Blog Session 8 Instructions A subject I've enjoyed this semester

Dear Class,

This time, please write about your favourite subject this semester. 

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

Word Count: 180
Make comments on 3 of your patners' posts + a comment on the teacher's post.

Best,

Belén

Blog Session 7 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today you have to write about a career-related website OR about an expert in your field.

If you choose the first possibility, please include:

A career-related website

a) Say how did you discover it.
b) Why you use it for.
c) Two reasons why you would recommend it.
Also, provide the link to your career-related website.


But if you choose to write about an expert in your field, include the following:


a) Mention two contributions to your area of studies.
b) Explain his/her importance nowadays.
c) Say how you found out about him/her.
Also, provide a picture if possible.



Write 170 words minimum.

Remember to leave a comment on 3 of your classmates' posts every time you write in your blogs.



Good luck!

Sample Post Blog Session 6 Free Topic

Documentaries

I really enjoy watching films as well as documentaries and documentaries unlike films are meant to document some aspects of reality. A couple of friends have created their own documentaries so I’ve seen what it takes to actually complete one. I like documentaries because I think we can learn a lot about so many different things in a more dynamic way. Also, I like documentaries because as a translator, I can work subtitling a film and that’s an interesting job to have.

There's a documentary I'll always remember: “Nanook of the North” (1922) even though it’s not my favourite one, it’s an interesting documentary considering the year it was filmed and also, it’s considered to be the first anthropological documentary film ever. There you can see the life of Inuit Eskimos, Nannok and his family.

What I really like about documentaries is that they’re non-fictional motion pictures so we should see real life and real experiences. I don’t have one single favourite documentary but here I leave the link of the latest I watched about Chiloé and the disaster there and in the X Región after the "read tide":

https://vimeo.com/173189909

Also, if you're interested in green issues, please watch "Before the flood":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a07su4S3bN4

And if interested in Chilean documentaries, please watch “La batalla de Chile” by Patricio Guzmán or any documentary by him like "El botón de nácar" and you can also check this blog if you want more information:

http://documentaleschilenos.wordpress.com/

Blog Session 6 Instructions Free topic

This is the second time you can choose what to write about.
In 160 words you can write about how busy your week has been, how busy you're in general, about the problem in Chiloé and in the X Region in general, the "NO + AFP" strike last week or about anything else that interests you.

Remember to make three comments minimum after you read your classmates' posts.


Best,


Belén

Sample Post 5 My favourite photo

A photograph

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 Chilean 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 at home -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 5 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

Add any other information you'd like to mention in 150 words minimum. Don't forget to make comments on at least three of your classmates blogs.

Good luck,


Belén

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, what I use the most is my laptop, my mobile phone and my camera but I also use mp3 players a lot. Last week I lost the one I got three years ago so I’m planning to get a new one as soon as I get paid.

I like mp3 players because of their size, you can carry them everywhere you go and some of them have very original designs as well. I use my mp3 every day mainly because I can listen to music. Also, it’s useful to keep my favourite family pictures, all the files I need for work and my studies, and videos of course.

I can imagine my life without an mp3 but now that I’m used to this piece of technology, I think I’d need something similar, specially to continue enjoying music!

Blog Session 4 Instructions

Dear Class.

Today you have to write about technology. Think about your favourite piece of technology and say:

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 without it

Write this post in 145 words minimum and remember to make at least three comments' on your classmates' posts.

Best,


Belén

Blog Session 3 Sample Post Free topic

The human brain

I have always been interested in how the human body works. One of the reasons to be interested is that I practice sports, so why we sweat, stretch and how we can work out our muscles are intriguing facts about our bodies. Those, among other extremely incredible facts like gestating a life inside our bodies! Sleeping, dancing, walking and reading are just some of the activities that have to do with the brain.

Biology and Education are closely related if we analyse the brain activity. As a teacher, when we study the way human beings learn, we study Psychology but unfortunately we didn’t study Neuroscience. Therefore, as this science has always caught my attention I wanted to learn more about it. A couple of years ago, because of the Masters programme I was studying, I had the chance to read lots of interesting papers about how the brain works when we read as well as how the way we stimulate the brain affects our learning process.

The human brain is a complex organ and as human beings we are supposed to be the only ones to know something about the way the brain works. With that skill, Pierre Paul Broca (1824-1880), a French pioneer doctor was able to draw a map of the brain and consequently, he discovered a small area in the left hemisphere, which controls the production of language. Thus, 100 billion neurons in our brains* are responsible for language, communication and many other aspects of our lives.

*http://bebrainfit.com/human-brain-facts/

Blog Session 3 Instructions Free Post

Dear Class,

Feel free to choose any topic you want for today's post.
Choose a topic and in 140 words minimum explain, argument, express your feelings or opinions, etc. about something connected with the uni, your lives, the country, education, it's up to you...

And please remember the 3 comments to your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén

Blog Session 2 Sample Post Why I choose this career

I remember when I was in High School I wasn't sure what to choose as a career. I was 17 years old and I thought that was an important decision... So, when I graduated I only studied English for a year and saved money. I studied English because one of my options was English Literature but I knew that if in the end I didn't decide to study that English was going to help.
I finally found out there was a technical degree to study Translation and I entered. The name of the degree was traductora inglés-español/ español-inglés and I don't regret because translating is interesting and it helped me understanding how important was to read a "good" translation of a book for example. We learnt a lot about Grammar but also about so many fascinating topics...
Then, as I spoke and knew the Grammar of both languages I started working as a private teacher. I studied with children, young adults and adults until one day I found a programme to became a professional teacher. That took me three more years so I also graduated as an English teacher and because of that I usually work with teachers from other countries, who are interested in learning Spanish; I enjoy teaching Spanish as much as I enjoy teaching English.
Being a teacher is really fun and interesting and I can't imagine my life without teaching because I like learning about languages of course, but also about how the human brain learns a language.

Blog Session 2 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today's topic is why did you choose this career?

Please include the following:
a) your dream jobs when you were a child
b) other career options that you had at the moment of applying to university
c) what made you decide in the end
d) your experience at university until now
e) the kind of job you would like to have

Write this post in 120 words minimum and don't forget to make three comments on your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén

Sample Post 1 About me

My full name is María Belén Farías Gutiérrez but nobody calls me María Belén. I’m Belén, a single Chilean woman, I’m 37 years-old, I have a baby boy and we're expecting another baby for next year. I live in Santiago with my partner and my son. I’m from Chile and I was born in the capital city, on a rainy day, on May 22nd 1979.
We’re a five-member family, my parents plus my brother, sister and I and I'm the youngest one. I also have a younger step-brother, who’s 19 and a younger half-sister, who’s 8. I also have three nephews and two nieces. 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. 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. Also, I've been teaching Spanish to foreigners for 9 years. In 2010, I started working as a tour guide and with my partner we now have our own tour business called Puelmapu Turismo Sustentable.

I really like music and sports. I play capoeira, practice yoga, trekking 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.

Welcome back to English!

Dear Class,


I hope this semester you enjoy writing posts and using blogs. Every Friday morning you'll have to write a post in your blog,  as well as making comments about what your classmates write so let's get started...
Before you start writing, please read the sample post in my blog so you can have an idea of what your post should look like.

Remember you have to try your best instead of using Google translator. All kinds of translators are forbiden because I can help you writing and of course you can use online dictionaries like www.wordreference.com or reliable translators as www.linguee.es


Let's begin with the first post about you...


Best,


Belén