Journal Assignment #1 – Althen
             This week our group of ESL students was working on the excerpt from the Gary Althen's book "American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States", There were just several paragraphs, but they show us prominent values, beliefs, and cultural patterns of Americans.
             We learned that the most important thing to understand about Americans is probably their devotion to individualism. They are tough since childhood to consider themselves as separate' individuals. At the same time they have been trained since kindergarten to find person or a group for games, later in college for studies. "Now, I want you to work in group and to..." - that's typical phrase at class. Nevertheless in the chart "What's important to Americans" statement "Freedom of choice to do what one want" stands on the fifth position. Funny, a?
             Another interesting thing. According to Althen "Many Americans do not display the degree of respect for their parents..." . Although, the statement "Having a good family life" is standing at the first place of the chart that I mentioned above. To my mind, we must look a little bit forward and not to forget that all the Americans try to spend National Holydays such as X-mass, Thanksgiving Day, The 4th of July, and probably some other, with there family. I mean not only with their children, wife or husband. I mean Family - brothers, sisters, grandsons, nephews, so on and so on. I guess Althen is wrong here.
             Americans are also distinctive in the degree to which they believe in the ideal, as stated in their "Declaration of Independence" - "All men are created equal". But as far as I know KKK is still exists, community of Afro-Americans and people from Latin America unit to deal with segregation. If all people are equal why personal managers try to hire white persons. I don't want to say that it's bad
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