POST #7: Themed post #3 --> A favourite picture of you

Say the following things while you write your text:

- Why do you like it?
- Where are you in the picture?
- How long ago was the picture taken?
- Describe the situation in which the picture was taken.
- How do you feel when you see the picture?


Number of words: 230

Don't forget to make comments on at least 3 of your classmates posts.

Hello dear survivors of the English course, today's blog session is about a picture of you. Well, I already added a picture of myself and I hope you like it.

I'm going to tell you more about the picture. I think you all know where the photo was taken, yes!! It's our beautiful London. For someone like me, I mean a Teacher of English, being there is like a dream came true. I really like this picture, because as a said it's in London and also because it was one of my first travels in Europe.

This photo was taken back in 2010, a long time ago, but every time I see this picture is like being there once again. It was the first day, I have just arrived from Sweden and I think it was past midnight. Well, after a long journey, by taxi, from the airport to the hostel a friend of mine took this photo. The taxi cost at least £150, which is equivalent to $97.000, so you can imagine how I felt when the taxi driver told me how much I had to pay. After this photo was taken, I went to grab something to eat because I haven't eaten anything at that moment and luckily I found a good and cheap place.

I chose this picture because it reminds me that dreams come true, and if you work hard and put a lot of effort in achieving what you want, you will get your reward in the future.

LEVEL 4 - POST 6 - POSTGRADUATE STUDIES (WEEK 8)

Dear Students,

Today, you need to write about a postgraduate course that you would consider taking in the future.

Include:

- Reasons to do the course
- Subject(s) you would like to study
- Where you would like to study (Chile or abroad)
- How you would like to study (distance learning, blended system, part-time course, etc)
- Any other relevant ideas

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


- Word Count: 220 words


Hello dear students,
Today's blog is about something quite similar to the last session, but this time you will have to focused on your "post graduate studies". What are these post-graduate studies? Well, in short, they are a complement for your undergraduate studies, and in some cases they are more important than your previous studies. Here you can study more in depth what you like the most and what you want to put more emphasis in the future (in your job)

As you may know, I already have a post-graduate study, I got my Master's degree last year and one of the main reasons for doing it, guess what?, was to get more money! No kidding, it was just that I needed to do it for personal growth and also, because I wanted to learn more about that subject. My master was about Methodology in English, but the entire name of it was "Magister en la Enseñanza del Inglés como Lengua Extranjera", it's quite a long name, but it sounds really nice when I tell people that I've studied that.

Actually, I learned quite a lot during these studies and if I'm really critic with my undergraduate University, I have to say that I learned more in my Master than I learned during my 5 years of Pedagogy. I know it sounds weird, but it's true! Sometimes, long careers are just a waste of time, and Universities force you to take subjects that nobody cares about, but that's another topic!

Now, I'm really thinking about going abroad to study and start doing another Master! (Yes, I like studying... :) ) As I said in the previous blog, I'm thinking of going to England or Sweden to study a Master in Linguistics which is one of my dreams. Here in Chile, you can find the same Master in Universities like USACH or P.U.C, but it's not the same, so that's why I'd like to go there and study a full-time course for a complete year. I think the main reason to do this Master is that it will allow me to teach whatever I want at whatever University I want, because they teach you different and more advanced things like Grammar and Phonetic things (I actually studied these topics at university, but every year, somebody came up with new things)

Well, I know what you might be thinking, Oh! You're going abroad to study, you must be crazy!! Actually, it's true, I might be crazy, but crazy people do crazy things to be happy, and I strongly believe that this is the NEXT STEP in my career as a teacher!! And apart from that, it's ENGLAND! What else can I ask for!!!

So, if you're thinking about studying something else, take a look at some scholarships and you'll see that it's not difficult to get one!!!!

Please, tell me if you're considering taking a post-graduate in your area of expertise either here in Chile or in another country...

LEVEL 4 >> POST 5: My Future Job (week 7)

Hello students,

Here you have the blog session of today's class. These are the questions you need to answer. 

> At university, what major have you taken / are you thinking of taking? Explain why.

> What kind of job would you like to have? Describe.

> What aspects would you consider when choosing your job?

> If you were asked in a job interview about your strengths and weaknesses, what would you say?


> Words: 210

> Leave comments on 3 of your partners posts.


USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES: (by Juan Luzzi)

-I’ve taken… / I’m doing a major in… / I’m thinking of taking… / I’m considering to study…/ I’m planning to do… / I have in mind to… / I’ve decided to… / I’m hoping to… / I’m playing with idea of… __ing / I’d love to…/ I can’t choose between ….. or …../ I’m torn between ….. and ..… / It looks like I’m going to… / As long as we can get ……………, I'll be studying… / I’m not 100% sure, but I might …/ It's a toss-up between ……… and ………..

-I’d like to get a job as…/ I’d like to work as …/ I hope to get a job in… /I wouldn’t like to…/

- Some aspects could be: Salary - Benefits - Location – Hours - Co-workers - work atmosphere/environment.

- I’m good at … ___ing / I’m good with… (money, numbers,etc)/ I’m terrible at…./ I become nervous about ___ing / I am very confident in… __ing / I can… / I can’t… /

MY FUTURE JOB

         Hello there, in today's blog session I'll be telling you more about my future job. As you may know, I studied English pedagogy at Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez for 5 years. Since then, I've taken several courses to improve my English skills. I've just completed my Master's degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). The main reason for doing this, despite the salary or the benefits, is that I love teaching and more importantly I love English as a whole.

         I'd like to get a job as a teacher of an English programme, maybe in a good environment where people share ideas and experiences, in order to keep learning how to be better teacher every day. I'm not 100% sure about the location andt the amount of hours per week, but I might like to work at my home University.

          I've been interviewed in several occasions and I've answered their questions in the same way every time. I'm good at learning new things, also I'm good with languages but I'm terrible at remembering things, such as names and dates. I can create different and innovating material, but I can't work at home after my schedule.

          Well, now I'm playing with the idea of going abroad to get a PhD in Applied Linguistics and then to work doing research all around the world, but I can't choose between going to Sweden or to England.


Can you help me out with my decision?

Level 4 - Post 4 (week 6) > Free/Themed Post 2

THE BEST TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICE IN MY LIFE

Say:

What it is.
When you got it.
How you use it.
How often you use it.
Why you like it.
What life would be like without it.


Wordcount: 200 --> PLEASE, STICK TO THIS AMOUNT OF WORDS.



Hey guys!

In today's blog session I'll tell you more about my favourite technological device. Well, as you may notice during the lessons, I'm always carrying my computer with me, because it's a part of me. So, my beloved tech device is the computer.

I still remember when I first got this computer, it was the first thing I bought with my very first salary as a teacher 5 years ago. I believe that's why I take care so much of it and also because I save everything in it. I can keep everything here, from old pictures and different types of movies to lessons material. In addition, I use it all the time, for example to watch movies, listen to music and to keep in touch with my family or friends.

One of the things I like the most about my computer is how useful can be, because I can keep everything saved without using any paper or space at home; although, some people might say that a cellphone is more useful than a computer, but I think a computer is better in terms of utility.

According to what my life would be without this device, I believe that it wouldn't be the same, because I'm so used to have my computer with me all the time and that's why my computer is a big part of my life.


Cheers.

Tips:


- Remember to keep your ideas into paragraphs.

- Be careful while using verbs in past tense.

- Try using more connectors, to link your ideas 

Level 4 - Post 3 (week 5) > Free/Themed Post 1

THEMED POST N°1

A FAVOURITE ARTIST / PIECE OF ART

*Write about your favourite artist or your favourite piece of art. 

You'll need to say the following:

- The name of the artist. / The name of the piece of art.

- What kind of artist is she/he? / Who did the piece of art? When did you see it for the first time?

- Describe his or her work. /  What does it represent for you?

- Why do you like him/her?  / Why do you like it? 

- Do you have any good memories about your choice? Tell us more

*Wordcount: 180

* Add a picture of either your favourite artist or the piece of art.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Today I'm going to write about my favourite artist. He is a very well-known painter from the XVI century. Moreover, he was sculptor, architect and inventor, among other occupations, and his name is Leonardo Da Vinci. He painted amazing paintings, which are very famous nowadays; for instance, “The last supper” and “La Gioconda” or “Mona Lisa”.

           His work is very complex, and for me it is the best way to describe it. He had a detailed knowledge about a wide variety of subjects, such as anatomy, light, botany and geology, his interest in physiognomy and the way in which humans register emotion in expression and gesture, his innovative use of the human form in figurative composition, and his use of the subtle gradation of tone.

          I really like him, firstly because he was not only a good painter but also he was a person who could think beyond the normal things that people usually thought back in those times. Secondly, he created different and amazing masterpieces. Finally, I would like to say that one of the memories I've got about Leonardo is related to the book called "The Da Vinci Code", which tells about different mysteries around his work. 

          
                    

LEVEL 4 >> Post N°2 The best Holidays/Concert ever (week 4)

Hello dear students,

This time, you have to choose between two topics. You can write either about "your best holidays or the best concert you've ever been to".

You have two options:

Holidays:

- when it was
- where they went
- how long it was
- people they went with
- things/activities they did
- why it has been the best so far
- any other relevant info


Concert:

- when / where it was
- the artist they saw
- a bit of info about the artist
- describe the atmosphere during the event
- describe how they felt and why they enjoyed it
- any other memories about it

Wordcount: 170
>>Leave comments on 3 of your classmates posts + a comment on my post.

The best concert I've ever had

Well, I chose the second topic. This time I'm going to write about one of the best musical performance I've ever seen. This concert was about 10 years ago and it was here in Santiago, especifically at Victor Jara stadium. I went there with a couple of friends to see a great band called "Millencolin", they're from Sweden and they have visited Chile at least four times, but that's was the first time they played here; Moreover, another band I liked came on stage, so it was quite a fantastic experience not only for me but for my friends as well.

As I mentioned before, this band is from the city called Örebro, in Sweden. They have recorded lots of albums and even though they are from this country, they sing in English. Their style is similar to "punk" music, but a little bit softer.

As people who attended this concert were all fans, the atmosphere was totally special and motivating to all of us. For this reason, I was quite excited about being there having this amazing experience and listening to the songs with which I grew up.

To sum up, it was a great experience being with a bunch of friends of mine and I think one of the best memories I will always have about this moment in my life is that I went to their first concert and afterwards we drank a couple of beers...

Here you can listen to a great song... Maybe, you know them!!! ;) 

LEVEL 4 >> POST 1 (Week 3) >> A COUNTRY I'D LIKE TO VISIT

Hello students, this is the first blog session of this last semester. This time you are going to write about a topic related to countries, and you have to add the following information:


- Which country would you like to go to? Why?
- What do you know about it?
- What would you like to do there?
- Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.
- Upload pictures


Also, don't forget to make comments on 3 of your classmates' posts + a comment on my post.

- Word Count: 160 words 

                Hello everybody!! This time I'm going to write about a country I'd like to visit. One of the countries that I'd really like to go in the future is Scotland. I believe it's because I've always felt a certain connection with its culture and history. I really enjoy reading and knowing everything about Scottish history, and I truly admire the way they have built this country keeping all their ancient customs.

                 

       If I go there some day, one of the first things I will do is to visit all the castles near the Highlands, which you only have the chance to see by watching movies or pictures, because I think they are amazing old buildings that are still there despite the ages. As a second thing, I would do while visiting this amazing country, it's to taste their traditional food called "haggis".

           And finally, I'd walk through the streets while listening to its traditional music coming from the "bagpipes" and trying to understand the Scottish weird accent.




   I'd really like the idea of going there as a teacher of English and work at their schools or Universities, but I think it's quite difficult to do it, since its mother tongue is English or maybe as a Spanish teacher. That's why I think that for the moment I'd go there just for travelling around the different cities and towns. I hope this dream comes true some day in the future.

This is the traditional food in Scotland, it is called "Haggis". This traditional food is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, traditionally encased in the animal's stomach.. It doesn't sound so yummy, but I'd like to give it a try....