Why I'm Studying....................................

Today I'd like you to write about why you decided to study the subject you chose to study. I studied modern languages at university. I didn't give in much thought actually. I studied as a mature student and I took the course because it was related to my área of work at the time - teaching English.
I had been living in Spain teaching English and I went back to Britain to do a TEFL qualification. Once I'd finished I started to notice that most good Jobs required a university degree. Anyway, a friend of mine taught on a modern languages course and he suggest that I apply.
I enjoyed studying. I made some good friends and one of the attractive things about the course was that I had to live in a foreign country for 12 months during my 3 year. This is how I first came to Chile. What I didn't like about the subject was that it was very business oriented. I chose courses related to literature and culture but I still had to do some courses on economics which I found very boring.
I think being a mature student made a big difference on how I approached studying. I didn't go out as much as my classmates and I spent more time in the library than the majority. Coming to Chile was obviously the best part of my student life. I spent a year as a Language Assistant in Universidad Metropolitain de Las Ciencias de La Educación (UMCE) and had a wonderful time. I think living abroad as part of my study programme was a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to learn. In my case, it was the beginning of a new period of my life that is still going on today.

Write about why you decided to study the subject you chose.
Say:
What factors influenced your decisión.
What you like about the subject
What you dislike about the subject,
What you intend to do once you graduate.

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

Something You Are Proud Of

Hi Blogheads.
Today I’d like to talk about something I am proud of. I know pride is one of the seven deadly sins but it isn’t always bad. Bad pride is bragging about something or – to use a common English saying - ‘blowing your own trumpet’. In another context, the feeling of satisfaction you get from having achieved something difficult or complicated could also be described as pride but it’s a very personal sensation. It could be from running a marathon, winning a prize at school, learning to drive or play a musical instrument, or simply from making someone else feel good. Well, one time I had this feeling was when I got my MA result. I foolishly did my MA by Distance Learning but because it was my only option. I couldn’t afford to take a year off to dedicate to studying. Additionally, I wanted to study in an English speaking university. Working full time and studying was a problem and took me 4-and-a-half years to finish a 3-year course. I took a 6-month break after the first module because I was overwhelmed. I also have to take a yearlong break after module 3 because of a stress related virus. Writing my dissertation was a nightmare but it was the part I was most proud of and was actually my highest mark. I often had to read and write all night and go to work without having slept. I cross-referenced a huge amount of sources but, despite the sleepless nights and days, I really enjoyed the experience. I wouldn’t like to do it again but I guess I’m proud I did a good job.

Write about something you are proud of.
Say:
What it is,
Why you are proud of it,
How difficult or easy it was,
Whether you would like to relive the experience.

Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

This is England - Review

Dont't forget!

A Movie I'd Like to Watch Again

Hi Blogheads.

Today I’m going to talk about a film I’ve seen that I’d like to watch again. I love watching films and there are a number of films I’ve seen more than once. Actually, there are some films that I’ve seen on numerous occasions: Mad Max 2 – 8 times in a weekend, Rumblefish – at least a dozen times, Brazil – a handful of times, and the list goes on. The last film I re-watched was Cloud Atlas. I saw it at the cinema when it came out (a friend gave me free tickets), and I saw it again on DVD about 2 weeks ago.

At the moment, I think the film I’d most like to see again is Fish Tank, a film about a young teenage girl growing up in a poor, working-class district of London. It’s a drama that really demonstrates some of the difficulties teenagers face growing up in modern society. My sister recommended the film to me and I went to see it in either Cine Arte Alameda or El Biogrofo in 2009. The film is a modern British social drama.  There are great performances from Katie Javis  - as Mia the dance-crazy teenager – and Michael Fassbender – as Connor, who is Mia’s mother’s boyfriend.  Child actor Rebecca Griffiths is also brilliant as Tyler – Mia’s foul-mouthed younger sister. I’d like to see this movie again because I really enjoyed the wonderful performances, because it reminded me of life in Britain, and because it was weirdly wonderful. The film is from 2009 and was directed by Andrea Arnold who also wrote and produced the excellent Red Road in 2006. Actually, that’s another film I’ve like to watch again:)

 

Write about a film you’d like to watch again.

Say:

When and where you say it for the first time,

What it’s about,

Who starred in the film,

Why you’d like to see it again. 

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 250 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of at least 3 classmates.

A Concert or Exhibition

Hi Blogheads: Today I'd like you to write about a concert or exhibition you went to. I'm going to tell you about the last gig (concert) I went to. So, on October 9th, I went to see Damon Albarn in Teatro Caupolican. It was a really great show. I was never really a fan of Blur, the group Albarn became famous with, but I liked the Gorilaz stuff and loved The Good, The Bad & The Queen. This concert featured songs from all of these sources plus tracks from Albarn's latest solo album - Everyday Robots. The musicians were top quality and they put on a fine show. The band were joined by special guests including a rapper, an 8-piece Gospel choir, and a Norwegian trumpet player. I liked the fact that the concert was varied. Damon had a really good connection with the audience and it was a great atmosphere - lots of sing-a-longs and friendly banter. Teatro Caupolican is a great place to see live acts, especially if you are in the standing area. It's a very intimate venue and this helped make Damon Albarn's gig something special. The only bad thing was that the crowd didn't encourage the band to do a second encore. This is a major flaw in nearly all the concerts I've been to here.

Write about a concert or exhibition you went to.
Say:
What (who) it was,
When and where it was,
Why you went,
What you liked about it,

Mention anything else you think is important. Write at least 250 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

Something you are reading

Hi Thursday Blogger,

Today I'd like you write about something you are reading at the moment. I often tend to read various things at the same time. I read the Guardian, a British newspaper, online everyday and novels, academic papers, mangas and comics (when I have time). I also have to read things students have written, essays, blog posts and that sort of think. Currently, I'm reading a novel called "The Bone Clocks" by my favorite (living) British autor David Mitchell. It's a sort of modern day fantasy/drama/thriller thing and although I've only read the first 50 pages or so, I'm really enjoying it. I'm reading it because I'm a big fan of Mitchell - I've read all six of his novels. It's a bit difficult to tell you what it's about at the moment because I'm still trying to get the gist of the story. It's Split into six different sections and I've just started the second one. The first was set in the 1970's and is about a 15-year old girl who runs away from home. She keeps having strange "day-mares" - like nightmares but that happen when you are awake. And in the last one a stange spirit is after her. She witnesses him killing some people she has met but is saved when another spirit enters her body. The second part, which I've just started, is about a 22-year old student at Cambridge University. He's quite well off and is a bit of a casanova. I think Mitchell's most weel-known novel is Cloud Atlas (El Atlas de Las Nubes) which was made into a film recently. That was also a great novel. Here's the tráiler:)
Write about something you are reading at the moment.
Say:
What it's called,
What genre it is (novel, academic, manga, newspaper, etc)
Why you are reading it,
Whether you are enjoying it,
What it is about.

Mention anything else that is important. Write at least 250 words. Leave a comment on your teacher's blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

A special talent

Hi Blogheads,

Today we're going to write about a special skill or talent. It could be playing a musical instrument, doing magic tricks or standing on your head (a yoga asna!). Anyway, I'd like to tell you about my wonderful sense of direction. For some reason, I rarely get lost. My wife says that I'm a human GPS, and I do seem to have some sort of sixth sense when it comes to finding my way around. I've travelled to different places and managed to get from one place to another with relative ease. Additionally, if I go back to a place for a second time, I have no problem in recalling routes I'd taken on my first visit. I've no idea how I developed this talent but I think it's quite useful. One or two other people have commented on this ability but often because it's something they don't do well. I guess your average person my not think it is anything special so I can't really make any comparisons.  I guess it’s been most useful when I’ve been visiting other Citys and Countrys but it’s also good for locating cars in crowded car parks:) Actually, I don't know anybody else with such a good sense of direction although I'm sure there must be others out there.
Maybe I should have been a taxi driver!!

Write about a special talent you have.

Say:
What it is,
Why it is useful,
What other people thing of your talent,
How you acquire this talent.

Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.