Week 12-13 What a great week!

Hey there!

 I am so impressed with you all! You have rallied, worked really hard this week and the majority or you are really sounding like you are going to be ready to sing in public!

This next week, we'll see how you do with the dancing part of it... Only a few of you are having difficulty with participation and it's certainly your choice how much effort you put into this final oral (and physical) activity! :-)

On Monday your portfolios are due, please remember that they are worth 5 grades so YES! Participation counts, right up until the last day of class. Do not forget to dress professionally on Tuesday for the group photos with your portfolios!

There will be no class on Thursday but your last WRITING EXAM (only if you need to do it because you have failed or missed one) is due in my email, written in Word before midnight on Thursday if you want it to count. So here's the topic...

You have lived a good long life you are 85 years old, literally at the end of your life. Your assignment is to write your obituary (a brief biography or your life's accomplishments (logros)). It needs to be 350 words.

Here I would like to hear your final comments about the class, what you have learned and what you plan to do now that you have finished with your English language learning experience. I hope to be able to help many of you to study abroad or to do you practicums in other countries. Please keep in touch with me.

Week 11 The final leg...

Good evening sports fans! We are headed into the final leg of class and for you all the last days of ENGLISH CLASSES before you have graduated from this program. I am very excited for you all. 

As a whole you are doing well and all the play practice we will begin on Monday will kick things up another notch!

This weekend you should be getting your portfolios ready to print and put together, a number of you still have not received your final Expository essay grade. I am still working on them every night when I go home, but email me if you have doubts or haven't received it yet. Remember, you must type up all of your writing exams to go into the portfolio as well.

I announced this week that I am going to return to the US because I have to take some family time for my sis who has cancer, but keep in touch. I'll be available to help you with things you may need including letters of recommendation. I would ask that those of you who wouldn't mind write me a letter of recommendation as your teacher.

Here I want you to write about the play!!! Thoughts, complaints, suggestions...

Week 10, Writing Exam III Persuasive Essay #2, The Harbinger

I have spent all of the past four days grading Expository Essays, I am almost blind but I should finish in the next couple days and move on to the next writing exams... 

This week is very short, we will try to finish the second half of the chapter in the Harbinger we started on Wednesday. We'll have to make some real pushes if we hope to finish it in class, otherwise it will become weekend reading for you all.

Tuesday we'll have conversation for 45 minutes with the interns Ana and Leane. Wednesday we will read and prep for the exam on Thursday. You'll want to have a basic outline with the thesis statement and conclusion completed and few of the subtopics listed. 350 words in one hour. 

"In case of unplanned pregnancy which of the two options function best for you; abortion or adoption and why, defending your position and persuading the audience that it is the best choice."

Next week you'll receive the table of contents for your portfolios which are due on November 4th and your scripts for the Plays. I would like to know your thoughts on these topics especially the Plays-we have always done comedies and dramas, but this time I am considering a musical depending on how you all feel about singing and dancing.

Week 9 Less S-T-R-E-S-S, Adoption vs Abortion, Grades, Conversation Fun

This week things should feel a bit calmer, we'll be having conversation groups on Tuesday, getting back into the Harbinger, continuing listening activities and prepping for the next Writing Exam (next Thursday).

Here I would like to see discussion about the next exam topic. 

This is only my opinion, hopefully it will help you to begin the discussion here:

Premartial sex seems to be something considered almost "normal" in this day and age, but along with it comes consequences, personally I believe abortion is murder and there is no "real" reason for this practice. 

In cases of rape when a woman gets pregnant (less than 1% of rape victims get pregnant) or incest where a family member fathers a child with a young woman in their family the child should be "allowed" life while the guilty male should be convicted as the pervert that he is and the young woman needs to be offered all help available within the society--if she cannot raise or love a child she has borne then that child should be offered within the adoption system.

In cases of "accidental" pregnancy the young woman must take responsability for her actions. We, as women are powerful creatures and we have the ability to bear and raise children all by ourselves when necessary. Abortion is simply an easy escape from taking responsability for our actions.

Week 8 Course Evaluations, PowerPoint Presentations, and Mid-Terms

This week will bring all stress levels up just one more notch! Remember to breathe and do not come to class hyped up on chemicals! Have yourself a nice cup of Chai Tea with milk before class and blink a couple of times—it’ll be all over and you can move on to something else.

On Monday we’ll begin with the presentations, I hope you all remember that this is NOT the week to have any absences because they will bring your participation grade down one point for each day missed—check the syllabus—this whole week is in the grey box!

All pending work is due this week; that means everything we have done up to now is due by Thursday if you hope to receive any credit for it. On Monday October 6^th, I will deliver a piece of paper to each student with your current grade for the entire course. I have found this to cause fewer disillusions at the end of the course when your final grade is NOT such a surprise.

This week, on the blog I would like to see you write about each other’s presentations; (for example, things which you found surprising about another person’s topic, new information which you did not even imagine to be true). In reading some of your essays I have learned many facts about these topics which I did not know, some have compelled me to go to the sources and learn more. Also discuss your feelings about getting up and sharing in front of the group (Was it difficult? How did you feel? What would you do next time? What wouldn’t you do again?)

 If any of you are planning to do a Master’s Degree outside of Mexico in an English speaking country you should know that MD programs are known for students teaching other students much like what we are doing this week!

English 800: Week 4: Exploring the World Around Us, Exams etc.

English 800: Week 4: Exploring the World Around Us, Exams etc.: Last week you spoke of travel, where you've been or where you'd like to go. This week I would like you to visit this web site:  htt..



Even when government figures believe it is very disturbing that the matter of corupsion is so common and constant Personally I had no idea about countries like Denmark who will head the list in a positive direction.
There are countries that I would like to visit but Presis this information makes me doubt, must be terrible being at the mercy of a corrupt system rightly or not in a country like this.
Sorry corrupsion senciblemente indices in Latin America are so high. It's a shame.

Week VII: Preparing for Presentations and Thoughts

For the past six weeks we have been busily growing your English skills. The book we have been reading works specifically on 4 crucial areas of your language skills: pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and listening. You have all shown significant growth! I would encourage you to find a book in a genre that you like and be reading in English in your free time and whenever you can be reading aloud. There is scientific proof that reading improves ALL language skills EVEN SPELLING and GRAMMAR.

This week you should be putting together your PowerPoint Presentations which are due on Monday September 30^th, but if they are ready you can bring them into class this week and load them into my computer.

This week on the BLOG I would like you to share about your perceived weakness in English (if you believe you have any) I would also like to hear what things surprised you MOST about your Expository Essay Topic. Next week is your Mid-Term Exam: is there anything special you feel like you want to work on during the last six weeks of class?