My experience learning english at the university

Want it or not, learning English is very important today in a lot of aspects of the life, for example in the academic field, because you need it to learn about what other people is researching, being communicate with other professionals, etc. Despite I don’t like this so much, because I like my native language, I have to face the fact that today is important learning English (or mandarine Chinese), and I think It’s also a university’s duty making sure that all the current students have the possibility of learning English, especially when the secondary education is so unequal in Chile, but my point of view is that this objective is not being fulfill: ¿is the university achieving this? Or ¿are the students taking advantage of the space that University is giving us?

In first place I think an important factor to considerate is the big differences of the English levels that we, as students, are bringing from the school, because that’s what defines your future classification on one of the four levels that the university has. Then, a second factor is affecting the problem: the low motivation that students usually have about learning the language. Then, those who started on level 1, are not going to be as good as an student who started on level 4, even though he or she has done an approved the 3 previous levels. Then we can understand why the differences in the language manage are so big between students.

In second place, is fundamental to talk about the students and their motivation (o not) for English. We usually don’t take seriously the english topic, making just what is necessary to have relatively good marks, and finally approving the signature, but there in most of cases there isn’t a real interest for the language, no thoroughness in the study. I’ve been thinking a lot in this particular point, trying to understand the reason of why I wasn’t taking advantage of this, and I think this is principally my problem, or, in general, a problem of the majority of the students. But also, I think the signature could be more dynamic, giving more works, maybe making more projects and things like that than shorts exercises that doesn’t really motivate people to learn and enjoy English.

As a conclusion, I think English in university, or, at least at mine, because is the one I care about, should be re-think with the objective of being more motivating, so students put more motivation on the study of the topic, the levels results like they would so the inequality disappear, and finally… we can all really learn the language, considering its important to our professional and maybe even daily future.

Money

I don’t really want to be wealthy, but I would love to win or inherit a lot of money. I don’t know actually what I would use it for, but I think I would pay the career for me and my brothers, buy my parents a house, buy myself a house, maybe help some closer friends or family, and then I would make a long trip.
Besides those things, I don’t know what I would invest my money in if I still had more, because I’m not interested on business or in earning a lot, so I think I would have I life with a few luxuries, buy it would be basically the same.
I think money is not a big preoccupation for me in this days, but it’s easy for me to say this, because my family had always supported me in this aspect, despites we have had better and worse moments, but we have never had real and serious problems, so that it can be the cause that I don’t care about it too much. The only money I care a lot about these days is the one for paying the university, but that is a problem I would have to care about in a few years, so I can be relaxed about it right now. I don’t expect to have a life as wealthy as it has been until now; I want something much simpler, maybe not in Santiago but in a rural town in the south, because I am conscious that as an anthropologist I probably would never earn big quantities of money, and I don’t have any problem with that.

Ecology and environment

I think when we talk about environment, people usually don’t know a lot about it, about different ways of taking care of it and the simple things they can do to be better with the environment. In other countries the thing is more internalized, people know about it, and they act consequently to this, but I think there are also other factors besides the low information and interest, like the life style or the economic situation you have, for example, a lot of environmentally friendly products are more expensive than the ones which contaminate more, another example of this is being vegan, because the special food that you need to have a balanced diet is expensive too. Also the Chilean idiosyncratic prefers having an easy life, than an ecological one. Despite of this, I think there are a lot of cheap and easy ways of taking care of the environment, like no throwing garbage to the floor, thing that we may considerate very basic, but in a lot of places it isn’t. Also, there are activities where we can be ecological at the same time we do a good thing for ourselves and our bodies, and help to clear the streets, like biking instead of using the car or the public transport.
I think that we just need to want the ecological style of life to really have it, look for different tips, and change little attitudes and activities, but a different case is to introduce this in places where there is not even a little of environmental conscience, that’s why I think it's important to work this matter with kids all around the country, special in those places with less access to internet and other media, ‘cause this topic has now an importance on that spaces, so the kids of the more isolated places are the ones who know the less about this, and the ones who can change the attitude of the rest of the people in their community.
In my case, I used to use a lot the bike, and lately there's something I am taking up again, not only for ecological reasons, but for health and well-being. I am a scout, so enjoying the nature is a really important thing for me, not only to live daily, but to teach other people. With my scout group we have done a few projects with kids in different towns, like Cañete, Calen (Chiloé), and other places where we have to work this topic with them, trying to make them more interested in this matter.
I think in Santiago, and all the country, the authorities have to start taking care of this, star giving the message in schools and publicity, and start regulating the industries and cars, and then all the society would be worried and making something for the environment.

My high school education

About my high school experience, I can say for sure it was an excellent one. I was in the same school since 1997, and I really liked it. The thing that makes my school so good for me, was the importance that they give to non-traditional subjects, like literature, visual arts, music, social sciences, etc. My favorite subject was literature, because it was really interesting and I had incredible teachers, one of them I am still in contact with, talking about university, and staff like that. My teachers in general were very good, and because of the personalized education system that my school has, they always care about you, not only as a student, but as a person, trying to help you in all the fields and not only in the academicals. Also an important thing was the flexibility in the program that gave you the option of adapting the program, for example, I had humanistic and artistic interests, so they allowed me to be in the humanistic program and take some artistic subjects anyway, so it was a great opportunity to develop my skills and interests. I think all the things I had just mention, affected in a strong way my posterior decisions, because having the option of increasing my interests at the same time that my environment was worried about me and my development, make the process much more integral, but I understand this is not an option for the majority of the Chilean children. I think the principal way of making the education better in this country, is giving it the importance it deserve, and spending the money that is necessary to give a quality education, that consider all the aspects of the person, and integral education that develop the person in every way. A problem of my education was the academic level, maybe I need a pre-university to come here, but I think it is not really significant, because when your abilities are developed, learning new things isn’t difficult, that why I think integral education is so important.

Education and Rehab

Prisoner education must focus on rehabilitation
by Pat Jones

The author of the article talks about the importance of education in prisoner’s rehab process, because of its possibility of cutting recidivism. She is criticizing an article written by the education minister, which doesn’t really understand the implications of the process, and the need to give prisoner’s education a fundamental place. An example of that is the resource’s cut that is forcing to reduce the quality of prison education, cutting jobs and classes, because she thinks that a really good way of saving money and improving the society is giving the prisoners a good chance of reintegrating society. Also, she thinks this education has to be more than just teaching basic skills, it has to open the prisoner real employ options, and make him or her to choose and develop the skills that they want to, guide by their vocational paths. This opportunity to find a new direction for their life, is a real and sure option to rehab, so, the acquisition of basic skills is good, but it’s only a beginning.
The minister’s article also shows a typical prejudice of prisoners, saying that their education level is always low, and their intelligence, limited. In the reality, says the author, a lot of the prisoners didn’t have a good education level, but they make rapid progress and show themselves really interested on learning, in fact, there are many stories about prisoners who have make significant progress, in some cases on acquiring just low-level knowledge or basic skills, and in others with complex and difficult skills or knowledge, like professional degrees.
The big problem is that the government is trying to improve the results without being willing of spending more money on it, without considering how much many prisoners want to change and find a new direction for their life.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/05/prison-education-focus-rehabilitation

my favourite movie

I don't really know which my favorite movie is, because I always like watching a lot of movies, and I have a really bad memory, so I forget a lot ot the things I watch or read, but I think one that I really like is the science of sleep (La Science des rêves in French, and La Ciencia del sueño en español). The principal characters Stéphane (Gael García) and Stéphanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Stéphane is a really shy boy with amazing creative abilities, who has a job that doesn’t allow him to develop them, so with his great imagination and creativity he creates a world in the middle of dreams and reality. Here he will start creating a relationship with his neighbour Stéphanie, who will be part of this dream/reality mix. The story happens in France, when Stéphane come back to his mother’s house from Mexico, where he was living. My favrite part of the movie is when Stéphane start dreaming, because the places and situations he creates are incredibly nice, and also when he starts dreaming in the reality because it’s eccentric and bizarre. Sometimes for example he changes the reality, the people appearances and put them giant hands or strange clothes or things like that. The principal reason of why I like it’s because of how it shows the importance of imagination, and the possibility of creating new things from it. I also loved that it create so many amazing things with the mind and simple things that we always have, because it made me remember how much I liked creating things and expressing myself through the art.

About Santiago...

I think Santiago has a lot of things to see and do. I think the first thing anyone has to see in Santiago is the center of the city, all the historic buildings and important places like the ones near Plaza de Armas, to appreciate the architecture and the beauty of these places. In second place, to know about our gastronomy and enjoy the flavors and products of our land, is important to visit the Mercado Central, where you can eat fish and other sea products, and a lot of typical Chilean plates. In third place, a beautiful natural place to know in Santiago is the Mahuida Park, where you can enjoy the nature, make picnics, walk up the hill, and do more adrenaline activities, like bungee and things like that. Also, if you are interested in arts you should visit the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and then walk around, knowing the Parque Forestal, and Barrio Lastarria. In the art aspect I think an important place to visit is Matucana 100, because there you can see not only the traditional or more museum-kind art that is in Bellas Artes. Here you can know more about different artists, some of them younger and with creative art concepts. Finally, if you want to go party, you can always go to a place in Bellavista, for example, if you like salsa you can go to Maestra Vida, or if you just want a beer and talk with your friends there are also a lot of places where you can go in the same area.
It’s important to remember that Santiago has great places to have real good times, and knowing more the place where we live.

A hidden new

I haven't really heard a lot about this new, or at least never accidentally, because it has been kind of hidden for the media. Since I knew about the mapuches on hunger strike, I started looking for more information, because the radio, tv and newspapers weren’t saying anything about it, but in some internet websites I found the information I was looking for. They are around 31 people, from different parts of the country, but principally from the IX and VII regions. They have been not eating for more than 50 days, because they are asking to be judge for the civil law and not for the antiterrorist law that is being applied to them, without considering that that law was created in dictatorship. Also, big problems with that law, is that you are not “innocent until proven otherwise” like in the regular cases, and also, that the witness is anonymous so you can’t know who is blaming you. To all the problems already mentioned we can add the discrimination problem, because with the prejudge that actually exists against the mapuches, just for being accused of burning a house, (with an anonymous witness which you can’t argue with or at least knowing if you know this people, if he or she lives in your town, or whatever) you are immediately guilty… so it’s really unfair, and a violation to the human rights. I think it’s really impressive, because of many things. In first place because I noted how much can the Medias control our life and our knowledge of the world, second, because I understand how this government can speak and refer a lot of other country problem (like the man in hunger strike in Cuba for example) and be totally quiet about our problems, third because I wonder when this country is going to be really a just place if our authorities can’t even talk about our problems, and even less taking the responsibility and working for this people and all the repressed ant not listened ones.

France

If I have the opportunity to travel to anywhere I want to, I don't know what would I choose, but right now I think France would be a good possibility. I would like to visit France because I had always liked the language and all the art and cultural options, and because my cousin lives there since like 20 years, so I just know him this year, when he visit Chile for first time in a lot of time. He is really great, and I like his way of looking the life in general. About France I know it is a beautiful country, with important intellectual and artistic centers, and also, I know it has beautiful beach, like in Biarritz (in the picture), Where my cousin lives. In France I would like to work at first, hopefully in a cinema, a library or an art gallery or something like that, even if I have to do a boring work, and then get used to the language and the life style, and may be study, but I’m not really sure of that… Anyway, I would like to travel a lot, knowing places and people and of course giving my cousin a very long visit.

First semester

The last semester was a very good one in many aspects despite a lot of things that made it more difficult, like the earthquake and other things.
In the university it was a good term… my classes weren’t the most interesting, but at least one or two of them were really great, and I learned a lot, so despite it was really, really difficult, (specially at the end) it was ok. Also with my university friends it was a great semester, I get closer to them, and knew a lot of things about them, what was really good, because with the difficult semester we had on the academic field, having us each other, was really supportive.
In another aspect, with my family things were so much better than the last year, a lot of things started to work, and that was good for everyone.
Another thing that made the semester more difficult was having my boyfriend far, but our relationship worked really well anyway, so despite it was a big challenge for both of us, it finally ended well. I missed him a lot, but having him away give me more time for being with my friends, my family, and also, more time to rest and be alone, so it wasn’t so bad despite now I’m so much happier of having him here in Santiago.
I think all the things I did the last semester worked pretty well, the relations with my family and friends, the projects I worked on, like scout and the academic things, etc. It was finally, a really good semester.

SECOND SEMESTER

task 11

My blogging Experience

When I knew I had to write a blog I didn’t think like.. what a great thing! But now that I think about it, I have enjoyed a lot writing the blog, for many reasons. In first place, I have liked it because I think it has been the most usefull thing for learning english during the semester, it has made me think about many things I’m used to talk about, but in a different lenguage, with different concepts, and present me the challenge of translating opinions or points of view, what has been dervy difficult for me. In second place I have liked a lot the topics that we have written of, especially the last ones, because at the begining we write a lot about the career, and it was boring because when you have been all the day thinking and listening about anthropology, you don’t want to think about that, and in a different lenguage, but then, we start writting about interesting things, like our likes, experiences, and things that I love to talk about. Despites I didn’t like writting about anthropology, I think it was important to, because translating academic concepts, and explaining complex ideas, for me, the most difficult thing of using english.

Using this king of topics, the academic and the nonacademic ones, is very usefull for learning english. The first ones, because, like I just said, thinking in theoretical terms in english (or in any not-native lenguage) is really difficult, at least for me, because finding the exact concept that you need is not easy. In the other hand, the nonacademic topics, were important for learning too, because makes you not only to translate, but to think everyday things in english.

Like I have said, there are many advantages of writting a blog, and it is really usefull for the incorporation of the lenguage. Maybe a disadvantage is that, for those that don’t have a good english level is, maybe, much more difficult that for those who already knew at least a little of english, because it’s like a personal process, and the teacher help you when you need it, but it is still difficult.

So, writting the blog has been a good and usefull experience for me.

task 10

The World Cup

Southafrica 2010

Personally I like the Football World Cup, despite I’m not really a big fan of football, I mean… I like it but not like I’m going to die if I don’t see a match or things like that. I like it principally because I think it is a happyness party, a lot of people arround the world are looking at their teams, giving them forces, encouraging them, and expecting for them to give all in the matches.

Tomorrow is the first match of Chile in the World Cup, against Honduras, and I will see it in my house with my big brother, his girlfriend, my little brother, his friends, and maybe my friends… but no with my mom and dad because they have to be in work so they’ll see it there. My big brother says it’s bad luck to see the matches out side home, because we allways see Chile’s matches at home with my brothers, parents, and our friends, but I’m not really sure, because I didn’t se the match with Colombia (in which Chile clasificated to the World Cup) at home, but in a friend’s house, so I don’t know if it would be for good or bad luck!

I really don’t know what to expect from the chilean team, I really belive in their capabilities and skills, and I think they can take them really far, but there are also a lot of external factors that are involved in the winning of the match… so I hope the players to be really concentrated in the game, and quiet, because that coopled with their talent can give them the victory.

I think it’s relevant for the country because it make everybody to have a common purpose and to cheer our football selection together.

task 9

I don't know if this is my favourite photograph, but I know it represents one of the things I love the most in my life. I'm scout since I was 10, and now I am guide of children between 15 and 17 years. I don't really know who took the photo, but it was taken last summer, and on it appear all the children members of Intichinkay (the name of our ruta) in Calen, a town in Chiloé where we did our last summer camp. There we work with the local kids, making activities and games for developing their expresivity and care for enviroment.
I like it because of many reasons, the firt one is that the group on the picture was particularly difficult to working with the last year, we had a lot of troubles during the year, but then in the summer, it was as it was all right, like if we had have an intense year, with a lot of advances, so, despite it wasn't like that during the year, in the summer they make incredible advances, they show us they care about the group, that they had a commitment and principally, that they wanted to live the service, that is essencial on this scout unit. The most important thing on Intichinkay is to belive in freedom, frienship, commitment and humility, and to apply this to the community life, and serving inside the community and outside of it, trust in the reciprocity.
The second reason why I like it is because we were doing and amazing job in Calen, it was a really small town, with like 50 people, and despites it wasn’t what we were expecting (we only work with like 10 kids, and we were waiting like 40) it was a great experience.

task 8

My favorite trip

I did my favorite trip last december. I went to Torres del Paine, a national park on the chilean Patagonia, like 2 or 3 hours far from Puerto Natales. I went with my boyfriend, we went on airplane to Punta Arenas, and then in bus to Puerto Natales, an finally another bus to Torres del Paine. It was really special for many reasons. In first place I think I had never seen such beautiful places, It's definetly the most incredible national park I had visited. Another reason because it was a great trip, is because I did it with my boyfriend, and when we come back he moved out of Santiago for like 8 months, so it was an important trip to unite us more to each other. We stayed in Patagonia for a week, we arrived at night to Punta Arenas, we slept there, and the next day we walk arround, knowing a little the city, and in the afternoon we took the bus to Puerto Natales, we slept there and early in the morning we took the bus that would take us to Torres del Paine. We stayed there for 4 days, and then we went back to Punta Arenas, and finally to Santiago. In the park the mostly walk... like 78 km in total, doing the "W" circuit. It isn't the biggest circuit, but considering the time we had it was imposible to do the "O" circuit. I knew really beautiful places like Grey glacier or French valley.

task 7

My favourit music group

Calle 13

I really don't know which is my favourite group, I like music, and I love really different kinds of it, but I want to write about one that is particularly different from the others.

Calle 13 is one of my favourites music group, y love their style, their song's letters and rythms.

Calle 13 play "urban music", despites a lot of people think they are reggaeton players, but they hate it, actuyally, they have songs against it. The urban rythm is kind of like reggaeton or hip hop, but with different content.

Their career started in 2005, when they made their first album called "calle 13", then they made "Residente o Visitane" and "Los de atrás vienen conmigo". At first they were very like reggaeton, just fun music, and then, when they have a big public they developed more their critical style.

The thing I like the most about Calle 13 is actually that, the critical character of their letters, despites a lot of people can think they are not serious, but I think the singer, René had shown he is seoursly, and he is not scared of criticizing, and that's something that big artists that are inserted in the hegemonic system never do, and I think it's good, because they have a lot of reach, people that listen them, and maybe never think about the things they sing.

My favourite songs are Electromovimiento, Que lloren and Pal Norte. The first is just really fun to me, I love listening, I like the rythm and the letter, Que lloren is a strong critic to the reaggeton singers, and Pal norte talks about the immigrants, identity, colonialism, and staff.

Task 6

My favourite piece of technology

My favourite piece of technology is my ipod. An ipod is a music reproductor that you can use everywhere. To use it, you connect it to your computer and you can upload 4gb of music (in my ipod's case). I use my ipod almost every day, but some times I spend a long time not using it, because I forget to charge it. I listen music from it when I’m in the bus or subway, when I’m riding my bike, etc. I use it principaly when I’m traveling, especially when I’m coming to university. I like it for many reasons, the first, is that it allow me to be concentrate when I’m on noisy places, so I can read in the way to home, which is really important because when you have a lot of things to read, using the traveling time is good so you can have some free time later. In second place, I like it because when I’m listening music with headphones is like nothing else is making noices, it’s like it give me a moment of don’t think particulary on nothing, a moment to just enjoy music. If i wouldn’t have an ipod or another music reproductor (I don’t care what kind of music reproductor it is, I just need it to play music well) I think nothing would be really different, but I just wouldn’t have the chance of being concentrate in the way to home, or listening music while I’m going anywhere.

task 5

My favourite food

My favourite food is chorrillana. Chorrillana is a tipical plate of chilean cuisine, specifically of Valparaiso’s gastronomy. In Valparaíso, there is a restaurant called J Cruz, and here is where the best chorrillanas are maken. In other places in Valparaiso and all across the country you can find chorrillanas too, but the original place where chorrillana was born is J Cruz, and they made unquestionably the best one.

Chorrillana contains a lot of fries, cooked onion, fried eggs, and minced meat. That is the original one, because in other places (not in J Cruz) they add other ingredients. To prepare chorrillana you have to cook all the ingredients independently, the fries and eggs fried on oil, the meat however you want (fried, roast, etc.) and the onion cooked on water. Once you have each ingredient ready, you put them together and mix them.

I like chorrillana because is very simple to do, and is really good and tasty. Also, I like it because I like Valparaiso and going there, and I think eating on J Curz makes the travel much more better. Besides, I like it because when I go out with my school’s friends to talk about our studies and personal things we like to eat chorrillana together.

task 5

Walter Benjamin


He was a german-jewish sociologist and philosopher, who born in july 15 of 1892 and died in September 27 of 1940. He lived in the first half of the twentieth century, so is very obvious the influence that te historical context had in his history concept, because of the devastation of the first world war, and the begining of the Nacional Socialism and its entrance in the power.

Benjamin's most important work are the Theses on the Philosophy of History, where he speaks primarily about story development and the role of the individual in this. As a sociologist and cultural critic, Benjamin combined ideas drawn from historical materialism, German idealism and Jewish mysticism.

I admire him because of the incredible theory that he developes and becausse of the good decisions that he makes, not considering some elementes of K. Marx theory, or G. Hegel theory, and taking some importants parts of their theories that he considered that should be in his theoretical sistem.

task 3

I have to write about the last movie I saw, while I'm feeling really bad, so I hope this post to be interesting and coherent despite how bad I feel. The last movie I saw was "El secreto de sus ojos". It was about a crime story. The detective was deeply interested in the crime and he search with real passion an answear to the mistery. I don't know a lot about cine actors, I don't even know the hollywood's ones, luckly some chileans, but I'm reading on internet that the principal actor is called Ricardo Darín. I loved his interpretation, and the way that he takes the character. I think I liked the movie becsause of the way the story is developing, how the characters relates to each, how you discover more clues, and the end, that is really striking. I was also impressed about the heavy images on the movie, for example, one of a girl abused and raped, was shocking.

task 2

At february 26 night I went to a friend house with other friends, we were talking, laughing, and stuff... when suddenly, the house started shaking, lightly at first. One of my friends start saying... "it is trembling..." and, when she noted that it wasn't stopping she started getting more nervious... so I open the doar, everyone started going out, but I went to take mi bag before leaving. Later, after speaking with my family, I started thinking about my boyfriend. He is living since december in Tirúa, a town near Concepción, and somebody turn on a radio, then I listened that the epicenter was near Concepción... and I freaked out... I start trying to call him... but it didn't work. It didn't work neither during the twelve hours next to the earthquake, so I was really skared... but at 4 p.m. of Saturday my boyfriend's mother called to tell me that she finally had knews of him, he was fine.

task 1

My name is Trinidad, I am 19 years old, I live in Santiago and now I'm studing Anthropology at Universidad de Chile. I'm starting my second year at the university. I decided to study anthropology because I think that is the career that is more close from what I spected of my university studies, I mean, I didn't knew a lot of what it was, I didn't knew any anthropologyst, but I thinked that it was the right career considering my interests.
I pretend to write every tuesday at this same time, and I hope to practice my english and get better, and also write interesting things for people who read it.