June 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
5th Edition
TABLE OF
CONTENTS 2. Welcome! 3. Getting to know your teachers 4. Aptis in the world / IELTS prize 6. Doctor IELTS the man with the answers 7. EDI: IDAHOT 8. Beyond the classroom Luis Gonzalez, Arts Project Manager 9. CERO39 going to Glastonbury 10. Student Interview 11. Student Corner 12. English at home /
A WARM WELCOME
FROM JO, RICH & SEAN Welcome to the fifth edition of the student magazine. We’re really happy to be back with Dr. IELTS, Monthly Madness and fantastic British Council sponsored events. Since our last edition, teachers and students have had some time off from classes to recharge and we’re all getting down to studying hard in Term 3. We’ve had another successful pub quiz too – there was lots of laughter, banter and answers – some wrong, some right! We’d like to say a fond farewell to our amazing teachers who’ve left the centre recently – Alex C, Emily, Hope, Jam, Lisa and Rhiannon. Sadly, we’re losing Ashleigh and Richard N. this term, too. On the flip side, this means that we get to say a warm hello to Sam and Ian, the most recent additions to our dynamic team. Thanks for reading. And as always, if you have any suggestions about things you’d like to see in the magazine or any contributions of work you’d like to submit, please get in touch at servicioalcliente@britishcouncil.org.co.
Tips for learning 13. IELTS calendar 14. Monthly madness
Happy reading, from Jo, Sean and The Student Magazine Team.
15. Crossword competition and winners 2
British Council Student Magazine
TEACHER INTERVIEW
BEKI SMITH Where exactly are you from? Leicester, England. I grew up in Saudi Arabia and then moved back to Northamptonshire, which is next to Leicestershire and then I went to university in Sheffield to study History. And then for the last eight years I’ve lived in a variety of countries, working for the British Council.
What do you like the most about Colombia? Everything coconut! But then I don’t really coconut strips in cane sugar. It’s too much. I sitting by the beach, as the sun goes down enjoying coconut produce - I really love coconut coconut lemonade and coco locos.
like love and rice,
What do you like about your job?
students I’ve ever taught because they are engaged, keen to learn and they have personalities.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Watching Netflix and eating pizza! I also go to Crossfit and yoga to try to cancel out the watching Netflix and eating pizza! Life’s about balance.
What do you miss about your home country? I really miss the variety of biscuits. Not cookies, biscuits /ˈbɪskɪts/. My favourites are bourbons, custard creams, Fox’s classics and Penguins – they’re so much better than Australian Tam Tams. It’s really hard to get anything like them outside the UK.
The students! Yeah, the students here are the best
British Council Student Magazine
3
APTIS: NO 1 IN THE WORLD As a result of the hard work and integration between the Exams, English, Education and Society and Business Solutions teams, Aptis in Colombia was ranked as the No. 1 in the Global Network of the British Council; and we will continue to help institutions evaluating the level of English and bilingual policy in Colombia. British Council Colombia has been proactive with Aptis promotion from its launch in August 2012, but the journey took a big leap forward with the securing of recognition by the Ministry of Education in early 2016, after a three-year process. This recognition facilitated the consideration of Aptis for government tendering processes and the integrated English and Exams team quickly secured collaboration for a wide range of ELT initiatives with the public schools sector which included the application of 10,000 Aptis tests for both students and teachers nationwide. This represented a huge challenge given the vast, varied and challenging geography of Colombia’s Andean territory with exams delivered in 42 locations. This was closely followed by another alliance with Bogota’s Local Education Agency for a further
4
7,000 tests, once again demonstrating the value of an effective integrated approach to British Council services including teaching, preparation materials, consultancy and evaluation. Other key factors in promoting Aptis this year were the Aptis for Teens launch which included a comparative study of public and private sector school results, promotion of an integrated services campaign for universities and corporate clients, and the development of a regional Aptis partnership with a key institutional partner. Felicitaciones!!! “Con el propósito de continuar monitoreando el avance de los docentes y estudiantes en el dominio de la lengua inglesa, el Ministerio ha llevado a cabo la selección de pruebas Aptis for Teens y Aptis for Teachers, como herramienta que brindarán resultados estandarizados sobre este progreso. Estas pruebas han sido desarrolladas por expertos en evaluación y evalúan las habilidades de lectura, producción escrita, comprensión auditiva y producción oral en inglés. Aptis es utilizado alrededor del mundo por empresas, organizaciones gubernamentales, instituciones educativas y ONG´s”
- Ministerio de Educacion Nacional
British Council Student Magazine
STUDY ABROAD AND
WIN UP TO £10,000 towards your tuition fees and/or living expenses! Apply now! by completing the online application form below: http://www.mastersportal.eu/pages/the-global-study-awards/
Deadlines:
The Global Study Awards (TGSA) is an exciting initiative being launched by the International Student Identity Card, StudyPortals and British Council IELTS. The Global Study Awards will be available to prospective students in all countries worldwide and enable the successful candidate(s) to study abroad, on any chosen undergraduate or postgraduate programme at a higher education institution. Who are we looking for? The Global Study Awards is designed to support highly motivated, talented individuals who can actively demonstrate:
their potential to contribute to society through their studies;
a strong commitment to developing their career;
their sincere interest in increasing understanding and exchange.
intercultural
Who can apply? To be eligible to apply for The Global Study Awards applicants must:
Be 18 years or over as of 1st of January 2016
Have taken an IELTS test at a British Council centre, and receive an official Test Report Form (TRF) issued by the British Council after the 1st of June 2016
Have a valid International Student Identity Card (ISIC) and/or International Youth Travel Card (IYTC)
Plan to enroll on a full-time undergraduate or
British Council Student Magazine
30th of June for students that will start studying in Autumn 2017. 30th of September for students that will start studying in Spring 2018.
postgraduate programme abroad in autumn term of 2017 or spring term of 2018 have written a short review of their study
Provide an acceptance letter from the relevant institution by the relevant cut-off date
Write a short review of your study experience at STeXX.com
See the full terms and conditions: http://media.prtl.eu/Terms+and+Conditions.pdf
Application timeline: There are 6 Global Study Awards (GSA) in total: 4 GSA winners are selected for the Autumn 2017 intake (studies starting between 1 August – 31 October 2017) 2 GSA winners are selected for the Spring 2018 intake (studies starting between 1 January – 31 March 2018) A selection panel comprised of representatives from the partners will review and assess the entries. Strong candidates will be shortlisted and invited for an in person interview prior to the final winning selection. The winners will be announced within 3 months after the application deadline. For
further
information,
please
contact
us
on
competitions@isic.org 5
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. How can I improve my band score? First of all, let me say that you cannot fail the IELTS exam. You can, however, get a 0 or a 1. It takes a lot of study and hard work to improve your band score. You can do this by taking a preparation course but the best thing to do to get a better score is to improve your English. After all, IELTS is a test of your general English ability. Grammar is 25% the speaking and writing results, so it is a huge part of the test. Sometimes candidates become too focused on exam technique (which is important!), but increasing your English, will almost always result in an increase of your band score. The second thing you can do is read the question! This is especially important for the writing paper. Don’t answer things that are not asked in the question and do make sure you answer everything that is asked. This can be as simple as ticking each component when you include it. In the listening and reading papers, make sure you follow the instructions regarding how many words to write in each space. If the question says ‘write one or two words’, you will NOT get extra marks if you write more than 2 words – You will score ZERO for that question. 6
In the reading and listening questions you should keep in mind that you may not hear or read exactly the same word as you read or hear in the text but a word with a similar meaning. I’ve practised and practised the writings, but I’m still not improving. What am I doing wrong? I often see candidates trying to write long, sophisticated sentences, as you do in Spanish. Try to keep your sentences to two lines of handwriting, maximum. This way you can focus on clarity in your writing and getting your point across, rather than trying to use lots of connectors to make longer sentences. Don’t get me wrong, connectors are good. Analyse my sentences in this piece of writing – They contain ONE idea and they finish with a FULL STOP (US period) and begin with a CAPITAL LETTER. It’s also a good idea to learn basic rules of punctuation and paragraphing in English. One paragraph should contain one main idea. After you plan what you want to say in your writing, remember to make sure that it’s logical and that one paragraph talks about the same idea. This can help you not repeat yourself later on in the text. This will give your examiner a much better impression and help you score better in ‘coherence and cohesion’. British Council Student Magazine
17th of May is an opportunity for us to raise awareness on the issues that Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transsexual people face worldwide and to campaign against homophobia. May 17 is now celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal. These mobilisations of worldwide support unite millions of people in support of the recognition of human rights for all, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Check out this video for more information about our #WeAreDiverse campaign: https://goo.gl/kt2Ey6 British Council Student Magazine
7
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Luis Gonzalez, Arts Project Manager Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m from Manizales, a city in the mountainous coffee-growing region of western Colombia. It’s known for its cultural events, steep streets, views of the nearby Nevado del Ruiz volcano and of course, for the best team of the Colombian football history, Once Caldas! However, I haven’t lived there since 2005 but I try to go back and visit my family every three/four months. Since I left Manizales, I have lived in different cities like Bogota, Paris and San Francisco. However, I've spent more than 6 years living in Bogota, first, studying Economics and Visual Arts, at the Universidad de Los Andes, and after some years living abroad, I came back in 2014 to work in the cultural sector, and from 2016 for the British Council. What does your job involve? I'm the Arts Manager at the British Council. Then, my role is to manage the arts projects and programmes of the British Council in Colombia. My main objective is to strengthen the connections between the British and Colombia's arts sectors. Therefore, I design and deliver projects -with the support of the rest of the Arts team both in Colombia and in the UK- to achieve this objective and foster collaborations and mutual understanding between artists and cultural entrepreneurs in both countries. An good example of this, was our programme at the Bogota Music Market (BOMM) last year. We brought a British delegation comprised of 16 representatives of the music industry to cover all links in the music value chain, thus enhancing the potential for new business relationships emerging between representatives of the music industries of 8
both countries, as well as enhancing cultural exchange through music. The outcome of this was that several Colombian bands such as Cero39 and Canalón de Timbiquí, were selected as part of the line-up of festivals like Glastonbury and Womad which will happen in June and July this year, respectively. What’s the best thing about your work? I meet incredible people, travel on a regular basis and I'm immersed in a very inspiring working atmosphere. For instance, this year I will deliver projects of music, architecture, design and performing arts. Each project will be delivered with different partners -including public and private organizations- and in different cities in Colombia like Cali, Manizales, San Andres and Santa Marta. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Playing football, reading books, watching films and eating at good restaurants. British Council Student Magazine
CERO39
¿Cuéntanos sobre el comienzo y la trayectoria de Cero39? Comenzamos a explorar hace 10 años con la Sonoridad Latinoamericana, esto nos llevó en el 2012 a publicar un primer EP llamado Móntate en el Viaje, con este trabajo musical pudimos conocer distintas ciudades como Copenhagen, Berlín, Barcelona y Guadalajara. Publicamos en el 2016, Moni moni, y ahora recientemente publicamos bajo el sello Big in Japan nuestro nuevo EP llamado Mis tierras calientes. El próximo 19 de junio comenzara nuestra gira “No estamos solos” por tierras Europeas pasando por Festivales como Glansonbury, (UK) Paleo (SW), Rio Babel (SP) entre otros. ¿Cómo se dio la participación en Glastonbury? El año pasado aplicamos a las convocatorias del BOmm, en el 2016 el invitado de honor fue el Reino Unido. Para nuestra fortuna quedamos elegidos para hacer showcase (presentación de 15 minutos) y para aún más fortuna, Steve, curador de la Tarima del common en el festival Glanstonbury estaba presente entre los asistentes, quedo satisfecho con la propuesta y decidió invitarnos a
British Council Student Magazine
participar este año, gracias al BOmm pudimos concretar un booker quien se ha encargado de la organización del tour “No estamos solos” ¿En qué consiste la gira y como se están preparando? No estamos solos, durará aproximadamente dos meses donde visitaremos Reino Unido, Francia, España, Suiza, Alemania, entre otros. En algunos serán grandes festivales, y otros conciertos medianos. Nos estamos preparando físicamente y siguiendo una buena dieta ya que será una gran travesía. Por otro lado mi inglés estaba en modo precario y gracias al British Council recibí clases intensivas para mejorar mi nivel de ingles y mi pronunciación, para poder desenvolverme mejor en la gira. ¿Cuáles son los planes para después de la gira? Después de la gira tenemos confirmado viajes a Costa Rica y Chile, entraremos a estudio a hacer nuevo material y en octubre volveremos a Europa a gozar y hacer bailar y sonreír a los fanáticos de la música.
9
STUDENT PROFILE Janet Rea Occupation: Senior Executive in Financial Policies in a Development bank. Nationality: Spanish and Bolivian. I was born in Spain but I grew up in Bolivia most of my life.
What is best thing about Colombia? That’s such a good question! Considering that the last place I lived was Caracas, where you have a lot of delinquency and you are not safe, my family and I really appreciate the security here. Even though it’s not the safest place in the world, you really have the chance to walk at night. You have the experience of having a nightlife, you know. In other places like in Caracas, that was not possible at all. What is the best lesson you remember in the British Council.
David Antonio Navarro Occupation: Works for the Ministry of Education Nationality: Colombian.
What’s your most memorable moment in the British Council? I like to study in Nogal, because people in my class are really funny and interested in learning English.
It was when the teacher put papers on the wall and we had to complete the phrases using the grammatical structures that we were learning at that time. It was really really good because we exchanged the pieces of paper in the classroom and you could see mistakes and good things that you’ve been wondering about, maybe for a long time. Why is it important for business women to learn English? I think it’s one of the most important parts of being a professional in this globalised world because English is used all over the world. Not considering the number of inhabitants in the world because the Chinese would win that, but in the business area, English is the most spoken, so it’s really important for everyone to learn.
In what way has learning English helped you? In my career it’s very important because I have to read a lot of books about a range of themes. But my personal interest is because I like the language. My dream is to write different stories and read books in English. I like English language literature. One of my favourite writers is an American writer, Richard Ford and I also like Paul Auster. And I like the British authors Charles Dickens and Doris Lessing too.
How long have you been writing stories? I started to write when I was about 11 and I liked it very much.
10
British Council Student Magazine
Down and Out in Honz Street Life began to seem to me simple and miserable, without knowing the reason. In the winter of 1996 I decided to leave everything I knew to become a street boxer in one of the most dangerous places in the country. I thought I could earn a few bucks staking my life every night in the street fights that took place on Honz Street in the Turkish neighbourhood of a little run-down town. The first week I only had enough money to pay for a miserable room at the pension Nisantasi. At the entrance to the old building was a sign that read: “Welcome, Luxury Hotel”.
STUDENT CORNER Please let us know if you would like your content to be featured here!
After some time, I started to improve my fighting technique and perfect my style. That allowed me to get enough money to pay for a small room on the top floor or another hostel. The room had a little window that overlooked the roof of a forgotten cellar. Every morning I smoked Marlboros and drank a brandy so I could sleep until 6:30pm, when my day started, the opposite of most of the city’s people who went out to work every early in the morning. The fights were not going bad. I was winning some bouts easily but I wasn’t standing out. I was an average fighter; I had won four and lost three. The last fight I lost to a skinny, bearded young man who moved quickly. His left eye threatened like a snake’s rattle. Nobody knew my name or my past. I just made them call me ‘Cuadrado’. When someone asked for my real name I said that I had no more names or past. For me there was only now and my now was fleeting as a fight.
British Council Student Magazine
11
TIPS FOR LEARNING Do your hobby in English! Whether you like to watch films, read graphic novels or research the latest food trends, there is an abundance of information available for all types of things online. You can interact with native speakers on forums and in blog post comments. This way you’re practising your writing and reading skills at the same time. Alternatively, when you go to bars, go on ciclovia on a Sunday or go shopping, try to find English speakers and do it with them.
ENGLISH AT HOME Mondly is an app and a website that follows the familiar format of gamified language learning. The special thing about Mondly is that it features a chat bot. You can access some of the chat bot and some other material for free, or if you prefer, pay a small yearly fee to have access to a wide range of games, lessons and quizzes. You need wifi to use it, which is a disadvantage. Available for itunes and android and at www.mondlylanguages.com.
12
Pronunciation Studio is a great blog to help you improve and understand your pronunciation errors. It has interesting posts about different topics and recordings to help illustrate what they’re talking about. These are also really good to try to copy the British accent! There is even a specific blog post about errors Spanish speakers make!
British Council Student Magazine
CALENDARIO IELTS
CALENDARIO IELTS UKVI
British Council Student Magazine
13
MONTHLY MADNESS JOKE OF THE MONTH
I’m on a seafood diet. Every time I see food, I eat it!
IDIOM OF THE MONTH
‘Get the ball rolling’ This means to start a new project or take the initial steps in doing something. “Let’s get the ball rolling with this project.” “We’ll have to check with our lawyers before we get the ball rolling on that” Do you have a similar expression in your language?
SPANGLISH, SPANISH SPEAKERS OFTEN SAY: ‘I’m sorry I lost the last class, teacher’. ‘Lose’ means you can’t find something. You should say ‘I’m sorry I missed the last class, teacher’. Similarly, we miss ‘a plane’, ‘an opportunity’ and ‘a chance’. ‘Miss’ also means when you feel bad because someone is not there. “I missed my mum when she went on holiday”
14
British Council Student Magazine
STUDENT CROSSWORD COMPETITION! ...Fill in this crossword, and hand it in at reception for the chance to win a mystery prize*! *Terms and conditions apply.
Across
Down
2. To leave the city for the weekend of on vacation. (phrasal verb). 5. This is what you use to write with. (n) 7. When you’re not sure where you are or can’t find and address. (v in past participle) 8. We got to the airport late so we _____ the plane. (verb in past) 10. They’re red, orange and green and stop traffic on the road. (n) 15. Long, thin reptiles many people are scared of. (n) 16. A piece of jewellery you wear around your neck. (n) 17. Get a _____ = receive a gift. (n) 18. The precious substance made from carbon and pressure. (n)
1. The action of getting money for working. (v) 3. The past participle of understand. 4. The name of the person who pulls a rabbit out of a hat. (n) 5. The nationality of a person from Poland. (adj.) 6. The children were _____ football in the park all day. (v– ing) 9. Beethoven and Mozart produced this type of music. (adj.) 11. The teacher _____ us to be quiet. (verb in past) 12. A food made from milk that you put on arepas or bread. (n) 13. when a place has ghosts or spirits inside. (adj.) 14. A person who doesn’t talk a lot. (adj.)
Milena, winner of our 3th crossword competition, receiving ticket for Ondatropica.
Congratulation to the winner of the previous crossword competition: Claudia Patricia Bahamón / Upper-Intermediate / Salitre
British Council Student Magazine
Answers from previous crossword Across
Down
5. volunteer 7. saw 9. cheerful 11. strange 12. umbrella 13. redhead 16. hard-working 17. window 19. employer 21. catch 23. done 24. night
1. Tall 2. Were 3. Unique 4. Woken 6. Education 8. Written 10. experience 14. shook 15. froze 18. watch 20. music 22. taken
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 - 83, Torre 7, Piso 5
Niza Montessori British School, Calle 128A # 72 - 59
Telephone: 325 9090
Email: servicioalcliente@britishcouncil.org.co
FOLLOW US
BritishCouncilColombia
coBritish
coBritishArts