Focus On The Learner: Jose Angel Fuentes

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Recommended: American culture and its influence

Focus on the Learner Page 1 Introduction American culture has to be one of the most, if not, the most popular and sought after way of life in the world. From their food, to their typical mannerisms, the United States is one influential country. Their speech is no exception, in order to compete or join into the U.S. market or culture, one must be familiar or an expert in the language. This is why, if not already taught in school, English is in high demand in countries whose primary language differs. Many countries welcome English speakers to teach their interested citizens. Mexico is one of those countries. However, it is not as simple as many think. Just because a person can speak English does not mean that they can speak it. On …show more content…

This is based on their background, desires, and influences. Jose Angel Fuentes Espinosa for example. Angel as he prefers to be called, is in his late teens to early twenties, and was born and raised in Guadalajara where the first language is Spanish. He is a member of a family of nine so it is probably difficult to standout. No one in his family has an English background and he is currently not in school and is awaiting the next session of exams as he did not reach the requirements of his University in the previous year. He explains that the IMAC school is the only place that he receives English exposure which is 10 hours a …show more content…

Angel learns the English language best through music. Words behind a repetitive melody helps words transfer from his short term memory into his long term memory. This is a popular learning method for many youths considering music is a crucial part of cultures around the world. If one is exposed to American pop culture music it would be easier for that person to learn current American slang quickly. There is a downside to this as well. When pop songs from the U.S. and other countries are sung, the words tend to be over exaggerated or modified in order to fit the melody of the song. This means that the phrases or sentences in the song are not used in everyday speech. So the catchy phrases learned will most likely not ever be used in real

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