Archive for August 2012

Cultural Corner: La quinceañera

Cultural Corner: La quinceañera

When a girl turns fifteen years old in many parts of Latin America her family throws her a special birthday party. Both the girl and the party may be referred to la quinceañera. This term comes from the number fifteen in Spanish which is quince. This age traditionally signified when a girl turned into a young woman.  The closest equivalent in North American culture would be a debutantes ball.

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Cultural Corner: German Etiquette

Cultural Corner: German Etiquette

Part of learning a new language is also learning the culture that surrounds it. Here we will focus on German cultural norms surrounding meeting, greeting and addressing people in various situations. Keep in mind that the following are generalizations and there are always exceptions to the rule.

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