A. Heifer International currently works in 50 countries all across the globe! Since its founding in 1944, it has helped people in 125 countries.

Q. How many families has Heifer International helped?

A. Since the beginning, Heifer has helped over 12 millions families by providing livestock, farming education, and trainings. They have also grown to include trainings on gender equity, nutrition education, sustainable living, and many more!

Q. What is Heifer International’s “Passing on the Gift” program?

A. Passing on the Gift is an initiative that encourages recipients of aid to turn around and give hope to another family or community. This can mean sharing a livestock offspring or giving seeds so another family can plant on their farm. It allows recipients to be donors, and magnifies the effects of the original gift.

Q. How can I get involved in Heifer International?

A. There are many ways you can get involved! The kids in your life can get involved through the Read to Feed program. You can also make a direct donation by buying livestock as a gift-in-kind for someone. Heiffer also has learning centers around the USA where you can visit and learn more about global living. To learn more about these and other opportunities, visit the Heiffer International Website.

For even more information and to find out about other partners, make sure you check out these websites:

Kids & Culture –
Your Language Connection –
Gifts that Give Hope –
Heifer International –
Lancaster Science Factory –

Yet, when it comes to the field, there is a need for a common language (not always a spoken one) – a system for players, coaches, refs, and officials to communicate about the game.

Did you know that the official FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) rules dictate that the referees know at least a few key phrases in English? World Cup referees must pass a test of both written and spoken English before being hired. Knowing this, many of the coaches and players from non-English speaking countries also try to learn some English in order to communicate the basics with the refs.

The World Cup officials also created a common dictionary of hand signals to streamline non-verbal communication. This dictionary is available not only to the referees, but also to the teams, their coaches and the fans.

Arguing with a referee in any language won’t get you very far, as World Cup referees are not compelled to explain calls made during the games. Players, coaches and refs rely on the “international language” of body movement to demonstrate their message. When you watch a game, even if you don’t speak the announcer’s language, you can often interpret the ref’s call and how the players feel about it!

To further bridge the language divide, World Cup officials wrote a basic handbook of soccer-related themes in six languages – English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish – to help players, coaches, and spectators.

The common language that unifies the games is found in the players’ emotions, facial expressions, and body language. No matter what language you speak, there is no confusion over the unmistakable disappointment on the faces of the defeated, or the elation of the victorious.

1. What 2 countries frown upon gift giving, because they see it more as a bribery?
Malaysia and Paraguay

2. Besides Japan, what 2 other countries strongly encourage gift giving?
Indonesia and the Philippines

3. In Asia and the Middle East, which hand do they use to accept gifts? Which cultures use both hands?
right hand Japan and Hong Kong

4. In Singapore, how many times do they “refuse” a gift before accepting it?
three times

Reading 72%
Allentown 59%
Lancaster 55%
Lebanon 44%
York 37%

(information retrieved from the ¿Qué pasa? Lancaster newsletter)

SWEDEN!

HERE ARE 5 FUN FACTS ABOUT SWEDEN. . .

The strongest girl in the world is Swedish!
Pippi Longstocking is the heroine in the most famous children’s books in Sweden. These books were written by Astrid Lindgren and are loved by children (and adults) all over the world. They have been translated into 76 languages.

All the world’s flowers are Swedish!
Carolus Linnaeus – better known in the U.S. as Carl von Linné – was the first individual to successfully classify all the plants (and animals) of the world into different species and families. He wrote the epoch-making book Systema Nature (The System of Nature) in 1735, which is still being used by botanists and zoologists today!

Mysterious Moose Tracks.
A popular souvenir is the road sign for moose-crossing. Every year a huge number of these signs are stolen from Swedish roads.

Swedes are known for their Innovations.
Swedish Inventions include:
– The perfected the design of the zipper (Gideon Sundbäck).
– The marine propeller (John Ericsson).
– The refrigerator (Carl Munters and Baltzar von Platen).
– The computer mouse (Håkan Lans).
– The pace-maker (Rune Elmqvist).

Swedish prize makes the biggest bang!
The Nobel Prize Ceremonies are held in Sweden and Norway every year on December 10th. The Nobel Prizes were founded by the Swedish inventor and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite in 1866.

1. What are some programs that CWS does to help refugees?

CWS does a lot of programs such as the Crop Walk. However, they are always searching for volunteers to work one-on-one with a refugee as a mentor, English tutor, translator, employment advocate, etc.

2. How have the Iraqui refugees helped the United States?

Some of the Iraqui refugees work as interpreters for the United States Army.

3. Why did the Karen Burmese refugees come to the US?

The Karen Burmese refugees came to the US because they were experiencing persecution due to the fact that they were part of a minority ethnic group in Burma.

4. How many Karen Burmese families have moved to Lancaster since May 2007?

150 ethnic Karen Burmese families have moved to Lancaster since May 2007.

5. How many Bfutanese refugees have resettled in Lancaster County?

There have been over 120 Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian Bfutanese refugees that have resettled in Lancaster County.

If you are currently not receiving the newsletter and wish to receive it, please sign up on our website at www.yourlanguageconnection.com/

1. What percentage of students in the United States between the ages of 18 and 24 cannot locate Iraq on the world map? Afghanistan? Japan? The United States? 

ANSWER: 

             IRAQ = 87%, AFGHANISTAN = 83%, JAPAN = 58%, UNITED STATES = 11%

2. ________ of people in the United States agree that students should have a study abroad experience sometime during college, but only ______ of students from the United States currently study abroad each year.

 ANSWER: ____79%____ of people in the United States agree that students should have a study abroad experience sometime during college, but only ___1%___ of students from the United States currently study abroad each year.

3. Studying abroad exposes students from the United States to valuable _____________ and cultural understanding and forms an integral part of their education.

ANSWER: a. shopping sprees    b. global knowledge    c. memories    d. all of the above

 4. Some of the core values and skills of __________ education are enhanced by participation in study abroad programs

ANSWER:    a. higher                      b. lower                           c. no                d. the same

 5. Institutions of higher education in the United States are struggling to graduate enough students with the ____________ skills and cultural competence necessary to meet the current demands of business, government, and educational institutions.

ANSWER:    a. reading                    b. writing                         c. language    d. science

If you aren’t receiving our newsletter but wish to do so, please register on our website at: http://www.yourlanguageconnection.com/contact.php.

*Statistics provided by U.S. Senate.

2. What happened at the age of 16?
A. Got married B. Ran away C. Was kidnapped
C. At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain.

3. What did he study?
A. Religion B. Medicine C. Plants
A. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Gaul and studied to be a priest.

4. Where did he go to convert the royalty and aristocrats?
A. Ireland B. Britain C. France
A. In 432, he again says that he was called back to Ireland to save the Irish. He focused on converting royalty and aristocracy, as well as the poor.

5. Why did he use the Shamrock?
A. For luck B. Protect him from lice C. Teach the Trinity
C. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish people.

6. What happened on March 17th, 461 AD?
A. He died B. He became a Bishop C. He started a church in Ireland
A. After nearly thirty years of teaching and spreading God’s word, he died on March 17, 461 AD. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity, and, as such, he is held in esteem in the Irish Church.

7. What was the original color associated with St. Patrick’s Day?
A. Red B. Orange C. Blue
C. Originally the color associated with St. Patrick was blue, not green. However, over the years the color green and its association with St. Patrick’s day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick’s Day as early as the 17th century.

8. Where was the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade?
A. Dublin B. Boston C. New York

 B. Irish Society of Boston organized what was not only the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the colonies, but the first recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the world on March 17, 1737. The first parade in Ireland was not until the 1931 parade in Dublin. The parade in Boston involved Irish immigrant workers marching to make a political statement about how they were not happy with their low social status and their inability to obtain jobs in America.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! – From YLC

1. This country embraces a mix of Caribbean and Latin cultures, infused with a colonial history brought to its shores by British settlers. English-speaking, Creole-dominated and with a thoroughly coup-free history, this tiny country has an atmosphere that couldn’t be more laid back. Mayan ruins, diving the Blue hole and Marie Sharp’s famous hot sauce are some trademarks.

2. Take boat rides through villages built entirely on stilts, see hippos eyeballing you from murky rivers, stop off at deserted beaches where slave ships once sailed and see stunning indigenous architecture. On Voodoo day (January 10) people meet on Ouidah’s beaches to pray for good health. Elephants and hippos, smiling faces, poachers and multiple coups are some trademarks.

3. Laze in the sun on the dazzling pink-sand beaches and splash about in the turquoise waters of the bay. They are well known for cricket matches and afternoon teas. Colorful shorts, tidy pastel cottages and Gosling’s Black Seal Rum are some trademarks.

4. This country teeters between contemporary and medieval as monks transcribe ancient Buddhist texts into laptop computers and traditionally dressed archers use alloy-steel bows and arrows. They have the only capital in the world without traffic lights and just opened their doors to visitors in 1974. The last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom, colorful textiles, a place for inspiration and solitude, and prayer flags are some of the trademarks.

5. This country is known as the Tibet of the Americas. Stroll cobblestone streets, visit spectacular ice caves and turquoise lakes, see spurting geysers and eerie lagoons or take a jungle trip to the rainforest. Bowler hats, colorful hand-woven shawls, llamas and chewing coca are some trademarks. (Legendary Outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid supposedly met their demise in this country.)

6. As the host of the 1984 Winter Olympics, this country offers a vast variety of activities for its small size. Visit medieval castles, take a tram ride, raft the rapids, drink Turkish coffee, or buy homemade wines. Old cobbled streets, medieval forts and castles, mountain villages, and excellent Turkish food are some trademarks.

1. Belize – rice and beans or beans and rice (Belikin Beer)
2. Benin – Paté de maiz (mashed maize) with either meat, cheese or gombo (okra) sauce (Béninoise Beer)
3. Bermuda – fish chowder and the traditional Sunday codfish breakfast (Ginger Beer)
4. Bhutan – Tibetan style momos (filled steamed dumplings), yak meat or ema datse (chillies and cheese)
5. Bolivia – salteña (a pastie filled with meat and vegetables) and surubí (catfish)
6. Bosnia & Hercegovina – sirnica (cheese pie) or tufahije (apple cake topped with cream and walnuts)