Essay topics coming soon...

As I´m currently with neither PC nor Internet connection, you´ll have to wait for a few days till I can post the essay topics I promised. Sorry about the delay!

About the final exam

First of all, by Monday November 26 I´ll be checking your blogs and the Lola Mora News blog to determine whether you´ll be a regular student and thus be able to sit for the final exam in December. If you do not have your blog with 50 entries plus a total of 30 reading reports, you´ll become "libre" and will have to complete this assignment to be able to sit for the oral final exam as a "libre" student.
For further information, I transcribe the exam program requirements. Should you have any questions, pls let me know...



Requisitos para Alumnos Regulares
Para el examen oral deberán presentar su portfolio con el siguiente contenido:
· Índice con los contenidos en páginas numeradas.
· Una selección de por lo menos 50 entradas de su blog en un CD.
· Una selección de las 10 mejores entradas de su blog impresas en papel.
· 15 artículos auténticos recientes con sus correspondientes informes escritos completos.
· Las cuatro críticas de artículos publicadas en el blog Lola Mora News.

IMPORTANTE: No tener cualquiera de los artefactos aquí enumerados significará la desaprobación automática del examen oral y por ende del examen final.

Requisitos para Alumnos Irregulares (Libres)
Para el examen oral deberán presentar su portfolio con el siguiente contenido:
· Índice con los contenidos en páginas numeradas.
· Una selección de por lo menos 50 entradas de su blog en un CD o en papel.
· Una selección de las 20 mejores entradas de su blog impresas en papel.
· 30 artículos auténticos recientes con sus correspondientes informes escritos completos.
· Las cuatro críticas de artículos publicadas en el blog Lola Mora News.
· Un comentario de reacción personal para cada uno de los cuentos cortos de Ernest Hemingway: ‘Hills Like White Elephants,’ ‘A Clean Well-Lighted Place,’ ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro,’ ‘The Short and Happy Life of Francis Macomber’. Cada comentario deberá tener un mínimo de 300 palabras. No se pide un ensayo sino una reacción subjetiva con impresiones personales sobre cada cuento.

IMPORTANTE: No tener cualquiera de los artefactos aquí enumerados significará la desaprobación automática del examen oral y por ende del examen final.

Grades Make-up 2nd Parcial

DNI last 3 digits + Animal Farm (A) + Exercises (B) + Essay (C)


796: A. 64 B. 57 C. P = Pass

621: A. 94 B. 56 C. F = Fail

965: A. 68 B. 50 C. F = Fail

233: A. 64 B. 60 C. P = Pass

524: A. 88 B. 61 C. P = Pass

494: A. 76 B. 56 C. P = Pass

9457: A. 80 B. 65 C. P = Pass

989: A. 60 B. 45 C. F = Fail

615: A. 55 B. 65 C. F = Fail

033: A. 48 B. 59 C. F = Fail

0457: A. 72 B. 45 C. F = Fail

775: A. 80 B. 57 C. P = Pass

Grades 2nd Parcial

Instructions:
1. Find your DNI last 3 digits.
2. The first score is the percentage you got in Animal Farm (A).
3. The second score is the percentage you got in the grammar, vocab and reading comprehension exercises (B).
4. In third place, there is a letter, either P (pass) or F (fail), for your essay (C).
5. Finally you'll find the overall result: either Pass or, if you need to take the make-up test on Monday, it tells you which sections ONLY you need to take. 'A' is for Animal Farm, 'B' for the exercises, and 'C' for the essay, i.e. if it says "Make-up: A, C" it means on Monday you need to take these two sections of the exam only, in this example, Animal Farm and the essay.

Your make-up test is on this Monday, November 19, at 7pm. Unfortunately, if you were not present last Wednesday and did not get a chance to have a look at your parcial, you won't be able to do so till Monday - the date of the make-up test.

Should you have any burning question, please send me a text message at 154-659790.

796: 22 - 57 - P... Make-up: A

621: 94 - 56 - F... Make-up: C

965: 33 - 50 - F... Make-up: A, C

223: 11 - 46 - F... Make-up: A, B, C

145: 83 - 69 - P... Pass

684: 78 - 50 - P... Pass

550: 94 - 70 - P... Pass

524: 22 - 61 - P... Make-up: A

355: 61 - 58 - P... Pass

535: 44 - 47 - P... Make-up: A, B

9457: 39 - 65 - P... Make-up: A

989: 28 - 49 - F... Make-up: A, B, C

615: 55 - 65 - F... Make-up: C

033: 19 - 59 - F... Make-up: A, C

0457: 72 - 41 - F... Make-up: B, C

775: 44 - 57 - F... Make-up: A, C

New Blog for News Reviews

Here's the new blog address: http://lolamoranews.blogspot.com/
IMPORTANT: please, leave your updated email address in a comment below so that I can add you as an author of the new blog. Make sure you include your full name as well!

Blogs II

If your name does not appear on the list of links of students' blogs, it means you have not posted for the last two months. This also means that your status is 'libre'. Should you catch up, you'll need to email me your blog address again so you can be added back to the list -and the class.

IMPORTANT: Regarding your blogs

I have been looking at your blogs and noticed that most of you have stopped writing in them. Unfortunately, if you don't keep up with the assignment you won't be able to take the final as a 'regular' student, and when you have to present a portfolio for the oral, you won't be able to without any posts in your blog. For the last month and a half of class I'm changing the assignment to a News Magazine, and we'll all work on one blog instead of your individual blogs. It'll be less work perhaps but you will still be required to write on a weekly basis. We'll discuss this in class. However, you'll be expected to have your posts complete for the months of August and September as assigned at the beginning of the year. Unless you're planning to drop the course and not sit for the final until you take the subject again, you'll be better off completing the requirement for the class which includes your blog entries. I'll check them again next week and see if there's any progress. Take advantage of the extra time you're getting this week. Please, pass the word on to your classmates...

No class this week! So HAPPY STUDENTS' DAY!

As I'm attending FAAPI, I won't be able to celebrate your day with you. Anyway, I know you will somehow manage to do so without me ;)
Hey, you'll be present in one of my workshops at FAAPI!
So wish me luck!

Student response to blog assignment

I appreciate your honesty and openness to discuss both the pros and cons of the blog assignment. Below please find a summary of your responses to last class written task. The figure after some of the comments represents the number of times that particular issue was mentioned. I'll discuss this in class further but, meanwhile, here you can see the details.

Negative

Economic effort/too expensive – the assignment does not consider our socio-economic reality: 12

Time consuming: it takes me more than 30 min. – when it becomes a race against time it can be really exhausting – I’ve no Internet at home so I have to go to a cybercafé: 9

Difficult to keep up with weekly assignments: a lot of work – I dislike the idea of working under pressure: 5

Frustrating to learn to use a comp: creating and using a blog should be taught as part of the curricula: 4

I’d like to know if I’m using the right expressions and structures – most of us don’t get a comment from the teacher: 3

Don’t think using blog helps to improve language skills - it’s been an obstacle rather than help to improve language skills – I haven’t noticed any improvement in my learning a foreign language: 3

We’ve no skills to use tech: 2

Two entries per week would be better

No typing skills

Resistance to tech

Mental effort

Usually run out of ideas to write about

We’re not prepared with the best tech support

Social problems (did not specify)

Difficult to find good articles to read

Oral presentations are scary

Screen light affects eyesight

Positive

Learning to use computers – I’ve learnt many things about using a computer – good to be pushed to use a comp: 5

Improves writing: developed my fluency – I write and think faster in English – when I read my entries I realize I use expressions that I picked up from other people and I thought I would never use – journal writing improved my language: 4

Good to keep up with tech – keeps us involved with the world of tech: 3

I enjoy it: 3

More positive than negative – quite beneficial to me – writing in a blog keeps students in a continuous hard-working task: 3

Enlarged my vocab – you need to develop a rich vocabulary in order to remain faithful to those thoughts: 3

Good experience – future teachers should be familiar with tech: 2

Idea is great: 2

The experience helps me explore my thoughts: 2

Not difficult to create and use it

Interesting: I had to create an email address

I can now communicate with friends via email

I’ve learnt to use the Internet and a blog

I’ve improved my typing skills

I have my own personal space in the blog

I’ve written more things in English than in all the three years since I started at Lola Mora

Interesting resource

Choosing the topics to write about, ok

I generate ideas better and faster

We can be spontaneous and creative

By going through the process of writing a journal entry, we can express our ideas, experiences, stories, etc. fluently and spontaneously, and mainly use language flexibly

Gives me the chance to let my classmates know a little bit more about me, and me to learn more about them

It’s motivational

Writing helps me overcome stress: I talk about what bothers and makes me sad – like going to my shrink but cheaper!

Easier to communicate with teacher and classmates

IMPORTANT: Wrong message about Tuesday Class

I want to apologize for my confusion with the schedule of class for today, Tuesday August 21. I do not have class with you today, SO you are not attending J. Etcheverry's lecture with me. I'm sorry again and hope this will cause no further inconvenience. Please, pass the word. See you tomorrow! (when we DO have class)

Tomorrow's Parcial

Sorry I could not make it to class yesterday. I just wanted to clarify a few points about tomorrow's parcial. It'll include:

• Fahrenheit 451: the whole book even though we could not finish our analysis in class.
• Textbook: the first four (4) units. You need to study Unit 4 on your own. Your workbook has plenty of exercises.
• Creative writing piece: you need to bring a revised piece of writing from your blog. It should be a hard copy, typed with a complete header and double-spaced. It counts as a practico.
  

The blog entries and your reading log are due in August. If so far you have not started a blog, you should do so over break. I will not accept handwritten journals in August.

Best luck and inspiration for tomorrow's parcial, and have a great winter break!!!

News for your relief!

In recognition of your good work since the beginning of the year, I've decided to postpone the deadline for the blog completion and presentation of article reviews until the first week of class when we're back in August. This way you can focus on preparing for the first parcial. HOWEVER, your best piece from your blog MUST be turned in on Thursday - in hard copy, double-spaced, etc.

Hope this encourages you to keep working as hard and as well as you have throughout this very intense first term.

Calendar Update for the Remainder of this Term

Week 11
Tue Jun 5
F451 discussion Part II

Thu Jun 7
F451 Practico or Writing workshop

Week 12
Mon Jun 11
Practico Units 1-3

Tue Jun 12
Oral presentations (Practico) (a)

Thu Jun 14
Oral presentations (b)

Week 13
Mon Jun 18
Oral presentations (c)

Tue Jun 19
F451 Whole book discussion

Thu Jun 21
Unit 4 TB (a)

Week 14
Mon Jun 25
Unit 4 TB (b)

Tue Jun 26
General Review and Consolidation

Thu Jun 28
1st Written Parcial. Includes TB: units 1-4; F451 plot and analysis;
Journal Presentation Practico: 39 entries; turn in 2 best entries.
Reading Log: 24 articles

Winter recess reading assignment: To be announced

Intro & Conclusion Practico

This is just a reminder that you need to email me an introduction and a conclusion, adding
a) a brief statement of what the article is about;
b) include the title, copy and paste the introduction and the conclusion;
c) describe the strategy the author used to introduce the essay and to conclude it;
d) include the link to the article at the end.

The weekend is over and I've only received two practicos assigned last weekend. I hope you'll be emailing it before class on Thursday.

Samples of good writing from essays on video gaming

Two good introductions:

Typical of our culture is to make use of technology, especially computers, as a way of entertainment. And in this respect, video gaming is at the top of the list. Despite the widespread criticism it has attracted, there will always be defenders ready to point out a number of good reasons to go on playing without feeling any kind of remorse. (TN)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Have you ever imagined that a simple video game could ever become as real as life? Over the years, video games have increasingly developed into a widespread form of entertainment, and, while the characters and situations they present are made even more lifelike, the heated debate of its social impact is intensifying. (MM)


Two good discussion paragraphs:

First of all, video gaming starts as a form of entertainment, but it can become an addiction so the primary reason for playing is not fun anymore, but inner necessity. The consequence of becoming an addict is alienation and social isolation. This has become a main point of discussion since the mass public shootings occurred in the United States. The teenagers who killed their classmates were thought to have found inspiration in a very well-known video game. Therefore, video games can create addiction and promote violent behavior. (PC)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

There is a widespread idea that video games are very violent and that they are polluting gamers' minds. A lot of people think that playing violent video games might be bad for children, as it might turn them into violent adults. However, millions of people around the world play these games and the vast majority of them are very peaceful people and never pick up a gun in real life. The violence in video games after all is very crude, exaggerated, and cartoon like. It bears no relation to real life and people who play video games know this. Now, it is certainly true that if a slightly disturbed child plays these video games too much, he might become more violent, but then it is also true that sort of child would become violent if he watched a film or listened to heavy metal, or did any one of a number of other activities. Video games themselves cannot be blamed for causing people to act violently in real life. (AS)

Answer Key to Unit 1

Page 5
Exercise 2.
a.
Poor: penniless, poverty-stricken, improverished, badly off, broke, skint, hard up
Mean: stingy, tight-fisted, penny-pinching, miserly
Rich: wealthy, well off, prosperous, comfortable, loaded, affluent
c.
informal: stingy, loaded, tight-fisted, broke, skint, hard up
d.
noun forms: wealth, prosperity, stinginess, comfort, affluence

Exercise 3
1. To gain money by working / to gain money through a competition, etc. as a prize
2. An allowance given to children by parents / simple to earn
3. Set aside for the future; avoid wasteful spending / throw away money on silly things
4. Have cash in one's pocket, purse, etc. / be rich
5. Get value for money / support what you say with appropriate action
6. Money has power / money isn't in endless supply

Exercise 4
Loan: money lent that must be paid back
Grant: sum given by the state or company to pay for educational study
Expenses: money spent on necessary items
Rent: money paid weekly or monthly for accommodation
Mortgage: loan given by a bank, etc. to buy property
Interest: a charge for using borrowed money
Taxes: money paid to the government according to your income or property owned
Fee: amount paid for a professional service
Deposit: sum paid as security when buying, e.g. on credit
Profit: money gained from doing business
Salary: amount paid monthly by company to employee
Pension: weekly or monthly amount from the state or private company paid to retired people
Inheritance: money, property, etc. received from someone who has died
Fare: amount paid to travel on transport
Fine: a penalty for breaking rules / the law
Wages: weekly payment for work or services
Tip: payment left in a restaurant, etc. for good service


READING
Exercise 1
a.
Text A is about a woman winning a million pounds on a TV quiz show; it is from a newspaper.
Text B is from a leaflet or brochure about the services offered by a bank.
Text C is a magazine article about teenagers making money in e-business

Exercise 3
Text A:
Appeal: ability to please or interest
Scooping: winning
Sound: good, sensible
Gamble: to risk / to take a chance
Intensified: increased
Tidy sum: a considerable amount of money
Text B:
Account: sum of money kept by a customer with a bank
Key: means of using
Access: to use
Secure: safe
Excluding: apart from, not including
Text C:
Fortunes: great amounts of money
Bother: to annoy
Driven: motivated
Invention: new

Exercise 4
a.
Keppel's age; what she would have won if she'd answered the last question incorrectly; the number of hours per day various band services are available; the number of hours per week the teenage millionaires work
b.
Henry II; Businesscall; in the bath / launderette; Microsoft

Exercise 5
A. They were showing ads; Mrs Keppel was waiting in suspense.
B. Business people: your business finances, etc.
C. Don't misunderstand me; informal; kids, I'm, you.


GRAMMAR
Exercise 1
a.
Verbs + inf: expect, hope, offer, promise
Verbs + ing: avoid, consider, dislike, practice
b.
To inf: aim, afford, appear, choose, claim, dare, decide, fail, happen, intend, pretend, threaten, refuse, seem
-ing: admit, deny, fancy, mind, miss, resent, resist, risk, suggest

Exercise 2
a.
1. changed activity, continuation of the same activity
2. regret about what you're about to say, regret about a past action
3. stopped one action to do another, did not continue running
4. Will always remember something from the past, will remember to do something in the future
5. intended, entailed / involved
6. chooses to do, enjoys
7. the remembering before the action, the action before the remembering
8. attempted unsuccessfully, experimented to see if it helped the situation
9. heard part of the action, heard the whole action
Other verbs like Hear: see, watch, feel, notice, observe, overhear

Exercise 3
a.
1. taught my sister
2. helped her
3. pretended
4. agreed
5. caused it
6. hoped
7. wanted him

b.
The object is optional in 2 and 7. Without the object in 2, we do not know who the speaker helps. With the object in 7 he pays for the dress; without the object she pays.

Exercise 4
1. Us to work, sharing
2. Talking, to speak
3. Her to think, to look after
4. Setting, to spend
5. Me to take, me not to go

Exercise 5
1. She can't help eating chocolate whenever she is nervous.
2. He promised to love her forever.
3. They're opposed to oil companies increasing diesel prices again.
4. She can't afford to give her children presents.
5. I'd advise the manager to buy/buying eleven new players.

SPEAKING
Asking for clarification or repetition
Could you say that again, please?
I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that.
Additional expressions:
What was that again?
Sorry / Pardon?
I'm sorry, what did you say after… ?

Checking the listener understands
Do you see what I mean?
Is everything clear so far?
Additional expressions:
Are you with me?
Does that make sense?
Right / OK?

Giving clarification
Let me put it another way.
What I mean is…
Additional expressions:
The point I'm making is…
In other words…
That's to say…

Confirming understanding
Yes, that's quite clear.
Right, I've got that.
Additional expressions:
I see.
Right / OK


VOCABULARY
Exercise 1
2. a continuing or progressing b connecting
3. a moving away b ending or disconnecting
4. a failing b reducing
5. a moving inwards b participating

Exercise 2
1. In (moving inwards)
2. Up (increasing)
3. Off (disconnecting)
4. Up (finishing)
5. Down (failing)
6. Down (reducing)
7. On (progressing)
8. Up (finishing)
9. Off (moving away)
10. On (connecting)


IDIOMS
Exercise 1
Literally it means adjust their belts to a narrower waist; here it means to spend or use less money because they can't afford as much as before.
Idioms are expressions that are natural to a native speaker of a language and they are typically metaphorical (their meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words). They make the speaker or writer's point clear and they are an economical way of getting the point across.

Exercise 2
1. Pay for everyone
2. Neither gain nor lose money
3. Pay 50% each
4. Set aside cash for future needs
5. Use some money already saved
6. Not have much money
The one which is not needed is return stolen money to its owner.

Exercise 3
1. To be rich: He's worth a fortune / They're rolling in it.
2. To waste money: Throw money down the drain / Spend money like water.
3. To have money problems: The company's in the red / He's living on the breadline.
4. To be charged a lot / too much: That cost us an arm and a leg / She paid through the nose for that. / I was ripped off.

EXAM FOCUS
Exercise 2
1. Bright (day): sunny / bright (pupil) / (look on the) bright (side): be cheerful
2. Grows (phrasal verb grow up: to mature; contrast: to become; idiom money grows on trees: money is in endless supply
3. Set (synonym: to assign; phrasal verb set up: to get something working; contrast: to prepare)

WRITING
Exercise 1
1. Style
2. Ideas
3. Ideas; together; paragraph
4. Order; paragraphs
5. Text
6. Comments; text; dislike
7. Text; vocab; linking
8. Length
9. Relevant
10. Errors; punctuation

Publication of your blog links

I've included a list of blog links here, but I never asked you if you would NOT like yours to appear on this list. If that is the case, all you have to do is let me know and your link will not be on this list. I'm sorry I did not ask before the publication :(

New ground, new paths to tread on...

I've been reading some of the entries in your blogs and I'm amazed at how enriching the experience is. Thanks to this, you are no longer the anonymous face that sits in a classroom twice a week in front of me. You have become fully-fledged individuals. Each of us is a complex mixture of experiences, thoughts and an inner life that shapes our landscape as we keep hiking. I hope you experience the same as you read your classmates' blogs. Let me also encourage you to leave comments to one another as well. Keep up the good work!

Oral Presentation Rubric

Oral Presentations: Detailed Evaluation

1- Form: ________/22
____/4 Posture & Gestures
____/4 Eye contact & Facial Expression
____/4 Pitch of voice & Delivery Speed
____/3 Enthusiasm & (Positive) Attitude
____/3 Use of index cards
____/4 Use of audience feedback (eliciting
questions)

2- Content: _______/33
_____ (3) Choice of topic & Clarity of purpose
_____ (3) Outline presentation & Organization
_____ (4) Introduction & Thesis statement
_____ (2) Change signals for headings
_____ (3) Relevance of information
_____ (4) Analysis vs. Facts
_____ (4) Conclusion & Restatement of thesis
_____ (3) Memorization & Mastery
_____ (4) Interest arousal
_____ (3) References

3- Language: _______/25
_____ (5) Grammar & Sentence structure
_____ (5) Vocabulary & Expression
_____ (5) Coherence & Cohesion
_____ (5) Discourse cues & Transition words
_____ (5) Pronunciation

4- Visual Aids: _______/15
" Pictures
" Posters
" Charts or Maps
" Overhead
" Real objects " Slides
" Video or Tape
" PowerPoint
" Board use
" Handouts

5- Timing: ______/5
Total: 100

Clarification

• You may include your reading reports in your blog.
• Your blog IS your creative writing journal.
• As soon as you create your blog, email me the link, so that I can have access.
  

Reading Report

Name: _____________

Date:______________

Title: ______________________________________________________________

Source: ________________________________ Date of publication: ___________
Vocabulary (Key words. Definition in English. Translation, optional.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
…
Main ideas

• 
  

Personal Reaction: Write it on the back of this page
(At least 120 words)

Welcome!

This year has started with several new discoveries. Or rather what I have found is a glimpse into the world of possibilities in different aspects of my life. The one more relevant to you all is related to this chance of adding a new dimension to your experience in language learning. As discussed in class, one of the expectations for this course is that you write at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Keeping a journal in English will allow you to explore your own ideas, keep a sense of balance in your life, and develop your writing skills throughout the process.
One of the main tenets of developing your writing skills is that you actually do write! We hardly ever devote enough time to this art. By keeping your journal, you will be able to explore your ideas. We do not know what we think until we've written it down. Besides, exploring the depths of your mind and heart will have a therapeutic effect on your day. The fact that you will give yourself the gift of an inward look for a few minutes daily will help you unwind and find a sense of balance that will surely have a most positive effect on the rest of your day. Along the way, you will be honing your writing skills, since exploring ideas is what you are expected to do to write a good essay.
I hope you enjoy this activity. I know that it may look like a daunting task right now, but as you start doing it, you will develop a familiarity with the blank page in front of you. It should become your good friend, or a place of solace, or a time of reflection to be with just yourself.

Enjoy the ride!

Blog and Journal Topics

1. List the top 10 experiences in your life. Think about it for a moment, letting your mind roam free, keeping your pen on the page – writing all the time.
2. Collect motivational statements about writing or creativity or perseverance. Use them to keep yourself writing.
3. Describe yourself as if someone else were describing you to a third party.
4. Write about a creative person you admire but don’t know personally. If necessary, do a little research to find out more about this person’s creative gifts.
5. In one week, write for at least a half-hour in three different places. After the week is over, reread what you wrote. Look for variations in tone.
6. Warm up by reading one page from a book you enjoy.
7. Write about your first experience with death. Who died? When? What did you know about death before the event, and what did you know after?
8. Create two or three characters from facets of your personality. Put them in a car, driving to the coast in Argentina. Who drives? Who navigates? Give them a topic of conversation.
9. Write a monologue in which a character vents his rage. As the monologue develops, add clues that suggest the character is more fearful than angry.
10. You are afflicted with a rare (and getting rarer) disease in which you can only tell the truth, the whole truth. Now, introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. Tell your whole life story if you have to.
11. Write about a lie you told. Did you confess up later? Were you caught in the lie? What were the consequences?
12. Write about something that happened to you that made you very angry at the time but now seems funny. Recall the event in as much detail as possible, writing it down exactly as it happened.
13. Fictionalize an idea based on a real event but stick to the facts as they took place, simply changing minor details such as names and the characters’ appearance.
14. Try to remove all forms of “to be” from one of your short stories, without disrupting its flow.
15. Write a poem inspired by a political event.
16. Listen to music that you haven’t heard in ages. Write about the memories that come back to you.
17. List 10 things you’d like to accomplish in your lifetime and why.
18. Write a commencement speech that you will give to your classmates at graduation ceremony.
19. Appreciate the ordinary: Write about a girl/boy growing up in small town Argentina.
20. Talk to people who are considered successful in their work. Ask what limitations they’ve overcome, what limitations have spurred creative solutions and what limitations they’ve learned to live with.
21. Write about what mystified you as a child. How did you feel when you found out what was behind the mystery (for example, when you found out who the Three Wise Men really were)?
22. Draw or visualize what chaos feels like for you. Write a description.
23. What kind of people make you feel uncomfortable? Why? Write a dialogue between yourself and one of these people.
24. Write six ways to describe the smell of fallen leaves.
25. Write about a place you loved or hated. Incorporate all the senses in your description.
26. April Fool’s Day! This is like our “Day of the Innocent” on December 28. Write a humorous short story in which the main character is duped by an April Fool’s prank.
27. Do you believe in astrology? Try writing a horoscope for your friends. See if they believe it!
28. Starlight, starbright. Attempt to write a short story where all of the action takes place at night.
29. Write a scene in a short story or poem using variations of one color to create a specific mood. For example, using the words “blue,” “periwinkle,” “aqua” and “sky,” create a cool, clean feeling.
30. If you were a college professor of the course “Life 101,” what would you teach your students?
31. Read the daily paper with your morning coffee. Circle the stories that evoke the most emotion from you. Now, choose one and compose a letter to the editor about it.
32. What event would you never write about, and why?
33. Write a journal entry about someone close to you who is no longer in your life.
34. Spend a little longer than half an hour writing a short story. Ignore grammar and spelling, just keep writing.
35. And the dish ran away with the spoon. Personify everyday objects, and create a children’s story.
36. Browse the personals section in your local newspaper. Based on the details provided, create an expanded profile of that person.
37. Shut your eyes. Is the breeze moving? Is it cold or warm outside? Write everything your senses detect.
38. Simplify. To practice writing concisely, write simple scenes, simple paragraphs and simple sentences.
39. Try to be creative despite sensory overload. Work in a crowded mall. Walk a busy city street. Try to write.
40. List 10 expressions or idioms you found particularly interesting. Pick a couple and write short dialogues in which you use them.
41. Think about your most emotional moments. Write a bout how you could use them in your work.
42. Snoop around for anecdotes, gossip and stories. Write a story with a lively main character based on a piece of gossip.
43. Get a book of quotes. Circle the ones you like best. Write about them. What does each make you think about?
44. Write the first line of your novel. Then, try to puzzle out how an entire novel can grow from that one seed.
45. Fictionalize your life experiences. Write a story based on an event in your own life.
46. Write a story where the main character portrays a stereotype. By the end of the story change her attitude and behavior into a realistic character.
47. Go through one of your earlier stories and highlight the descriptive words. Now, think of other words that might work. Look for unusual images.
48. Read a book or short story. Take notes. Look for word play, puns, irony and wit. Why do these passages strike a creative chord within you?
49. Write a list of 10 people you have seen today that have potential for fictional characters.
50. Transitions are an important part of a story. Write a story where the setting changes several times. Practice transitioning from one scene to the next.
51. Write a “silent scene” in your fiction. Create a powerful scene without using any dialogue.
52. Write a letter to your favorite elementary school English teacher. Be sure to send it!
53. Grab a dictionary and randomly select five words. Use them in an opening paragraph to a short story.
54. Think about a time when you were strongly passionate about a political issue. Write a story in which the main character is affected by this issue.
55. Today’s journal entry: What do you avoid doing more than anything? Why?
56. We usually picture ourselves as the good guy. For fun, write a story where you are the bad guy.
57. Take a scene from an earlier short story and expand it. Describe the colors, sounds, scents and feelings.
58. Research an exotic, remote destination. Use this as the setting for your next story.
59. Reread one of your favorite books. Then, write a poem from one of the character’s point of view.
60. Write a children’s story where all the characters are food items.
61. Practice your dialogue. Take one of your short stories and rewrite it into only dialogue between characters.
62. Visit a thrift store and pick out the most unusual object. Write a story about where the object has been.
63. If someone were to write a book about your life, what major events should they include?
64. In the summer months, vacationers escape to tropical beaches and relaxing locales. What would paradise be like for you? What would you do there?
65. Where’s the creepiest place you’ve ever been? Write a horror story about it. Make up additional characters as needed.
66. Look up the meaning for your name in a baby name book or on the Internet. Does your name match your personality? If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose? Why?
67. Think about your childhood. What was the most memorable summer you had? What makes thus summer stand out from all others?
68. Reread one of your favorite books from childhood. Write a journal entry about why you liked it so much.
69. Write a scene in which you make a minor character vivid through a single quirk or personality trait.

Source: Writer's Digest. No. 12. December 2002

Your Portfolio Assignment

What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student's efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas of the curriculum. It should represent a selection of students' best work or best efforts, student-selected samples of work experiences related to outcomes being assessed, and documents according growth and development toward mastering identified outcomes.

Paulson, F.L. Paulson, P.R. and Meyer, CA. (1991, February). "What Makes a Portfolio a Portfolio?" Educational Leadership, pp. 60-63.

Key Characteristics of Portfolio Assessment

• A portfolio is a form of assessment that students do together with their teachers.
• A portfolio is not just a collection of student work, but a selection - the student must be involved in choosing and justifying the pieces to be included.
• A portfolio provides samples of the student’s work which show growth over time. By reflecting on their own learning (self-assessment), students begin to identify the strengths and weaknesses in their work. These weaknesses then become improvement goals.
• The criteria for selecting and assessing the portfolio contents must be clear to the teacher and the students at the outset of the process.
• The entries in an EFL portfolio can demonstrate learning and growth in all language domains/skills, or can focus on a specific skill such as appreciation of literature, or writing.

Essential Elements of the Portfolio

It is important to include all of the following:

1. Cover Letter “About the author” and “What my portfolio shows about my progress as a learner” (written at the end, but put at the beginning). The cover letter summarizes the evidence of a student’s learning and progress.
2. Table of Contents with numbered pages.
3. Entries - both core (items students have to include) and optional (items of student’s choice). The core elements will be required for each student and will provide a common base from which to make decisions on assessment. The optional items will allow the folder to represent the uniqueness of each student.
4. Students can choose to include “best” pieces of work, but also a piece of work which gave trouble or one that was less successful, and give reasons why.
5. Dates on all entries, to facilitate proof of growth over time.
6. Drafts of aural/oral and written products and revised versions, i.e. first drafts and corrected/revised versions.
7. Reflections can appear at different stages in the learning process (for formative and/or summative purposes.) For each item - a brief rationale for choosing the item should be included. This can relate to students’ performance, to their feelings regarding their progress and/or themselves as learners.
   Students can choose to reflect upon some or all of the following:

i. What did I learn from it?

ii. What did I do well?

iii. Why (based on the agreed teacher-student assessment criteria) did I choose this item?

iv. What do I want to improve in the item?

v. How do I feel about my performance?

vi. What were the problem areas?

Adapted from http://www.anglit.net/main/portfolio/default.html

Assessment

Criteria for a finished portfolio might include several of the following:

• Thoughtfulness (including evidence of students' monitoring of their own comprehension, metacognitive reflection, and productive habits of mind).
• Growth and development in relationship to key curriculum expectancies and indicators.
• Understanding and application of key processes.
• Completeness, correctness, and appropriateness of products and processes presented in the portfolio.
• Diversity of entries (e.g., use of multiple formats to demonstrate achievement of designated performance standards).

Folder vs. Portfolio

Your folder is a collection of your class work. It should include the following documents:

1. Class Notes + homework
2. Handouts: Texts & Other documents

> Writing: rough drafts, sketches, works-in-progress, and final products.
> Grammar
> Literary Elements (Short Stories)
> Songs and any other handout

3. Journal Themes: Those given by the teacher or collected by the students
4. Tests & Quizzes: checked by your teacher and corrected, revised, or rewritten by you.
   
   

Course Syllabus

I.E.S. Lola Mora – English Department

English Language III – 2007

Prof. Carlos Lizarraga

MSEd English / MSEd TESOL

calizar@arnet.com.ar

Course schedule:

Monday 7-8:20pm

Tuesday 10:40pm-12am

Thursday 7-8:20pm

Overview of class

This is an annual language class for prospective teachers of EFL/ESL whose main objective is to enable you to hone your linguistic skills in English up to an advanced level of proficiency. By the end of the year, you will have acquired a level of fluency and precision that will bring you closer to what is expected from a teaching professional.

By going through the process, you will be able to empathize with the experience of your future students acquiring a second or foreign language. Furthermore, you will need not only to reach a near native level this year but also to acquire a solid foundation of academic skills every educator needs to develop. For this reason, this class has a strong emphasis on reading, writing and global awareness.

Objectives

By the end of this year you should be able to:

• Understand extended speech when listening even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and not signaled explicitly.
• Understand television, radio programs and movies without too much effort.
• Understand long and complex factual and literary texts, appreciating distinctions of style.
• Understand specialized articles and longer technical instructions related to any field.
• Express yourself fluently and spontaneously in spoken interaction without much obvious searching for expressions.
• Use language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes.
• Formulate ideas and opinions with precision and relate your contribution skillfully to those of other speakers.
• Present clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects in spoken production integrating sub-themes, developing particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion.
• Express yourself in writing in clear, well-structured text, expressing points of view at some length.
• Write about complex subjects in a letter, an essay or a report, underlining what you consider to be the salient issues.
• Select a style in writing appropriate to the reader in mind.

Source: C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages,

which equals the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English examination.

General expectations

The basic tenets of this class are respect, honesty, work ethic, and curiosity. As a prospective teacher, you should develop the qualities that you will expect from your own students. A love of learning, hard work and empathy toward others are the characteristics that will ensure you will be a successful student and teacher.

As part of your training to become a teacher, you are expected to achieve a high level of proficiency. Therefore you should plan to devote a minimum of two hours in preparation for every class period you attend. This includes reading and writing on a daily basis.

You are expected to read every day. Being informed of the latest news in town, the province, the nation and the world is a good way to build a solid knowledge foundation. Also, articles from respectable publications and literary works available online are a valuable option. Your daily reading is a formal component of your grade for this class.

You are expected to write your morning pages every day. You should plan to devote between 25 and 30 min. to your creative journal writing. Extensive practice in expressing yourself freely is indispensable for you to become accustomed to articulating your ideas coherently and cohesively. This writing should be collected in a journal that is also required to pass this class.

If you are not already, you are expected to acquire some basic computer literacy. Part of the assignments will be available only online, and their completion will be online as well. Therefore you should expect to become adept at using the Internet, email, and computer-produced texts.

Attendance and involvement are expected in every class. You should get to class on time, have your material and assignments ready, use only English throughout the entire period, and strive to excel in every activity. In a word, you should be a good language learner.

The good language learner

1. … is highly motivated to learn the language. He is willing to practice the new language. He actively seeks opportunities to use the new language and communicates with it whenever possible.

2. … wants to communicate with native speakers of the language. She empathizes with them and is interested in their ideas, experiences, attitudes and customs.

3. …is relaxed about his new language and can live with uncertainty. He is willing to abandon his first language reference system and to think in the second language.

4. … tolerates difficulties and frustrations. She is not afraid to make mistakes and learns from errors.

5. … is self-critical, adventuresome, independent, open, outgoing and friendly.

6. …understands that language is arbitrary and makes inferences about the language he is learning. He constantly searches for meaning.

7. … has an aptitude for learning languages. She can distinguish different sounds in a second language and understands the grammatical functions of different kinds of language elements.

8. … relates new things to those previously learned and can convert passive knowledge into active knowledge.

9. … is systematic about language learning and uses specific techniques of effective study. He can adapt to almost any learning condition.

10. … accepts responsibility for her own learning and sets her own goals.

Source unknown

Evaluation

The evaluation consists of parciales, practicos and attendance. The grade for the class is determined by outstanding class performance or by your performance in the final exam.

There will be three parciales: two written term tests and the presentation of your portfolio. Practicos include essays, unit tests on textbook and literary works, journal, reading logs (article summaries and reactions), oral presentations, class involvement and participation, etc. If you cannot be present to any of these evaluation instances, it is your responsibility to let your instructor know ahead of time. If you do not or cannot, you will be excused only if you provide written proof of the reason for your absence. If you fail to do so, you will get a grade of 0 on that particular instance. In any case, alternative arrangements are at the discretion of your instructor.

There are two ways to pass this course. One is through class performance (promocion), and the other by taking a final exam.

Class performance

Students who fulfill the following requirements will be exempt from the final exam:

a) a passing mark in at least 75% of practicos – with no make-up opportunities;

b) a passing mark in all three parciales with an average of at least 70% - you will get a chance of taking a make-up exam for each written parcial;

c) 75% class attendance.

Final exam

At the end of the year, there will be two types of final exam, one for students in good standing (alumnos regulares), and another one for auditing students (alumnos irregulares)

Final exam for students in good standing (regulares)

Students who fulfill the requirements listed below will be considered ‘in good standing’ (regulares) and will take a final exam consisting of a written and an oral component. For the oral section, students are required to present their Portfolio.

Requirements:

a) a passing mark in at least 50% of practicos;

b) a passing mark in all parciales with an average below 7

c) 50% attendance

Final exam for auditing students (alumnos irregulares)

Students who do not fulfill these requirements will need a take a final that may include any content from practicos. This means that the exam is likely to be longer. Also, the instructor will require the presentation of a portfolio with all of the contents listed below, such as journal entries, reading log, essays, etc. The exam will be written and oral, and a passing mark in both is demanded.

Assignments

Portfolio

It should include the following artifacts:

• Your research on a current topic or a collection of articles on current issues. It will include:

• Summary of articles, or extracts from books, etc. – cite source and date of publication.
• Reaction paper.
• General longer essay or report on topic of choice based on a set of articles – due at end of the process
• Reflection piece on your learning with each topic

· Essays assigned in class. You should include

o Corrected drafts if applicable and/or correction of a graded essay

o Analysis of your own strengths and weaknesses on each corrected essay with improvement goals you set for your next writing assignment

· Personal reflection on any content from class, any current or philosophical issue.

· A selection of your best journal entries.

Creative Journal/blog writing: daily writing for 20/30 min. Handwritten or online. Go to http://lml3.blogspot.com to get instructions.

Oral presentations on topics of your interest based on your research for your portfolio or specifically assigned by your instructor.

Required texts

May, Peter (2002). Towards Proficiency. Student’s book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

May, Peter & Mike Sayer (2002). Towards Proficiency. Workbook with Key. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451

Orwell, George. Animal Farm

A collection of short stories by Ernest Hemingway

Recommended texts

Stanton, A. and S. Morris (1994). CAE Practice Tests Plus 1. Essex: Longman.

Nelson’s Advanced Practice.

Tentative Calendar 2007

1st Term

	Class Content	Assignments
Week 1	No class
Week 2	Tue Apr 3 Introduction. Discussion of syllabus. Creative Writing: exploring journal writing.	Daily reading and writing Write 50-word piece on yourself. (P/@)
Week 3	Tue Apr 10 50-word piece: writing workshop. Reading log introduction: writing a summary and a reaction piece.	Write a summary and reaction on article. (P/@)
	Thu Apr 12 Unit 1 TB (a)	Complete Unit 1 TB exercises. Bring journal with at least six entries (Practico). If your journal is online (blog), choose two of your favorite entries and bring them to class in hard copy. Due Tue Apr 17
Week 4	Mon Apr 16 Unit 1 TB (b)	Complete Unit 2 TB exercises. Due Mon Apr 30.
	Tue Apr 17 Writing workshop: Journal sharing / peer editing.	Reading log: First 6 pieces (Practico).
	Thu Apr 19 Reading log: First 6 pieces (Practico). Group discussion of favorite reports.	Prepare your first oral presentation. Bring F451
Week 5	Mon Apr 23 Oral presentations start. Intro to F451	Read F451. Part 1. Due Thu May 10.
	Tue Apr 24 Oral presentations (b)
	Thu Apr 26 Oral presentations (c)
Week 6	Mon Apr 30 Unit 2 TB (a)
	Tue May 1: No class
	Thu May 3 Unit 2 TB (b)	Do Unit 3 TB exercises. Due Mon May 14
Week 7	Mon May 7 Article (a)	Exercises on article
	Tue May 8 Article (b)	Follow-up writing on article
	Thu May 10 F451 quiz (Practico) and discussion.	Read F451. Part 2. Due Mon May 28
Week 8	Mon May 14 Unit 3 TB (a)	Complete Unit 4 TB exercises. Due Tue May 29
	Tue May 15 Unit 3 TB (b) + Consolidation work	Study for Practico on Units 1-3
	Thu May 17 Practico Units 1-3 + summary	Prepare oral 5’ oral presentation
Week 9	Mon May 21 Reading log: 12 reports due (Practico) Oral presentations start (Practico)
	Tue May 22 Oral presentations (b)
	Thu May 24 Oral presentations (c)	Prepare for F451 Practico
Week 10	Mon May 28 F451 Practico and discussion Part II	Read F451. Part 3. Due June 25
	Tue May 29 Unit 4 TB (a)
	Thu May 31 Unit 4 TB (b)	Prepare Journal for Practico. Choose two of your favorite pieces to share.
Week 11	Mon Jun 4 Journal Presentation Practico (at least 27 entries). Writing workshop	Rewrite chosen entries based on feedback received in class.
	Tue Jun 5 Article or Radio Program (a)
	Thu Jun 7 Article or Radio Program (b)	Prepare Reading Log and oral presentation
Week 12	Mon Jun 11 Reading Log Practico: 18 reports due. Oral presentations (Practico) start (a)
	Tue Jun 12 Oral presentations (b)
	Thu Jun 14 Oral presentations (c)	Do Unit 5 TB exercises
Week 13	Mon Jun 18 Unit 5 TB (a)
	Tue Jun 19: Probably NO CLASS
	Thu Jun 21 Unit 5 TB (b)
Week 14	Mon Jun 25 F451 Whole book discussion
	Tue Jun 26 General Review and Consolidation	Journal: Prepare 3 favorite revised entries to turn in.
	Thu Jun 28 1st Written Parcial. Journal Presentation Practico: 3 best entries.