Wow! You now know so much about Ecuador! Your friend David, however, knows nothing about it. In a few months, his family is going on a tour of Spanish speaking-countries, including Spain and several Central and South American countries. He has asked you to help him learn more about those places before his trip. His first trip is to Ecuador. Write David a three-paragraph letter in English, and compare Ecuadorian culture and American culture, especially in terms of foods, sports, transportation, population, and demographics. How is your culture similar to Ecuadorian culture? How is it different? Use a lot of details to help David prepare for the trip, and have fun! You can use the CultureGram link to get ideas and information. (5 points per paragraph)

Before you write, take notes on these questions to help you think of what to tell David.

1) What are the five most interesting things you have learned about Ecuador?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

2) What are three aspects of Ecuadorian culture that are similar to the United States?

1.

2.

3.

3) What are three aspects of Ecuadorian culture that are different from the United States?

1.

2.

3.

Now, here is a guide for your letter. You don't have to follow this pattern exactly, but feel free to use it if it's helpful.

Hey David,

It's cool that you get to visit Ecuador. Here are some interesting things about Ecuador. (Now describe 2-3 of these details.)

Some things in Ecuador are very different from the United States. For example, (describe 2-3 differences)

Some things in Ecuador are a lot like the United States. For example, (describe 2-3 similarities)

Have a great trip! Bring me back a souvenir!

(Sign your name)

Becoming a lifelong learner learning a language opens doors to a world of opportunity. of course, in order to really benefit from your studies, you’ll need to do more than just complete assignments. you’ll need to set habits that will tie you to spanish and its cultures even beyond the classroom. students who become lifelong learners of spanish have some basic characteristics and habits that you should develop if you want to get the most from your experience learning spanish. lifelong learners: have friends with whom they regularly converse in the target language. (this could be friends in school, neighbors or friends in the community.) regularly get information from target language sources (newspapers, magazines, internet spanish related news group (with parent’s approval), tv programs, radio, etc. that are produced by and for native speakers.) participate in activities of the target culture (celebrating holidays, seeing movies or plays of/in the target culture, preparing or eating dishes from the target culture, reading books or magazines from the target culture, etc.) someone who has developed these habits is on the way to becoming a lifelong learner. these types of habits reinforce a strong connection to the language and culture and develop a love and better understanding of that culture. think for a minute about the resources available. do you have friends who are native spanish speakers? do you ever watch spanish channels on television? you can probably think of several online sources. maybe you have some stores or restaurants in your community that are owned or frequented by spanish speakers. also think about when you could participate in spanish-related activities on a regular basis—remember that it’s setting the habits that will make the most difference. using the table below as a guideline, write out a plan for starting new habits. for the language or culture resources column, try to identify three different resources: 1. a friend or contact 2. an information source, and 3. a cultural activity. in the what i will do column, describe as specifically as you can what you will do. and in the when i will do it column, write when you plan on doing these activities. see the sample below to see how you might fill out your own table. you will have opportunities to follow up and report on your regular practice of engaging spanish resources close to home. you will be asked in a follow up assignment to report on what you have done.

After reading the statement below, decide wheather the state is: a) an accurate statement; (b) a false statement; (c) not enough information given to decide. sr. banderilleros sees himself as being talented

Asalt water lake in the mountains in the mountains a) nevado tres cruces in copiapó, chile, where you can hike and explore through nature near the highest active volcano in the world, volcán ojos del salado. b) laguna verde a destination for the adventure and nature lovers where you can explore the desert region seeing rare desert flowers and even do some sand surfing c) atacama an important archeological site for the chimú civilization near the city of trujillo, peru, where you can explore the sun and dragon pyramids as well as other ancient temples and palaces d) chan chan an important national park near copiapó, chile where you can climb through the andes mountains and enjoy the view of flamingos, flowers and much more