Second Language Documentary

I found the documentary interesting in regards to the way different cultures write. I never realized how different cultures, such as those in South America and Latin America, write and speak in very indirect ways. Most of the students interviewed all pointed out how direct and cold our writing and speaking style is here in the United States. I also found the discussion afterwards very interesting in regards to the way different dialects of English have been formed as different cultures have found there way to this country. The last thing I wanted to touch on was the topic the film described about grading for a second language student. I was in agreement about grading papers on a more conceptual plane rather than a set of skills that require years of memorization. As long as the students can communicate themselves and get their points across without a large number of minor errors that have no real effect on the paper, than they should receive quality grades.