PERSPECTIVES: MY ENGLISH JOURNEY BY EDWIN REYES ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM YACHAY TECH LEVEL 6 001 TEACHER: JOSEPHINE JAVENS JANUARY 10,2017 IMBABURA, ECUADOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS PORTFOLIO LETTER RESPONSE ESSAY LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY INTERPRETATION ESSAY ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT ESSAY CONCLUDING REMARKS THANK YOU LETTER
Edwin Reyes Yachay Tech University Imbabura, Ecuador
December 9, 2016 Dear Portfolio Reader: My name is Edwin Reyes a fourth semester Yachay Tech student. First of all, I what to thank you very much for reading my English Language Portfolio. Here you will find how I grew up during this semester as an English speaker. This work consists in four essays, they reflect my progress and all the effort that I invest. When I was at high school I didn’t realize about the importance of English as the secondary language of academia, I wrongly think that google translator and dictionary will be enough to overcome the language barrier. However, when I came to Yachay I discover the importance of language and how it could help me in my future carrier. It was difficult for me to learn because at the beginning I hate the language. Nevertheless, I don’t give up and do my best. For most of the students talk in front of the audience is difficult, and it is worse if the speech is not in their native language. I have to recognize that I was part of these students. My first exposition in Yachay was not good when I was in front of the audience the nervous take the control of me and I started speaking faster and my pronunciation was a disaster. However, over these semesters I realized about my problem and started working on it. First inform of the mirror and alone, and then when the next presentations arrive I was not nervous as the first time.
Since I was in high school I know that hearing and speaking are my strengths, and writing I my weakness not only in English I have the same problem in Spanish. Fortunately, this program take into account all the aspect of how to learn a new language. My principal problem was coma splices and incomplete sentences because I relate English with Spanish. In my final essay, I spent a lot of time editing it. But I do it happily because was able to recognize my own mistakes and correct it. In most of the high school the English level is not as well as it must be and the student don’t have the opportunity of practice what they learn, another important aspect is that what they learn don’t help them in their future carrier. One of the most common assignment for English learners are the essays. However, personally in my first essay I could not differentiate between one type of essay form another. Yachay English program help me to know more about the structure of essays and the differences between them. This semester is the last for me and I can say proudly that know I am able to write better than 2 years ago. Sincerely,
Edwin Reyes
Response to "The ethics of Human Enhancement" Reyes Jacome Edwin Steven Yachay Tech University Urcuqui, Imbabura, Ecuador 03/10/2016
Response to "The ethics of Human Enhancement"
Human Enhancement is defined by Hughes (2004) in his article Human Enhancement on the Agenda as “Any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means….” (p. 1). Since ancient time the humanity had tried to overcome themselves. Physical fitness routines, wearing eye glasses, taking music lessons are some of the most used ways to improve as humans. Nowadays humans are looking for deeper enhancement such as genetic engineering, enhancing substances and devices. Piracetam, Meclofenoxato and Dimetiletanolamina are some of the most common drugs used to control behavior and boost concentration.
These polemic methods open a new dilemma for society Are
human enhancement ethically correct? This is the way in which humans evolved? Are we playing the game of Gobs? As a college student who aims to become geneticist the article “The Ethics of Human Enhancement” by Andy Miah (2016) immediately catches my attention. In this text Miah explains the possible risk and benefits of human enhancement. The questions How far society is prepared to accept this technology? and What ethical issues they create? are treated. Miah in his article focus principally on gives a general vision of the topic and doesn’t spend too much time explaining the concepts that he uses. In spite of the fact that Miah doesn’t get a deeper view of the topic the article it is clear and gives the reader a basic concept of human enhancement. According with Albert Einstein (1950) “The value of achievement lies in the achieving”. The road to get success is complicated, it demands effort and sacrifices for that reason achieve a goal gives a unique sensation. However, Miah says that “If a person
uses a technological shortcut to archive a goal, that choice may decrease the accomplishment`s value” (p.2). He bases his arguments that people who have biological enhancement have advantages compared with the ones who does not have. In my opinion Miah should use facts to prove his point not only the example of the climber. A good fact to be used can be doping cases at the Olympics in London 2012 and Pekin 2008, 45 athletes tested positive in doping test. (El Nuevo dia, 2016). This argument or another like this can add credibility to his claims and encourages the reader to investigate further on the subject. Miah deal with one of the most controversial issues related with human enhancement the violation of “'open future '” principle (Miah, p.3). The author make reference to this principle but don’t give a clear definition of what it is and how it can be affected? The definitions are vague and confuse the reader. One example when human enhancement can affect “open future” principle is when the enhancement is applied before the human has consciousness or even conceived. He doesn’t have the opportunity to choose what he wants he born predisposed to something. Nowadays we have the technology to change some parts of our genetic code before born like the color of our eyes and skin, but the problem starts when we try to create a baby with an extra advantage. The concept “Playing God” (Miah, p.3) have different meaning depend of the context. It is commonly used to refer to genetic code changes with genetic therapy technology and the action of take decisions that involve life. This expression is very controversial and use it without background to support it is not correct. As in the other cases; I think that the author should explain more Why he think that biotechnological changes are consider “'Playing God '”?
I agree with Miah when he says “It is crucial to establish some general principles that govern the ethical conduct of human enhancement at all levels.� (p.3). The society needs control measures. The most dangerous enemy of humanity it is humanity itself. The history demonstrate that humans can change the world positively and negatively. As humans we have an enormous power in our hands. An authority to control the use of this power is needed. Actually we are not ready to take this decision as an individual we must take it as a whole specie. In conclusion, the article of Miah presents the problems that human enhancement has to face. He presents his thesis with order and encourages the reader to investigate more. With this paper the reader realizes that the future it is just around the corner. In my particular case; I think that humans are on the top of the food chain. We can not evolve in the same way as we had done in the past or like another species. These technologies could be the way in with human species will evolve. But who must be in charge of decide our future as a specie? who is capable to assume this enormous responsibility?
References:
Miah, A. (2016). The ethics of Human Enhancement. MIT Technology Review. 5, https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602342/the-ethics-of-humanenhancement/
Hugues, J. (2004). Human Enhancement on the Agenda. Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/hughes20041101 Anonymous. (2016). Revelan nuevos casos de dopaje en Olimpiadas del 2008 y 2012. El Nuevo día. http://www.elnuevodia.com/deportes/otrosdeportes/nota/revelannuevoscasosded opajeenolimpiadasdel2008y2012-2223324/
The Story of an Hour Reyes Jacome Edwin Steven Yachay Tech University Urcuqui, Imbabura, Ecuador 14/10/2016
The Story of an Hour
Chopin (1894) in “The Story of an Hour” presents interesting themes tike “Freedom” and “Liberty”. The main character is Mrs. Mallard a calm and fair woman who has to face the news of her husband death. Against all the odds she accepted the news with a strange feeling growing in her body. This feeling could be the opportunity that she was waiting for. When Mrs. Mallard revised the news, she decided to take a moment alone. During that time, she can appreciate the beauty of her life. “She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air…” (p. 1). In this part the author wants to demonstrate that Mrs. Mallard did not want to continue her life as a housewife. She wants to be free, travel around the world, and see different landscapes. Chapin uses different symbols to demonstrate her theme, some of these symbols are the window, blue sky and door. One of the most used symbol to demonstrate freedom is the sky. When Mrs. Mallard said “free! Body and soul free!” (Chapin, p. 2) she imagines herself flying in the blue sky that she saw. The door is a symbol because now she wants to create a new story, create a new Mrs. Mallard completely different too the previous one. The window is the limit between her 2 lives, the one that she abandons and the new one. “When the doctors come, they said she died of heart disease” (Chapin, p. 2). This is the clearer proof of the author theme. When someone taste freedom they never want to come back to a life without it. Mrs. Mallard prefer to die rather than be the kind wife that spend most of her day in the house with nothing interesting to do.
As I proved in the last three paragraphs the objective of the author is demonstrate the importance of freedom in people`s life. It is ok for some people to have warm place to returns to but it is not true for all. Some people need more. They need to feel the liberty and not waste their time in only one place. They want to take risks. That is the case of Mrs. Mallard, with the death of her husband she sees a possible way too archive her dreams.
Reference
Chapin,K (1895) “The story of an hour”.
Interpretation Essay Romeo and Juliet scene III of the act V Reyes Edwin Yรกnez Tamia Yachay Tech University Urcuqui, Imbabura, Ecuador 17/11/2016
Interpretation of Romeo and Juliet scene III of the act V
“The theater is poetry that leaves the book to become human” Federico Garcia Lorca. Theater creates a complete world for the audience, the viewer feels represented by the play. That is why theater can change people´s ways of seeing the world. William Shakespeare an English poet wrote many fantastic plays during his life. His most famous play is Romeo and Juliet. We will interpret the scene III of the act V of this play. The story is about two lovers in Verona, they born in enemy families but against all the odds one day they fall in love. Their families will never accept their marriage for this reason Juliet creates an intricate plan to escape of her marriage for convenience and get marry with the man she loves. She writes a letter to Romeo explaining her plan and then drinks a potion that caused a deep dream simulating death. Romeo never received that letter, and in his painfully he went to the graveyard to fire his beloved. This scene represents how deep love can penetrate our hearts and transcend death, and it gives an important role to the unpredictable of destiny. According to Cambridge Dictionary love means “to like something very much” (University, Cambridge, 2016). Love is one of the strongest feelings that humans have for that reason it can affect human’s decision. When Juliet finds her lover dead she decided without hesitation follow him to heaven. She had the opportunity to continue her life and forget what had happened in that churchyard even Friar Laurence offered his assistance “I’ll dispose of thee among a sisterhood of holy nuns” (Shakespeare, 1597). However, her decision was taken she could not imagine a life without Romeo. When one feeling is by far stronger that the others it could interfere with decisions. The brain prioritizes the feeling and all the decisions are made to protect it. The history is full of people who prioritize their feeling instead of what is socially correct. It's not wrong, in
fact many of the most beautiful acts have been done out of love. However, let our feelings flow is not always correct sometimes is better take a moment to breathe and then decide.
"Ah! Death, end of misfortune and beginning of happiness, be welcome. Do not be afraid to hurt me at this moment; do not prolong my life a second if you do not want my spirit to seek to find my loved one among those who lie there” (Shakespeare, 1597) with this phrase Juliet decide to commit suicide. In this part Shakespeare represent that love triumphs over death. Only six days are enough to create this love story. Only six days was enough to fall in love. Juliet was destined to get marry with Paris, but she does not correspond his love. The poison and dagger represents the arrival of death; however, the final kiss represent salvation. The opportunity to continue their love in heaven without earthly problems. Romeo and Juliet accept this future, and they welcome the grim reaper with happiness. “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” Allen Saunders. Even if we spend one day, one week or one year planning what to do in a specific moment not everything will happen as planned. The nature of destiny is unpredictable and no one can control it. Juliet carefully thinks about a plan to escape from her marriage for convenience, but something unexpected happen the fray responsible for the letter cannot deliver it to Romeo. Romeo kills Paris, but for another game of destiny Juliet gets up a few moments later that he committed suicide. Fate finally reflect this nature at the final part of this play when Montague family and Capulet family decide to end their enmity in memory of his heirs. They have many ways to stop that enmity but the chosen was the lover’s tragedy. So, the tragedy that guides these young lovers is a current theme making us doubt about the freedom of our actions.
In conclusion, this scene represents transcendence and the nature unpredictable of destiny. Although, fate and the problems of our daily life can cloud the road love can overcome all these problems. There is no reason to stop fighting for what we feel. However, what we think first is not the best option all the times. Is a good idea to take a moment to analyze the situation and then make a decision. Destiny is unpredictable but make a plan can help us to deal with it. Is always a good idea to be prepared for possible situations.
References
Luhrmann, B. (2013). Romeo + Juliet. hollywood, United States.
Shakespeare, W. (1597). Romeo and Juliet . England.
University, Cambridge. (2016). Cambridge Dictionary. Obtenido de http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/love
Argumentation Essay Reyes Jacome Edwin Steven Yachay Tech University Urcuqui, Imbabura, Ecuador 29/11/2016
Argumentation Essay
Currently, humans are at the top if the food chain, but how did we get to this position? In ancient times, humans were African apes we lived free in the jungle. This changed when we evolved because they recognize their limitation. For that reason, we created tools to help us in our daily life. Little by little these tools improved to became our current technology. Humans depends on technology to continue overcoming themselves. Technology makes people smarted than the previous generation. Smartness is the capacity to deal with problems and solve it in different ways, not only following what is written, but finding undiscovered ways to help human development. Jonathan Coopersmith in his article “Is technology making us dumber or smarter? Yes”, says that “…. Historically, technology has made us individually dumber and collectively smarter.” Humans will always depend of technology. Currently, we cannot live without this tool. But It does not mean that we are dumber. We use this tool to create new ones to improve our life styles. That action of creation needs smartness, and a different interpretation of the world. That is why technology will never make us dumber it encourages us to continue evolving. Technologies like the internet, computers and smartphones help humans to communicate with the rest of the world. In the past, people used to communicate with letters, but it took a lot of time and it was expensive. When these tools appear in people`s lives the human development increase exponentially, now people can speak with people in other continents and share information. The “black boxing” process that makes the operations invisible to the user works perfectly. People can use this technology to create new ones (Coopersmith,2016)
People usually say that the use of technology creates a dumb society, and they support their opinion with information related with memory and concentration (Genevieve,2015). People decide to spend a lot of time on their technology devices, this could be good if they are working on productive things not only in social networks. Interne, computers and smartphones are only tools how we use them is our decision. In conclusion, technology help humanity to overcome every day. The information is important in our world and these tools give us the possibility to get it easy. However, these are only tools, they cannot make us dumber or smarter, we can decide what to do with our lives. Be dumber or smart is our decision.
References. 
Genevieve Roberts, Google Effect: is technology making us stupid? Forrester’s Digital 15 July 2015
Research Project Genetic Modification the new evolution. Reyes Jacome Edwin Steven Yachay Tech University Urcuqui, Imbabura, Ecuador 01/12/2016
Genetic Modification the new evolution.
Helena Curtis (1989) in her book biology define evolution as: “any change in the frequency of alleles within a gene pool from one generation to the next” (p. 216). Over times humans have been evolving at every single moment and this evolutionary career is still ongoing. However, we are not the same apes as 4 million BC, unlike before we now control the food chain and we have a great influence in the world. The evolution came with technological development and one of the most important is genetic modification. The yearning of manipulate organisms at such a small scale stopped being a dream to become reality. But now humanity have to face one of the strongest problems in its history. How to continue with its demographic expansion? Nowadays we don’t follow the natural selection and human population increase exponentially, nonetheless food sources increase in arithmetic progression. For this reason, humans will look for a way to improve as a species in other words evolve. The natural evolution takes millions of years but humanity don’t have that time. For that reason, the genetic modification is the way in with the humans will evolve. Genetic modification, is the manipulation of an organism´s genome, this technology includes the possibility to transfer genes within and across species, creating new ones. According with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH, 2016), Cystic Fibrosis, Huntington’s Disease, Down Syndrome and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are some of the most common genetic disorders in humans. All these diseases are related with a malfunction of the genetic code. For that reason, they are incurable and affects the patient daily life. Nowadays, people with these diseases needs treatment and medicine to get a better life style. However, genetic modification gives humans the
possibility to eradicate these diseases because it works directly with the human genetic code, so the new generation will never have to deal with these problems.
Genetic modification is the solution to one of the most important problems of humanity overpopulation. Nowadays humans are not affected by natural selection. This phenomenon causes an exponential population rise, we are growing as a species but we don’t take into account the rest of the world. The earth cannot produce enough food to keep humanity. However, genetic modification can deal with this problem. This technology is actually applied in food, but human genetic modification has a deep gap to overcome to being accepted. Modify humans in order to optimize the use of energy that food provides is not far away of reality. Mix our genes with genes of another species for being able to hibernate is one of the possibilities to lighten the load of the planet. The Earth is the only planet that meets the specific and necessary conditions to preserve life as we know. Humans are not designed to live in the space the human body cannot deal with the absence of gravity and the special diet that life in space requires. If we wanted to march to Mars, the most habitable planet of the Solar System after Earth, we would have to face a very desolate atmosphere that is not able to protect of radiation and extreme temperatures. These problems will be one of the best allies to genetic modification in the evolution race because it can change the genetic code and create humans adapted to the spatial conditions in only one generation. Deinococcus radiodurans is the name of one of the strongest bacteria in the world it is capable of holding 100 times more solar radiation than a human (NUÑEZ, 2016). These kinds of bacteria can contribute with human evolution and destroy present limits that we have. In 1950 the world average life expectancy was 48 years, in only 66 years the life expectation has increased to 71 years (Prentice,2006, slide 7). But the human body is not
designed to life more than 120 years. One of the most accepted hypothesis about human aging is that this process is governed by genes. Humans like all species of the world begin to grow old at some point of their life. However, the rate of ageing varies substantially across different species, and this, is genetically based. Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome is a rare genetic disease characterized by premature aging that begins early in childhood. Scientists found that this syndrome affect some genes that interfere in people aging, if we can control these genes humans will never grow old, tissues that have undergone cell death will be replaced efficiently and humans would overcome the barrier of 120 years. Nick Bostrom, director of the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford, in his article "The Transhumanist FAQ", said that Darwinian evolution cannot keep up with robotics, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. To continue on the top of the food chain humans must be "uploaded" and the best way to achieve this goal is with technology’s help. He is part of a philosophy known as transhumanism. This philosophy sees humans taking charge of their evolution and transcending their biological limitations via technology. Download themselves into robots, and cut food budget down to zero is the best way that humans have to adapt to the future world (Bostrom, 2003, påg. 17). This way is how Nick imagines human evolution. In an interview conferred to National Geographic News, Bostrom referred to technological evolution in this way "In fact, it might operate much faster there, because artificial intellects could reproduce much faster." (Owen, 2009). Bostrom recognizes the potential of human enhancement and genetic modification. However, it takes for granted that the facility of reproduction will be the deciding factor at the moment of evolve. The technology that he has been proposed is far from reality in this moment but human enhancement is a reality today. The biophysics Gregory Stock in his book "Redesigning Humans: Our Inevitable Genetic Future" (2002)
is skeptical about the technical feasibility of the cyberization of humanity described by Bostrom and others authors. Stock said that, during 21st century humans will be more dependent of technology and will mix themselves with machines, but would remain biological. This is why he think that evolution would not arise from cyberware, but from genetic manipulation and biochemistry. Humans are modified in different parts of the world and in different ways. Genetic modification has every day more acceptance in society and the first signs of this evolution will appear in the next generations. Download ourselves into a computer in my opinion is not the way of evolve it is the way of lost our identity as specie. Perhaps the most important problem of genetic modification is the fear of society. The human genetic modification is one of the most controversial topic in the scientific community, the investigations are restricted in the most important countries and the allowed investigations have the public social rejection. Society is afraid of change and one example is the genetically modified food (GM). People reject this technology they prefer to spend more in non-genetically crops. The major fears of people include whether GM foods can be safely consumed, harm the environment or are adequately tested for human consume. All these fears can be solved with awareness campaigns, most of them are not scientific fundament it born in people awe and spreads for the same reason. For example, people fear that when they eat genetically modified foods, their gene code changes. However, this is impossible because in order change the genetic code of an individual most of their cells have to be affected and this is impossible with only eat GM. Nevertheless, the control by the authorities on this technology must be present because it can cause problems in the person's hormonal activity. In conclusion, genetic modification has the potential to change the world that we know into a better one. This technology opens a world of possibilities that humans have
never before imagine. Life in space, the elimination of hereditary diseases, solutions to overpopulation and the possibility of minimizing aging are no more dreams they could be true one day. For these reason, I think that genetic modification is the new evolution, as the anthropologist Ian Tattersall of New York's American Museum of Natural History says in an interview "Because we have evolved, it's natural to imagine we will continue to do so, but I think that's wrong," (Owen, 2009). Nevertheless, the support of the society is necessary as much economic to continue with investigations as legal to overcome the restrictions imposed to investigations of this type because it prevents the advance of this technology. It is also important to emphasize the need for agencies that promote research and ensure the fulfillment of human rights.
References Bostrom, N. (2003). The Transhumanist FAQ. World Transhumanist Association.
Curtis, H. (1989). Biology. p.7. Worth Publishers.
NIH. ( 2016, June 24). National human genome research institute. Retrived from https://www.genome.gov/10001204/specific-genetic-disorders/
NUÑEZ, P. G. (2016). VIX . Retrived from http://www.vix.com/es/btg/curiosidades/62788/la-humanidad-no-necesitariamodificar-sus-genes-para-sobrevivir-en-el-espacio
Owen, J. (2009). FUTURE HUMANS: Four ways we may, of may not, evolve. National Geographic News.
Prentice, T. (2006, August). Health,history and hard choices: Funding dilemmas in a fast-changing world World Health Organization. Retrived from http://www.who.int/global_health_histories/seminars/presentation07.pdf
CONCLUDING REMARKS My class at the beginning of the semester was not nothing more than a group of mates but at the end we become friends
THANK YOU FOR READING MY PORTFOLIO. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT. IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF MY GOAL TO BECOME A ENGLISH SPEAKER SINCERELY, EDWIN REYES