MY LANGUAGE PROGRESS: ENGLISH ADVENTURE
ALEJANDRO VALENCIA
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM LEVEL 6 YACHAY TECH, ECUADOR
MY LANGUAGE PROGRESS: ENGLISH ADVENTURE BY ALEJANDRO VALENCIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM YACHAY TECH LEVEL 6-011 TEACHER: JOSIE JAVENS
JANUARY 10, 2017 IMBABURA, ECUADOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS PORTFOLIO LETTER RESPONSE ESSAY EXPLORATION ESSAY INTERPRETATION ESSAY ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT ESSAY THANK YOU LETTER
Alejandro Valencia Yachay Tech University Imbabura, Ecuador
December 9, 2016
Dear Portfolio Reader. My name is Alejandro Valencia. I present you my English portfolio, where you going to read about my progressive improvement as an English language learner of the level 6 at Yachay Tech. All my portfolio consist in four essays and other kinds of works that helped me to improve my language skills. I am very enthusiastic with respect my portfolio because with this I can make a comparison that can confirm how much I have progressed. Then I can continue my studies of english language on other levels. |On the level 6 my biggest growth was my presentation skills. When I began this semester on the level 6, I was not a good speaker on the other words I was not good for improvisation or being natural in some presentation. For example, in the first presentations of the level 6, I needed memorize every single world to made the presentation, on the contrary I couldn't speak well in my presentation. but now i don't need memorize all part of the presentation, only I need to know the topic and the order of my presentation. Also, in level 6 I improved in my writing and vocabulary skills. In my first essay, with a focus of response essay, I made some mistakes that now I consider absurd. For example, on the response essay I wrote “these” instead of “this” or “whit” instead of “with”.
Currently I write with more facility and my grammar mistakes have decreased, because in the last essay with a focus of argumentative essay, I didnt make lot mistakes related with my old mistakes. I am very proud about my progress in level 6, because on this level I improved my writing skills more than others, thank to the large amount of writing works that I did during level 6. I can say that I improved in my writer skills because on the beginning of the semester, I was use very much "google translate" and now, I use it but in less amount, only for some words or short phrases. Also, with respect to my speak skills, I need continued practice on the next levels because with my current level I don't be natural when I speak. In some cases I feel that I think much in the words that I need to say and in other cases I can't find the correct word. This causes that my idea don't be transmit in a correct form. I need continue practice my speaking through presentations and talking with native people of the english language. To finalize, I want to thank you for read my portfolio. I do this with much effort and longing. I hope that you enjoy reading it and that you was past a good time with this letter.
Sincerely,
Alejandro Valencia
RESPONSE ESSAY
Alejandro Valencia L6-011 Response I
The language is the most important tool that the human race has and many of us known the importance of it to communicate us and share ideas, however really we know about the impact that language has had with regard the way we thought? The questions about if the language mark the way we think and, if we learn another language the way we think can changes? touch the major controversies in the study of the mind. The idea about that the language that we learn could change or way of thinking is very interesting and good explained by Lera Boroditsky because she use a concrete examples about it. Also it could have a good application in education about the language learning process.
Around the world exist many languages, and in each of one has particularities respect many things and the point of view about this thinks could be very different. According to Lera Boroditsky the language can shape the way we think about space, time, colors, objects. This facts could observed when we make a comparison the between Kuuk Thaayorre and english speakers, where the people who belongs to Thaayorre don’t have a common appreciation of the space neither to the time. Boroditsky say that these people instead of use the words ‘left’,’right’, they uses the cardinal points to say the locate of something. Even the time from these people is appreciated in a different way. It is a succession of events that occur from east to west. Also Boroditsky present others good examples focused inargument their idea about the ways in which language influences our thinking
According to Boroditsky the differents languages that exist shape the form of thought of each person. It could be real because if we think carefully about the examples that on the text, this idea resul as a good explanation with respect to the differences that exist between all languages. The arguments that Boroditsky present with examples about, how a different language could influence on our perception, orientation, and conception of time, sometimes are not very obviously in our day to day, but the evidences presented in the essay are concrets and good supported. One example that Boroditsky gif in about the kuuk Thaayorre about their different perception about their oriented and their conception of time. This is a very clary argument about the differents ways of thought that the people has, depending on what language speak. Others good examples are about the appreciation on colors between russian speakers and english speakers. Where, on the one hand the russian speakers need to take more attention to the colors driven by their language that disting more tones than english speakers. The languages has many particularities than don't have any other. These particularities are: the ascents that the world have because without it in many cases the word sound weird. Other aspects that we need pay attention is the gender of the noun, because we need to know about it, to create an appropriate sentence. We need to know about the time in we are spelling to use an correct verb form. Even we known the different contexts that one word could be have and used in a correct form because in each context the word could be writing in the same form but the the main of it could be completely different in each case. Evaluation Much of the parts of the text are interesting and has a good supporting due to the examples that boroditsky use. She can convey the main idea successfully. on the other hand
in some parts of the text she maybe use some irrelevant information that can make miss for a moment. Conclusion The conclusion about the essay was good because it has a good summary, take all points treated on the essay in brief but concrete form. Has a good reconnect to the intro mentioned the thesis that was solid during the texts and good supported with examples and researches.
LITERARY ANALYSIS
Araby by James Joyce Alejandro Valencia Yachay Tech
Araby by James Joyce Araby is a short story that trap the reader's attention, because keep some uncertainly thought the story. The main theme of the text is fist love that the narrator had and how he lives. In general the text talk about the interpretation of love and how it is more than only one feeling. All story is developed in a quiet and darkness street and in a bazar named Arabiy. the author talk about his childhood and how he falling in love with the sister of Magan, one of his friends. He describe how the love that he feel create some new feelings and situations that he has never lived before. the author to portray the theme. He create or use two perspectives. In the fist perspective, the author knows everything and what is going to happen. In the second perspective the characters are confused and live in uncertainty because they don't know what happened with themselves. The author write ”I did not know whether I would eve4r speak to her or not, if I speak to her how I could tell her of my confused adoration” (Joyce, 1914). This fragment of the text express confusion and uncertainly from the protagonist. These two feelings are related with falling in love for first time, and it show us how love is more than only one feeling, instead it is a mix of “goods” and “bads” feelings. In conclusion the author try to explain what first love is like through two differents perspectives and explained other feelings linked with the illusion of love. the text try to eplain the fistd love as a mix of other leelinfs and situation, even other perspectives that we have when we falling in love.
References Joyce J. (1914), “Araby”. The Dubliners
INTERPRETATION ESSAY
Interpretation of ​Winter by Vivaldi Pamela Suarez and Alejandro Valencia University Yachay Tech
Winter
This is winter, but it brings joy (Anonymous, 1723)
Each piece of art has many different meanings which depends on both the spectator point of view and author's viewpoint. Certainly the music that allows more interpretations is classical music. This kind of art began as a religious music and with the pass of time it was separated of the religion to create a new independent gender of music (Naxos, 2016). One of the more important composers of this kind of music was Antonio Vivaldi. Vivaldi was a man who loved life, so he shaped his emotions in the Four Seasons. He found the inspiration to compose his masterpiece in the changes of nature. An important aspect was the time in which Vivaldi lived since the music, specifically the concerts, represented the nature, so the concerts were very revolutionary (Mind power mp3.com). He composed around 700 concerts; four of them correspond to the Four Seasons. Winter is a concert of the Four Seasons and contains symbolisms that represent the difficult stages that a person faces throughout his life to learn and grow as a better person. Winter has different movements (Saavedra, 2010) which together make up a work of ups and downs that are associated with the human life. These movements are: Allegro non molto, largo, allegro; each with a different interpretation. For example, Allegro non molto lead us to feel the cold of winter, the fear of the arrival of the storm and chaos. The cold of the coming of winter with the unleashed storm symbolizes the difficult moments in a person's life; those moments that test the character and the courage, those moments that we all go
through in life. Largo move us to the calm of the winter; the one that arrives when the storm passes. In life, certain circumstances can lead us to a deep sadness and uneasiness, even to depression. Largo give us an idea of ​the peace that can be felt even in a state of anguish. Even in the storm there is calm because there is hope. Finally, Allegro represents the transition state from winter to spring, when water thaws and everything moves. Allegro represents the transformation of nature, which at the end of winter reborn. In life, the difficulties we face transform us; we never remain the same, and in the end we become new people, learning from our difficulties and growing as people, reborning. The particularities both in symbolism and in the structure of the song reflects the difficulties that a person faces . Among the song exists a great variation of times and tones that combinated each other create different variations and evoke different emotions. For example, in some parts the song mixes a slow time with a high tone to evoke the feeling of sadness. On the other hand, the song contains parts which are mixtures of fast times with low tones to evoke feelings of restlessness, or a sensation to be alert all the time. Through this composition of times and tones Winter transmits opposite feelings that try to represent the mixture of emotions that a person live in difficult moments. Winter is related with cold, sadness and hard moments in comparison with the rest of the seasons. Also, it could be related with the heat of a chimney and a comfortable home. Winter is a mixture of many kinds of feelings at the same time; for this reason the interpretation is very broad. This song varies unexpectedly, for example the song passes from calm and soft to fast and stormy trying to represent the unpredictable nature. We can compare it with a complicated and difficult situation that is unpredictable too, or with abrupt changes that could be good or bad. The particularity of the song is the end of it because it is slow and
comfortable announcing the end of the winter, and it can be interpreted like the end of the person's problems. In conclusion, Winter is a composition that has relationship with the ups and downs of life since its composition, structure and content. The different movements of the piece create a unique composition which leads us to interpret life itself as an opportunity for learning and growing as a better person. So, this is the reason why Winter represents the difficult stages that a person faces throughout in the life. It is important to know about the different interpretations of a piece of art, in this case Winter, and the many symbolism that it has to understand important things.
References Naxos. (2016). History Of classic Music Retrieved from http://www.naxos.com/education/brief_history.asp Saavedra, A. (2010). Antonio Vivaldi and the "Four Seasons" explained. Revista Vinculando. Retrieved from: http://vinculando.org/en/antonio_vivaldi_the_four_seasons_explained.html Mind power mp3.com. Why is the Four Seasons Vivaldi So Popular? Retrieved from: http://www.mindpowermp3.com/Why-is-the-Four-Seasons-Vivaldi-So-Popular.html Poets' Corner. (1723). Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons). (pag 5). Retrieved from: http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/part2/vivaldi01.html
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
Technology and evolution of the human raze. Alejandro Valencia University Yachay Tech
Technology and evolution of the human raze. Currently the word technology is related with the evolution of the human raze. Technology is present in all places of the world thanks to the internet, that there many kinds of information that could be very useful for learning something. In addition to the internet, there exist other kinds of technologies that allows us to learn and know more about the world. Or in other world, allows us to be smarter. For these reason technology like internet, computers, smartphones, etc. has made us smarter, The technology allows us to increase our knowledge about many things. For example, according to Jonathan Coopersmith, with a smartphone we can make a film without spend more money in lights, editing equipment or a video camera because all these things are integrate in the smartphone (Coopersmith, 2016). Also, because the internet is present in every place many people can learn about basic things that they can need in their lives. For example how technology allows that the people increase their knowledge about the world. Other important fact is that the technology can create more time to do more thing. With technology wa can learn at anytime or in everyplace even more quickly, for these reason we have more to do other activities like working more or learning more. For example with a smartphone with internet we can study for a lesson in a bus or while we walk in the street, for this reason we dont waste time in a bus or even when we going to the library. This fact allows us to have more time tot learns mo things rÂżthat can improve our intelligence.
On the other hand the technology can create a dependence because we forget little things like cellphone numbers or ever birthdays because we think that all that information be on internet. or in our cell phones. (Roberts, 2015). Or according to Coopersmith the technology made us “individually dumer and collectively smarter� because we can do more but we dont understand what are we doing. These two opinions are not totally correct because create a dependence, depend on each person because if a person use a technology to learn something new, it is good, but, if a person uses technology only to remember things that don't want to learn he create a dependence on technology. In conclusion the technology allows us to increase our knowledge an dundersar the world, and give us more time to do other activities that can improve our intelligence. In many cases a good use or bad use depend on the person that use the technology. In general all kind of technology make people smarter.
References. Coopersmith J.(June 17, 2016) Is technology making us dumber or smarter? Yes. Roberts G. (July 15, 2015) Google effect: is technology making us stupid?
FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT ESSAY
The Methods to Learn English that Should be Used in Ecuadorian Schools. Alejandro Valencia University Yachay Tech
The Methods to Learn English that Should be Used in Ecuadorian Schools. Have you ever thought about the difficulty that exist when you try to learn a new language? Or even if the method you tried to use to learn a foreign language was the most efficient? Many people think that to learn we only need to assist to some institution of education, but to learn in an efficient way we need to follow a method of learning or teaching. According of a method that the institution choose to follow, we can learn in a better way. In relation with the methods that are used to teach foreign language exist for example: the grammatical approach, aural approach, translative approach among others.( Paris, 2014). In Ecuador all schools have an obligation to teach some foreign language, but in many cases the students don't learn successful. And students that learn another language is because they attended to other institutions specialized in teaching languages. However, if the students receive an idiom classes in the school, why to learn in an efficient form the student need to go to another institution of education? The method to teach foreign languages in some ecuadorian schools is not completely efficient, for this reason many students decide study in particular institutions specialized in teaching languages. But why exist differences between particular institution and normal schools? Maybe the main difference that exist is related with the methods of teaching language that these use. For these reason, the current methods of teaching language used in high schools of Ecuador should improve to be more efficient, so that there is no need to attend other private institutions, but the same educational institution can provide quality education. The current methods that is valid on ecuadorian schools is regulated by the Ministry of Education of Ecuador. To improve the current method to teaching english used in Ecuador,
we need to know about the weakness points and strong points that this method have, on the other words we need to know about The English Language Learning Standards. These standars was created and regulated by the Ministry of Education of Ecuador with the support of the president of ecuador and others members of the government. These standards of quality of education are focused in five aspects of the teaching process: listening, reading, speaking production, speaking interaction and writing. Each of these aspects are divided in modules or levels that should be treated throughout all school period (“Ministry of Education”, 2012). On the other words during almost twelve school years a ecuadorian student learn five aspects of the english language. One reason that the current method used in the ecuadorian schools is not very efficient is the incorrect division of levels, because at each level the student is only focused on one aspect like listening or writing and does not make a correlation between all aspects. this is fundamental to a successful learning of a foreign language. The method of teaching english in ecuador have been evolve and change according to the government decisions. According to the British Council an international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, Ecuador was suffer a macro evolution of english learners, in both private and public education. “British Council”(2015) answered objections with the following analysis “we estimated that there were 225,000 English speakers in Ecuador in 2010, most of whom were located in the capital, Quito. It is assumed that the number of English speakers has increased in the year 2010, from that the government of Ecuador established that the English language learning was a requirement for the students from 15 years old”(pg. 24). All this increase of english speakers in Ecuador, that's because the current government of 2010, made changes to the last document that regulated the way to teach the english language. Even in the past, in Ecuador the learning of
english language or other kind of foreign language was not a mandatory and the Institutions of Education don't be obligated to teach them. On the one hand, the current method that the government was implemented is beneficial because promotes a national learning, of a foreign languages. On the other hand establish only one kind of method to all country generates an instability in the method because not all sectors works in a same form. For example in the sector that is conformed by public institutions the students exceed the 50 or 60 on each class. In these case the method established by the government is not efficient, because the amount of students for each class dont allows a correct learning. Also, due the structure of the levels, the method result less efficient because if the student doesn't understand one level, he doesn't understand the next levels because they can't do a successful correlation between listening and writing, or between reading and listening. To solve these problem could change the method or the amount of students on each class, but the second is impossible because the demand of education in Ecuador are increasing and don't exist enough classrooms for all students. For these reason to solve these problem the method need change to another one that can work with a great amount of students on each class. Currently in Ecuador exist other factors that are not necessarily related with the educational ambit, but all of these can affect the method to teach of the english language, causing that the method doesnt work in a correct form. In Ecuador exist many factors like the education reforms, the economic prioritisation, the national production matrix, teaching training, technology among others. In words of “British Council” (2015) “Ecuador currently has a shortage of experienced, properly-trained English language teachers. This stems from poor quality teacher training programmes as well as quality assurance measures that have resulted in the dismissal of sub-standard teachers” (pg. 54). The economic factor of ecuador affect the english language learning because if the country suffer an economic problems, the
country search a preservation of the Ecuadorean industry. Then the country is now relying increasingly on Ecuadorean-made items and local human capital. For this reason exist some limitations to bring in teachers from abroad, and this decrease the existing shortage if properly qualified English language teachers (“British Council, 2015, p. 52”). On the other words the most important factor that affect the quality of learning the english language is the absence of qualified teachers in Ecuador, because the method of teaching english can change and be more efficient but if it doesnt teaching in a correct way, this method doesn't works in the form that supposed to do it. Due to these facts not only the current methods of teaching language should improve, but also that the way of imparting them, referring to the quality of teachers that our country has, to create a stable method of teaching english and other foreign languages. Around the world exist many kinds of learning english methods that could be used instead of the current method or that have particularities that the Ecuadorian method could imitate to improve itself. According to C. Paris exist five teaching methods that currently work and each one have a different approach to increase a specific skill. Among these five methods of teaching english the most efficientes are the aural approach and the immersive approach. The first method are focused on the most natural way to learn a language, which is by hearing it. With this method the people who are learning first learn how to speak and understand the language and then the students learn the grammatical rules. (Paris, 2014) This method could replace the current method in ecuador because it makes that the english or the foreign language that want to be learned, can converted in a more natural language, that could be learned easier. The second method is the immersive approach, in the words of Paris C. “The immersive approach is one of the best ways to learn the language for older students who are able to travel for their education. Someone who wants to learn English doesn’t even need
to be enrolled in an English language course to use this method – all they need are the resources involved in travel. For students wanting to learn British English, a trip to the United Kingdom is recommended. For students wanting to learn American English, a trip to the United States is recommended. If the student wants an academic-heavy approach, there are foreign exchange programs they can enroll in through colleges, or other academic programs that allow prolonged travel.”(para, 20). This method could be considered as the best because the student make a interaction with the native speakers of the language that they want to be learn, however the implementation of this method is impossible because it require a high inversion from the students or the country and this could means that few students could access to this kind of teaching. The current method of learning english in ecuador should take little aspects of each of these method for example, first learn the language though the speech and listening and then all grammatical rules. Also from the immersion approach could be taken the part of that the student learn directly of the native speakers of the language. Making a good combination between all of these aspects the method of teaching english and other foreign languages in Ecuador could be improved. According to Rebekah Richards exist many disadvantages of learning a foreign languages. The author mentioned problems like is the cost that means learn a language and the useless that is learn a language is, if we don’t travel to other countries to put into practice what has been learned (Richards, 2008). The examples about the problems that the author mentioned, are not good supported because he doesn’t give some evidence with some kind of studies or statistics about his affirmations. On the other hand, I think that learn languages is very useful for everybody and the teaching process should be change according to the student necessities. With respect to the cost that exist when we learn some language, exist others options like read books, listen
music or free application that can help us to learn a foreign language. Also, learn languages is very useful regardless of whether we travel to another country or not because currently we can find a foreign language everywhere, in some instructions, TV shows even mobile applications that are very important to help the learning process. In conclusion in Ecuador exist a current methodology that guide the english education that are regulated by the Ministry of education and evaluated by others international institutions. Also in Ecuador exist many factor that can affect the process of learning, these factors could be the current economical state of ecuador and the quality of the teachers. Even to improve the current method of Ecuador is necessary know about other methods that exist and make a comparative​. ​All of these mentioned aspects are important because to have a good education we should know what is the method through we are learning a foreign language and if the correct method is the most efficient or what points could be improved. For these reasons Ecuador should change or improve the method that is used to learn english or other foreign language.
References British Council (2015, May). English in Ecuador: An examination of policy, perceptions and influencing factors. Retrieved from https://ei.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/latin-america-research/English%20 in%20Ecuador.pdf Ministry of Education of Ecuador (2009). The English Language Learning Standards. Retrieved from https://educacion.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/09/estandares2 012_ingles_opt.pdf Paris C. (2014, Jun 11). 5 English Teaching Methods That Work. Retrieved from https://blog.udemy.com/english-teaching-methods/ Richards R. (2008, July), The Disadvantages of Learning a Foreign Language Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_7932356_disadvantages-learning -foreign-language.html
THANKS TO ALL YOU READ MY PORTFOLIO. I HOPE THAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING FOR YOU, AND SOME INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE HAVE BEEN USEFUL FOR YOU.
SINCERELY,
ALEJANDRO VALENCIA