Teacher asks...

Can you see an improvement on your level of English from September 2006 to June 2008 watching your portfolio? Where, for example?
Absolutely. Now I’m watching my first post on the blog and I think now I have so much facility to write in English, for me it’s easier than two years ago and, my way to write is better.
I think in the oral presentations I also have improved. After do the presentation, the nervousness hasn’t left me ever but presentation after presentation, when I started to talk in front of my mates, it decreased.
And to finish, my speaking I think it’s better. I’m not so fast talking in English but I have improved since 2006.

Which activity best shows your level of English? Why?
I think portfolio is the best activity to show our level of English. Yes, because there, there are all our activities and you can see how you are in each different activity. I think this because you don’t have one level of a not maternal language, so you have different levels depending on the activity. Maybe you are quite good writing but listening, you are so bad.

Which activities were really useful to learn English? Why?
I never like choosing only one option, because I think live is relative. Each activity is useful depending on the part of the language you want to improve, but I'll try.

I think blog is very useful because you learn to describe you feelings and post after post you improve your speed writing.
Moreover, I think it’s very important that teacher asks us to talk in English always we can and she never talks in Catalan (neither outside class) because it’s a very good way to listen and speak with the intuition, naturally.
So, to finish, the oral presentation maybe isn’t useful for the selectivitat exam, but it’s useful for our life and it’s quite important.

Which activities were not very useful? Why not?
Maybe the activity less useful is the forum, not because it’s a bad idea, so because you write so little and the improvement is quite slow there. Also, I think doing all day grammar wouldn’t be so useful, but I agree with some classes about it because it’s necessary to write.

Which activities did you enjoy?
Usually I enjoy activities which aren’t so calm and bored. So I like watching powerpoints, listening my classmates in oral presentations, watching videos, speaking with Annika, listening the native speaker (Sarah Hannity),...

Cannes Festival Kicks Off

This year there already is the 61th Cannes Festival since it started. In this festival the best films are rewarded. This year will be in competition 20 films, coming by France, Italia, Turkey, Singapur, Canada or America.

America comes strong because, for example, Brasil presents two films and Argentina too. One film by Argentina is about Cheguevara and it's in Spanish.

Also, people comes in the Festival will be able to see the new Indiana Jones film, which is voted in internet as good. And also, there is an animation film called Kung Fu Panda.

In the performance we will be able to see Jonh Pen, Angelina Jolie or Robert De Niro, who is gonna hanging on the Palm of gold.

Sex and the City stars cheered in the premiere

In the Sex on the City premiere, a journalist of BBC talks with Sarah Jessica Parker. It was the premiere of the film and it was in Leceister Square. She was dressed in a green Alexander McQueen oufit and with an original hat.
She answered that these reception was really amazing, "unforgettable and miraculous" she said, and it's true all people were shouting her.
Also, she explained that the film was shot in New York because it's a nice city to express the feelings of the film.
Finally, the journalist asked her if she thought that Sex and the City was changing the lives of the people who watches it. And she said that she didn't think so. Her opinion is the film and soap opera have a good write, a good voice and that the beautiful things it explains, are doing it connects a lot with women.

Interview

Last weekend I proceed to do an interview to Pere, a farmer of my village, to report you a little, about this beautiful and sacrificed work.

Carla: Hello Pere!
Farmer: Good morning! What do you want today?
C: Well, I want to know some things about your work to report the people. Do you agree?
F: Oh yes, I’m happy to see that someone wants to know about our work and inform the people. In fact, it’s necessary to raise the society aware of the importance of the farmers.
C: I know, for this reason I have chose this topic for the interview. And who better to answer my questions? Naturally you, a real farmer about...how many years?
F: Oh, I’m working on it for fifty years!
C: And, since you start working, has it changed?
F: Yes…really. Now, the technology helps us a lot, our quality of work has changed, it’s better.
C: But, are there only positive changes?
F: No! There are lots of negative changes!
C: Can you explain me some of them?
F: Oh yes! The worst is the lack of farmers; young people don’t want to do this work because it’s too much sacrificed. Then, there is the lack of water, the bad weather, the lack of subsidies, and the cheaper products from other countries which we can’t compete.
C: And as I can see, the government also has to raise aware about your situation no?
F: Yes, it’s the first, the government would have to help us to improve our situation.
C: Well, and to finish, what could you say to convince young people to do your work?
F: Oh, be a farmer isn’t an easy work, as I have said it’s so much sacrificed, but it also have some good things. You can work with the nature, you take care of the animals and plants, and you can see how fast they grow up. I don’t know, I think is very beautiful!
C: I agree with you! Thank you very much for you time Pere!
F: You are welcome!

Formal letter

20 Mar Street
17486 Castelló d'Empúries
Espanya (Girona)

Monday 14th April 2008

Mr. Hunter
Summer Camp Agency
16 Caixa Street
London NW10 3TC

Dear Mr. Hunter,
I am writing in response to the advert you placed in a local newspaper, which said you need counsellors at summer camps.
I am finishing second batxillerat and I am looking for a summer job. I have worked for two summers in a local summer camp so I have experience to be with children. I like so much being with them and I reall enjoy this job.
I enclose my curriculum vitae and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely.
Carla Gironell Sanllehí

Women on high position can't have a maternity leave?

Nowadays women are getting more important roles in the society and they can get high positions in their professional life. The problem comes when a woman is pregnant, like the Minister for Defense Carme Chacón. In this situation can she have a maternity leave?
On the one hand, if she has a maternity leave her ministry would be "alone" and in a difficult situation, as a result, the conutry could be damaged. So, not only for Chacón also for all woman with an importan job.
On the other hand, if she can't, she lose the right of have a family or to educate and pass with her children their first times of life.
In my opinion, women are equal as men and they can have an important position as men with the problems it implies. Because the family is very important and if a woman have to have a maternity leave another person can fill in for her.

Gandhi daughter visits assassin

In 19th March, Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of Rajiv Gandhi, visited the prision where one of the murderers of her father was closed.

Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomb while he went to a meeting. It seems that Tamil Tiber rebels were the responsables of the kill. One of them is Sriharan, the person who Pryanka visited. She was punished with a death sentence, wich was changed following a plea of clemency by Gandhi's woman.
Gandhi's daughter said it was a personal question and that she wanted to go to the prison to make peace with all the violence in her life. However, Sriharan lawyers said it was a very cordial visit.

NEW WORDS
squad: grup
convicted: condemnat
election rally: "meeting"
plea of clemency: petició de clemència
widow: esposa
anger: ira
brief: informar

Mumbai no honking day

In Mumbai they have created he "No honking day " to avoid people use less the car's horn and they mark it as a "World health day".
"No honking day" is the slogan to promote the campaign and also, they give stickers.
Is the first time in India they do a campaing like this and eight hundred policemen will controle that people carry out it.
If somone use the horn indiscriminately they will be punished, because the city is looking for a silent ride.
Although, there are some people who say driving in Mumbai without honking is next to impossible, because it prevents many accidents.

Nothing Hill

Yesterday I saw Nothing Hill in the language room, so was funny to see it again.

"Surrealist but nice"

One day, in the travel's bookshop of William went Anna Scott, a really famous actress. She bought a travel book and left the shop, but then, in the street, they came across and, unintentionally, he threw a drink over her. With this excuse he invited her at home to clean her clothes and she accepted. After change her clothes she left, but one minute later, someone touched the bell. She was Anna and came to give him a kiss. He promise didn't say anything about that, and with melancholy and love he remembered her until she rang up him to have an appointment. The curious thing is the appointment is when the actress had some interviews with journalists and William have to pass there as a journalist, a really nice and funny moment. Then is when they decided to have a normal meeting and, as both are busy they were to be seen on a family dinner of him, the birthday of his sister.

The film continues...but I couldn't see the whole and I don't remember more. I'm really bad to remember the arguments of the films I see!!! :(

Second batxillerat

Third term

The curriculum needs updating to the new needs of the 21st century

Spain's education is one of the worst of Europe and it's reflected on the high number of teenagers who fail. It's true that not all is cause of the curriculum and the sistem, there are lots of things to study the why, but I think it's an important factor.

On one hand, it's obvious that we are in the new technologies. The strange is why we can't learn using these resources if we have them to do all the other things. We shouldn't have to use lots of papers and we sould help to not increase the pollution.

On the other hand, the government should have to retake and rethink what the pupils need to learn and if it's useful in their lifes. And they have to understand how is a pupil or a teenager to know if they are able to do this efforce and if the way and the things what they learn will be useful in a future.

In conclusion, people who really know how works a class, a school or a highschool is who should update the curriculum. So a teachers should be the people who update this, not only politicians who haven't stayed never with pupils and the education.