Of course, my blogging experience is a bit different from yours...I'm the teacher. I have to write as a kind of example to follow...I have to be an example (part of being a teacher, I guess).
I've basically made the blog writing part of my weekly routine. Usually, I get up a little before 8:00 in the morning on a Wednesday, make my coffee, and write the blog. It's been a kind of nice reflective and contemplative way to start the day. Me, my coffee, and my blog. I've actually liked having to think about various experiences and ideas I've had, and then having to turn them into material for the blog and for all of you to read.
As an educator, I am sure that this has been a very beneficial experience for you and your English. Writing is not easy, and we need to get practice and experience doing it so that we can improve. Writing may be a very important skill in your academic futures as you might want to continue your studies abroad, which means having to take an English test. Writing is always an important element of these tests. In my experience, it's always been hard for students to get enough writing practice. Consequently, writing has been a sort of "weak link" for many test-takers. Therefore, this blogging experience is a GREAT way to do a lot of writing. On top of that, it's a pretty low stress and motivating way to do it.
Perhaps, in the future, we could have a few other topics ot express our ideas and opinions about. Food, the news, people are all great topics that could be incorporated into our blog syllabus.
I'm happy to be a part of this process helping you all to improve your writing. I know a lot of us don't like to write too much, but writing these blogs and commenting on our classmates' entries has been a pretty nice way to do it.
martes, 5 de julio de 2016
BLOG POST 10 INSTRUCTIONS
Hi Everyone,
Today we write about our experience of writing blogs in English...
We need to mention the following:
What do we think about the experience in general?
How much we feel our writing skills have developed?
What would you like to include in the future?
What else would you like to write about?
This has a word count of 200 as a minimum.
Get to it....
Today we write about our experience of writing blogs in English...
We need to mention the following:
What do we think about the experience in general?
How much we feel our writing skills have developed?
What would you like to include in the future?
What else would you like to write about?
This has a word count of 200 as a minimum.
Get to it....
miércoles, 22 de junio de 2016
Hurdling
A long time ago...and far away...Well, when I was 14, I learned to become a hurdler. First what is a hurdler? A hurdler is a person who hurdles. This is a type of athlete because hurdling is a track and field sport (athletics). It is even in the Olympics.
I was always pretty fast, and, when I got to high school I wanted to join the track and field team. I passed the try-outs, but for a while I wasn't completely sure what I would specialize in. Our coach suggested I try hurdling.
He was right in suggesting in. I learned to do the technique. The most important thing is that you don't jump over the hurdle. You have to step over it. This is important because you are running, and jumping would ruin the rhythm. Besides, if you jump, you really slow down, and you could fall and have an accident.
I became a hurdler, and I did both types: high 100-meter hurdles, and low 300-meter hurdles. I became pretty good at it, and by my last year in high school when I was 18, I went to the State Championships where I won 3rd place in the state. I never went to the Olympics. Oh well....
Doing this sport taught me a lot about physical discipline, and discipline in general. Like with all sports, you have to be dedicated, and you have to practice. It gave me good habits for life, really. I don't know if I could hurdle now, though...I'm definitely out of practice!
I was always pretty fast, and, when I got to high school I wanted to join the track and field team. I passed the try-outs, but for a while I wasn't completely sure what I would specialize in. Our coach suggested I try hurdling.
He was right in suggesting in. I learned to do the technique. The most important thing is that you don't jump over the hurdle. You have to step over it. This is important because you are running, and jumping would ruin the rhythm. Besides, if you jump, you really slow down, and you could fall and have an accident.
I became a hurdler, and I did both types: high 100-meter hurdles, and low 300-meter hurdles. I became pretty good at it, and by my last year in high school when I was 18, I went to the State Championships where I won 3rd place in the state. I never went to the Olympics. Oh well....
Doing this sport taught me a lot about physical discipline, and discipline in general. Like with all sports, you have to be dedicated, and you have to practice. It gave me good habits for life, really. I don't know if I could hurdle now, though...I'm definitely out of practice!
Blog Post 9 Instructions
Hi,
This is blog post nine: Something that I've learned or found out
Tell us something that you've learned about or learned to do or found out about.
Make sure to tell us:
What is it?
Why is it interesting?
How has it changed you or contributed to your knowlege?
Tell us about something that is NOT directly related to your professional formation. It can be recent or a long time ago.
Minimum word count: 150
This is blog post nine: Something that I've learned or found out
Tell us something that you've learned about or learned to do or found out about.
Make sure to tell us:
What is it?
Why is it interesting?
How has it changed you or contributed to your knowlege?
Tell us about something that is NOT directly related to your professional formation. It can be recent or a long time ago.
Minimum word count: 150
martes, 7 de junio de 2016
A subject I enjoy
Since I'm not a student, I can tell you about a subject that I enjoy teaching. I will also cheat a little. I'm not teaching it this semester; I always teach it in the spring.
The subject is British History, Culture and Literature. Well, I'm not British, but I think History is quite fascinating, and I like the topics of Literature and Culture. I'm not a Historian, but rather a Linguist-ESL teacher. However, I did study a lot of History at University, so I feel sufficiently qualified to teach it.
I teach this subject to students of English Pedagogy, and the idea is that they get a general idea of British History and Literature. To be honest, it is all about England: we just don't have time to delve into Scottish, Welsh (or Irish) History and Literature.
The main contents are an overview of the main historical events that have formed England and the English language: the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain, the Vikings, the French/Norman Conquest, the development of the power of the parliamentary system, various important and colorful monarchs and other characters over the centuries, the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution, the era of colonial expansion, the Age of Industrialisation, the Victorian Era, World War I, World War II, the loss of Empire, the rise of modern pop culture (the Beatles, etc...)...Well, that's a lot. Of course, we can't forget Shakespeare!
I give the students general ideas, and always make sure to have various students look up various significant historical events, literary works, or historical personages. Then the students have to presentations about what they've researched, thus informing their classmates. Honestly, there are a lot of great videos on Youtube we use, too.
So, I like this class because the subject is just really interesting. I want the students to get a good idea about the environment and events that have formed the English language--which they'll be teaching in the future.
The subject is British History, Culture and Literature. Well, I'm not British, but I think History is quite fascinating, and I like the topics of Literature and Culture. I'm not a Historian, but rather a Linguist-ESL teacher. However, I did study a lot of History at University, so I feel sufficiently qualified to teach it.
I teach this subject to students of English Pedagogy, and the idea is that they get a general idea of British History and Literature. To be honest, it is all about England: we just don't have time to delve into Scottish, Welsh (or Irish) History and Literature.
The main contents are an overview of the main historical events that have formed England and the English language: the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain, the Vikings, the French/Norman Conquest, the development of the power of the parliamentary system, various important and colorful monarchs and other characters over the centuries, the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution, the era of colonial expansion, the Age of Industrialisation, the Victorian Era, World War I, World War II, the loss of Empire, the rise of modern pop culture (the Beatles, etc...)...Well, that's a lot. Of course, we can't forget Shakespeare!
I give the students general ideas, and always make sure to have various students look up various significant historical events, literary works, or historical personages. Then the students have to presentations about what they've researched, thus informing their classmates. Honestly, there are a lot of great videos on Youtube we use, too.
So, I like this class because the subject is just really interesting. I want the students to get a good idea about the environment and events that have formed the English language--which they'll be teaching in the future.
Post 8 Instructions
Hi,
This week we're writing about a subject that you've enjoyed a lot this semester.
Include:
1. The name of this subject
2. Describe what you do in class
3. Mention the main contents you have seen
4. Explain why you like the subject
Enjoy! 180 is the word count minimum
Regards, Eric
This week we're writing about a subject that you've enjoyed a lot this semester.
Include:
1. The name of this subject
2. Describe what you do in class
3. Mention the main contents you have seen
4. Explain why you like the subject
Enjoy! 180 is the word count minimum
Regards, Eric
miércoles, 1 de junio de 2016
Someone I admire in my field
Someone I admire in my field is the great linguist, Noam Chomsky. He wasn't an English teacher (ESL teacher) per se, but since I studied Linguistics, he's very relevant to me. Besides, he contributed a lot to the modern concepts we have about the language acquisition process.
He was born in 1928, the son of Jewish Russian immigrants in Philadelphia, USA. Perhaps, he became so interested in language as he was fluent in three languages as a child: English, Yiddish, and Hebrew--which he had to study a lot as part of his religious training as a child. It's worth noting here that today he's not a religious man. I mention it because this rigorous training may have formed his academic thinking processes.
In the 1950s he REVOLUTIONIZED Linguistics and our understanding of the language acquistion process. He developed the ideas of Universal Grammar that basically states that all human beings have a kind of language computer in their heads when they're born. This "computer" is programmed by the input received from the child's early environment. Universal Grammar has certain constraints and parameters that are universal. I won't go into any detail, but it explains why a child can learn any language to 100% proficiency, no matter where this child was born. This also explains why adults can learn any human language though, maybe, not as proficiently.
Today, many people take these ideas for granted. However, we he came out with this and worked on the data that proved his theory, it was still controversial. There were many other theories out there that explained things rather imperfectly. He changed all of this.
In addition to his great linguistic achievement, he is also a philosopher, logician, and "all.around" intellectual. He often comments on politics and society.
He was born in 1928, the son of Jewish Russian immigrants in Philadelphia, USA. Perhaps, he became so interested in language as he was fluent in three languages as a child: English, Yiddish, and Hebrew--which he had to study a lot as part of his religious training as a child. It's worth noting here that today he's not a religious man. I mention it because this rigorous training may have formed his academic thinking processes.
In the 1950s he REVOLUTIONIZED Linguistics and our understanding of the language acquistion process. He developed the ideas of Universal Grammar that basically states that all human beings have a kind of language computer in their heads when they're born. This "computer" is programmed by the input received from the child's early environment. Universal Grammar has certain constraints and parameters that are universal. I won't go into any detail, but it explains why a child can learn any language to 100% proficiency, no matter where this child was born. This also explains why adults can learn any human language though, maybe, not as proficiently.
Today, many people take these ideas for granted. However, we he came out with this and worked on the data that proved his theory, it was still controversial. There were many other theories out there that explained things rather imperfectly. He changed all of this.
In addition to his great linguistic achievement, he is also a philosopher, logician, and "all.around" intellectual. He often comments on politics and society.
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