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Unit I introduces the topic “American House and Home” and deals with the main concepts represented in American and Russian cultures.
Unit II is concerned essentially with how the American experience has effected American architecture, and vice versa. It traces the model of domestic environment in the U.S.A., as it has evolved from colonial architecture through current urban projects.
Unit III is concerned essentially with the diversity of modern American homes. It explores the changes in modern house design and the factors that brought the variety of models of domestic environment in the U.S.A.
Unit IV focuses on the issue of students’ housing options in the USA and describes a diversity of accommodations provided by colleges and universities for young people from various cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds.
(Photo by Valeriy Yevseyev)
1.1. What is the image of an American home that a foreigner might have? Definitely the one seen in Hollywood movies: a rich mansion or a luxurious penthouse. Of course, you can see some poor communities in movies, too. But when a foreigner thinks of a typical American house he still imagines a beautiful building on a green lawn, with a swimming pool and a spacious garage in some quiet neighborhood. This is how myths and misconceptions about American life and culture bring people to false assumptions.
Make up groups of three and consider the following myths about American houses. Which of them are widely spread in your culture?
Myth 1: Most Americans live in big cities.
Myth 2: The majority of Americans own their houses.
Myth 3: Each member of the family has his/her own bedroom.
Write a paragraph that begins: «I think, a typical American house looks like this…”
Exchange your opinions. What similarities and what differences did you find?
List similarities and differences of your opinions in two columns:
| We all think | Some of us think |
In your group of three come up with your own question about housing in the USA. Address it to the class.
1.2. Following are the opinions of different people that present a variety of views of the American home. Some of these people are U.S. citizens; others sum up their personal experiences during their visit to the U.S.A.
Question 1: How would you describe an American home to a person from another culture?
While reading the answers take notes on the most important details of house design given by the speakers.
Compare the given opinions and group the information in the following table:
| Design | Building materials | House elements |
A. Rosaline (California, USA):
An American home is usually two to four or more bedrooms. The house might be made of stucco or wood slats and can be a one story rambling/ranchstyle or a two story house. Some have sunken rooms which means that you have to step down from one room to the other. The older homes usually have a hardwood floor and then are covered with carpet. In most cases, people have reverted to the hardwood floors by sanding and polishing them. In a lot of cases today, the living room and dining room are a combined room and sometimes it opens into the kitchen, making one great room for entertaining.
B. Kathy (New Jersey, USA):
Most Americans live in houses which are either one or two stories. They usually consist of living room, dining room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Some have basements and others not, depending on the region. Most houses have storage areas in the attic area.
С. Anna (Russia):
It’s a single-family home, two-storied, in a suburb, with a lawn, a backyard and a garage. Each room in the house has its own clear function, and usually each member of the family (except younger children who might share a room) has their own bedroom. There is usually also a guestroom or several guestrooms in the house (for reasons of privacy, it’s not common to suggest to your guest that they bed down on the couch in the living room).
D. Olga (Russia)
I lived in a family of Americans several times. This is what their houses were like:
One – a single elderly lady, whose husband has passed away, and the children are grown-up living in a residential area in Pittsburgh in a townhouse, 3-storied (one semi-underground floor), not very big, with two guestrooms, a big living room and a garage.
Two – a family with two small kids and a dog, a suburb of Leesburg, VA, a small town: a single-family home in a fairly recent neighborhood (similar houses around); quite big and spacious, 2-storied, the hall, kitchen and living room on the first floor have no partitions; there were several rooms on the first floor, including children’s playroom, one girl’s bedroom, a den, some closets. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs.
Three – a small town in SC, a wealthy neighborhood in pine-forested area surrounded by golf-courses. A retired couple (the husband a former nuclear scientist), living in a big two-story house with a porch and a balcony, the kitchen, the den, the living room and dining room downstairs, and the bedrooms upstairs. (It’s common I noticed to use grownup kids’ rooms as guestrooms). There was also a sort of covered terrace adjoining the kitchen where we had brunches on weekends watching the golfers on the course – very nice!
Four – a single lady living in a small one-story house in a residential area in Pittsburgh. A two-bedroom house, with a basement used as storage space, a laundry room and a place to keep the huge bear-size dog that takes up too much space in the house. An unusual feature of the house: the lady is very keen on gardening, so from the outside the house has an English look to it because instead of the traditional lawn it’s surrounded by a flower and herb garden.
E. Douglas (Washington, USA):
Americans usually live in houses, although some (20%?) live in apartments, especially those that live in large cities and have no or few children, or are single – not married. American houses are varied in design and building materials: wood, brick, and stucco – most houses are made from wood.
F. Elena (Russia):
It is a one or two-family house with a porch and arched doors and windows, there is a greenhouse, a shed, a swimming-pool and a tennis court. The area is very well kept and it is quite an expensive property. (That's where I was when I was in Phoenix).
Share the notes you made while reading the answers /?
Compare your ideas of an American house with the information you’ve read.What new facts have you learned about the American house? Has your concept of the American house changed? What key words can you use to describe it now?
Question 2: Would you rather live in a house or an apartment? Why?
While reading the answers take notes on the most important details of house design given by the speakers.
Compare the given opinions and group the information in the following table:
| Preference | Reasons | |
| Rosaline | ||
A. Rosaline (California, USA):
We prefer to live in a house. John and I met when we were both living at an apartment. Renting an apartment is like putting money out each month and having nothing to show for you money. Owing the house you have a piece of the real estate. I love to have a garden and the lawn full of flowers. That you can’t have when living in an apartment. You can also have pets. A house you can decorate it any way you wish since you are the owner.
B. Kathy (New Jersey, USA):
I have lived in an apartment and also a house and I prefer living in a house. I like the space and privacy it affords. I like having a yard with grass and plants.
C. Douglas (Washington, USA):
We prefer to live in a house as we have more privacy and because we have a yard to play, relax and to grow plants in. We grow trees and flowers for pleasure, and raise fruit and vegetables for food.
D. Barbara and Reid (Minnesota, USA):
We prefer to live in a house because of privacy, lack of noise. (Apartments here are not like in Russia in terms of noise isolation, the walls are very thin usually).
E. Elena (Russia): I'd prefer to live in a house as I like privacy, but, unfortunately, I have to live in an apartment house with neighbors all around. I know? that most Americans want to have an apartment in Manhattan and live in a cottage? outside New York.
Working in pairs analyze the notes you made. Highlight the main reason why Americans prefer this type of housing.
1.3. As you see many Americans have an ambition to own their own house. That is why a single family house is a very popular type of housing and many single family houses are built in the USA every year. Apartment houses assumed importance in the U.S.A. as big cities became more crowded. An apartment provides increased living space and more amenities than a single family house that costs the same amount of money.
Today a modern American house is designed and constructed according to the needs, wishes, financial status of those who will later occupy it.
Working in groups of three read the extract from “The Encyclopedia of American Home” given below and draw a cluster that will include all the elements of a modern American house described in the text.
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