TOEFL iBT Wriging for an Academic Discussion The Best Way to Learn about the Culture of a Foreign County (Revised)

Understanding the culture of a foreign county is essential for fostering global awareness and appreciation. There are various methods to learn about different cultures; in your opinion, what is the best way to learn about the culture of a foreign country?

 

 

☆Let’s think

Other than traveling and reading the literature, what are best ways to learn about the culture of a foreign country.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

1.       Living in the country makes the culture of the country part of your life.

2.       Doing business with the country necessitates you to learn the culture of the country.

3.       Traveling the country allows you to learn the culture through five senses.

4.       Making friends with the person from the country whose culture you are learning about helps you learn it.

5.       Using social media in major language like English places you in the international exchanges of ideas, and through the activity, knowledge about countries will accumulate.

6.       Learning the language of the culture helps you learn the values and world view of the culture and gives you insights of it.

7.       Learning about the art of the country is learning about the culture of the country.

8.       Watching movies of the country gives you a deep insight of a culture in it.

9.       By reading the literature of the country, you can see the culture through the writer’s eyes.

10.    Comics of a country show a lot about the culture of their country.

11.    Eating food of the country tells you a lot about the customs and history of the country.

12.    Dealing with haters from the country will train you to be equipped with detailed information about a culture.

 

 

☆Sample Answer

【Thesis】Both Aisha and Carlos make valid points in the senses as follows, but I think that watching movies is the best way to learn other cultures as it has both the advantages of traveling and reading literature and more.

【Literature】Literature shows what is in the people’s mind, that is, more fundamental, deeper layers of the culture, as Carlos points out. It allows you to learn not only the mentality of the people, their world views, and their values but also their roots, showing what was in the past and is affecting the current state of their mental world. You can trace the origin of the present culture by reading period novels, for instance. Moreover, the reader adapts it as part of their beings thanks to the power of simulated experience and the memory of the vicarious feelings the reader felt in the experience. This is the reason why a foreign researcher of a country’s literature often sounds more indigenous than the real indigenous people of the country.

【Travels】On the other hand, traveling makes you immersed in the whole environment the culture exists, which includes the geography, the history, the economy, the politics, the custom, and the characteristics of the nationals. The direct contact with them through all senses leaves an experience as a page in your journal of the journey of your life.

【Movies】Watching movies has the virtues of both traveling and reading literature, I think, as it shows both the surface and the deeper layers of a culture through visuals and sounds. It also takes you to the past. It gives you an experience of a culture in around 100 minutes with entertainment.

【Conclusion】While All traveling, reading literature, and watching movies compensate for each other in learning other cultures, the last is the most effective and the favored way to learn a culture, I believe.

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