Please have a look at this expressions to get more points in the oral part of the exam

Hello bloggers,
Here is some help to practice for the oral interaction test that will be held in the near future. Remember you need a partner for this activity (In pairs)It is a good idea to decide on who you will work now.

You will speak about a surprise topic  for a minimum of 5 mins. 
Giving your opinion

"I think…."


"I feel that…."


"In my opinion…."


"As far as I'm concerned…."


"As I see it…."


"In my view…"

Giving a strong opinion

"I'm absolutely convinced that…."


"I'm sure that….."


"I strongly believe that…."


"I have no doubt that…"


ASKING for SOMEONE'S OPINION

"What do you think (about /of X)?"


"What's your view (on)?"


"How do you see the situation (of)?"

Agreeing and disagreeing
Agreeing

"I think you're right."
"I agree with you."


Strong agreement
"I couldn't agree with you more."
"You're absolutely right."
"I agree entirely."
"I totally agree."


Agreeing in part

"I agree with you up to a point, but..."
"That's quite true, but..."
"I agree with you in principle, but..."


Disagreeing

"I'm not sure I agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't agree."
"(I'm afraid) I disagree."
"(I'm afraid) I can't agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't share your opinion."

Note that when you disagree with someone, you can often sound
more polite by using a phrase such as "I'm afraid..."

Disagreeing strongly

"I don't agree at all."
"I totally disagree."
"I couldn't agree with you less."

Keeping a conversation going
Making comments

"No!" - to show surprise
"I don't believe it!" - to show surprise
"Wow!" - to show admiration or surprise
"That's incredible / amazing / unbelievable" - to show great
interest in the subject of conversation
"How awful / terrible" - to show sympathy with someone else's bad
news

Asking questions

"Really?" - to show surprise
"And you?" - when someone asks you how you are
"Did you?" - can be used to encourage someone to tell their story.

For example, "I saw her last night" "Did you?" "Yes, she was with one of her friends, and she....

Practice for the written test

Visit the following sites and do the following activities

Practice 1

Reading part 1: signs and short texts 1, test 2

Reading part 2: match 5 people to 8 texts

Part 1 sentence

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/PET_writing_part1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/PET_writing_part2.htm

part 1 listening

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part1.htm

p2

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part2.htm

p3

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part3.htm

-- 

Up in arms

Hello,
Even though today Chile has the recent joy of the football and people are slightly jollier than before, I think there are a number of reasons to be "up in arms" =angry.
So today I think it would be good to write about something that gets us "up in arms".
I could give you some examples:
I get "up in arms" when I see people being nasty or arrogant to others. I get slightly upset when adults are being stupid  and don't want to admit it until it is too late. I also get up in arms when I see our politicians do not have public vocation and only see for their own benefit.  We have a state that seems to only benefit entrepreneurs and not citizens (in many ways) and that I find really frustrating. I wish we Chileans could be as united as we are for football, to face issues of social justice together. I wish people gathered in plaza Italia to fight for a better future (health, better education, housing, etc)

Write about something that gets you up in arms.
Is there anything you find unacceptable?
You can refer to laws like the one passed in Chile or elsewhere about any type of right. You can refer to a personal experience or someone else's.
Refer to
What exactly is it that makes (or made ) you angry?
Why ?
What do you think you can do to overcome negative feelings or to change things?
Include any other other information you find relevant.

Write  a minmum of 250 words
Write a minimum of 4 comments.

POST 30 JULY

DEAR ALL,
TODAY THE TASK IS A LITTLE REFLECTION ON THE ACTIVITY WE DID TODAY. YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT THE ACTIVITY ITSELF (LOOKING FOR PLACES, FOR SPECIFIC INFO)
WHAT WAS INTERESTING? WERE THERE PLACES YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT? PLACES YOU DID NOT LIKE?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THIS TRIP WITH YOUR CLASSMATES? WHY? WHY NOT?

WRITE A MINIMUM OF 150 WORDS AND 3 COMMENTS

PLEASE REMEMBER THE BLOG POST IS UNTIL SATURDAY MIDDAY TO CATCH UP WITH POSTS AND COMMENTS

One great film I've seen in the last few years
is a British film called ”Fish Tank”. I actually saw it at home on DVD as I
don't go to the cinema very often any more (I've been once this year). The film
is an independent movie by director Andrea Arnold and my friend Terry suggested
that I watch it. The film tells the story of a young girl from a broken home
growing up in a poor part of London. The film is a drama and it stars unknown
actors with the exception of one. The lead role is played by Katie Jarvis and it also stars Michael Fassbender who has become very famous in the past few years, and is the star of another movie I was going to write about ( which is also old and really good) "Shame" by British director SteveMcQueen (A must see movie - Watch it!!!). I enjoyed Fish Tank because it is a very British movie and it relates to elements of British culture that many
people don't know about. But it is also a teenage life that a lot of people can relate to. Being a bit of a loner and maybe having a very troubled home life. 

Actually, I've seen that the full film is available (subtitled) on Youtube:)  Here is the trailer.

Write about a movie you enjoyed. Please include some of this information and no summaries of the film:
What it's called, 
where and when you saw it, 
which actors star in it, 
What genre it is, 
What it's about (general terms), 
Why you enjoyed it. Mention anything else you find interesting. 
Sorry to insist but DO NOT copy and paste texts from IMDB or any other online site. It is your ideas I am after.

 Leave comments on your teacher's blog and the blogs of at 3 classmates.

 (250words minimum)

Hi Guys,
Today I'll give you two choices; one is to write about the strike and how you see the return to class as beneficial at this point. What have you gained? what have you lost? The other posibility is aband you like.

Today I’d like to tell you about a band I like. Actually, it wasn’t easy to decide because I really love music and I sort of enjoy nearly all sorts. Nowadays there is so much choice that with a bit of organization (moneywise), one can get to a couple of shows a year.

One band I really like and have liked for a while is “Rush”. I really like the fact that they have gone through different styles from experimental rock to a more pop style at one point. I like them because some of the lyrics are very meaningful to me and the music is cool. I’ve never been a fan of the lead singer’s voice but I’ve learnt to like it with the years. I think I like many of the songs but today I’ll mention “time stand still” as my favorite ( I don’t really have one!). It brings me a lot of memories from being a teenager and hanging out with friends.

I saw them live a few years back here in Santiago and I really enjoyed it.  The musicians are all really great and I think anybody who knows about playing the drums or the guitar would know this. I really enjoyed even the songs I did not know.

What about you?

Refer to a band / singer >> Answer some of the folowing questions
- name
- what do you know about them?
- what type of music do they play?
- why do you like this artist/band?
- what's your favorite song? why?
- publish a picture or video
- 205 words minimum
- make 3 comments on your classmates posts.

something you'd like to learn

something you'd like to learn

There are lots of things I would love to learn to do. However, to be realistic, some of them would be too complicated. For example, I’d love to learn to play the flute but you need a lot of time and dedication to become a competent musician and I don’t think it would be a feasible instrument to learn at this stage of my life. One thing that I would like to learn well would be the guitar. I can play basic stuff and I know some chords but I'd like to be able to play any old song nicely and in rhythm. I just wish I wanted it more so I devoted more time to it and improved. I feel and been told I am good. I took singing lessons for some time and made no progress whatsoever, so even though I'd like to sing better, I have little hope. It is all related to my lack of commitment, I suppose. Work and studies really take most of my time and I cannot seem to find time for pleasurable activities more than watching movies, live music and or socialize at the weekends.  Another thing I'd like to learn is more about the mother of all sciences =philosophy. It is also the kind of thing I don't think I find the time to do and it is so useful. Finally, Improving my pc skills and dancing salsa are also on my list but I think I am one of the stiffest people ever:(
Last but not least, I really think this life is a constant learning experience. In everything we do, every interaction we have, there is something to take with us. I love that.
Write about yourself.
Is there something in particular you would like to learn or resume?
Is there something you started learning and stopped that you would like to pursue?
Tell us about your interest!
write a minimum of 205 words plus 3 comments on blogs where you have not commented before and 1 anywhere you like.

Santiago

City

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 have 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 especially in particular areas, the poorer boroughs  need more parks and community centers .  
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 will change little by little.
I would always recommend places like "la vega " or "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 200 words. Leave a message on at least 4 class blogs (These could include mine :). 

what we do

Dear all:

Today I’d like to tell you a bit about myself. When I finished school I realized I did not know what to do. I loved languages but I also loved music. So I took a year off and worked to save money. Later I entered translation because I liked languages. I did English and German but right in the middle of it, there was a chance to travel to Germany and work there. So I did. When I got back to Chile I fell into teaching by chance.  Later I got my teaching degree.

I think teachers are a great contribution to society but only if they have a vocation. If not, they may be great researchers or academics, but not good educators. I feel a teacher needs to be alert and attentive to what is happening in the classroom in the whole sense of the word. They also need a lot of patience & knowledge in their area of study. A teacher, as any other professional needs constant training  (formal or informal) because the world changes, students change, and so does methodology.

I think one of my favorite subjects at Uni was phonetics. I loved the idea of studying & recognizing the English sounds and also to contrast them with the Spanish sounds. I also enjoyed semantics and pragmatics.

One professional I admire in my area of study is Rod Ellis. He is very well known in the area of second language acquisition.  He has published a lot of books & I love the way he writes. In his books he has covered areas of second language acquisition not only from the traditional angle but also in a more critical fashion. He has got a very clear way to express his ideas. I think this is good because not all teachers have the time to read and if it is too complex, they may get lost and stop reading. This, I think is because the lack of research most teachers (especially school teachers!) do

Say:

-Why are you studying this career?

- How do professionals in your area contribute to society?

- What tools will a professional in your area need to have in the future?

- What is your favourite subject at the moment? why?

- Include this and more in your answer.

- 200 words minimum. (3 comments to classmates and one to me)

striking

Hi guys,

I hear there is a big chance you guys go on strike after May 21. This is why I'd like you to express your opiión.

 I understand that striking and demonstrating seem to be the way to be listened to not only in this country, but worldwide. On the other hand, thanks to the strikes and the way in which classes are recuperated, we only see the deterioration of an already weak educational system.

It is very complex to find a happy medium.

Write about the striking from your view? Here are some questions to help you.

How do you participate in these strikes?

What benefits do you think will be obtained?

From your experience, what are the drawbacks of these strikes?

Can you think of other means that can contribute to obtain what you (students) are after?

Write a minimum of 200 words and 3 comments.

Here is a link about students and social mobilization

This is a good application to practice Eglish. You ca use on your phone or your compuer.
Duo lingo :)

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 170 words and write 3 comments on different blogs and on MINE :). 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 and the role meditation plays in having and preserving good health.

5 /5 presentation

Please write about the presentation.
What did you like about preparing the presentation?
What was interesting about it?
Any other presentations you foud interesting?
Any negative aspects

Write 100 words and post 3 comments

please remember

Next class we will have the presetation and the listening quiz 1.
You can practice on the links on this blog.

Key for successful presentation

Kow your stuff (no reading)
Organize it
Little info on slides (max 7 words per slide) No paragraphs
3:30 to 4 minutes.

Please ask if you have doubts.

blog mark

Dear all,
On this post I will explain agai how the blog work will be assessed.

Two marks will be averaged. Mark 1 is for continuous assessment (i.e. coming to class and posting IN class).If you come to class & write the right number of words, plus the ideas your are asked to express AND comments, you get 2 points. If you don't come to class & post from anywhere else within 24 hours, you get 1 point. After that there are no points,but you can still write for the sake of learning & because of mark 2.

Mark 2 is for 2 particular posts that will be evaluated in terms of (ideas (n° of words), word range & grammar). If the post is not there when it is marked, you get a 1.0 for that post. These 3 marks are evaluated and give an average final mark = mark 2.

Ps: You can use www.wordreference.com but NO translators.If you do the latter, you get a 1.0 & no points for your post. The worst of all, you don't learn. :(

MARK 1 +MARK 2= /2 = FINAL MARK

These two marks will be averaged and will give your final mark :) If you have any doubts, let me know.Kind regards,
Beatriz

GLORIOUS FOOD

Today, we will choose a light topic to make your life easier. Please remember last class I published the marking criteria for the blog and some listening websites.

When I was younger, I loved to go out clubbing or to parties. However, in recent years I tend to go out to eat rather than to dance. Santiago has some great restaurants and you can eat out quite cheaply. There are "picadas" like Golfo di Napoli for wonderful pizza or pasta or slightly more expensive places with wonderful International cuisine like Thai House or Olan (Peruvian). I am a Pescatarian, I eat fish and seafood but not meat (of other kind) so that is always a factor when I eat out.

I don’t think I have a favorite kind of food. There are some foods that I do not like much, for example Korean food. I suppose it is because the meat dishes are the specialty I don't eat it. I love very hot food, lots of spices and taste. This goes from a nice "pebre" to a sophisticated curry or pie.
There is a nice Indian in Santiago. It is a bit pricy but it is really nice.  It is called Rishtedar . Many of the dishes are spicy hot and there is a scale of spiciness from 1 to 6 (from mild to blow-your-head-off). I love spicy food but grade 4 is as hot as I can stand.

I also love places like “el naturista” in the center, where you can enjoy porotos Granados or fantastic quinoa dishes for a very reasonable price.

Write about somewhere you like to eat out .

 Say:

What it’s called,

Where it is,

What it serves,

What you like to eat there.

Mention anything else you thing is important. Write at least 175 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

Hello everyone,
Today I would like you to do the activities on www.plataforma.uchile.cl

Unit 3 tools of the trade. Do ALL activities.
Please write a post of a minimum 100 words on your performance on Act 1, 2 3 and 4

You have 48 hours. Put 2 comments on your classmates blogs.

Thank you.

Presentation April 28th

Please remember you have an individual presentation on a career ralated topic on April 28th.
This should be a minimum of 3 and a half minutes.
Dont forget to organize the text.
Introduction
development
Closing

Prepare it in advance. It is not a reading test.

You need little text on the slides. Just images and bullet points

If you have doubts, write to

cienciasociales2@gmail.com

Regards,
Beatriz

good technology

The word technology sometimes leads to confusion.

Actually, many people think of really funky machines when they come across it. The idea that a pen represented technology in the past, or many other simple services created to satisfy people, does not really spring to mind at first.

I have mixed feelings about technology because I love the things new toys can do, but at the same time, I love the old ones. I used to play up the trees and now I see children who don’t leave their homes and sit for too long.

Anyway, regarding technology I think the first one is my mobile phone. That is for a very simple reason. I like the idea of integration. For me to have a camera the music I like and a diary with the numbers of people I want to ring, is really good. I can't believe I used to memorize so many numbers! My brain must be deteriorating big time nowadays. The best part of it is the organizer. This is the only way I get to pay bills on time, send an invoice "boleta" on certain dates; etc. got it in 2012 and use it all the time.

The second item I'd like to mention is the external disc drive. I think when you have lost all your info because your PC died or because you got it stolen or whatever reason, it can be really tragic. That is why I learnt we need to save info on a safe place that "ideally" will not collapse or disappear. I have complete books, whole albums of good music, and lots of documents that have taken me hours to download or write myself and don't want to lose. I don't remember when I got this, but it was long ago. Could I live without them? Hell yeah! I would have to get used to it, that's all.

Describe your favourite piece of Technology. Upload a picture if you like. 
Remember to use wordreference.com 

Say:

- How you got it

- How long you have used it

-How often you use it

-Why you like it. Put a photo if you like. 

-Describe how life would be without it (160 words minimum)

Today write 1 comment on your teacher's blog and 2 or + Comments on your classmates'.

Dear all,
On this post I will explain how the blog work will be assessed.

Two marks will be averaged. Mark 1 is for continuous assessment (i.e. coming to class and posting IN class).If you come to class & write the right number of words, plus the ideas your are asked to express AND comments, you get 2 points. If you don't come to class & post from anywhere else within 24 hours, you get 1 point. After that there are no points,but you can still write for the sake of learning & because of mark 2.

Mark 2 is for 2 particular posts that will be evaluated in terms of (ideas (n° of words), word range & grammar). If the post is not there when it is marked, you get a 1.0 for that post. These 3 marks are evaluated and give an average final mark = mark 2.

Ps: You can use www.wordreference.com but NO translators.If you do the latter, you get a 1.0 & no points for your post. The worst of all, you don't learn. :(

MARK 1 +MARK 2= /2 = FINAL MARK

These two marks will be averaged and will give your final mark :) If you have any doubts, let me know.Kind regards,
Beatriz

likes and dislikes

I hope you feel like writing today. I’d like to tell you a bit about this image. To be honest, I found it hard to choose a special picture. This is because there are so many pictures I like and they are in so many different contexts. I decided to go for something nice and simple. I took this picture in July 2010. I was on holiday and my husband and I woke up at around 6 and decided to go for a walk. We walked from the place where we were staying to the next village around. The village was really funny because it was basically three houses and a post office. Anyway, everything was closed because it was so early. We took a lot of pictures of the sun rising. It was a beautiful moment. I’ll tell you why I like this photo in particular. It is a very simple picture but what I like about it, is the fact that it turned out just as I saw it on that morning. The light, the colors, the shadows, everything is exactly the way it was in my mind.

I love the way the sunlight hits the misty hills and you can see hills and more hills and more hills in the background. The image actually reminds me of the cover of a book I really enjoyed called “Ghostwritten” by David Mitchell. The nicest thing I can think of is that I had a lovely walk on a beautiful summer morning, breathing fresh air with someone I love.

Write about a special photograph you took or appear in. Include the following information. 

Say: Who took it- What it shows- When it was taken- Why you like it
Write a minimum of 120 words. Put a minimum of 2 comments. 

Upload it too!

Welcome bloggers!
I am Beatriz and I am a Eglish teacher and I have an ufinished MA in Education and applied linguistics..
I have a number of interest, mainly  vegetation and politics but I am also interest in health, particularly alternative medicine. I am also intocinema, literature and music. I like sports (although I dont do as much as I should) and meditation. My expectations for this semester are to see more of my sisters and play the guitar more.

I hope you enjoy improving your English by writing this semester :)

Your first task is to create a blog and to link all your classmates. Then you have to write an introduction of yourself  (minimum 60 words) and a comment on any blog.    To begin with, you need to create a gmail account.

First, go to blogger.com and follow the instructions.

Please remember to change the language during set up so that your blog is in English.

1. If you have a google account: sign in first, if you don’t have a google account: create a google account
2. Go to: http://www.blogger.com/
3. Click: create your blog now
4. Name your blog
5. Choose any template you like
6. Go to dashboard, scroll down to the bottom of the page & change the language to English.
7. Go to design, add a gadget, LINK LIST, and add names & links and when you have the last name linked, save. Ask the teacher if you are not sure.

7. Start posting (dashboard)

Hello Bloggers,


Please do the following activities. Follow instructions or ASK if you don't understand.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/word_order/sentences3.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/word_order/sentences5.htm

Listen to Cristina. Hide (esconde) the text. Do you agree with her?

http://elllo.org/video/1401v/1400-Christina-Learn-English.html

Listen to Vella and Daniel

http://elllo.org/english/1201/1250-Daniel-Childhood.htm

Now please do

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/word_order/sentences8.htm


http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/questions/question_words.htm


http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/questions/form.htm

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-simple-past.php

Listen to chapters 1 to 5 of the flatmates (TRY NOT TO READ TEXT)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode01/index.shtml


Do you agree with these definitions?

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/vocabulary-lesson-society.php

Continue with

http://www.englishaula.com/en/pet-reading-part-1-exam-2-cambridge-preliminary-english-test-exercise.html


Read and answer

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading_education.php

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-future-plan.php

http://www.examenglish.com/A2/A2_reading_daily_routine.htm

Visit Plataforma  And do activites of unit 22 :)

http://www.plataforma.uchile.cl/lapetus/2009/1/ingles/curso.php?id=296