1.My English progress from 2009-2011

My first composition is my letter presentation which I wrote at the beginning of first of batxillerat. In this letter I explained my future aims, something about me, my family, my hobbies, what I expected to do…

To tell the truth, I like it more than the compositions that I’m doing now, because I talked about what I really wanted to talk about. On the contrary, the compositions which I’m writing now, are about social topics, things that are interesting for the entire world…

My last composition talks about renewable energies in general and the benefits that they have given to society. I also talk about these kind of energies: wind power, hydropower, geothermic… finally, I give my opinion about it, which is that they improve the environment.

Looking at these two compositions I realize that there are a lot of differences between them:

First of all, now the content is more mature than before, because during 1^st of batxillerat my compositions talked about my future, my childhood, my friends… and now I talk about bulimia, abortion, renewable energies, Japan… So, these are interesting topics which are important to society.

Secondly, I haved improved my language because now I use more technical words, linkage words, connectors…

For example: in my first composition, I talked like a twelve years old girl, because I think I said things so immature, such as: “my hobbies are: going out with my friends, shopping, listening to music, surfing the internet…”. My world seems to be pink, and that’s good, but I think that my work now is more elaborated than before. On the other hand, in my composition of renewable energies I used more technical words, more linkers, the structure of the content is much better…

My first oral presentation was about my summer job because the topic which we have to talk about was optional and I chose this. I did it well but it was my first oral presentation alone, so I was more nervous than the other presentations: I remember I was always looking at my teacher, sometimes I read my notes (although I studied what I had to say), I didn’t do any movements or gestures to hold the attention of my classmates and sometimes I didn’t know how to continue the oral presentation.

My last presentation was during the second term, because this term I haven’t done any. It was about plastic surgery. The content was quite good but I remember that on this day we have a very difficult exam and I didn’t study so much what I had to say. However I made some gestures and my pronunciation was quite well (better than the first time) and my level of English was better.

So, there are some differences between these two oral presentations, and I’m happy to see that I have improved in some ways, for example: I have improved my pronunciation because before I didn’t know how to pronounce some words, my fluency, I do more movements, gestures, I try to hold the attention of my classmates, I work more on my presentations and now they are more mature and the topics are more interesting.

2.My English COMPETENCE in 2010

The oral evidences that I have chosen are the podcast that I did with Laura about Japan and the oral exam:

http://lauraaasblooog.blogspot.com/2011/03/podcast-maria.html

http://maariaa8.blogspot.com/2011/05/reader-exam.html

The written evidence that I have chosen is the composition which is about HOME, the documentary that we watched on the English class:

http://maariaa8.blogspot.com/2011/05/home.html

I have chosen this podcast for many reasons:

First of all, because of the topic, it talks about nuclear disaster and the tsunami that Japan has suffered. I think that this caused a world reaction and the entire world was emotionally affected by this.

Secondly, I have chosen this because of the dialogue. To write this, on the one hand, we have to think like a Japanese girl who has suffered this disaster and who lost her family and on the other hand, we have to think like a reporter who has lived this situation personally.

Thirdly, because it shocked us a lot. These kinds of things show that although there are countries which are developed, they also suffer big disasters like poor countries such as Haiti. Of course, the consequences were more important in Haiti because buildings in Japan are very strong because they can support the earthquakes.

Finally, I have chosen it because of my theater representation: we enjoyed the time recording this podcast a lot, we laughed so much because I have to cry to show that I’m very sad. I think that it’s positive because in my opinion, learning enjoying yourself is so good.

I have also chosen the oral exam because it is the activity that I like so much:

The most important thing is that I have learnt a lot of vocabulary, phrasal verbs, new words, pronunciation… because I have to look for a lot of new words. I have also to summarize the book and to answer the questions to prepare the exam better.

In my point of view this is the activity that is more useful to me.

Talking about written evidence, I have chosen HOME because I like this documentary a lot, not only for the explanation, but the images too.

I have compositions that are quite well but this is special. On it, I talked about the different kind of problems that the earth and the world suffer for many reasons:

On the one hand, it is because of pollution, nuclear power disasters…

On the other hand, it is because of humans who don’t get conscious about the problems that our planet suffers.

So, I think that this is an interesting topic to talk about.

I know, I probably have compositions which are better than this but I have chosen it for this:

First of all, because in this composition we have to comment a phrase of the documentary and give our opinion of it. So, I think that this is an important activity because it could be difficult if you don’t understand the sentence well.

Secondly, because an activity like this, has made me improve in different ways: not only in English, but in my personality too, because things like this make you think and I think that it is so good for me and for everybody else.

 

In these two courses I have improved my English a lot, but to tell the truth, I think that during the ESO we did basic things like: colours, numbers, animals, the months… And this is not useful for anything, so when we are in batxillerat we have to do oral exams, PAU exams, compositions for the blog, tasks, some difficult homework etc. and after, the teachers complain because their pupils don’t pass the exams.

On the one hand, I think that my level of English has improved since I started batxillerat because we have done some innovation projects: these are the compositions which we have to post on the blog, record podcasts…

On the other hand, in my point of view the new innovations aren’t always good, because I think that we should to do more PAU exams, more listening (for the marks) and one or two compositions per week in the language room, because it would improve our level of English.

To conclude, I think that these courses have given me good and bad things, but moreover, I have become more mature in my compositions and I know a lot of new vocabulary.

I’m so proud of my results and I want to continue learning English.

3 comments

http://dontevergiveuponyourself.blogspot.com/2011/04/death-penalty.html#comment-form

http://vero-pitu.blogspot.com/2011/05/civil-war.html#comments

http://remembermetonight4.blogspot.com/2011/05/catastrophe-of-japan-has-made-history.html?showComment=1305386041403#c6255846626015975053

Dialogue

M- Hello Jack Smith, the aim of this interview is to know what your work is like now and before.

My name is Maria and I’m doing this interview because I’m doing a project which consists of this. This kind of job are dying out, so I want to know the consecuences of this in your life and of course, on the work you are doing nowadays.

To begin, tell me something about which type of animals you work with?

J- Hi! First of all, thanks for doing this interview. Now, I’m working with cows.

M- Ok. And, why did you decide to be a farmer? I understand that it’s because your father worked as this too, didn’t he?

J- Oh yes... Ny father and my grandfather started working on a little farm and now I have this farm and a lot of farmlands.

M- It’s good! I suppose that you are proud, aren’t you? And do you remember what this work was like when you were younger?

J- I’m still young! Haha.

M- Yeah, sorry. I know, haha.

J- Mmm... this job changes a lot: before, when my father was alive, we had more work than now because the vilages around this, bought all of our cows: the milk and meat.

M- Ok, and now?

J- Uf... Now it’s so difficult to continue because the big meat industries has the control of the trade. I can’t understand this because my milk and meat has a high quality.

M- Oh... I understand. The big industries always dominate the small ones, don’t they?

J- I’m sorry to say that’s true.

M- Ok. So, that’s all. Thanks for your time. I think that I understand what your work was like before and what it’s like now.

Farmers are losing customers because of big industries, alhough the milk is better.

J- Yes, I can’t say it better. Thaks and nice to meet you!

M-The same to you. And thanks again. I hope that your job will be able to improve.

J- I hope so!

Home

"It’s time to come together. What’s important is not what’s gone, but what remains."

This sentence means that all we have to do is to be concious about what we are doing with our planet.

But we don’t have to think about the past but only think how the Earth was before we started to destroy the forests, some animals species...

The documentary talks about the developement that we do in a lot of ways: science, tecnology... but this doesn’t bring a moral developement.

So, what we have to do is to work together to try to improve our world.

From now, we live without thinking about the bad consecuences of the buildings, cars, motorbikes, desforestation... So, all the world are in extreme situation because of that.

We have to think about the future and to encourage the renewable energies, to try to clean our planet, also we have to reduce the toxic waste, the residues... and to try that the new cars and buildings respect our environment more.

In my point of view, if everybody gets concious that we can’t continue wasting and deterioring the Earth, we’ll live in a clean world. But this only could be possible if all the people in the world help each other and want to change our situation so that the future generations have a good life without pollution, contamination, toxic waste...

We can change, but only if we try to!

Formal Letter

Ponent Street, 23

Castelló d’Empúries

17486

14th April 2011

John Ritch

World Nuclear Organitzation

Director General

128 East Avenue

London

OX49XP

Dear Mr. Ritch,

My name is Maria and I’m studying second of Batxillerat in IES Castelló d’Empúries. In the English class, we have been talking about Nuclear Power and the consecuences that it could have to this country and the countries that are near Japan.

First of all, I’m writing this letter to express my views about the earthquake, tsunami and the Nuclear Power problems which Japan suffers.

On the one hand, the thing that shocked me a lot was the terrible earthquak which destroyed some buildings, even if buildings in Japan are prepared to suffer high intensity earthquakes. This caused a tsunami that had very bad consequences for the population.

On the other hand, there are other problems with the Nuclear Power. There are some scientists who say that the nuclear reactor, from the Nuclear Station, isn’t dangerous. Others, say that the refrigeration problems can’t be solved, and the radiation could spread to nearby countries.

In conclusion, I think that this is a great problem for Japan, not only for the problems that I mention before, besides: they have now (and on the future too) global warming, famine, greenhouse gases...

I hope that if they help each other and you, Mr.Ritch, can have some influence, because you have a lot of power to be able to solve this problem as soon as posible, everything will get back to normal.

Your sincerely,

Maria.

Reader exam

1.Can you summarize the book in two minutes?

The story starts when the chairman of Elgood Ceramics, Dick, comes at the police office to talk with Peter Pascoe (Inspector and detective) because he feels that Patrick Aldermann killed Blumer and Eagles (two employers of Elgood Ceramics) and Dick thinks that Patrick wants to kill him too, so the inspectors (Pascoe and Dalziel) started to investigate.

Actually, Patrick and his family live in his greats- uncle’s house and the most important thing in his life is his garden of roses.

Ellie (Pascoe’s wife) and Daphne (Patrick’s wife) become friends. But Daphne gets angry with Ellie because she is the wife of the inspector who investigates her husband. After, the two women solved their problems.

But moreover, there are more deaths around Patrick: the mysterious death of Reverend Somerton (Daphne's father), the buyer of the house of Rosemont (Patrick loves this house, and actually lives here) and their workmates.

During the investigation the detectives discover that Daphne has a relationship with Dick, so this is one of the reasons for Patrick to want to kill him. But after, they break off.

Also, the policemen discovered that the will of the Mr.Florence Aldermann was change and also that Eddie Aldermann was Patrick’s really father. Dick Elgood wants to meet Patrick and (fer-li sentatge) because he has a will that could be interesting to him.

On day, Dick makes a party and invites all of his friends (Patrick and the policemen are also here). Some days later, someone finds the death body of Dick Elgood.

Patrick kills him with a ladder and the other people, but the police can’t discover him because they haven’t any (proves) and all crimes seams an accident.

2.Is there a mystery sentence or a turning point in the story?

Yes. When Mr.Pascoe went to talked with Herbert Capstick to talked about Patrick Aldermann.

The two men were talking when Mr.Capstick said: Patrick said the old must give way to the new, but the new must deserved their place. This is a turning point in the story because it may means that Patrick was the murder and he did this to replace his workmates because his goal was to do their work.

3.When and where does the story take place?

The story takes place at the end of the 20 century in Rosemont.

4.Who are the main characters in the story? What’s their role?

Patrick Aldermannà He’s a handsome man, who is married with Daphne and had two sons: David and Diana. His hobby is to look after  his garden of roses, but he’s implicated in some cases of murder.

When he was a child he lives with his mother and his great-aunt, Florence, because she was ill and his great-uncle (name) still died.

After Mrs.Florence death, Patrick was implicated in some murders: first of all, the buyer of the Rosemont’s house; secondly, the Reverend Somerton death and after, the death of the employers of Elgood Ceramics.

5.Choose one character (main or secondary) and describe him/her.

Daphneà She’s the typical wife submitted to her husband. She has two sons: David and Diana and she get married when she was 17 with Patrick Aldermann. Her father doesn’t happy about the marriage. 

Her parents died: her mother died when she was a child and her father was death because a stone falls on him.   

She lives like all the people want to live and she feels very happy with her family but, to tell the truth, she really doesn’t know her husband.

6.Can you identify with any character? Why?

No I can’t. Because the characters of the story behaviour depending of the deaths that happened.

7.Choose your favourite moment in the story.

My favourite moment on the story is when everybody was happy in the Dick’s party on the cottage and all seem to be good: Daphne is very happy with Patrick and their relation is so good, Daphne and Ellie are very good friends, Patrick and Dick also are friends, everybody is swimming on the beach…

And, in my opinion, this is the only good moment on the story.

8.Which new key words have you learnt to understand the story?

This book has a high level. But, I don’t have to look for a lot of words, only some, because I often understand the words depending on their context.

The new words for me are: bloody, blue moon, bush, flu, nose around, wander, will…

9.Provide an alternative ending.

The ending of the novel doesn’t like me so much, because the police and investigators don’t know anything about Patrick murders.

So, in my opinion, the end of the story

10.Would you recommend this book? Why?

Yes, but it depends on the person. Personally, I’m a very fearful person, so in some moments, I have a little bit fear. But if the people who read this book love crime and mystery stories, they will enjoy it a lot.