My English challenge
Araceli granja
MY ENGLISH CHALLENGE BY: ARACELI GRANJA ALVEAR
Araceli Granja Yachay Tech Imbabura-Ecuador January, 09 2017
Dear Reader,
I am Araceli Granja, student of English Language program at Yachay Tech, I wish than you enjoy reading my English Language Portfolio, and thank you very much for read it; it show my progress in English language, because is a compilation of my work in level six course(L006) of program. This portfolio have my research paper in which I have been working throughout of this semester in level six, essays which I was developing, and a reflection. I am sure than I made a good work and you will can see how I have improved since my beginning of this course until today. At the beginning of the semester I was worried because it is my last semester in English class and I am taking all my subjects in English. My expectations were like the expectations of the majority in the class that were based on improve my pronunciation, my writing and reading. I just expected to improve all my English skills in general. However I could see that my weakness was speaking. Then, with hard work, and with help of my teacher I can improve this skill. For \example at the second week we had a conversation assignment, my development here was very bad, and I got a bad grade. But nevertheless I continued working, and for my debate assignment I did an excellent performance.
For my writing this level was very important because the APA rules were not enough clear, I was don’t worry very much about this the last semesters, and I thought that my essays needed have just a good history, so for my response essay I lost points for forget all APA rules, specially how to cite; in the course of the semester my teacher gave me different sources to learn this, and in my research paper include a good citation and the correct APA format. One of the challenged for my in this semester was to learn to asking to someone when I don’t understand the instructions for some assignment, I didn’t ask because I thought that do it make me look some dumb, but this didn’t helped me to improve my learning, so I started to change and asking the classmates and to my teacher for assignment’s instructions. So what I achieve this semester was to improve my speaking a lot and this makes me feel really happy, I think that I improve my writing to. In addition I can say that I now don’t worry for like I looked me making questions, if I don’t understand something I ask about this . And I am ready to finish my English Language Program at Yachay with my own compromise of continue learning with reading for improve my vocabulary but above all practicing my speaking. Thank you so much for reading my portfolio. I put in a great deal of effort into my portfolio, and I hope you enjoy reading it as I enjoy writing it. I am sure that I can to be better in my academic class thanks to my progress in English. Gratefully,
Araceli Granja
RESPONSE ESSAY
The Ethics of Human Enhancement Araceli Granja L6003 Yachay Tech
The Ethics of Human Enhancement All thing to improve the life of humans is rightly ethic? In the paper “The Ethics of Human Enhancement�, Andy Miah, explain about the last scientific researches and advancements do improve the way of life of human beings, and like this new technologies are used analyzing the ethical side. Undoubtedly the medicine and research have taken a big step and today there is medicine for diseases that were fatal, such vaccines is one of the best weapons for at have been developed to investigate whether or not there is some disease such as x-rays or CT scans or cardiograms, etc. All of these tools are very useful when diagnosing or other disease, and so doctors can face the problem with some certainty that could heal. The humanity always have try improve their ways to live, since their existence; but now have started to work with sophisticated and controversial tools, which stop us to think if are ethical, and if we are propagate to this ways to improve. The ethical side intro here for two reasons, the first is to think if this way increase for example memory or physical is right to the success on the life. And the second is to think in far it can bring you near, which is the limit and which biological or ecological risks will be generated. In the 21st century have developed through science many technologies to improve the lives of people, although this sincerely changed the sense of being something that improves the lives of people to an investigation to immortalize and make them physically or visibly better, for example are drugs to fatten muscles or aesthetic surgeries, the problem is precisely because this medication is better paid than medicine for other diseases in which patients do not have the necessary resources.
Well first what is ethic, we talk about ethic when we try to explain the human behavior. Really is very complex this word because this approach a lot topics that are very controversial in this time. When we talk about technology and science the ethic also intro, because the people think that everything should be to analyze with relation to this. The principal reasons to say that it is not ethical is because the implications that these biological treatments may have, and somehow change the essence of human beings. Like in the document “Some enhancements might promote success early in life, but lead to serious disability later� Andy Miah (2016). And on the other hand is about the advantage that these people who can access such improvements with technology are in contrast to those who can no access. In my opinion the resources for research in medicine of a nation should be principally to cure diseases, it contains everything that means improving the lifestyle of a human being, not just medicine, if not the research of all kinds should focus on all that is improving planet in which we live and our next generations. I do not think that this evil will be physically better, but that there are several ways, and if anyone has the economic possibilities for do a surgery is not bad either. But we must change the way of thinking that is the first to look good on the outside and then inside; I think it's better to spend your money to give a good life for your child to spend on breast implants because they'll damaged in infancy. This today is very complicated because it has been losing ethics in occupational health and interests of researchers, as ethically a doctor should not do anything that harms the health of patients and should serve all equally regardless of whether the patient has money or not. But today if you have money you heal if you do not die, or if you have a lot of money and you crave change the way you see though this is dangerous for you pay the doctor well and ready. So like Andy Miah believes, “Making numerous enhancements available will require having a range of
decision makers charged with developing policies for their use and implies the need for social systems ensuring that everyone has affordable access to them� (2016). In this moment in very important to that it issues don’t worse. Andy Miah in his document explains well that is ethically wrong some new medical technologies, I quite agree that paragraph that says there biologists who claim to be God and believe they can be all power with their knowledge, is not namely bad, not bad improve, bad lies in thinking that you can manipulate it as you wish without being aware of the ethical and physical consequences that can lead. The author in this paper to do a big explanation about the new advancement and open in the reader an internal debate about the ethical side, is clear and precise with his ideas, use a vocabulary understandable and is few persuasive but enough explanatory. In conclusion the technologies and new tools to improve the life of human are helpful but always is necessary work thinking in the consequences and without leave the ethics formatting that were teaching in the professional and academic life .
BIBLIOGRAPHY Miah, A. (2016). The Ethics of Human Enhancement in Sport. Handbook of Research on Technoethics, (69-84).
INTERPRETATION ESSAY
Interpretation of “The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli Granja Araceli, Loachamin Katherine, Minaya Liceth, Parra Dolores Yachay Tech
Interpretation of The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni known as Sandro Botticelli, was born on March 1, 1445 in Florence, Italy and died on May 17, 1510 in Florence. Alessandro was the youngest of four children of marriage formed by Mariano di Vanni di Amadeo and Smeralda Filipepi. Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance-era and he contributed to the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Among his most important works are: The Birth of Venus, Simonetta, Allegory of Spring, Adoration of the Magi and Chart of Hell. (Stern, 2016). The purpose of the paintings of Botticelli were inspire the viewer to imagine the harmony between body and mind. The Birth Of Venus is undoubtedly one of the most famous and appreciated works of art in the world. Painted by Sandro Botticelli between 1482 and 1485, it has become a symbol of fifteenth-century Italian painting. Currently it’s shown in the rooms 10/14 of the Uffizi gallery, located in Florence Spain. Before considering the essence of the painting you should appreciate the design, colors, and material by which the painting was made. Botticelli used the technique of tempera on canvas, by which you can observe the work in detail since this technique consisted of using the diluted egg yolk, giving it a touch of freshness. Although the canvases were not very popular in Renaissance times, the painter decided to do it in this material because the wood panels did not resist moisture. The colors used by Botticelli are soft and clear that is why when contemplating the work of art you can feel a touch of gallantry and serenity to be observed. This was one of the most important painting for the art's history because previously the only naked body painted by the artists of the time was that of Eve. Typical paintings with the
serpent tempting Eve with an apple to be expelled from paradise for disobeying God. That is why the naked body of Eve is associated with the shame of sin (Silberberg, 2016). On the contrary, the birth of Venus with its radiant and naked body full of vitality is associated with giving the observer an essential idea about the appearance of beauty on earth. This painting shows a religious and mythological subject because in those time it was believed much in the power of the Greek Gods (N/A, 2009) The artist mixes the three elements of matter in his masterpiece, which are air, earth, and water that without many perspectives, but through the sea and the vegetation gives the feeling of depth in the picture. This work of art is basically the representation of myth the birth of the Venus of the Metamorphosis of Ovid wrote by the classical poet Homer,for this reason it gets it’s name. we can see in the center the Goddess Venus on the sea in a great shell, to its right is Zephyr and Cloris, who are also part of the mythology, Zephyr is the god of the Wind and Cloris the goddess of the breeze to her left is the Hora Spring. Venus is painted naked with her long hair covering her intimate parts, while with his right arm tries to cover her chest, showing purity, which is also reflected in her gaze, She is on a shell because these always is related with the fertility in the woman. And also because Homer describes the birth of Venus from the genitals of the Uranus God, cut by his son Cronos and thrown to the sea in a shell and thrown by Zephyr’s breathe. Hora waits for the goddess to dress her with a flowered cloak; the roses fall next to Venus, the tradition says that they arose with her. The painting has a triangle-shaped, symmetrical and dynamic composition, typical of the renaissance art, which allow Venus and its beauty to stand out, Botticelli transmit harmony, beauty and purity in his work of art. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010)
From a personal perspective, the painting represents envy. The observer can perceive a hierarchy where the highest level is occupied by Venus. In this case, Venus represent the beauty and the perfection but appear two antagonist, the angels. They represent the envy because she feels resentment for the beauty of Venus while he feels inferior by the hierarchy that she represents.All this arguments based in the expression of their faces that reflect dissatisfaction with her presence. The breath that he makes represents an attack on Venus but she remains calm. The woman to the left of Venus protects her from any harm she suffers. She is her protector. On the other hand, the landscape have a colors more darkness that the principals elements which causes us to focus in the principal figure. In conclusion, the painting exalts the beauty and the birth of a new life, the picture encloses a religious message because each element of the painting represents a Greek God. On the other hand, each detail can be observed because Botticelli worked with tempera technique to highlight the details. The painting is bathed in a golden glow that shows a world transformed by the beauty of Venus. All picture was painted using light and soft colors. The Birth of Venus is one of the most famous works of Botticelli, this work brings together the characteristics of the Renaissance style: it is narrative, exposing in this case a story drawn from mythology. It is realistic because the figures, and the objects are reproduced with the greatest care.
References N/A. (2012, August 20). The Birth of venus by Botticelli. Guide to Uffizi Gallery Museum. Retrieved from: http://www.uffizi.org/museum/. Stern, J. (2016). 10 Artworks By Botticelli You Should Know. Culture Trip. Retrieved from: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/italy/articles/10-artworks-by-botticelli-you-should-k ow/. Silberberg, C. (2016) Why did Adam and Eve become aware of their nakedness only after they sinned?. Chabad.org. Retrieved from: http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/683491/jewish/Why-did-Adam-and-E ve-become-aware-of-their-nakedness-only-after-they-sinned.htm N/A (2009). Greek Mythology. History.com Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/greek-mythology Phidippides. (2012, August 20). Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Italian Renaissance. Retrieved from: http://www.italianrenaissance.org/2012/08/20/botticelli-birth-of-venus/ Renaissance art. (2010, June, 16). Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved November 18, 2016, from: https://www.britannica.com/art/Renaissance-art
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
The Legalization Is Not Solution Araceli Granja Yachay Tech
The Legalization Is Not Solution Are you agree with give them weapons to the children? Obviously no. Baum in his article “Legalize it All” say that the way for win the war in drugs needy would legalize it use, because the police of drugs prohibition have been active around forty years and those didn’t have had good results, so is time to change course of things with new alternatives like legalize it all; but this can carry bad consequences. Legalize it all is not the solution and really will carry terrible consequences, firstly because the drugs have made big damages to health; and the indiscriminate use might be dangerous to the society. Basically because the drugs are addictive and with just one time try it, these starting with the problem on the nervous system, the human body and the person can not leave the of consuming. The unique thing that improves with the legalization is the dug business. With this points the governments need guarantee the public health and not forget that they are responsible for the increase or decrease. The governments must avoid the drug’s use in pro-health from education programs until the policy of drugs prohibition without criminalizing the people, just put rules about the use and sale of drug, like Baum says “It possible, of course, that one reason we have a relatively small number of drugs addicts is precisely that the most addictive drugs are illegal” talking about Mark Keiman’s point of view; who is against of legalization in USA. And I argument that the problem is not just the addiction, the problem is also violence and criminality that drugs involved. Baum says that the problem is not exactly the drugs, “Lots of Americans drink, but relatively few become alcoholics” (Baum, 2016: 3). Yes I agree with this, but the alcohol is less
invasive that drugs, and is less addictive, in other words; the use of alcohol is auto-controllable. For this reason the drugs need have a control from its sale and use, and this control need to be from authorities. There are a lot of states that legalized the use of drugs, but we not yet know the real consequences about this, these states need more time to know the real effects of legalization. In conclusion the governments can not change this policy about the drugs prohibition because this will carry more problems that solutions in society. The governments must search how improve the ways to prevention the use of drugs.
References
Baum D, (2016, April), Legalize It All How to win the war on drugs. Retrieved from http//happers.arg/achive /2010/04/
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FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT
ESSAY
Language and Discrimination Araceli Granja Alvear Yachay Tech
Language and Discrimination
ABSTRACT This document analyze the different ways of language discrimination and is important to know about this issues, for discover if you are victim or an offender of this kind of discrimination. This show different scenarios where people face to linguistic exclusion, for example in their workplaces, in society, in their complete life and above all if they are able to hear and to speak this problem get more serious because the isolation that this people suffer. Also this document contain an analysis about the unconcern of the governments and how could counteract this specific and serious discrimination.
Do you know if you are participating in language discrimination? Throughout time, the diverse ways of communication and diverse kinds of language have carried effects of discrimination in the societies. Discrimination can exist when people don’t talk the same language, when people use different ways to speak the same language, such as different sounds, extra words, accents, that they use from their customs or their cultures, etc. For example, in the United States there are many companies where employees are foreigners and do not speak English and a rule in which all employees must speak English, or will come out of his work was imposed, but this is a discrimination. Sometimes people are discriminated against by not being able to use spoken language at all. Deaf people, long ago, could not communicate with other people who were not deaf people. This kind of discrimination affects the society exactly because
it is about language and the ways to communicate. The base of society is communication and if there is something that interrupts this interaction, it is harmful for the development of countries. Although of that this kind of discrimination is a very important issue in society, governments and entities of right humans have not worried enough about this. There are only studies related with the discrimination in the workplace in USA and the policies for avoiding it, but from the employees, in this document I will discuss research about the most common ways of language discrimination and I will try to give a solution for these problems. Language is central to our experience of being human. The languages we speak describe the way we think, the way we see the world, they show our customs, our culture, and origins. For this reason, learning a new language which is not related to our traditions is never easy, because it requires paying attention to a new set of distinctions which are different to each language. This goes beyond just learning vocabulary: “it requires paying attention to the right things in the world so that you have the correct information to include in what you say” (Boroditsky, 2016). It is necessary to reflect on this to not discriminate against people for their language or for not being bilingual. By the same token to deny a person the right to work, right to service, housing, etc. just because he does not speak a certain language is discrimination. In the USA there is a high rate of people that are discriminated against in their workplaces because they don’t speak English, or worse than this, the people can’t get a job because they don't speaking English. For example a woman of French origin was rejected for a job as a driver because her mother tongue is not English; she speaks English although not very fluently. “She believed that she did have adequate command of English, but that she was turned down because her first language is French. Fluency in English was not identified as an essential feature of the job” (OHRC, 2009). This case is
clearly an example of language discrimination. For a person to be accepted into a job, his or her abilities regarding the position to which he is applying should be considered first and not to his/her physical, social or cultural limitations, and not because he/she is not bilingual, but because they are not able to carry out their work well. Like Lizzie Velasquez (2014) in her TED conference; each person is defined in a different way and does not refer to their appearance, their origins or their friendships is defined by the way to face adversities to the world, hence, a person is more than a simple curriculum vitae. Language discrimination is deeper when is about of ancestral language, it is can see that discrimination go together to social exclusion, Quechua is a kind of ancestral language and this is spoke in some Latin America countries, like Ecuador Argentina Bolivia and Peru. People who speak this language have few access to health services, and education, etc. Like Julio Cesar Casma (2016) explain in his article “Peru is a particular cause for concern. For example, of the total Peruvians without access to health services, 60% speak Quechua, the ancestral language of the Inca. Discrimination is so blatant that many Quechua speakers -13% of the Peruvian population, according to the 2007 Census- decide not to teach their descendants the language for fear they will be rejected or mocked”. For this reason people who know Quechua say; that in their countries is not a pride speak it, because they can see that is not something good. José Cavero Torres, a merchant from the Andean region of Apurimac, says that although most of his family knows the language, neither he nor his cousins learned to speak or write it. “As a child, I learned that Quechua was not something good. My mother would say that she was not going to speak it in Lima and my father didn’t teach me out of vanity, since he would not accept being called a serrano under any circumstances and at that time discrimination was very difficult for migrants,”
On the other hand, people who are not able to hear or speak face very serious communication problems. These people, being unable to communicate are isolated from society, then people can clearly see that they are being discriminated against. According to data from the Technical Secretariat for Inclusive Management in Disabilities, in Ecuador there are 33,828 people with hearing disabilities and although the Government has increased inclusive policies this has not been possible, we can prove this when we observe that there are no people with hearing disabilities studying at Yachay University, Ecuador’s premiere research university. Now people know that there is discrimination by language, but nobody does anything to stop it. Governments are not concerned about this, and we do not even consider whether we are participating in this type of discrimination, and being consistent with everything discussed; our discrimination starts from the moment we are not interested in trying to communicate with others. As previously stated, language is the substantial form of expression, and communication is the basis of society. That is why governments should implement laws that guarantee communication between all people, for example: All citizens should know, in general, sign language, or no person can be removed from their employment for not having full knowledge of the language, etc. In contrast, the new President of USA Donald Trump says in an interview to ABC News, "We are a nation that speaks English. I think that, while we're in this nation, we should be speaking English." and the he added that is not just about Spanish, but all other languages. Also Trump said that speaking English is "more appropriate," and it will help people from other countries "become successful and do great." Really, speaking English in the USA is very useful, and it is obvious that people who speak English have better opportunities to get a job, and for this reason immigrants should worry about learning this language, however, this should not be an
imposition nor an impediment to stay in the USA. Trump is an influential person, he is the president of the USA, and when he says that everybody in his country must speak English, he is discriminating against people who do not speak this language and therefore foreign people who live in his Nation, with this he also is promoting the xenophobia in his country because Americans are going to reject people, especially foreign people, who don’t speak English. To conclude we can add that this discrimination due to language is a matter more serious than it seems and that in one way or another we are all involved; it is for this reason that we must find some way to stop this discrimination, which affects effective communication in society because language is the way human beings express their thoughts. Governments must work hard on this issue.
References Boroditsky.L. (2016). “How Does Our Language Shape The Way We Think?� Retrieved from: https://www.edge.org/conversation/lera_boroditsky-how-does-our-language-shapethe-way-we-think. THR Staff, (2016).Donald Trump:"While We're in This Nation, We Should Be Speaking English" Retrieved from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/donald-trumpspeak-english-spanish-8202 OHRC. (2009). Policy on discrimination and language. Ontario Human Rights Commission Retrieved from: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/sites/default/files/attac hments/Policy_on_discrimination_and_language.pdf. Velasquez. L, (2014). How do you define yourself? Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzPbY9ufnQY
Casma.J,(2014). Discriminated against for speaking their own language.
Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/04/16/discriminados-por-hablar-suidioma-natal-peru-quechua