February 2017
BRITISH COUNCIL
STUDENT MAGAZINE Doctor IELTS the man with the answers
www.britishcouncil.co
What we do
find out more about our activities
Who we are
Meet our teachers and staff behind the scene
3rd Edition
CONTENTS
Welcome
Teacher Interview
Arts activities
Doctor IELTS the man with the answers
Beyond the classroom
Student Interview
Education UK
Getting to know you - Teachers - Students - Office staff
Monthly madness
English at home
Tips for learning
Crossword competition
A WARM WELCOME FROM SEAN & ALEX Hello, Happy New Year and welcome back to the British Council! We hope you all enjoyed the holidays and have plenty of energy and motivation for this year’s classes. Since the last edition many of us returned home to spend Christmas with our families and friends and enjoyed traditional food such as mince pies, roast turkey and Yorkshire puddings (see photos) and maybe some champagne to celebrate the end of 2016 and the start of 2017! I’m sure that improving your English is at the top of your list of New Year’s resolutions so why not attend our conversation classes, book club, study skills class, tutorials, or borrow a book or DVD from our library? This edition of the magazine contains all of the regular features from previous issues but we would like more contributions from you! Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to write an article for us.
Mince pies
Finally, we wish you all the best for 2017 and hope you enjoy studying with us.
Best wishes, Alex, Sean and The Student Magazine Team
Roast turkey and Yorkshire puddings
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TEACHER INTERVIEW
JENNY GREEN I’m from a small, industrial town in the north-east of England called Stockton-on-Tees. It’s famous because the first public steam train in the world left from here in 1825. It’s surrounded by beautiful countryside, including the North York Moors National Park. I haven’t lived there since 2003 but I try to go back and visit my family once a year. Colombia is a beautiful country, I love the diversity of all the different areas to explore and the upbeat and positive attitude to life from the people. I love Colombian students too! The classes are always interesting and fun I try to make the most of my time here by visiting
British Council Student Magazine
different places in Colombia as often as possible. In Bogota, I enjoy going to all the great restaurants and bars it has to offer. I love living abroad, meeting people from different countries and getting to know their culture. Teaching English is a great way to do this. I enjoy helping people to broaden their horizons and improve their prospects by teaching them English. I'm also going to start Salsa classes in the New Year! I don’t really miss anything from England, apart from some of the food. I miss some things from other countries I’ve lived in, such as teaching multilingual classes in Sydney.
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DESTACADAS PERSONALIDADES DEL MUNDO DE LA CULTURA BRITÁNICA SE ENCONTRARON EN EL HAY FESTIVAL CARTAGENA 2017 DHisham Matar, Philipe Sands y Misha Glenny son algunos de los invitados de la delegación británica que alimentaron las temáticas de esta edición del festival de literatura annual.
El centro histórico de Cartagena se convirtió en el epicentro de la cultura mundial con la celebración de la duodécima edición del Hay Festival Cartagena, entre el 26 y el 29 de enero de 2017. Más de 100 personalidades que enriquecen la actualidad mundial en ámbitos como la literatura, la filosofía, el cine, la música, la geopolítica, el periodismo, el medioambiente, la ciencia, la historia, el dibujo, el deporte y la gastronomía, fueron los protagonistas de más de 100 eventos que componen este encuentro anual. En el marco de la alianza global entre el Hay Festival y el British Council, esta edición del festival en Cartagena contó con importantes nombres de la literatura británica. Se destaca la presencia del reconocido escritor libio-británico Hisham Matar, quien acaba de ganar el Premio al Libro Extranjero otorgado por la radio pública francesa con su libro El Regreso y estará en interesantes debates como el conversatorio con Juan Gabriel
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Vásquez. También se contó con la presencia de Philippe Sands, especialista en derecho internacional, que proyectó su documental My Nazi Legacy y quien estará hablando de la justicia en los procesos de paz junto a Rodrigo Uprimny en conversación con Hassan Nassar. Participó también Misha Glenny, un reconocido periodista investigativo, experto mundial en temas de crimen cibernético y de las redes globales de mafia, quien debatió sobre el crimen organizado en conversación con John Collins. Estos escritores no solo fueron parte de los diversos debates de la agenda del festival, sino que además son mentores de la nueva edición del programa literario del British Council Colombia, ELIPSIS, el cual este año inicia su segundo ciclo con un nuevo grupo de estudiantes.
Sobre ELIPSIS: ELIPSIS es un programa del British Council Colombia que busca brindarles apoyo y nuevas oportunidades a talentosos jóvenes escritores British Council Student Magazine
y editores colombianos. Los estudiantes de literatura y carreras relacionadas que son seleccionados complementan su formación académica con experiencias que potencializan su talento. Sus actividades incluyen la oportunidad de asistir a charlas y actividades del Hay Festival Cartagena, así como talleres y asesorías por parte de escritores internacionales invitados al festival. Cada edición del programa culmina con la publicación de un libro escrito y editado por los participantes. Asimismo, los integrantes de cada ciclo cuentan con el acompañamiento permanente de Alejandra Jaramillo, directora del área de narrativas del PhD en humanidades de la Universidad Nacional y de Marta Orrantia, novelista y editora Colombiana, también profesora de la maestría en escrituras creativas de la Universidad Nacional. Entre los mentores del programa se destacan: Juan Esteban Constaín, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Amalia Andrade, Ricardo Silva Romero y Jorge Franco. Para el Hay Festival 2017 se vincula un el grupo de cinco escritores y cinco editores que forman parte del nuevo ciclo del programa ELIPSIS. British Council es aliado global del Hay Festival desde el 2010, y aliado en Colombia desde su primera edición en Cartagena y para el 2017 la alianza transciende como gestor de contenidos al estar a cargo de la producción de una serie
British Council Student Magazine
de podcasts que destacan la contribución de escritores británicos participantes de estos festivales por todo el mundo. Estas cápsulas serán presentadas por la británica Georgina Godwin, una experimentada periodista en temas de arte y cultura que entrevista personalidades de industrias creativas para una amplia gama de medios de comunicación. Godwin pondrá en conversación a escritores británicos con escritores internacionales en cada lugar donde se celebra el Hay Festival para debatir diferentes temáticas relacionadas a cultura y el mundo actual. Para nosotros, poder compartir este tipo de oportunidades con actuales y futuros aliados es una prioridad. Es por eso que nuestra labor a través del arte y de la enseñanza del idioma ingles es apoyar por medio de vías positivas a individuos y comunidades a que sean líderes, mejoren sus habilidades y así mismo sus oportunidades de vida. En esta ocasión, las letras se convierten en una nueva manera de ver y experimentar el mundo a través del debate, el diálogo y el desarrollo de la creatividad. El Hay Festival Cartagena se ha convertido en uno de los eventos literarios más importantes del mundo hispano por ser un espacio que promueve el diálogo y el intercambio cultural entre los pensadores más relevantes del momento.
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Doctor IELTS is here to help you with your IELTS-related questions.
DOCTOR IELTS Doctor IELTS has been diagnosing exam-related problems for several years but wishes their identity to remain anonymous.
I can follow the general message when I hear English, but I find answering questions in the listening exam difficult. What can I do? A key skill in the IELTS listening exam is listening for detail. For example, in the first section, you often have to listen for numbers such as dates, addresses, times and prices. One way to practise this is to use documentaries, podcasts or news programmes in English. As you listen, try to write down all the numbers you hear. This helps you to focus on the details without worrying about the whole message. You could later try to remember what these numbers referred to (“65% of black rhinos are endangered”), as describing data is important in Academic Writing Task 1. The more you practise, the easier it becomes!
interesting vocabulary to use when I speak and write? Having a wide range of vocabulary is essential if you want to get a good score in the IELTS exam. One way to expand your lexical resource is to notice combinations of words when you read in English. For example, a text in which someone describes their job may contain “I sell laptops for a living” and “My job involves convincing customers to buy our products”. That is much more interesting than saying “I work in a computer shop”. What do YOU do for a living? What does YOUR job involve? If you use this technique to learn a few useful expressions for several different topics, you will be better prepared for both the speaking and writing exams. Good luck!
I always end up using the same words and expressions in English. How can I learn more
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British Council Student Magazine
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM activities to students, so whichever branch you go to, you will be getting the same.
Lisa Davies – Anglo Colombiano Branch Job description – Senior Teacher. I support the teachers and students at the AC and coordinate the classes at the AC. It’s a new challenge because it’s the first time I’ve helped manage such a big centre. I learn new things every day and meet a lot of interesting people. What the Anglo-Colombiano branch contributes to the larger BC operation: It’s our offer to people who live in the north and who are unable to travel to Nogal. We want to provide the same opportunities for studying English to people from different areas of Bogota as much as possible. Most of our Anglo Colombiano students find it much more convenient to study closer to home. Another great thing about the Anglo is that it has big classrooms, which is especially important for children. The space means teachers can do a wide range of activities and the children have the chance to move around a lot, providing for a dynamic learning experience. There’s lots of light and fresh air at the Anglo and our customer service staff are fantastic. We standardise everything across all four British Council Bogota branches, offering the same courses, materials, teachers and British Council Student Magazine
Kate Hughes – Montessori Branch Job description – YL Courses coordinator. This involves assisting in the planning and development of our YL courses. I also work at our Montessori branch, providing assistance to our Customer Service team, supporting the teachers with their classes and organizing the teaching materials and facilities. What the Montessori branch contributes to the larger British Council operation: The Montessori is an easily accessible branch in a popular residential area of Bogota. Much like the other two branches, it allows us to reach new markets and provide more flexibility for our students. Our relationship with the school means we have access to excellent classrooms and other educational facilities which allow us to offer the same high quality teaching as in our other branches. Being our smallest branch it has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, making it a wonderful place to study on a Saturday. We have a great customer service team who support us in offering any assistance needed by students and we are constantly looking to expand the services we can offer there. 7
STUDENT PROFILE
How much of your free time do you spend studying English? I’m currently taking an intensive course so I don’t have a lot of free time, but I still try to spend an extra 3 hours a week studying English. I like to read articles about fashion and cooking. I also like to chat with my friends from the UK and the US. I’ve just started at the British Council so I’m still trying out the free clubs and classes. How long have you been studying at the British Council? Only for 2 weeks! It seems to be really well organised and I like the range of extra activities and free classes. I’ve already borrowed two books from the library. I think that the British Council has a range of tools to help you to improve. Darren is a great teacher. He has a good attitude and always makes sure that we are interested in his classes.
Name: Angelica Espinosa Level: Upper-intermediate Profession: Environmental Engineer Hobbies: Cooking and Exercise Teacher: Darren Shanahan
Why are you studying English? I want to improve my English as I feel that it is important for my life. I have friends who speak English and I want to be able to talk to them. I am also thinking about doing a master’s degree in the Netherlands so I’ll need the IELTS. I’m thinking about taking my exam next month so I’m feeling a little nervous but also excited! I still think that I need to improve my speaking and writing. What do you enjoy about studying English? I like talking about cultural topics. The link to the UK and different cultures is really important to me and I like discussing different places. I like speaking activities in small groups and I have found that this has helped me to gain confidence speaking in English. What recommendations would you give to other students?
“It’s important to come to class and always do your
It’s important to come to class and always do your homework! I think that it’s nice to spend time reading articles that interest you and to share these with your classmates. Attending the free activities has also helped me.
homework…”
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British Council Student Magazine
QUINTA FERIA EDUCATIVA BRITÁNICA LA OFERTA EDUCATIVA DEL REINO UNIDO MÁS CERCA DE LOS COLOMBIANOS
El British Council presenta la 5ta. edición de su Feria Education UK Exhibition, en la que jóvenes y adultos podrán acceder a la más amplia oferta educativa del Reino Unido. En esta versión, diversas instituciones británicas traen al país su oferta de pregrados, posgrados, maestrías, doctorados y cursos de inglés.
LA INSCRIPCIÓN ES GRATUITA
Cerca de 20 prestigiosas instituciones del sector educativo del Reino Unido, estarán en Bogotá, D.C., el 25 de febrero y en Cali el 27.
La Feria Education UK Exhibition 2017, organizada por el British Council Colombia, trae a Bogotá y Cali prestigiosas instituciones educativas del Reino Unido, ratificando a esta organización como el socio estratégico en el país para el acceso a la educación superior británica. La Feria Education UK Exhibition se ha perfilado como una de las más importantes del país ya que, por cinco años consecutivos, ha logrado reunir en Colombia a las más destacadas universidades, colleges e instituciones educativas de Inglaterra, Gales, Escocia e Irlanda del Norte (juntos, el Reino Unido). Por otra parte, a este evento se suman instituciones como la sección de Visas de la Embajada Británica y la Red de Asociaciones de Exalumnos de Universidades Británicas en Colombia, RedBrit. Además de vivir una experiencia única en el campo de la educación internacional, el British Council otorgará un tiquete ida y vuelta a Londres entre las personas que se inscriban en el sitio web del British Council: co.edukexhibition.org y asistan a la Feria en Bogotá. British Council Student Magazine
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU What the Salitre branch contributes to the larger BC operation? As with the Anglo-Colombiano and Montessori branches, Salitre offers a more convenient option for students who live or work in the area. We’ve been able to attract a number of new students to the centre thanks to the high quality of our teaching and purpose built facilities.
Steven Grundy – Salitre Branch Job description – Branch Manager. I’m responsible for the day to day running of our new Salitre branch. This includes working alongside the Senior Teacher and our teachers to ensure that we are delivering the same quality teaching that’s found in other branches. I also support the English for Educational Systems team and the Business Solutions team in the work that they do across Colombia.
Salitre is the first new British Council centre in the Americas in 20 years, so this was a great opportunity for the team in Colombia to expand our offer and reach new markets. We’re also in an ideal location for working alongside local businesses and government agencies that have premises in Salitre. For example, the English for Educational Systems team are running a number of projects with the Colombian Ministry of Education, focusing on bilingualism in Colombia.
CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY 2017 The British Council and the Customer Contact Council invite you to participate in a survey about the British Council’s customer service. We would like to know how you feel and what is important to you regarding our customer service. This survey will take approximately five to ten minutes to complete. Your responses will only be used to analyse our customer service, so please be as honest and direct as possible.
bit.ly/2ky04ZU
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British Council Student Magazine
Why are you studying English? I´m studying English because it is necessary for growth in my professional life and to help me find new opportunities. Learning a second language, particularly English, can help me to achieve my dreams and life goals.
STUDENT PROFILE
How long have you been studying at the British Council? Let me think... I studied at the British Council in 2012 for 1 year. After that I took a break for a few years and I started again in 2016.
What do you enjoy about studying English? I enjoy all the classes, having a rest from my work life, meeting new people and learning new things.
How much of your free time do you spend learning English? I would like to spend more time learning English, but I have little time. However, I try to use the time when I’m driving or before going to bed to practise. I always say that having no time is not an excuse for not learning English.
What recommendations would you give to other students? I think everyone should learn a foreign language, and they must be persistent if they want to survive in a global world. It is never too late to learn English.
Name: Jose Luis Camacho Cano Level: Pre-intermediate 4 Profession: Accounting Director What are your hobbies? Dance, Soccer and travel Teacher: Ashleigh Cockroft
“I think everyone should learn a foreign language, and they must be persistent...”
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MONTHLY MADNESS JOKE OF THE MONTH Teacher: “Why are you talking during my lesson?” Student: Why are you teaching during my conversation?”
IDIOM OF THE MONTH
Let the cat out of the bag This idiomatic expression is used when a secret has been revealed, usually unintentionally, by someone. “We were planning a secret party for Mark, but Sam let the cat out of the bag and now Mark knows!” Do you have a similar expression in your language?
SPANGLISH, SPANISH SPEAKERS OFTEN SAY: “When I finish my career, I want to get a job.” They should say: “When I finish my degree, I want to get a job.” You study a ‘degree’ at university, not a ‘career’. For example, you might study a degree in Law or Civil Engineering. On the other hand, ‘career’ refers to the jobs you have in a particular area of work, for example: a teacher might start as a teacher, then become head of a department and then be promoted to Head Teacher of a school.
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British Council Student Magazine
ENGLISH AT HOME Website of the month http://www.gcflearnfree.org/topics/reading/ This website provides free interactive resources covering a range of different topics for English learners. There is a Grammar section, which includes videos, lessons and games for learning grammar. There is a ‘Learn English’ section, where you can explore different topics and learn lots of new vocabulary. Each topic has different options for learning new vocabulary, including texts that you can read and listen to and videos. There is a conversation English tool and a set of activities focused on verbs too. There is also a section focused specifically on improving your reading. Here you can choose different topics, such as ‘family’ or ‘finance’ and the platform will give you a text to read with questions to answer for comprehension. There are also video options here and vocabulary learning games centred on the words in the texts.
This is a great website because it covers lots of topics and is more interactive and game based than some other websites, so it’s a bit more fun to use! It gives you a lot of material for practising and learning English, so you don’t have to spend too long looking for extra resources. ‘Appy English CRAM
Cram is a mobile phone application that you can create flashcards with. You can create word categories and design as many flashcards as you like to help you learn new vocabulary. The idea is that you choose the picture that will most help you to remember the word and use it to design the flashcard. There is a mode on the app that shows you the words and then the pictures quickly, helping you to memorise them. You can even share your flashcards with other students, and use their flashcards too!
NEXT PUB QUIZ SO YOU THINK YOU’RE WISE We invite you to join us at our next fun filled Pub Quiz. When: Saturday 4th of March 2017 Where: La Villa Bar, Cra. 14A # 83-56 Entry: 15,000 COP (which includes entry into the pub quiz, two drinks, the cost of the prize and money to a charity) Quiz teams: - Six people per team - Teams can include students, friends of students and teachers - You can invite up to 2 friends Please register by telephone 3259090 or at the front desk British Council Student Magazine
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TIPS FOR LEARNING resort to Spanish to English translation. Remember, you have a huge range of books available FOR FREE at the British Council library too! Unlearn typical mistakes.
Read, read, read! Websites, newspapers, fiction, non-fiction, magazines, adverts, food packages etc…If it’s in English, you should read it. A lot of texts that you come across on a daily basis, perhaps at work or online, are often in English, so read them! The more you expose yourself to the language the more and the faster you will learn. Even if it’s something very basic, with vocabulary that you already know, read it. Re-exposure to words in new contexts, contributes to our understanding of the language and our ability to use what we know in different ways. A familiarity with how English is used in different texts helps when it comes to writing too, because the structures will be clearer in your mind and you’ll be less likely to
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Many students have a few mistakes that they repeatedly make that can often prevent them from getting higher marks in speaking and writing. This is often simple things like forgetting to use the 3rd person ‘s’ or using ‘the’ before general nouns. It can be hard to beat these habits but it can make a huge difference if you do. Whenever you practice writing, make a note of mistakes you have made – you may notice that some of them are repeated a few times in the same text or in previous writing tasks. Concentrate on one mistake at a time. For example, if you mix up gerunds and infinitives frequently, focus on that by doing extra grammar exercises online or keeping an eye out for those forms whenever you read something. You can do something similar with speaking by recording yourself talking about a topic, then listening and catching the mistakes you make with grammar, vocabulary and also pronunciation. Being aware of the mistakes you make and actively trying to ‘unlearn’ them, will help you progress more quickly, and get those higher grades.
British Council Student Magazine
STUDENT CROSSWORD COMPETITION!
*Terms and conditions apply.
...Fill in this crossword, and hand it in at reception for the chance to win a mystery prize*! Across
Down
1. a TV show about the lives of a group of people which is on TV every day or several times a week
2. the language they speak in Brazil
4. a purple vegetable
3. a word to describe an emotional person who gets upset easily
6. something sweet you eat after a meal (British)
5. the official title of a man who can use ‘Sir’ before his name
8. ___ day – the day after Christmas day 9. the place where you make food 11. the person in charge of a school (in Britain) 14. adult female people 16. the thing in which you pack your clothes for a holiday 17. the person who gives red cards in a football match British Council Student Magazine
7. a bad dream 10. a place where ships can stay safely in the water 12. your aunt or uncle’s child 13. the festival which celebrates the death and resurrection of Christ 15. a word to describe a person who is too proud of how they look 15
VISIT OUR BRANCHES Nogal Main Centre, Carrera 9 # 76 - 49, piso 5
Cedritos Colegio Anglo Colombiano, Avenida 19 # 152A - 48
Salitre Business Centre, Calle 26 # 57 - 41, Torre 7, Piso 5
Niza Montessori British School, Calle 128A # 72 - 59
Telephones: 325 9090
Email: servicioalcliente@britishcouncil.org.co
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