Blog Session 7

Dear Class,

As this is the last blog, please write about your blogging experience in 200 words approximately.

a) Did you enjoy it? Why? Why not?
b) Did it help you improve your English?
c) Give your opinion of the pros & cons of blogging in your English class.

Best wishes,

Belén

Blog Session 6

Dear Class,


Today, you're free to decide what to blog about. Once you choose the topic, clarify what you want to say about that topic, answering questions like what is, how, why or when.
Write 170 words minimum and don't forget to write at least three comments on your classmates' blogs.


Good luck,


Belén

10 minute survey

Dear Class,


Please help us to complete this survey, it won't take more than 10 minutes.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BDFSNCT

Thanks!


Belén 

Blog Session 5

It’s not easy to choose one photograph I like to write about. There are so many to choose but it’s easier if I think of black and white photos. I definitely prefer black and white and I love going to the lab and develop my own pictures.

This photo was taken by Luis Poirot, a well-known Chilean photographer, and that day Víctor and Luis were near Cerro Blanco, trying to obtain a photo for Víctor’s new album cover. Here you can see part of the complete photograph. I found this copy on the internet but on my wall, I’ve got the original and it’s bigger. Apart from Víctor Jara holding his guitar, and the old lady behind him, you can a see a boy to the left, right next to Víctor, looking at the camera. And you can also see the entire guitar Víctor is holding. The difference between this picture and the one I have is that in the one on my wall, Víctor is not looking at the camera.

This photo was taken in 1968 or 1969. According to Luis, the photographer, this photo wasn’t authorized by the Communist party, so Víctor’s new album cover for “Pongo en tus manos abiertas” was the one – that you might have seen- with two palms.

Finally, I really like this photo because Víctor Jara is in it. I admire him and I respect everything he was and did.

Blog Session 5 instructions

Dear Class,


Write about a photograph you like and say:


a) Who took it
b) What it shows
c) When it was taken
d) Why you like it
e) Upload the photo too


Good luck!


Belén

Blog Session 4

Dear Class,

This time you can choose what to blog about. Write 140 words minimum and remember to leave comments on at least three of your classmates' blogs.Here you have an example of how you can organise what you want to say.

If you want to write about "Mass Media connections with major corporations", you should outline the following:

What is mass media

Mass media influence in Politics

Mass media influences in Chile

You can have three paragraphs to develop these three ideas and voilá your post is ready!

Good luck,

Belén

Life without music would be a mistake

Dear All,


Check this out:

This an international band, they sing in three different languages and I think they are original. The other band is from Brazil again and if you like U2, maybe you'd like this:

Belén

Blog Session 4

Dear Class,

This time you can choose what to blog about. Write 140 words minimum and remember to leave comments on at least three of your classmates' blogs.Here you have an example of how you can organise what you want to say.

If you want to write about "Mass Media connections with major corporations", you should outline the following:

What is mass media

Mass media influence in Politics

Mass media influences in Chile

You can have three paragraphs to develop these three ideas and voilá your post is ready!

Good luck,

Belén

My favourite piece of technology

I must begin by saying I do have a love/hate relationship with technology. Talking to my friend Chris who’s working in Yemen through Skype is fantastic, but at the same time I think it's not necessary to give technology an incredible amount of importance in your life.

In terms of technology, what I use the most are mp3 players. Last week I lost the one I got three years ago so I’m planning to get a new one as soon as I get paid.

I like mp3 players because of their size, you can carry them everywhere you go and some of them have very original designs as well. I use my mp3 every day mainly because I can listen to music. Also, it’s useful to keep my favourite family pictures, all the files I need for work and my studies, and videos of course.

I can imagine my life without an mp3 but now that I’m used to this piece of technology, I think I’d need something similar, specially to continue enjoying music!

Blog Session 3

Write about your favourite piece of technology.

Say:

What it is.
When you got it.
How you use it.
How often you use it.
Why you like it.
What life would be like without it.


Remember:

- 130 words minimum.
- Include a picture.
- Comment on at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs.

Good luck!

Belén

My favourite singers from Brazil

Dear All,

I’m going to write about a singer, who I first listened to because of the film “Fast & Furious 5”, which is not the kind of film I like but as it has Brazil as a setting, and I’m interested in Brazilian culture, I decided to give it a try plus I had nothing else to watch that day.

This singer is called Obando D2 and in this song he sings with a girl called Claudia but I haven't found out who she is. The name of the song is “Desafabo deixa eu dizer”, which means “Relief let me tell you” or something like that. I know very little about this singer but I think he's been singing for a long time because he has more than one hundred songs. He’s in hip-hop and he’s just one of many singers who rap about the situation in Brazil, about poverty and crime in thefavelas. After listening some of his songs I can say this is my favourite song because of the lyrics, as you could read in the video, he talks about what is to live in a favela and how he’d like Brazil to be.

I know this is only about one singer but I can’t help including Antonio Carlos Jobim, one of my favourite bossa nova singers. Here you have my favourite song by him, “Desafinado” or "Out of tune"

Belén

Blog Session 2

Dear Class,

Today's theme is connected with music! Please write about a singer/band you like or a concert/exhibition you've been to.

If your choice is a band or singer, please include the following:
- 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


or, if you're writing about a concert or exhibition, include this:

- what was it?
- when did you go?
- where was it?
- why did you like it?
- mention more details about it
- publish a related picture or video

In any case, write 120 words minimum and make 3 comments on your classmates posts.

Good luck!

Belén

Blog Session 1

This time please write "My autobiography" as a title and then include:


Birth information
Studies (elementary, secondary, university, others)
Family
Hobbies
Others (travelling, likes and dislikes)


in 120 words minimum and don't forget to make comments on three of your classmates' blogs. You can always include pictures, if you want.




Best,


Belén

Welcome back to English

Dear Class,

This semester we'll write nine posts so I hope you enjoy this new experience. We'll be all reading each others blogs so you get to write comments on your classmates' blogs as well. Please remember every time you post in the class, you also have to write comments on at least three of your classmates' blogs.


Best of luck,

Belén

My autobiography

My full name is María Belén Farías Gutiérrez but nobody calls me María Belén. I’m Belén, a single Chilean woman, I’m 32 years-old and I live in Santiago. I’m from Chile and I was born in the capital city, on a rainy day, on May 22^nd, 1979. We’re a five-member family, my parents plus my brother, sister and I; and both my sister and brother are older than me. My brother Felipe is the oldest and then my oldest sister, Male, which makes me the youngest. I also have a younger step-brother, Mauricio, who’s 16 and a younger half-sister, Mariajosé, who’s 4. My parents got divorced in 2004 and in the same year I left home and went travelling to Europe for a couple of months so I could visit some of my friends there.

I studied in the same school for twelve years and I’m still in contact with most of my classmates. After that, when I was 17, I worked sporadically and studied English for a year because I didn’t know what to study as a career but I finally decided I wanted to be a translator. I graduated as a translator in 2001 and then studied Pedagogía en inglés so I became an English teacher in 2005.

I really like music and sports. I play capoeira, practice yoga and rock climbing but I can’t go climbing as often as I’d like to. I love dancing too and I don’t mind trying to learn new rhythms. I enjoy singing and I try to learn new songs in different languages. Also, I’ve tried to learn how to play some instruments but regularly I just play the tambourine.