My English Competence in 2012

If I have to choose my best written evidence I have written in two years, that means one of 60 writings, I consider is really difficult. So I will show you two of them:

http://evasalobatx8.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/calcotada.html

http://evasalobatx8.blogspot.com.es/2013/05/my-last-writting.html

The first one is about “Calçotada”. I really like it because it’s really expressive and easy to understand. I show how I like it and there is plenty of new vocabulary.

The second one, I think that is quite good too because I express my feelings and I show how I was and how I became in these lasts years. Maybe, this writing doesn’t have a lot of new vocabulary but it has more connectors and different verbal tenses.

If I have to choose one of them, I would say the second one because it’s almost the last one, that is supposed I know more, but I still maintain that both are quite good for me, and they are on the same level. On each one, you can see the fluency of the reading and because there aren’t a lot of short but neither large sentences.

Looking for my best oral evidence I found this one:

http://evasalobatx8.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/description-of-friend.html

The reason I have chosen it is because of my pronunciation and my fluency. I think it’s a sentimental but potential oral podcast. As you can see, I am not nervous like I was on the oral presentations, so it’s maybe the most important reason I chose it. 

FINAL REFLECTION

Looking back approximately 20 months, I was 16 and I started 1^st Batxillerat. If I look my first writing I sent to Lourdes, in my opinion it wasn’t so bad, but looking forward to my last composition it has quite improved.

First of all, you can see that grammar is one of the most important things I have improved, but connectors and relative pronouns are the most ones. These helped me to explain more things and to do larger sentences.

I have also improved my imagination on my writings and my fluency on it, and of course my pronunciation in summer because in Sant Pere comes a lot of tourists. But what I haven’t improved was on vocabulary and prepositions. It costs me a lot and it maybe can’t be displayed on writings.

As for oral presentations, I have seen that I was really nervous and trembling at my first oral presentation, even I was talking about my life and me. I didn't look allmaost nothing to my friends of the class, I only was looking Lourdes, my teacher. In this aspect I have improved a lot because I lost a little bit the shame. As you can see too, I said a lot of oral expresions, like: ehm, and, ... and a lot more. I still do it now, but not so many. 

In my opinion, I believe oral presentations helps you to improve your English and of course to learn more about the topic you do. I have improved a lot my pronunciation, but not only at school.

About my personal development, I have become more mature, I have passed a lot of things and experiences, and I think Baxillerat helped me to take this step.

Interview with Carrie Bradshaw

Situated in New York city, the most popular city we can find a famous person, on a café. We have a date with Carrie Bradshaw, an actress who has been the best paid famous girl in years for the series “Sex in New York”. So let’s start!

I: Good morning Carrie! We are from divinity, as you know, and we are interviewing the four girls of it. The first one, of course, is you because you are the protagonist. Tell us something about your experience doing it, while you were recording, etc.

C: Hello everyone. First of all, I’m glad to be interviewed by divinity. I really follow its series. While I was recording Sex in N.Y., at first all were really nervous and we didn’t know each other, but if you see last season you can see how our feelings were changing and the series was better at the end.

I: And have you seen all the chapters on TV?

C: Yes, of course! I always do it because I see my mistakes and what I have to improve to be better and to learn too from my colleagues.

I: That’s great! I think it’s a good idea and all the actors should do it. Regarding to the topic of colleagues, what were your relationship? It was ok?

C: It was amazing! At first we got friends quickly, we met every night, even to study together for the series. But at the end, as you know we distanced and we had some economic problems about the movie, not for the series.

I: Wow! It probably was disappointing for you and for the audience, wasn’t it?

C: Yes, of course! I was really bad because we became very friends, but life isn’t easy, you have to go on your way.

I: I absolutely agree with you. Now we are going to leave your past and talk about the present. What about your feet? How they are doing?

C: Oh, thanks for your concern! Well, I am ok, I go with a specialist doctor and he is really good. I can’t wear heels and it has been particularly difficult because I was over them all day: while I was working, while I was at home … all day!

I: That has to be impossible!

C: No, no it wasn’t! I really love them and love wearing them because a girl with heels changes completely. But now I realize that they have been good friends for me for all my career and now my feet have to rest. Now I am not bad, I have to take care of them and well, continue as I said before.

I: We are so happy you are better and we hope you will go up to your heels, because it’s how we know you.

C: Yes of course. We will do our best!

I: Thanks for your time. We hope to see you soon on your new projects.

C: Thanks to you. Bye Bye my fans!

I: Bye Carrie Bradshaw. We finish here the interview, we hope you have enjoyed it and we will have more news tomorrow from the new project of Jennifer Lopez and how her babies are growing up!

Job satisfaction is more important than salary

Most of the people are said to prefer salary over the job satisfaction, however I’m not inside this group. I claim that it is more important to enjoy yourself while you are working.

Firstly, I don’t quite agree that the job satisfaction is totally more important than salary. If you work a lot of hours and at the end of the month the boss pays you a misery, you won’t be happy, even though you enjoy the job. You also have to think about your family, your house and your lifestyle, but I believe that working on something you don’t like, you are bored with and you don’t feel quite good working, I would leave it.

Secondly, the main that satisfies me even if I couldn’t reach at the end of the month, is because I will be working on this kind of job, maybe the rest of my life, every day and for eight hours a day. If I wouldn’t enjoy this job, the rest of the day I would be sad, tired, annoyed, so, I believe the job influences you more than you think.

To sum up, I would like to say I wouldn’t work for one or two euros, but don’t you think that life is for enjoying it and not to spend most of the hours working, discussing or being upset.

Prenuptial arrangements are a good idea

Why should the couples do a prenup? Is it a matter of not relying on your partner?

On the one hand, doing a prenup has to be a good idea for the people who have a lot of money and a lot of propiate campsides. Then, when the couple wants to marry, they distributate theirs properties to not to discuss it when they might divorce the following years. Everybody has to be secure deciding and choosing their own things, because nowadays, exists a lot of ways to destroy or steal the other person. So, in this sense it's a good idea to pass those papers firstly to enter to a secure marriage.

But on the other hand, the boyfriend or the girlfriend can feel quite insecure seeing while his pair isn't relying on him/her. This person might think about their projects in a future together or maybe think about their children. I believe that couples have to speak to each other and planning their lifes while they are living theirs. Maybe, not to plan all at first, however doing it while you are growing up together. 

In my opinion, I think that people who do a prenup don't rely on their couple and don't marry being in love. 

Formal letter

18 Girona Road

Barcelona

Tel. 456 213 1

Govierno de España
24 Madrid Road
Madrid

Dear Mr Rajoy, 

I am doing a project at my High School, IES Castelló d'Empúries, about Human Rights. 

Regarding the 7th article of Human Rights, it states that the law has to be equal to anyone, even if someone has a lot of money, or is famous, or is the President of any country, has to be under the law that all the current people do.

In my opinion, sometimes this is not complied with. For example, a news story came from a woman who stole €200 of a credit card that was to buy necessities for their children, almost has been thrown in prison; however, there have been many theft of a lot of money by some politicians, but nothing has happened.

As a result, I think everyone should be judged as they deserve, and because there is a law, then enforce it. 

I would like to thank you in advance for listening me.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Eva Martínez Benito.

Human Rights

1.    What are human rights?

Human rights are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. Human rights are thus conceived as universal and the same for anyone. The objective of human rights is that every individual and every organ of society shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms.

2.    Why were they created?

They were created to preserve the natural rights.

3.    How many human rights are there?

There are thirty human rights.

4.    Which human right were you not familiar with? Mention an example where this human right is respected and where it is not respected.

I was familiar with the article 23 (II): “Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work”, and it is respected in some countries, but it is still happening in some others, that women don’t get the same salary than men, even doing the same work. 

Selfevaluation

My oral presentation was about my Reserch Project I did for 2nd Batxillerat, in Catalan. I did about "The crop of the apple in Sant Pere Pescador". 

On my oral presentation, I wasn't nervous because I prepared a lot at home and also because the audience were my friends and I did a lot of presentations before. However, on the cilp I observed that my voice was a little bit trembling at first, but then I continued better, I suppose because the first part was the most difficult to explain.

This presentation lasted 10 minutes approximately, and I saw in the video that I was looking around the class, and I didn't read at all. I made a power point to help me, and because the audience could understand it better, I did some videos of my pictures of the apple trees. The power point was quite good organized. I tried to introduce more vocabulary and some of them I translated to Catalan, on the presentation, because they could understand the scientific words. 

Maybe, my mistake is speak a little bit fast and weak. I have to improve this part because the people can understand me better. 

In my opinion I did my last oral presentation really good.

(I couldn't post the video because it weights a lot, even doing with any programs.)

Personal description

Aida is my cousin. She is 7 years younger than me. She is so different from me and we don't seem like cousins, because she is green-eyed and blonde-haired. She has a lovely complexion and she is really beautiful. She has a regular size for her age and she is quite thin. We are close cousins, even though we can't see each other due to the distance. 

She has a strong personality: she is extroverted, friendly and particularly cheerful. Her hobbies are cooking and dancing. We sometimes dance together and we really have an amusing time. 

I admire her because she gets on really well with other people. We both are quite open with anyone but she is maybe less shy than me. I have to say that I admire her because of her intelligence, because she thinks like an adult person. 

I don't have a lot of cousins, but she plays a great role in this part, although we sometimes don't share the same opinion.

TDR's summary

What makes an apple tastier? What are its main features? Which one is the ideal apple?

My research project consists of a study of the apple: its organoleptic characteristics, which varieties grow in my town, Sant Pere Pescador, etc.

As for the practical work, a taste sampling has been carried out both by students and teachers at IES Castelló d’Empúries. From the results, the ideal apple has been designed, out of the three selected samples, grown in Sant Pere Pescador.

Internet empowers people to make a better world

Nowadays, technology has changed a lot and has improved in any ways like computers, mobiles, Tvs, etc. In my opinion Internet facilities my lifestyle in positive because if I don't know something or I want to chat with a friend, when I am lost, I can look for it on the Internet anywhere. 

Firstly, I agree that tecnhologies can advance everytime more and more for facility our living together, but not only to help us in any occasion, if not to empower us and also to enjoy with its games and amasing technologies.

Let me give you an exmaple: <when I was at home once, my computer didn't work properly, so I decided to go on hotmail on the "tablet". I also can mention that Internet is whatever, so you can find it in phones, computers, ipads... However, I entered in hotmail and I could correct my project there or even catch it there, if I might lose it. I also could play games to enjoy a quarter before I went to study the following exam I had>. 

That wasn't a quite good example to descrive it, but it's a reference to explican my point of view that Internet makes me a better world in those aspects. 

Self-evaluation

My oral presentation was about Ken Men and I did it with Marina Costa.

At the presentation in general, I think we did quite good, because the resources we used (PowerPoint, two videos and a lot of images) were focused on the topic. Furthermore, we also did 10 minutes approximately, so 5 minutes per person.

The body language wasn’t our best part of the oral presentation, because I read a little bit one paragraph that was so difficult, but what I did, looking the video, is that I looked at the audience and not always to the same person. I’m quite proud of me because I’m a shy person but this day, I wasn’t.

We also tried to organize work in the best way possible and in my opinion we did. We could do it better because the audience could understand more what we were talking about, but I think it has been sufficiently well.

Looking at the video, of course we present new information because some topics we explained we didn’t know before, but I realize that we could put some examples more to be the information more clearly.

Listening what I said I believe that vocabulary was quite difficult and some words that people might not understood. I tried to put connectors between each sentence but it was difficult in this moment. However, as I have seen on the video, I did a good pronunciation but I talked a little bit slack and I realized that I have to open more the mouth when I talk, because the people could understand me better.

A joke podcast

listen to ‘evaa!!’ on Audioboo

Dreams

I have secrets that I’ll never reveal, I have dreams that I hope to achieve and things I will never do again. Secrets are things you have done and never reveal because of the shame or because you feel bad of this. All of us have a lot of secrets, even if we have more experiences than others. I’m a person who has lived a lot of things and occasions, who has visited a lot of cities and cultures, and who has learned a lot of everyone who has passed in my life, but there has to happen a lot of time to be quite mature on me.

Something really different are dreams. I don’t have a dream since I was younger, like a lot of people have around, but I have little dreams that I wish to carry out in my near future. For example and the typical ones are: get my 2nd Batxillerat and pass the Selectivitat, enter to a university that I’d like, find my mate and make a family. Other things that are not on my planning way and I don’t know if I’m going to do or want to realize farther, are; go to USA, Australia and a lot of places more, go to Erasmus, live with a friend for a while in a very different places from here, make a funny and comedy film and be the protagonist, have a lot of different animals, get well playing an instrument, etc.

Actually, it’s not really good to make dreams because it’s not the reality. Sometimes you have to disconnect, but I think we have to follow our way and not run to the future, although we often do it, but just walk and see the opportunities that life gives you, farther of the bad things. It’s easy to say and hard to make it possible, but we have to be optimists with ourselves, because we only have one life. I’m going to do it, would you?

Dialogue

Scenario: Two friends talking about their mum’s mechanisms to keep young

Characters: José, Eva

J: Oh, did I tell you that my mum got an appointment in Corporación Dermoestética?

E: Wow, really? Why?

J: She is upset about her wrinkles.

E: Is she confident with her decision, isn't she?

J: Yep, she is firmly decided.

E: Did she try any cosmetics?

J: Well, I think she never thought about that. My mum believes (that) they can be harmful.

E: Oh, come on. It’s known (that) operations are dangerous, aren’t they?

J: I knew you wouldn’t like that…I don’t disagree with her at all, though.

E: But why she wants to spent money on operations? She may feel bad with wrinkles, it’s so…unnatural!

J: Yeah, I think you’re right. Oh gosh, you always preferred to avoid this kind of things, didn’t you?

"We can't live without humor"

It's true that humor is a fun side of our attitude and we can be more or less humorists, but we have it, of course. More over, the question is, what's the function of the humor in our lives?

On the one hand, some people have the virtue of making laughter to the others or making angry them, and some people don't develop this virtue. The function of the humor is talk, link and comunicate with the others, because we aren't stones and our passions guide us. Furthermore, the real function is leave the real life for a second and enjoy the moments like if they would be the last. It's a way to disconnect of the rutine, and we need it. 

On the other hand, life is not all humor. You can be a humorist person but it's only a part of your attitude, not all of it. You have to differentiate humor than reality (your job, the formal conversations,....). In fact, the humor can be positive and negative, and when it's extremely negative you can't put up with this person. 

To sum up, my opinion is that the title is particularly true, because I'm a humorist person but with moderation. Sometime you have to disconnect. Isn't that true?

Re-write the exam composition

"Time is your enemy. It will steal everything away from you".

Do you think time is your enemy? In general, people think that it's particulary true but they don't have a clear answer.

First of all, the time never stops, never goes faster or slower, it is on its way. Consequently, if I want that my childhood goes fast to enter to my adulthood it's impossible because the time teaches you that you have to pass for all those days and experiences at the same time than the rest of the other days of your life.

It can also be argued that time will steal everything from you, because if you like doing something or you have friends and you love them, they never will go away from you, if you are not bad with them or if you don't permit it. however is true that the experiences you have lived, are not going to happen in the same time and space.

To sum up, I firmly believe that you only have to live extremely and enjoy your adventures because you never know what you will find, don't you?

FINAL REFLECTION

First of all, I think that my 1st Batxillerat has been very good and I'm proud of my improvement. I have worked very hrd and I tried to do th best of myself to improve y Engish and my marks.

Observing my work on the blog and in the exams I have increased a lot grammar and vocabulary from a lot of places (news, books, oral presentations...). And, I also think my oral fluency is the skill I have improved the best. Rebecca and oral presentations have helped me a lot. I don't think any activities are unuseful to improve or to learn English, because all help you, bu in my case, listening to songs is a waste of time.

I have enjoyed a lot doing speking with Rebecca, reading books, doing acivities in Aula Idiomes, ... and I hope to do it next year.

I'm going to end my final evauation saying hat the ext year could be the same, because I was comfortable in the class with the teacher and the students, that they are, now, my companions.

We have almost learnt to respect our world

I agree with the idea that we have learnt to respect our world. “Respect our world” is a sentence that you can understand in many ways.

I have understood it as we don’t have to contaminate or leave our waste in the street, we don’t have to endanger animals for our benefit, even if it’s indirectly.

In my opinion, I think people have learnt to respect our world by watching TV, documentaries, reading magazines, etc., but we don’t pay attention to this because we think we are doing right, and we don’t want to correct it. I am talking in general, because we know that some people do it right, but no one is perfect and we are humans, we are wrong.

I would say in conclusion, that we produce a lot of waste, but we are going to continue in this way, because we are lazy. If we encourage it, the world would be a better place to live in.

Oral Presentation - Axolotl

On the 9th May, Marina and me did the oral presentation about animals in danger of extinction. Specifically, we did axolotl. It isn't a common animal, so we decided to do it because we were sure that nobody would know about it. 

My first impression of finishing my presentation was that I did it very well, I was very sure of myself and not embarassed. I think it has been the best presentation of the three we have done this year. When I saw the video, I found some mistakes I did, for example some words I pronunced wrong, I tried to look at the whole class, but in the video I saw that Most of the time I was looking at the teacher. But a part from mistakes, I didn't read so I think it is a good point for me, because I prepaired it before.