Santiago is not Chile, but too much is going on only in Santiago.

In the past we wrote about a different city or town we liked. Today we're going to talk about Santiago. Each and every one of us views the city form a different perspective that depends on many things. For example, I  was born in the ninth region but have spent most of my life here. However,  I had the chance to live in the north of England for some time. I also spent some time in Germany when I studied languages, and have visited some places in Europe.  I have also visited some cities in Latin America and elsewhere. All different places shaped by history, architecture, commerce and people. Regardless of these things, your personal situation and frame of mind can also affect the way you view a city.

 I must say having seen places which seem a lot dirtier and also a lot cleaner, I like Santiago city.  I certainly think a number of things could be done to make it a more livable place for everyone. Especially in particular areas, the whole city  needs more green areas and community centers .  I think Santiago urgently needs a better transport system since the one we have is not enough, and people are suffering to commute to work. We would see a lot more smiles if peple travelled comfortably. 
 I also think we need public toilets in the city. This is a reality in many developed places. How can it be that you need to buy something or eat in a place to be able to go to the toilet? And then people complain that some street smell of pee.
Personally,  I think the center of  Santiago is a nice place because it offers a combination of forms and colours. I dislike the hostile attitude of a number of people but I hope that this will change little by little.

I would always recommend places like "la vega " , "mercado central"or  Parque Almagro, among others, to a foreign person.
  Since in this moment of our lives we spend most our time here, lets express opinions.

Write about your vision of Santiago.

Include the following:

What you like about the Santiago and why,

What you dislike about the city and why,

What changes would make the city a better place,

What tips you would give to a visitor to the city

Write at least 210 words. Leave a message on at least 4 class blogs (These could include mine :). 

education

Today I thought somehow we could refer to a topic that at the moment has a lot of children and teachers without classes. This is the teachers' and schools' strikes. 

There are a number of reforms implemented that are making people very unhappy. On the other hand, people who work in the area of education have low salaries and work long hours. A lot of things need changing so we have happy students and adults. Public policies change with the administration in power and unfortunately, our education minister at the moment does not seem open to dialogue.

For me, the basic rights that need to be covered are health, housing and education. When there is good education in a country, there is a chance for progress. Progress does not only mean macroeconomic growth, it also means we have mentally and physically healthy people who can do their jobs. This is why, for me, this is a fair fight the teachers are giving. A lot of things have changed since I was at school. These changes are related to politics and in the end everything is political.  Our culture has changed enormously and now people value things that were not valued before, and, as a result, teachers have not been valued and paid accordingly for a long time. 
I think a major problem we have is the presence parents have in their children's education nowadays. A lot of children have no guidance or the company and dialogue they need growing up. This has a direct impact on the values and, more importantly, the confidence you have as an adult. This situation has led parents to believe the teacher and school need to educate their children and not themselves.
Within policies,  I see is the "ley aula segura" or "safe classroom" as a problem. How can we treat students like delinquents? How can the current government intends to reduce the hours of history and physical education when our obesity rates are really high. Do they really want dumb and sick people? It does not make sense.
Due to the word limit, I will stop here although there is a lot to say about this.

What do you think?

How do you feel about education?

What do you think about education in Chile?

What needs changing?

What do you think about the strike?

Write a minimum of 200 words and 4 comments.

Free

Dear all,
I hope you are well.
Today you will have the chance to write about any topic or person you like. Please remember to organize your text in a way that is easy to read. You can use some bullet points mentioning what areas you'll include if it is more than one.


Write a minimum of 180 words and write 3 comments on different blogs. Keep up the good work!!

  I have to confess I am happy with a given topic or a free one. Maybe I find it even easier if it is open because I just need to think of basically anything, give it a bit of thought to organize it, and start.

 I will start with why I think good health and Ayurveda go hand in hand. Even though I recognize the importance of scientific research and western medicine, I have mixed-feelings about the role pharmaceutical companies play in research results and health policies.

I am going to address a small part of this millenary medicine from India. Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit words Ayus “life” and veda “knowledge” or “science”. What I like best of it is that it is mainly preventive. One of the many aspects I appreciate from this approach is the fact that it recognizes each human being as unique from a preventive and curative perspective. Therefore, it acknowledges that each person needs a different diet, routine, lifestyle and treatment in case of illness. There is a lot more to it but the word limit does not allow me to refer to it. I really like the importance it puts on the power of our thoughts, the food we eat and the role meditation plays in having and preserving good health.

Write a minimum of 180 words.
Include
The topic/person you've chosen
 Give a general definition/explanation of it.
Include anything else you find relevant.

London Webquest

Presentation

Dear  all,

I hope you are well. Today we will write a useful text I hope. I will narrate this text in the future although my presentation was given in the past.

In your presentation you can talk about a person or a theme related to your area of studies.  Remember this is not a reading task. You need to prepare it and have command of your text. If you stand in front to read, you will have a mark below 4 L

In my presentation I will talk about the linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian and political activist Abel Noam Chomsky.  

 I will divide my presentation into 3 parts

First, I will talk about his early life. Then I will refer to the area of linguistics and political involvement and lastly I will tell you why I chose to talk about him.

He was born on December 7 in 1928. Both his parents were Jewish and worked in the area of education.  He studied linguistics in the university of Philadelphia and his tutor was Harris Zellig, the founder of the American School of linguistics. Noam was not happy with the university but his tutor persuaded him to stay. 

I will continue here

Write about your presentation next week.
Include
What or who you will talk about
How you will organize it
Why
Include anything else you find relevant

Write a minimum of 200 words and 3 comments

Post June 5

I started watching it as a child from about 8 years old. I remember both my sisters loved it so I just sat with them and it was all good. It is about this blond girl with very big (not surprising now!) green eyes. I remember it was a very dramatic Japanese Anime. “Candy” was an orphan girl who was adopted and treated badly. Moreover she falls in love with this amazingly handsome character “Anthony” (I fell in love, too!) and he dies!! Yes, he dies!! I suffered so much.  Later she moves to London and meets “Terri” who is the opposite of Anthony (the latter is rebellious). The thing is this love is not meant to be and they keep splitting because he wants to become an actor.

I think it was on every evening for around half an hour.

I suppose I enjoyed it because it was full of adventures and things seemed pretty exciting, but mostly because I would sit there with my sisters and we would drink our milk and eat toast on those evenings while watching the show. I couldn’t wait for the next day to come. Just to watch it again! I know it is very "ñoño" to write about this but I couldn't think of anything apart from "erase una vez el hombre" which seemed a bit serious for children...

What about you?

Write about a TV programme you enjoyed watching when you were a child:
Say:
What it was called,
What it was about,
When it was on,
Why you enjoyed it.
Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 220 words. Leave a comment on 4 of  your classmates' blogs.

Blog marking 20%

ABOUT THE MARKING FOR THE BLOG ACTIVITIES.

WHEN YOU COME TO CLASS AND DO THE POST AND COMMENTS IN CLASS, YOU GET 2 POINTS.

WHEN YOU DON’T COME TO CLASS AND DO THE POST AND COMMENTS WITHIN 48 HOURS, YOU GET 1 POINT.

NO POST, NO POINTS.

THE FINAL MARK FOR THE BLOG CONSISTS OF TWO MARKS.

1 MARK FOR “COMING TO CLASS AND DO THE BLOG POST AND COMMENTS IN CLASS”

1 MARK FOR 3 PARTICULAR BLOG POSTS. THESE WILL BE SELECTED AND MARKED CONSIDERING LINGUISTIC ASPECTS.

mark 1 + mark 2 = final blog mark