sábado, 21 de abril de 2012
Experience so far
The experience has been quite different than normal classes, as it´s been regular past few years with the english department. It´s quite interesting to do a blog, and it´s simply funnier than studing or doing tests. This weekend I had to work very hard, and that has teach me that I have to organise myself better and don´t leave everything for the las minute.
eventh week
We finished literature, although I still have some doubts about it, and started with crtical reading and thinking, that is the ways to encounter a text and analyze it.
We analyzed some images with critical reading.
We went to an interesting topic, a book that I liked very much when we red it last year, The catcher in the Rye by J.D Sllinger.
We were adviced that we had to have our blogs completed for monday, and they will be graded.
We analyzed some images with critical reading.
We went to an interesting topic, a book that I liked very much when we red it last year, The catcher in the Rye by J.D Sllinger.
We were adviced that we had to have our blogs completed for monday, and they will be graded.
sixth week
We had the speaking presentations we put last week. I had my presentation with my partners at the english lab, we did quite a good job in my opinion, and make people laugh a little bit, that´s always good.
On friday we had classes, for me the most intense day of class, we learned about different ways of studing literature. We learned about some different ways of seeing literature
On friday we had classes, for me the most intense day of class, we learned about different ways of studing literature. We learned about some different ways of seeing literature
fifth week
On monday we had our first test, listening test about language.
Again we changed our main topic of learning and also... our teacher.
Miss Veronica started doing her practice with Mr. Calderon´s supervision.
We started with literature, in my opinion not really fun.
We formed groups for some oral presentations, I teamed up with Mr. García and Mr. Romeu.
Again we changed our main topic of learning and also... our teacher.
Miss Veronica started doing her practice with Mr. Calderon´s supervision.
We started with literature, in my opinion not really fun.
We formed groups for some oral presentations, I teamed up with Mr. García and Mr. Romeu.
fourth week
In this week we changed our main topic, now with a good idea and comprehension of language, we started studing about culture and stereotypes, in other words, we studied diversity of people.
As for language, culture has a lot of definitions and explanations.
For my at least, culture is the traditions, thoughs, believes and rules of a group of people, the way they live and how they encounter life.
Stereotypes on the other hand are generalizing a characteristic to a certain group of people, produced by ignorance.
As for language, culture has a lot of definitions and explanations.
For my at least, culture is the traditions, thoughs, believes and rules of a group of people, the way they live and how they encounter life.
Stereotypes on the other hand are generalizing a characteristic to a certain group of people, produced by ignorance.
third week
Mainly, the theories of language. One very important and interesting question appears, is it language inherent to humans, or is it learnt?
Noam Chomsky´s universal theory of language says that we are born with a grammar creating ability.
We were adviced to prepare a debate, language is inherent to humans or learnt?, wich I developed with Mr. Jeria and Mr. Schiefelbein
Noam Chomsky´s universal theory of language says that we are born with a grammar creating ability.
We were adviced to prepare a debate, language is inherent to humans or learnt?, wich I developed with Mr. Jeria and Mr. Schiefelbein
second week
We kept learning about something we use everyday, language. In this week we saw some videos about language, of it´s origins. Language is a skill only developed by humans. It's creative, open ended and defines us as humans.
We saw the Babel tower history, about the creation of the diferent languages being a punishment from god.
The videos explained the reason of languages, we want to communicate, our thoughs and ideas.
We saw the Babel tower history, about the creation of the diferent languages being a punishment from god.
The videos explained the reason of languages, we want to communicate, our thoughs and ideas.
First week
The first week was quite relaxed, we were presented our new teacher, Mr. Calderon, and a practice student, Veronica Cordero. Mr. Calderon explained us what we will by facing through this IB period.
We started seeing language and studing it, we saw mainly the different definitions of language.
We started seeing language and studing it, we saw mainly the different definitions of language.
Active reading
Reading and re-reading takes too much time. Active reading helps you get grips with the content and saves time.
Here are some good techniques
1) Underline key words and phrases as you read. When you return to the text to take notes or to research an assigment question, you can easily see wich points are important. BE SELECTIVE.
2) Make annotations in the margin to summarise points, raise questions, examples, challenges, etc. This way you can remember better.
3) Try using sticking notes. Do brief notes and add them to the page.
4) Test yourself by reading for half an hour, putting the text away and jottingn key word points from memory. Go back to the text to fill gaps.
5) Look for signpost that helps you understand.
6) RECORD YOURSELF (I personally believe that this might be very useful if you are lazy)
Here are some good techniques
1) Underline key words and phrases as you read. When you return to the text to take notes or to research an assigment question, you can easily see wich points are important. BE SELECTIVE.
2) Make annotations in the margin to summarise points, raise questions, examples, challenges, etc. This way you can remember better.
3) Try using sticking notes. Do brief notes and add them to the page.
4) Test yourself by reading for half an hour, putting the text away and jottingn key word points from memory. Go back to the text to fill gaps.
5) Look for signpost that helps you understand.
6) RECORD YOURSELF (I personally believe that this might be very useful if you are lazy)
You fit into me
You fit into me
like a hook into an eye
a fish hook
an open eye
(Margaret Atwood)
Questions:
1) What is the relationship between the title and the rest of the poem?
It´s kind of what it is about, the title tells us about how someone fits into him, how someone is similar to him, and that idea it´s expressed and elaborated in the poem
2) What words, if any, need to be defined?
I really don´t believe there is any word to define. The words used are quite simple, and it´s a very short poem, so I understand all the words.
3)What relationships do you see among any words in the poem?
Hook and Eye get mentioned to fit in the poem, so I believe they have a relationship.
4)What are the various connotative meanings of the words in the poem? Do these various shades of meaning help establish relationships or patterns in the text?
The words Hook and Eye again are used with a connotative meaning, they are used as a comparisson in the poem, they are being used to explain the whole idea, and they do help establish patterns and relationships in the text, because you can easily understand it and relate them to the author's idea.
5)What symbols, images or figures of speech are used? What is the relationship between them?
The words hook and eye are used with a close relationship, this are the figures or images used.
6) What elements of rhyme, meter or pattern can you discuss?
The only rhyme is when the word eye is used twice in verses 2 and 4, the syllables are not constant.
7)What is the tone of the poem?
For my, I believe it´s a sad tone, because it´s like the author is talking about his love.
8) From what point of view is the content of the poem being told?
From the point of view of the author, what she feels and how she sees things happening around her and in her life.
9) What tensions, ambiguities or paradoxes arise within the poem?
In the verses 1 and 2; 3 and 4 there are ambiguities, I can see that in the first 2 verses, the author talks about a couple, the hooj and the eye, and in the third and fourth verse they are named separate.
10) What do you believe the chief paradox or irony is in the text?
Maybe the irony is how in the start they are both united and in the end they are named by separate.
11) How do all of the elements of the poem support and develop the primary paradox or irony?
The eye and the hook is the principal way the author supports the irony, using a comparisson between them.
After reading this text, did you understood the higher truthof the poem? Did something happened that allowed you to encounter aspects of your humanity beyond what you can easily express in words? Is this the true value of literature?
I believe I managed to understand the poem and the meaning of it. The way the author uses the words make me think that a very complex idea can be expressed simply, and I believe that´s literature.
You fit into me
like a hook into an eye
a fish hook
an open eye
(Margaret Atwood)
Questions:
1) What is the relationship between the title and the rest of the poem?
It´s kind of what it is about, the title tells us about how someone fits into him, how someone is similar to him, and that idea it´s expressed and elaborated in the poem
2) What words, if any, need to be defined?
I really don´t believe there is any word to define. The words used are quite simple, and it´s a very short poem, so I understand all the words.
3)What relationships do you see among any words in the poem?
Hook and Eye get mentioned to fit in the poem, so I believe they have a relationship.
4)What are the various connotative meanings of the words in the poem? Do these various shades of meaning help establish relationships or patterns in the text?
The words Hook and Eye again are used with a connotative meaning, they are used as a comparisson in the poem, they are being used to explain the whole idea, and they do help establish patterns and relationships in the text, because you can easily understand it and relate them to the author's idea.
5)What symbols, images or figures of speech are used? What is the relationship between them?
The words hook and eye are used with a close relationship, this are the figures or images used.
6) What elements of rhyme, meter or pattern can you discuss?
The only rhyme is when the word eye is used twice in verses 2 and 4, the syllables are not constant.
7)What is the tone of the poem?
For my, I believe it´s a sad tone, because it´s like the author is talking about his love.
8) From what point of view is the content of the poem being told?
From the point of view of the author, what she feels and how she sees things happening around her and in her life.
9) What tensions, ambiguities or paradoxes arise within the poem?
In the verses 1 and 2; 3 and 4 there are ambiguities, I can see that in the first 2 verses, the author talks about a couple, the hooj and the eye, and in the third and fourth verse they are named separate.
10) What do you believe the chief paradox or irony is in the text?
Maybe the irony is how in the start they are both united and in the end they are named by separate.
11) How do all of the elements of the poem support and develop the primary paradox or irony?
The eye and the hook is the principal way the author supports the irony, using a comparisson between them.
After reading this text, did you understood the higher truthof the poem? Did something happened that allowed you to encounter aspects of your humanity beyond what you can easily express in words? Is this the true value of literature?
I believe I managed to understand the poem and the meaning of it. The way the author uses the words make me think that a very complex idea can be expressed simply, and I believe that´s literature.
Literature
What is Literature?
Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking, "literature" is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.
Literature represents a language or a people: culture and tradition. But, literature is more important than just a historical or cultural artifact. Literature introduces us to new worlds of experience. We learn about books and literature; we enjoy the comedies and the tragedies of poems, stories, and plays; and we may even grow and evolve through our literary journey with books.
(http://classiclit.about.com/od/literaryterms/g/aa_whatisliter.htm)
Literature is a term used to describe written or spoken material. Broadly speaking, "literature" is used to describe anything from creative writing to more technical or scientific works, but the term is most commonly used to refer to works of the creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction.
Literature represents a language or a people: culture and tradition. But, literature is more important than just a historical or cultural artifact. Literature introduces us to new worlds of experience. We learn about books and literature; we enjoy the comedies and the tragedies of poems, stories, and plays; and we may even grow and evolve through our literary journey with books.
(http://classiclit.about.com/od/literaryterms/g/aa_whatisliter.htm)
stereotypes
Stereotypes are a generalization of a group of people, a country, etc with one idea or characteristic, for example saying that all germans are nazis or thet all middle east people are terrorist.
The main problems with stereotyping is that you are relating a whole group of people with one characteristic. This can cause hate and problems between countries and territories. We have to learn that NOT ALL THE PEOPLE ARE THE SAME, even if they belong to the same country. People will always be different and think different, have different conditions, though, ideas, social class, etc.
People need to learn more about different cultures, and in that way we will be able to have a real image about different cultures
The main problems with stereotyping is that you are relating a whole group of people with one characteristic. This can cause hate and problems between countries and territories. We have to learn that NOT ALL THE PEOPLE ARE THE SAME, even if they belong to the same country. People will always be different and think different, have different conditions, though, ideas, social class, etc.
People need to learn more about different cultures, and in that way we will be able to have a real image about different cultures
culture
What is Culture?
Culture has lot´s of different meanings.
for anthropologists and other behavioral scientists, culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns (http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm)
The culture in my opinion is the way a country, territory or group of people speak, think, what they believe, etc. Their characteristics.
We need to know that there are lots of different cultures around the world, and even if some of their traditions or some things they do can be considered stupid, unethical or inmoral from our point of view, we have to respect them, because they have a different apreciation about the world.
Culture has lot´s of different meanings.
for anthropologists and other behavioral scientists, culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns (http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm)
The culture in my opinion is the way a country, territory or group of people speak, think, what they believe, etc. Their characteristics.
We need to know that there are lots of different cultures around the world, and even if some of their traditions or some things they do can be considered stupid, unethical or inmoral from our point of view, we have to respect them, because they have a different apreciation about the world.
language parabole
The question about what comes first, language or though is quite tricky, in the sense that we might believe that though comes first, because we think on what we want and want to express it, but maybe languages comes first, and that gives our thoughs the form they have.
Professor of Psychology Elizabeth Spelk
main ideas
1)New experiments with five-month-olds favor the conclusion that thought comes first.
2)many scientists suspected that children must learn the relevant concepts as they learn their language. That's wrong, Spelke insists.
3)Spelke and Susan Hespos, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., did some clever experiments to show that the idea of tight/loose fitting comes before the words that are used/not used to describe it.
guardian.co.uk
Here we got a lot of diferent opinions of what comes first, added by people.
So we can say that we first think and then we talk, according to the experiments realized by Elizabeth Spelk.
Personal thoughs.
I think this is a very tricky question, there might be very different answers. I believe that before using language, you think about things. It´s confusing, but in my opinion to use language you need to have a concept first, you need to think. It´s very amazing how human mind works, specially when we are very young.
They were also two more questions, can we think without language? I think that you are able to do so, but what you are not able to do is express it, without language you can say what you are thinking to another person.
Is ir possible that we think in images? Of course, we do it everyday, because we associate a word to an image of the thing, situation, etc that is being said to us, try it yourself, what if I say the word computer?, can you relate it with an image?
Professor of Psychology Elizabeth Spelk
main ideas
1)New experiments with five-month-olds favor the conclusion that thought comes first.
2)many scientists suspected that children must learn the relevant concepts as they learn their language. That's wrong, Spelke insists.
3)Spelke and Susan Hespos, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., did some clever experiments to show that the idea of tight/loose fitting comes before the words that are used/not used to describe it.
guardian.co.uk
Here we got a lot of diferent opinions of what comes first, added by people.
So we can say that we first think and then we talk, according to the experiments realized by Elizabeth Spelk.
Personal thoughs.
I think this is a very tricky question, there might be very different answers. I believe that before using language, you think about things. It´s confusing, but in my opinion to use language you need to have a concept first, you need to think. It´s very amazing how human mind works, specially when we are very young.
They were also two more questions, can we think without language? I think that you are able to do so, but what you are not able to do is express it, without language you can say what you are thinking to another person.
Is ir possible that we think in images? Of course, we do it everyday, because we associate a word to an image of the thing, situation, etc that is being said to us, try it yourself, what if I say the word computer?, can you relate it with an image?
debate activity
Debate activity
Some weeks ago we had a debate activity about language, with the main topic of language being an inherent human skill or to be a learned skill. That week there were a lot of good debates, sharing interesting ideas and very good points of view about language being inherent and being learnt.
My debate team was Rodrigo Jeria, Daniel Schiefelbein and myself, against Jorge Hagedorn, Javier Elgueta and Matias Weitz. We defended language being inherent, and I believe we did quite a good job on it.
It was a very interesting activity to do in class and a way to see how much we have learned about language, and what are our points of view about it.
My debate team was Rodrigo Jeria, Daniel Schiefelbein and myself, against Jorge Hagedorn, Javier Elgueta and Matias Weitz. We defended language being inherent, and I believe we did quite a good job on it.
It was a very interesting activity to do in class and a way to see how much we have learned about language, and what are our points of view about it.
Personal reflection about definiction of languages
Personal reflection about definiction of languages
1)Language surrounds us every day and we know how to recognise it" (Language A: Course Companion
We are always using languages, we're always communicating with someone, right know I'm using language, languages is used everywhere at all times, and we know when someone is communicating with us, I think this is a correct definition.
2)"A word is one or more sounds that in combination have a specific meaning assigned by the language"
I think that we don´t realize that to make words we use patterns, we use diferent sounds and communicate what we want to. As we know our language, we use words with meaning to interact with others.
3)"The most powerful tool known is the one we use to build every other tool"
This one is a very good quote. It means that language is the basis, the tool, we use to create everything. If we don´t communicate we can´t share ideas and thoughs, and in that way we are not able to create.
dramatic presentation
Dramatic presentation
Last week Pablo Romeu, Alberto García and myself did a dramatic presentation about why language is important, and why is important to be able to communicate to each other. We decided to give our presentation a funny touch, with some jokes, improvisation and of course, we presented different examples on how not being able to express to each other can be a real problem, making us angry. I think that it was a fun thing to do.
When we, as a group, prepared the presentation, we didn´t knew what to do, but when we finally came with this idea, we were able to develope it in an interesting and funny way.
It's an interesting and different way to show how creative and what level of knowledge of the topic the students have.
Last week Pablo Romeu, Alberto García and myself did a dramatic presentation about why language is important, and why is important to be able to communicate to each other. We decided to give our presentation a funny touch, with some jokes, improvisation and of course, we presented different examples on how not being able to express to each other can be a real problem, making us angry. I think that it was a fun thing to do.
When we, as a group, prepared the presentation, we didn´t knew what to do, but when we finally came with this idea, we were able to develope it in an interesting and funny way.
It's an interesting and different way to show how creative and what level of knowledge of the topic the students have.
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