Level 4 >> Post 10 (week 13): English Language Challenges

> What comments can you make about your experience learning English at university? What about the use of blogs?
> What aspects of your English need to be improved and how do you plan to do this?
> Outside the English class, how much are you using English these days? What for?

- Wordcount: 260
- Make comments on 3 of your partners' posts.

Dear teachers: Please visit the Documents Section/Marking Rubric for detailed information to calculate the blog marks. Get back to me in case of any doubts.
Ernesto

Level 3 - Post 8 (week 12) A Subject you've enjoyed studying this semester

Write about your favorite subject this term. Among others, include:

> Name
> Describe what you do in classes
> Mention the main contents you have seen
> Explain why you like the subject

> Word Count: 180
> Make comments on 3 of your patners' posts + a comment on the teacher's post.

Dear teachers: Don't forget to include your own sample post as well. If you are not studying, you can write about your favorite free time activity or sth similar, or a subject you enjoyed at university.

LEVEL 4 (WEEK 11) POST 8 >> PERSONAL OPINIONS

Opinions

What is your opinion about nuclear power?

What is your opinion about women in the military? 
What is your opinion about the legalization of guns?

What is your opinion about the immigration situation in Chile?

What is your opinion about tatoos?

What is your opinion about animal testing?

What is your opinion about legalizing marijuana and other drugs?
What is your opinion about the Chilean tradition called ‘mechoneo’?
What is your opinion about cloning?

What is your opinion about recycling?

What is your opinion about “barras bravas” (hooligans)?

What is your opinion about legalizing abortion in some cases?

- Choose 4 of these questions and give your opinions about them.
- Make comments on 3 of your partners' posts + a comment on your teacher's post.
- Number of words: 240 minimum (60 per answer aprox.)







>>>Dear teachers: write your own post as sample for your students (JUST 1 OR 2 OPINIONS).

LEVEL 4 - Post 9 (week 12) CHANGES TO MY STUDY PROGRAMME

Note to the teachers: As intro to this post, it’s very advisable to carry out some group conversation before the students start posting. The aim is to make some emerging ideas arise.

Write about some changes that could be made to your study programme (career)
Among others, think about:

> The curriculum (the subjects you have to study)
> Workload and length of studies
> Faculty facilities (buildings and infrastructure)
> Use of technology
> Teaching methods



- Word Count: 250
- Leave comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts.

Level 3 >> Post 10 (week 15) Evaluation of your Blogging Experience

Write about your experience using blogs in the English class.

Say:

> What you think about the experience in general
> How much you feel your writing skills have developed
> What you would like to include in the future
> What else you would like to write about


Wordcount: 200
Make comments on 3 of your classmates' posts.


Dear teachers: Please visit the Documents Section/Marking Rubric for detailed information to calculate the blog marks. Get back to me in case of any doubts.

Please insist with your students on leaving the comments (1 to you and 3 to their classmates - per post) - We have seen many posts without any comments.

Level 3 >> Post 6 (week 10) >> 2nd Themed/Free Post

- Number of words: 160
- The students have to leave comments on at least 3 of their mates' posts  and on your post.
- For more info on themed posts, please review  themed/free post, published earlier.

Ernesto

LEVEL 4 - POST 7 (week 9) - THEMED POST N° 3

IMPORTANT >> Each time there's a themed blog session, you  need to help students focus and/or organise their writing by adding some bullet points that mention things they should include. Don't forget to write your own post as sample as well.

- Comments: Ask students to leave a comment on your post + 3 of their classmates posts.
- Word Count for post 7: 230 words

LEVEL 3 -- POST 9 (week 14) >> 3rd FREE/THEMED POST

Dear Teachers,

For each free post, don't forget to negotiate the topic with your students. 
Act as a kind of moderator, first by making them brainstorm a few possible topics and finally agreeing on one through some discussion and voting. 

As there are several themed posts this term (see blog syllabus), the best thing to do is to negotiate all of them at once. Ideally, at least one of the free posts should be career-related.

Try this ranking activity >> First make students work in pairs or small groups to come up with their top 3 topics. Then as a class, find the most popular topics for the posts. 

IMPORTANT >> Each time there's a free blog session, you will need to help students focus and/or organise their writing by adding some bullet points that mention the main points they should include. Also, don't forget to write your own post as sample and guide.

- Comments: Ask students to leave a comment on 3 of their classmates posts
- Word Count for this post : 190 words

LEVEL 3 >> Post 7 (week 11) >> Carrer-Related Website OR An Expert on your Field

For this post, your students have to choose only ONE of these  2 options:

Post 1 (Instructions).
Write about a career-related website that you enjoy visiting.

You have to:

- provide the link
- describe the website (sections, features,etc)
- say how often you visit the site
- explain why you like the site.




>Add comments to 3 of your classmates’ blogs + a comment on your teacher's post
>Word Count: 170

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post 2 (Instructions)
Who is a person/expert on your field that you admire?

Say:

-Who she/he is. (short biography)
-What she/he has done. (examples of their work)
-Why you like her/him.
-Include his/her image

> About 170 words
>Add comments to 3 of your classmates’ blogs + a comment on your teacher's post.


Important for teachers >> include your own sample post as language input and guide for your students.

LEVEL 3 >> POST 5 (week 9) >> A PHOTOGRAPH YOU LIKE

Write about a photograph you like.

Say:

Who took it
What it shows
When it was taken
Why you like it
Upload it too

Include any other information you'd like to mention.
Write at least 150 words.



Dear teachers: write your own post as sample and guide for your students.
Add comments to your teacher + 3 partners

LEVEL 4 - POST 6 - POSTGRADUATE STUDIES (WEEK 8)

Write about a postgraduate course that you would consider taking in the future.
Include:

- Reasons to do the course
- Subject(s) you would like to study
- Where you would like to study (Chile or abroad)
- How you would like to study (distance learning, blended system, part-time course, etc)
- Any other relevant ideas

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts + a comment on your teacher's post.

- Word Count: 220 words

Dear teachers: Don't forget to publish your own sample post on your blog. 

LEVEL 4 - Post 5: My Future Job (week 7)

- What kind of job would you like to have? How do you imagine it?

- Outdoors /indoors?

- Would you like to travel a lot in your job?

- What about the salary?

- What major are you studying / are you thinking of taking?    Explain why

- Add any other related ideas.

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts + a comment on your teacher's post.

- Word Count: 210 words

Dear teachers: Don't forget to publish your own sample post on your blog. 

Level 4 - Post 4 (week 6) > Free/Themed Post 2

IMPORTANT >> Each time there's a themed blog session, you will need to help students focus and/or organise their writing by adding some bullet points that mention things they should include. Don't forget to write your own post as sample as well.

- Comments: Ask students to leave a comment on your post + 3 of their classmates posts.
- Word Count for post 4: 200 words

Level 3 - Post 4 (week 6) THEMED POST N° 1

Dear Teachers,

For each free post, don't forget to negotiate the topic with your students. 
Act as a kind of moderator, first by making them brainstorm a few possible topics and finally agreeing on one through some discussion and voting. 

As there are several themed posts this term (see blog syllabus), the best thing to do is to negotiate all of them at once. Please make sure that at least one of these posts is career-related.

Try this ranking activity >> First make students work in pairs or small groups to come up with some themes. Then as a class, find the 3 most popular topics.

IMPORTANT >> Each time there's a free blog session, you will need to help students focus and/or organise their writing by adding some bullet points that mention the main points they should include. Also, don't forget to write your own post as sample and guide.

- Comments: Ask students to leave a comment on your post + 3 of their classmates posts
- Word Count: 140 words

LEVEL 3 (BEG A Facso) >> POST 3 (week 5) > MY FAVOURITE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY

Write about your favourite piece of technology

Say:

What it is.
When you got it.
How you use it.
How often you use it.
Why you like it.
What life would be like without it.




- 140 words minimum.
- Include a picture.
- Comment on your teacher's post and 3 of your classmates’ blogs.

>>>> Dear teachers: please, don't forget to include your sample post!

Here  you can check my own sample post >>

My drum kit

I bought my drum kit in 2008. I remember that I spent a long time looking for the right kit for me. There were lots of options and it was hard to make the final decision.

These days I can't play as much as I want because my drum set is at home and it's difficult to find the time to play with family and kids. But at least once a week, I sit behind the drums and practice for about an hour. I also play the drums when I rehearse with my band, once a week, but I use a different kit.

I love music and everything which is related to it. I have a big collection of cds and  I have an electric guitar too. But my drums are something special. For many years I was was looking for the right instrument for me and when I sat behind a drum set for the first time, I knew I had found it. I fell in love immediately.

I can not imagine myself without playing the drums. If I couldn't play, probably I would try another instrument, but it would be difficult to learn at this time of my life. Maybe I woud try singing too.
What aboot you guys?
Cheers

Level 4 - Post 3 (week 5) >>> Themed/Free Post 1

Dear Teachers,

For each free or themed post, don't forget to negotiate the topic with your students. 
Act as a kind of moderator, first by making them brainstorm a few possible topics and finally agreeing on one through some discussion and voting. 

As there are several themed posts this term (see blog syllabus here), the best thing to do is to negotiate all of them at once. Please make sure that at least one of these posts is career-related.

You can try this ranking activity >> First make students work in pairs or small groups to come up with some themes. Then as a class, find the 3 most popular topics.

IMPORTANT >> Each time there's a free blog session, you will need to help students focus and/or organise their writing by adding some bullet points that mention the main points they should include. Also, don't forget to write your own post as sample and guide.

- Comments: Ask students to leave a comment on your post + 3 of their classmates posts
- Word Count: 180 words

Level 3 Pre Intermediate (beginner A at FACSO) - POST 2 (week 4) Why did you choose this career/study programme?

Write about:

- your dream jobs when you were a child

- other career options that you had at the moment of applying to university

- what made you decide in the end

- your experience at university until now

- the kind of job you would like to have

 > word count: 130 words

 > don't forget to leave comments on 3 of your classmates' posts and on your teacher's post as well.

Dear Teachers: Don't forget to write your own sample post. Thanks!

LEVEL 4 (week 4) >> Post N°2 The best Holidays/Concert ever

Dear teachers, this time your students will write about the best holidays or concert they've been to (They choose ONLY 1 topic). Please include your own sample post for ONE of them.

They should mention:

Holidays:

- when it was
- where they went
- how long it was
- people they went with
- things/activities they did
- why it has been the best so far
- any other relevant info

Concert:

- when / where it was
- the artist they saw
- a bit of info about the artist
- describe the atmosphere during the    event
- describe how they felt and why they  enjoyed it
- any other memories about it



>>Worcount: 170
>>Leave comments on 3 of your classmates posts + comments on your post.
Dear Teachers: don't forget to include your own sample post for at least one of these topics.

LEVEL 4 -- INTERMEDIATE >> POST 1 (Week 3) >> A COUNTRY I'D LIKE TO VISIT

- Which country would you like to go to? Why?
- What do you know about it?
- What would you like to do there?
- Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.
- Upload pictures
- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts + a comment on your teacher's post
- Word Count: 160 words

Dear teachers: Don't forget to publish your own sample post on your blog. Here you can take a look at the sample I made for my classes :) >>

Japan

Hi everybody! Today I will write about a country I want to visit.
I've always wanted to travel to Japan. I think it's because I like their people,
food and customs. I really admire the way in which they have advanced in spite of all the circumstances. I also admire all the advances in science and technology that they have made.

If I go there some day, the first thing I will do is to eat a lot of their delicious food; I think it is fantastic! Second, I will travel around the country to meet people and know places. I would like to know a lot about their culture and lifestyle too.

If I have the opportunity, I'd like to work there for a year, maybe teaching English or Spanish at a school or college. This would give me the chance to get to know more of their culture.

Well, I hope that some day I can go to Japan and make my dream true.

POST 1 - LEVEL 3 -- PRE INTERMEDIATE (Beginner A at FACSO) >> (Week 3) >> MY AUTO BIOGRAPHY

In week N° 3, and as the first post of this semester,  your students have to write their auto biographies.
They have to include:

- Birth info
- Studies info (elementary/high school/ univ)
- Family Info
- Hobbies
- Others... (pics for example)


> Number of words: 120 (minimum)
> Make comments on three of your classmates posts + a comment on your teacher post as well.




Dear teachers: Don't forget to publish your own sample post on your blog. Here you can take a look at the sample I made for my classes :) >>

Ernesto Sanhueza Martinez was born in Santiago, Chile. At elementary school, he studied at Colegio Cofederaciòn Suiza in La Reina. Later, he completed his high school studies at Liceo San Agustin, located in Ñuñoa.

Ernesto studied English Teaching at UMCE (Ex pedagògico U Chile). He finished his university studies in 1994 and then he started to work as a teacher in different places. He had his first job at a school called San Benito. He worked there for only one year.

Ernesto started to work at U de Chile in 2000, at the Enginnering faculty (Bucheff). He worked there until 2011. In the second semester of 2011, he began working at the Veterinary Sciences faculty where he is currently teaching English.
Ernesto lives with his family in La Florida. He's the father of Martina who is 12 years old and Gustavo, who is almost 3.
Here you can see two pictures of my children. People say that Martina looks like her mother and Gustavo looks just like his father.

Ernesto loves all kinds of music. He also plays the drums in a rock band with friends. One of his dreams is to give a concert in an important place with lots of people listening. You can listen to some of his music here >> https://soundcloud.com/la-poderosa-muerte

-----------
For today, and as the first post of this semester, you have to write your auto biographies.
Include:

- Birth info
- Studies info (elementary/high school/ univ)
- Family Info
- Hobbies
- Others...

> Number of words: 120 (minimum)
> Make comments on three of your classmates posts and also leave a comment on the teacher's post.