BRYAN CARRASCO YACHAY TECH UNIVERSITY ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM YACHAY, ECUADOR
My English Journal Bryan Carrasco English Language Program Yachay Tech University Level 6-005 Teacher: Alyssa Wolfe January 10, 2017 Yachay
Contents 1. Portfolio letter 2. Response essay 3. Literary Analysis 4. Argumentation essay 5. Final research project essay 6. Pictures 7. Thank you letter
Portfolio Letter
Bryan Carrasco Yachay January 11, 2017 Dear Portfolio Reader, At the beginning of the English program my skills in English were very poor. Initially, I didn´t know how to write, speak and listen well, but with the time I learned many skills to express my ideas. For example, how to present a topic, how to write an essay, how make a thesis and more. Now, I am in the last level of English and it is incredible. When I arrived at my first class, I was very excited and nervous, but with the time I got used to it. Level six taught me to be more expressive, responsible, organized and put a lot of effort to make all well. The first work that I did was a summary of a video, but it was a little difficult for me because I was not accustomed to listen in English. However, throughout this semester, I have improved this skill and now I can understand videos in English. Other skill that I learned in this semester was to be more expressive. At first it was difficult for me to express my ideas. However, in this semester I wrote three essays that helped me improve my self-confidence because I received feedback of each one, sometimes from my instructor and another times from my classmates. Therefore, I have corrected these errors and I will not make the same mistakes in the next essays. In the same way when I read the rehearsals and listened to the presentations of my partners, I learned about the strengths they have. Therefore, my improvement in English is due to all the work with my teacher and classmates. In this semester, I learned to be organized. At the beginning of semester, I didn´t invest the enough time on English assignments because I should study other topics of the semester, and I used to leave off most of my assignments off until the last minute. However, in this semester I learned to be more organized, and I made a kind of schedule in which I organize my time to
Portfolio Letter
take advantage of each hour. For example, now I spend two hours a week reading, lis tening or watching something in English with the objective for improving my skills. Others things that I learned in this semester was to be more responsible and put effort to each assignment. In others levels I didn´t put effort because there weren´t a lot of assignments, but this semester was different. There was more presentation, essays and lessons. Therefore, I put more effort to do my assignments. Also, I tried to do carefully each assignment with the objective to improved my skills of English and obtain good grades. Throughout this semester I learned to be more expressive in my essays and presentations, to be more organized and responsible with the time and English assignments. This is the last level of English and now I have the enough skills and tools to confront new challenges in the future. However, I will never stop learning English because it has endless things to teach. Also, it allows that shares all information because it is the language of science. Gratefully,
Bryan Carrasco
Response Essay
Can the language change the way of thinking? Bryan Fernando Carrasco Cuenca L6-005 Yachay Tech September 2016
Response Essay
Can the language change the way of thinking? Have you ever learned a language? If you answer is yes, you probably don't think in the same as before. Humans are creatures on earth that possess a way to communicate ideas, language. Over time this has evolved and now each region has a unique langua ge. This is a form to express feelings, emotions and the way that seeing the world. Thus, each language has a different form to express ideas and this could influence the way that people see the world. Therefore, the language influences the way of thinking. Lera Boroditsky has a correct conception about the change of thinking First of all, language can influence the conception of space. According to Boroditsky (2009), in Pormpuraaw, a small Aboriginal community on Australia, the people use the cardinal points: east, west, north and south, instead of right and left to describe the position. This fact obliges the people of Pormpuraaw always are located for describe the position of things. As a result, they have a better ability for navigation and space knowledge than people that speak other languages. It is because each langua ge causes that speakers use different tools to express ideas. This allows at speakers of each language develop new abilities. Each language has a different form to use words for communication, so each speaker has unique abilities. Secondly, the language can influence the way of thinking about colors. Boroditsky claims that the Russian language can differentiate between light blue and dark blue. While others languages cannot differentiate between shades of blue. This fact gives Russian speakers the ability of distinguish quickly the shades of blues than speakers of other languages (2009). This point of author is weak because in this case Boroditsky shows how the language gives an ability but not really a different way of thinking. However, this new ability can influence when these people make a decision, and it is relevant
Response Essay
because this an ability that the language provide and it changes the perception that a person have about colors or about the world. Thirdly, the language shapes the way we think about material things. In many languages the things have a gender, feminine or masculine. Boroditsky (2009) said that the fact that things have a gender affects directly the conception of these things. For example, in the Spanish language, things like car, key, door and others have feminine or masculine gender. This gender can affect the way that people think about these things. This point has important relevance because it shows how people have a differe nt conception about things, and this affects the thought. For example, when people describe things with feminine gender, they use adjectives like soft and delicate. On the other hand, people that describes things with masculine gender use adjectives like heavy and hard. In conclusion, language perceive the things of the environment like the position, colors and objects in different ways, and this influences the way that people see the world. The way of thinking is in a direct relation with rules that a language has for express ideas. For example, the rule that the aboriginal community Pormpuraaw have about cardinal points to express the position of things. Also, this allows speakers develop new abilities like the capacity to differentiate between the shades of blue. Thus, the author has a correct belief about how the language can influence the thought and gives good examples of this.
Response Essay
References Boroditsky, L. (2009, June 11). How does our language shape the way we think? Retrieved
from:
https://www.edge.org/conversation/how-does-our- langua ge-
shape-the-way-we-think
Literary Analsis
Literary Analysis of Araby Bryan Fernando Carrasco Cuenca L6-005 Yachay Tech September 2016
Literary Analsis
Literary Analysis of Araby Araby is a short story written by James Joyce, which shows a boy who changes from childhood to adolescence. The boy focuses only friends, school and games. However, a new interest begins to capture his attention. He falls in love, and new sensations and feelings occupy his thought. He discovers love (Joyce, 1914). Therefore, the story shows the transitions from child to adult. First of all, the story shows the first love of boy. This is a form to represent the change from childhood to adolescence because he is in a change of life stage. For example, the boy says that “At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image come between me and the page I strove to read” (Joyce, 1914). This show how the boy is discovering the love for first time and this is the main pattern of change from childhood to adolescence. Secondly, the story shows that some things in the life don´t happen in a good way. According to the story Joyce shows how the boy doesn’t accomplish his goal and then he feels anguish and anger. This represent that the life of an adult is difficult and there are many problems. However, grow up represents giving solutions to these problems. Thirdly, the story shows that vanity is an element that doesn´t give solutions. In the end of the story the boy doesn’t accomplish his goal due to vanity. This mean that the pride is an element of people that don´t grow up yet. Thus, the boy learn that sometimes is bad to be proud because it isn´t a way to solve problems. Thus, growing up represent forget the proud and vanity.
Literary Analsis
Finally, the short story of Joyce shows how the daily life of a boy change when he falls in love for first time. Also, he feels new emotions and he have problems and this is a way to represent how girls and boy grow up.
Literary Analsis
References Joyce J. (1914) Araby. The Dubliners
Argumentative Essay
Argumentative Essay Bryan Fernando Carrasco Cuenca L6-005 Yachay Tech September 2016
Argumentative Essay
Argumentative Essay Language is one of the most complex abilities that humans have. All species communicate with each other, but the humans have developed this ability as complex as anyone. However, is the language complex enough that it influences our decisions, behavior and way of thinking? Is it possible that in a foreign language the behavior is different than in native language? The answer is yes. The language influences the morals and ethics when you make decisions. All people have memories about their family, friends, in the home, in the schools, and these memories are related with feelings. The native language of people is directly linked whit these memories and feelings because they live all this experiences speaking their native language. For this reason, people think quickly, like a feeling, without being careful when they are speaking their native language. Therefore, this affects their decisions. Julie Sedivy in her article “How Morality Changes in a Foreign Language” found that posing the “trolley problem” in a language that volunteers have learned as a foreign tongue dramatically increased their stated willingness to sacrifice a person to save five, from fewer than 20% of respondents working in their native language to about 50% of those using the foreign one (2016). You must also consider that people learn a foreign language in structured and academic way. For this reason, the second language is ore reflexive and careful with the details, and people in the “trolley problem” determinate that sacrifice one person to save five persons is the best option. The brain of people is more careful when they are speaking a foreign language because their brains unconsciously to prepare for strenuous activity (Sedivy, 2016). As a result, people make decisions in a better way because they are stricter and careful. Another hand, when people speaking their native language the brain activity is relax and soft
Argumentative Essay
because for their brain works naturally. For this reason, people take different decision when they are speaking their native language or a foreign language. There is may be another reason for the differences way of behavior and decision. The culture in each region of the world are different. Therefore, the way of taking decisions is different in each society. For example, there are societies where is common that people married only for interest like money, while in others societies people married for love. Thus, the decision of married for love or money is a moral judgment and this is influenced by the culture. However, this don´t explain why people that live in the same region with the same culture make different decisions when they change from native language to foreign language. In conclusion, the language affects the way that people make decisions and this affects the behavior and also the morals and ethics. The language isn´t only a way to communicate, it is a linked with memories, feelings and this produce that in a native language the people are more sentimental and in a foreign language the people are careful.
Argumentative Essay
References Sedivy, J. (2016). How Morality Changes in a Foreign Language. Scientific American.
Final Research Project Essay
Formal education and self-education in an undeveloped country Bryan Fernando Carrasco Cuenca L6-005 Yachay Tech December 2016
Final Research Project Essay
Abstract Undeveloped countries have commons patterns associated to lack of socio-economic stability, and education is a way to exit to underdevelopment because it opens opportunities to face economic, technological and social challenges. However, the formal education is best than self-education in an undeveloped country because it does not have access at a big source of information like internet. Also, there isn´t access to computers and smartphones. On other hand, all information provided by schools, colleges and universities are reliable sources and are complemented by laboratories and field trips that ensure the quality of knowledge acquired. Finally, people who have formal education have more opportunities to find a job and have economic stability. For these reasons, it should be noted that in addition to dignifying men, education is the way that many countries must follow to reach the levels of globally excellence perceivable.
Final Research Project Essay
Formal education in an undeveloped country What is the purpose of education? Why is important education? What happens if I don’t have formal education? All these are common questions of people Actually, the education plays an important role not only in the life of a person, but also in the development of a country. All developed countries like United States, Japan, Germany, Singapore and more have a high level of education. On the other hand, countries with a bad education systems have bad economic, social and technology conditions and all of these are undeveloped countries. The Royal Spanish Academy defines underdeveloped like the backwardness of a country or region, which would not have reached certain socio-economic and cultural levels and this is closely related with the education. Education is the way to escape of underdevelopment because it generates opportunities to face economic, technological and social challenges. Therefore, education plays an important role in the development of a country and formal education is the best option for an undeveloped country due to its economic, social and technological conditions. First of all, it is important emphasize that there are two types of education: selfeducation and formal education. According to Zaki (1987), formal education is a type of regulated, intentional and planned education. This type of education takes place in a concrete space and time and obtain a certificate. Also, formal education is identified with primary, secondary, higher education, etc. On the other hand, Moore (1984) said that self-education is the extent to which in the teaching- learning relationship, it is the learner who determines the goals, the learning procedures and resources, and the evaluation decisions of the learning program. A principal problem in the undeveloped countries is the lack of the technology. Despite the fact that cellphone, computers, internet and others are accessible in many parts around the world, there are many countries where these technologies doesn’t
Final Research Project Essay
arrive yet. Studies carried out by The International Telecommunication Union [ITU] in 2014 shows that the percentage of people that use internet in undeveloped countries like Ethiopia, Chad, Niger, Myanmar, Sierra Leona is no more than 2.90 % while developed countries like Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland the people that have access to internet isn´t lower than 92.4 %. This study shows clearly how people in underdeveloped countries don´t have access at internet that is a big source of information. Also, there isn´t access to computers and smartphones and the economic conditions in an undeveloped country don´t provide the enough sources for implementing libraries or other public buildings where people can find sources of information. Therefore, the people in undeveloped countries don´t have access to main sources of information like internet and books. As a result self-education is difficult and self-education have poor quality due to of the lack of sources of information. The only alternative about education in an undeveloped country is formal education because it doesn´t depend on external sources of information like the Internet, which depends on technology. Also, formal education in a developed or undeveloped country is a main concern of the governments. It is true that the undeveloped countries don´t have means for improving education, but there are international organizations and cooperation like United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] that provide financing to countries to develop education. However, these organizations monitor and evaluate the advances of the countries in the education and the only way to demonstrate the advance is through the formal education. Therefore, the best form to improve a country is formal education due to socio-economic and technology situation. Other strong point that formal education have is that all the information provided by the school, college and universities are reliable sources and is complemented by
Final Research Project Essay
laboratories and excursions that ensure the quality of knowledge acquired. There are many sources of information, but not all of these are reliable. While it is true that the Internet is an incredible tool that allow all information and knowledge are sharing throughout the world, it is also true that the information provides on some Internet websites is incorrect. According to research by American Osteopathic Association [AOA] conducted in 2014, doctors who conducted a review of several articles related to heart disease, cancer, diabetes they found that 90% of the articles contained errors that contradicted many of the recent research on these conditions. In addition, further research conducted by the Association of Internet Users [AI] in 2012 found that approximately 70% of Internet users cannot distinguish an Internet lie from reliable news. All of this shows that the Internet has incorrect information and that most people believe in this incorrect information. In addition, according to Young (2010) selfeducation tends to be lousy in the deep and detailed knowledge of a field. For example, reading evolutionary biology books will not give you statistical methods for analyzing gene selection, or the functions of how a population evolves over time. Therefore, the Internet is not a reliable source to obtain information and people who use Internet as source of information are not certain to acquire a high and deep level of knowledge. On other hand, the formal education has other complements like labs and field trips that provide people skills that they don´t learn only with theoretical knowledge. All these activities aim to develop the learning process, in the personal and group experiences to achieve the improvement of the teaching- learning process. Also, the labs and field trips have the purpose of putting the student in position of meeting objectives to distinguish, expand and deepen the knowledge acquired in theory, so the teacher and students must appeal to them frequently and thus be involved in the knowledge and use of research methodologies that awaken their ability to analyze and observe. For some
Final Research Project Essay
undeveloped countries it is indispensable to have people with a good quality of education and knowledge because it allows that countries develop their economy by the creation of technology and scientific knowledge. A principal advantage of the formal education it that it provides a certificate or title that prove that a person was educated with high level of knowledge. According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Germany, 87% of adults aged 2564 have completed upper secondary education. Also, the OECD show that in terms of employment, some 74% of people in Germany have a paid job. This is evidence shows that people who have a formal education have more opportunities to find a job and have economic stability while other people that don´t have formal education are rarely contracted by a company or find a job that provides economic stability. The benefit that undeveloped countries have of this, it is that people with good level of education can bring foreign companies to generate employment or even create public companies with these people and in this way the economy and the quality of life of people improve. There are other opinions that say the self-education in undeveloped countries can be a beneficial option due to next reasons. First of all, undeveloped countries have economic problems, as a result, undeveloped countries don´t have enough economic resources to support public education and this causes that people have access to poor public education. However, self-education doesn´t depend on the state or other institution. Also, it is accessible at all social classes, poor or rich, because the only requirement is to have access to source of information and wish to learn. Secondly, undeveloped countries have unequal social conditions. A common pattern that have undeveloped countries is that the majority of the population don´t have enough means to access formal education. Therefore, self-education is an opportunity for poor people.
Final Research Project Essay
On other hand, self-education has some weak points when is applied to undeveloped countries. First of all, the public education has a poor quality in undeveloped countries. However, there are many private institutions that offer formal education of good quality. Also, people that don´t have the enough means for access to formal education in a private institution can to access for a scholarship that are offer by institutions. Another weak point that self-education have is when someone tries to replace self-education for formal education and trying to give yourself the equivalent to an undergraduate degree (Young, 2010). The formal education provides a degree that confirm the high and deep level of knowledge while in self-education most of the people don´t have enough deep and technical knowledge compared with formal education. Also, formal education makes to easy learn because it has learning methods, like science labs, and teachers that help to learn. To summarize, the education is the way to get out of undevelopment because it offers opportunities to overcome many challenges. However, formal education is better than self-education in an undeveloped country due to the lack of the technology, untrusted sources of information and the quality of the acquired knowledge. The most viable way to help an undeveloped country is through formal education. Most IberoAmerican countries rely on education as a mean of boosting productivity and competitiveness. For this reason, formal education has been suggested to guarantee access to education to a larger percentage of the population, and to reaffirm the principle of equity. We can even say that education is the central element between the needs and aspirations of society. For this reason, it should be remarked that education is to way to change the persons that will change the world.
Final Research Project Essay
References Association of Internet Users. (2012). Internet fraud and fraud study. Retrieved from: http://www.internautas.org/graficos/PPT_IIIEstudioBulosyFraudes13sept.pdf American Osteopathic Association. (2014). Wikipedia vs Peer-Reviewed Medical Literature for Information About the 10 Most Costly Medical Conditions. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved from: http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2094721&resultClick=1 International Telecommunications Union. (2014). Measuring the Information Society Report. Retrieve from: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/ind/D-IND-ICTOI2014-SUM-PDF-E.pdf Moore, M. (1984). On a theory of independent study. In D. Sewart, D. Keegan, & B. Homberg (Eds.). Distance education: International perspectives (pp. 68–94). London: Routledge. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2015). Germany. Retrieved from: http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/germany/ Young, Scott. (2010). Why Self-Educated Learners Often Come Up Short. Retrieved from: https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2010/02/24/self-education- failings/ Zaki, C. (1987). Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Education: Concepts/Applicability. Retrieved from: http://techne-dib.com.br/downloads/6.pdf
PICTURES Class L-005
Thank you for reading my portfolio. I hope that you enjoy it. Best regards, Bryan Carrasco