MARÍA CAISACHANA ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM LEVEL 6 YACHAY TECH, ECUADOR
PERSPECTIVES: MY ROAD ON ENGLISH
BY MARÍA CAISACHANA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MarĂa Caisachana Imbabura, Ecuador January 9, 2017 Dear Portfolio Reader. My name is MarĂa Judith Caisachana. First of all, thank you for reading my English Language Portfolio. In this portfolio, I included a variety of my works in order to display a wide breadth of my abilities that I learned at Yachay Tech. My portfolio consists of four essays, some of these are reflections, and these help me to improve my English and the research project that I designed by using all the competences that I learned in my level 6 of English course. Hence I feel that I am ready to continue my academic career of English. Fortunately, I entered this semester with a background in English which allowed many of my works have a good structure and it are interesting to reader. And although much of this semester's work improved the strategies that I had used in the past, I learned the areas in which my writing is weakest and needs most work. Now I know that in order to improve my overall writing abilities I need to continue to practice my writing and grammar. In this semester, I have grown and I have strengthened my skills and competencies in English since the beginning of it. When I entered level 6 this semester, I was dependent of google translate, because many of my works I used it to redact my essays. In this semester, I think I´ve increased my vocabulary and improved my performance at English works, for example in the first essay that I made this semester I had a lot of problems to write correctly some sentences and paragraphs. Besides, in the
beginning of the university semester I had problems, because I was not too much responsible. For example, I procrastinated at the last minute in order to write my essays. As a result of this, I tried to do my works with some time in advance, and I tried to acquire the necessary competences that help me to improve my English works. In this semester, I think I´ve increased my English, because in my first essay I do not have a good structure, but in my final research project I could structure my paragraphs and conjugate the verbs in the correct form. Another example is my presentations in this semester, these presentations help me to improve my speaking, because I learned with each presentation to express my ideas in a better form. This semester I have been involved in lots of revision. I found that the correction of my teacher and my classmates gave me guidelines of how to start different types of essays. I critiqued my own essays along with others and noticed a lot of my strengths and weaknesses through these processes. After reflecting on each of my essays from this semester, it is clear that, though I still have weaknesses, I acquired a lot of competencies that help me to improve in English. This semester has been extremely beneficial to me in order to understand different types of formats for different kinds of texts. Following APA format in essays and works cited pages, learning how to write an annotated bibliography, and using block form that are a few formats that we have used this semester. Respectfully,
MarĂa Judith Caisachana Lozada
RESPONSE ESSAY
How Does Our Language Shape The Way We Think? MarĂa Judith Caisachana Lozada Yachay Tech September 30,2016
How Does Language Shape The Way We Think? Language is a system used to communicate and transmit information, experiences, emotions and thoughts. In the world, there exists thousands of languages in different parts of the world, the languages have different structure and use different forms of transmiting the same information, so there exists a debate between that it´s possible that everyone thinks the same way, perceive the same form, but just talks differently, and the other point of the discussion are speakers of different languages must attend to and encode strikingly different aspects of the world just so they can use their language properly (Borodistky, 2009). In the text How Does Our Language Shape The Way We Think? Lera Boroditsky believes that different languages change forms of think, perceive the world and difference cultures.
First of all, languages shape the way we think, for this reason it is difficult to learn how to speak other language, because learn it require new ways of talking and see the world, and there exist a considerable difference in navigational ability and spatial knowledge between speaker of different languages. For example, according to Borodistky (2009): Instead of words like "right," "left," "forward," and "back," which, as commonly used in English, define space relative to an observer, the Kuuk Thaayorre, like many other Aboriginal groups, use cardinal direction terms — north, south, east, and west — to define space (p.9). Then now have an idea about how our language can influence in our special location and we are oriented on the space and we can conclude that some cultures have a really good orientation than others.
Grammar of different languages change and the descriptions of the objects because having opposite gender assignment in those two languages. For example, Borodistky (2009) state: When asked to describe a "key" — a word that is masculine in German and feminine in Spanish — the German speakers were more likely to use words like "hard," "heavy," "jagged," "metal," "serrated," and "useful," whereas Spanish speakers were more likely to say "golden," "intricate," "little," "lovely," "shiny," and "tiny."” (p. 20). For this reason, language also is affected by our culture, so that is the case of some cultures that at the moment of representing death on a painting they will draw a man but in other cases they will paint a woman. Also in some languages they make a distinction between the gender of a noun and it not like some other languages that just have a general noun for probably a common object. Hence those are clear examples of some differences that can influence the way we think and the way we see the world.
So, such as the author of the article gives us real examples with their corresponding background, that turns the article into a good structured article with clear ideas and principally with an excellent connection between paragraphs that provides to any reader the capacity to follow the main points of the article and to understand about the purpose of the author at the moment of writing this article.
One of the supporting points that the article has according to Borodistky (2009) “Different languages divide up the color continuum differently: some make many more distinctions between colors than others, and the boundaries often don't line up across languages” (p. 16).
The main point of the text is that people who speak different languages do indeed think differently and that even flukes of grammar can profoundly affect how we see the world. So at the moment of learning a new language you are not just learning how to write, read or speak a language because you are also getting involved in other culture that probably has different habits, traditions, lifestyle and culture. Hence because of this each speaker of any kind of language have a different way of thinking and see world. Those main points make the article easy to understand and to follow because the author keeps the principal idea without getting out the way.
In conclusion, different languages in the world change forms of think, about time, space and colors. Besides speakers of different languages perceive the world the different form, and language is also a tool for forming social identities, because this also is affected by our own culture, and when you learn a different language you are getting involved in other culture, because all cultures have a different habits and different ways of think, and perceive the world.
References Boroditsky, L. (2016, April 2). How Does Our Language Shape The Way We Think?. Retrieved from https://www.edge.org/conversation/how-does-our-languageshape-the- way-we-think
INTERPRETATION ESSAY
Interpretation of “Las Meninas” by Diego Velasquez Ronny Quinatoa Andrea Cevallos Anthonny Montero María Judith Caisachana Yachay Tech November 18 ,2016
Interpretation of “Las Meninas” by Diego Velasquez “Normally is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but not flowers grow on it” (Van Gogh). According to Don Quijote web site Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez is one of the most important and controversial paintings in the word history. The art piece was created in Spain in 1656, during the Spanish monarchy. “Las Meninas” is an art piece that have so many details that makes people have different perspectives and it is very impressing to see it. The interpretation depends on the observer's viewpoint, and can be multiple depending in what the details represents to them. “Las Meninas” is a masterpiece that represent real power is given by others. The expressions of the subjects give an impression to the viewers of the art piece. The eyes of the majority of people who appear in the painting are focusing in something or someone in front of them and some of them have their attention in the little girl in the middle of the painting. The way of looking of the subjects give to observers the impression that the subjects are watching something so important to them, this is probably something that they need to pay homage. If observers put their attention to the background of the painting can realize that there is something similar to a mirror, but basing on the idea that this is a mirror we can suppose that the people on the mirror are those who deserve respect. Do to this is easy to realize that paying attention to the details that expressions on the faces of the characters of a painting people can have a perspective about the meaning that the artist what to transmit. The clothes of the people present in the painting attacks attention. In this painting women wear exaggerated dresses; these are pompous and have a lot of details in the design, for example have flowers, folds, on the hips the dress goes very tight. And men wear cloths decorate with remarkable embroidery. These cloths are elegant and raffinate. Besides is easy to distinct that the little girl in the center of the painting wears a dress
more striking and refined than the rest, because the clothes represent a status of people. This shows that Velazquez lived in the baroque period. This period is characterized for wear exaggerated cloths and refined. In addition, the royalty wear clothes more striking and refined that the rest of persons, because with these cloths indicate their power. For this reason, the girl belongs to royalty, because wear a dress more extravagant than the rest and she is the principal character of the painting, besides around of she is the representation of servants. The picture shows a sophisticated environment where the people can appreciate some details that allows to think that the people painted there have an excellent economic situation. Examples of these things are the artworks hanged in the back wall, the companion dog on the front, details on the infrastructure of the building like a door made of carved wood or the candelabra in the ceiling. The picture allows to interpret the period when the picture was painted through the characteristic hairstyles of the middle age, infrastructure´s features as curves, ellipses and spirals that are characteristics of the architecture in the baroque age. It has sense with the setting of the art because the painter requested a lot of money to work and he was the official painter of the king Felipe IV and after the camera painter of the court. The artist tries to show that the observer of the painting forms part of the painting. The painting inspires a feeling of curiosity and anxiety because it traps the observer in the room, that is to say that part of the room continues where the observer would be standing, and the only way out is the door that opens in the room in the background. In this painting, the artist inspires a feeling of restlessness because if people look at the person who has the canvas and a brush, he seems to be painting a portrait of the observer because it causes the impression that the painter is watching the observer. The artist gets
all of these effects across because he uses optical effects and combinations of colors to give the impression that the observer forms part of this painting. The painting reflect that could be a hierarchy because the painter focuses on the girl of the center, this could mean that the girl mean something important. The author locates other important characters at the top of the work, for example himself is standing on one side and appears as the tallest character, the queen and the king are in the center of the work reflected in a mirror that share a power sensation with the observer. Basically, in that age the position of people like kings, queens and princesses had whole attention of other people. Based on the perspective that the painter gives to people, it could say that when that painting was done, the whole illumination highlight the beauty of the girl that can assume as the princess. Furthermore, all people that are around the girl of the center, seems like if they give the attention to the painter. The position of this painting looks like people are seeing a mirror in front of them, because all people are in a specific position, located to give a confusing but perfect masterpiece. To sum up, this painting has many perspectives to show to people. This is an abstract art that give a confusing idea of the age in that was done. Velasquez, the author, shows to people a magnificent environment in which is developed many points of view; in addition to this, the vestment which all people are dressing, means that this painting was of a past age of places like Spain. Furthermore, the painter shows the power that people have to handle others, and their way to represent that is very suspicious and some confusing with her masterpiece “Las meninas�.
References Ellsworth. B. (2010). The Mirrors of Las Meninas: Cochineal, Silver, and Clay. Retrieved November 15, 2016. Don Quijote Spanish School(n.d.).Las Meninas - Famous Velazquez Painting | don Quijote. Retrieved November 18, 2016, from http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/art/painters/las-meninas Foucault, M. (1968). Las palabras y las cosas, una arqueología de las ciencias humanas. Retrieved November 14, 2016 from: http://www.uruguaypiensa.org.uy/imgnoticias/682.pdf Monge, C. (2003). Las sombras de la duda (Velázquez y el barroco literario español). Retrieved November 16, 2016 from: http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S071804622003048800007
LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY
Why Don’t you Dance? María Judith Caisachana Yachay Tech November 18 ,2016
Why Don’t you Dance? The story “Why Don´t You Dance?” is about an alcoholic man a one day decides sell all things that he have in a yard sale. Then a young couple is interested in the articles. The three characters drink whiskey. In the end of the story, the boy sleeps in the bed because he was drunker and in the finally of the story the girl was dancing with the men of that on a public street. The weeks later the young couple stays at home with a lot of things from the old men with cheaper prices. The narrator do not give us more details of the story, for example about the live of characters, or the past and future of their. First of all, the narrative aspect that stand out in story is that it leaves questions about the past and future of the three protagonists. Somehow, what we have in this story is a short part of the past that haunts the character´s and narrator´s reality. In addition, nothing is known about the boy, except that his girlfriend, she has a several addictions to drink. Also, we know that in the yard stand a lot of things but do not know which ones. Indeed, there is a short part of the past and provokes the imagination of the reader, who while reading, try to complete their own way. Besides, this story do not answer the questions of the reading because the writer describes the past and describes quickly the present. “She kept talking, she told everyone. These was more to it, and she was trying to get it talked out. After a time, she quit trying” (Carver, 1981). In this part the narrator transmit the scam of the girl because she takes an advantage when the men was drunk and she buy a lot of things to low price.
Also, the story show what happen after the character get drunk and then went to sleep. But it is not known if some things happened to the girl and men. It is suggested that had an erotic encounter on the street, but not evidence. “He felt her breath on his neck. I hope you like your bed he said. The girl closed and then opened her eyes. She pushed the man closer. You must be desperate or something she said” (Carver, 1981). In this part of the story the narrator suggested that the man and the girl had an erotic encounter when her boyfriend slept in the bed, but the narrator don´t give us more details. It is probably that the narrator wanted the reader to use their imagination and continue to the story. For this reason, it is not known what happened to the center later character. Also, in the story the characters were drinking alcohol it is represent that they find escapist to the reality from the reality of the world events. The alcohol nullifies the notions and of this form the persons can escape reality. The girl probably want to escape of the reality because she has problems with her boyfriend. In the story it is suggested that the couple had problems because in the story she want a kiss with old men, but he don´t want to kiss her, and then in the finally of the story she want continuous dancing with him, but he was drunk and he don´t want to dance with she. The story therefore assumes a narrative materials and cuts parts between the story, and the result of this is more questions about the story, questions especially about the old men after this night. In conclusion this story have a little narration and a few details of situations, but do not have a quick summary about the past or future of the characters.
FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT ESSAY
Education for the Promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation to Improve a Country. MarĂa Caisachana YACHAY TECH UNIVERSITY December 4, 2016
Abstract Education is one of the factors that influences a country to grow up at any field, for this reason it is really important of all countries have an efficient system of education in schools, high schools, and universities. In all countries, it is important to identify the failure of the education system, and considered which factors should be changed, for the purpose of improving the education above all not developing countries, such as Latin America that has the same system of education, but these countries cannot improve and grow up. In addition, the government should invert and improve public education in the hope that all people have the same opportunities and best education. If people have an efficient system of education and get all of the skills needed, they can innovate and create new things, in consequence they can create companies and help improve a country.
Education for the Promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation to Improve a Country Education is one of the factors that most influences a country to develop and help the progress of people and societies. In addition to providing knowledge, education enriches culture, spirit, values and everything that characterizes us as human beings. For this reason, education is necessary to achieve better levels of social welfare and economic growth, for the promotion of science, technology, and innovation. Education is really important for a country to develop, in fact, it has become more relevant in today's world, undergoing profound transformations, motivated in part by the rapid advance of science and its applications. Also, in modern economies knowledge has become one of the most important factors of production. The societies that have advanced the most economically and socially are those that have managed to cement their progress in knowledge, that are transmitted with schooling and generated through research. For example, Finland is a developed country because of having the best education system on the world, and that is why education is really important in a country. By the way, education, science and technological innovation are increasingly dependent on economic productivity and competitiveness, as well as much of the social and cultural development of nations. Consequently, the efficient system of education helps improve a country. First of all, the education system of Latin America is not efficient, as a consequence all of these countries cannot develop. According to Segal (2016): “continue to use antiquated models for education that do not serve 21st century students”. For this reason, is not appropriate to use this actual system, because nowadays science and technology predominate in developed countries, and the actual system of education just focused on academic abilities and not in creativity and innovation. An article stablished that “You’re better having a degree than not, but it’s not a guarantee anymore, and particularly not if the route to it marginalizes most of the things that you think are important about yourself”. (RSA, 2010). Hence, one
option to develop a country is changing the education system and the traditional careers to avoid the degree was a waste of time to current students. The system of education in Latin America does not work, because it just focused on certain subjects that involved science such math and chemistry, therefore it is really important to improve education. Actually, Finland has the best system of education for different reasons and the main one is that this country cares that people have the best education. The classrooms in Finland are relatively small, with rarely more than twenty students. At school, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal, also the buildings are clean. Out-of-class activities are considered to be really important, and the amount of homework to do at home is reduced to a minimum for extracurricular activities. Indeed, teachers need to have a master's degree in teaching. In addition, the work of the professor is very respected having a high level of competition between the candidates that accede to those studies in the university. Nowadays, “workers need a different mix of skills than in the past. In addition to foundation skills like literacy and numeracy, they need competencies like collaboration, creativity and problem-solving and character qualities like persistence, curiosity and initiative” (Segal, 2016). For this reason, the universities need to concentrated in the correct formation of professionals, not only in academic. Universities should be focus in the formation with all competencies. “Every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects. Every one. Doesn't matter where you go. You'd think it would be otherwise, but it isn't. At the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and at the bottom are the arts. Everywhere on Earth”. (Robinson, 2006) Schools and universities need to encourage the imagination, creativity and curiosity competences. In addition, the students need to have the same hours of class between arts and sciences because these are really important in the formation of professionals with all the
necessary competences. Hence, one option to improve the system of education is to reduce the hours of class, so that students pay more attention at classes and do not get tired for the heavy hours of classes. Reducing class hours helps students to have more time for extracurricular activities, it helps students to improve their abilities and effective organization of time to study, work and participate in these activities. Although many concepts are learned in class, skills and practice are often learned outside the classroom and this helps students to have a good academic background, because through these practices they can acquire more knowledge and skills than those who acquire at class. In addition, these competencies are very necessary for all university careers. For example, sports are useful for developing teamwork and communication skills, as it is not just about playing, because it also helps to organize the team and lead it and helps control emotions, to make projects are useful for developing the ability to plan, structure and execute ideas, the organization of events helps to develop administrative and persuasive skills. Eventually, public education forms professionals with a commitment to society. This is an important contribution to social capital of a country. In addition, the public education helps students to choose the career that the students want, because if parents pay the education, they influence the choose of career. It is important to follow the race according to the preference, vocation or aptitude of the person. Also, education is one of the social rights established in the Constitution, for this reason education must become accessible to all, under criteria of quality and equity, and the government should be change the system of public education because this system is not efficient, according to RSA (2010): The problem is, the current system of education was designed and conceived and constructed for a different age. It was conceived in the intellectual culture of the
enlightenment and in the economic circumstances of the industrial revolution. Before the middle of the 19th century there were no systems of public education. This system of public education was designed to try to cover up the industrials necessities, and for this reason there is the necessity to change the system with other vision because now of days is important focus on the science, technology and innovation. If the government invert in public education, such as school, high schools and specially in universities, the country could develop in science and technology. Because, people will access to public education and obtain a degree, with this academic preparation people can innovate and create new things. And by this way, all people will have the same opportunities despite their economic situation. For this reason, the government should be improving the education so that more people have the best education and same opportunities. For example, with the creation of public universities with innovative careers, will help the economy and innovation of the country, because with these careers people can develop new products for exportation and create new technology. Education helps to improve a country, in many ways such as economic, social, to level economic and social inequalities, for democratic advancement and the strengthening of the rule of law and for the promotion of science, technology, and innovation. This is the only way to develop a country, because with education the country has more opportunities to compete whit developed countries in science, technology and commercialization of products. So, with efficient systems of education in a country will helps to professionals with different competencies can innovate and creating. “Innovation involves finding a new solution to an old problem, a propose to the best uncertain and the worst that could be a financially ruinous.� (Schramm, 2008, p7). In addition, with the innovation of things and creating new technologies will help a country to its economy, because people will sell this products and new technology all around the word. Samsung´s company has a lot of money for selling millions of
cellphones and tables around the world. For this reason, the technology is important in developing countries, because the people can innovate the existing technology into better ones, therefore they can sell it to another country at a different cost. In addition, with efficient education people can create companies and produce different things. So, with these companies people can import and export their products and it helps the economy of the company and the country. Also they could grow the businesses and have franchises abroad, of restaurants, clothing stores, and automobile productions company, so everything depends on the creativity and innovation of the people. In fact, with the creation of companies in a country, there will be more jobs, and people will have more opportunities of employment, and can improve their economy. The progress of the economy in the country depends of two factors, currency strength because it is important in a developing country. If a country has this currency strength their economy improves, as a result the companies can improve their economy when export products, and for this form companies help the economy. On the other hand, technology is another factor that helps improve a country, because with advanced technology the country can improve in their companies and investigations. Also, new technologies can make people´s lives easier, because technology could help in the education, for example in developed countries, there are laboratories with updated technology for the purpose of the students make the learning experiences more real and can innovate new products or medicines, that can help the economy of the country. The task of conserving national wealth and increasing exports is based on the ability and capacity of the people. Thus, teaching appears as the basis of economic development. In consequence, education should be extended to all those directly involved in the economic activity; It should not be reduced to a privileged elite but extended to a great mass of individuals. (GarcĂa, n.d.). Hence, the basis of a developed country is the education, because it
incentives a country to grow up and help to the progress of people and societies. Also, with education people can innovate and with this increase the economy of the country, because people can create companies that import and export products. In conclusion, education is the only thing that can help a country to develop at any field, for this reason it is important to identify the failure of the education system, and considered which factors should be changed to obtain efficient system of education, because improving the education system helps to develop any country. Also, with good education the students can innovate and create new things and for this reason the government should invest in education in order to give more people the best education and same opportunities.
Reference García, L. (n.d). El papel de la educación como factor del desarrollo en el pensamiento económico. Retreived from http://www.mecd.gob.es/dctm/revista-deeducacion/1969-205/1969re205estudios02.pdf?documentId=0901e72b81839773 Robinson, K. (2006). Schools kill creativity? Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity?language=es RSA. (2010). Changing Education Paradigms. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U Schramm, C. J. “Toward an Entrepreneurial Society: Why Measurement Matters.” Innovations. 3.1 (2008): 3-10.
Segal, S. (2016). The case for disruption in Latin America’s classrooms. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/05/a-case-for-disruption-in-latin-america-sclassrooms/
THANK YOU FOR READING MY PORTFOLIO.
SINCERELY,
MARÍA CAISACHANA