Bridging Cultures
9. SınıfCultural differences, customs, stereotypes, gerunds and infinitives advanced, cultural exchange
1. Culture & Customs Vocabulary
| Word | Türkçe | Example |
|---|---|---|
| stereotype | kalıp yargı | We should avoid cultural stereotypes. |
| prejudice | önyargı | Prejudice causes misunderstanding. |
| ethnocentrism | etnosentrizm | Ethnocentrism leads to cultural bias. |
| cultural relativism | kültürel görelilik | Cultural relativism means no culture is superior. |
| taboo | tabu, yasak | Discussing money is taboo in some cultures. |
| etiquette | görgü kuralları | Table etiquette varies across cultures. |
| assimilate | asimile olmak | Immigrants often assimilate into the new culture. |
| acculturation | kültürleşme | Acculturation is a gradual process. |
| diaspora | diaspora, göç topluluğu | The Turkish diaspora is spread worldwide. |
| multicultural | çok kültürlü | London is one of the most multicultural cities. |
🌍 Cultural Differences Around the World
| Country | Custom / Norm | Contrast |
|---|---|---|
| 🇯🇵 Japan | Bowing; removing shoes; avoiding direct "no" | Western: handshake; direct refusal |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | Offering tea; respect for elders; henna night | Northern Europe: more reserved |
| 🇮🇳 India | Head wobble for "yes"; eating with right hand | Easily misread in Western contexts |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | Close personal space; greeting kiss; expressive | Finland: large personal space; minimal contact |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | No public display of affection; modesty in dress | Western: individual expression |
2. Gerunds & Infinitives — Advanced
| Pattern | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb + Gerund (-ing) | enjoy, avoid, suggest, deny, admit, keep, resist, mind, consider, risk, miss, practise, finish | She enjoys learning about other cultures. |
| Verb + Infinitive (to) | want, decide, agree, refuse, promise, hope, expect, manage, fail, offer, plan, afford, tend | He decided to adapt his behaviour. |
| Verb + obj + Infinitive | want, advise, ask, encourage, allow, expect, remind, teach, warn, urge, persuade | She encouraged me to learn Japanese. |
| Both (different meaning) | stop, remember, forget, regret, try, go on, mean, need | He stopped to read the sign. (durdu, okudu) He stopped reading. (okumayı bıraktı) |
⚠️ Verbs with Meaning Change
| Verb | + Gerund | + Infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| remember | remember doing = geçmişi hatırlamak: I remember meeting her. | remember to do = yapmayı hatırlamak: Remember to call. |
| forget | forget doing = yaptığını unutmak: I'll never forget visiting Tokyo. | forget to do = yapmayı unutmak: I forgot to lock the door. |
| stop | stop doing = durdurmak: She stopped eating. | stop to do = durup yapmak: She stopped to eat. |
| try | try doing = denemek (bir çözüm olarak): Try eating less. | try to do = çaba göstermek: Try to understand. |
3. Reading: Culture Shock
When I first moved to Japan as an exchange student, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed. I had always enjoyed learning about Japanese culture from books, but living it was entirely different.
On my first day at school, I avoided making direct eye contact — in my culture, this shows respect; in Japan, I later discovered, it was expected. I tried bowing to greet people, but I kept getting the angle wrong. My host mother encouraged me to try again and again, and she reminded me not to worry — everyone appreciated my effort.
What I had failed to understand before arriving was that culture shock is not a sign of weakness — it is a sign that you are growing. After three months, I stopped comparing everything to home and started appreciating the differences. I would never forget living in Japan. It changed my perspective on everything.
❓ Questions
- Why did the writer feel overwhelmed? → Living the culture was different from reading about it.
- What did the host mother encourage the writer to do? → To try bowing again and not to worry.
- Find five gerunds/infinitives in the text. → feeling, learning, living, making, bowing, getting, to try, to understand, comparing, appreciating, living
- What is culture shock described as? → A sign that you are growing, not a sign of weakness.
Unit Test
Binlerce Soru9. Sınıf Konuları
Tüm KonularTest Hakkında
- 82 soruluk havuz
- Her testte rastgele sorular
- Anında geri bildirim
- MC, True/False