My English competence in 2009

As a conclusion of this portfolio, I will select the two documents that, in my opinion, show my level of English at the end of the second school year of Batxillerat:

- My best written evidence: London III

- My best oral evidence: 4th Oral presentation


I think this that my best written works can be found in my blog, where I have posted many writings about different topics and I have had more freedom about topics and structures. It is a hard job to find the best one, but I have chosen this post because I think it is where I have introduced more vocabulary and the length of the text has allowed me to use many linking words and connectors, avoiding repetitions as far as possible. I have also used other resorts like direct and indirect speech, modal verbs and different verb tenses.

I have chosen the fourth oral presentation as my best oral evidence because it is where my pronunciation and my body language are reflected, my use of non-spontaneous English in front of a group of people during a medium space of time. Even so, I think I could do it a bit better because this video was taken in the second term and I have been working three more months.

Read more!

My English 2007-2009

With this portfolio I can see how my level of English has changed during two years, from the first post to the last one. There are different kinds of activities and it is difficult to compare the first post (an e-mail) with the last activity (a summary of a piece of news), but we can observe them separately:

For example, the first mail (link) and the second one (link): I have improved the structure of the text because, in the first one, paragraphs are very short and simple (I + verb + complement) and the second text is longer, with fewer and longer paragraphs, and I have also used resources like conditionals (If I get the degree...), reported speech (...things which I like most...) and new linking words (despite).

From the first piece of news (link) to the last one (link) I have corrected some mistakes (a piece of news, not a new) and, maybe the most visible fact is that I have learned a lot of new vocabulary, with about five new words each time (it depends on the source of news, sometimes you learn more from a newspaper like Catalonia Today than with news from BBC)

In this portfolio there are also many examples of different structures that I have been practising these school years (descriptions, opinion essays, letters, etc.) and now I have used them for Selectivitat writings.

About the oral presentations, I think that the last one is not a good example to make a comparison, because it is very different than the others. Then, I’m going to analyse the first oral presentation (link) and the fourth one (link).

The fluency of my speech has clearly improved, in the first presentation I stop many times to think and I am very nervous while in the second one stops are shorter and I’m less static, maintaining eye contact with the audience. I think that both topics were interesting, but the content of the second one was richer, with new vocabulary and unusual structures, introducing new information to the audience. Maybe it doesn’t fit here, but I’ve learned that there are big differences between British English and American English. About the pronunciation, I have tried to make it as correct as possible and, with practise, it has improved, but I think there’s still a long way to go.

Read more!

"Battle of the bulb"

Bulbs are present in our homes and they are changing, becoming more and more efficient. The EU is doing new regulations in order to replace the old bulbs for the new ones (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), but people don’t like the colour of thir light, they think CFL bulbs are unattractive and they don’t fit into their classic lamps. They aren’t against the new bulbs, but they don’t want them for their house. CFLs have some problems which will be solved by new generation of bulbs, based on LED technology.

New words learnt:

Bulb - bombeta
Frosted – esmerilat
Phase out – retirar, deixar de produir
Retailer – minorista

News from CNN Video News.

Read more!

"UK 'set for scorching summer' "

Last summers in the UK have been very wet, with high speed winds and floods, but forecasts for this year say that this summer will be very hot. That’s good for tourism and for those who want to stay home these holidays. The weather will depend on the wind above the clouds, very fast currents that cross the country at more than a hundred miles per hour. We can only wait to check if forecasts become true.
New words learnt

Jet stream – raig d’aire
Forecast (to) - pronosticar
Scorching – abrasador, socarrant

News from BBC News, reported by Roger Harrabin.

Read more!

"UK swine flu genetics unravelled"

Researchers from the HPA (Health Protection Agency) and other scientists from around the world have been researching on some samples of the swine flu, which has recently affected many countries, in order to find a vaccine against the virus, to observe and understand the infection and the behaviour of the virus. They are alert because viruses can mutate, and they can become more dangerous. The scientific results are very positive and the responses to the possible pandemic are being so fast, with the hope that an effective vaccine will be available soon.

New words learnt:

Flu – influenza, grip
Isolate (to) – aïllar
Pandemic - pandemia
Pin down (to) - definir
Pose (to) - plantejar
Swine - porc
Unravel (to) – desembolicar, desxifrar

Article from BBC News, Friday 8 of May, 2009, written by (unknown).

Read more!

Is text messaging making our kids illiterate?

SELECTIVITAT WRITING 3: French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said that the best things people have made [the airplane, the telephone...] are all things that bring people together. Discuss this statement and say what are to your mind, the best things people have made. Would you say that internet makes our social life richer or poorer?

Human beings have crated many incredible things during the last two millenniums. Year by year, inventions are, in general, more complex and more advanced, but this fact does not always mean that they will keep people together.

It is true that new technologies like internet have allowed people to, for example, communicate like they had not done before, very fast, throughout the world, with distant relatives or with new people that, otherwise, they would not have met. But, as it happens with many relationships, they can become a problem because sometimes to have an argument is unavoidable.

Vehicles are another example. They are very useful to move from one point to another one, but there are many accidents every year, with a high number of deceases.

In my opinion, things made by people are not perfect and they can bring people closer but they can also separate them for ever. Even so, they always give us a richer social life.

Read more!

Sweet as sugar

SELECTIVITAT WRITING: Think of a profession that is dying out, for example a shepherd or a farmer. Write a dialogue with one of the last shepherds / farmers in your country. Talk about their way of life now and before.

Josep lives in the small village of Vilasacra and he is a farmer. Today we are going to talk with him in order to know some of the characteristics of his job.

- Good morning Josep.
- Hello.
- Why have you chosen to be a farmer?
- Well, I think it’s a matter of family. My father is a farmer, my grandpa was a farmer and also his father.
- Then, do you believe your son will continue the tradition?
- I don’t think so! He is only worried about cars and computers and he doesn’t want to know anything about the farm, like most of the teenagers.
- And why do you think this is happening?
- Probably because it’s a hard job, it needs a lot of hours and you work far from the city and people. It’s difficult to bear it if you aren’t used to that lifestyle.
- Thank you very much for your attention, Josep. Good bye.
- You are welcome. Bye.

MISTAKES:

Never use personal information in Selectivitat Exams.

Wellcome - Welcome

Read more!

Toxic friends

SELECTIVITAT WRITING: 1- Write about the influence of psychologists on our society. Are they well considered? Could they be the answer to our psychological necessities?

Psychologists play a very important role in our society. Their job is very helpful for persons who need somebody to advise them or a listener for their problems, but therapies don’t solve all of the psychological necessities.

On the one hand, psychologists are highly useful to give support to persons who have had a bad experience like the death of a relative or a rape.

On the other hand, there are some situations where the psychologist decides something which could be good for the person, but he could also be wrong and destroy one life. On example of this case happens when a marriage wants to improve the relationship but the story finishes with a divorce.

Because of these reasons, psychologists are very important in many situations, but sometimes they can’t do anything to help others.

Read more!

Sarah's presentation

Sarah is from Scotland. She came to Spain four years ago in order to improve her language and her culture. She stayed some time in Catalunya, in Empuriabrava, and she had been our teacher for some time. Now, she has come here some days and she has visited us, making a “presentation” of one hour in class, explaining some of her experiences in Scotland and in Spain, giving us some advices. In fact, it has been a listening of an English native during one hour.

First of all, Sarah has introduced herself. She was born in a small family and she is the only child. Some of her hobbies are to travel or to ski (she is still a beginner), and she is an ex-football player (she stopped playing because she injured herself).

After that, she has asked if we knew some things about the UK, like the countries (Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and the main capitals (Edinburgh, London, Cardiff and Belfast). We told her that we had visited London and she said that it is an international city and we should try to visit other places like Scotland, which would be a very different experience. More than five million persons live in Scotland and most of the places are country sides, there aren’t many large cities. Some of the most famous Scottish important figures are Sean Connery, Alex Fergusson or Andy Murray. Gaelic is one of the languages which are spoken in Scotland, although it isn’t taught in schools. There, the weather is very cold, rainy. It rains in July an In August (she has said that here we have an amazing summer).

About her personal experience, Sarah came here because it was part of her university course, it’s compulsory go to study abroad. During her stay in Spain, Sarah worked in a hotel in Empuriabrava and, after that, she returned to Glasgow to finish her degree.

Then, she came here again and she got a job in Murcia as a language assistant. Now she is working in a private academy called Shamrock and her boss is from Ireland. She is very happy because this job gives her free time in weekends. According to her opinion, to be a teacher is not easy, but it has some advantages.

As an advice to finish her visit, she has recommended us to visit a country, to participate in an Erasmus, to stay with native persons and to have a very good time.

Read more!

"Bike tour"

This month, like every year, takes place the “Volta Ciclista”, a bicycle race, in Catalunya. Maybe it’s not as much important as the “Tour” of France or the “Giro” of Italia, which will be celebrated after the Volta, but it’s also a very important event. Sometimes, it is considered as a training for the following competition. It has been celebrated since 1911 (apart from some occasions). This is the edition number 88 and some of its good points of this race are the weather and its acceptance. It covers Catalunya, the Costa Daurada, the Costa Brava and the Pirineus, amongst other places, finishing in Barcelona. It is special because people can get closer to riders than in the Tour.

New words and expressions learnt:

Staged – dividit en etapes
Warm up – escalfament
Renowned – de renom
Time trial – proba cronometrada
Week-long – que dura una setmana
Foothills – peu de la muntanya
Hosted – ser la seu, l’anfitrió
Frenzy – frenesí

Article from Resident newspaper, May 2008, written by Rosie Free.

Read more!

Fifth oral presentation

- COMMENT OF MY PRESENTATION:

PRESENTATION: We have done the exposition in London, talking near the places we have visited. We have finished the video after the trip, explaining some curiosities.

BODY LANGUAGE AND EYE CONTACT: It’s very different than to do the presentation in class, because you don’t have people but a camera. Maybe for me it’s more difficult because I’m not used to it. I am very still, immobile.

CONTENT: I think we have introduced some new information to the audience, especially for those who haven’t visited London. The information wasn’t very deep because we could have been talking hours about each thing. We had looked for some information before going to London and we also used things we learned there.

LANGUAGE: We couldn’t check the grammar there because we didn’t have a dictionary. If I watch it now, I think that I have said a lot of times “we are in...”, but I didn’t see it there because we made the videos with different stages.

PRONUNCIATION & ENTONATION: We asked to some people how to pronounce some words like the river “Thames”.


- TRANSCRIPTION:

LONDON

Hello! This is England, we are here in the airport and we have just arrived.

Hello, we are in the Stansted Airport and we are going to the bus.

1ST DAY:

We are in the British Museum, as you can see. It’s a History and Art museum with objects from around the world, from many civilizations and (empires) of all time.

We have just visited it but we have seen a small part because it’s a big place and we (would) need a lot of days to visit it.

The rooms we have enjoyed most are the collections from the Roman Empire and the Greek and Egypt civilizations, and also the Persian collection.

Especially, we recommend the mummies of the Egypt civilization and the jewellery of the Persian.

2ND DAY:

We are in the Buckingham Palace and we are going to see the (change) of the guard. It’s nearly half past twelve (Spanish hour) and we are going to look for a good place to watch the change.

Oh! What a shame! But today there isn’t change of the guard. We need to wait until tomorrow. The flag means that the queen is here.

As you can see, the security for the queen is very big (high) and it’s impossible to enter into the palace.

We are in the Hyde Park. You can see it’s a big place and people met for doing different activities: they play football, they go with bicycle and, well, many other activities.

Now we are going to show you something very special of the Hyde Park: this is the Speaker’s Corner and every Sunday some people meet here to explain their ideas, to say something, and people hear them. It’s a good place to say what you think of (about) the world, of (about) anything, any topic.

(Conversation about the existence of God)

You can see that discussions are very hot.

Well, we are in the National History Museum (well, it was the “Natural” History Museum) and well, here we can find different animals, and fossils of dinosaurs, and also insects and other animals. It’s very interesting and some of them are extinted (extinct).

3RD DAY:

This is the Millennium Bridge, that is on the river Thames. Well, this bridge was designed by Norman Foster. At the background, you can see the St. Paul’s Cathedral.

And this is the Tate Modern. It’s a museum like the Guggenheim in Bilbao. And there you can see the Globe Theatre, one of the most famous theatres of London and we will visit it later.

We can see the change of guard.

We are near again the River Thames. Here, there is the Tower Bridge and, here, the Tower of London. We are going to the Tower Bridge. We are walking in the Tower Bridge. This bridge can be separated in two parts in one minute. The middle is this...

4TH DAY

We are in Portobello, in Nothing Hill’s Gate. On Saturdays there’s a market here, but today most of the shops are closed and they only sell fruits and vegetables.

This is the station of King’s Cross and it’s famous because it appears in the film of Harry Potter.

This is the platform 9 ¾ and it appears in one of the scenes of the film. And this is the station.

CURIOSITIES

During the stay in London we have used the underground to move into the city. It can be also called tube.

We are in the tube. We come from the Buckingham palace and we are going to Tower of London. This is the tube, as you can see. The next station is Tower Hill.

Another means of transport very famous of London is the Big Red Bus. It has got two floors and there are many lines. They have advertisements at the outside. Lately, there has been a controversy with a message that talked about the existence of God.

If you have more money, you can take the taxi. Their shape is classic, but they are very comfortable, with a lot of space. They are decorated with different pictures, but the typical one is black.

About the cars, we have seen a lot of very expensive cars in the city. Some of them are rarely seen in Spain, but in London you can see two in the same street.

And finally, food has been another good point of London. The typical dish is fish and chips. You could eat it in a restaurant or take it away.

We have discovered another typical kind of food, the jacket potatoes. It is a very big potato with other ingredients.

And we must mention the full English breakfast, with eggs, sausages, bacon, backed beans and tea or coffee.

- COMMENTS OF OTHERS' PRESENTATIONS

COMMENTS OF THE OT...

Hosted by eSnips

Read more!

"Oldest human brain discovered"

In a York University site there’s been a very curious discovery. Archaeologists have found, in a pit, a skull with a yellow substance. The substance is a human brain, but not a normal one; it’s very old, probably from the Iron Age. After some investigations, archaeologists say that it can be a fossilised brain, because the tissues are preserved and microbes haven’t eaten them. As it seems, the oldest brain of the world has been discovered. That’s a very important fact, which will allow scientists to study many things about how has it arrived to our days.

New words learnt:

Shrunken - encongit
Fatty - greixós
Farmed - cultivat
Dig - excavació
Under way - en marxa
Mudy - fangós
Pit - forat, fossa

Article from BBC News, Friday 12 December 2008, written by (Unknown).

Read more!

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, published in 1948 by the United Nations, is a text, a set of articles which try to promote respect and freedom between humans, defending individual rights to achieve a world in peace. It consists of 30 articles, each one related to a specific topic. Many fields of life are dealt with, like freedom, privacy, law protection, equality, marriage, thought, religion, work or education.

One of the questions that can come up after reading the Declaration is: Why have Human Rights being created?

It's a fact that there are differences between persons. The world is the home of a mixture of a great variety of beings. Since the Stone Age, human being has done and has suffered many actions against freedom and life. Millions of persons have died because of differences of thought or many conflicts. Murders, executions, wars, etc. show that something goes wrong. And these aren't all of the signs of the problem: repression, discomfort poverty or hate are also an evidence. Now, these actions have got a more precise name: racism, bullying, rape, gender violence, etc.

If nothing is done to change the situation, the problem persists. But another characteristic of mankind is that, year after year, century after century, some persons have always tried to find a better life for those who suffer. Recently, many laws have been enacted to help the disadvantaged people. And one of the most important facts, probably the most one, is the Declaration of Human Rights.

The rights which are promoted in this document aren't respected in most of the countries of the world, but several nations have added to the list of the protectors of the human rights, and the counter is still working. Campaigns in favour of this reason are more and more important, but there's still a long way to go if we want to live in a world ruled by equality and respect.

Maybe the Declaration doesn't contain all of the rights that could be mentioned, but after some discussions in class it seems to be true that all of the articles are necessary and needed. Maybe the next stage is to give rights to the animals, because some species are in danger and they suffer a lot because of humans.

Read more!

"Rising problem of sexual bullying in schools"

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

The article I have chosen is from BBC News and it’s called “Rising problem of sexual bullying in schools”. It talks about this very serious problem, which has increased in the last years, especially between young people. There are different kinds of sexual bullying, from the name-calling (with words like slag or gay) to other offences like assault or rape. In the article, there are three cases of sexual bullying suffered by three girls with ages between five and fifteen years old. All of them say that the guilty is always better supported than the victim. I think that violates the second part of article number 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says “All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.” There’s also a violation of article number 5, that says: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

Read more!

"The North Pole is now an island"

Last year, on August 28, the two passages which usually join the North Pole with Russia and Canada were free of ice. This fact wasn’t expected until 2050 but the effects of the global warming have been more serious than what experts thought. Now, boats can travel around the world through ways that sometimes are more than four thousand miles shorter than before. Vikings used the Northwest Passage, but this fact had not happened since 125,000 years ago.

Scientists believe that the main cause is global warming and that this isn’t the last consequence. It is a very important fact and, if it doesn’t change, life in Earth is in danger.

New words learnt:

seabed - fons del mar
bypass - passatge de circumval·lació
feasibility - viabilitat
tapping - explotació
sovereignty - sobirania

Article from BBC News

Read more!

"What's in a (shop's) name?"

Some businesses have been fined because they didn't use catalan. The law that penalizes the shops, bars and other businesses is called "llei de política lingüística" and the government started to impose sanctions in 2003, but a lot of people think that these measures are too much exaggerated.

New words learnt:

straggle - créixer desordenadament
penny - (moneda) centau
counterpart - equivalent
coalition - coalició
signage - senyalització
penalized - sancionat
fine - multa

Article from Catalonia Today, written by (unknown).

Read more!

"Average homeless person is a foreign male with an income"

The Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona and Obra Social la Caixa have made a study about homeless people in Barcelona. 923 persons have been interviewed and all of them live in the streets. After doing the study, they have concluded that most of them are men about forty one years old, with basic education and an income. This research is an attempt to understand better a problem which affects most of the cities.

New words learnt:

either - qualsevol
hailing - grava, pedres
stress (to) - posar en tensió, estressar
highlight (to) - destacar
traits - trets, característiques
average - mitjana

Article from Catalonia Today, written by (unknown).

Read more!