Tuesday 23 November 2010

November 25th: International day against Domestic Violence

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights.  According to UNIFEM, six out of every ten women in the world experience nowadays physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Gender issues in advertising are also a fascinating topic to be considered. You can watch this TV programme on Gender stereotypes in Advertising.

You can also listen to Behind the Wall, a beautiful but sad song by Tracy Chapman.
 Can you understand the lyrics of the song?

Sunday 14 November 2010

Not as Web Savvy as we think: we may be giving Google too much credibility

Google it! And that's what we simply do for nearly everything.We trust Google so much that we just click on websites that turn up at the top of Google searches thinking to ourselves: "Okay, if Google placed it number one, of course it's credible!". According to Eszter Hargittai, associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern. "This is potentially tricky because Google doesn't rank a site by its credibility."

If you were asked to bring up the page that's usually on their screen when you start using the Web, wouldn't it be Google's?

A recent study published by the International Journal of Communication: "Trust Online. Young Adult's Evaluation of Web Content", 102 students at the University of Illinois at Chicago sat at computers with researchers.The activity on their screens was captured on video as researchers gave the students a variety of hypothetical information-seeking tasks to perform online. Time and again, researchers watched students navigate to brand-name search engines--usually Google--and to brand-name websites to find information. Researchers also asked students questions about websites they chose.

"Many students think, 'Google placed it number one, so, of course it's credible,'" said Eszter Hargittai, associate professor of communication studies at Northwestern. "This is potentially tricky because Google doesn't rank a site by its credibility." Search engine rankings seemed extremely important. A website's layout or content almost didn't even matter to the students. What mattered was that it was the number one result on Google!
Some of the students did give more credibility to websites ending in dot-gov, dot-edu or dot-org. However, Hargittai said most didn't know dot-org domain names could be registered by anyone, and thus are not inherently different from dot-com sites.Aside from Google, other online brands that students mentioned most often to complete tasks were: Yahoo!, SparkNotes, MapQuest, Microsoft, Wikipedia, AOL and Facebook.

"Just because younger people grew up with the Web doesn't mean they're universally savvy with it," Hargittai said.
"Educators should show specific websites in class and talk about why a source is or isn't credible." Here you are some hints which can help you evaluate websites.
  Think about your own reasons and benefits to get web-savvy!!!
                                                        

Saturday 30 October 2010

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6)

At first we felt rather disappointed. Nobody had bothered to tell us Jon Lee Anderson was not coming to the talk. All of us had made a huge effort to attend the conference and there was only one interviewer - Gervasio Sánchez- who was a real dark horse. Never ever had I imagined the shocking pics and info he kept in his laptop: the proof of so much disgrace, pain an unjustice being suffered abroad. As his talk went on, I wondered why South America, why Iraq, why had he been working for so long in faraway places...? And eventually he told us about his recent decision to stay for the next 5 years in Spain, following the controversial issue of the Spanish Civil War exhumations.
I did not agree with his disbelief in New Technologies. It is precisely because of them that alternative ways of doing journalism can be spread all over the world. We left the place convinced of the discouraging context of corruption and cowardice around us, being the media controlled by economical interests and greedy politicians. I wasn't starving any more when I took the bus home. I even felt 20 years younger thinking that there was hope of some kind if people like Gervasio do exist in the world. Congratulations for such a worthy and extraordinary working life. His incredible laptop contained hundreds of stories of broken lives who deserve at least a moment of respect and consideration from us.

Sunday 24 October 2010

A talk with Jon Lee Anderson

Jon Lee Anderson (California, 1957) wil be visiting Alicante in one of the cultural events organized by the C.A.M. entitled "El Mercado de la Verdad". Two famous journalists: Gervasio Sánchez (Córdoba, 1959) and himself, will discuss about the implications of the media and the journalists in the telling of the real truth when dealing with armed conflicts or humanitarian actions which eventually become human catastrophes.

Here's a link to a talk with Jon Lee Anderson which was recorded as a podcast (30th June, 2008), you can read the transcript while listening to the mp3. I find it an interesting warm-up activity before next Tuesday's talk in the C.A.M. We can't miss it!

You may have probably heard of wikileaks, a controversial website launched in 2006, whose main interest is expossing oppressive regimes all over the world. Julian Assange - an Australian journalist- shows himself as one of the main representatives (=director?) of this international organization which publishes anonymous submissions (also called leaks= filtraciones) preserving the anonymity of sources.

Thursday 30 September 2010

INGLÉS PARA LOS MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN- Nuevo plazo de inscripción

En su novena edición, este monográfico amplía sus horas para poder adaptarse a todo un curso académico -
DURACIÓN: 19 octubre 2010 - 20 mayo 2011
HORARIO: todos los martes y 4 viernes (18:00-20:00)en el aula 4I (4º piso)
Tasas: 213,60 € (50% F. N. y/o minusvalía acreditada)
CERTIFICACIÓN OFICIAL 60 HORAS
INFORMACIÓN y MATRÍCULA:
Secretaría de la EOI Alicante (C/ Marqués de Molins 56-58)
COMIENZO DE CLASES: martes 19 de octubre de 2010
Sesión informativa sobre el curso: martes 5 de octubre en el aula 4I
Información: dolores.alemany@ua.es

Friday 21 May 2010

"Facebook password reset confirmation customer support"


It is the name of the new virus which is being sent to millions of Facebook users.
The e-mails of the 400 million Facebook users are the target of the computers hackers who created this virus. But don’t panic, the personal of Facebook is working in a new system of security, at the moment, they recommend you to delete e-mails which are unknown.

It is expected that hackers will be successful and that 40 millions of computers will be infected.

Beware Facebook-ers!

David Cameron is the leader of the Conservative Party and ex-Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom. He has occupied both positions since December 2005.
The Tory leader is a charismatic man and his party has focused on areas such as education, local government, poverty, unemployment and international development.Cameron presents himself as the "modernizing" leader of the Conservative Party.
He is the present Prime Minister in the UK.

cuts, cuts, cuts


The prime minister, Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, announced today in the Congress that the salary of civil servants is going to be reduced by an average of 5 % this year and that it will not be raised in 2011; pensions will be frozen in the near exercise and the help of 2.500 Euros for birth will be suppressed from January 1. With this set of measures, which are completed by another salary cut of 15 % between the members of the Government, who knows what comes next!!!. We feel even more shocked than he looks in the photo!

We are the champions...


About 100.000 people celebrated the victory of Atletico de Madrid in the Neptune fountain after winning the European League title.
Atletico Madrid had been cursed into a slumber for ages and finally on May 12 bad luck went away.

For the first time since 1996 the team has won a recognizable title: the European League, Europe second most prestigious club competition, achieved by Atleti after beating Fulham.

Fernando Torres recently said, "Atletico fans are prisoners of a feeling, that of their colours". This has been a reward to Los Colchoneros. The next appointement for an important football final is the Copa del Rey.

Tuesday 4 May 2010

Our country cannot afford to waste the talents of anyone


James Gordon Brown (Glasgow, 20 of February 1951) (former?) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and member of the Labour Party. He was Lord Rector of the University of Edinburgh

The most disputed British elections in history


Clegg , the dark horse married to the Spanish lady

Cameron, the posh who modernized the Tories

Gordon Brown, big mouth, wrong and unlucky

Thursday 29 April 2010

Gastronomy Festival Interview

In our interview to Mercedes Pozo, the school director, she speaks about the Gastronomy Contest, which took place on the 29th of April.

Interviewer: For how long has the Gastronomy Contest been organized?
Mercedes Pozo: The gastronomy Contest has been taking place for fifteen years.

Interviewer: Has it always been carried out in the evening?
Mercedes Pozo: No, it always took place only in the morning. However, this year it is taking place in the evening too.

Interviewer: what is the objective of this Gastronomy Contest?
Mercedes Pozo: All the students at the Official School of Languages can share their different traditional dishes and speak about their cultural differences.

Interviewer: Who takes part in the jury?
Mercedes Pozo: one of the school teachers, a student and myself.

Interviewer: When will the results be published?
Mercedes Pozo: On 10th of May.

Interviewer: Thank you.
Mercedes Pozo: You’re welcome!.

Tasteful spring food experience

Thursday late afternoon, tea-time at the language school, a great gastronomy festival is taking place on the second floor. More than sixty people gather together around typical dishes from all over the world. After a short speech by Mercedes Pozo, the headmaster, everybody rushes to try delicious cakes, pastries, pies, salads, brownies, Spanish omelette, scones, rock cakes, Galician octopus, ginger cookies and even baklawas and Easter roll from Poland.

Carol, an English teacher at the official language school of Alicante, has been living in Spain since 1969 and she says that she likes Spanish food much more than British food, because it is healthier and less fattening.

Carmen, who works at the secretary of the school and is one of the members of the jury, tells us that the criteria she will follow when choosing the winners will be the dish presentation, the elaboration and of course, taste.

A lovely festival for a wonderful evening out of the classrooms.

THE FORD´S SPORTIVE CAR








Adrián Colilla,advertisement.

Family Guy keeps the FCC Busiest.


According to a report in the Los Angeles Times Family Guy is the show that is keeping the FCC busiest. Apparently an episode that aired back in March last year has alone generated almost 200,000 complaints.
In 2002 Fox cancelled the series; and in 2004 Family guy returned to production and nowadays the show is contract to continue producing episodes until 2012.


Adrián Colilla,

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Bye bye ash cloud, welcome back air travellers!

After five neverending days of the unprecedented roaring of the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier, European airports are looking forward to coming back to their places.
Innumerable losses of money and patience on the side of millions of amazed passengers (whether worker or tourists) and air companies are still doubtful of their near future.
We wonder why nobody was able to predict what could have been otherwise a disaster. Anyway, friends, relatives and colleagues are expected to travel safely back home by now. Experts don't know for sure but, being the plume white and subsiding to below 3 km, airspace and daily life will hopefully return to normality.

Collaborative writing (Laura, Adrián, Ana, Mar and Lola)

Sunday 18 April 2010

Resounding success of the I Master in Marketing and Communication for fashion and beauty


The first Master in Marketing and Communication for fashion and beauty, whose programme has been sponsored by the recognized designer Angel Schlesser. It started last Friday 5th of March with fifteen students registered and with a large waiting list.

The first Master in Marketing and Communication for fashion and beauty has as its main aim to specialize future communicators in these two areas of vital importance for business management.

The development of the programme has relied on the designer Angel Schlesser, who completed the initial proposal with interesting matters fitting the particular needs of the current fashion and beauty companies in Spain, as well as with the advice of Carolina LLopis, director of Germaine de Capuccini’s communication.

Moreover, it counts with the support of the top most important companies in Alicante which will offer training to the students in the departments of marketing and communication such as: Revista Urbanwoman, El Corte Inglés, Magrit, Calmoda, Nacho Rivera or Pepe Botella, among others.

ESUMA has the project to create an agency of fashion and beauty in Alicante with job prospects for their students who will cover the needs in this field in the province of Alicante and in the Valencian Community too.

The Master has a fully practical approach with different visits and conferences from distinguished people in the field of fashion and beauty.

Only big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona were offering Masters of this kind, so this is something unique for Alicante right now and I am proud to be attending it.

Thursday 25 March 2010

Azor the Razor

The Met in crisis


The British police has been suffering a big crisis since last year because of the many changes in its organization and the operations that are carried out are very bungled.


One of the biggest failures were the death of the protester of the G20 summit and the wrong investigations of the sexual delinquents. All this situation has produced the need to introduce some changes inside the police, as for example changes in the high directions and the retirement of numerous officials experienced to introduce in the police new agents who give a change to the situation of crisis that nowadays is being lived.

Thursday 25 February 2010

Spring Outfit





Typical but not boring!! Now that the weather is getting warm, what better than a mini dress with sandals, accompanied by a denim jacket and a big wonderful bag where keeping everything you could need!!
Here you have a nice spring outfit, just for whatever you do during your journey.
You can wear it for going to the university or for working, for having lunch out with friends or to go shopping!! Comfortable and practice as the same time that chic.

Eye-print silk dress by Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti (519 €), Satin ankle-cuff sandals by Vionnet (411 €), Paraty medium python bag by chloé (2.250 €), Embellished chain-link bracelet by juicy couture (167 €), Stainless steel tiger watch by Paul & Joe (571 €), The Snap denim jacket by Current/Elliott (333 €), Leo Wire Chalcedony earrings by Monica Vinader (122 €)

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Outfit 1



I would wear this lovely outfit for an evenig with friends: Diana and Paula. A paperbag mini skirt (€589) from Fendi which suits very well with this fantastic Stella McCartney’s sheer silk ruffle blouse (€675). The main piece of this look is the Moschino’s black crepe pearl-embellished jacket (€1,583).

I’m also in love with the fantastic bird Cage Jennifer quitted bag (€1,065) from Marc Jacobs, this patent leather shoulder bag drives me crazy!

This Marni’s maroon suede buckle breath-taking sandals (€404,69) are perfect for a different spring evening. The final touch? The disappeared arty oval ring (€120) from YSL, I unfortunately couldn’t find one for myself, it’s out of stock!

To sum up, I would like to congratulate the French alternative band Phoenix for the Grammy they won last week! Music is life, an outfit without music is not an outfit!


Thursday 11 February 2010

Yoda, the cat with four ears


Yoda is a cat with an extra set of ears. His owners found him in Chicago, Illinois, two years ago. The extra ears do not detect sound; they are only flaps of skin. The cat was named after the character in "Star Wars" series.

Athough four-eared, he lives a normal life.

He has become so popular that he has recently been invited to "Tyra Banks Show" and "Good morning America" in the USA.

The travelling gnome


This is a story about a gnome that was kidnapped from the Heard´s garden.
The curious thing was that the thief used to send postcards of the gnome to them.
After 13 years the gnome is back to Heard´s garden, with an apologize note for the owners, who are glad and pleased for having it again.

bizarre-but-true weird news


STRANGE DOG

Dogs are famous for enjoying the simple things in life - notably chasing cats and eating meat. But that's not the case for unfortunate Joey, a dog who is allergic to cats, meat, and pretty much everything else except potatoes and porridge.

Joey is a Collie, who gets a rash if he eats meat or chases a cat. His allergy is also brought out by activities as diverse as running through grass or jumping into water.
Now his owners, Lisa McCormack and Scott Muirhead, feed him a diet of nothing but potatoes and porridge - as they're the only things the've found he isn't allergic to.

www.metro.co.uk

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Best greens to play golf in Alicante


Club de Golf Bonalba

Located very near Alicante and next to the Playa de San Juan, it offers stunning sea views and a perfect climate to enjoy the game at any time of year. With 18 holes of par 72, it is an excellent course built on gentle ridges, undulating greens and strategically located lakes. Its complicated design makes Bonalba an interesting and fun challenge for the player, the variety of holes means there is never a dull moment.
The vegetation is typically Mediterranean, full of palm-trees and pines.
Its privileged location on the Alicante coast makes it very convenient when it comes to finding different accommodation options. 6,096 metres.

Alicante Golf

It is located in Playa de San Juan, near Alicante, a modern field, balanced, and designed by Severiano Ballesteros.

The course is a par 72 with six par 3's, six par 4's and six par 5's. The abundance of water features to the field while considerably more difficult route.

It is plain, and rested in all holes let you see the green. There are two curiosities, the first is found in the 9th hole with an s-shaped lake surrounding the green, the initial of the designer, the second Roman ruins are located next to the hole 14 and forcing the player to lift the ball on them to reach the green. 6,057 metres.

Club de Golf El Plantío

El Plantío is a golf course in perfect harmony with the environment. A unique place in Nature that invites you to explore spectacular walks. The careful recruitment of plant brings to an exotic country and a different feeling, making each hole different. It pioneered the use of wastewater for irrigation. Located 3 miles from the town of Alicante it is more urban area and has an 18 hole and one 9 as much to benefit all players, it also has a driving range with covered tees on two surface plants, with capacity for 120 seats. It is an international golf school too.
The 18-hole course is par 72, the 9 is par 3 and it has been planned to build another stretch of 18 holes. 5,883 metres.

Golf & Country La Marquesa

Located 58 kilometres from Alicante by national road 332. It is located in a flat valley surrounded by mountains, the structure of the round alternates between long holes and short ones which are not excessively difficult, which makes any player to enjoy it. The most difficult factor lies in the characteristic layout of the greens, with their attractive and complicated slopes. The course is bordered by streams and lakes, which gives the course excellent views and beautiful scenery.
It is possible that top players find it too easy, but most golfers find it very pleasant and they will enjoy a good walk in a magnificent region. Pines and palm-trees accompany a varied and pleasant journey. A location where the temperature is pleasant in any season. 5,971 metres.


posted by Fernando Molina

Thursday 21 January 2010

Striking headlines

ObamaCare is bad news for Big Pharma
(The Independent - Saturday 15 August 2009)

The LA Forum, the arena that once hosted sell-out Madonna concerts, has been transformed for eight days only into a vast field hospital. In America, the offer of free healthcare is so rare, that news spread rapidly and residents flocked for 36 hours to see the medical staff.

Wikipedia approaches its limits
(The Guardian - Thursday 13.08.09)

The online encyclopedia is about to hit 3 m articles in English - but growth is stalling as "inclusionists" and "deletionists" fight for control.
It is increasingly difficult to enjoy contributing to Wikipedia unless you are part of the site's inner core of editors.

Med, white and blue
(The Independent - Saturday 22 August 2009)

In summer the weather is always perfect in Santorini, or so locals say. But come rain or shine, prepare to be dazzled by its charming towns and a volcanic landscape steeped in Greek myth.

Bribery - the key to better public health

(The Independent)
Financial incentives offered by public health services (425€ to lose weight, 60€ in food vouchers to pregnant women if they stop smoking) prove to be effective.

selected ADVERTS (by Sonia Blaya)

Sales will start ticking over (Swatch)

The sweet smell of success (Chanel)

Get in the mix to produce your own frozen delights (ice-cream makers)

Friday 8 January 2010

Blogs as a tool to teach English

More and more teachers of English are making their own blogs to use as a complementary resource for their English lessons at school. We all know the web is a fantastic breakthrough for learning foreign languages and let’s face it, students do not learn in the same way as they did ten years ago. We can blame technology or we can use it to our advantage, so why not make the most of it in our lessons?

Teaching effectively is not easy since students are all different and are not interested in the same subjects. In the same way, the environment of students nowadays is not the same as the environment of most teachers. We teachers grew up in a text-based culture but today's students are "digital natives." They have grown up in an environment that has always included computers, the Internet, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players or iPods. Teachers, on the other hand, are "digital immigrants" and speak digital as a second language. We can no longer, however, teach in the same way. Even though digital may be our second language, as digital immigrants we can become more collaborative in our approach, while learning from the digital natives in our classes.

It is a well-attested fact that ESL students who use computers in the classroom have an added motivation to learn and show remarkable progress. And that is because they feel so at home using technology they can’t stop. They find it hard to open their notebooks or grammar books but sitting at the laptop to do their assignment seems as easy as pie, and really stimulating too. And that is what teaching should be all about_ entertaining when educating and instilling knowledge, as the Enlightened said back in the 18th Century.

Having a blog and sharing information, exercises, videos, songs, etc. is a perfect tool if you are lucky enough to teach at a high-school where students have real access to the internet and are provided with a PC each. In blogs you can find anything related to English, from all kinds of exercises on the four skills (speaking, listening, writing and reading) to really useful podcasts on pronunciation, situational English or specialized language. Lots of blogs provide you with general dictionaries, thesaurus, slang or phrasal verbs dictionaries, as well as translators and pronunciation or visual dictionaries.

· There are blogs aimed at helping teachers of ESL (English as a Second Language) by providing ideas, materials, tutorials, etc. Worksheets, powerpoints, etc are free for teachers to download and use in their classes. Myeslworld.blogspot.com is a good blog to get these resources from. Recursosparaprofesores.blogspot.com is another good example. It gives information about free online courses for teachers, interesting web pages such as The British Council, Google UK , BBC learning website or Bravenet (in the last one you can learn to make your own website)

· Many teachers use their blogs to give students projects to do. They later mark these assignments and post them in the blog, which makes students get more motivated and excited. There are also slideshare or powerpoint presentations on the grammar points studied in class and links to websites where students can practice what they have already studied. In iesplayadearinagaenglishwithlydia.blogspot.com you have a good example. And primary teachers also use blogs for their younger students. Have a look at beatriz_englishteacher.blogspot.com.

· With some blogs and willpower you could actually learn English online, since there are lots of self-study and reference materials. In fabiteacher.blogspot.com they supply a great deal of practice and reference material from all over the web in just one place. You can find you tube videos and podcasts, all kinds of dictionaries and thesaurus, idioms and slang compilations, listening and reading practice from the BBC learning English website and the British Council one , etc. It’s really complete and extraordinarily useful!

· Some other blogs give you plenty of ideas to get proficient in English by using all the means at your hand and on the web. And if you still need us, teachers, you could attend online lesson with Skype, a software videoconference programme thanks to which you needn’t leave your house to be in touch with other people. Get the information at El Blog del Inglés or just click on www.ebpai.com

Sonia Blaya Albert
yourenglishblog.blogia.com