# Culture Forum



## Roesch

I think all these forums are great and the people who post here are very informative and helpful, but I think it would be fun if there was a culture forum where people could ask non grammer related questions. For example if I wanted to ask how table manners differ from US to France, the question wouldn't really fit on any of the forums. I realize that the intent of this message board is the help with language related questions, but since there is such a good community here I think a cultural related forum would be successful. If not a culture forum, maybe just a "general discussion" forum.


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## LadyBlakeney

Why not? After all, that kind of issues would always arise language questions, wouldn't they?


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## mkellogg

I think it is a really good idea and could be a lot of fun.  With this I'm certain we will have all sorts of problems with people making unsensitive comments about another culture.  Despite this, I think it is a good idea.

How should this be done?  Country-based?, language-pair (Fr-En) based?  or just a general Cultural Forum for all of us?


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## Sharon

I think this is a really good idea, and I would like to see it work out. As far as people being rude to each other, we can always report them. Also, I have noticed a couple posts where someone was rude, and the rest of the members had no problem letting them know they were in the wrong.
I think a general Culture Forum for all of us would be the way to do it, and if the person beginning the thread has a specific question, they can state it in their post, for instance, "I am going to be vacationing in France, and would like to know..."  (But I find myself hoping people would chime in with, "Well, where I'm from..." (This really is a neat idea!))
If it is a general forum, though, it might be helpful if there was an icon with the thread title to let a person know in what language the question is written.


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## GuyCraig

LadyBlakeney said:
			
		

> Why not? After all, that kind of issues would always arise language questions, wouldn't they?


I agree with this line of thinking... in language classes, you always get into discussions about the culture... using words and phrases in different situations of everyday life. Perhaps Mike could just add a new area about culture.


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## jean1938

Sharon said:
			
		

> I think this is a really good idea, and I would like to see it work out. As far as people being rude to each other, we can always report them. Also, I have noticed a couple posts where someone was rude, and the rest of the members had no problem letting them know they were in the wrong.
> I think a general Culture Forum for all of us would be the way to do it, and if the person beginning the thread has a specific question, they can state it in their post, for instance, "I am going to be vacationing in France, and would like to know..."  (But I find myself hoping people would chime in with, "Well, where I'm from..." (This really is a neat idea!))
> If it is a general forum, though, it might be helpful if there was an icon with the thread title to let a person know in what language the question is written.


I also think it's a great idea.
It would be easy to refer the continuation
of a discussion in that "Cultural Forum".

Au plaisir,


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## quehuong

I agree with everyone here.  A Culture(s) Forum would be wonderful.  Language and Culture just don't exist without each other.  

Quote from Mike's: 





> How should this be done? Country-based?, language-pair (Fr-En) based? or just a general Cultural Forum for all of us?



Here is just something I can think of.

I.  WordReference Forums (Like what you're having right now).
    A.  E-F
    B.  E-S
    C.  E-I  
    etc....

II. CultureReference Forums OR Culture Forums OR another title. 
    A. Anglophone (Maybe???)
    B. Francophone (???)
    C. Hispanic (???) 
    D. Hispanic American Culture 
    ect.....

OR Just collapse and combine all cultures into one forum.  Personally, I'd prefer the tree a lot more.  It'd look more organized and professional.


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## mkellogg

Professional?  I need to do more than that to make this site look professional!  (After 5 years, I still don't have a logo.)

Maybe someday when I'm trying to actually sell something here, I'll go for a professional image.  That stuff bores me though.  I prefer to spend my time creating something new for the site and its visitors.

Mike


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## dave

Well, I've been happily using the language fora for my cultural questions - I've already had some very informative discussions on the sizes of beer glasses (and the consequential differences in drinking culture) in different areas of Spain, and on what noises animals make throughout the world! Cultural threads are at least as valuable as purely linguistic threads, and it would be a great diversion from constantly translating song lyrics to be able to dip into a thread on, say, football chants in Italy. Good idea then!


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## quehuong

Mike,

I find your site quite professional with or without a logo.  Keep up the great work you're doing and the services you're offering.


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## jean1938

quehuong said:
			
		

> Mike,
> 
> I find your site quite professional with or without a logo.  Keep up the great work you're doing and the services you're offering.


It's not???

I taught it was....  

What could be done to have a table to help pronounciation???

here is one very good there:
http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-ascii.htm

but only for english language   .

I'll think of something that would help
for the french pronounciation...

If you have ideas...


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## quehuong

Jean,

Thank you for the link. 

You thought it was not professional?  I hope you didn't really mean that. (j/k)  

Professionalism has a long continuum (from my perspective).


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## LadyBlakeney

I believe Jean meant exactly the opposite. He said: "Isn't it (professional)? I thought it was.

By the way, so did I. Good work Mr. Kellog!


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## mkellogg

I think that I could make WR much more professional (or professional-looking at least) if I had the budget for it.  Those obnoxious ads just don't pay that well...


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