Blog Session 9: Changes to my Study Programme

Instructions:
Write about some changes that could be made to your study programme (career). Among others, think about:
- The curriculum (the subjects you have to study)
- Workload and length of studies
- Faculty facilities (buildings and infrastructure)
- Teaching methods

- Word count: 250
- Leave a comment on 3 of your classmates' posts and 1 on the teacher's.
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Dear students,

I graduated from university about ten years ago, it sounds like a long time, but for me it's like yesterday! 

As you know, I studied translation first, and even though we paid a lot of money for our program there were many things that I would have liked to change, some of them I know that they changed, but I'm focusing on my study years.

In terms of curriculum, I think we had classes that were not necessary, or classes that were repeated, we had theory of translation in English and Portuguese, but the theory was the same!! One of them was completely unnecessary, the class of English culture was basically a history class of the kings and queens of the UK, it was so boring, we had to memorize the book and then give presentations about it, it was a waste of time, and of course I remember less than half. What about the history of the United States, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and so many other countries that speak English? Nothing.

Also, it was good that I liked English, because ironically the worst teachers were from English!! I had some good ones, but I had some that were horrible, completely outdated.

I believe that the workload was very appropriate, we had important evaluation all semester, so by the end of the semester I wasn’t very stressed like friends from other majors.

I studied at Usach, which I loved, but unfortunately our faculty was really poor, and our facilities were very precarious, specially the toilets. The doors were falling and we didn’t even have toilet paper in them.

Fortunately, I know things have changed, and I’m glad because we have to fight for the ones that come after us, don’t we?

BLog Session 8: Personal Opinions

- Choose 4 of these questions and give your opinions about them.

- Make comments on 3 of your partners' posts + a comment on your teacher's post.
- Number of words: 240 minimum (60 per answer aprox.)

What is your opinion about nuclear power?

What is your opinion about women in the military? 
What is your opinion about the legalization of guns?

What is your opinion about the immigration situation in Chile?

What is your opinion about tatoos?

What is your opinion about animal testing?

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?

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I have a very strong opinion about "mechoneo", because I hate it. I didn't like it when I experienced it and I don't want others to go through it. What's the point? To welcome new students? If you go to my house I will not welcome you throwing eggs and flour to your face, or putting a fish head to your neck, because that's what I got. I believe it is a major way of violence disguised as play, it is not humane to cut another person's clothes, take their shoes and make them walk barefoot on Alameda Avenue in the summer, with all the heat, smelling like garbage to ask money to strangers to get your bag back. 

After all that experience, I had to throw away all of the clothes I wore that day, even my underwear which had fish flour in them, they also dyed my hair and when I got home I had to shower like three or four times to get rid of the smell. One of the most disgusting experiences of my life. 

In relation to legalizing abortion, I believe that women should be able to decide what to do with their bodies, no matter the reason, I believe in free abortion. At this moment in my life, I wouldn't have an abortion, but that doesn't mean that my choice should affect the life of another woman. My point is that having free abortion doesn't mean that every woman will have one, but all the women will have the option to decide if they want one.

PET Practice

Dear students,

It's practice time!!!! today you will practice for the PET (Preliminary English Test). Here are the links you will be working on:

Reading:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading1.htm
http://www.examenglish.com/PET/reading1.htm
http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading2.htm

Listening:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part1.htm
http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part2.htm

Vocabulary:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_vocab.htm

And some more:

Reading:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading3.htm
http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading4.html
http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading_part5.htm

Listening:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part3.htm
https://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part4.htm

Vocabulary:

http://www.examenglish.com/vocabulary/B1_vocabulary_topics.htm

Blog Session 7: Free Themed Blog

When I was applying to enter university I had many difficulties in deciding what to study, my teachers knew it was going to be a problem because I was a "good student", I did well in almost everything, and that was a problem, because I didn’t know what I wanted. However, one of my dreams was to become an actress, I did some acting in school when I was very little and everyone said I was good at it, so I told my father I wanted to study acting, he wasn’t very happy with the idea. He told me that I could study acting only if I entered Universidad de Chile, because he wouldn’t pay for anything else. So, I tried to enter, I had to do some acting tests, and when I got there, I realized that everyone had been acting all their lives, and for me it was just a distant dream. Of course, I didn’t get it, I was a nobody in the area.

The funny thing is that I entered my second option, which was translation, and my third option was English pedagogy, which turned out to be my professional career. I remember that I left it as a third option because my dad didn’t want me to be a teacher, but the joke is on him. I like teaching, being in the classroom with students is fun and it keeps me young, I also translate sometimes at home, I have one client, but I always think that entering an acting workshop would be fun.

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Write about one of the following options:

What would you have studied if you weren’t studying your major?

-        - Write about your second option of major

-        - What it was

-        - Why you wanted to study that

-        - If you regret your decision

-        - Any other relevant information

Who’s your favorite scientist?

-        - Write about your favorite scientist

-        - Who it is or was

-        - Why this person is important

-        - Why you admire this person

-        - Any other information that is relevant

Word count: 230 words

Comment on 3 of your classmates’ blogs + 1 comment on your teacher’s blog

Blog Session 6: Postgraduate studies

Well, as some of you know I already have a Master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages), which I got two years ago, and even though it is very difficult to get a Master’s degree I have considered getting a new one or even a PhD.

The thing is that I really like studying, I wasn’t a very good student at school, I mean, I didn’t kill myself studying, but when I find something interesting I read a lot about that topic to discuss it with my friends and teachers. I like studying because I like learning new things and challenging myself.

I’m not sure about what I would study, because I have many options, maybe I could continue with something related to teaching English, like a PhD on Education, or perhaps I could broaden my knowledge and take the leap to study linguistics in English, since I already learned it in Spanish, or perhaps something related to American or British culture, because I love that topic too. The options are many, the thing that holds me back though is money, it is very expensive to study, especially if I want to do it abroad, which is my goal. I could study online, but I would love to live abroad and live the complete experience in a different country.

____________________

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

Blog Session 5: My future Job

As some of you know, my first major was translation, when I thought about studying this I imagined a glamorous life of traveling around the world, going to conferences and interpreting for important people. However, the reality was far from my imagination. The real job of a translator is to translate written texts, the interpreters translate orally and you have to study a different major for that. The real life of a translator is being at home working non-stop on the computer with zero free time when you have work to do, and the rest of the time is finding work to do.

The life of a teacher is a bit different. I also spend some time on the computer, planning and preparing classes, but the most important part happens face to face, when I get to interact with students and have discussions with them (you) and learn from them at the same time they are learning from you. Another similarity is that I have to go and find work, not as often as a translator, but the reality is that in my case (and most university teachers) we need to look for work each semester, talking to the coordinators and finding enough classes to have the amount of money we need or want, and always remembering to have enough money to save for the summer, because we do not get a salary during those months.

What about you?

Write about your future job, include the following information:

- What kind of job would you like to have? How do you imagine it?

- Outdoors /indoors?

- Would you like to travel a lot in your job?

- What about the salary?

- What major are you studying / are you thinking of taking?    Explain why

- Add any other related ideas.

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

- Word Count: 210 words

Blog Session 4: My music

Music is really important in everyone’s life, I believe, and even though we don’t have a soundtrack of our lives like in the movies, I believe that there is a type of music or there are some songs that are really important to people.

I like a lot of different genres of music, but today I want to talk about some specific songs that are important in my life. “Fly me to the moon” by Frank Sinatra is one of my favorite songs of all time, and when I got married, a friend of mine gave me as a present dancing lessons for me and my husband, so we prepared a choreography to this song, and it was absolutely wonderful, so now when I hear this son it takes me back to that moment, my wedding.

Another song that brings me good memories is “Moves like Jagger” by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera. When I traveled

to the UK, this song was everywhere, we heard it on the radio, on TV, in the restaurants, on the street, everywhere. And even though I got bored of the song at one point, when I hear it now, I remember walking on the streets of England, being cold but enjoying every moment.

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

__________________

Write about your favorite type of music or songs that are important to you. You need to include the following information:

-        What type of music you like or the name of the songs

-        Give examples of singers or bands who play that music

-        How this music/songs make you feel

-        Why you like them

Word count: 200 words

Comments: 1 teacher’s blog + 3 comments on other blogs