in this exploration of cool travel destinations. Through a variety of materials and communicative activities take a virtual one-of-a- kind vacation away from the usual tourist attractions. Maybe even plan a future trip!

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Challenges: difficult, unexpected, or uncomfortable situations. You’ve managed them in everyday life. But, are you familiar with common challenges in professional life? Are you prepared with the tools to overcome challenges at the start and as you move ahead in a career? Explore and discuss successful strategies to keep your career on an upward path in today’s competitive professional world.

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Beyoncé, Adele, Harry Potter, Star Wars – like them or not, they’re probably familiar to you. Through a combination of videos, movie clips and audio tracks, explore and discover the lesser known world of independent music and movies. In this interactive course, your eyes and ears will be opened to new interesting, exciting and different viewing and listening possibilities.

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Want to start a YouTube channel? Wonder how YouTubers make money? Think you have engaging content, reviews, or tutorials people would want to watch? Create a channel, build a brand, and develop content. Learn how to market your channel to turn viewers into subscribers. Interactive and fun with real-life application

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View and discuss critically acclaimed movies and documentaries about the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity. These films will motivate and inspire through discussions about stretching beyond what seems possible, realizing one’s potential, overcoming personal challenges, learning from setbacks, and developing resilience.

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Was your opinion about education in the U.S. positive or negative before you arrived here? Have your views changed since then? Share your perspective with your classmates and experience new ones as you view critically acclaimed movies and documentaries about American schools. Participate in lively discussions while getting the inside scoop on college education and life in the U.S.

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“Just do it!” Is this always the appropriate way to handle decision-making? The moral barometer of an individual or society may be measured by how one behaves when no one is watching. Can balancing economic considerations with social considerations ever be done fairly? Come join us in lively discussion as we explore decision making in life, business and careers.

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Pop Tarts – only in America? The same or similar in your home country? Does food in the U.S., even bread and cheese, taste different than at home? Your opinion matters as we highlight and examine the quality, lifespan, ingredients, taste, and branding of food items in your home countries, and compare them to those same items in the U.S.

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Did your last purchase make you happy? Impulsive or planned for – was there any difference in your feelings after purchase? Take a “deeper dive” into consumer psychology and the physiological effects on the brain. Bring your own personal perspective as we explore, discuss, and discover why we feel a sense of happiness, reward, or even regret after a purchase.

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From the classic to the contemporary, from book to film, love makes the world go ’round. Through a variety of communication activities, explore the timeless romance of such star-crossed lovers as Romeo and Juliet, Bella and Edward, Gatsby and Daisy, Peeta and Katniss. Analyze, discuss, and perhaps even fall in love with fascinating couples across different genres of film and text.

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The primary asset of any organization is its people! In this #MeToo, multi-cultural, multi-generational era, the success of an organization depends upon attracting, recruiting, developing, and retaining a productive work force. Explore and discuss, diversity, creativity, gender, health, safety, and other current workplace issues. Share your individual cultural experiences in this beautiful mosaic now known as the global economy.

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"Move as far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food."* Discover many of those foods, explore the intersection of food and culture, and connect with people near and far, through the global language of food. Join this fun informative feast!*Anthony Bourdain

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Ever wonder where your day has gone? Do you feel like you’re working really hard with little result? Do you spend too much time searching through clutter? In this class you will gain a solid foundation in basic organizing theory. Learn core concepts behind categorizing, sorting, purging and the fundamentals of time management, space and digital organization for optimum productivity.

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Advertising campaigns –the ‘make or break’ factor of marketing a product or service. Through collaborative activities, explore and practice the essentials of an effective ad campaign. Create a story board and examine the basics of a compelling ad campaign ‘pitch’ for a service or product of your choosing. Present your campaign for valuable feedback. Interactive and fun, with real-life application.

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Explore the underlying mechanisms that shape consumer behavior, linking experimental psychology, sociology, and marketing. Examine and discuss the impact of triggers on consumer choice; social networks as channels of influence; the social influence of convergence and divergence; the consumer decision-making process; why products, ideas, and behaviors become popular; and rules to make ideas stick.

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Obtain the skills needed to appear polished and professional, make a positive impression, and be taken seriously in the workplace and personal life in this interactive course. Explore how personal brand, including both verbal and nonverbal communication, creates positive or negative impressions that have an impact on the opportunities you receive. Prepare for success as a poised, polished, professional you!

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Explore key cross-generational differences that make millennials unique. Examine and discuss areas such as the role of women, technology, priorities/goals, work/life balance, external pressures, and generational expectations. Look to your future as we delve into pitfalls to avoid and strategies for success. As a millennial, bring your unique personal and cultural perspective to this lively topical course!

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Enjoy a front row seat in an exploration of the culture of the 1990s—a decade that many critics call the best and happiest decade. This golden age of hip-hop, cult television, and movies left a lasting legacy. Revisit and discuss some of the unforgettable TV shows, films, music, slang, and fads in this interactive and lively course.

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Do you know where your money goes every month? Understand basic finances and money management, which are important to your personal well-being and career. Explore budgeting, savings and debt, credit card pros and cons, and basic stock market concepts in this interactive course, which focuses on what you must know to make smart financial choices to achieve your personal and career goals.

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Examine and discuss core interpersonal skills, barriers to effective communication, and effective communication strategies for building interpersonal relations and working in teams. Topics may include persuasion and influencing skills, problem solving, negotiation skills, dealing with criticism, and body language.

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Increase confidence, fluency, and comprehension in speaking and listening skills. Pair work, small group activities, and individual student presentations are employed in this intermediate level interactive class. Assessment of spoken English administered prior to the start of the course. Active participation and completion of assigned homework is required.

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Increase social and academic vocabulary including idiomatic expressions through the use of activities and materials that present vocabulary in context. Expectations include keeping a vocabulary notebook and active participation in classroom activities. Completion of assigned homework is required. Assessment of reading comprehension and vocabulary administered prior to class start.

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Use theatre and improv exercises to build skills needed in the professional world and social situations, i.e., thinking quickly and creatively, communicating clearly, collaborating with others, and presenting effectively. Join this engaging, informative and fun course, ideal for anyone in business, the arts, education, marketing, or any field where a creative approach can spell success.

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Happiness is individual and often not easy to achieve. Identify key psychological, social, and biological factors in achieving happiness and examine research findings from the fields of neuroscience and positive psychology. Become familiar with the mental habits of happiness and learn some of the techniques for boosting well-being and fulfillment that can be applied to your daily life.

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Develop clarity, correctness, and variety of style in written English through interactive peer activities and writing exercises. Improve structure of sentences, paragraphs, and essays as appropriate to level of proficiency. English language writing assessment administered prior to the start of class. Active participation and completion of assigned homework is required.

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Develop grammatical skills to communicate with clarity of expression in both oral and written communication. Practice proper grammatical structure in individual, pair and small group work. Improve all language skills through interactive reading, writing, and speaking exercises. Assessment of English language grammar proficiency administered prior to class start. Active participation and completion of assigned homework is required.

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Advanced students: Challenge yourself to elevate your overall English language proficiency to the high standards needed for success in a variety of professional settings. Current topics of general interest such as psychology, education, the arts, and business will form the basis for participatory activities. Final project is a written and oral presentation on a topic of personal interest.

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Learn test-taking strategies. Build your English language skills relevant for all sections of the paper-based TOEFL ITP – listening, structure and written expression, and reading comprehension. Boost your test-taking confidence. Increase familiarity and effective time management through frequent practice of exam sections and sample questions. Students will take the ITP at the last class meeting. Required text. Individual score letter issued.

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