Level 4 >> Post 10 (week 13) English Language Challenges

> What comments can you make about your experience learning English at university? What about the use of blogs?

> What aspects of your English need to be improved and how do you plan to do this?

> Outside the English class, how much are you using English these days? What for?

- Wordcount: 260

- Make comments on 3 of your partners' posts + 1 comment on my blog.


Hi dear students, today's blog session is about the English challenges during the process at university and in the future.

I think using blogs while learning, in this case English language, has a lot of importance, because you have to use the language to show your thoughts. Also, it gives you the opportunity to be in touch with the language the whole time. The use of blogs or any other interactive platform to learn English not only at university, but in general terms is an amazing manner to improve your skills as a non-native speaker. I believe that by using blogs you can improve your writing skills as well as your knowledge about vocabulary.

However my speaking skills are not bad at all, I think I have to improve them in order to have more understanding of variety of topics, so I can talk to people about them. Also, my reading skills are quite good but they need to be improved as well. In order to improve my skills, I will start a weekly plan to remember everything I've forgotten about these two important skills. I will start by reading a lot of tips about reading and speaking skills, so at the end of this year I will recover every aspect of my English abilities.

I use English all the time, wherever I go I can use my English, because tourists are usually lost so I give them directions or just a piece of advice about a new place in town or the best way to move around the city.


That's all folks.


See you soon (I hope)

LEVEL 4 (WEEK 12) POST 9 >> Changes to my study programme

Hello class,

Today's blog session is tremendously important, as it has to do with your own life a students.

So, the question is the following, IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE OF THE CAREER, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? 

In this session, you will have to write about these things:


>  The curriculum (the subjects you have to study)

>   Workload and length of studies (the time your studies last and the quantity of work you have to do)

> Faculty facilities (buildings and infrastructure)

> Use of technology

> Teaching methods (how teachers teach the subjects)

In my experience as a student of pedagogy in English, I would change several things like the use of technology and some teaching methods that some teachers had when I was a student. Also, my career has some practicum subjects, only 2 of them, so the idea is to creat more practicums as the students need to practice in real life what to be a teacher means. 

The curriculum in my career can have some variations from university to university, as one University can focus more in the pronunciation or another University can have its focus on the Evaluation process. According to this, the curriculum should have more subjects where students can show their abilities, for example speaking in real situations and not only with books, creating more and different materials to teach properly the different abilities of English. 

As well as a lot of careers, Pedagogy lasts for 5 years and I think that's too much time, because every University adds different subjects according to their vision and mission, for example my University is Catholic so they add subjects related to religion and catholicism. Sometimes, they can be a waste of time for you, if you don't believe in these point of views. 

Finally, the facilities of the Universities need to be good and they should have everything you need to carry out your tasks in a good way. My University didn't have too many things to practice our English, they only have 1 English lab for the entire career, and we were too many students for only 1 room, in which you could find computers and some dictionaries. I would add more labs and more things to practice the language, like a room where you can create plays and make different speaking tasks, because as you know is one of the most important aspects when you learn a different language.

That's all.

So, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IN YOUR CAREER?

Don't forget to comment on your classmates' blogs (3 posts) and 1 comment on my blog.

   

LEVEL 4 (WEEK 11) POST 8 >> PERSONAL OPINIONS

Dear students,

Today's blog is a lot different from the rest of what we have been doing the semester, and here is why. On this blog you need to choose 4 of the questions and give your opinion about them.

Here are the questions:

List 1:

                      

What is your opinion about owning an exotic pet?
What is your opinion about women in the military?
What is your opinion about child labor?
What is your opinion about violence on television?
What is your opinion about tattoos?
What is your opinion about killing stray dogs to prevent sanitary problems and animal over population?


List 2:

                 

What is your opinion about legalizing marijuana and other drugs?
What is your opinion about the Chilean tradition called ‘mechoneo’?
What is your opinion about cloning?
What is your opinion about recycling?
What is your opinion about “barras bravas” (hooligans)?
What is your opinion about legalizing abortion in some cases?

Okay, to start with this blog I will choose 4 questions and each question will have its answer, so feel free to copy the way I'm doing it, or you can do it as you feel more comfortable.

- My first question is the following: What's my opinion about tattoos? 

Well, I think tattoos are really awesome, because they aren't just ink or a simple draw in your skin, they are more than that, as each tattoo has its own meaning and every tattoo reminds you of a situation, a place, a person or even a moment when you were happy or sad. 

Even though having a tattoo done can be really painful for some people, I believe is one of the best ways to keep your memories alive. I myself have 8 tattoos at this moment, and each day I want another one, so if you want to have a tattoo done, don't think about it twice!!! Just do it! 

- My second question today is the next one: What is your opinion about owning an exotic pet?

This is a tough questions, because I love animals and I think they deserve to have live free wherever they want without cages or any other thing that prevents them to be safe. I believe that exotic animals deserve to live far away from the big cities, and far away from people who want to hurt them because of their skin, fur or even horns, in the case of elephants. 

People who own exotic pets should take them back to the wilderness and make those animals to live free, but there're other people who are hunting them, so they'll never be safe enough living outside. Perhaps, if people can take a really good care of the animal and be worried about it, they should continue doing it, as they can be away from hunters. 

- My third question for this blog is: What is your opinion about “barras bravas” (hooligans)?

Hooligans come from the English football and I don't know if have ever watched a football match from England. Well, I have... and let me tell you that they can be really scary. Hooligans are a group of fans who support a specific team.. But what's the matter with them? It's good that you support a football team, what is not correct is to hurt people by supporting your team, or just because THAT person likes the rival of your team. 

I believe that "high-risk matches" should be played without people, or people in charge should worry more about the fans who attend these matches. Also, there should be more control with these "hooligans" and don't let them be in any of these matches if they have a police record. 

- Finally, the last question of today's blog is: What is your opinion about child labor?

I don't support child labor at all... I believe that a child should be just that... A child!! A child can play, run and be happy. I really hate when I see children on the streets working or asking for money.. because they should be at schools, or simply having fun.. 

I know that this thought can be quite positivist and naive, because in our country people with low incomes send their children to work and earn some money, while parents are just sitting in their house waiting for them to bring some money, and it can't be like that... I know there're laws that support children in this matter, but... Are these laws really working as they should? I think they're useless if nobody says anything when they see a child working on the streets. Laws can't work if no one is interested in making the system work as it should.

Well.... Those are my opinions!! Do you agree or disagree?? Let me know your thoughts!!! 

- Make comments on 3 of your partners' posts + a comment on your teacher's post.

- Number of words: 240 minimum (60 per answer aprox.)