ESSAY

Possible Essay Topics. Choose one of them:

1. Your experience learning English at the university / A general reflection
2. The use of technologies within the different subjects you've studied this year (Review/opinion)
3. Chile 2010: What are your views on Chile's bicentennial year?

Essay Structure:

- Introduction (about 80 words)
- Body: 2 or 3 paragraphs (about 200 words)
- Conclusion: (about 70 words)

Useful Links & Tips to write your essay:

- Basic guide to essay writing
- How to write a brief essay
- Practical tips to write a brief essay

Post 8 (week 10) HOW GREEN ARE YOU?

MONDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2010

Post 8 (week 10) HOW GREEN ARE YOU?

- 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 ragarding this issue?

Number of words: 300
Don't forget to make comments on at least 2 of your classmates posts.

For Wednesday

Hey level 2 class (tuesday 10:15).  For tomorrow please make sure that you have done at least the first few pages of Unit 19.  There is a listening quiz tomorrow also (check syllabus).  We are also going to talk about how the presentation is going so make sure you bring that material!!  For those of you who I have decided to give more time for the written report, I will meet with you tomorrow after class (Jennifer, for example).

Ok, see you tomorrow...class starts at 12:00!!!

How to Write a Blog

Welcome back.  Today we will briefly look at the main parts of a blog entry (a post).

First, there is an opening or introduction.  This has three parts: the attention grabber, a lesson (optional), and a quick overview of what’s coming.

The attention grabber is the first thing that people will read.  It should, therefore, be something that will grab the reader's attention. 

Examples of the attention grabber are:

“Alberto Fuguet is back.”  

“Jesus was just a man”  

“For those of you who thought Santiago was boring…think again”

“Now that I’m over 21, I can go crazy in Spain!”

“Jerusalem is the place with the most history in the world, that’s where I want to be”

“Who cares about castles and old military buildings, England is where the music is!”


A couple of bad examples of an attention grabber:

"I don't know why I'm writing this, but......"
"I hate this topic, but I'll write anyways..."

A lesson, meanwhile, is the "angle" of your blog entry.  In other words, something that you can include that explicitly makes reference to what you want the reader to be aware of when they read your blog entry.

Examples of a lesson are:

“Life is not just about organized glory and fame, life is a sloppy adventure!

“Sometimes when you’re older and have more experience, you can enjoy new experiences all the more intensely”

“It doesn’t matter how much money you have or whether you’ve called the right tour company…. Discover the right places and you’ll have the time of your life in Santiago.”

 “Your experience travelling to a new place will be determined by your interests, don’t just go with the crowd, find what you love.”


The lesson can go either at the beginning or at the end, it's up to you.

The overview or summary also goes in the introduction and this is basically all about giving the reader a glimpse of what your blog will include.  It might be smart to include four main points here, points that you will expand later in the body of the blog entry.

Examples of the overview or the summary of the blog entry are:

“As a swimmer, I travelled all over the world, but I didn’t have any time to relax and to see the different sites, now I just might get a chance, of course, if they extend the semester,  my dream might get crushed”

and….

“Everyone goes to England because they want to see castles and old junk.  That’s not for me.  I love England for its music.  The best hard rock band in the world is from England and for a person who plays in seven bands, I need to visit this mecca.  In England I would buy music and perhaps maybe even a guitar, or an amp.  One day I hope my dream comes true.” 

Second, there is the body of the blog entry.  What does the body contain? Well, the body has four main points that are the heart of your blog entry.  Notice that in the first example of the overview above there are clearly four main points:

a.  I travelled all over the world as a swimmer.

b. I didn’t have time to relax.

c. Now I might get the chance after a finish the semester.

d. But if they extend the semester, maybe not.

So, you take these four main points and you expand them into sentences that hopefully are connected in a fluid way!

Third, there is a conclusion.  Here you will say something that sums everything up and leaves the reader with a nice taste in their mouth.  Here is an example:

“I’ve always hated castles and old junk, but I’ve always loved the music that comes out of England.  That’s why I want to go there.  Hopefully, my dream will come true and I can find all the things I don’t have access to here in Chile”

That’s it.  Have fun.

Today’s blog topic has to do with the miners who were rescued yesterday from a mine near Copiapó.

Topic:

Now that the miners are free, what do you think they will do in the next couple of months? 

Will they travel around the world, will they appear on television, will they get married? 

What do you think they SHOULD do?

Also: focus on one miner in particular and mention something about what this miner will do and why?

First fill out the parts of the prep sheet as indicated, you will turn this in at the end of the period, then work on your blog.  Good luck.

For Level 2 Class Wednesday 12:00

This is a reminder that tomorrow during class (which begins at exactly 12:00 PM) we will conclude our written report activity (final draft).  Remember that this is worth 25% of your final grade so please be there. Also, check the syllabus (link is to your left) for changes.  The oral presentation has been pushed back and so has the second listening quiz.  See you tomorrow!

What to do/where to go in Santiago

How well do you know Santiago? Were you Santiago-born and bred? Or did you move here after you were born or after you graduated from high school?

The topic of this week's post is: WHAT TO DO / WHERE TO GO IN SANTIAGO .

When writing your post be sure to answer these questions:

- What places should a foreigner tourist visit in Stgo?

- What things should a foreigner tourist do?

- Make a list of top 5 places/activities, describing them, giving suggestions and explaining the reasons for your choice.

- Don't forget to leave a comment on 2 of your classmates' posts.

What to do in Santiago When You Have No Money

Don’t have a lot of pesos? No worries, when you’re in Santiago, just go to these places and you’ll have a great time.  All of this can be done in just one day.


Here’s the formula: First, hit the Cerro Santa Lucía, then hike over to the Mercado Central, continue on to the Vega Central, and finally, take an exciting transantiago roller-coaster ride all the way to the Jumbo Bilbao.  These four stops will guarantee a fabulous day of  culture and fun.

The Cerro Santa Lucia is located downtown.  You can get there from anywhere in the city by walking (although sometimes it might take you a few hours).  Once you are there, you can explore the foot of the cerro where you will find the famous Pedro de Valdivia stone slab and hundreds of couples making out.  It can get very erotic, so watch out.  Entering the hill itself is not recommended since there are many steps and you will get tired very quickly.

The next stop is the Mercado Central where you can observe Chilean men butchering innocent fish.  Be careful, if you are too obvious, they will begin to make fun of you (the men, not the fish).  Once in the restaurant area of the mercado, you will be approached by hundreds of beautiful Chilean women who all want to invite you to eat at their restaurants.  If you have no money to eat, the best thing to do at this point is to just keep walking straight through (smile and lie: “no gracias, ya comí”).  If you are lucky, you can catch a whiff of the typical Chilean music coming from the table areas.  Try to aim for the “horny indian”.  This is a beautifully carved wooden statue in the shape of a red indigenous fellow.  Once you are there, do not prolong your inquiry for too long as you might be invited to make three wishes by a complete stranger.  If that happens, run (and don’t make any wishes).

If you like vegetables and dogs, the Vega Central is your place.  Walk around the many stalls and listen for the "chilenismos".  There are several books available that can help you learn some of them before you go.  This may enhance the experience, but only slightly.

Finally, take one of many green buses to the Bilbao Jumbo.  Just ask the friendly drivers where the Jumbo is and they will gladly tell you when and where to get off (mentira!).  Once you arrive at the Jumbo, grab a cart and wander the spacious aisles in search of those they call “promotoras”.  These are young women dressed in absurd outfits who give you free samples of typical food and drink.  Careful, some of them don’t have such products for you to sample, so don’t believe them when they say that they have the best juice.

Visit these places and you’ll have a great time…. and you’ll learn a lot about Chilean culture and society too.  And remember, you don’t need money to enjoy Santiago.  You just need to know where to go.

 

Blog 4: What to Do/Where to Go in Santiago

Hey folks.... so I know we've been away from each other a few weeks so here is the update on the blogs:

The first two blogs (Last Semester and A Country You Would Visit) should be finished no later than the end of the week.  Blog 3 (the first themed post) will be done at a future date to be announced.  Blog 4 will take place this week and the theme can be found below.

I also moved the first Listening Quiz to this week.  It is quite easy, but the key is to show up! 

ok, so here is this week's theme:

How well do you know Santiago? Were you Santiago-born and bred? Or did you move here after you were born or after you graduated from high school?

The topic of this week's post is: WHAT TO DO / WHERE TO GO IN SANTIAGO .

When writing your post be sure to answer these questions:

- What places should a foreigner tourist visit in Stgo?

- What things should a foreigner tourist do?

- Make a list of top 5 places/activities, describing them, giving suggestions and explaining the reasons for your choice.

- Don't forget to leave a comment on 2 of your classmates' posts.

Visiting Brazil

Visiting Brazil

I’ve been to quite a few countries in my life but I’ve never been to Brazil.  I would love to go there some day.  I have many friends who always go on and on about how great Brazil is: the music, the beaches, the dances, the women, etc…and I’ve also read and heard about the more negative things that don’t always get mentioned: the drug cartels and the police violence, for example.  Both of these aspects (the “good” and the “bad”) are interesting to me and I would love to explore them more closely.  I’m also interested in Brazilian politics, especially president Lula and the worker’s party.  When he was elected president, it was a big deal for progressives around the world.  I often wonder if he has changed the country for the better.   Visiting Brazil would be a good way to find out. 

My only real contact with Brazil so far has been through films.  I remember when I saw City of God, a film about growing up in Rio de Janeiro’s dangerous favelas.  The level of police and gang violence struck me but I was also intrigued by the way people struggled to make it despite living in such precarious conditions.  Another film about Brazil that I enjoyed was Estacion Central.  In this film, a woman works as a letter-writer.  I didn’t realize that there were so many illiterate people in Brazil!

I have several friends who seem to love Brazil; sometimes I think they even love Brazil more than they love their own country.  My friend Belen, for example, is obsessed with Brazil.  She listens to Brazilian reggae, dances Samba, watches Brazilian films and does Capoeira whenever she has free time.  I sometimes think that the Brazilian embassy should hire her to promote Brazilian culture in Chile.  She could be some sort of cultural ambassador.  I’m sure she’d do it for free.

Personally, I would like to meet Edison Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pele).  He is probably the best soccer player in history, perhaps only Maradona comes close to his level of skill.  Maradona has suggested that Pele belongs in a museum, but I think he belongs outside in the open air promoting the sport like he’s been doing for a long time now.  Of course, if he were in a museum, I’d go visit him.

I would love to visit all the places that you always see on postcards but I would also love to explore the more hidden aspects of the country.  Maybe I should go there for the next World Cup or for the Olympics in Rio.  Of course, during those events, it would be hard to see the true face of Brazil.  Governments often try to hide the social inequality and poverty in their countries in order to give a false impression to the outside world.  In any case, I should start saving money now.

Here are some guidelines:

Identify country and reasoning:

Which country would you like to go to? Why? What is it about the country that makes you want to visit it?

What do you know about it and how did you come to know about it:

What do you know about it? 

Have you seen films that were shot in the country? Have you heard from other people who have visited the country?

Details about what you would do:

What would you like to do there? Do you want to live there for a while or just visit for a few weeks and travel around?  Where exactly would you like to visit inside the country? What is it known for?

(how about looking up some information on the internet?)

What would your life there be like?:

Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.

What would you do during the week, the weekends?

Would you go alone and meet people? Would you go to language school there?

What would be some of the difficulties in studying/working/living there (language, visas, getting a job, where would you stay?, would you have to save money to get there?)?

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts

- Word Count: 200 words   

Visiting Brazil

Visiting Brazil

I’ve been to quite a few countries in my life but I’ve never been to Brazil.  I would love to go there some day.  I have many friends who always go on and on about how great Brazil is: the music, the beaches, the dances, the women, etc…and I’ve also read and heard about the more negative things that don’t always get mentioned: the drug cartels and the police violence, for example.  Both of these aspects (the “good” and the “bad”) are interesting to me and I would love to explore them more closely.  I’m also interested in Brazilian politics, especially president Lula and the worker’s party.  When he was elected president, it was a big deal for progressives around the world.  I often wonder if he has changed the country for the better.   Visiting Brazil would be a good way to find out. 

My only real contact with Brazil so far has been through films.  I remember when I saw City of God, a film about growing up in Rio de Janeiro’s dangerous favelas.  The level of police and gang violence struck me but I was also intrigued by the way people struggled to make it despite living in such precarious conditions.  Another film about Brazil that I enjoyed was Estacion Central.  In this film, a woman works as a letter-writer.  I didn’t realize that there were so many illiterate people in Brazil!

I have several friends who seem to love Brazil; sometimes I think they even love Brazil more than they love their own country.  My friend Belen, for example, is obsessed with Brazil.  She listens to Brazilian reggae, dances Samba, watches Brazilian films and does Capoeira whenever she has free time.  I sometimes think that the Brazilian embassy should hire her to promote Brazilian culture in Chile.  She could be some sort of cultural ambassador.  I’m sure she’d do it for free.

Personally, I would like to meet Edison Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pele).  He is probably the best soccer player in history, perhaps only Maradona comes close to his level of skill.  Unlike Maradona though, I don’t think Pele belongs in a museum, I think he belongs outside promoting the sport like he’s been doing for a long time.  Of course, if he were in a museum, I’d go visit him.

I would love to visit all the places that you always see on postcards but I would also love to explore the more hidden aspects of the country.  Maybe I should go there for the next World Cup or for the Olympics in Rio.  Of course, during those events, it would be hard to see the true face of Brazil.  In any case, I should start saving money now.

Here are some guidelines:

Identify country and reasoning:

Which country would you like to go to? Why? What is it about the country that makes you want to visit it?

What do you know about it and how did you come to know about it:

What do you know about it? 

Have you seen films that were shot in the country? Have you heard from other people who have visited the country?

Details about what you would do:

What would you like to do there? Do you want to live there for a while or just visit for a few weeks and travel around?  Where exactly would you like to visit inside the country? What is it known for?

(how about looking up some information on the internet?)

What would your life there be like?:

Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.

What would you do during the week, the weekends?

Would you go alone and meet people? Would you go to language school there?

What would be some of the difficulties in studying/working/living there (language, visas, getting a job, where would you stay?, would you have to save money to get there?)?

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts

- Word Count: 200 words   

Visiting Brazil

Visiting Brazil

I’ve been to quite a few countries in my life but I’ve never been to Brazil.  I would love to go there some day.  I have many friends who always go on and on about how great Brazil is: the music, the beaches, the dances, the women, etc…and I’ve also read and heard about the more negative things that don’t always get mentioned: the drug cartels and the police violence, for example.  Both of these aspects (the “good” and the “bad”) are interesting to me and I would love to explore them more closely.  I’m also interested in Brazilian politics, especially president Lula and the worker’s party.  When he was elected president, it was a big deal for progressives around the world.  I often wonder if he has changed the country for the better.   Visiting Brazil would be a good way to find out. 

My only real contact with Brazil so far has been through films.  I remember when I saw City of God, a film about growing up in Rio de Janeiro’s dangerous favelas.  The level of police and gang violence struck me but I was also intrigued by the way people struggled to make it despite living in such precarious conditions.  Another film about Brazil that I enjoyed was Estacion Central.  In this film, a woman works as a letter-writer.  I didn’t realize that there were so many illiterate people in Brazil!

I have several friends who seem to love Brazil; sometimes I think they even love Brazil more than they love their own country.  My friend Belen, for example, is obsessed with Brazil.  She listens to Brazilian reggae, dances Samba, watches Brazilian films and does Capoeira whenever she has free time.  I sometimes think that the Brazilian embassy should hire her to promote Brazilian culture in Chile.  She could be some sort of cultural ambassador.  I’m sure she’d do it for free.

Personally, I would like to meet Edison Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pele).  He is probably the best soccer player in history, perhaps only Maradona comes close to his level of skill.  Unlike Maradona though, I don’t think Pele belongs in a museum, I think he belongs outside promoting the sport like he’s been doing for a long time.  Of course, if he were in a museum, I’d go visit him.

I would love to visit all the places that you always see on postcards but I would also love to explore the more hidden aspects of the country.  Maybe I should go there for the next World Cup or for the Olympics in Rio.  Of course, during those events, it would be hard to see the true face of Brazil.  In any case, I should start saving money now.

Here are some guidelines:

Identify country and reasoning:

Which country would you like to go to? Why? What is it about the country that makes you want to visit it?

What do you know about it and how did you come to know about it:

What do you know about it? 

Have you seen films that were shot in the country? Have you heard from other people who have visited the country?

Details about what you would do:

What would you like to do there? Do you want to live there for a while or just visit for a few weeks and travel around?  Where exactly would you like to visit inside the country? What is it known for?

(how about looking up some information on the internet?)

What would your life there be like?:

Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.

What would you do during the week, the weekends?

Would you go alone and meet people? Would you go to language school there?

What would be some of the difficulties in studying/working/living there (language, visas, getting a job, where would you stay?, would you have to save money to get there?)?

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts

- Word Count: 200 words   

And Yes, The Blog Post is On!

For those of you wondering what will happen if you don't get to post blogs in class on Thursday, well, here it is: Whether you come to class or not, I think it would be a good idea for you to post the blog before the end of the week.  All the information is here (see below) and I even shared a little story from my own life (very intriguing).  So, try it.  And please do not use a translator, whether it be human or of the software kind!  And please don't forget to leave comments on your classmates' posts as well.  I will be taking a look at them before next week and I'll have comments of my own for you....

BTW (by the way), I will be in class tomorrow and so I will be physically available for any questions or concerns you might have....

Chao Pescao

Yes Folks....It's Posting Time Again

Yes folks, it's time to post....again.  This first post will be about the previous semester.  Sometimes it's good to look back and reflect on the past.  Not many people do this, I must admit that I include myself in this group, but it's really not such a bad idea as we can learn a lot about ourselves.


Last term, I was still in San Francisco, finishing up my program (in Anthropology) and thinking that the last semester at San Francisco State University would be easier than the others.  Boy was I wrong.  During the last year or so, I had been working on my thesis film, a documentary about a community in northern Chile (La Negra), traveling back and forth from California to Chile taking advantage of the summer and winter vacation months in order to complete the project.  By the way, I spent a lot of my own money to do this; I hope one day someone will give me money for at least part of my film projects!  So anyways, everything was going relatively smoothly until I showed my advisor what I thought was my "almost finished" film.  


Although he had watched part of my material before, this was the first time he had seen a complete version....and he wasn't too pleased with the result.  In other words, he hated it.  He thought that the film lacked focus since I had merely mixed together the different stories (the stories of the different community members) without finding some sort of device to link them in an intelligible way.  This was not good.  There were only three weeks left in the semester and I had to finish everything and get my advisor's approval in order to graduate.  Thinking that we wouldn't be able to finish the film in time to graduate, my advisor "suggested" I stay for another semester.  I almost had a heart attack.  Luckily, I convinced him that we could work on the film for two weeks straight and hope for the best.  He reluctantly agreed and for the next two weeks I edited and edited and edited and edited..... I ignored everything else in my life in order to finish the film.  


I went to my advisor's office every other day, dragging myself over to the campus with my hard drive in my backpack, weak from malnutrition and considerably over-caffeinated.  We managed to make considerable progress at each meeting, and luckily he ended up loving the film (and couldn't stop talking about it to the other members of the faculty).  I don't know where I got the creative energy to finish (maybe it was the coffee?) but I was very happy when my advisor finally signed my certificate of completion papers.  And when I finally graduated, I was all the more proud of myself for finishing what I had set out to do just two years earlier.  It was a good feeling.... I recommend it.


So, that's just one thing I remember from last semester....there were other things but this story is a good one for me since it had a happy ending.  I have another story but that one didn't end so good and I don't want to bore you with the details.


But I do want to hear a story from you....so get to work!
These are the official instructions...


Write about your experiences during the first term of 2010.
Describe:
- the relevant things you learned/studied
- the sports and free time activities you did
- the challenges you had to face
- Others (family, friends, etc..)
- Word Count: 200 


Also, remember to leave comments in at least 3 of your classmates` posts.

Hey, and why not add a photo or video to spice it up a little!!!!!

(I would have added a photo of myself but they are all crap)

Classes Today are Cancelled

For those of you who are still waiting to hear whether classes are on today, well here it is: they're cancelled.  Classes resume tomorrow.  Make sure you check the syllabus for the pages you need to try for next week and, in the meantime, go to plataforma and try the exercises for Unit 13 (Time Matters).  I'll see you next week!!!  Oh, I almost forgot.... stay tuned for information about the Lay-Out (preparation for the oral presentation), which will happen on September 7th..... this info will be posted here.  If you have any questions email me at trauld@yahoo.com (or post a comment).

The Magic Number

For those students who were wondering what the magic number is for this semester, well, the magic number is 8.  Don't mistake this number for a standing up infinitive sign.  That's right, if you fail to respect this number, you will oh so regret it.

Someone pointed out that the week of September 11th usually gets a little "peludo"and that classes might be cancelled or students might otherwise have trouble landing on campus for x, y or z reason.  If it turns out that way then we'll just have to re-calculate the magic number, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

First Day of Class

Today was my first day as an educator at the Universidad de Chile.  I am very happy with the experience.  The students seem great; the administration, the staff, the nice men and women who work at the Café, everyone is just wonderful. 

I left my house pretty early (because I wasn’t sure how the morning traffic would be) and arrived way ahead of schedule.  It took me twenty five minutes to drive to he campus.  I first walked around the social sciences building (to the right if you’re coming from the parking lot), past the Jose Carrasco hall (named after an important journalist who was murdered during the dictatorship), and made my way up the journalism building (where the legendary journalist Juan Pablo Cardenas teaches and where he also has his office). 

I remember visiting this campus a few years back when I interviewed Juan Pablo for a documentary film I am producing (stay tuned for some clips), which will, hopefully, be finished by the end of the year.  I remember I followed Juan Pablo with a camera as he made his way to his office and then his class.  I even filmed him as he taught his undergraduate students all about  “la crónica periodistica”.  

Judging by all the banners, flyers, and informational pamphlets that can be seen everywhere around campus, the students here at the Universidad de Chile must be very well organized.  There are countless groups, organizations, federations, clubs,etc.  There is a feeling of solidarity which seems to be aimed at various social justice campaigns.  I also noticed quite a few flyers that expressed concern with higher education.  It’s clear that the students of this university are far from apathetic and that they are taking advantage of campus life to engage with social and political struggles.

On my way into the social sciences building, I walked by a dog that seemed quite at peace sleeping in the middle of the pathway.   I noticed the same dog a day earlier.  He was just as relaxed as he was today.  I think this dog is some sort of campus mascot.  I need to find out his name!

The social science building is very nice.  There is a huge mural of Che Guevara on the first floor.   On one of the higher floors there is a beautiful rendition of Victor Jara too!  Also on the first floor there is a café.  An older gentleman sits behind the main counter and he seems like a very nice person.  He was quite friendly with a pair of professors who came in after I did.  The café’s patrons seem to enjoy chitchatting with him. 

There was some confusion when I ordered a coffee.  I wasn’t clear what the options were so I ended up simply getting a Nescafe “grano” coffee.  I had left my giant Starbucks Latte in the car, not wanting to give the wrong impression by walking into the Universidad de Chile as an agent of American Cultural Imperialism.  Then when I asked the woman at the kitchen end of the café for a little milk in my coffee, she said that the milk was extra (a lot extra) but that she would look the other way this time.  So sweet.  

After talking to Belen, my friend and colleague, outside of my class for a few minutes, I went into the classroom in order to set up my exciting powerpoint presentation.  My level 2 students trickled in one by one as I started to talk about the mechanics of the course (as well as some housekeeping issues).  Many of the students seemed quite shy but in the end, everyone participated at least once and I have a good feeling that they’re going to engage and learn a lot this semester.

Overall, my first level 2 class gets an A (so far).

Oh yeah, and I forgot that the class ends a quarter to 12PM and not at 12PM.  I already owe my students fifteen minutes!!!!