ReadOasis Step 2 English is currently the world’s common language. It’s the international language of business, politics, and the Internet. About 400 million people speak English as a first language. And about a billion people are learning it today. To learn any foreign language, we need motivation. Motivation is... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Sam took a deep breath. He looked at his audience, raised his hands, and started to speak. He began with a joke, but nobody laughed. He introduced himself. But some people just looked down and checked their phones. He told another joke. The response: silence. "This... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 The last thing I remember before the car accident was music. My favorite song played on the radio. Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” exploded as an instant hit. He released the song in December 1991. And I fell in love with it immediately. Three weeks after... Read more
Your Cross-Cultural Purpose
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ReadOasis Step 2 Viktor listened to the sound of hard coughing. He looked at the man in the bed next to him. The man coughed and fought for air. Other men in the room coughed hard, too. Just then, the door burst open. A cold wind filled the room,... Read more
Communication, Culture, and Conflict
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ReadOasis Step 2 The following story uses very strong language -- not appropriate for children. In his work team, only Hiro can speak English. As a result, the team chose him to go to Chicago on an important business trip. The team leader offered to get Hiro a guide.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Yuki stepped outside the airplane, and the warm air touched her face. “The heat feels nice,” she said to herself. “Better than winter in Japan!” She flew over 14,000 kilometers for one reason. She wanted to meet her boyfriend’s parents. Arturo, he stood tall,... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 2) If Yuki marries Arturo today, imagine her future. His parents do not come to the wedding. On their honeymoon, Arturo receives a phone call from home. His father says, “You left our family. You broke our family. You are not my son anymore. I... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Bruce looked down at the blue ocean below. In the distance, he saw the green hills and snow covered mountains behind the city of Santa Marta, Colombia. “I arrive in Argentina in 7 hours,” he thought. “Time to get some sleep.” Bruce fell asleep and dreamt.... Read more
Update Your Mental and Cultural Software
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ReadOasis Step 2 Neo looked at the chair. On the backrest, he saw wires connected to a sharp object. “It looks like an old electric chair,” he said. Morpheus answered in his deep voice. “We use the adapter to connect your brain to the mainframe computer. Then we can... Read more
Blind Men and the Elephant of Culture
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ReadOasis Step 2 Long ago in a faraway land, six blind men sat by the road. Animals and people walked by, kicking up dust in the air. The burning sun made the ground hot. The blind men had no food, no money, and no water. They just waited for... Read more
Six Culture Conflicts (Part 1)
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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Joel held the warm, brown cup in both his hands. With his eyes, he smiled at Matt and drank his hot chocolate. "Ready to go?" asked Matt. "Yeah," said Joel. "Let’s go home." They stood up at the same time, put on their coats,... Read more
Six Culture Conflicts (Part 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 2) Question 1: Who Are You? Here we ask about relationships. How do you relate to the group? How do you relate to the individual? Do you make your own decisions? Do you make decisions with a group? In some cultures, people tend to value... Read more
Six Culture Conflicts (Part 3)
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ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 3) Question 5: What Is Good? Here we face the problem of choosing "the good." Do we choose the good of the future or the present? In China or Japan, culture may value the good of the future. But in American countries, cultures may value... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Lena looked back. She felt fear, sadness, and excitement all at once. She waved to her friends and parents. And they all waved back, smiling and blowing kisses. Lena turned around and started walking. She took a deep breath and said to herself, “Don’t be afraid.... Read more
The Place Martin opened the green door of his second floor room, room 306. He stepped outside and closed the door. He felt the air on his face, and he heard the voices of his friends. He looked down at them. They stood talking in the parking lot below.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) It was dark outside and freezing. Ice and snow shined gray and white under the light of the moon and the lights on the streets. In the surrounding valley, an icy breeze blew through the trees and over the cold waters of the Susquehanna... Read more
The Biggest Sporting Event
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ReadOasis Step 2 In 1982, England and Argentina were at war. They were fighting over the Falkland Islands. The English took the islands. But even today, Argentina claims them as their own. In 1986, England and Argentina fought again. But this time, it was in Mexico, at the World... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Eating hot dogs is an American tradition. And July is National Hot Dog Month in the United States. Hot dogs are also called frankfurters. This name comes from Frankfurt, Germany, where hot dogs were first served on bread buns. They are also called wieners, a name... Read more
The Artful Geisha (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 Geisha are traditional female entertainers from Japan. They are skilled at various Japanese arts, such as traditional music, dancing, and poetry. The word "geisha" comes from (GEI) meaning "art" and (SHA) meaning "person." In this sense, a geisha is an artist. In the 1920's, about 80,000... Read more
A Simple Recipe for Learning English
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ReadOasis Step 1 To learn English, we need words. Most English native speakers know between 12,000 and 20,000 words. Shakespeare used 31,534 words. And he probably knew more. How many words do you know? Naomi knows 95% of the words in Alice in Wonderland. She understands it without a... Read more