PET Practice

Dear Class,

Here you have some links for you to prepare the Final Written Test next week. Once you finish these activities, please complete your posts and/or comments if it's necessary. Remember you still have time for pending evaluations and posts, I'm still reading your blogs to give you that mark.

Also, you can complete the activities in www.plataforma.uchile.cl, the same site where you can complete the Encuesta Docente, please.

As for the Final Written Test, it consists of a 1 hour 40 minute written test follwed by an oral in pairs.

The written test includes:

3 Reading comprehension activities.

3 Listening tasks (note taking/short answer/true or false)

2 Language in use activities (organising a text/banked cloze)

2 Writing activities (e-mail/100-word blog post)

The Oral Interaction lasts 5-7 minutes per pair.

The test is administered by the EP team, (which means your regular teacher won't be there)

Here you have the links:

Reading:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading3.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading4.html

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading_part5.htm

Listening:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part3.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part4.htm

Vocabulary:

http://www.examenglish.com/vocabulary/B1_vocabulary_topics.htm

Best,

Belén

Blog Session 9 Instructions

Dear Class,

How are you?

Today, you have to think about your English learning process and write the following please:

a) What comments can you make about your experience learning English at University?
b) What about the use of blogs?
c) What aspects of your English need to be improved and how do you plan to do this?
d) Outside the English class, how much are you using English these days? What for?

Write about this in 260 words minimum and don't forget to make at least three comments on your classmates' posts.

Best,


Belén

Blog Session 8 Instructions

Dear Class,

How are you?


This is the topic for Blog Session 8:

2014: Good and bad points (so far...)

Please include the following:

a) Good things that have happened in your life
b) Situations that did not go so well
c) Your achievements in 2014
d) Things you did not do/ have not done yet/ still have to do this year
e) Important news/events your would like to highlight
f) Any other comments

Word count: 250 + 3 comments


Good luck!


Belén

Blog Session 7 Instructions

Dear Class,

Again this time, you can choose the topic. Just remember to write your free post in 240 words minimum as well as making comments on at least three of your classmates' posts.

Use your imagination and creativity to choose the topic or maybe you can expand on your previous free posts... it's your choice.

Best,


Belén

Blog Session 6 Sample Post

How green are you?

This is 2014 and I can’t believe how people are not yet aware of the importance of taking care of the planet we live in. I think people should learn about “green issues” at school. Sometimes children learn how to make recycled paper and some others have workshops to learn some aspects of recycling. So, environmental-friendly practices can be definitely learnt at school and also at home.

I’ve always tried to be careful with the waste I produce. I use special bins (usually glass, plastic and organic bins) every time I can. Apart from that, I use water wisely; I learnt that in Chiloé when I was 12. It was only when we spent more than 2 weeks with a family in Nalhuitad, where they didn’t have tap water. I’m constantly thinking about ways to reduce my carbon footprint and transmitting the information so more people are aware.

I use my bike in the summer mostly. In winter it’s too cold for me and too contaminated as well but as in spring and summer is windier I tent to think that I’m not breathing so much smog. Also, as I don’t have a car, I’m always walking and taking the bus or the tube.

I support Greenpeace but only through the internet. I do that by signing emails requesting more laws or an action to stop some stupid objective of a millionaire company. I think we should support any eco-organisations if it’s because they want to take care of the planet. I’d love to make tons of copies of “The 11th Hour”, which is a documentary about the state of the Earth, considering air and water contamination mainly. Finally, in terms of the capital city, I think Santiago is missing more laws and public policies so people learn and participate in solving matters related to the environment.

Blog Session 6 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today's topic is: How green are you?

Please write this post in 230 words and include the following:

a) Where do people learn about enviromentally friendly practices?

b) Have you incorporated recycling into your habits? Describe
c) Do you use a bike or your legs instead of a car?
d) Have you joined or supported any eco-organisations? Why/Why not?
e)  What else have you done /would you like to do?
f) What have you done to reduce your carbon footprint?
g) What's missing in our society/Santiago regarding this issue?

Remember to make comments on at least three of your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén

PET Practice

Dear Class,

Here you have some links for you to prepare yourselves for the Final Written Test. Remember this test will be during the last class this semester.

Reading:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading2.htm

Listening:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part2.htm

Vocabulary:

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_vocab.htm

Best,

Belén

Blog Session 5 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today you get to choose the topic of your post. Think about the present, the past, the future, about you, friends, family or society so you can have some ideas about what to blog about.

Remember to make three comments as usual and write this in 220 words minimum.

Best,

Belén

Blog Session 4 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today's topic is: My future job

a) What kind of job would you like to have? How do you imagine it?

b) Outdoors /indoors?

c) Would you like to travel a lot in your job?

d) In an office?

e) What major are you studying / are you thinking of taking?    Explain why

f) Add any other related ideas.

Please write this in 200 words minimum and don't forget to make three comments.

Best,

Belén

Sample Post 3

My best holidays ever

Considering the length I have to say that my best holidays was one that lasted a month and a half. Also, it is the best because in 2004, I was travelling on my own and it was quite an exciting experience. I spent most of my time in Belgium, in the capital Brussels, but from there I travelled to other cities in Belgium like Liége and Bruges. By bus, by car or by train I visited London, Paris and Amsterdam too.

Apart from getting around old and beautiful cities, I visited friends and they were very nice with me. I stayed with them, sometimes for two nights some others for a week depending on who I was visiting. I spent 6 films, so I got plenty of black and white pictures from that trip. I spent money going to museums, and all of them where so interesting... I’m sure I would have visited more museums if I had had more money.

The most important reason to consider this my best holidays was the fact that I was on my own and obviously the chance I had to visit different countries in a bit more than a month. I’m afraid I have no pictures to upload as I didn’t take digital photos and I haven’t scanned them either.

Blog Session 3 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today you have to choose to blog about your best holidays ever or the best concert you've ever been to.
For any of these choices you have to write 180 words minimum and don't forget to leave at least three comments on your classmates' posts.

If you choose holidays, include:

a) when it was
b) where you went
c) how long it was
d) people you went with
e) things you did
f) why it has been the best holidays so far
g) any other relevant info

Or, if your choice is the best concert you've been to, include:

a) when & where it was
b) the artist/band you saw
c) a bit of info about the artist/band
d) describe the atmosphere during the event
e) describe how you felt and why you enjoyed it
f) any other memories about it

Good luck,

Belén

Blog Sample 2

Free post: Air pollution in Santiago

Air pollution in Santiago is one of the many problems this city has and few people want to talk about it. Year after year air pollution gets worse and according to Raúl O’Ryan and Luis Larraguibel, who wrote “Contaminación del aire en Santiago: ¿qué es, qué se ha hecho, qué falta?” (http://www.dii.uchile.cl/~Revista/ArticulosVol4-N1/ORyan-R%20y%20Larraguibel-L.pdf) the contaminated air we breathe in the capital city is one of the worst in the world.

Air pollution is “contamination of the indoor or the outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal”, says the WHO.

Pollution does not affect Santiago only, unfortunately there are other contaminated cities like Chillán and Temuco. The present and past governments are not doing enough so we can say they are honestly worried about air pollution and trying to reduce the levels. Politicians have a lot to deal with but I don’t understand why air pollution does not motivate them to discuss and create more and new regulations. In Latin America, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most polluted city is Lima but that doesn’t mean we don’t need more control on the growing number of cars in Santiago, for example. While further south, in Santiago and because of the levels of contamination, children and the elderly suffer the various typical winter illnesses like the respiratory syncitial virus. Winter after winter this situation has been out there and babies seem to have adapted to some kind of different and more contaminated air bronchitis after bronchitis.

Blog Session 2 Instructions

Dear Class,

This is the first time you can choose what to blog about. Make the most of your blogging experience and remember to organise your ideas before you write.
After you choose your topic: "Air pollution in Santiago", you can write about an idea -an statement commonly known as topic sentence.
Then, you write different paragraphs for different aspects of your topic.
Paragraph 1 How contaminated Santiago is
Paragraph 2 What pollution is
Paragraph 3 National and international examples

Please write your free post in 170 words minimum. Plus, do not forget at least 3 comments on your classmates' posts.

Good luck,

Belén

Sample Post 1

It’s incredibly difficult to choose one single country I’d like to visit because I want to visit at least two in every continent. One country I’d love to visit is Angola, in Africa, because this continent is one of most interesting in so many respects. I know very little about Angola but when I go, I’ll visit the capital city Luanda. I heard about this place because my first capoeira teacher my first Portuguese teacher are both from there; and I know they speak Portuguese because Portugal invaded that part of Africa. I also know it’s a poor place but not as poor as many others in that continent.

When I’m there, I’d like to visit Miguel and Zeferino, -my first capoeira teacher and his cousin, my first Portuguese teacher- as well as their families. They’re both from there and they’re currently working there too. Apart from that, I’d love to go to the beach, walk around the city, dance zouk and practice Portuguese.

Although I haven’t been there yet, I’d like to work, to study and live there. As a teacher I could work teaching Spanish and/or English, I could also study there and if I stay to live there, I’ll try to find a place near the Atlantic Ocean.It’s incredibly difficult to choose one single country I’d like to visit because I want to visit at least two in every continent. One country I’d love to visit is Angola, in Africa, because this continent is one of most interesting in so many respects. I know very little about Angola but when I go, I’ll visit the capital city Luanda. I heard about this place because my first capoeira teacher my first Portuguese teacher are both from there; and I know they speak Portuguese because Portugal invaded that part of Africa. I also know it’s a poor place but not as poor as many others in that continent.

When I’m there, I’d like to visit Miguel and Zeferino, -my first capoeira teacher and his cousin, my first Portuguese teacher- as well as their families. They’re both from there and they’re currently working there too. Apart from that, I’d love to go to the beach, walk around the city, dance zouk and practice Portuguese.

Although I haven’t been there yet, I’d like to work, to study and live there. As a teacher I could work teaching Spanish and/or English, I could also study there and if I stay to live there, I’ll try to find a place near the Atlantic Ocean.

Blog Session 1 Instructions

Dear Class,

Today the topic is "A country I'd like to visit". Please write about this in 160 words minimum.

a) Which country would you like to go to? Why?
b) What do you know about it?
c) What would you like to do there?
d) Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.

Read your classmates' posts and make comments on at least three of them.


Best,

Belén 

Welcome back to English!

Dear Class,

Here you can always find the instructions to write in your blogs. Remember writing in your blogs is part of your learning process and you'll post every Friday even if you can't come to the class. If you can't come, you have to publish a post plus three comments anyway.

It's very important that you forget about google translator, please use online dicitonaries like www.wordreference.com or www.linguee.es


Best,


Belén