lunes, 6 de noviembre de 2017

Entry #14: Final reflection

Having an ongoing collection of different writing assignments kept in my portfolio gives me the opportunity to collect information and a variety of data on a topic that you provides to us, such as videos and links. This is a fantastic idea to study for our final exam. Another important reason that makes my portfolio useful is to remember how I uploaded all my videos and homework. The use of technology is an aspect that I really thank you very much considering that we, as teachers, need to be in contact with the new technology in order to be well-prepared with our students.

Entry #13: Refection about my writing

Having read all the material that you gave us, it was really very helpful for me. All the activities (summaries, forms, power-points and oral presentations) focused on both reading and writing made me awareness of how I could improve my writing assignments though my marks were not what I would like to have. Analysing writing theory is one of the most important issues because we may change/rewrite what we have written during the writing process.  I know that it is a hard work and I will do my best. Thank you Stella!

jueves, 2 de noviembre de 2017

Entry #12: Video analysis

Video 1: The inspector needs "a flawless American accent"


In this video you can see how difficult is for a French inspector to learn a second language. His accent is restricted connected with where he is from regionally. The teacher uses repetition chunking the sentence in order to improve his pronunciation because his mother accent is strong. What is taught by the teacher is standard language which is used to learn English as a second or foreign language.

Video 2: Student dialects?


In this video there is an English study group who share social dialect, that is, they have something in common. They encounter with troubles with grammar, vocabulary and spelling. There are pronunciation features that function as social markers, in other words, grammatical and spelling mistakes. What is also important is the register (a conventional way of using language that is appropriate in a specific context) that this people use in order to communication takes place.

Video 3: Speak English, please!


This is an interview in which an Iraqi has an accent and dialect which are not comprehensible at all. The aspects of his pronunciation identify where he is from regionally. His accent produces lack of fluency and pronunciation. According to the social markers, it is important to say that his speech indicates a lower and less education in the English-speaking world, in spite of his English studies at the University of Cairo. For this reason, subtitles are necessary.

Book: Yule, G.(2016) The Study of Language. Chapters 18 & 19. U.K.: CUP


miércoles, 1 de noviembre de 2017

Entry #11: The study of English - Study notes


Entry : Ethical shopping

I  think that the first video is more effective than the second one. The message is clear, that is, you can see how a simple situation (to buy a pair of shoes) makes consumers to be aware of the exploitation that exists behind the production of shoes as well as the production of others things such as clothing and foods.The cruel images and the music help us to be interesting to know more about the story that the campaign "Change your shoes"  wants to show us. The statement that appears at the end of the video:"You should not need to go to the end of the world to find out the truth about how your shoes are made", tells us that the campaign´s objective is to show us what is the real and sad situation that millions of workers have to face against of their rights. 

miércoles, 27 de septiembre de 2017

Entry #9: Thesis Statement

Thesis Statement: * It is the single, specific claim that your essay supports. * It is not simply an observation, a question or a promise. * It includes a topic, a precise opinion and a reasoning. Parts of the thesis statement: 1) The Subject: The topic of your essay. 2) The precise opinion. 3) The blue print of reasons: This is where you show your reader HOW you plan to argue and prove your opinion. You should have three strong pieces of evidence to support your opinion. Later, you will expand on each detail in the body of the essay. You have to support your opinion. Thesis statement tells your reader: WHERE you are going in your essay. HOW you plan on getting there. Tips for writing thesis statements: 1) Determine what kind of paper you are writing. 2) The thesis statement should be specific. 3) It appears at the end of the first paragraph of the paper. 4) Your topic may change as you write. THESIS STATEMENT´S GOAL IS TO CONVINCE THE AUDIENCE THAT THE CLAIMS ARE TRUE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE PROVIDED.