Paula Sánchez Morlesín - Week 7

What is a successful business?

For me, a business can be considered successful if it collects the following aspects:

1. Be kind.
A business cannot be successful if it treats people poorly, it must take care of the employees, costumers and partners.
2. Invest.
If you want you business to grow bigger and stronger, you must invest so you get the latest equipement and techniques.
3. Stay healthy.
For you to stand up for your business, you have to stay healthy and do your best. If you are not there for your business, you will?
4. Go for it.
Do not be afraid of anything, just bear your goals on your mind and do whatever it takes to achieve them (as long as it is ethic, of course).
5. Be surrounded by good people.
It is important to be supported correctly both on the familiar and financial aspects. Regarding the familiar one, keep your family by your side. And regarding the financial one, be sure to keep investors around you so you can show them what you can achieve, and that you deserve their confidence, and money, of course.

To end with, I have not done anything special to improve my English, just the same as always. Watching TV shows in English and learning new words every day.

Paula Sánchez Morlesín - Week 6

Dear Ester,

As you already know, I am on my second year of my degree and I must stay curious and willing to learn more and more English in order to pick up my level. So, I wanted to tell you that I have started to attend conversation lessons with a native English speaker, specifically he is from New Zeland and he has just come back from his country to work here in Murcia. What I now, is that he wants to set up his own English academy but he does not have enough money yet. Summing up, we meet up twice a week at mine during halg an hour ato speak about anything, it does not matter qhat we talk about. What matters is that I gain both fluency and new vocabulary. Moreover, I have started to watch a new TV series called Stranger Things (in English, of course) and I absolutely love it! I totally recomend you to watch it, it is just so interesting. I can´t get my eyes off it, it has captured me. 

And last but not least, I am currently working on how to write letters, and I have found some interesting webs where we can learn about that issue. Since I think you might be interested about it, here I enclose you some of them:

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/letter-writing.html

http://library.bcu.ac.uk/learner/writingguides/1.06.htm

That is all I had to tell you Ester, If you are coming to Murcia soon let me know the dates so we can arrange to meet up.

Hope to see you soon,
Paula.

Anastasia Oplakanets: Week 6 (Phrasal Verbs)

Dear Mimi

I have quite few news of this past week but I still hope you enjoy reading them. Last Sunday I was playing a game online and couldn't sort out one of its levels so I had to ask around for help in the chat. So this guy came across me, helped me out and now we've been chatting in private for more than a week. He is is really interesting and funny. He is American, from Washington, and his name is Henry. He knows no Spanish words apart from 'paella' and 'toro' so we have been talking in english all the time and I have learned a lot this week. We have spoken a lot about USA and he has told me tons of interesting facts about it; at first I thought he was showing off but then realised he is just a really passionate person! Talking to him really cheers me up and I found out that we have a common friend here in Spain! I hope to keep in contact with him so be alert for any message you receive because for sure I will be infroming you about everything!
Besides my interaction with Henry, I have been rewatching Vikings for like the third time in its original voicing and I simply love Ragnar's and Ivar's voices. I defenitely prefer the English version rather than the Spanish one or the Russian one. Remember I fell off of my horse almost a month ago? My clavicle is healing slow but well, and I hope I can get back in the saddle soon, can't wait! I've been reading a lot too. I had to read 'This Time It's Personal' by Alan Battersby really quickly because I was running out of time for my LI lessons and it was not as bad as I had expected. Also, I have read two other books, which were very thick, and I can't figure out how I am able to read so fast... I am already starting a third one.

I'm sorry there's anything else fresh and new in my life. I am waiting for your response so don't take long!
Love you, Anastasia ♡

Second Week's task: Links
 https://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/letter-writing.html

 https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/writing-help/how-to-lay-out-a-letter

 https://www.familyeducation.com/life/writing-letters/writing-letters-letter-format

 https://www.businessballs.com/communication-skills/writing-technique-general-59/

Isabel Martínez Puche (Week 5)

Write a text describing your worst job. Upload pictures if you find them, or a drawing on your own of that particular job.

I would not want to be doing a job that I do not like. Regarding the situation we are now in terms of job search I know that is not an easy task and the priority would be to find a job, but if I could decide, I would choose a job that makes me happy. What makes me happy? Well I like to help people and I want to end up doing something that contributes positively to society. Also I would like to work in a secure work ambient, both physically and mentally. There are many jobs nowadays with still terrible conditions even people dying while working because of this. It is important as well that the job does not damage your mental health. Sometimes works put people in situations with too much stress, that have to be supervised too. Summing up, my worst job would be one that puts my health at risk and one that does not motivate me. I am afraid of being trapped in a job I do not feel well with, since it is something that I am supposed to do until I retire.

Ask your grandparents or any other relative over 65 about job conditions when they where young and discuss pros and cons.

What I have been told is that the conditions were very bad. My grandfather for example worked for too many hours and that affected his relationship with his family, since he could not spend many time with them. My grandmother as well had been working since she was a kid, and when she grew up and had kids had to manage to do the housework at the same time. It is true that “men jobs” have always been considered harder than “women jobs” but people tend to forget that due to the thinking that women are obligated to take the role of housewife as well, they had to double their work. Job conditions have been improving along the years but these situations I explained are still present in today’s society. Even though there has been an improvement, conditions should keep getting better for the future generations.

All you have done this week to improve and learn English

This week I have kept reading as I do all the weeks and since most of the subjects are taught in the English language, that also helps to improve my level. I would like to say that I have done more things to improve my English but sadly my time is limited and I do not have the time to do everything I want to do.

Anastasia Oplakanets: Week 5 - My Worst Job Ever

There are uncountable and totally unpleasant jobs to do in the world and although I am quite picky about them  I know I could end up doing one of them. I really want to make a distinction between jobs I would be unhappy to do and jobs that absolutly disgust me: the former are those kind of jobs that are okay but they aren't really what I am aiming to do. For example, if currently I am studying English Studies I wouldn't be glad if I end up working as lawyer or an assistant, not because these are not acceptable jobs but rather because it is not my goal, I want to do something related to my studies. So, this situation wouldn't be the best for me but I would accept the job if I had to. Now, the latter kind of jobs are definitely out of discussion for me, on the peak of this jobs there's the one I hate the most: babysitting.

I have never liked babies and kids and I don't understand how come that so many people find them adorable.They are always sticky, dirty, loud, full of saliva and buggers, etc. Also, I don't think they like me neither, not because I treat them badly, but maybe because I have no idea how to behave near them and they have some kind of super powers to detect these things and know that I would rather be in any other place of the planet than with them. For this and so many other reasons I could never be a babysitter or a primary and even secondary teacher, I know for sure that I would quickly lose my temper with those little monsters and say something totally unappropriate and get fired.

 

Regarding the second task of this Week's assignment, I do not have any relative to ask about work conditions when they were young but I know that working conditions about sixty or seventy years ago were pretty harsh. Most of regular people didn't have many possibilities to study or at least to finish their studies and had to start working at a very young age, having to work a lot of hours for little money. Plus, there were not many choices regarding jobs, you couldn't pick between one or another, you had to do what you got. I honestly don't see any pros to this situation as I think that everything about working conditions at that time was awful. 

As for the third task of this Week, I haven't done anything new to improve my English sorry.

Summing up, not so many decades ago working conditions were very hard and didn't considerate people's needs and even rights; and my worst job ever, my nightmare, would be doing something related to babies and little kids such as babysitting or teaching. Really, babies aren't cool.

Paula Sánchez - Week 5

First of all, I have had zero working experiences until now, so I do not have any specific knowledge about any kind of job, just general information. Having said this, I believe I do not think of a particular job as the worst ever, but there are certain aspects that can help me discern between jobs that I would enjoy and others that I would not. For example, I would like to have a job in which I do not have to stand all the time, a job in which I could have my own bureau to traduce documents, TV shows, films etc, not a job in which I have to face the public and stand the whole day. I would be totally fine as long as a I do not have to speak every day to lots of people, since I really dislike it.

Regarding job conditions decades ago, I asked my grandmother, who is 82 years old, to let me know about them. And what she told was that she has had only one job in her life, and it was as a waitress at a café in Córdoba. She has had only one job since women "could not" work when they got married, since during those years it was believed that men had to be the ones to bring money to their homes. So, she told me that her job conditions were correct. The café was clean and nice, and her boss was also a nice person. In fact, when she got married he lamented to lose her, since she was so good at her job that he felt no one could replace her. But she has also told me this was her case, there were many people in poor conditions and getting low wages.

Taking in account was she has told me, I cannot see any pro of older job conditions since many were low waged and in bad conditions. And even though she was lucky and could take advantage of a good job, nowadays the same job is higher remunerated and developped in better conditions, since we now have more rights as workers. Personally, I am happy I was born not so long ago so I can aim for a proper job and achive my goals.

Lastly, what I have done to improve my English is to attent my classes and watch TV shows in their native language, which is English. 

Tips and Advice - Week 4

Paula Sánchez Morlsesín

Tips and Advice 

1. When browsing the net I found a piece of advice I especially liked, which is the following:

"When there is a problem don't just complain about it. Don't do something about it either, change it! Doing something usually isn't enough. If the element broke on your stove, would you go buy the replacement part then be satisfied because you did something about it? No, nor should you be satisfied with 'doing something' about life's bigger problems. Do you feel that people are wasting too much of their lives on their electronic devices? Don't be satisfied with making a youtube video about it, to try and get the word out there, Keep going until the problem is fixed! Too often people 'do something' then stop as if that was enough.

Everytime someone has screwed up their life in some way or another, figure out what went wrong, then make sure you don't follow the same path. You'd be surprised just how many people have actually screwed up in life once you start paying attention. If they are unhappy or unsatisfied, something's gone wrong. Don't make the same mistakes as those around you!"

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-piece-of-advice-you-could-give-someone-about-life

   2. And the text I chose that contains modal verbs is an excerpt I took from 'Twilight', a book written by Stephenie Meyer:

"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast. "No." 

"He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Charlie prompted.

That would explain why I didn't remember him. I do a good job of blocking painful, unnecessary things from my memory.

"He's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued when I didn't respond, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap." 

"What year is it?" I could see from his change of expression that this was the question he was hoping I wouldn't ask. 

Now, I will explain the specific meaning they have in the context of the sentence they are used.

- Would: in the sentenced it is used, it expresses the consequence of the situation the character refers to.

- Can't: is used to express prohibition in the present and in general time.

- Could: could is used to express permission and prohibition in the past.

- Wouldn`t: is the contraction of 'would not',' and expresses an action that did  not in fact happen. Someone was not willing for something to happen. 

   3.The activities I have done during these last four weeks to improve my English,  apart from attending English language classes and working with this blog, have been the regular ones, such as watching some shows in their original language (which is English), chatting with my friends in English on the SNS and listening to some British songs. In addition, I have also started to read our compulsary reaing book for English language. And regarding speaking I have just spoken English once, and it was because a tourist needed my help to get to a place in Murcia.

Isabel Martínez Puche (Week 4)

1. Browse the net and find out a text in which advices are involved. This can come from another blog, a newspaper, a journal website, etc. Underline/highlight the expressions related to advice  

10 top tips for improving your spoken English

Speak, speak, speak!

Be confident and speak as often as possible to as many people as you possibly can! Do not be shy to make mistakes! The more you practice the better and more confident you will become in your pronunciation and vocabulary. Remember, speaking is a skill like learning a musical instrument or new sport – the only way you can get good is to actually do it!

Use technology

A smartphone can be a powerful tool for learning languages. Use it to record yourself speaking then listen back to see how your English sounds to other people. Make the most of all your favourite productivity apps to organise your practice time and make a note of all the new words you learn.

Listen

Listen to news bulletins and songs in English to listen to the pronunciation of words. You can also learn new words and expressions this way. The more you listen, the more you learn! Try copying what you hear to practise your pronunciation and learn which words in a sentence are stressed.

Read out loud

Read the newspaper or a magazine out to yourself. You could even find a script for your favourite TV show and act it out! This is a great way to practise pronunciation because you only need to concentrate on making sure you English sounds great and don’t need to worry about sentence structure or grammar.

Learn a new word every day

Choose a word you would like to work on and use practice it in different sentences. Use the word until you have learnt it and keep using it regularly.

Watch films

Watch movies in English and pay attention to new vocabulary and pronunciation. Imitate the actors and have fun with it.

Full article: https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/10-top-tips-improving-spoken-english/

2. Look for another text where modal verbs appear and analyse the modal verbs explaining the specific meaning they have in the context of the sentence they are used.

***
I remember going to the British Museum one day to read up the treatment for some slight ailment of which I had a touch. I read all I came to read and then I began to study diseases, generally, turning the leaves idly.

I came to typhoid fever, read the symptoms and discovered I must have had it for months without knowing it. Cholera I had with severe complications and diphtheria I must have been born with. I was relieved to find that Bright’s disease I had only in a modified form and, so far as that was concerned, I might live for years. The only disease I could conclude I had not got was housemaid’s knee.

I sat and pondered. I thought what an interesting case I must be from a medical point of view. I was hospital in myself. All students need do would be to walk round me and after that take their diploma.

I tried to feel my heart. I could not feel my heart. I think now that it must have been there all the time, and must have been beating, but cannot account for it.

I had walked into that reading-room a happy, healthy man, I crawled out a decrepit wreck.

              (After "Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome K. Jerome)

must have had: obligation/probability
must have been born: obligation/probability
might live: probability
could conclude: ability
must be: obligation/probability
need do: necessity
could not feel: inability
must have been beating: obligation/probability
cannot account for: inability

3. Note down in your blog entry all the activities you have done in the last 4 weeks to improve your English.

I have been reading quite a lot recently, for example, the reading book for this subject. I have also underlined and written down all the vocabulary and expressions that I did not know. In addition, I have watched some films and series in English to pay attention to the pronunciation and to make my vocabulary wider as well. All of this apart from listening to music in English that is also useful to get in contact with the language and keep improving. 

Anastasia Oplakanets: Week 4 'Tips and Advice'

The following text is the one I have chosen for the first task of this Week's 4 assignment 'Tips and Advice'. The whole text is not shown in the blog, I have decided to show the two points I liked the most.
You can read the whole article by clicking here

1

· A good teacher is an assertive teacher

Your students can have problems, bad days, stress, or even depressions as well. If you see that some of your students start to study worse, have no desire to do all schoolwork you give them, and just want to give up everything, do not be in a hurry to argue and tell them about how bad or lazy they become.

You can become like a parent to them. Support your student, ask about what happens to him, push him to do better. If you see that your student is depressed, maybe it would be better to meet with him after classes and find out what exactly is going on. 

5

· More explanations

Even if you consider yourself a cool teacher who explains everything in a way that even the stupidest person would understand you, don't be lazy to explain it to your students several times, and what is even more important – try to do that in different manners. Sometimes, they really don't get it, but it's not because they are stupid: maybe some of them just think different.

Be patient, and explain your material over and over again, making sure all students understand what you're talking about. You know, how difficult it will be for them to learn further, if they don't get the basis.

 The next texts belong to the second task of Week's 4 assignment 'Modal Verbs'. This text is an extract of Sabaa Tahir's book 'An Ember in the Ashes'.

She walks carefully, gingerly—the Commandant must have whipped her recently. And yet she doesn't hunch or shuffle like the others slaves. The straight-backed grace with which she moves tells her story better than words. She'd been a freewoman before this—I would bet my scims on it. And she has no idea how pretty she is—or what kind of problems her beauty will cause for her at a place like Blackcliff. The wind pulls at her hair again, and I catch her scent—like fruit and sugar.

“Can I give you some advice?”

Her head flies up like a scared animal's. At least she's wary. “Right now you...” Will grab the attention of every male in a square mile. “Might stand out,” I finish. “It's hot, but you should wear a hood or a cloak—something to help you blend in.”

She nods, but her eyes are suspicious. She wraps her arms around herself and drops back a little. I don't speak to her again.”
Page 145

― Sabaa Tahir, An Ember in the Ashes

Modal verbs meanings:

· Must have → used to say something that is likely or logical
· Can → used to ask permission to do something
· Might → possibility that something will happen or be done
· Should  → shows what is right or appropriate

Assignment nº 3 of this Week: What activities you have done in the last 4 weeks to improve your English?

Apart from attending my English lessons, I did what I always do to improve my English, which are my usual everyday activities: I love to check out movies and series in their original language, which is mostly English, because I love listening to the actors' real voices. Through these past weeks I have seen many 'Vikings' and 'Friends' episodes in its original language but I think I haven't seen any film. I also love watching YouTube videos, such as PewDiePie's videos, which I truly find very amusing. Apart from watching videos on YouTube, I like to scroll down the comments and learn new words and expressions from there.

I love listening to music too, everytime I hear a new song I try to understand the lyrics and I must confess that it is a great exercise to practice because the music in the backround is really distracting and you have to concentrate quite hard on the singer's voice and understand the words.

Finally, reading is my favourite activity of all time and although I did not like to read in English not so long ago, now I find it much easier and I like it more and more, I've just finished reading 'The Foxhole Court' by Nora Sakavic in English and I really enjoyed it.    

 

Isabel Martínez Puche (Week 3)

In my case, I have contradictory feelings. On one hand, I consider that it is positive being a public figure because they have so many influence on the public. That is useful in order to raise awareness about many things, and also to help people to become better persons. There are a lot of cases of individuals with mental or physicals issues and public figures play a social role, encouraging them to recover and to get a better life. This is the good part of the fame, in my opinion, not mentioning the money and prestige you can get from being famous. 

Nevertheless, on the other hand, not everything is as easy and glamorous as it seems from the point of view of an ordinary person. Behind the fame, there can be found a lot of difficulties along the journey. One of them being the media pressure that the celebrities are put into. It is not easy to deal with a paparazzi or with a lot of cameras and flashes directed to you all at once. Apart from this, in order to give a good image and set a good example to your public you have to behave yourself in every moment, something that becomes difficult due to all the stress and pressure brought with the fame. Sometimes all of this leads to depression and other diseases that are dangerous and can put their lives in risk. 

All in all, I think I wouldn’t be able to cope with all of that even if I wanted to. I’m used to live a relaxed life. I’m not the type of person that goes every weekend to parties. Instead, I enjoy staying at home watching films, reading or listening to music.