Horizon broadening (cross cultural training)

[Spencer]

Hi Jamie,
I have a problem with generalisation.
In my opinion if there is even only one exception of a rule,that rule isn't worth too much anymore.
Real life is always different than statistics.
Show me one math teacher who ever won on lottery.
You are only one person, and even with all of your acqaintances together still just a few people who divide millions by their experience.
Because you're a teacher, your friends probably teachers as well from the States, more likely than a Russian miner.
That miner sees a couple of things of life a bit differently, and if he makes generalisations, I'm not sure if those would be the same as yours.
I wouldn't even be sure he's not wiser than anyone of us.
There is another thing too:
If someone has that much of self-possession like making generalisation of people, then he might not be able to acknowledge if he's wrong every once in a while.
Spencer

[Torsten]

Hi Spencer, this is very good food for thought. Let's see how this discussion develops further...
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Captain Jan]

Hi,
I read emails of Jamie carefully and don't see any generalization(not worth to mention).
I think if you don't have to work with many nations and many different people you don't need to be critic because of some habits and people after all may get the wrong impression (too much personal)
I never would be able to guess before how multinational environment may be coming out with some situations.
It is somehow a found treasure to read Jamie because you may get something in words what you normally won't be able to read in strict political correct text.
regards
Jan
To all imperative imperators- removing messages is a sign of deterioration of the forum not the sign of it improvement.
Jan

[Torsten]

[Spencer]

Hi Jan,
A couple of months ago
Anonymous wrote:
"And second, sorry if my English is so unintelligible. I did my best to make myself understood. It's a pity that English-speakers cannot communicate in any other language.

At least, non-native speakers do try to speak English."

Jamie wrote:
"Don't stereotype. I can communicate with you in three other languages, and I would understand you in at least another three or four"

At this time I totally agreed with Jamie.
Allthough in Europe Americans have bad reputation of not speaking any other language ( it's not even a reputation, it's kind of fact, since I know a lot of them who spent even some months here and still don't know one word of Hungarian, put in context after spending two months in Canada I passed my driver licence-exam with no help of interpreter) I do know it's NOT true, a lot of them speak other language, just NON OF US HAVE MET THEM.

Someone please tell me what's the difference between generalisation and stereotype.
If I say:
"I've never met any American who spoke other language than English, so I think most Americans only speak English"
Whichone did I just do?

Don't get me wrong, this is not my point of wiew, I just would like to point at the danger of making generalisations.
Someone's going to get offended always.
Why don't anyone make generalisations from the other way?
Which country the most of scientists come from?
Or something like this.
Just for a change
Spencer

[Jan]

[Torsten]

[Edy]

Hello all,
sorry if I'm barging in here but I came accidently across this post line and found myself interested so I signed up and here I am.
Eddie is the name (though it was taken) Israeli by birth with American parentage.
I'm no specialist when it comes to languages and in English I have many gramatic and spelling mistakes which I hope will be forgiven (I do try to avoid them if at all possible).
I wanted to comment on this question on the difference between generalization and stereotyping. as I understand it (and it's not from a dictionary insert), stereotyping is applying an image on a group or an individual acording to some popular (and likely very misguided) idea of the type of person acording to one characteristic.
an example for this would be saying (forgive if insulting) any woman would enjoy shopping as she is a woman. (the stereotype being women love shopping)
generalization is applying to a group characteristics according to observations of a partial section however small or big of that group.
an example for this would be saying all americans stick to English speaking when in Europe - having known or heard of such people.
hope my comment was in place and I'm welcome (don't know if this is some private forum)