English Language Challenges

Hi There =) Well, to start, I must declare that I really like English, and I also like to be able to express myself in others languages different of the Spanish, in this regard, I appreciate the possibility of learn other languages.

Respect at this course, I have learned a lot, and I think that the activities that most help me in the task of learn English, is to write in the blog, because in it I have the possibility to freely express myself in this language. Regarding at the blog, I think that is one of the more useful teaching method that is actually used in the course.

I think that the aspect of my English which are actually the weakest are listening, pronunciation and conjugation of verbs, especially in the spoken language, because in this dimension of the language are my biggest difficulties with English. Respect at other aspects of the English learning, like reading and writing, I think that they are not so bad, but equally still much to be improve. Respect at how to improve this deficiencies, I think that the more informal methods to learn English and those that can be done from the comfort of home, are the most significant and effective in the task of learn English.

At the present time, I do use English outside the classes, but mostly in everyday and trivial tasks, as for example while watching movies or listening music. Besides, once in a while, I have to read some text or book in English, either as part of academic development or for any other reason. So, even when I’m not in class of English, there are several and multiple opportunities to exercise and practice using the English language (And also, this about doing the blogs outside class hours, forces me to use English outside the classes jajaja).

My future job

Well, I don’t like too much this topic because I’m not sure of my answer; I would like to do many things, and therefore, there are different types (very different types) of jobs in which I would can deal.

After this semester, I will have my license of Psychologist, and after that, in the fifth year of the career, I will have the possibility of coursed a postgraduate, which I have to choose, and I’m also not very sure of what to choose. Besides, in the next year I have to do my professional practice, so, through that instance I expect to be surer about the job opportunities and also surer of my decision.

I think that I’d like to have a kind of job relating to the community, but focused on clinical work, in this sense, I’m closer of Systemic Clinic, but with a more general focus, I mean, focused in the community, as I say before.

At the moment I have to choose a job I will consider aspects like that the tasks that I may be assigned have any real value; I also will consider the formality of the work and the relation with co-workers. That are the principal aspects that I surely consider; ajaja I'm probably too picky.

In a hypothetic job interview situation, If I am asked about my straightness and weakness, I would say that I'm quite committed with tasks (even more if I really, really like my work) and I don´t give up easily. About my weakness, I would say that when I get bad results, in occasions I get frustrated.

Well, let´s hope that the labor reality doesn´t be to different of our imaginary =)

Free theme post

Hi there, well it's have been difficult to me to think in a free topic, so, next I´m going to explain to you how to do a very funny and magic object: a kaleidoscope!
(I recommend you to play this video while you do the kaleidoscope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XnMMiDUqi4)

Materials
- cd´s
- adhesive tape
- cardboard tube
- acrylic beads or pieces of paper of differents colors and textures
- 5 circles of the same size: 2 little circles of cardboard (one of them with a small holle in the center, and the other one with a biggest one); 2 transparent circle and one circle of tracing paper.
- scissors

Procedure

1. At first, you have to draw on cd 3 rectangles of same size each one; then cut them using the scissors.




2. Then, connect the rectangles using the adhesive tape; the bright side of the rectangles should face inward.



3.  Now, you have to unite the rectangles so as to form a triangle with them.



4. Then, you have to put the triangle in the cardboard tube

5. Now, in one extreme of cardboard tube you have to put one little transparent circle (that you previously cut). Then you have to put all the elements that you choose (either, acrylic beads of different types and colors; or pieces of paper of different sizes, color and textures). The next step is to put, above these elements, the other transparent circle. After this, you have to put the tracing paper, and at the end, you have to put the cardboard circle with the big hole in the center. The cardboard circle with the small hole you have to stick it at the other extreme of the cardboard tube and this will be the side on which we will look.


That's all!

How green I am

Hi there. Well, as we have to talk about how green do we are, I must start saying that I don’t really know if I am an ecological person or if I have a highly developed environmental consciousness ; I mean that I think that we can always do more than we actually do by trying to be a greener person.

Nowadays, I have some behaviors that are less contaminants and harmful than others, but I don’t know if that makes me a green person. In the possible, I constantly try to recycle plastic objects and glassware in a container closer to my house. Also, I prefer walk on foot or ride a bicycle instead of drive a car –because I don’t have a car-. Another behavior that it may considered as an ecological one is to avoid littering the street, and in this case I also try not to do it and I’m pretty insistent with my friends or family about it. Respect at water care, I’m also very careful and I don’t use it in unnecessary purposes or in absurd amounts. Respect at sheet, I try in the possible to reuse it and to not to buy more than the necessary; the same thing with the plastic bags, I try to avoid it.

Well, I’m totally agreed with the development of environmental politics, but I’m not too involved in the matter; however I try in the possible to decrease and avoid the possibilities of contamination or pollution, but, as I say before, I don’t think that it makes me a greener person, because that are minimal behaviors for environmental care.

The Guardian: "Memories are made of this". Simon Garfield.

Hi there! This is my post about an article of The Guardian. Teacher! sorry for the delay =(

The next article is about Alzheimer, which is actually considered the “disease of our times”.  By the author, Simon Garfield, this disease has strongly entered in our culture, and it's clearly present in our everyday language, mainly in jokes about memory.

The more visible, disturbing and feared symptom of the Alzheimer is the severe memory loss. In this aspect, psychologists have say before that “we are our memories”; and this affirmation can be seen clearly in this disease. Actually, there are a lot of knowledges about the brain function, and this scientific advance it maybe will help at the future: “and we are now able to pinpoint its decline and hint at its repair”. In fact, pharmaceutical industry is hardly working in the creation of drugs with components that has several influence in the brain, with respect to neurotransmitters, hippocampus, connecting cells of the brain and enzymes, mainly. By now, these drugs have been experimented in animals, principally, monkeys and dogs.

At the moment, there is no a certainly cure for the Alzheimer, but there is advanced studies and investigations about several things that have an influence in the condition of the disease.

I invite you to read the next piece of news:. Let’s hope that in the future, researchers can find a cure: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/may/09/longtermcare.observermagazine?INTCMP=SRCH

Music, movies and books

As the topic at this blog is a free theme, I’m going to talk about things that I like respect at movies, music and books, principally. Respect at books, I like a lot the Latin-American writers, for example, I like a lot José Saramago who is a Portuguese writer; the book that I like most of Saramago is “Ensayo sobre la ceguera”. I also like a lot Julio Cortázar; “Los premios” and “Rayuela” are my favorite books of him. About Chileans writer, the one that I like most is José Donoso, and the books of him that I have enjoy most are ”Coronación”, “El obsceno pájaro de la noche” y “Casa de campo”.

Apropos of music, my musical taste is quite varied, but I like a lot British music, and my very favorite bands are The Beatles and Pink Floyd. However, I also enjoy a great deal the latin-american singing.

Respect at movies, I have a lot of favorites of it. The directors that I like and enjoy most are David Lynch (director of “Blue Velvet”, “Lost highway”, “Mulholland drive”), Stanley Kubrick (“Eyes wide shut”, “The Shining”, “Full Metal Jacket”) Quentin Tarantino (my favorite movie of him is “Pulp fiction”), Wim Wenders and Kim Ki-Duk. I also like the directors –and the movies of their- that were part of the movement which in France is known as Nouvelle Vague: the French New Wave.

Greetings! =)