“One day there will be no borders, no boundaries, no flags and no
countries and the only passport will be the heart.”
Carlos Santana, Mexican musical artist
1. Cultural Globalisation Discussion
1. Do you think the culture of your country has changed in any way because of globalisation?
2. Has your country had a cultural effect on other countries in any way?
3. How has globalisation affected other national cultures around the world?
4. Think of the TV shows, films and music that you like or are popular in your country. Where do
they come from?
5. What other cultural imports can you find in your country?
6. What effect has the English language had on different cultures around the world? Will there be a
time in the future when English is the only language?
7. What have you done in the last week that has been influenced by cultural globalisation?
8. How has technology, such as the internet and social media, contributed to cultural globalisation?
2. Cultural Globalisation Vocabulary
• cultural globalisation (BrE) / globalization (AmE) (noun) – the transmission of ideas and values
from one culture to another.
• interconnected (adjective) – the sharing of multiple connections to each other.
• global village (noun) – the world interconnected due to modern telecommunications technology.
• homogenisation (noun), homogenous (adjective) – a process of making things the same or similar;
describes things that are the same or similar.
• heterogenous (adjective) – the state of being diverse.
• to Americanise (BrE) / Americanize (AmE) (verb), Americanised (adjective), Americanisation
(noun) – to make something more American in character or culture; something that has become more
American in nature or character; the process of making something more American.
Using the vocabulary words above, complete the following sentences (remember to use the
correct form of the word, e.g. verb conjugation or plural noun)
1. Thanks to , even South Koreans now celebrate Christmas.
2. If the world becomes any more , we’ll all be eating apple pie and carrying guns
around with us.
3. Because of the nature of world cultures, multinationals have to create different
adverts for their products depending on the country they are selling in.
4. Many people fear globalisation will result in the of national cultures.
5. Thanks to social media, we all live in the .
6. A huge increase in tourism, especially from less developed countries, and the trend of companies
sending their employees to work abroad has resulted in a much more world.
Cultural Globalisation vocabulary comprehension questions
1. What different examples of cultural globalisation can you think of?
2. What are all the different ways the world is interconnected?
3. In what ways do you think the world today can be likened to a global village?
4. Do you think globalisation will lead to the homogenisation of cultures? If so, what would this
new culture look like? What would its major influences be?
5. How heterogenous are the world’s national cultures?
6. Do you think the world has become too Americanised? If so, how?
3. Video: Globalisation & Culture
You are going to watch a video by Robert Van Krieken, Professor of Sociology at the University of
Sydney, called “Globalization and culture.”
Watch the video here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hecvLSbiG805hb95_cGkXP0clN-
Nt6bG/view?usp=sharing
While you watch the video, answer the following questions:
Multiple choice
1. Which of the following was not mentioned as contributing to cultural globalisation?
a) foreign tourism b) internet access c) international management practices
2. Critics of globalisation argue that international trade isn’t equal under what?
a) neomarxism b) neoconservatism c) neoliberalism
3. Cultural globalisation has been criticised as what?
a) cultural exchange b) cultural imperialism c) cultural homogenisation
4. Western nations and large multinationals are accused of controlling what?
a) foreign governments b) world trade c) the world’s cultural media
Sentence completion
5. Not only do Western nations export , but they also impose their own values and
ideologies.
6. According to George Ritzer, the McDonald’s operational structure promotes efficiency and
control over and .
7. The United States has been one of the main countries to parts of its culture,
including fast food, music and TV shows.
8. Hollywood films and Coca Cola don’t just sell their products overseas; they sell a
and an Americanised way of seeing the world.
Short answer
9. A large proportion of the cultural products we consume originate in which country?
10. Which American holidays are now being celebrated in different countries?
11. According to Arjun Appadurai, what are the most important factors that influence changes to
culture?
12. The impact of factors that influence cultural changes can depend on the strength of what?
4. Cultural Globalisation Conversation Questions
1. Do you consider yourself to be a global citizen? Why or why not?
2. What are the positives of cultural globalisation?
3. Which ideas, values and ideologies have been exported around the world, and where did they
come from?
4. What cultural influences have spread around the world that did not come from the United States
or other Western countries?
5. What effect has advertising from multinational companies had on cultures around the world?
6. What effect has tourism and migration had on cultural globalisation?
7. Does eating a Big Mac or drinking Starbucks coffee really make a French person any less French,
or a Chinese person any less Chinese?
8. Has globalisation brought people closer together or moved them further apart? Wouldn’t it be
better if everyone lives in one global community with no international borders? What would this
global community look like?
5. Cultural Globalisation Writing Task
Write about your opinion of cultural globalisation. Try to use some of the vocabulary you learned earlier
in this lesson. In your answer, include the following topics:
• Examples of cultural globalisation you can think of from your country.
• Whether cultural globalisation is a good influence or a bad influence.
• Whether or not you think there could be a homogenisation of national cultures in the future.
Alternative exam essay question
Because of cultural globalisation, national cultures are increasingly merging into a single homogenous
culture. At some point in time, all people in the world will share a common culture. Do you agree or
disagree with this?
