Preliminary English Test - PET

Dear Class,

Here you have some links for the PET Practice sessions. Please complete all the activities in the links to practice Reading, Listening and Vocabulary.

Reading:

 

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/reading1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_reading2.htm

 

Listening:

 

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part1.htm

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_listening_part2.htm

 

Vocabulary:

 

http://www.examenglish.com/PET/pet_vocab.htm

Best,

Belén

Blog Sample 10

Learning and teaching languages

After reading about different methodologies not only to learn languages but to learn in general, I feel more motivated to continue teaching Spanish and English. There is nothing new in saying that we all learn in different ways but in what this is especially true is when we learn languages. One more thing that is not new about humans is the fact that events in life, can define who we are and what we like or don’t like.

I can say that the idea of learning languages was first triggered by a Russian family living in Santiago. I was 7 or 8 years-old the first time I heard a language different from Spanish. At home, I had heard French and English before but it wasn’t fluent because my father and mother studied those languages at school but they couldn’t speak in French or English; they knew how to pronounce words, phrases and questions.

Speaking fluently in a language that is not your mother tongue is to be able to expand the limits sometimes we create for ourselves. Some people learn languages easily than others and some other people never learn a foreign language but considering how many and how different we are, learning a foreign language could be a very good idea if we want to travel,  and if we want to meet people. Apart from meeting people, when we speak one or more foreign languages we can understand more cultures. So, the way people think, act, what they believe in and the language they speak can help us learn more about us and our limits.

Going back to Russian, I can’t say I feel frustrated because I don’t speak it fluently because I haven’t been studying it they way I need to. Even though I have nobody to practice Russian with, I really want to learn something else that’s not numbers 1 to 10, days of the week and personal pronouns; so one day I can talk with Russians or with people who speak it as a foreign language, like me.

Blog Session 10 The last free post

Dear Class,

This is the fourth and last time you can choose what to blog about...
And I'm sure it'll be as interesting as it has been to read about the different topics you had chosen.

Write this post in 240 words and remember to make at least  three comments.

Good luck,


Belén

Sample Post 9

Reading about reading (or more about the brain)

I can find many reasons to continue reading and to encourage people reading, in more than one language better still. Considering we start reading since we are children, we can enjoy as many books as we manage to read. Sometimes, though, and for different reasons we can’t read very well or can’t read at all, which differs from reading without being able to show comprehension of what you read.

According to an interesting author, “Reading comprehension is one of the single most remarkable inventions in history and this extraordinary ability of the human brain, is able to make connections among its existing structures” (Wolf, 2004). So, the brain and other organs in our bodies- is linked with the human mind, and we are able to read because the brain and eyes, form the perfect camera for us comprehend what we read.

Reading can also be considered as a psychological process. This happens at the right back region of the brain, where experts have said that the successful comprehension of written words can be found.

Furthermore, images of the brain, which are called positron emission tomography (PET) scans, scientifically show that according to the precise nature of the task performed by a conscious human subject, different regions of the brain will be involved.

Then, several organs are part of an orchestra so we can not only read but also understand, analyse, internalise or critique. Organs such as your eyes are also really important so we don’t want to have a blurred vision; we better take care of our eyes, interest in reading as well as in what you are reading.

Blog Session 9 Free Post

Dear Class,

You're free to choose the topic one more time. This time please write 240 words and don't forget to make three comments.


Best,


Belén

Blog Session 8 How gree are you?

Dear Class,

This time is about the environment we live in. Please write:

a) Where do people learn about enviromentally friendly practices?
b) Have you incorported recycling into your habits? Describe
c) Do you use a bike or your legs instead of a car?
d) Have you joined or supported any eco-organisations? Why/Why not?
e) What else have you done /would you like to do?
f) What have you done to reduce your carbon footprint? 
g) What's missing in our society/Santiago regarding this issue?

Number of words: 240 minimum
Don't forget to make comments on at least 3 of your classmates posts. 

Best,

Belén Farías


P.S. Remember you can send me your videos to my email or upload them in your blogs or youtube.

Sample Post 8

How green are you?

This is 2013 and I can’t believe how people are not yet aware of the importance of taking care of the planet we live in. I think people should learn about “green issues” at school. Sometimes children learn how to make recycled paper and some others have workshops to learn some aspects of recycling but environmental-friendly practices can be learnt at school and also at home.

I’ve always tried to be careful with the waste I produce. I use special bins (usually glass, plastic and organic bins) every time I can. Apart from that, I use water wisely; I learnt that in Chiloé when I was 12. It was only when we spent more than 2 weeks with a family in Nalhuitad, where they didn’t have tap water. I’m constantly thinking about ways to reduce my carbon footprint and transmitting the information so more people are aware.

I use my bike in the summer mostly. In winter it’s too cold for me and too contaminated as well but as in spring and summer is windier I tent to think that I’m not breathing so much smog. Also, as I don’t have a car, I’m always walking and taking the bus or the tube.

I support Greenpeace but only through the internet. I do that by signing emails requesting more laws or an action to stop some stupid objective of a millionaire company. I think we should support any eco-organisations if it’s because they want to take care of the planet. I’d love to make tons of copies of “The 11^th Hour”, which is a documentary about the state of the Earth, considering air and water contamination mainly. Finally, in terms of the capital city, I think Santiago is missing more laws and public policies so people learn and participate in solving matters related to the environment.