Tutor profile: Kaeson B.

Where does the emphasis go in French words? Which syllable should be stressed?

Unlike English, where the emphasis can change depending on the word (by emphasis I mean which part of the word is stressed; i.e. how we say EMphasis and not emPHAsis), in French, the emphasis is always at the end of the word. As such, you should always keep in mind that it is the final syllable that is stressed in each French word. Examples: petIT chiEN oceAN rigoLO ParIS All of these words, and indeed all French words, have the emphasis on their final syllables. This is important as it is crucial to understanding how to be fluent in French.

When is it appropriate to use a semicolon?

Generally speaking, one uses a semicolon to differentiate between two small clauses which could exist on their own but generally are related to one another. Usually, these phrases contain enough information to be a standalone sentence, but lack length or descriptiveness. Furthermore, a semicolon can be used to break up a run-on sentence into multiple, distinct parts. Or, it can be used to distinguish between different parts of a list. For example, consider these two sentences: While George went to the store to buy some apples, John stayed home to play the guitar. Both of them were done within an hour. This can be rewritten with a semicolon to improve the way the ideas flow together. While George went to the store to buy some apples, John stayed home to play the guitar; they were both done within an hour. Another helpful tip for determining whether or not a semicolon is appropriate is to look at what punctuation would work at the end of a phrase. If both a period or a comma could be used interchangeably, chances are a semicolon will work fine.

What is the importance of cultural relativism as opposed to ethnocentricity when studying any culture other than our own?

Ethnocentricity is one of the easiest traps for any anthropologist to fall into. When we are being ethnocentric, we are seeing our own personal brand of society as the "model" and all other societies as "the other." We tend to see them as different, strange, or even lesser than us when we think this way. Cultural relativism, on the other hand, is the philosophy of taking the norms of different societies at face value; not any better or any worse than ours. It's critical to ensure that we don't pass judgement upon other world cultures, as any biases or judgements that are not kept in check may lead to inaccurate research outcomes.