Details about video 3

Video 3:

A Foreign Country

Record a 2 minute mobile phone video presentation* about a foreign country you would like
to visit.

Say:

Why you would like to visit this country,

What you would like to do in the country,

Who you would like to travel with and why,

If you think you will ever make this trip in the future (if so, when, if not, why not).

Mention anything else you think is important.

10th post

I can't come to class today because I'm still sick.

However, so you continue to practice, here are the details so that you can still complete today's blog.


> How did you like this subject 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: 300
- make comments on 3 of your partners' posts.

See you on Monday.

9th post - Future career

• 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: 280
• Leave comments on 3 of your partners posts. 

8th Post - Best / worst new year's party ever!

Write about you best, or worst, new year's eve party.
Include the following:

• When?
• Who were you with?
• What did you eat and drink?
• Why was it so good?
• Did you have any problems?
• A picture

And leave three comments on your classmate's blogs. 

HB

PET practice

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

7th Post

- Where do people learn about enviromentally friendly practices?
- Have you incorported recycling into your habits? Describe
- Do you use a bike or your legs instead of a car?
- Have you joined or supported any eco-organisations? Why/Why not?
- What else have you done /would you like to do?
- What have you done to reduce your carbon footprint?
- What's missing in our society/Santiago regarding this issue?

Number of words: 240
Don't forget to make comments on at least 3 of your classmates posts.


Well, the first question you can handle on your own. As for me, I do recycle, but not as much as I could. Sometimes because I don't make the effort and sometimes because it's impossible. I take all glass bottles and jars down to the bottle-bin and the plastic bottles to their bin too. I also take my old clothes to the market, even though the people are reluctant to take them. I would like to do more but I don't have room for a compost and I don't know where to recycle paper.

I use a bike every day, normally around 150km per week. I do everything possible not to use public transport. I don't mind it but it's really tiring and not nearly as fun as a bike.

I haven't joined any eco-organisations because I don't know any organisations I like. I prefer to be conscientious and participate in local ecological projects; my friend has a garden on her roof.

I have plants on my balcony, I don't buy imported/frozen fruit or vegetables, I only eat food that corresponds to the season, I don't eat red meat or chicken and I put a brick in the water tank of my toilet. I would like to have a compost heap and a vegetable garden with chickens.

I have done nothing to reduce my carbon footprint, I think I do a reasonable amount already. Let people who travel in airplanes all year make the sacrifice.

What's missing in Santiago, infrastructure and long term policies. Quelle surprise!

Post 5 - Article.

Go to: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

> Select a piece of news connected to your area of studies / future career.
> Write a summary of it.
> Provide the link to your piece of news.
> Leave a comment on 3 of their partners' posts.
> 220 words

EXAMPLE BELOW

http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2012/oct/03/embedding-skills-in-higher-education

The article I have chosen is related to education, more specifically to the importance of non-academic skills, in this case those learned at University.

The article talks about the current economic climate and how high unemployment has led to many Universities only concentrating on forming a graduate that has everything necessary, on paper at least, to go on and get a job.

But, the article raises the question of, 'what is education for' and goes on to argue that the non-academic skills are just as important as getting good grades and writing a good c.v.

It argues that Universities should participate in forming graduates who will be able to go on and learn throughout their lives. It also suggests that 'wisdom', that is the ability to learn from our mistakes, is an important characteristic to learn from University.

HB

Post 4. Free theme - Painters

Today is a free theme so the class unanimously decided to write about Painters.

You should write about your favourite, or an important, painter.

• Explain a little about him (biography)
• Talk about his/her style
• Say why hes/she is your favourite / important or why you chose him / her. 
• Upload a picture
• Put comments on your classmates' blogs.
  
  120 word minimum.
  
  HB 

Class blogs

Here are the blogs of your classmates. If you are not on the list please tell me.

All blogs finish in '.blogspot.com'


www.thediegosblogspot.blogspot.com
www.cloudorez.blogspot.com
www.saturninelunatic.blogspot.com
www.hesterin.blogspot.com
www.thewomanwiththedeadtatto.blogspot.com
www.pastadeosobuco.blogspot.com
www.eemptybrains.blogspot.com
www.alittleeggblogs.blogspot.com
http://tirodeltigre.blogspot.com/
http://alejandro-myfirstblog.blogspot.com/
http://ornitorrincosenlacasa.blogspot.com
www.brainstormdada.blogspot.com
http://nrlated.blogspot.com/
http://thewavetrip.blogspot.com

Level 4 post 3

Write about your best holidays. Say:

- when they were
- people you were with
- where you travelled
- things you did
- reasons why these holidays were so good
- include images

> Don't forget to write comments on 3 of your partners posts.
> Wordcount: 190

For me, holidays are not necessarily when you travel off to some exotic place but can be just a time relaxing or doing things in your home. The important thing is that you are free from the stress and obligation of work.

I always have lots of thing to do so I'm quite happy to spend the summer holidays in Santiago, away from the crowds and crazy prices.

However, two summers ago I had an incredibly break in the mountains near San Carlos. I went with a very good friend of mine, Armando as well as his wife and an American friend, Greg.
   We were looking for a new place to go climbing in a little explored area of Chile, so we took all of our climbing equipment down to San Carlos and then up to San Fabian de Alico and finally through the native forests to a secret place we had found one month before.
   We set up base camp in the forest next to a beautiful stream and then, for the next 5 days, tried to climb a big wall (250m) next to the camp. It was very tiring but it was such a beautiful place that everyone was happy. We saw lots of plants and animals, at one point the condors were flying just 5 metres away.
  Well. It was an incredible experience and finally we managed to get to the top of the wall.

Level 4 post 2

 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.
- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts
- Word Count: 170 words


There are so many countries I would like to visit. Finland is fascinating, Canada has wonderful people, India has delicious food, Uruguay interests me sociologically and politically. Today however I would like to talk about The United States of America.
It's probably the most famous country in the history of the world and everybody has an opinion about it, perhaps since the second world war it has received a lot of bad press, a lot of it probably justifiably, however it is also the land of film makers such as Wes Anderson and The Coen brothers, actors such as Clint Eastwood and Bill Murray, musicians such as The Ramones, Blondie, Nina Simone and Iggy Pop, writers such as Joseph Heller and John Steinbeck and Bukowski and great thinkers such as Noel Chomsky and W. D. Snodgrass. All of these have played an important part in my life and I believe the world would be a poorer place without them.
I would like to hire a car and drive around the states, a typical dream but really it's a country made for driving. Also, each state seems to me to be so unique, and have its own amazing history, that I would like to see them all.

I would drive around, talk to the people, eat and eat the food (and probably put on at least 10 kilos) and film everything for a documentary.
I'm not really interested in studying there formally. Just talking to the people and seeing their lives would be an education in itself.

Level 4 - Post 1

Write about your experiences during the first term of 2012.
Describe:
- what you learned/studied
- the sports and free time activities you did
- the challenges/problems you had to face
- Others (family, friends, etc..)
- Word Count: 150
- make comments on at least 3 of your classmates posts.

I will write about the blog class but you are free to interpret 'experiences' as you want. 

So here we are again. We have one semester of blogs under our belts so now we know the score.

It's been a great experience watching you work on your blogs. You are all really interesting people so for me it's been a great learning experience. I've learned about famous south american journalists, photographers, movies, directors, and so much more.

The challenges I had to face were all really enjoyable. Trying to convince you about the learning value of using Wordreference rather than Google Translate was perhaps the most common.

As for family and friends, well. That question isn't so relevant to me and my work, but I can say that it's been great meeting you all and I'm looking forward to another semester working with you.

HB

Sick Teacher.

The class today, 13/7/2012, is cancelled because the teacher is sick, Sorry.

Exams as normal next week.

Oral exam

We will soon have the Oral Exam. 

The activity will be in pairs. One person will choose a category and then you will be expected to have a conversation for 5-7 minutes.

Here are some example questions. 

Food
What are some foods that are considered unhealthy?
What are some foods that you know are healthy for your body?
In your opinion, which country has the tastiest food?
What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Friends
Has a friend ever let you down?
Have you made any friends over the Internet?
How do you maintain a good friendship?
How do you make new friends? 

Write about your blogging experience.

- Did you enjoy it? Why? Why not?

- Did it help you improve your English?

- Give your opinion of the advantages and disadvantages of blogging in the English class.

- Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs

- Minimum 200 words

The Interview

By day a Cairo dentist and by night a novelist, he spent years battling censorship to get published. Today, he is a bestselling writer across the world and remains a fierce critic of Egypt's repressive regime. Rachel Cooke talks to the acclaimed author about love, torture, and why he still practises dentistry.

• Share 47
• Email

• Rachel Cooke
• The Observer, Sunday 31 May 2009

Alaa Al Aswany photographed at the Gore Hotel, London, May 2009. Photograph: Andy Hall

Alaa al Aswany, the Arab world's bestselling novelist, swallows the last of his morning coffee, and throws back his boulder-like head in a gesture that comes close to, but is not quite, contentment. He is longing for a cigarette, too, only today he is not at home in Cairo, where he can happily smoke himself to death if he so chooses (the Egyptians puff their way through 19 million cigarettes every day) but in the quiet confines of the Gore hotel, Kensington; it will be a while longer before he can scoot out to the pavement and light up.
Still, he is not complaining. As cities go, London is not bad. "I have feelings about cities," he says in his wonderful, solemn English. "The kind of feelings a man has towards ladies. Some I love, and some ... not." London is one of those Aswany loves, though it cannot, in his view, touch Cairo or even Alexandria. "Ah! I cannot be objective about Egypt. It is only in Egypt that I feel myself. When I'm abroad, I'm someone who has much in common with myself, but it's not really me. I am always homesick!"

Choose ONE of the following:
> About 170 words
>Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs

1.Write about a career-related website that you enjoy visiting.

You should:-

• provide a link
• describe the website (sections, features,etc)
• say how often you visit the site
• explain why you like the site.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.Who is a person/expert on your field that you admire?

Say:

• Who she/he is.(short biography)
• What she/he has done. (examples of their work)
• Why you like her/him.
• Include his/her image

Well. I suppose the career related website that I visit most is the Guardian newspaper.

It's the website of a famous broadsheet newspaper in the UK. Politically it has traditionally positioned itself a little left-of centre. My uncle says it's for poofs and teachers. I started reading it at University and I haven't stopped since.

I visit the site every day, it's one of the pages that opens automatically when I connect to the internet. It's the only site I use to check on British news. I like it because it's completely free, well made and well designed and I generally agree with the opinions the writers have.

It also has quite a lot of international news which can be uncommon for British newspapers and has great sports coverage. The sports writers regularly make me laugh out loud because they all write with an attitude that says, sport is a silly triviality, despite being experts in the area and despite clearly having dedicated their entire lives to it.

There are also forums to leave comments and argue with uninformed idiots you'll never meet, and there are podcasts, programs in an mp3 format to download and listen to.

Online newspapers are struggling to make their businesses work but I really hope this page continues. I think it's probably the only web page I would be willing to pay for. Maybe.

Book. 

Write about your favourite book. 

Include

• Basic details + picture
• Why you like it
• A quote with a brief explanation of the context
• A copy of a review from AMAZON and your opinion of it.
• 150 words + 3 comments

I haven't read loads of books but I try to read some of the more famous ones so I don't feel too ignorant. The one book which really left me amazed, so much so that I have re-read it several times, is Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. 

The book is set in World War II and is a scrambled account of the activities of a squadron based on an island near Italy. Each chapter deals with a different character but there is a main story dealing with one soldier, Yossarian, which continues throughout the book. 

It's so funny, relentlessly so, very clever and has is a great reflection on the idiocy of war. Something I wholly agree with.

Here is an example of the brilliant logic of Yossarian who's only objective is to survive the war. 

Yossarian: Those bastards are trying to kill me.
1st Lt. Milo Minderbinder: No one is trying to kill you sweetheart. Now eat your dessert like a good boy.
Yossarian: Oh yeah? Then why are they shooting at me Milo?
Dobbs: They're shooting at everyone Yossarian.
Yossarian: And what difference does that make?
Dobbs: Look Yossarian, suppose, I mean just suppose everyone thought the same way you do.
Yossarian: Then I'd be a damn fool to think any different.

 Here is a review of the book on Amazon.

 The ultimate exploration of the human condition 20 Nov 1998

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

On the surface, Catch-22 is a fine novel about the U.S Army Air Force in Europe during the 1939-45 war. You do not have to scratch the surface hard to find a classic, timeless novel of the fine line between sanity and total madness. Is Yossarian, the 'hero', totally sane, or utterly, irredeemably insane? You tell me. Catch-22 is unique in its ability to thrust confusion, frustration, despair, insanity, death and plain old fashioned misery in waves - and yet repeatedly surprise you with its sidesplitting humour. When you laugh, you are not laughing at Heller's finely crafted characters, with all their idiosyncrasies, but at yourself, your friends and relatives. Because Heller's situations mirror the daily stupidities that we all put up with, laugh about and cry about. Reading Catch-22 is like sitting through the main feature a second time - you know exactly what will happen next; you know that nothing can change it. You cannot help hoping that it won't be so bad. But, of course, it's worse.

I would agree but also add that the book brilliantly shows so many of our daily obsessions and convictions to be completely silly, illogical, even ridiculous.

Write about a photograph you like.

Say:
Who took it
What it shows
When it was taken
Why you like it
Upload it too
Include any other information you'd like to mention.Write at least 150 words.




At last. One of my favourite subjects. 


My father is a photographer so I have been surround by photos and cameras all my life. I nearly always carry a camera with me although I don't have a particularly expensive one. At the moment I have a cheap canon digital thing and a GoPro. 


I have lots of favourite photos. Some taken by my friends and family, some by myself. On this blog I'd like to talk about a photo called Migrant Mother by a photographer called Dorothea Lange.

Lange was taking photos during the great depression in the USA. This was a time when economic crises and poor management of the land forced hundreds of thousands of people to migrate west to California. They didn't have money or food and had to kill birds and scrounge vegetables to eat. Thousands died. 


The photo shows a mother, probably young but with a face hard with experience. Her two children bury their heads in her neck. It's an increbily strong image and I think I like it because it looks a little like my mother, though she probably wouldn't appreciate me saying so. 

Oral Presentation

Here are the details for the oral presentation

• A subject related to your career. E.g. A favourite director, special equipment, favourite writer etc. 
• 4 mins
• Power point (maximum 5 words per slide)
• No notes. The presentation should be done by memory with the slides to help you. 

Let me know if you have any questions. 

HB

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/tube-dlr-trams-and-train-travelcard-zones-map.pdf

You are going to spend a week in London evaluating tourist locations for an end of year study trip.
Here is a list of things you want to do while you are there.  Follow the links and fill in the table.

Half Day Outings
London Eye
http://www.londoneye.com/
The British Museum
http://www.britishmuseum.org/
The Tower of London
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/ (including Crown Jewels)
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
http://www.madametussauds.com/london/
The Natural History Museum
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
The Tate Modern Art Gallery
http://www.tate.org.uk/
Full day
Kew Gardens
http://www.kew.org/
Camden Market
http://www.camden-market.org/
For each location say:
What day you will visit,
How much you will have to pay to get in,
Which Tube station you will travel to (nearest to location), and the zone it is in.

What will you do on the other days? (2 full days / 4 half days / 1 full day 2 half days)
Search the web for other things to do in London.
What is the total cost?

http://www.wikihow.com/Be-an-All-Around-Good-Student

My Favourite Film

I love movies and tv series, especially comedies. In fact I don't watch many things that don't have some element of comedy in them.

I love the work of Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers but my favourite film isn't by them, it's by Emir Kusturica and it's called Black Cat White Cat.

The actors aren't famous, except in other movies by Kusturica, but they're all brilliant. Very realistic and very funny. I like them beacuse they wouldn't have a chance in Hollywood, most of them are pretty ugly. Here is a photo of Pajarito, a slimy man who offers to sell his son to pay off his debts.

I like it because it makes me laugh more than any other movie. Every character is hilarious; how they look, how they act, what they say, everything. If that wasn't enough, the music is fantastic. People call it gypsy punk and it's very up-beat with lots of brass instruments.

Here is a clip of one of the best scenes.

Activity 3

Write about your favourite piece of technology.

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.

- 130 words minimum.
- Include a picture. 
- Comment on at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs. 

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I have a HD camera which I love and I've just bought a GoPro. On the other hand, I hate unnecessary technology such as plasma TVs and expensive phones. 


My favourite piece of technology is, without doubt, my MP3 player. I had a cassette Walkman when I was a child and the digital MP3 player is the perfect succession (MiniDisc and Discman were rubbish). 


I got it three years ago. I use it every day, especially on my bike. I want to get a waterproof one for when I go swimming. I listen to music and podcasts I download from the internet.
I like it because it are so simple and so useful, just like all good inventions should be. Life without it would definitely be more boring. I might have to start listening to my brain which could be dangerous. 

Monday Wednesday blog names

Here are the blogs of your classmates. If you are not on the list please tell me.

All blogs finish in '.blogspot.com'

www.tirodeltigre.blogspot.com
cloudorez
nrlated
ilovepalta
limaloreto
thegabbisblog
inglishrumpel
thewomanwiththedeadtatto
thediegoblogspot
caracocua
alejandro-myfirstblog
ornitorrincosenlacasa
vertigoinvertido
amnotoriyinal
thisisagoodname
ilovemylittlepets
missbarahonachannels

Activity 2

Hello again.

Here are the instructions for task two.

band / singer >>
- name
- what do you know about them?
- what type of music do they play?
- why do you like this artist/band?
- what's your favorite song? why?
- publish a picture or video
- 120 words minimum
- make 3 comments on your classmates posts.

concert/exhibition >>

- what was it?
- when did you go?
- where was it?
- why did you like it?
- mention more details about it
- publish a related picture or video
- 120 words minimum
- make 3 comments on your classmates posts.

So. Here is my effort.

I'm going to talk about a band called Wire. That's who my blog is named after. If you thought it was because I like the TV program, THE WIRE, well you were wrong. I've never even seen it.

Wire, the band, are a punk band who made an incredible album called Pink Flag in 1977. I like it because it's the style of punk music that I most like; raw, fun and exciting. The songs are a real mix. Some are short and fast, others long and slow. But all are brilliant. And there are 21 songs on the album. EPIC!!

Choosing a favourite song is very difficult, maybe Dot-Dash, which I used when I made this video.It's so simple, and fun and silly and works perfectly.

As for a memorable concert or exhibition, hmm...

Probably the most memorable was a concert of The Libertines. It was my final night in England before flying to Chile, eight years ago. I was staying with my friend Tall John in London and we are both big fans of the Libertines. We went to see them play and it was one of the final gigs they did together as a band. The singer Pete Doherty is famously crazy and halfway through the set he kicked over an amp. and stormed off the stage. Two or three songs later he came back with his chest covered in blood. Fantastic.

Here's a great video of them playing one of my favourite songs.

Tuesday Friday blognames

All of the below are followed by .blogspot.com

takequila
blackpeppersbook
paulillasama
hesterin
dotdotdothappyface
daaamisblog
teoprojects
brainstormdada
saturninelunatic
thewavetrip
sunrisefrancisca
thewavetrip
sundaymorningfran
eemptybrains
lacacavoladora
pastadeosobuco
ciberneticpaper
blickyoureye
imnotadinosaur
lazadrom
elpollooezi
andreaplasticaconceptual

Autobiography

So, welcome to my blog.

Over the next months we'll be using these blogs on a regular basis to get some real-life practice and interaction in English.

Each week we'll have a different topic to think/write/argue about kicking off with AUTO-BIOGRAPHIES.

Your blog is your domain to express yourself as you wish (as long as it's all in English) but as a guide try to include the following in today's post.

1. Birth info.
2. Studies info (elementary/high school/ univ).
3. Family Info.
4. Hobbies.
5. Other.

Two more rules.

1. Write a minimum of 120 words.
2. Make comments on three of your classmate's posts.
   

So. Here goes.

My full name is Henry Rufus Robert Loveless but I usually use my mother's maiden name (Buckle) instead of my father's name (Loveless). I think Loveless is too sad a name to live with.

I was born on the 26th May 1979 in beautiful Bristol, England. Then I had a fairly normal education. I went to the local primary school, then Ashton Park Secondary School then I studied at college for two years before going to University where I studied History with Journalism. After University I studied to be an English teacher and since then I have been studying at The University of Life.

My immediate family is made up of my father Adrian, my two sisters, Angie and Elsie, my brother, Jasper, and my nephew and nieces, Tom, Ella and Sophie. My mother Hilary died when I was 16. Everyone, apart from my brother and me, is in England. My brother is currently painting walls in New Zealand.

I'm a very active person. I love sport especially cycling, trekking and swimming. I was a fanatical mountain climber for ten years but I'm taking a break from that at the moment to dedicate more time to other activities and interests. I also like making videos, socialising, attempting to play guitar, teaching and watching football.

Finally, I'm a Gemini which means I am a Jack-of-all-trades. The most important things perhaps are that I have a dog called Marlene and a cat called Iggy Pop, I love eating and music and I'm a vegetarian.