What are you?

My Remake (Edward Hopper)

Click on the wikipedia link to read about Edward Hopper and google images to see more paintings by him.

Diagnostic test

• Write an essay describing some of your English learning experiences at school and / or outside the school. 
• Describe the way you study it, your style of working. 
• Mention things that have helped you learn English and things that you have missed in the classroom. 

Happy writing!

Expert

Each of you thinks of 6 topics which you are an expert on.

Number 1 is the topic which you know more about and number 6 the topic which you know least about.

In pairs, you will have to speak for the amount of time set below on each of the topics you have chosen.

This is not a conversation!! To stop somebody say: “Thank you very much”.

6- _________________________   15 seconds              = 15 points

5- _________________________   30 seconds              = 30 points

4- _________________________   45 seconds              = 45 points

3- _________________________   60 seconds              = 60 points

2- _________________________   75 seconds              = 75 points

1- _________________________   90 seconds              = 90 points

                                                                                  Your score:  ______ points

You can exchange partners now and see how your fluency improves.

Student challenges:

-          Coming up with the list of topics

-          Improvisation (not much time to prepare)

-          Developing strategies (using words you know to explain words you don’t know)

-          Speaking alone (body language feedback of person listening)

-          Time limit pressure: gradual progression for extended speaking practice

How to speak so that people want to listen

10 Ways to have a better conversation

The importance of English

The importance of English

English is currently considered the most important language worldwide. The English language is present in almost all the world and is considered the main element of communication amolng very diverse cultures that share few or no common traits.

English is important because it allows us access, on the one hand, a more comprehensive, complete and quality education, which in tum translates into a greater possibility of finding work, and that this of higher quality. In most job English command gives you more points in your favor.

Furthermore, learning English, a universal language, is very useful in your day to day, since English allows you to travel to many places without having to worry about if you get lost and can not ask anyone or be fooled or robbed.

In conclusion, it is important to learn English because it allows you a formation and education of quality to travel to several countries without worrying and also, helps you to know and communicate with new people.

Ted conference

Ted conference

The talk of Anindy Jundu has made me think s lot. His talk speaks about the difficulties that students have. Some of them, have difficulty studying for money, others for addictions... He has talked about two specific cases: Tyrique and Vanessa.

Tyrique was arrested for armed robbery, but in prision, he began to work hard, he took university courses and when he got out of prision he achieved a master's degree and today he is a manager of a non-profit organization.

Vanessa, had to move around a lot as a kid, she was raised primarily by her extended family because her own mother has a heroin addiction. At age 15, Vanessa hat to drop out of school because she has a son of her own. But eventually, she was able to go to community college, get her associat's and then go to an elite college to finish her bachelor's.

Listening to these stories has made me understand that despite the difficulties that a person may have, you can get what yo want with effort and dedication.

Advantages and disadvantages of online shopping

Advantages and disadvantages of online shopping

Throughout the years, the development of technology has facilitated many things to us, thanks to the mobile we can communicate with many people, thanks to the internet we can know what happens in different countries without need to be there and now we can also buy things online, the question is, is this an advantage or a disadvantage?

Shopping online has many advantages, firstly, you can buy from your house without the need to move from your house if you do not want. Besides, a shops online are opened 24 hours 365 days a year so you can buy what you want at any time.

Secondly, you do not have to do the long queue to pay in cash and thirdly, you can buy products that would not be physically available, such as clothes from American stores.

In spite of the fact that shopping online offers many advantages, it also has disadvantages. One of the disadvantages of buying online is the lack of communication and personal relation that exists among  the manager and the client, it is not the same thing when you are assisted by a person to what a machine does.

Shopping online does not allow you to see the product either, therefore, you wouldn’t know what you have bought until it comes to you to house. This often to causes many problems, since people often do not receive things as they see them on the computer.

To sum up, shopping online has its advantages and disadvantages. Which is better? It  depends on the client.

Hey science teachers- make it fun

Hey science teachers- make it fun.

I have seen Tyler Dewitt's talk entitled "Hey science teachers- make it fun" and I found it very interesting. Besides showing different ways of teaching science, it has made me see the importance of convincing people that what we are saying is important, as he says "We have to convince our audience that what we’re talking about matters, but just as important is knowing which details we should leave out so that the main point still comes across”.

I think the most interesting thing about the conference is the way in which it has exposed the problem of teaching science to youth.

In science books, in addition to having very specific words for a term, there are often definitions that are difficult to understand. And I ask myself, is it necessary for teenagers to learn them? That is, some, very few, will study a science career but others will not. So, why do you need it?

In conclusion, a detailed scientific communication between experts is important, but when trying to teach young people it is necessary to simplify this detailed information so that they can learn in an easier and enriching way.

More about relative clauses: WHAT

Use "what" as a relative pronoun to mean "the thing(s) that".

I don't understand what you are saying (= the things that).
What most annoys me about him is that he's selfish. (= the thing that most annoys me).

Adverbs Bingo

We are going to play a game to practice adverb meaning and position.

absolutely           especially           late           probably     

actually           eventually           lately           rarely

always           fluently            luckily            seriously

as well           gradually            much            slightly

at once           hard            nearly            terribly

carefully           just            often            very

basically           hardly            nowadays            unfortunately