My English progress

My name is Tiziana Muscolino and first of all I am going to talk about my progress in English from 2012 to 2014.

On the one hand writing is one of the most important skills in any language. I love writing, is one of my favorite hobbies, but I must admit that I would rather write informal than formal letters. I feel comfortable writing descriptions, opinion essays, argumentative essays.

On the other hand we should not forget to focus on listening, reading and speaking skills when learning a language. We have to be competitive in them as well.

As a result of our constant work in blogs, writing essays, reading texts and books and doing interesting listening exercises, we all have improve a lot our English.

What is more, I am able to accurate my ideas and write them in the correct order which gives the right sense and meaning to the compositions. The extension of my writings has strongly enlarged.

Therefore, it gives the needed maturity to my essays.

For instance, we can compare one of my first writings in the blog “How do I feel being a vegetarian” and one of the last ones: “Leadership in business and my future expectations”.

The latest essay shows how I am capable to give richness in content, grammar and vocabulary. I can offer different points of view, I can give my opinion in a polite, formal way, I can justify it, I can use some complex structures, I am always searching for new words and I avoid repeating them in the same text.

Moreover, in this two year courses I have the habit to work with the dictionary opened. I believe that it is fantastic so as to increase vocabulary and check the correct spelling as well.

To sum up, I really enjoyed doing the last task of English. I have learned a lot with Human Rights. It has been very interesting, although it has been sad too. I realized that there is still so much work to do, so many people still suffering.

Besides my writings I can also talk about my oral presentations.

As far as I am concerned I would like to say that I feel more self-confident speaking in public and giving a speech. My oral presentations are focused on the topic more than they used to be.

I remember the first one being very nervous.

Furthermore, I was able to keep eye contact in my last presentation. That was a challenge for me. It is clear that, when speaking in public, we should give interesting and relevant information to the audience.

On top of that a successful speech needs to be fluid and provided by suitable intonation.

Interview

-What do you like the most about your job?

That I can share my knowlege with children and that I am the responsible to teach young minds and introduce tham a new laguage. 

-How do you use English in your daily life?

I only teach English to young children and I talk to them in English. I did it from the first day so that they got use to it. I try not to talk to them in Catalan.

-Which relationship do you have with children?

I feel very loved with them and they are so affective.

-What would you change and what would you add in your job?

I would add more English classes. For example I would like to do art in English because I enjoy doing crafts with them.

-How is your daily life?

Most hours I have English class with children from 3 to 6 years old. When I have free time I prepare more activities and I work to accomplish new projects or new ways to teach.

-Do you hate something in your job?

Well as everyone knows the crisis has made our salaries lower.

-Which methods do you use to teach?

I use different methods like videos, songs, drawings, I read them books in English and show them pictures. I try to use technology so that they get use to it for when they are older.

-How did you find it in college?

I had to study a lot of course but it was so interesting and some subjects were so easy. However, some subjects were so annoying and hard.

-Why did you chose this job?

Because I love speaking and learning English so I want to creat interest in new generations to learn English.

-Do children show interest in learning English?

They are very young and very curious so of course they show a lot of interest in learning. I also try to make my classes funny and enjoyable for them. 

Dear Tiziana,

I must give you some advice before starting this period in your life.

I recomend you to keep your work up everyday and to do things people ask you from the begining don't let them repeat it to you because it will be very annoying.

You will meet a lot of different people, kind people, nice ones, mean ones, good and bad influences. Make sure you choose the right ones because they might help you and guide you through your future. 

You will also pass through difficult moments. Don't let them get you down. You have to love yourself and really fight about what you want. You will have to make important decitions and they might become a nightmeare but don't forget you always have people who love you around. 

However, let me tell you something else: it looks like you will spend the rest of your life in there. The time actually flies and I can't believe it! In one week I'll be done with all this! Don't be scared of trying new things and experiences. 

Enjoy your life every moment in any way, make the most of it every day, keep yourself busy all the time, don't ever feel lazy you can always find something to do. 

At the moment I'm frustated because I'm not sure what I should do next year but you know what? I have a whole life in front of me and I'm not scared of making mistakes or not getting it right straight away. As I always say, do whatever your heart says. 

Your heart,

Tiziana

Education is the key

To begin with the idea that education is the key I must definitely say: I agree with it.

On the one hand, we have the example of many countries, in history and still nowadays, that keeping their people in ignorance make it easy to dominate them. What do we understand by ignorance? Not being able to read.

But, on the other hand, it makes a country poor because they don’t know how to solve daily problems or make use of their own richness or sources in industry.

Therefore, why are there so many people uneducated on Earth? Why do we call to some of our brothers and sisters The Third World? Why do we have the invasion of immigrants to our land searching for help in order to survive offering their children better choices than in their own home town?

As far as I am concerned, the big potential countries that dominate the world should have strong interests for that. It is not possible that if we put our efforts and work together there won’t be a positive result. We ought to contribute in the growth and development of these countries by themselves. We could teach them to do so.

I totally agree with the video when the guy says: Education is not just filling the heads, is about inspiring one's mind.

Our society has failed. The system is in crises, not only the financial sector, but the whole system.

So, that is why I dare to say that we must change our way of educating. It is no more effective, we are educated by the competition, by being a number, by having a mark…. This is not educating. As far as I get it…., as far as I succeed….. Those are the ideas of the crowd. Such politicians who command us have been educated in that way.

Consequently, the future education should educate in many ways. Being free, being autonomous, having a good attitude in front of different problems, being analytical, being capable of synthesize, being creative.

Furthermore, there is no need to memorize. Everything is available in internet. We should learn how to contrast the information and being critical to improve things from the past.

To sum up, we should give children tools for achieving their aims in order to build strong, sensitive and happy human beings that take care of others interests a part from their owns.

Vocabulary: fate, analytical.

Human Rights

Human Rights are the rights you have simply because you are human. They are universal and they apply to all kind of people: poor, rich, teachers, the garbage man, old, young, children…. To any of us.

At first there were no human rights. If you were with the right crowd, you were safe; but if you weren’t, then you weren’t.

They started in Babylonia with Cyrus The Great. He proclaimed that all slaves were free to go. The ideas of The Emperor travelled quickly to India, Greece, Rome…

In Rome they had what it was called Natural Law. That means that a King could be above of what they understood, on those days, by human rights.

People rights were recognized in England in 1215 agreeing that not even people of power could go over them. They wrote the “Carta Magna”.

They defended that all men are created equal.

Then America was born. France fought for their own rights and many things happen in history around this subject again. It wasn’t so easy to give the same meaning everywhere to human rights.

The roman concept of natural law became Natural Rights. Although once more (by year 1800), someone called Napoleon became Emperor of the World and the rest of countries in Europe which were against this fact defeated him and his army.

Meanwhile all this was going on in Europe, in India a young boy called Mahatma Gandhi leaded Indian protests and defended that all humans are equal and must have the same rights, not just in Europe.

However, two World Wars interrupted the intention. Hitler, Mussolini….. 90 million people were in Nazi’s camps. Human rights were near to extinguish.

Therefore the countries of the world bended together and created the United Nations in 1945 to reaffirm faith in fundamental rights in

the dignity and worth of human person. Besides all this, they should analyze what human rights should be.

In 1948 Eleanor Roosevelt announced the Universal Human Rights. Whereas when they were signed they didn’t have the force of law. It was optional.

That’s why again great people as Luther King and Mandela fought pacifically in order to guarantee Human Rights and abolish discrimination. It lasted 2 more decades to achieve it.

What is more, Human Rights should be more than words written on pages or on commercial ads. Those important words should become a reality, and not only a history lesson.

Nowadays, lots of people are fighting for that reason and they are not giants or super heroes…. They are kids, fathers, mothers, teachers, free thinking individual who have decided not to be silent.

There are 30 Human Rights and they should be our daily choices as human beings. We should act with responsibility and treat each other in a respectful way and apply the wise and deep sentence: what you don’t want for you, don’t do it to others. Help and protect the weak.

To sum up with my essay I would like to add that despite the strength of humans to have these Human Rights written and understood them as law, we still don’t respect lots of them in the world. Why there are millions of people starving and dying one person every five seconds; why there are millions of adults who are unable to read; why there are thousands of people in prison for speaking their minds……

I was familiar to all Human Rights because as a student you have a perspective of what kind of things happen in life and what is denounced in the daily news.

I sincerely believe that there is still much work to do.

Vocabulary: the gerund of “to die”=dying, to extinguish, to bend.

Human Rights

Last April the 14th , 296 young girls from Nigeria in secondary school were kidnapped while they were studying having their final exams.

Some rumors say that they have been sold to the Islamic army to cover their sexual and home needs.

Lots of organizations and countries have denounced that fact and make efforts to bring those girls back. The hashtag in twitter says #BringBackOurGirls.

The kidnappers are members of a group called Boko Haram which means: Occident Education is forbidden.

The Nigerians are desolated and ask themselves about the seep the Government act when this fact occurred. It took 48 hours to start persecution.

Moreover, Nigerians are tired that Human Rights are not accomplished. They are constantly violated. They feel insecure and hopeless. http://www.hrw.org/ Girls’ Abductions a Last Straw for Nigerians.

On the contrary in our country we, girls, can have education which make us have a wide consciousness and the possibility of being free. That is a very important fact. If some governments have their population dominated is because they restrict giving education.

Seeing that, we can take part as a group in many organizations. I am a member of avaaz.org http://www.avaaz.org/es/save_the_southern_ocean_5/?biUgTab&v=18901 (this is an example of the grate number of matters they defend or denounce)

To end up with, I would like to say that everyone can contribute in having a better world by being respectful to others and using the internet facilities to condemn the noncompliance of Human Rights.

Vocabulary: dowry, hashtag, to snatch

The "selfie" movement

Nowadays there is this fashion picture known as "selfie". It consists of taking a picture of yourself and posting it on the social media: Facebook, Instagram and I think it is also starting in Twitter. But as all good things it has the bad part.

Acording to a study done in the US it can cause a lot of insecurity in women, specially for teenager girls.They are constantly looking at pictures of their friends, celebrities and even from people they don't.This cause teen girls start being gelous from all them. The worst is that it can produce dangerous consequences on eating desorders because it is like a subliminal message for girls to lose weight.

However, I do take loads of selfies and I think it's funny when I'm bored.

On the one hand when looking at other girls I get gelous sometimes but in a good way. Like I'm gelous of their clothes or their incredible bodies but that doesn't mean I'm not happy with what I have. 

On the other hand I think being very skinny is not nice and I recomend everyone loving themselves.

I wish ,specially for girls, that they would stop hating their bodies and apreciate what life have give to them. And if they don't like their bodies thay can always do other alternatives like doing sport or serious diets instead of killing themselves by having eating desorders.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26952394

Fashion bloggers

Nowadays, thanks to the social media, we have the called "Fashion Bloggers".

Fashion Bloggers are created by girls mostly who love fashion in general. They take pictures of themselves, now called selfies, and then they write a post like we do but they write about their style. You can find pictures of hair styles, nails (manicure), clothes, shoes, compliments,... 

I follow the on Instagram another social media very popular at the moment. It's nice to follow them because it can give you different ideas to combine colours. Even if you don't know how to dress one day you can look up their pictures and they can give you nice and cute ideas.

In addition you find colour combinations you never think they would be right and they actually are. I love fashion and following them it's a way to be updated with fashion around the world. But of course they look beautifuly in their dresses, shorts and skirts and when I try them on I don't like them. 

There are a lot of Fashion Bloggers, the most famous in Spain is "Dulceida" and from around the worl a very know one is "Song of style". 

Creating these Blogs is another way to get famous and people envolved in fashion look at their ideas and they might be contracted to be Models. For example the girl from "Dulceida" is a famous model at the moment. She explains you her experience as a model explaning her style and her ideas.

Dulceida:

Song of style:

Benetton's Rana Plaza Protesters

A Benetton factory falls in Bangladesh killing 1134 people and injuring the double. In the ruins there were Benetton labels and the clothes brand didn't want to pay the compensation to the survivors and  the families. 

Protesters celebrated the first anniversary of the factory fall chaining their hands and necks in Benetton's shop in Oxford Circus.  

There are clothes companies like Primark, which they company is located in the Raza Plaza building. They have started to pay the remuneration to the survivors and families of the victims tragedy. 

People who are protesting think that $40 million dollars must be payed by Benetton's for their compensation.    

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2014/04/25/benetton-protest-oxford-circus-rana-plaza

Work experience

The work experience is an important part of the transition year. Transition year was called the course I did when I was in Ireland. Irish people consider that trasition year is a year to know more about yourself. If teachers saw you interested in learning and participating in activities they would let you do all of them. For example on Wednesdays I used to go horse riding with disabled children. I also did yoga, first aid and personal protection. It's been the best year so far. I learned so much things and I also took part in the choir what's more in the tennis team. However, it always would rain so we hardly had a chance to play.

All this made me grow as a person and I met loads of other students from other schools too.

In addition, transition year oblige all studients to take minimum two weeks of the year course and work in something we liked. A friend of mine went for three months to Australia. As I didn't have any contact with people outside from school a part for my family I couldn't choose my work. I asked my parents to go back to Spain but they said I must profit the maximum my time there. I'm so glad I stayed.  My supervisor decided to put me in a primary school of children with desabilities. Most people must thing it's very boring or not nice. : that must be so boring,.. and I also did, I didn't like the idea but after two weeks working there my mind absolutely changed. All I can remember are good memories there. 

I was so scared the first day. They assigned me a particular classroom. There were three teachers for class. The classroom where I was there were children from 6 to 11 years old because they organized them according to their desability and their dependence of an adult. They had a timetable and they did Maths, English, Art, Music, Gymnastics.

We also did loads of activities together like playing football, we went to the swimming pool and I use to read them farytales. I tried to give them all my love and tender. I'd never think they would be so intelligent, sensitive, sweet and kind as they were. I remember them so well. 

However, as all good things there was the bad part. I wasn't told the illness of all children so there were children that looked fisically as healthy one. One day we were at the playing game room and a girl had a epileptic attack. It was kind of shocking but immediately one of the teachers came to talk to me.

I learnd many things about them, the class where I stayed was unreal. I wish I could see them again. It was such a good and nice experience. The last day I brought them candies with the permition of the teachers and I cried a little. 

Teenagers behavior

Teenager's behavior can change so easily.

Not all teenagers are lazy, there are lazy ones, there are motiveted ones and the ones that stay in the middle of both. And not because we are teenagers we are lazy; I'm sure a lot of adults are lazy too. Of course we are lazy to do our homework and we find everyone annoying and we don't want to know anything about anyone, but that is only because we want to contradict adults.

Teenagers like not being told what to do, for example I prefer people not saying anything to me and I'll do my homework or the housework whenever it suits me but I'll do it. When people oblige me to do something I immediately feel tired or suddenly I'm not in the mood.

However, I don't understand why adults are so stricts with us or why they see adults like poison. They've been adults too and they have experienced this period of life too. They must  know how we feel. Only very little people understand us. And of course we change behavior very quickly but that's teens life, it's the way it is.  

Do we feel unmotivated? Well, teenagers can change their mind, thoughts and mood in a second of time. 

Our hormones energize and revolutionize, they make us act very different. We can't do anything about it. In addition, adolecence is a period in our life as infancy, childhood or adulthood and we just have to live at the maximum taking advantage of all opportunities that presents in front of us. Because opportunities only appear once.

I also recognize that we can turn people crazy because one day we are very happy and we go smiling everywhere, although, next day, for no reazon we are mad about all things in life and everything that crosses our mind is just wrong. We also get unmotivated for the comments adults make from us.  

To end I must say that as far as I know adolecence is the most difficult period in our lifes and also the most important one. We have to make decitions for our future and choose right people to stay on the right way.

" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years "

One of human's best friends

First of all the topic I chosed is very wide and I focosed it in what do I consider a pet is and my experiences with them. 

Since I was a little kid I have grown up involved with many types of animals. My grandmother had a house with a huge field. There she had three horses, three dogs, a pond with fishes and turtles, a bird, rabbits, cats.. 

I know a lot of animals. Apart from my grandmother house I always had a dog at home, so I could say I don't remember any moment of my childhood without the company of a pet. Basically they have been another member of my family.

My favourite pet is the dog. It is a faithful an loyal animal. His eyes can talk as in you can recognize by his movements what he wants. He's always happy to see you and he never desagrees with you. 

I'd like to highlight that having a pet at home is a very big responsability, I mean they have feelings and they also have their basic needs : food, hygiene, freedom,.. 

To end up, I'm afraid to say that 6 months ago my doggy died. He was very old but he died happily with us and sleeping. It was so sad when my little brother found him and came crying to us explaning the horrible new. 

  My conclution is that I think is very positive to live in contact with the animals, with other words, near the nature.  

A different day

-Suddenly a message appeared on the computer screan. 
I didn't know who it was from. I chosed to press the button "open".
Reading the few first lines I started to sweat and my heart was beating so fast. My eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing.
I didn't know what to do faced with this situation. So I got off the chair and started to scream all over the house !!!
I had been waiting for the answer for a long time. 
When my mum heard all this noise came to my room with a worry face, the she asked me : "What is it all about?"
I told her the matter : 2 months ago I filmed a piece of a dance for a TV show, on the mail was written that they had chosen me. 
It is a very famous TV show, watched all over the world, I was so happy When I filmed the dance, everyone told me that it was very difficult, and that it is a lot of hard work. But yes, here I am with the mail saying that they have chosen me. 
This means that I have to go to Barcelona for a week. After that if I pass the first casting I will go to New York !!