My experience learning English at University, a general view

Nowadays, learning English has become into a central part of studiyng any career at University, as well as professional areas. Because of the most current works, researches and innovations are published in English, or traduced to that language, it is essential to manage in which has become almost a global lenaguage. In my personal case, I actually like this languaje, altough I’m still having problems with vocabulary and grammar, so I would talk about my personal experience learning English in the las year.

If I had to talk about the quiality of students’s English, I would have to say that it is very, very basic in general. The reasons of this situation are enough to write an other and extensier essay, but I mention it here because it is a problem that must to be resolved because, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, knowing English is basic to cope properly in any career. Especially in Psychology, were are taking place different researches and publications, that we have to know, to get an addecuate training as professionals.

In my personal case, I like English, and I have enjoyed most of the classes, but I’m not filling myself prepare as much as I would. I think that in English 4 I’m more prepare than before, but I’m still having some problems, particularly with grammar, as well as my lack of vocabulary. But, I have to say that the teacher have helped us a lot with that, giving us different type of vocabulary related to various situations and contexts. Anyways, I think that the methodology, specially in level four, has been very useful to me, becaues I have learned practical things, taht would help me to speak more fluently, and I think that I can develope in this languaje, in a not very a basic way.

Summing up, I hink that studying English at University is very important, and the way that it takes place here in Universidad de Chile, seems suitable to me. But, like an advice I would tell that it would be very useful to learning some specific vocabulary to each carrer, because that would help us a lot in redinng specific test, also to write articles, or papers, etc. I know that it is a little difficult, but I think taht could be a very useful tool to us as professionals. At last, I haved enjoyed the classes, ther have been very dinamic and clear, and I­’m glad to finish this course once and for all jajaja.

Money

Actually, I really don’t want to be wealthy, I only hope to earn enough money to have a quiet life, and support my parents when they need it. I think that it is unnecessary to earn more money than necessary, because that makes us working too much and worry about banal things. Also, I deeply disagree with inequality, especially in Chile, where the money is so badly distributed. So, if I were a wealthy person, I will contribute to this problem. Although, I could use that money to make projects or invest to help to decrease the inequality. But!…if I had inherit a lot of money, I would probably use it to move out from my parents house, or making a trip, maybe to Europe, to visit other countries, but mainly to meet other people and to learn different languages. However, that inheritance would make me the things easier, saving me a lot of time to have the things that I want to have with the money I earn from my job.

Even though having a lot of money is not important to me at all, if I were rich (only hypothetically), I would invest it in a restaurant, or a coffee shop, because I think that that would be a nice work when I get older, after a life of working in my profession. I always wanted to open a restaurant or a coffee shop, because of my grandmother. She’s a really good cook, and she has always wanted to have her own place to work, and making those delicious plates and cakes. Anyways, I’m still working to do that even I’m not rich.

How green are you?

Well, I think that this theme is specially important nowadays, because of the situation of aur planet related to envaironmental damage. I think that school is the most important place to teach friendly practices, because there is where the kids sepend most hours in a day, but also is very important to teach the kids in theire houses, with the whole family. Also, I’ve learned more about recycling searching on internet, and by campaigns the campus, to separate the trash in different trash cans. Personally, I try to separate the trash in my house, but is a little difficult to me because the containers are a little far of my house, and it makes all difficult. But, in the supermarket I try to buy bread in paper bags, and every time I can I use only one bag in the market.

Related to transport, I try to use Metro always I can, and I suggest my mother to use metro or Transantiago, but she is a fan of her car.... whatever, I can’t do very much, because my house is far of the university, so I decide not to get there on my bike. I use it more like a hobby, but not like a transport. I think that in the city is neccesary to making more cycle ways, to make the journey more safe, and stimulate the use of these green practices. I think taht this is an important issue because in this country the frendly practices aren’t stimulated, and there isn’t interest for the government to improve these area.

Personally I’m not part of any organization, because of my laziness, I admit. but I think that is necessary to begin with little messures at home, and little by little I’m learning about ecological behaviour.

Education

My experience in high school was really good actually, but I think that the quality of my School wasn’t the best. I had good teachers, and I spent a really good time with my classmates. My favourite subject was Philosophy, and I think that is because of my teacher that I’m studying Psychology now. I didn’t like math, that was the worst subject. I didn’t like the subject, neither the teacher. Also, in SIMCE test we were bad evaluated in this area. In general I had a good relationship with my teachers, perhaps because I studied in that school since preschool. The quality of my education was very important to me at the moment of deciding to study at university, but I think that if I hadn’t studied at college prep school, I couldn’t have studied at university. This is important, because I studied in a subsided school, and I think that the public schools are less prepared to educate the students to get to university.

Related to technology, my School wasn’t the best, we had only one data show in the auditorium, and the computer room was small. But, we had a good library, and all the classrooms had the appropriate school materials for each subject.

Well, I think that now that we are in university we are more responsible of our education, and our parents are more responsible of our education in high school. However, in high school a person is responsible enough to look for the best options in education, and we can aleays worry about getting good grades, and learn all we need to get our goals, like in my case, study in Universidad de Chile.

My favorite movie

Well, my favorite movie ever is Clockwork orange, a movie directed by Stanley Kubrik, and starring by Malcolm McDowell (Alex DeLarge), Michael Tarn (Pete), James Marcus (George) and Warren Clarke Dim).

Basically, it is a movie about a teenager gang, where the leader is caught by police, and is subjected to an experiment, that is looking for a cure to violence and reoffends. During the movie, the leader and his gang commit a lot of crimes and acts of violence (they called it “ultraviolence”), and after Alex is subjected to this “therapy” the story turns, and even his “drugos” (that was how he called his friends in the gang) turn against him.

This movie talks about fictitious situations, locating the movie in a future Britain, but really the topics are happening nowadays, like teenage violence and drug abuse.

This movie is based on a book, which has the same name. It was written by Anthony Burgess. Personally, I like two of them, the movie and the book, but the interesting thing about the movie to me is the music, which is almost all of it classical music, changed with a Moog synthesizer. Also, I like the slang very much, called nadsat and the aesthetics, because it is very psychedelic, for example in colours, decorations, wardrobe, etc.

I like the whole movie, but if I had to choose one scene, I would decide for the one when Alex is at the Hospital, after he jumped off a second floor of a house, because he was part of a behavioral therapy, and he feels very sick when he listens the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven. So, he is locked in a room, and can’t bear the discomfort, and he jumped. Finally, he is carried to a hospital, and there the authorities realized that it wasn’t a good method, because it is really dangerous to the teenager. So, Alex is cured from this “therapy”, and the press and the politics take photographs with him, and all kind of stuff that hide the really meaning of this “therapy”, which goes against the free will.

Here in Santiago there are a lot of representative things of Chile, but I think that is important for a tourist to visit other places in the country, which are even more representative and beautiful.

Well, the first place I would suggest to visit is San Cristobal Hill, because from there you can see the entire city. Of course, if you are lucky and it is a clear day before rain. The hill is very nice, it is well taken care and there you can do many activities, like going to the zoo, climbing to the virgin on top by Funicular, a sort of elevator that takes you from bottom to top on the hill. Also you can walk by the hill, and enjoy the beautiful views of different gardens. Other thing that I’d suggest is to visit the center of the city. There are many historical places, and it is well known for being the most important part of the city, in relation to the civic activities. There is La Moneda, which is the Government house, and all the secretary of states, the Post Office building, the Cathedral, and a Museum of natural history. All these buildings are placed in Plaza de Armas, which is an important place in the city too. Plaza de Armas is a good place to do an historical tour. Finally, I would recommend a good place to know our food and drinks. La Piojera is a Chilean restaurant which is well known for being a popular place, in Spanish we said it is a “guachaca” place. There you can drink Terremoto, a drink made of a type of soft wine (pipeño) and ice cream. Besides the drink, you can eat typical food, like Cazuela, Empanadas and Pastel de choclo. Anyways, I think that wherever you go, you will find good sites, and nice people.

A Piece of News

Hello!

I´m going to talk about a piece of news that happened last week, but to me it is very important because it is still happening and today it is a very important topic. It was last Thursday, when a group of students of the Architecture and Town planning Faculty of Universidad de Chile decided to demonstrate against the university education, and they walked down Alameda, the most important Avenue in Santiago. This piece of news appears in the newspapers, on radio and on some TV channels, because of the violence of the police.

Well, the demonstration itself is not a big surprise, because the students are permanently expressing against the problems of education, and mainly the students of Universidad de Chile. Either the demonstrations in general, because people is taking part of the issues of the country, and they are getting out to the streets to express their dissatisfaction.

The problem is that, in this government in particular, the police action is getting stronger. In the Faculty, for example, the police used for first time a kind of weapon to break up the demonstration that wasn’t approved. It was a kind of paintball weapon that the police used to mark the students that were suspects of making disorder. This police action has many problems: first, it was not an approved procedure to dissolve demonstrations, because these paintballs could be very dangerous if it heats you on the eye, or another part without the appropriate protection. Second, it is against the right of people to demonstrate whenever they want. The fact of marking suspects is a big offense to the citizens and goes against our free speech. Finally, the action in FAU was excessive, and the police caused structure damages too.

To me the police action is very worrying, because every day is getting stronger, and I think that our free speech is decreasing. The kind of news that I would like to hear, could be about the citizen demonstration done in a pacific way, and supported by government, because the public opinion is very important to make the things in our country :).

A country I would like to visit

I would like to visit many countries really, especially to study for a year or two. However, today I’m going to write about Argentina, because I want to travel there very soon.
Argentina is well known for the meat. People say that there is the best grilled meat ever. Also, this country is known for the dance, called tango, which is a very theatrical couple dance. Personally, the most interesting thing is the chocolate, because people say that the chocolate is very tasty, especially in "alfajores".

Well, talking seriously, I think that Argentina is a good place to go, because it is an example to Chile in many ways, especially in education. In that country, the education is free in all levels, even the university. Is interesting to think, because Argentina is a poor country (in relation with Chile), and they have free education. It would be an interesting theme to study, and to tray to replicate here in Chile. Personally, I’ve heard that Psychology is a well known career there, and I would like to study there a semester or some like that.

If I go there in November, I would like to assist to a Congress of Human rights, organized by "las mujeres de Plaza de Mayo", an organization who cares about human rights. Also, I would like to visit my brother, who has been living there for two years. He went to Argentina, because that country cares about the culture and arts, at least more than Chile. So, he is studying "música y dirección orquestal".

Finally, if I decided to live for a long time there, I think that I would specialize in my career, because the people here in Chile are similar – because of the language, the culture, etc- and Argentina is a really good place to live.

First Term: Good and Bad points

As far as the academic life concerns, the first term of 2010 was very interesting, but exhausting. I think that one of the most important good points in this topic, is that I’m getting closer to my interests areas, because in first year I had a very general education in social sciences, and very superficial as far as Psychology. So, I am satisfied with my subjects, the reading material, and almost all my teachers. The subject I liked the most was “Teorías y sistemas Psicológicos”, where I learned the basis of modern thinking, and also of Psychology. On the other hand, there were some teachers who I didn’t like, principally because of their methodology. I have to say that they are experts in their areas, but perhaps they aren’t good at teaching.

Well, my academic life was very well in the first term, I passed all my subjects, and I practiced sports too: I did “acondicionamiento físico”. Basically, it was exercises at gym and running. I think that it was a good idea to take it like an obligation, because now that I don’t have to take more sport on obligatory basis, I don’t have (or don’t make myself) any time to do sports, and that is a bad point of this second term: I can’t do any physical activity, besides walking. As far as my personal life, I think that it is the big contra in the semester, because I haven’t learnt how to make compatible the university with my family, my friend, and my boyfriend yet. However, I think that in general, my first semester was very good :)

Second term, 2010.

my blogging experience

First of all, I would like to talk about the importance of learning English. I think it is a useful communication tool, especially because we are students, and we need to get updated knowledge, and the main investigations are from USA and other countries that publish their works in English, because it is a common language. Nowadays, learning English is almost a must. English isn’t a need just for we have to read documents, or papers, or articles in English, but we have to talk in a fluent way, in case we want to travel to another country to get specialized, or travel, or anything we want.

Talking about this blogging experience, I think it has been a very good way to improve my fluency, and learning some words and expression typical of English, so I don’t talk in a Spanish English anymore, or that I try, jajaja.

About the topics, I generally like them, and I think that they are a great help, because if they were really boring, I Think that I wouldn’t learn many things. The blog that I think was the most useful for me, was one about the earthquake, because I had to talk in past, a thing that have been always difficult to me. Also I have to admit that there were some topics very boring, like technology, or festivities. Nevertheless, they always were in agreement with the classes. I think that writing this blog have been a useful experience, because writing is an important thing about English, and learning in this way is much more fun for me that writing in a book, or things like that. In the other side, I think that writing this blog on internet makes us acting deceitful, because we can find all the word that we need on internet. But, I think that that could be a help too, because we can learn vocabulary, but not grammar. That thing we learn writing blogs and going to classes.

Finally, I would like to say that Blogging have been a good way for me to learn English, but I fell that in this year we could practices more about talking and pronunciation, but that I think that we would learn in the next level :).

my future

I haven't thought very much about my future yet, I only have an overall view of it.

I hope to work in what I'm studying, which is Psychology. I don't know yet in what specifically, because I haven't decided in which area I'm going to specialize. All I know, is I wouldn't like to work in an office. I would like a more relaxing job, with flexible hours. I would like to work in some public place, I think, although it may be badly paid, but I think that there are the main problems of Chilean people, and the people who really need help, and many times they don't have any chance to receive that help. Also, I think it is a very good opportunity to get real knowledge.

Before working in a steady work, I would like to travel, to get specialized, and I would really love to work in other country to know how the people are, what their main problems and disseasesare, etc. Furthermore, I want to live in a house, not in an apartment. I hate apartments, because I think there isn't any privacy, and I hate the idea of not having my own yard, for example.

in relation to my sentimental and family life, I would like to live with my boyfriend with whom I have been for four years. I dont want to have children, but probably I would change my mind in the future. I would like to learn many things in my life, like getting other degrees, or whatever that keeps me active. It is because of that that I would like to have a flexible hour job, so I can dedicate my time to other things, like making any kind of handicraft, or studying gardening, or whatever that I want. I really hope to be able to use my time in rewarding activities, and not to be thinking in earning money only to pay bills.

in spide that I don't have a concrete idea of what I want for my future, I know that I want to feel that my life is gratifying, and because of that I'm studyng Psychology, because it is the best way that I find to feel I'm useful to other people. Also, it is a degree that can not only be used to work, but to learn about myself and how I can get my goals.

My favorite festivity

I think my favourite festivity is September 18'th, not much because what it commemorates, but for its lenght: there are four or trhee days often to relax and spend time with family and friends.

I enjoy this festivity because we are all toghether in my family, and often spend it at my grandmother's house. We gather in a barbecue, for example, and my grandma always bakes empanadas, which, in my opinion, are the best empanadas in the world!. I like this festivity, because my grandma spoils us very much. Also, I like it because we can go to places where we can play typical games, like rayuela and palitroques. Last year, we went to "parque Inés de Suárez", and there was an educational farm, a fair of handicrafts, and many demostrations of our typical dance, "cueca". Another typical thing in this festivity is the circus, and I think that Chilean circus is very particular. I really don'l like it very much, especially when they use animals, because I think in Chile the circus animals don't recieve a good care.

I like this festivity very much, because I think people are happy during those days. It's nice to see families with children going for a walk and stuff, but I hate the celebrations that involve animals, like rodeos and cock fights.

One thing that I have never done on September 18'th (and never in my life) is riding a horse, and I think that date will be a good day to learn, or to take a walk.

criminal laws

Personally, I disagree with Capital Punishment, although probably the criminality will decrease, but because of fear to be killed, not because of any change in people or anything else. That’s why I think it isn’t a good way to approach the problem of criminality. I think Capital Punishment is an easy way to draw society responsibilities apart from the problem, because there would be instant results, and the government could save a lot of money, and time to rehab and reinsert criminals into the society. I think that is more important to worry about why the criminality has increased, but attack the causes, like social inequality, lack of education, etc. I think that education is the main tool to decrease criminality, because it is the best way to create social mobility, the main cause, I think, for criminality. Especially in Chile, there is a big problem with education, and I think that is a very important thing to worry about.

I think that the government has to reinforce the support of children in Schools, for example, to improve their social nets , to avoid that they become criminals.

unfortunately, I've been visctim of two crimes, one pick pocketing and one mugging, when two men came to me and asked for an address, and then they told me that I had to give them all my money and celphone, mp3, whatever, because they had a knife (which I never saw, but I belived them). It was a very bad experince, because since then I can't trust in peolple when they are strangers.

My favorite piece of technology

My favorite piece of technology is my netbook. My father gave to me about a year ago, because I needed it for the University.

I use it everyday , it is very useful for all I need to do. I check the University mail everytime: always there is something new and important information. Also, my netbook is very handy (that is what I like the most about it); I can take it with me to everywhere. I often take it to University, especially when the semester is ending and we need to end works and all the computers are taken. Actually, my netbook is really useful for doing things related to my studies.

As well as studying, I use my netbook for many other things, like playing, visiting pages that I like, chating with my friends and family, visiting my friend’s facebooks and blogs, etc. I think the computer and internet nowadays are two really important things, because we can get information quickly, and it is a very good way to have fun.

If I didn’t have a computer, I think that all the things related to my degree would get difficult, because I often work at night, and I couldn’t work at University, or a cybercafe. Also, I would get disconnected from many things that happen on Internet. Although computer is a very useful element, I think that I could get used to live without it, because before I get my netbook, I almost didn’t use the computer.

My best friend

My best friend's name is Loreto, we were classmates at School, since Kinder. Although we knew each other long time ago, we are friends for about six years ago. Before that, we never spoke, we had differents friends, no one in common. But wen we grew up, we started to talk, and realized that we had a lot in common and, with other friends, we still gathering every time we can.

I consider Loreto my best friend, because we don't need to talk a lot to know what we are thinking, and we always have a good time toghether. I know that if I have a problem, I can always count on her , and she can count on me.

We often met at pubs, or parks, or wherever we can talk, because we can't gathering very often, so always have a lot to talk.

My best memories with Loreto are from school, where we used to do anything that came to our minds, (lo que se nos ocurría) like dancing, creating songs, making any kind of jokes, and we always had a good time, specially when we got bored in class.

Serge Moscovici

Serge Moscovici

The truth is, I really don’t admire any psychologist yet, but I’m interested in Serge Moscovici's work (1925), a French social psychologist, currently Director of European Social Psychology Laboratory , which he co-founded in 1975 at the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris, France. Also, he is a member of the European Academy of Arts and Sciences and Officer of the Légion d'honneur, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Moscovici is well-known by his Theory of Social Representations, and Active minorities. His main work is about social attitudes, stereotypes, and how people takes the reality and makes representations of that.

Moscovici takes elements from different disciplines and theories, like Social-cognitive theory, and Sociology, with Symbolic interaction, for example.

In his works, we can find titles like Social influence and social change,1976;Psychologie des minorités actives, University Presses of France, 1979; De la Nature. Pour penser l'écologie, Métailié, 2002, and others.

I like this psychologist, because he links personal and social life, something than not much psychologists do. I think is very important to know his work, because we can’t think that Psychology is about one person, is about a person who lives in a society, and we have to know its characteristics, to know better our patients.

My favorite vacation place

I think my favorite vacation place is a village called "los Molles", located in the north of fifth region. It is a fishing village, known by its quietness and nature. There is a natural heritage called "El Puquén", with native flora and fauna. That is the place I like the most.

In Los Molles, I stayed at a camping site called "El Chivato", which was a very comfortable place, more than I thought. The camping was very close to the beach, so we could go to the center walking by the beach.

This village is very modest, because it is a residential, not turistical place. But, I think that the people who live there, could improve the ways to invite people to visit there, because of the natural heritage, which is not very well-known. Also, there are many cabins and places to stay, but there isn't any hospital or drugstore.

The big earthquake

My experience that night was a little strange, because I was in a party at a friend's house, with my friends and my boyfriend. We were on a second floor. Just when the earthquake began, we stood at the front door, and waited for the earthquake to stop. We were very frightened, but every one kept calm. Then, we went downstairs, and stayed at the parking place. In that moment, we sarted to help people to get off their apartments, and turned on the radio, to get some information. A few minutes later, my dad came, and we went to my grandmother's house. That nigth, I almost didn't sleep.

The next day, we tried to call our family, but the cellphones didn't work in about four days. also, the shops were full of people who took anything they found.

The following days, I took some clothes and shoes to the University federation, for the people who had lost their houses and stuffs. Also, I worked in a recolection site receiving food, clothes and everything useful to people in the south. After all this disaster, I think that our country hasn't good comunication sistems, like alternative roads, or something like that. I think it's because of the centralization: we don't worry about the far places, only about Santiago and places around.

The positive side, I think it is that people who lost their relatives and houses, were very brave to stand up, and keep going with their lives, although they need a lot of help.

Now, we have to continue helping, by different ways, for example going to turistic places, to help people have their jobs and can go back to normal again.

Hello, my name is Carolina Hurtado, and I'm in second year of Psichologist, I'm 19 years old, and live in La Florida, Santiago.

I like very much my degree, although it is more scientific that I thought. The subjects are very interesting, and I like to see many points of view about human being, his development and behavior. Personally, I'm interested in Social area in Psicologhist, althougth I have a lot to learn.

I like this University, specially this Faculty, because ther are many diferent people, and always is something interesting too see, discuss, learn, etc. One thing I don't like of this University, is the lack of organization regarding secretariat and information.

Regards this English Course, I hope to learn a lot, because I think that is very important to learn other languaje, for, example, to read Scientific test and have actually information.