Useful vocabulary for the test

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....

blogging

Dear all,
This is our last post.
Today I'd like you to write about your blogging experience. Unfortunately, this has been a different experience since we did not manage to do all the post on the programme. However, it would be interesting to know how you feel about writing in English. We did not have time for feedback :(
How seriously did you take this?
How did you like writing on the blog?
Do you think it contributed to your writing in English
Did you enjoy reading your classmates' blogs?
Did you like reading/writing comments?
Are there negative aspects to it?
Include anything else you find relevant.

write a minimum of 195 words and write 3 comments+ a comment on your teacher's post.

Regards,
Beatriz

Personally, the first time I wrote on a blog I found it quite difficult. I was in a different country and I was going to write about why I felt eating animals was not right. It was difficult for me to think of how I would get the message across. How to find the right words without offending people and at the same time, challenging the classic views that you need meat, that it is good for you and the hidden fact that the meat industry pollutes the planet enormously.  So I started with the question,
would you ever eat your cat or dog? How are these animals different from others?

From then on I got inspired, my English was not that good so I had to think about it but I really enjoyed it. I liked the idea of sharing my thoughts and being read. I think the blog gives us the opportunity to think carefully, to ask if we need help and to read each other's ideas. I really like this part of it. Get to know what you think of things and how you view the world. I personally think that writing in any language is a good thing. You always learn something.
One thing I think about a lot is maybe the fact that I would like to write with other people on the same document. What do you guys think about the blog?

A programme

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 200 words. Leave a comment on 4 of  your classmates' blogs.

Free topic

Today you have a free topic
You decide what you write about.

Here is one idea but you are free to chose.

Today we have a free topic.

I will write about something I feel passionate about.

Minimum 200 words and 3 comments

There are a number of things I feel passionate about. But today I need to think of one.  I think probably learning is what I feel most passionate about. I consider myself a very inquisitive person, maybe not as in depth as I should. I also feel strongly about nature and travelling. I know some people take things these things for granted. To me visuals and sounds are so relevant. I feel nature somehow provides us with so many wonderful things at the same time. This is why camping or trekking are activities that fill me with joy, and so is travelling.   I love going out of the city and walk and hear the sounds of birds chirping, river water flowing, leaves rustling, etc.  I also love the colours of vegetation, shapes of clouds and colours of the sky.

Another thing I feel passionate about is travelling to different cultures. I have been lucky enough to travel a fair amount and seen some beautiful places. This passion has to do with exploring different cultures. I would say the most striking ones I have seen are those of Turkey and Japan. Simply because I feel both are completely different to ours. The way people relate to one another and how they relate to you as a foreigner is very different and for the same reason really interesting.  My next big trip will be to Russia one day I hope. I am really interested because I think it will be as shocking as the prior ones I mentioned.  

Today I thought somehow, we could refer to things that need changing. When I was at Uni, I remember that in general I was happy with the programme, but certainly not with some of the teachers. And the problem is no matter where you study, there are many bad teachers who will not go anywhere. It does not matter if students complain.

Now I will refer, in particular to a diploma a studied in PUC in 2011. The contents were good and, apart from a couple of teachers, they were very good. What really upset me at the time were two things. One was the fact that they would mark you absent if you were late. We are talking about people who came from work and sometimes would arrive late because of traffic or problems. And secondly, the fact that they would give you no photocopies and you had to read loads. I know photocopies are not particularly friendly with the environment but for me, reading has to be in paper most of the times because my eyes get tired. I put a formal complaint about this and they did not care at all. They said sorry, you have to print.

How about you?

Write about the things you are happy with at university.

What things need changing?

How these could be change?

Include anything else you find relevant. Write a minimum of 200 words. A comment on my blog and a comment on another blog. Thank you 😊

Santiago

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 especially in particular areas, the poorer boroughs  need more green areas and community centers .  This also applies for the whole city
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 200 words. Leave a message on at least 4 class blogs (These could include mine :). 

My presentation next week

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 a minimum of 200 words and 3 comments

A site

I love the internet.I love the fact that I can learn about anything I am interested in or just ask about particular things. I spend some time on the internet every day. I use google a lot, I use gmail, youtube, instagram and facebook sometimes, etc.

I am interested in politics even though I despise most politicians. Politics is present everywhere and in all areas, and I suppose I became interested the day I realized how Education was affected by political decisions. How educational research to a large extent was determined by the administration at the time. We make political decisions every day. 

A few years back, I was reading about genetically modified food and found a website by chance. www. ted.com is a site that initially showed 20 minute talks about different topics. Nowadays, it also shows different talks that can be shorter. There are many science related topics but also a lot of spiritual, nutricional and aesthetic themes.  www. ciperchile.cl. This website shows a lot of serious journalistic research that would never appear on TV.  I visit it every two weeks more or less.

Write about a website you like. Why you like it. How you discovered it and how often you visit it.

Write a minimum of 180 words. Post  3 comments on this or any blog J

Blog marking

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 2 PARTICULAR BLOG POSTS. THESE WILL BE SELECTED AND MARKED CONSIDERING LINGUISTIC ASPECTS.

mark 1 (50%)+ mark 2 (50%) = final blog mark

verb list

Dear all:

Today I’d like to tell you a bit about myself. When I finished school I decided I did not know what to do. 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 teachers. 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 needs constant training 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 pragmatics. The future of teachers looks more relevant all the time. I think we need to keep up with technology among other things because we will need to be more and more updated to connect with students. 

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. He has got a very clear way to express his ideas and they make a lot of sense to me.

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?

- Include this and more in your answer.

- 180 words minimum. One comment in this blog and one comment on a different blog 

A place

Hello Everyone:
Today I'd like to tell you about a place I have enjoyed. The truth is, I have been lucky enough to visit several places. Having said this, there are still a lot of places I'd like to visit in and outside Chile.
Even though there are many places in the north and south of our country I could mention, today I'll refer to a place that captivated my heart in 2010. This is a National park called “Abel Tasman” in the north of the south island of New Zealand. I guess the reason why I liked it so much has to do with many factors. It was a very particular day. It started really cloudy but it was sunny at times. I think it also rained at one point. I did a 4 hour walk through this park which had some really dry bits, some really wet parts, deserted bits, and dark areas. I also got to meet people from different places. I even got to hear some Chileans on the ferry.
The most amazing thing about it was the giant ferns. I’d never seen such big ferns before. They were actual trees (They are a national symbol). Moreover, I got to see a number of birds & insects and the whole scenery was awesome.
What I really like best about New Zealand in general is how “laid back” people seem. I guess it has to do with the fact that there are so few people (Around 5 million in the whole country!). You can travel for miles and not see anyone. I really like that.

Well, now it is time for you to share. You can use www.wordreference.com as a dictionary.

Write about a place anywhere in Chile or abroad  that you enjoyed visiting. Upload a picture.
Say:
When you went there
Who you went with
What you did there
Why you like this place
Post 3 comments on different class blogs.Mine or classmates  (150- 180 words Minimum)

Hello everyone,

Today’s task is to create your blog using blogger.com

If you have a gmail account, you can do it straight from there. If not, go to blogger.com and create it. Make sure you write things down so you don’t forget.

Once you have an URL for your blog, write it clearly on the whiteboard.

Go to Configuración “setting “ and change the language to English.

The next step is to link everyone in the classroom.

Go to design, then add a gadget and click on Link list. Now you can start adding everyone.

Once this is finished, continue with today’s task 

 A little intro:)

My name is Beatriz and I define myself as a fairly relaxed person most of the time. I value the simple things in life. I think one individual can do a lot of things on a daily basis to help others. I am interested in social issues and also in politics. I wish there were more hours in the day to do more stuff.

I love animals (I don't eat them :), arts, swimming and pilates, academia to a certain extent, and above all, I love travelling to new places and that is one thing I have done.

I practice meditation but not as often as I’d like to. One of the trips I want to make one day is India. However, all the poverty scares me a bit.
Put a comment on this blog and one of your classmates' blogs