Blog Session 10 Instructions

Dear Class,

As this is the last post, write about your experience using blogs in the English Class. 

Say:

a) What you think about the experience in general
b) How much you feel your writing skills have developed
c) What you would like to include in the future
d) What else you would like to write about


Please write this in 200 words minimum and don't forget to make comments on at least three of your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén Farías G.

Free post (Third and last free post)

Sample Post

Cinema: moving pictures or the industry of making films

Today I’m going to write about cinema. I’m interested in this topic because watching films can help us understand a great deal about life and human relationships. Every time we watch a film, we learn about other worlds and lifestyles and at the same time, we travel about two hours to other realities. Cinema is important because as a teacher, I can use films, short films, documentaries, trailers or clips to present topics or issues so students can discuss or debate.

I will be talking about where cinema came from, secondly who invented it and finally, I’m going to mention the most important periods of the history of cinema around the world. Let’s begin with the origins of cinema; moving images have always been popular. In China, for example, 5,000 years ago, they used firelight to project images of puppets onto screens and this was called “shadow plays”.

Cinema became possible by the invention of two French brothers, Louis and Auguste Lumiere, in 1895. The Lumiere Cinematograph” allowed large audiences to watch “moving pictures”. They showed several short films and they were all documentaries. Let’s continue with the periods of the history of cinema. There are seven important periods; the history begins in the Far East, with shadow plays. The, The Lumiere brothers in 1895, The Silent Era (1912), The Talkies (1928), The Golden Age (1932), The TV Revolution (1950) after the Second World War and currently, the Modern Film Industry.

I’m going to conclude by quoting Auguste Lumiere, who said: “Cinema can be exploited for a certain time but apart from that, it has no commercial value at all”. I’d love to hear what Auguste Lumiere would say about making films in this century, after all the commercial value given to the Modern Film Industry.

Blog Session 9 Instructions

Dear Class,

Now, maybe the context helps you to write about the following topic:

Your favourite subject this term. Among others, include:

a) Name
b) Describe what you do in classes
c) Mention the main contents you have seen
d) Explain why you like the subject
e) Make comments on at least 3 of your classmates' posts.

Don't forget to write 180 words minimum.


Good luck,


Belén Farías G.

Sample Post

My favourite subject: History of Chile

I can’t say History was my favourite subject when I was in school but I can say teachers can make the difference no matter the subject they teach. History, in general, can be very interesting if you’re curious and wonder how civilizations or processes started. Therefore, I think Universal History and Ancient History are quite fascinating especially when historical events are presented in a way I can connect with my own world. I also think the more History we learn the more we understand and analyse what happens around the world, in different cultures and also, at so geographically different towns, cities and countries.

In terms of the History of Chile, I started studying since elementary school and in secondary school we used to read “Chile y su Historia” by Sergio Villalobos. Valid or not, in this book I’ve seen images of the old Santiago and Chile and I remember vividly. I’ve always enjoyed reading and now I’m trying to read more about the native people in Chile because there so much I didn’t learn at school.

I must say I really enjoy studying the History of Chile. As some people say, “... those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” and I think it’s essential to learn from what has happened, maybe this way human beings are going to kill each other a bit less. I’ve learnt by listening to and asking questions to my Grandmother as well as other elderly in my family and life and it is amazing how one single event can be seen and understood in very different ways. We can find examples everywhere; we can talk with people in Chile about what their opinion of the long dictatorship is, or if we talk to people who survived the Second World War in London, maybe our understanding of that event could change, maybe partially or completely.

Blog Session 8 Instructions

Dear Class,

It is time for a free post. Feel free to choose the topic of your post. Remember you have to write 160 words minimum as well as the three comments on your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén

A portrait made by a raper

Dear Class,

I enjoyed the "real-life" context of this song and  it's also a great portrait of Quilicura. Not sure about the value of technical aspects but I think it's a good idea to watch this clip.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbRatX5LT6k


Belén

Sample Post

To choose one photograph I like it’s not possible because I love colours but I also enjoy black and white. There are so many choices; photographers round the world have always been “making” photos. I definitely prefer black and white and I miss going to the dark room and developing my own film and pictures.

One of the photos I will always remember was taken by Luis Poirot, a well-known Chilean photographer. In this photo you can see Chilean song-writer, actor, singer and activist Víctor Jara, killed in 1973 by the military officers. That day Víctor and Luis were near Cerro Blanco, in Recoleta. They were trying to obtain a photo for Víctor’s new album cover. Here we can see part of the complete photograph. I found this darkish copy on the internet but it’s not the photo I have on my wall (or the postcard version of the photo I was given). In the portrait I have, apart from Víctor Jara holding his guitar, and the old lady behind him, there’s a boy to the left, next to Víctor, and the boy is looking at the camera. You can also see the entire guitar Víctor is holding. One more difference between this picture and mine is that Víctor is not looking at the camera.

This photo was taken in 1969. According to Luis, the photographer, this photo wasn’t authorized by the Communist party, so Víctor’s new album cover for “Pongo en tus manos abiertas” was the one – you might have seen- with two open palms.

Last but not least, I really like this photo because Víctor Jara is in it and of the various photos where Víctor appears, this one is my favourite portrait of him. I admire and respect everything he was and did.

Blog Session 7 Instructions

Dear Class,

This time you have to choose a picture you like to write about it. Say:
a) who took it
b) what it shows
c) when it was taken
d) why you like it
e) Upload it too

Include any other information you'd like to mention in 160 words minimum. Don't forget to make comments on at least three of your classmates blogs.

Good luck,

Belén

Sample Post

Free post: Life without water

Nowadays, one serious problem in this planet has to do with water. Depending on where we are this problem can be related with aspects such as the lack of water (the access to it) or the quality of it. Ancient civilizations needed water just like we do but the problem with this natural resource is that some people think water is always going to be available for us, even if we don’t use it wisely or even if we don’t care about its sustainable management. Considering the lack of water we can find places in Africa where people walk a long way to get just a few litres. And in terms of the quality, there are places where fresh and clean water is not as common as it is in a capital city. Indeed, apart from having difficulties to get drinking water some people also get sick and die because the water they drink is contaminated. More details: http://blueplanetnetwork.org/water/

Similarly, in this long and thin country the quality of drinking water is not the best. Even though we are far from Africa, we can still see this problem in Valle Grande (Región Metropolitana) or in Alto Hospicio where water is contaminated with arsenic. The contamination of drinking water is a problem in more than eight cities in Chile, where regulations have failed to offer people the access to clean and fresh water.

The importance of using water wisely refers to the urgency of finding ideas to make people aware of this problematic situation. This is a vital element for our bodies to function and on an average human being, water makes up 70% -75% of the body weight so why regulations for companies not to contaminate water are not popular? Or why governments are not implementing as many conservation water programmes as we need here and around the world? Read more ideas: http://www.gracelinks.org/437/water-saving-tips-in-the-bathroom

To conclude, life without water is not possible so what are we going to do when we feel thirsty but we’re not going to be able to drink a glass of water? Or when, with no rain and the obvious consequences with crops, we can’t grow vegetables? Water is the most important nutrient for our bodies and because it helps digest our food and to transport waste in our body we really need to take some actions to change, or even better, to solve the problem with the access and quality of water.

Blog Session 6 Instructions

Dear Class,

This is the second time you are free to choose what to blog about. So, choose a topic and write 150 words minimum. Also, make comments on at least three of your classmates' blogs.

Good luck!

Belén

Blog Session 5 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today the topic is: My favourite piece of technology

Write:
a) What it is
b) When you got it
c) How you use it
d) How often you use it
e) Why you like it
f) What life would be like without it

Remember to write 150 words minimum, include a picture and make comments on at least three of your classmates' blogs.

Good luck!

Sample Post

My favourite piece of technology?

I must begin by saying I do have a love/hate relationship with technology. Talking to my friend Chris who’s working in Yemen through Skype is fantastic, but at the same time I think it's not necessary to give technology an incredible amount of importance in your life.

In terms of technology and the kind of tools I use in my everyday life, what I use the most are mp3 players.

I like mp3 players because of their size and the space they provide so you can keep lots and lots of files. Also, you can carry them everywhere you go and some of them have very original designs as well. I use my mp3 mainly because I can listen to music and I remembered my grandmother loved the one I gave her so she could listen to music when she was in bed. Apart from that, mp3 are useful for me to keep my favourite family pictures, all the files I need for work and my studies, and videos of course. I got the one I have now two years ago and I bought it after I lost the one I had before.

I can imagine my life without an mp3 and my life wasn't terrible without one in the past but now that I’m used to this piece of technology, I think I’d need something similar, specially to continue listening to music.

Blog Session 4 Instructions

Dear Class,

This is the first time you will be able to blog about anything you want... Maybe something about the city you are from, the city you live in, the ideal city or life quality standards.
Good luck choosing the topic and this time please write 140 words minimum, plus the three comments.

Remember when we want to orgainse our ideas we can use paragraphs and to develop an idea in a paragraph, we can use topic sentences at the beginning. You can also try to answer questions like what? how? and why? to develop your text.

Best wishes,

Belén

Sample Post

Free post: Air pollution in Santiago

Air pollution in Santiago is one of the many problems this city has and few people want to talk about it. Year after year air pollution, especially, gets worse and according to Raúl O’Ryan and Luis Larraguibel, who wrote “Contaminación del aire en Santiago: ¿qué es, qué se ha hecho, qué falta?” (http://www.dii.uchile.cl/~Revista/ArticulosVol4-N1/ORyan-R%20y%20Larraguibel-L.pdf) the contaminated air we breathe in the capital city is one of the worst in the world. Therefore, people who bike and run might observe associated health impacts because they practice these activities outdoor.

The present and past governments are not doing enough so we can say they are honestly worried about air pollution and trying to reduce the levels. Politicians have a lot to deal with (and I really hope they do contribute somehow to change the Educational System in this country) but I don’t understand why air pollution does not motivate them to discuss and create more and new regulations. 

In Latin America, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most polluted city is Lima but that doesn’t mean we don’t need more control on the growing number of cars in Santiago, for example. While further south, in Santiago and because of the levels of contamination, children and the elderly suffer the various typical winter illnesses like the respiratory syncitial virus. Winter after winter this situation has been out there and babies seem to have adapted to some kind of different and more contaminated air bronchitis after bronchitis. 
Air pollution is “contamination of the indoor or the outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal”, says the WHO.

               

Sample Post

Today I'm going to write about a very useful link: www.linguee.es This is an online dictionary and translator and it's interesting how they are able to offer more than 100 million translations made by humans. Usually, online translators are not reliable because they offer translations made by machines but this website is different. Here you can find examples of how the word or phrase you're looking for has been translated in bilingual websites like the ones companies, international organizations and universities have.

I visit this website every single day, especially when I'm translating and also to check if the translation I want to use is the most suitable.

I really like this website because up to this point, I've always found what I'm looking for. Apart from that, as you can find many examples, you can decide what translation to use and see where that translation has been used. This website shows you the paragraph where the word or phrase appears so the context helps a lot.
If you want to try this website, the creators recommend to look for phrases instead of single words.

Blog Session 3 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today, you get to choose one more time. Please choose one of these topics:

A career-related website that you enjoy visiting
a) Provide the link
b) Describe the website (sections, features, etc.)
c) Say how often you visit the site
d) Explain why you like the site


A person/expert on your field that you admire
a) Who she/he is (short biography)
b) What she/he has done (examples of their work)
c) Why you like her/him
d) Include his/her image

Remember to write 130 words minimum and add comments on at least 3 of your classmates' blogs.

Belén

Sample Post

Dear All,

I’m going to write about a singer, who I first listened to because of the film “Fast & Furious 5”, which is not the kind of film I like but as Brazil is the setting, and I’m interested in Brazilian culture, I decided to give it a try plus I had nothing else to watch that day.

This singer is called Obando D2 and in this song he sings with a girl called Claudia but I haven't found out who she is. The name of the song is “Desafabo deixa eu dizer”, which means “Relief let me tell you” or something like that. I know very little about this singer but I think he's been singing for a long time because he has more than one hundred songs. He’s in hip-hop and he’s just one of many singers who rap about the situation in Brazil, about poverty and crime in the favelas. After listening to some of his songs I can say this is my favourite song because of the lyrics, as you could read in the video, he talks about what is to live in a favela and how he’d like Brazil to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q47n56bb3Fw

I know this is only about one singer but I can’t help including Antonio Carlos Jobim, one of my favourite bossa nova singers. Here you have my favourite song by him, “Desafinado” or "Out of tune"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmuaIcin-YM

Belén

Blog Session 2

Dear Class,

This is the topic for today's blog:

A singer/band you like or concert/exhibition you've been to

Band / Singer
- name
- what do you know about them?
- what type of music do they play?
- why do you like this artist/band?
- what's your favorite song? why?
- publish a picture or video
Concert/Exhibition 

- what was it?
- when did you go?
- where was it?
- why did you like it?
- mention more details about it
- publish a related picture or video



Remember to write 120 words minimum and make 3 comments on your classmates posts.

Good luck!

Sample Post

My autobiography

My full name is María Belén Farías Gutiérrez but nobody calls me María Belén. I’m Belén, a single Chilean woman, I’m 32 years-old and I live in Santiago. I’m from Chile and I was born in the capital city, on a rainy day, on May 22^nd, 1979. We’re a five-member family, my parents plus my brother, sister and I; and both my sister and brother are older than me. My brother Felipe is the oldest and then my oldest sister, Male, which makes me the youngest. I also have a younger step-brother, Mauricio, who’s 16 and a younger half-sister, Mariajosé, who’s 4. My parents got divorced in 2004 and in the same year I left home and went travelling to Europe for a couple of months so I could visit some of my friends there.

I studied in the same school for twelve years and I’m still in contact with most of my classmates. After that, when I was 17, I worked sporadically and studied English for a year because I didn’t know what to study as a career but I finally decided I wanted to be a translator. I graduated as a translator in 2001 and then studied Pedagogía en inglés so I became an English teacher in 2005.

I really like music and sports. I play capoeira, practice yoga and rock climbing but I can’t go climbing as often as I’d like to. I love dancing too and I don’t mind trying to learn new rhythms. I enjoy singing and I try to learn new songs in different languages. Also, I’ve tried to learn how to play some instruments but regularly I just play the tambourine.

Blog Session 1 Instructions

My autobiography

Please write about yourself and include the following:

a) Birth info
b) Studies info (Elementary, Secondary School and University)
c) Family info
d) Hobbies
e) Others

You have to write 120 words minimum and make comments on three of your classmates' posts.

Good luck!

Belén

Welcome back to English

Dear All,

Hope enjoy this semester and use what you know about the English language. Remember to identify your objectives so you can really see the progress you can make.

After creating your own blog, you will post every week. Even if you can't come to the class where you writeyour  post, you have 48 hours to write it so I can evaluate it.

Hope you enjoy the topics and the activities.

Best,

Belén