At the conference I spent some time with Brian, a Fulbright teacher in Sofia. We made plans for one-day school exchange with his school.

My presentation was entitled With a Card-card Here and a Card-card There…

A well-known old favorite for all ages goes that Old MacDonald had a farm “with a “moo-moo” here and a “moo-moo” there, everywhere a “moo-moo.” In order to imply the idea that a plastic or paper card is a required accessory in everyday life in the USA nowadays, I paraphrased a line from this song. This allusion helped the audience understand better the idea of the modern card-based society.

From the perspective of an English teacher, making successful phone calls, doing the laundry in a Laundromat or using public transportation in the USA requires excellent listening and reading skills. Speaking and writing could be even at a survival level for the visitor. He should be able to ask for directions, fill out some standard forms (just words or phrases). In the English textbooks the "Using the Telephone" unit should be based on the current diverse usage of telephone services in the USA and “Doing the Laundry” the American way should be on the curriculum, too.