Definitely not!
June 4, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : What you have written
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Of course not! It is not a waste of time. It is not a waste of effort. Definitely not.
In my opinion this workshop is extremely useful, at least for me because it has helped me to improve my skills in writing so I could get better marks after following it.
To begin with, it allows you to practise different ways of writing, e.g. formal and informal letters or e-mails, essays, reviews… You learn that each type of text needs a special format and the rules for writing them properly are different.
Another point is that it teaches you how to use the right vocabulary and grammatical structures in each case.
In addition to this, you feel really proud if your exercise is posted on the blog so people around the world can read it.
In fact, only those who didn’t attend classes or didn’t do the tasks could consider it a waste of time.
To sum up, I tend to think that workshops in different skills, complementary lessons, extra tasks and so on are always useful if you take an interest in them and work hard.
Maria del Rio
My opinion
June 3, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : What you have written
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It is quite clear that I am writing these comments because I have taken part in this course to improve my writing skills and for me it is obvious that I am better now than when I enrolled the workshop.
To begin with, I have learned the differences between an essay about pros and cons and about giving your opinion. I have always mixed both concepts because for me to talk about the advantages of something implied that I agreed with it.
Besides, when you have been told to read in English (e.g. a book or an article) you are only worried to understand as much as possible and you focus your attention on the plot, the scenes, the characters but you never consider if the book or the article presents a certain structure or if the author gives information in a logical order: introduction, body and conclusion. This is the logical structure that I have learned to use.
On the other hand, from my point of view the workshop was quite short because when I began to be more fluent the course was finishing.
To sum up, I can only repeat one sentence that our teacher said to us all the time and it is true that the students forget it when they are writing their compositions: ‘One idea, one paragraph’.
By Fe
WORTHY OR NOT?
June 2, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : What you have written
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I absolutely disagree with the statement that taking part in this workshop is a waste of time. In my opinion, it is an appropriate complementary activity which helps to improve learners their writing skills throughout the Advanced English course.
To start with, the workshop provides entertaining lessons guided by an experienced teacher, as well as other useful guidance which learners can download from the internet.
Another point to be considered is the fact that learners become more self-confident feeling that their skills are enhanced. Students well prepared compete against the ‘Certificacion’ exam in better conditions.
Finally, this workshop gives the learners an opportunity of meeting other students, and to establish new relationships. In other words, the worship is very entertaining.
All in all, taking part in this worship is, in my opinion, an entertaining way of providing learners clues for writing better and a feeling of self-confidence.
Manuel Fernandez
Your last task
May 28, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : Assignments
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Now that you have all the information you need you are ready for your last task.
Remember the title: “Taking part in this workshop has proved a waste of time. Do you agree? Just between 200 -230 words. It’s so easy!
And now, just a few words to tell you that it’s been a pleasure for me to be your teacher. I hope you now feel more sure about your ability to write. Think positive: You are good! Let the others know it!
GOOD WRITING! 
Opinion Essay
May 28, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : General Information
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In our last lesson we were in a bit of a hurry, as usual, and you asked me if you could have the common expressions that can be used to start your opinion essa, to state an opinion and so on. You also needed the key to the exercise on connectors we didn’t have time to do.
OK. Just click here for “useful Expressions” and here for the key to the exercise. Then print the PDFs if you want.
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
May 26, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : What you have written
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One of the funniest films I’ve seen is ‘There’s Something About Mary’. Directed by the Farrelly brothers. It’s of comedy which became a box-office-hit in the USA in 1988.
Distributed by ‘20th Century Fox’, There’s Something About Mary was directed by the brothers Bobby and Peter Farrelly, starring Ben Stiller as Ted, a high-school student, and Cameron Diaz as beautiful Mary Jensen. Other characters are Dom (Chris Eliot) Ted’s best friend, Pat Healy (Matt Dillan) a private detective and Mary’s architect friend Tucker (Lee Evans).
A geek high-school-boy Ted is going to the prom with beautiful Mary, but an unfortunate accident ruins the event. Mary moves away with her family. Ted realizes he’s in love with her. After thirteen years he decides to solve the situation and hires private inept detective Pat Healy to locate Mary, who falls too in love with her. Ted bumps into Mary accidentally and they begin dating. At the same time Healy and Tucker team up to undermine Ted relationship with Mary.
The film combines the beauty of Mary (Cameron Diaz) with the witty scenes performed by Ben Stiller and Matt Dillon. In my opinion it’s highly recommendable for those people who call for an hour of laughing.
Manuel Fdez Losas
THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS
May 26, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : What you have written
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As usual in Isabel Coixet Films “The secret life of words” is a moving and intimate film. Starred by Tim Robins and Sarah Polley it was filmed in 2005.
Hanna (Sarah Polley) is a lonely and mysterious woman who comes from Yugoslavia and settles down in the USA escaping from the horrors of the war. She is working in a factory when she decides to go to an oil rig to look after a man (Tim Robins) who has had an accident which has caused him serious burns all over his body and he was also temporarily blind. He blames himself for the accident where a workmate died as well.
So both of them want to live in the present looking at the future, coping with the past. A strange friendship emerges between them, a chain of secrets, truth and lies, humour and pain, which will change their lives forever.
It is a film about the weight of the past and the power of the future, and basically about the power of love, even in the most terrible circumstances.
“It is an austere and fine film, beautiful until becoming painful, sensible as few others: It is a delicious, quiet beauty” El País.
Although the film has a predictable ending is really emotional and interesting. I think you will not be disappointed by it.
Just a piece of advice: Don’t see it when you feel depressed, please.
María del Río
GATTACA. Only science fiction?
May 26, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : What you have written
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Gattaca was launched in the United States in 1997 and despite the fact that more than a decade has passed, its plot is still updated. A science fiction story -starred by Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law- about a topic that nowadays keeps being controversial: genetic selection.
Gattaca is set in a future time, where people can be conceived by genetic selection so that babies are bornwithout any fault and disease. This good inheritance will allow them to occupy the best positions in the labour market.
In this atmosphere Vincent’s parents (Vincent is the leading role, performed by Hawke) decided to conceive him by the “traditional” way resulting in a boy qualified as no-valid, due to his higher-than-average genetic risk tohave a heart attack.
Even tough the only available jobs for Vincent are in the cleaning area he dreams of flying to the space and on no account will he give up his dream. With the purpose of getting a false valid identity he contacts ith Jerome Morrow (the role played by Jude Law). From then on he pretends to be Jerome with the aim of entering the space station, doing the training and passing the physical checking needed to fly. In his way he bumps into Irene (Uma Thurman) a valid girl he falls in love with and also …. a murder.
Gattaca portrays the world of the future through everything at its hand: customs, sceneries and the design of houses, planes, technology, etc.
t is plenty of references to genetic, such as the letters in the film title that refer to DNA’ s components: adenine (A), guanine (G), timina (T) and cytosine (C). As well as the characters’ name: Eugene means “well born”, Vincent is “conqueror” and Irene is “peace” in Greek. Besides, messages announced over the training centre loudspeakers are in Esperanto, the universal
language.
In my view, the plot is utterly thrilling and Hawke gives a good performance. I highly recommend watching this film no only to people fond of science fiction but also to those cinema-goers that like a gripping script and a good topic to talk about during the dinnerafter the show.
Mª del Mar
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
May 26, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : What you have written
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This film was directed by Roberto Benigni in 1998. He is the principal character too. The film won three Oscar Awards, best actor, best foreign film and best music. It is a mixture of comedy and drama.
A few years before II World War a young man, called Guido, arrived at a small village located in the Italian Toscana. The young wanted to open a bookshop. There he met Dora, the girlfriend of a fascist man. Guido and Dora will get married and had a son.
Then, the War broke, all of them are taken to a concentration camp where Guido does what seems impossible so that his son doesn’t realise what’s happening, and makes him think that this is only a game.
The film has become a classic with a box-office hit all over the world. It is one of the most beautiful songs to life and optimism. The story is full of tenderness but with a great depth.
There are great scenes, moments for laughing and others for tears; a man with a marvellous imagination gets to create for his family a life full of love and of hope.
FE
Don’t forget your emails
May 21, 2009Posted by M ISABEL in : Assignments, General Information
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Ask for an English course in an English-speaking country or even, if you feel like it, ask for a job.
For informal emails, there’s a funny page with emoticons and and smilies and their meanings. Click here and have a god time.
Remember, next week is our last lesson and we’ll meet in room 1.4
GOOD WRITING!
