WRITING A BRIEF ESSAY

My dear students, you have until next Wednesday to write your final assignment. This time you have to write an essay.


Possible Essay Topics. Choose one of them:

1. Your experience learning English at the university / A general reflection
2. The use of technologies within the different subjects you've studied this year (Review/opinion)
3. Chile 2010: What are your views on Chile's bicentennial year?


Essay Structure:

- Introduction (about 80 words)
- Body: 2 or 3 paragraphs (about 200 words)
- Conclusion: (about 70 words)

Useful Links & Tips to write your essay:


- Basic guide to essay writing
- How to write a brief essay
- Practical tips to write a brief essay


Good luck :)

Unforgettable...

The day I gave birth to my baby was a Thursday, the usual cold climate we’re used to in May That day I had my dad come along with me and my husband. The night before, I could hardly sleep because I was too anxious.
After struggling all day to deliver my baby, the possibility of a natural birth was very little since the baby’s head was not in the best position and it could be quite dangerous to force the baby out by induced labor, it could leave both of us (me or the baby) with afterbirth problems … I’d never undergone this type of surgery before …

But, I had everybody’s support … so I went ahead and accepted going for c-section! And after some minutes and when the doctors were talking about where to go for Spanish food, I saw my baby and then I heard her cry… it was just me and her… I fell in love again … her face, soft black hair, big eyes … fragile fingers and toes. It was the best feeling in the world, it felt like Christmas when you are a child. I thought I could stare at that face forever. Now my daughter is 5, she still is and she will always be the most beautiful and memorable thing in my life.

Describe a memorable event in your life.

You should say:

when the event took place

where the event took place

what happened exactly

and explain why this event was memorable for you.

Remember to write at least 200 words and comment on 3 of your classmates' blogs

Light but sound.

A book that really made an impression on me was “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera. The story tells about Tomas, a doctor and a lady-killer in 1960s Czechoslovakia, an apolitical man who is struck with love for the bookish country girl Tereza; his more sophisticated sometime lover Sabina eventually accepts their relationship and the two women form an electric friendship. The three are caught up in the events of the Prague Spring (1968), until the Soviet tanks crush the non-violent rebels; their illusions are shattered and their lives change forever.

I read this book for the first time when I was 16, a time of your life where your mind and soul struggle to find answers for the meaning of life. In “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” I found the dichotomy of lightness versus weight while I was trying to answer such existential questions myself. There are a number of interesting themes in the book, such as politics and sexuality. In general, most of the books written by Kundera have left an impression on me. I really love his work. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with a sensitive soul and a curious mind. Someone like you, maybe.

Now, write about a book that impressed you. You should say:

- What it was about

- Why it impressed you

- If any other books have impressed you the same way

And say what kind of person you would recommend that book to, and why

Remember to write at least 200 words and comment on three of your classmates’ blogs

How green are you?

- Where do people learn about enviromentally friendly practices?

- Have you incorported recycling into your habits? Describe

- Do you use a bike or your legs instead of a car?

- Have you joined or supported any eco-organisations? Why/Why not?

- What else have you done /would you like to do?

- What have you done to reduce your carbon footprint?

- What's missing in our society/Santiago regarding this issue?

Number of words: 300

Don't forget to make comments on at least 2 of your classmates posts.

Study Links Bedtime Rules to Better Skills in Preschool Children

WRITE A SUMMARY FROM A CAREER-RELATED ARTICLE FROM VOA SPECIAL ENGLISH

You should:

Write between 150 and 200 words

Some tips:

• Write in the present tense.

• Make sure to include the author and title of the work.

• Be concise: a summary should not be equal in length to the original text.

• If you must use the words of the author, cite them.

• Don't put your own opinions, ideas, or interpretations into the summary. The purpose of writing a summary is to accurately represent what the author wanted to say, not to provide a critique.

HERE'S THE LINK

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/Study-Links-Bedtime-Rules-to-Better-Skills--95922384.html

(the audio for the article in available there too :))

Movies!!

Write about your favourite film.

You should say:
· where it is set
· what it is about
· what the main characters are
And explain why you like it.

Don’t forget to:
- Write 200 words
- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts

Things to do, places to go.

I have always liked partying. I will give you that. However, I’m not really into going out that much. I’m much happier when we all meet up and party at our own places these days. Anyways, if I were to recommend good fun places to go in Santiago, I’d probably go for any of the bars you can find in Barrio Lastarria, although my favorite one is Berri (Rosal 300) because of its beautiful baroque (I guess) style and reasonable prices. It is actually very easy to get there. You can take the subway and get off at Bellas Artes or Universidad Católica station, both ways you’re going to have to walk for about 5 minutes to get there. When you are there, try to find a table on the second floor because that is the most picturesque part of the building. The music is fantastic, old records from the 50’s and 60’s, lots of Elvis and the like and the volume is just fine, you can actually listen to the person in front of you! What to order? Well, I really like the stout beer they have, they serve these never-ending glasses and they also have a very tasty hamburger with some really good pickles. I’m quite traditional in this sense, so if I like something it is very likely that I order the same all the time. I would definitely recommend this place because I’m happy every time I go there, that has to mean something, right?

Describe what (fun) things there are to do in Santiago and the places you can go.

You should say:

• · where it is
• · how to get there
• · what there is to do when you are there

And explain why you would recommend this place.

Don’t forget to:

- Write 200 words

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts

In love with RH!!!

My favourite band ever – and I mean it – is Radiohead. I started listening to their records back in the 90’s and haven’t stopped since then. As opposed to most people, I don’t associate their music to being down or anything like that. There are songs of course that literally hurt but that fact only shows that you are alive and, in my opinion, that is a great feeling and one that most brilliant musicians are able to convey with their music.

By the year 2000, a friend and I had created a sort of community for Chilean fans supported by the recording label EMI. Some years later we didn’t have time to take care of that anymore and we eventually gave up on that idea.

Last year was probably the high point of the whole story since Radiohead finally landed on Chilean soil, I went to the airport and saw them from the distance, then I went to the hotel where they were staying and met Thom Yorke, the lead singer and Ed O’Brien, the guitar player. I talked to them and they signed my records, words can’t express my feelings.

During the following days I attended both their concerts, saw them first row and cried when they played my favourite song “How to disappear”. I know it’s probably one of those songs that make you cry, but whatever… I just love it.

Ps: I took that picture myself, lovely, isn't it???

Now you tell me, what is your favourite band / singer?

You should write about:

• when you first heard them
• how they became your favourite band / singer
• what your favorite song is and why

Don't forget to

- Write 200 words

- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts

Fly away…

I probably started learning English because I’ve always been a little bit obsessed with the British band Radiohead, at the time I thought that British people and their culture were the best. As I grew older I realized that it was the guys from Radiohead the ones I worshipped and that basically nothing compares to your home country. Although I am constantly disappointed by the political choices people make in Chile, most of the time I feel proud of being part of such a warm people.

However, nowadays I feel the urge of going away somewhere and I would really like to live in England for some time, I’m quite acquainted with the British history because I had to learn about it. Besides, I see the relationship between language and culture as a close one, so learning about such things was a must for me. I would like to do a Master’s degree in York, a city in the north of the United Kingdom, because it’s the one of the few places where I could pursue the program I want and I mean a teacher of English studying in England! I kind of deserve, don’t I? I’ll keep my fingers crossed and let you know how that goes. Now you tell me:

- 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.

You should

- Write 200 words
- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts

2010 so far...

A very strange year in my opinion, 2010 has been a year where tragedy has struck our country. It’s very hard to step aside and try to think about yourself, especially when you know a huge number of people have had it a lot worse than you.

This year, I started studying again, it’s been a good couple of years since I finished my undergraduate studies, so I decided to pursue further education and learn about the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language. To my surprise, I found out that teaching Spanish is so much harder than teaching English and I hope I don’t have to do that for a living…. ever.

Pursuing further studies and new career opportunities also means that you don’t really get to spend much time with your family and my five-year-old daughter probably resents it the most. So I try to convince myself that the “quality over quantity” cliché is a truth I should believe in.

A really good thing that happened this year is that I moved from an apartment to a house. I’ve been living there for three weeks now and we’ve had barbecues more often than not and September is just around the corner so… beware.

Now you have to write about your experiences during the first term of 2010.

Describe:
- the relevant things you learned/studied
- the sports and free time activities you did
- the challenges you had to face
- Others (family, friends, etc..)

You should:

- Leave a comment on 3 of your classmates posts
- Write about: 200 words
- Include a photo or video.