Final Blog

My experience learning English at the University

At the beginning of the year, there was so much uncertainty about the English class that nobody really take it seriously. At first, we even didn´t know if it was part of our career program, (well.. we don´t know it very well yet) because it was a new class that the faculty wanted to implement. So it is supposed that this year of English was a kind of prove, for seeing if the program worked. So everything has been a chaos this year and very disorganized, but despite that, English classes haven’t been so bad…

I remember the English class started at first like a very unpleasant thing to do. Nobody wanted to take that course, even me, because we were so used to our schedule ..and well, I have to recognize that when I heard about it I thought it was going to be so bored and so useless, like a waste of time. I think we probably tend to think those kind of things because we didn´t have good experiences with other English courses in the past, or because we think it could be similar like English classes at school…and that would have been terrible!.. because in my case I remember English classes were so bored! Every single year they taught you the verb “to be”, “past perfect”, etc…always grammar, grammar, grammar… and just a few of vocabulary and other things. I know it is always bored to learn grammar, but languages are more than that!.. you know, ..you have to understand how does the language work, because it is different to think in other language, and I think those kind of things are much more difficult than learning the past participle of a verb, because those things you just get them with the pass of the time, practicing the language, so I think that is the best thing English classes at the university gave me…the opportunity of practicing.

I usually don´t practice English, because I don´t read or talk or do anything related with it …I just see some movies in English and listen to music, but nothing else, and obviously that’s not enough. You have to practice the language more often so you catch it better and you make yourself more confident on what you are saying or writing in English or in any other language you want to learn.

Well…, after all, taking the English class wasn´t so bad, because I feel that my English has improved, and because there are always new things to learn, like learning more vocabulary, clarifying some grammar doubts or correcting some mistakes that we used to make when we talk or when we write. So, finally I think it was a very good experience to return studying English, because I really like to learn more languages and because it is a very important tool for getting a job, for traveling, for studying abroad, etc.

Task 7

Next Elections:

Well, I think these next elections have been very funny... you know, there have been so much uncertainty, all because of the Marco’s candidature…because before of that, it was so bored and so incredible at the same time to see that Frei was the one to compete with Piñera. Although Marco has given to the elections a new face, I think the next president (unfortunately) will be Frei…, because I don’t believe that Piñera has all the votes to become a president. I know there are so many people who are agree with him, but I think that Frei has all the support of the government right now. Apart from that, we have to remember when Lagos and Lavin were competing, Lavin was very closer to Lagos and it seems that he was the favorite in the mass media, but then of course Lagos won, so I think it is a similar situation, even with the last elections of Bachelet. Besides, I think people nowadays doesn’t vote very well, because they just vote for the person who they think are the less worse, and because I think people aren’t very identify with a real political party. People just vote for the person, the public person, but they just forget who Piñera really is, or Frei, or anyone…and all the influence that they have had in the history of our country, wich is very important for me.

About the programs I think there aren´t many real changes, even in the program of Marco. Maybe some moral stuffs can change, but in politic or economic things they are much more similar than different. I think the most important thing of Marco is the generation change, and that is also important because it is time to pull out from the politic those old men who have been in the government since a long time ago. So, I think just Arrate have some different viewpoints about the politic programs, and he is very secure on what he say. I know people have a vision of communism that is very bad, but I really like some ideas of him, like giving more power to the state, take advantage of the mineral resources like the copper, improve on education, defend the hardworking class interests, finish with some abuses like the AFP, etc… but unfortunately I think Arrate isn’t the one to make those changes… he is so old! And when he was part of the ministry he didn´t do much.

So finaly, I don´t vote… because I am a little lazy and because there isn´t a candidate who really convince me, so I would probably vote null If I had to do it. But I really think that it is necessary to improve the politic and to create a new party if it is necessary.

Task 4

My faculty:

Well, in fact I like my faculty, but I think that the first time you come here you think it is not part of the university haha because it’s very different of other faculties, you know…it doesn´t look very modern, and it isn’t a big building…But, anyway I like that, because it’s a very familiar place where you know everybody, from the people who clean the classrooms to the teachers, and you almost know every people who study here, because we aren’t so many students.
I also like all the grass and trees and nature that we have haha because other faculties abound in concrete, and that sucks…because you can´t lie back in the grass an get relax or spend a good time there with your friends after a class…

By the other hand, I know there are lots of things to improve, like some workshops that are in bad conditions. For example, on winter some classrooms get wet, or some stoves don’t work well. And well, as everything is getting so old, you need to repair lot of things…
Bathrooms are another thing that sometimes annoys me, because there isn’t some basic things like toilet paper or soap.

Anyway, I like my faculty because even though some workshops need to improve, we have a lot of tools to work and many different workshops that not every art faculty has, like big ovens for ceramic and goldsmith, or a big press for engraving, etc..
So, art faculty is good… but it can be better !

A country you'd like to visit

Well, I really love traveling, so it´s difficult for me to choose just one place for going! If I had a lot of money, I would spend it crossing the whole world haha…
I really want to travel to Latin America with friends, and knowing different cultures and foods!, love to try different foods of other places, and well.. I love the beaches too and the weather that Latin America has. On the other hand, I would like to travel to Greece. I have a friend there which I would like to visit, because I see her just once a year when she comes to Chile, and well.. I would like to go there of course to know more about the country too! My friend says food is good haha...and that there are so many beautiful places to go. Greece is so near to Italy that definitely I would go to Italy too haha.. I would like to go there because I want to improve my Italian and I don´t know.. meet some remote familiars hahah and spend a lot of time there.. work in something, I don´t know.. The same with the States, I would like to go there for a few months to improve my English, work , earn some money haha and return! Haha...Well, that´s all !.. nothing too exotic for now... haha..See you next time!

Blog 2... News

Well, looking to the arts news I chose one called "Banksy artwork painted over in Hackney"
This is about a Banksy graffiti that was painted in the side of a block of flats in a city of London. This artwork has been there about 8 years ago, but now a council wants to remove it. It is told that Banky's artwork is very recognized and that his works have been sold for a lot of money, so people was upset of what was happening, even the owner of the building says that when she saw that the graffiti was beeing removed she couldn`t believed it and she wanted them to stop eraseing that piece of art. But obviously the council doesn`t care if it is a piece of art or not...they just wanted to "clean" the streets, they've said.
Well, finaly.. the journalist say it is not the first time that Banksy artworks have been removed.

So, I chose this article because this kind of things almost happen in our country...an authorities doesn`t care about art in the streets, so I found interesting to know what´s up with this in other cities.

Here is the link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/sep/03/banksy-artwork-painted-over-hackney

Blog1 ..II semester

Hi everyone again!
Well, There are so many things that we can talk about… In my opinion, I think it could be a good idea to write sometimes about present things, you now… and give our opinion about present topics that have been treated during the week on the newspapers, television, etc… just for talk some trivial things that you almost talk with anybody, like friends, family, etc, so we could write about different situations of real life and we would know the different viewpoints of everyone in the class. By the other hand, it would be funny to write about some personal experiences, like an anecdote of a funny situation you have lived lately, or a terrible shame lived in the past! haha… And well, finally, I think we could write about our likes, for example our favorite movie or book, and express and justify why did we chose them and recommend them, etc…
Well, that´s all!. Hope you like it!

A Blog Experience

For me it was very pleasant to participate on this. I love writing, so it wasn´t a problem for me to write about different things. I appreciate our teacher for taking the time to read all of our stuffs and correct us, because there were many mistakes that we used to make even when we talk. I really I liked the topics too, because they had to do with our interests, so that make it more amusing. I think this way of teaching is very useful because nowadays we have to take advantage of technology and do this kind of things to learn in an easy and different way. Anyway, I think one of the disadvantages that blog has is that If you have a doubt you can´t ask immediately, so sometimes I wanted to know why some phrases couldn´t be said in one way or another, but then in a few days you forget it and you don´t ask hahah… Anyway, I learned a lot because sometimes you write and write and write and you forget some grammar details that are also important, so blog’s activities have obviously helped me to improve my English. I usually don´t practice English, sometimes I try to see movies in English without reading the subtitles, but that is not enough hahah.. you need to practice the language more often so you catch it better and you make yourself more confident on what you are writing or saying in English or in any other language that you wanna learn. I really like to learn more languages so I think the interest that you have is also important because you want to be better and you want to know the other language as well as you know Spanish, so I think that’s why I tried to do all the tasks, because I really wanted to improve my English…and well, I think it has worked..