Unit 5: Secrets
Debunk
In this class we read and listen about Wikileaks so to finish the class we prepare a debunk. The dynamic was easy to plan we defend two of us in favor and to against the topic. I try to use the phrases to defend my idea but it was not easy. I think is a interesting topic to talk about because even is talked as new in this topic it has always exist but in other forms. The media the information has change, for me is better because is easy to get, fast to get, and they are different confident sources.
Practice
To made this exercise we listen or read an article of a UK page. In my case it was a listen article, it was clear so easy to understand, but even that they were new words at the vocabulary exercise. This words can be used in a formal way, by the other hand the reading was easy.
Prepare a myth
In the activity we were preparing a debunk to defend a specific myth by the use of the debunk expressions. To began I use and introduction telling what is about, second a develop to told how it was made the myth and finally with some recent results of the myth as conclusion. Is not easy to defend a topic, this one is a myth but even that has been controversial.
Myths
To introduce the topic we make a little interview to see in what myth we believe. We confused the myths with superstitions but with the exercise we learn that the myth is related to religious topics. Even with the review made to understand the meaning of the topic we don't change our responses, I personally don't believe in any myth.
Modal verbs and phrases
For this activity we used two list given by the book, at first I was thinking we only needed to categorize but then I realized that we have also to putted at the order of intention. The exercise was confusing to me, at first I realized I don't was used to use different expressions and second I think every one have a same meaning, so a same intention. In conclusion we need to use the expressions that are more formal because the one we use now are the easy and the informal ones.
Family secrets
In this chapter we talk about secrets, so to begin we began talking our own secrets an the one we have in family. When we were recording we saw that our responses were similar or even the same. We have a same idea, a same believe of what could happen if we told some secrets to a specific person. I think every one have secrets and if someone take the decision to tell you is because you are a trust person, so at the moment you are told you assume the responsibility to stay schtum.
Unit 4: Justice
Dilema
We need to start working with the use of the new phrases to debate, the phrases were new but I think they weren't difficult to added in the speech. I saw these phrases give more power to our argue because it gives the appearances or been focus in what we said with foundations, and thats the point talk with foundations. In conclusion I think is not easy to defend an idea but if you have information with good and confident sources you can made it.
Parallelism
During the week we saw the topic of parallelism, for me it wasn't new but the exercise help me to remember and know more about it. In the beginning I thought they weren't difficult but the clauses began to be more difficult. I think I do a good job because in each exercise I have only 3 wrong answers, the only think I need to work is in the time, I spend so much time analyzing. In conclusion I think this topic is easy but it takes its time checking, now I think is more difficult, for me, to identify an error of parallelism in listening or speaking than in writing.
Lexical Chunks
The wrong man | The fugitive |
In this text it wasn't so difficult so make the pauses in the right moment. Lexical chunks was a new topic even we make the correct pauses, for me it was so easy I thought I do correct the pauses but with the record I saw I didn't. I need to work and practice to have a natural speaking and reading. | This text for me was more difficult because they were more pauses and it was faster than other. But even that the vocabulary was more easy to pronounce. The story was a typical story a innocent doctor arrested, charged and convicted because of his wife murder. |
In conclusion we and principally me, I need to practice, it appear easy it wasn't that easy.
Crime exercise
During the class we saw the use of crime vocabulary in a episode of "How I meet your mother" and also into a exercise that help us to define the definition of each different crime. I saw that they were similar words that sound that in Spanish and also mean the same, that help me making more easy the understand of each word.
Identifying crime vocabulary
With this article and others I found, I saw that english have too many different words to describe a crime, they don't have a general word to refer to a crime they have specific words to each different crime. It was new vocabulary because I don't use to hear or use this words. In conclusion this makes me think America security system is more organize and because of that they have less danger because they have result the crimes.
Unit 3: Places
Proposal
Just to give a bit of background information Telsa is a automobilistic company founded by Elon Musk, the new main goal of this company is to produce complete electric cars cheaper than other industries. The plan is to created a new model name Telsa model 3 that will cost $35k. With the Telsa goal, produce electric car, they are reducing cost in the electric industry and also having a competitive price. So basically what we are proposing is to created more cars with this characteristic making them more modern, safety, and friendly environmental. For more information: http://www.sciencefocus.com/article/cars/tesla-model-3-to-be-unveiled-on-31-march
The activity appear easy but it wasn't that easy to incorporate the phrase, for me it was difficult or tricky because I thought that when we use a new phrase we were repeating the same idea and the text doesn't have any other meaning. Maybe it was trick because we doesn't have a lot of information to get more than the article show, we might search for the next time to have a complete proposal.
Prefixes and Suffixes
In this activity we work on team, and even we search a lot we didn't find a article that have more than 3 pre and su fixes. So we take this article that is based on how to do a descriptive essay, and actually when we read it we find the person was describing Disneyland. So in conclusion in we find that prefixes and suffixes are a great option to describe.
Relative Clauses
Searching on the article we try to find the use of relatives in formal way, having a preposition before it. It was easy because it was a academic article so the way it is written is formal.
Who is the character?
In this activity we describe to a partner a character, for that we use relative clauses. The classes include relatives like: who, where, which, what. We find that relatives are useful but it wasn't t easy to use them, but we may try no avoid repeating the nouns once again and again.
Unspoiled place
For this activity we search on Internet a unspoiled place, I find many places that I think are already spoiled like "Los Cabos", "Cancun" (maybe some areas are protected), or maybe in the pictures you can see the beaches full of people and boats. Even that I found the archipelago "El Nido" the one I mention in the video. In conclusion there are few unspoiled place so we need to take care of them because they are a source of life.
Unit 2: Opinion
Using expressions
In this activity we have a conversation about the new movie "The Revenant", I have to specify it because we forget to name the movie, that is one thing we have to change: organizing our ideas. Personally I like to record at first time usually I don't practice before because I forget it in the moment what I practice. In conclusion I don't use these expressions, I know their meaning but I don't use them constantly.
Using Idioms
In this activity I remember the idioms, I think they are very useful and give to your english a touch of formality. The majority of them I haven't hear them but is time to learn, practice and use new expressions.
Bulats Interview
The last semester I made bulats exam but I made it with out studying or knowing what is coming, I was prepare to present toefl but it was so different. With this activity I practice what I know is coming, its the first time I practice after the exam so I am confident that if I continue practicing a fundamental part of the exam I will obtain the level in that area.
2º unit vocabulary
In this course I have learn new vocabulary but the majority of them are phrases because there are groups of: adjetives, nouns, verbs, articles, etc., that join form a phrase with a different meaning than the literal. I wanted to learn to use to don't talked always with the same common words.
Metaphor | Research of metaphors: |
Metaphors is something that we use commonly unconscious we don't separe the phrase to know each meaning of each word and we can't because the metaphor doesn't have a literal meaning. In the activity I found them because the context help me but with out it I probably have difficulty to know their meaning. Also it was difficult to found a similar one to replace them. In conclusion I recognize them but I need to study and know more to use them.
Conditional and regrets
In this activity I like the lecture, I have hear the advice that some of people said, also I identify with some characters. I like the one of Dave Satcher "when you get there you are going to meet a lot of people that have a whole lot more than you . You may even meet some that have less than you do. But no matter who you meet treat everyone with respect" that is a rule for relationship also you will never know who that person will become but for me more important the person is a human a living being just like you and if you treated bad you may damage internally the person and that damage is the most complicated to cure.
Wishes and regrets
Notes:
I wish
Present : would/ S.past
Past: P.perfect —> regrets in the past
If only I had —> stronger meaning
I wish
Present : would/ S.past
Past: P.perfect —> regrets in the past
If only I had —> stronger meaning
Mixed conditionals
| |
Past condition with a present result CONDITION: PAST PERFECT (HAD+PP) RESULT: PRESENT (WOULD+Present) | Continuos state condition CONDITION: CONTINUOUS state —>past simple RESULT: PAST—> would + present perfect (have/has- pp) |
Unit1: Origins
Names opinion
There are many names some of them are common others no. I feel good with my name I like it and would not change even it is a common name. I think your name can affect your personal development so I think that if someone want to change their name it must be permitted.
Popular names
| In this activity we look for names, for the popular I wasn't impress because I already know some of them I hear them all the time, only the name Linda in US cause me impression because is a word in Spanish. All the weird names cause me impact, I can believe it can be permitted to name kids like that! because as we search the reasons of why parents name their children are because of tradition, expectation or because they like, maybe some of them like or maybe I just need to say love Disneyland or want to make honor to the national anthem. |
The enterprise I want to work...
| In this activity I think a little because I have already done this kind of simulations, I think I know what I want for my future however is not bad to remember my goals. I think this exercise will help me not only for english but also for my personal development. |
Job interview exercise
During the classes we began to practice our english, one of the goals of this course is to develop a business english so to achieve it we practice making a simulation of a job interview. In my video I think I miss some words during I talk so I loose time by thinking others to replace. One more distractor I need to work is with the voices, all the group was trying to make their video so even I go to other space I hear other voices and I distract (we can notice when I get my eyes to other way). In conclusion I think I need to practice the fluent, the improvisation and attention in my way of speaking.
Job interview example
I search a job interview and I found this one. My first impression was that she have I very good english, she speak fluid and have a good pronunciation, but I think that she miss something: the corporal expression. She stay in the same position all the interview and her voice was monotonous, with this image she makes me think she was reading all. So in conclusion I think even she have a perfect English she have to show there emotions to makes me believe what she is saying.
Origins (famous names)
| Making a research of the origin of the name of some famous people we found that not only their works have an impact, also their names impact with their meaning. I was surprise because I don't put many attention in the names and in the case of Mahatma I found a strong relation between his profession and his meaning name, the same happen with the Dalai Lama. |
My name origin...
With this activity I remember the origins of my name because maybe in the past I didn't thought it would have a story behind it. Now I understand than more that a name it is a mix of histories, feelings and emotions that maybe my parents have and they wanted to shared with me in a way.