Pen to paper

Courtsey

2011-11-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

I want to talk about one of the texts we have worked during the year, this is “Courtesy: key to a happier world” by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. This text called my attention because it is about how good manners can make our lives better. I completely agree with that premise. I think that most of our daily problems can be solved just with courtesy.

Dr. Peale lists the three components of courtesy and gives three tips to improve one’s manners. Justice, Empathy, and the Capacity to treat all people alike, are the three components of courtesy. And the ways to improve one’s manners are by practicing courtesy ( concentrating in your performance and not letting other’s bad manners make you rude), thinking in a courteous way, and being able to accept courtesy.

Justice is one of the components which is very important and the one that is less used. We tend to consider that what is good for us is good for everyone. It is one of the most selfish attitudes we have as citizens. For example, if we like to listen to loud music all day long, why we think that the neighbourhood enjoys the same. I think we have to start using this principle of justice.

Empathy is about considering other people’s feelings which is also important, but generally we are not worried about that. And the last component is the capacity to treat all people alike, which is one of most difficult things to do because we consider that there are people who do not deserve our best manners. Anyway, we could try to put this into practice and see what happens.

Peale tells us about ways to improve our manners, which are practicing courtesy, thinking in a courteous way and being able to accept courtesy. All of them are difficult to use because how we are going to treat in a good way to a person that is being rude with us. But perhaps in this point is the key, I mean, to be strong and not letting that others’ bad manners ruin our days. Thinking in a courteous way is also complicated, to be considerate of others is not an easy issue but it is not impossible. And the last advise is about being able to accept courtesy, which could be the easiest one.

To conclude courtesy makes our lives happier because If we are trated in a good way, that makes us happy. And if we are treated in a bad way but we answer in a courteous way, we feel that we are doing what is correct, and we feel happy and satified with ourselves. That’s whay I think that courtesy can make our world better.

Hanna

HIM

2011-11-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Lily Allen is a British pop singer, musician, songwriter and also a fashion designer. She has a very short discography but it is full of hits and awards. “Alright, Still” is the name of her first album, released in July 2006. Allen has said she cringes now when listening to tracks from “Alright, Still”, as it reminds her that she was a "sort of over-excitable teenager who desperately wanted attention" when she wrote it.

Her first single “Smile” reached the top position in UK Singles Chart.

Then, in 2009 “It’s Not Me, It’s You” was released and debuted at the number one position in UK, Canada and Australia. From this album, I would like to highlight the song “Him”. In this song, Allen reflects about society and criticizes it. However, what she basically does during the song is to question religion and things that people do in the name of God. “It’s Not Me, It’s You” took Allen to a different direction as she wanted to write about things which were relevant to her, but also universal. That explains why, in her last work, we can find references to racism, ageism, drug dependency, premature ejaculation, etc.

As I mentioned before, she has a short discography but her sense of humour, personality, musical style and mainly her histrionics, make her one of my favourite artist.

Erin

“The forgoten killer”

2011-11-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Salt is necessary in our bodies. We need it as well as we like it. Moreover, it is one of the most important flavours in food. But salt is not as good as we may think. I saw a report on the TV and then I looked for some information because I think it is an interesting topic to take into account. What I found was that there exist many problems which are caused by excessive salt intake. Consuming too much salt may cause high blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, heart failure, and heart attack. It can also lead to osteoporosis and asthma, as well as it has been linked to stomach cancer.

It is recommended to consume no more than 6g a day. But obviously we consume more than that each day because salt is present in all the products we generally eat. As regad this topic in our country there has been an agreement, between the goverment and the food industry, to carry out a plan to reduce salt in processed products such as bread, milk products, meat products, soaps, etc.

Considering the the danger of overconsuming salt, it is very important to be aware and to care our health of what is called the “forgotten killer”.

Hanna

Sherlock Holmes

2011-11-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello, I would like to share with you a film that I have just recently seen and I really enjoy it. The film is Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie and the actors are: Jude Law, Rachel Mc Adams and Robert Dawney. When sherlock and Dr Watson think they have resolved another case, Blackwood, who is supposed to be dead, reappears and even stronger because of the black arts that he performs. With the assistance of his friend Dr Watson and his ex lover Irene, Sherlock must stop Blacwood before he takes control of the government and consequently, dominates the world.

Emma

Different opinions

2011-11-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I read an article that deals with the issue of the Islamic veil across Europe. In many countries in Europe, there is a lot of debate about this issue, which takes in religious freedom, female equality, secular traditions, and fears of terrorism. Thus, the article presents both sides arguments, that is, those countries that are in favor of a full ban, and those who are against this violation of civil rights.

On the one hand, there are some countries, such as, France, Belgium, that are pushing head with plans to introduced a law-banning women from wearing full-face Islamic veils in all public places. Supporters claim that veils oppressed women and are a potential security threat. It is also said that clothes designed to hide a person identity must become illegal.

On the other hand, there are some countries, such as Britain, Germany, and Netherlands, that do not have plans for a national ban yet. Consider, for instance, the case of Germany, where the federal constitutional court ruled in favour of a teacher who wanted to wear an Islamic scarf to school. These opponents state that they have abandoned plans to impose a ban on all forms of coverings the face because a law like this, would be a violation of the civil rights. Besides, they also claim that they cannot tell people what to wear in streets because it is not fair.

In sum, owing to the fact that nowadays many countries are experiencing violent acts, which are intended to create fear and are perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, the Islamic veil has become a controversial issue across Europe. In my view, the number of countries in favor of a full ban is highly increasing, so it is advisable for teachers to be knowledgeable about this issue in order to promote the appreciation and acceptance of multiple cultures in their classroom practices.

Abby

"Tech-era L2 writing: towards a new kind of process"

2011-11-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a number of articles to make the response essay, and this one was the one I was most interested in. Why? Because, the article deals with the use of technology such as PCs, word processors and new internet tools we or our students use to write.

Paul Stapleton and Paulina Radia make a convincing argument as regards the use of technology when writing and how beneficial it is for students and teachers. First, because students can work with independence; and second, because teachers can focus on different aspects of the writing and not the corrections of orthography or grammar which have been already checked by the PC.

The authors of this article also warn us to be careful with sites and web pages which we cannot trust and they suggest teachers should raise students' awareness as regards a critical view when gathering information on the web.

Finally, the authors state that the process of writing has entered a new dimension with the assistance and guidance of new technologies and that we, teachers, should take advantage of this new era with our students because they sure will have the benefit.

Spoon

Why do I have to do what others do?

2011-10-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Why do I have to do what others do?

Yesterday, at the institute where I work, a colleague told me that we had to do something for celebrating ‘Halloween’. It was the director idea and this consisted of dressing up the children, going around the block, and knocking the houses’ doors to ask for sweets. Unlike me, children were really excited when they were told about it. But I was not very enthusiastic because I could not find the meaning of doing it. In fact, this is not a celebration that belongs to our culture. Children like dressing up and having fun and that is great. I like dressing up, too. However, they do not have any idea about its meaning, why people celebrate it, their believes, and all the things it implies. So, what bothers me too much is the way in which merchants want to impose ‘Halloween’. What matters is the sale, the money they can earn by making that other countries adopt this kind of celebration.

Coming back to my students and my great outing, I have been thinking about which reaction people will have when we knock at the door asking for...sweets? Naturally, we are not used to this, so I think that if somebody knocks at my door and asks me for candies, I would just say: ‘Sorry, I haven’t got any...’

Çalra

Invasion!

2011-10-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

The business of animal traffic has increased all over the years. Hardly ever, these animals get to their destines, and many times they are released in a place that is not their natural habitat. This is what happened in La Pampa and Tierra del Fuego provinces in these days. Yesterday, I saw in the news that these provinces have been invaded by squirrels and beavers respectively. The problem is that these species are dwelling in a place to which they do not belong, and so, they do not have a natural predator. In consequence, they destroy the entire environment, making use and abuse of the natural resources and continue reproducing themselves. And here comes the main question: What do we have to do? A zoologist explained that the squirrel hunting is prohibited and the beaver hunting is not. But, at the same time, there is no a clear law about it. So, is it correct to kill these animals to save the environment? But, are they guilty of the men actions and their intervention in other habitats? Or, is it possible to give them back to their autochthonous territory? Well, it is not because they have adapted to this new habitat. The polemic is open and the alternatives are not so many.

Çalra

Dying just for others’ pleasure

2011-10-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

War is the enemy of life. It is as simple as that.War is terrible. It kills people with hunger, diseases; with bullets and bombs. But, basically, it kills with lies. From the oldest times, war has been a very important mean for kings and presidents to conquer other lands, to acquire the power they needed to dominate every single corner of the planet. But everything is a lie. Some men were obliged to enroll in the army, some were not. In fact, those who choose to be part of an army thought, and some still think, that they fight for their country, for their people. Actually, they fight for their rulers’ pleasure. They promised freedom, recognition, heroism. However, nothing of that comes. Soldiers just obtain suffering and death for reward.

It reminds me of a poem written by Wilfred Owen called ‘Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’, which describes the First World War and says:

‘...and watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

his hanging face (...)

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood,

come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs (...)

incurable sores on innocent tongues.

My friend you would not tell with such high zest

to children ardent for some desperate glory,

the old lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’

This last phrase could be roughly translated as "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." I believe this poem expresses everything a soldier can feel when finally he confronts the war.

Çalra

Are Gypsies twilight citizens?

2011-10-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

This article was published by the BBC History Magazine and is about social tension and media tension sorrounding Gypsies in Britain. They are a minority in that country but the controversial issues about them has outweighted the size as a group.

The British Government is discussing plans to deal with illegal settlement and antisocial behavior. Besides, there is a debate on how this group can improve their way of living. But, the main conflict here is how the majority, in “settle” society has perceived their nomandic style of life.

For most people, this group is the result of failure and social inadequacy, which means that they are viewed with hostility by the majority of the British citizens. For other people, Gypsies failed to “modernise”. The welfare state, based on taxation and insurance left this minority group unable to pay their way because they don’t have a permanent job.

Some government representatives thought that the solution for their situation was to convince Gypsies to give up nomadic life. However, they resisted to such change and with the support of Civil Right movements the gained the provision of sites to live in. This controversial subject made many people be against this kind of support.

In sum, some British citizens may agree on nomadic behavior some others may not, the thing is that Gypsies, for the time being, seems to be twilight citizens in Great Britain.

Victoria

What happened men? Did you mix the tapes?

2011-10-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

I have never left the cinema so disappointed as I did last Saturday. My boyfriend and I went to the cinema to see the new movie starred by Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, ‘The tree of Life’. The film is based on images with very few words and in some moments – I would say, most of them – it mixes with universe and nature scenes. From one moment to another, the film goes to the dinosaurs era and you completely forget that the movie is about a marriage in a certain time in the past whose middle son died, who knows why. For a while, we thought we were watching Discovery Channel! Suddenly, it comes back to this family, with three children, a rigorous father and a lovely mother. And the past scenes are mixed with the present time of one of the sons, who now is an adult and remembers his dead brother.

At the end of a film you expect some people to applaud. Also, we can expect people to come out from the cinema talking enthusiastically about the good film they have just seen. However, this time the people were in a deep silence like trying to straighten out the story. Some were laughing and could not believe how awful and confused the film was!

Anyway, two days after this ‘experience’, I looked for information about the film on the internet and when I found it I thought, ‘Why didn’t I read this before?’. The film was described as a ‘poem’. What is more, the director always makes this kind of movies in which God, life, nature, evolution and just few words added to the scenes are mixed, all together to bring out some concept of the human being. So, if you like this kind of cinema, I recommend you to go. But, if you do not like, I suggest you choose another film because you will probably feel bitterly disappointed as I felt.

Çalra

The scarlet “A”: Is it really an old tale?

2011-10-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

Nathaniel Hawthorne published his first novel in 1850, when he was 46 and believed he never could earn his living by writing. However, The Scarlet Letter made him a rich man and turned into a classic of American literature. The story is set in the Puritan New England of the seventeenth century. It is the tragic story of a woman´s shame and the cruel treatment she suffers at the hands of the Puritan society. But it is, mainly, a criticism of intolerance and ignorance when based on dogmatism and cruelty.

The major conflict of the novel may be summarized: a settler in New England, Hester Prynne, has waited two years for her aging husband to join her; when he arrives from Europe, finds her in a pillory (a wooden frame, with holes for the head and hands, which people were locked into in the past as a punishment) with a baby in her arms; she is wearing a scarlet letter “A” (for “Adulterer”) embroidered on her breast; anyway, sworn to keep secret the identity of both –her husband and her lover– Hester slowly wins the respect of society by her charitable acts and her moral strength.

This book depicts, as well, one of the main features that Renaissance writers like Hawthorne poured on their works: the tendency to look for a close communion between man and nature, and the belief that God could be found in it, or perhaps that God is actually it. In fact, it is clear in the book the opposition civilization versus wilderness, as a metaphor of repression and hypocrisy versus freedom and honesty. A rosebush next to a prison door, as well as the appearance of a meteor are also symbols of the ability of nature to overshadow man’s activities.

Although many years have passed since the time in which this story is set in, we can learn through it to what extent dogmatism and fanaticism may turn human’s souls into evil and against the principles that, paradoxically, most religions have established as their moral codes. Within a different context, we could fit it in our times: the Vatican blesses missiles, and the outbreaks of many conflicts and wars were by religious causes; “holy wars” they are called, what is an oxymoron. Hawthorne shows us, yet today, that individuals themselves can oppose it, and can win the battle.

Blue Worm

The Lion King

2011-10-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

This is a 1994 movie which has marked my childhood. I remember spending many hours in front of the television screen watching The Lion King, over and over again at different times. I have seen it with my brothers and sisters, cousins, friends. This movie hasn´t become any older throughout the years and each generation keeps enjoying it. Some people love the music, others the cartoons, and others the story. It has won an Academy award, the Golden Globe Award and six Tony Awards. Recently it has been re-released throughout the world in 3D. I have seen it in the billboard of the movie theatres and it seems promising, just as the first one!!! I hope you have the chance to watch it and enjoy it as much as I do!

Bloo Star

“Multiculturalism: the great divide”

2011-10-10T06:15:00.001-07:00

I read an article called “Multiculturalism: the great divide”. This very interesting article deals with the phenomenon of segregation that is taking place in Great Britain. This issue is explored from the point of view of a black British girl who shares her experiences and opinions. She starts saying that the school which she attended was racially mixed having white, Asian, and black students. At first, everyone socialised freely, but then groups started to form according to their races and ethnics. A girl who she was used to talk to began to ignore her. A close friend of hers told her that her mother had hinted that it was time she began to socialise only with people of her own culture. Similarly, a neighbour asked if he could buy her house so his sister could live next door to him because it’s a Pakistani tradition for families to live in the same area. The British girl sees these cases as self-segregation cases, cases in which the same groups of people separate themselves from the rest of society.

At the end of the article she makes some suggestions to improve this situation. She says that black and Asian groups could join with the government to hold forums on multiculturalism, and that the government should make more use of certain organisations specially developed to improve intercultural communications skills and strategies, and to prevent conflicts in diverse societies.

From my point of view, people should try to overcome this issue, first, by thinking that everyone is a human being, and they can settle in a society and join people from other cultures without losing their own origin. Secondly, people should try to get rid of prejudices and stereotypes because they often represent obstacles in cross-cultural communication. Finally, people should think that by separating themselves from other groups of society, they are losing the opportunity to learn and know new things which could be learnt if they established communication with them.

Kite.

Restorative Justice

2011-10-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

  The use of restorative justice was a success according to the police from a county called Cambridgeshire. About eighty hundred officers have been trained for this program for first time minor offenders and it has been used since this year.
  One of the important issues is that the offenders have to agree to the use of the program, which makes them reflect about their wrong behavior and gives them the chance to do things right in order to reintegrate into society.
  Another outstanding characteristic is that the victims of the offenders may suggest the punishment to solve the conflict. In this way, the victims feel that something is done to repair both psychological and material damage.
  I think this program is an excellent example to follow because en the one hand, the offenders have an opportunity to change and, on the other, the victims feel they are doing something to solve some of the problems in our society, especially the ones that have to do with vandalism.

Victoria

It’s beginning to hurt

2011-10-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

James Lasdun is a British writer. He writes novels and poetry, but he is a very famous writer of short stories. I have read “It’s beginning to hurt”, with which he was the winner of the National Short Story Competition in 2006. I truly recommend you this author and his work.

“It’s beginning to hurt” is a story of about 500 words only but with so much force and with so much content that it is really impressive. The main character is a man (Mr Bryar) who received a phone call from his wife while he was in a funeral. She asked him to pick up a salmon for dinner.

The story seems to be quite simple, but it has complex implications. The title itself is a line on the story that contains a strong meaning. The man was at the funeral of his lover, Marie, and she was the one who told him: “I’m in love with you, and it’s beginning to hurt”. You may feel that this unfaithful man should have his due but in the end, it is inevitable you feel some kind of sympathy for him.

The final situation produces an unexpected twist that makes the story so appealing. It is the first time I read his work but it was such a good experience that I think I am going to continue reading and maybe you could follow my advice and can also read some of his work because it is highly recommended

Erin

Love, death and despair: a tragedy of every times… and nothing more.

2011-10-07T08:30:00.001-07:00

Perhaps any short poem in the history of the western world has reached such fame as Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, first published in 1845. Many works of art are subsidiary of this piece of literature. Cites from it appear in many songs, and its verses are paraphrased in a number of literary works. Cinema has also explicitly borrowed parts of its stanzas and, recently, possibly the most famous cartoon all over the world, The Simpsons, dedicated one chapter to The Raven, in which a mournful Homer weeps his absent Lenore/Marge; that is, the eternal tragedy of love and absence.

Poe’s poem is, basically, a love story: a man misses his loved lady (Lenore) by death. He cannot face up to the fact that she would never be again with him. Then, a bleak December night while longing for Lenore, a strange raven appears at his window. It comes into his chamber and a sort of dialogue between the beast and the narrator takes place. He asks the bird for its name and the answer is “Nevermore”. In fact, this is the only word the raven can say. Then the narrator wants to know who sent it there and why; if it is a good or a bad soul; if he –the narrator– could see Lenore again after death, and some other things. The bird only answers “Nevermore.” At the end, he begs the raven to leave him alone, and the birth again replies “Nevermore” while decides to stay in there, in the narrator’s chamber for ever, with eyes “of a demon that is dreaming.” Finally, the narrator reveals that his soul will be staying by the raven’s shadow on the floor to be not lifted… nevermore. This is, in essence, all that must be known about the plot.

What way can this poem be interpreted? What does the raven represent? What is the meaning of the tragic ending? Certainly, there must be as many interpretations as interpreters there exist because, actually, nothing is clearly said; everything is barely suggested. Maybe it is a dream, maybe not, for example. And this issue is, for sure, one merit of the poem: the fact that you can interpret it the way you like most. Another merit has to do with the use of language throughout its eighteen stanzas, such as the use of alliteration and assonance in many of the verses; simultaneously, the eighth syllable of each line rhymes with the last one, and these last ones rhyme, in each second, fourth, fifth and the short sixth verse with the word “Lenore”. These linked devices contribute to build connection and provide a sound effect.

This is the merit of the piece? No doubt it constitutes a high merit. But regarding to these kind of devices (metric and rhyme while telling something interesting) we cannot help evoke José Hernández and his Martín Fierro and La Vuelta de Martín Fierro, first published in 1872 and 1879, respectively. Both works total 7.210 verses of eight syllables each, divided mostly in stanzas of six verses, having all these stanzas a rhyme structure of A, B, B, C, C, B (or A, B, B, C, B, C in some few cases). Moreover, it must be taken in mind that the whole of Hernandez’ work has a “consonant” system of rhyming, which in Spanish language means to rhyme every letter since the first vowel till the end of the last syllable of the word.

Whatever it be, perhaps the big merit of The Raven is that it concerns a love story. The absence of a beloved one is a topic which was, is and will be present in most people’s lives. This fact, plus good wording devices linked to a magic atmosphere and a surrealistic ending is certainly what has made of this Poe´s work a so famous one.

Blue worm

One of the first manifestos against colonialism.

2011-10-07T08:26:00.001-07:00

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was born in Ireland, a land long submitted to British strength. His famous Gulliver’s Travels was first published in 1726. It became into a classic satirical narrative because of its irreverent wit and irony, its attacks on political and financial corruption, as well as abuses in science and authority, which continue to resonate in our own times. Despite his often professed dislike of his native country and of Catholicism, Swift turned into an Irish activist against British abuse. Perhaps a most significant piece of writing on this regard is the last chapter of the fourth Gulliver’s travel, which may be read as one of the first anti-colonialist manifestos.

In his fourth and last travel, Gulliver gets into an island inhabited by horses and Yahoos, a sort of human beings depicted as awful beasts. In contrast, the horses –which are called Houyhnhnms and rule the land– are quite civilized, honorable and reasonable. When Gulliver comes back to Britain is noticed that he is bound in duty as a subject of England to inform the authorities about his discovery, because whatever lands are discovered by a subject, belong to the Crown. But Gulliver denies doing so. His arguments go from factual reasons (Houyhnhnms would defeat the king's army by “terrible yerks”, i.e. kicks) to moral ones (conversely, Houyhnhnms should come to civilize Europe “by teaching us the first principles of honour, justice, truth, temperance, public spirit, fortitude, friendship…”). Another reason Gulliver provides is a sensible, logical and humanistic one: “Those countries” says Gulliver ironically, “do not appear to have a desire of being conquered, and enslaved, murdered or driven out by colonies.”

But the main reason he exposes to not enlarge his Majesty’s dominions by his discoveries has to do with his strong feelings of rejection to colonialism and its methods. Actually, in two or three paragraphs occupying no more than a page, Swift puts in Gulliver’s discourse what may be understood as a manifesto against British (and other European powers) abuse on far-off countries and people. The atrocities of the conquests are clearly shown with hard direct criticism. Robbing, plundering, murdering, destroying, torturing are the means to build a “modern colony” and –here, the irony again– “to convert and civilize an idolatrous and barbarous people.” Who really are the barbarous people, the author seems to shout. And, for him, it seems to be clear who they are.

This short piece of text includes a brief and sarcastic description of how a process of colonization was often carried out. According to Gulliver/Swift, it involved all kind of violence. As an example taken from the real history, at this point is also mentioned one “Ferdinando Cortez”, in clear allusion to Hernando Cortés, who conquered Mexico in less than two years (1519-21): “Ships are sent with the first opportunity, the natives driven out or destroyed, their princes tortured to discover their gold.”

In 1542, the Spanish historian Bartolomé de las Casas had already written what is considered the first pronouncement against colonialism and its methodology during modern times (the process Christopher Columbus started in 1492) in his The Destruction of the Indias. Almost two hundred years later, by means of satire, irony and humour, Swift achieved a piece of literature that is, to a certain extent, a historical one as well. Despite of being a British subject, he took side against brutality and cruelty showed by his own colonialist nation and produced what may be regarded as another manifesto against colonialism.

Blue worm

Difficult Students

2011-10-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

Some days ago we all heard that a director in a school was badly hit by a student and his mother. This fact, I think, shocked all of us and made us think more about it. Nowadays, our government wants to include children and adolescents with really bad behaviour in schools no matter how they are and what they do. In my opinion, it is terrible because teachers have to deal with these students who are disrespectful and violent. What is more, most of them do not want to do anything at school, laugh at their teachers and classmates, and do not let their partners work in class because they disturb them during all the lessons they have. The problem is that no one in schools can do anything about it so teachers have to try to do their best and deal with them as they can. But sometimes it is impossible, and I think that something has to be done as soon as possible.

Tania.

Rio

2011-09-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hi!!! I want to tell you about a lovely film I saw yesterday, “RIO”. This is a great film about a blue parrot, named Blu, which is snatched from the wild by rare-bird exporters before he even knows how to fly. This is quite heartbrokening because he is taken to Minnesota, very far away from his home. Fortunately, he is found by a girl, called Linda, who loves him and cares about him. Some years later a Brazilian scientific, Tulio, appears telling Linda that Blu’s species is on the verge of extinction. They decide to fly to Rio de Janeiro so he can meet the last remaining female, Jewel. In all of a sudden, Blu and Jewel are stolen by smugglers and that´s when the adventure starts! I strongly recommend this film, I promise you will enjoy it!!!!

Mimi

In Praise of the Humble Comma

2011-09-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

I find Pico Iyer's essay quite humorous and full of irony. The author brilliantly approaches the importance of punctuation as it is necessary in our writings to give a natural flow, rhythm and order to express our ideas or statements. Iyer wisely compares a period to a red light when the ending comes whereas commas are like yellow lights which flash asking us to slow down. Besides he states that life without punctuation could be chaotic and to exemplify this idea he makes a connection with Victorian Age strict rules and corsets that later Modernists got rid of.

In the end, Iyer reinforces his idea of punctuation to say, that in order to achieve important things in life we have to care about the little ones. And taking the time to punctuate where it is necessary, though it may seem a harsh job, it is the way to highlight a text as a whole.

I would highly recommend reading this essay. As a reader I felt invited to read it from the very first line. But the most enjoyable passages are especially the ones where the author uses imagery, comparisons and personifications as literary resources to state his ideas clearly and humorously.

Spoon

From theory to practice

2011-09-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! Last Monday we were present at Amanda and Anahi's special class. In my opinion, it was very useful and it made me think about new ways of creating and using interesting material for tasks in our classrooms. The example of Les Luthiers’ poem was an excellent way to illustrate how we can use the Systemics method in texts for teaching purposes. So, it’s time to think of new ideas, videos, stories, songs and web pages as resources to plan our classes. For example, we can compare Paul McCartney’s song “We all stand together” with High School Musical’s song “We’re all in this together”. Students may judge if both songs have the same message, find differences about the contexts in which they emerged and many other different activities that are much more authentic than fill-in-gaps exercises or grammatical rules.

Asking for students’ opinions on different topics, working with a song they like, or actually with a poem they have never read, will make our lessons more genuine and motivating. Much material is available and ready to be used, decoded and analyzed in our classes. Let’s do it!

Jackie

Hi! On September the 19th, as you know, we had a guest in our class; Amanda Zamuner, our teacher`s friend and also an English teacher. They two together gave us a talk, and the topic was: Systemics. To deal with this, they developed a work called: Humor y poesia: anàlisis de las transgreciones a la coherencia desde una perspective lingüistico cognitiva . They analyzed a Les Luthiers`song called La bella y graciosa moza marchose a lavar la ropa interpreting it by looking at the use of the pronouns. Then we saw Rupert and the frog, a cartoon with songs by Paul Mc Cartney. I really liked this last one. The class was amazing!!! I will try to put all this into practice as soon as possible. Thanks Anahi and Amanda. Your class was inspiring!!!

Zoe

Hi everybody! Today I·m writing about something that you already know,and perhaps your knowledge about it ,is better than mine,but anyway here it is! Last September 19 th as you know we had a different class with Anahi and a friend of hers, Amanda,both teachers gave us a speech of Systemic Method.The theme was very interesting; they did an analysis of a poem from Les Luthiers called ,·La bella y graciosa moza marchose a lavar la ropa·. It was amazing how they interpreted the lyrics of the poem,discovering that the significance of the stanzas could suffer from variables in meaning with the use of the pronouns in certain position. I do hope that my interpretation of the speech ,is not far from the one they tried to convey. I realize that I need to do more reading to accomplish a better understanding of the Systemic Method.In other words,the teachers·intention was to show us the importance of putting into practice the theory that we are learning in the course.

Ambar

Spirits of the Railway

2011-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

“Spirits of the Railway” is a short story that tells us of the first Chinese peasants to leave south China for the New World in the nineteenth century. The Chinese immigrants were mostly men who left their family behind in China.

In this story, Chu goes to Canada in search of his missing father. Unable to find him, Chu ends up working in a railway construction. Then, the crew and he reach a tunnel that other workers claim is haunted. Finally, he met the “ghost” of his father, who had died while building the railway. His father claims for justice because he cannot rest in peace, his body was thrown into the river, and he did not have a proper burial.

When the teacher asked us to read the eight collections of “Gold Mountain” about the Chinese people in the nineteenth century, I wondered why we should read that. However, after reading some of them I realized that I came out with a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture and their sufferings. In fact, I consider it a good resource to use in our classes because it could make students aware about universal issues, such as discrimination. We can also discuss different ways of breaking down some prejudices in order to promote peace throughout the world.

Abby.

The young Victoria (film)

2011-09-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

I saw this film many many times and I would like to recomend it for the ones that are attending the subject : language and culture III. It´s a vivid portrait of queen´s Victoria life, most precicely her youth and how she became queen. Not all is in pink for her, she had to opposed her mother at the age of eighteen and become the head of a country. What I like most is the way she met prince Albert and how they felt in love. I highlight this because most of the movies that deal with kings and queens show how they suffer or how they succeed in their political life but this is not the case of this movie, since the director of ¨The young Victoria¨ tries to show us her inside, her feelings.

EMMA

How to make great biscuits!!!

2011-09-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is a great biscuit recipie that my grandmother gave me some years ago. It was quite good to know about it because it is very easy. First, you have to put in a bowl 3 eggs, 20 spoons of sugar and 20 spoons of sunflower oil. Mix all the ingredients and add flour as necessary to form a soft dough. Use a lightly floured cookie cutter and cut the dough into rounds. Then, place them on a baking pan. Biscuits need to be baked in a hot oven so the dough sets quickly thereby producing a light biscuit with a golden brown top and bottom with white sides. They are done when they are nicely browned (in 7 minutes more or less). I hope you like them, they are delicious!!!!

Mimi

LOVE

2011-09-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

I have just read an article about a clear and definite definition about: what love is? There are two types of different notions about love these are the Chemical basis and the Psychological basis.

The first definiton refers to what Helen Fisher (anthropologist) divides the experience of love into three important stages: lust, attraction, and attachment.

In contrast to, the second concept refers to Psychologist Robert Sternberg formulated a triangular theory of love and argued that love has three different components: intimacy, commitment, and passion.

I always think about the real meaning of love and these two notions clear my mind.

Graffiti Woman