The lockdown came into force 71 days ago, but I feel that today we enter a new phase, so I'm going to drop the word lockdown.
How are you all? I hope you're at least healthy. These days that's saying a lot. I'm still writing out reports (which some of you should have already received). Anyway, I thought you could just take a look at this photograph I took after a class months ago. If you understand all those words (which, of course, came up in class) congratulations. If you actually use them when you speak English, then my hat is off to you: you're now ready to attend a C2 course.
Hi again. I keep working on your final grades and your reports, which doesn't mean I cannot answer questions or solve problems. Some of you are clearly going over the grammar we have seen in class and require my technical assistance. I am willing to oblige. So here you have a brief clip in which I discuss a grammar point we didn't quite tackle at the time because I thought it was not "advanced" material. Anyway, here are my comments.
Today I'd like to share with you an item of news that is already two days old (so by our pressing current standards it's Ancient History). Still, I think it's worth a read. Cambridge University, one of the leading institutions in the academic world, has announced that all lectures will be on-line in the next school year. Some of you may regard that decision as a bit of an overreaction, but I beg to differ.
In fact, I think we ought to pay close attention to what Cambridge and Oxford do, not only because they have set major trends in the past, but simply because a veritable paradigm shift has become overwhelmingly clear in these past two months. The transition to remote learning is no flash in the pan. Therefore we might as well get ready to make the most of it. For better or worse we are going to have to expand the use of digital resources, just like two decades ago teachers had to accept that they would have to learn to use a computer. On a more practical note, I believe we should all start to come to terms with the fact that our classes in October might have to be partially on-line. At this point it is unclear how the beginning of the new academic year will be like. There's a good chance that nothing will go back to normal for quite some time.
At the EOI we are going to spend a big part of the summer setting up on-line classrooms so, come October, we can be ready to face the inevitable challenge. Believe it or not, I have already started to edit materials for the next course. Anyway, I'm happy to see that most of you have managed to navigate the complexities of the digital world. You have been able to put together narrated PowerPoints. You have sent them over via WeTransfer or put them up on OneDrive. If anything, this pandemic has forced quite a few technophobes to shape up in terms of becoming acquainted with the basics of remote learning (in my case remote teaching). The clip below, published by Cambridge University less than a month ago, describes this befuddling state of affairs. If you watch it you will surely learn some interesting way of putting into words those feelings of frustration that you must have experienced over the past few weeks.
What's up, everyone? As promised, I am going to inform you about the practical side of the imminent end of our course, which is not going to be nothing like the educational apocalypse that some of you may have envisaged. So let's jump right into it!
CERTIFICATION EXAM
You can all still register to take the exam in September (should you feel like doing so). The deadline for registration for the official exam was March 22. The state of alarm came into force on March 16. So, of course, it became impossible for many of you to register, but as far as office formalities go everything was put on hold, as though Dr. Strange himself had frozen time. In short, every student who wishes to take the certification exam will be able to register. The dates cannot be published yet on account of the lack of official legislation regarding this specific procedure. I've been told that the lawmakers at the Board of Education are putting the finishing touches on the regulations, which should be published pretty soon. So stay alert.
PROMOTION
Over the next few days you will receive an email in which I will let you know whether you pass to the next course or you get held back. As simple as that. The actual grades will be published on our website on June 5 at 14:00.
If you should not get promoted you can always cancel registration. No strings attached. The present school year 2020-2021 will not count in terms of the number of school years ("convocatorias") you are allowed to be an official student before you access the next level. Remember that one level consists of two courses. The C1 level, for instance, consists of courses C1.1 and C1.2. If you take three years to pass the C1.1 exam you'll only have one to clear the C1.2. So, even if you fail to get promoted this time around, you will have not "used up" one of the four "convocatorias". As this has been such an exceptionally weird year, it's only fair that these last eight months should not be considered as one of those four chances everyone gets.
PROMOTION EXAM
Those of you who do get promoted to the next course won't have to sit the promotion exam. The promotion exam is actually for the students that have not canceled their registration at the school and still want to take a shot at getting into the next course, be it C1.2 or C2.
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO IN JUNE?
Since no official exams are going to be held during the month of June, we teachers won't be giving tests, proctoring students or grading exams, which does not mean that we plan to slob around the house. I'm afraid we are going to be quite busy. Apart from getting the promotion exams ready for September and attending several on-line courses on both remote learning and exam standardization, we have been required to be available to our students. So I will devote a number of hours to assisting you in several ways. I will clarify doubts, offer advice, etc.
Our calendar will be duly published on the school's website so that you know when I will be available for questions, emails, etc. Personal circumstances still make it quite difficult for me to host videoconferences, but I might and take a stab at it. The most interesting I'm going to be doing has to do with the reports I'm compiling for all of you. In the classroom it is impossible for any teacher to cater to every single learning style. I am aware that every student had their own needs. I sometimes talk to some of you individually about your specific strengths and weaknesses, but I don't believe I have gone into detail about the state of your English and the way you can go about improving your command of the language. So be ready to get some tailored reports and comments, which will include specific advice. That is a time-consuming activity. So be patient.
Rest assured that I will keep posting on this blog. Maybe not every day, but frequently. Anyway, remember that, as far as grades go, as of today... the die is cast, which leads us to my next two paragraphs.
TODAY'S MESSAGE
Even though the course finishes on May 28, today is for me the last "class day". I want to thank you all for keeping in touch and showing interest and determination in the face of adversity. On May 15, I uploaded a video, which was a summary of the C1.1 course. Unfortunately, I accidentally listed it as "private", which made it impossible for you to view from this blog. One of you was kind enough to tip me off about the glitch. I just wanted to tell you that the problem was fixed so you can watch it (just click on the blue phrase). I think it may also be interesting to some students in the C1.2 courses. And for those of you who, at some point during this crisis, have asked yourselves "What's going on?", I have decided to share with you this inspired rendition of the Marvin Gaye classic. Strictly speaking it's not educational and it has little to do with our syllabus... but, boy is it uplifting! I believe we can use a bit of feel-good music. Enjoy.
N.B. The "Boy, is it uplifting!" is C2 material. I just realized...
My dear students. The end of our course is only ten days away. You have been kind enough to send me the exercises for the progress report. So there is not much I can teach you at this point. I plan to devote most of the remaining days to rather laborious clerical duties. Also I'm still recording audio commentaries on your presentations. So be patient. You'll get yours. Since there are no new contents to be taught, I will use this blog to make sure you are duly informed of the novelties regarding not only your promotion but also the certification exams. I will keep posting. Don't worry about it. On a more practical, tomorrow a staff meeting is going to be held. All teachers at EOI Laredo will join a videoconference to discuss this unusual state of affairs and the impending end of the course. So expect a digest on Wednesday.
I hope you can afford to take seven minutes of your day and watch the video below. If you are a C1.1 student this clip can help you get an idea as to what the next course is going to be about. If you are part of a C1.2 class it will help you remember some of those strategies that can make you sound "natural" which, let's face it, is the holy grail of the C1 level.
My dear C1.1 students. This post is for you, but if you you are in my C1.2 class you are welcome too.
The course is almost over. Pretty soon we're going to have to wrap this up. So I thought it would be nice to hit the pause button, look back on the past few months and give you a recap on the most important areas we have tackled in class. I will edit a similar video for my loyal C1.2 audience. Enjoy (or not).
Hi, everyone. How are you all doing? I'm quite busy, grading exercises and writing out reports. However, I have somehow found the time to edit a little video which deals with one of those grammar areas that, even if it belongs to the C2 level, should be introduced in the C1 classes. I'm talking about the subjunctive mood. It is not a typo. The subjunctive mood. Strictly speaking, it is meant to be mastered at the C2 level. Nevertheless, you cannot discover, use and master something at once, which is why the subjunctive was included in the curriculum for the C1.2 course. By doing this, I try to first present this verb form so we can practice it before you finally master it.
Even though we are only supposed to learn a few fixed expressions (e.g. God save the Queen) I thought some of you might benefit from a more intense exposure to this peculiar (some would say "obscure") matter. Those of you who are in my C1.1 class but feel curious about the subjunctive can sneak a peek before you are officially required to deal with it. Enjoy.
This post is going to be about the mediation exercise that I need for the progress report. I'm sorry. It just needs to be done. I don't make the rules. The deadline, by the way, is May 17. Given that we already did written mediation exercises in February, it is only logical that we should now try our hand at oral mediation. Therefore I would like you to record watch a video clip and record an audio file which should be between one and two minutes long. I know you'll need several takes to actually nail it (that's my hope). So, be ready to take your time, rehearse and use your best enunciation skills to make a good impression.
C1.2 STUDENTS
The fourth unit of our textbook, Outcomes, deals with politics (check out page 32). The mediation activity will consist in summarizing the contents of this video clip about Chinese immigration to the United States of America.
C1.1 STUDENTS
Your job is slightly easier. The fourth unit of our textbook, Close-Up, tackles the world of show business, specifically theater and movies. Therefore I thought it would be perfect for you to watch a brief analysis of a famed movie and record your own summary of a critic's take on a famed film, in this case La La Land (2016), for that nonexistent classmate that missed "the class".
ABOUT YOUR END-OF-COURSE GRADES
From most of you I already have enough grades to evaluate your oral skills. Still, 20% of the final grade will depend on the document that you send me now. I'm happy to report that three of you have already sent me their narrated presentations. Really good stuff, by the way. As for the rest of you, you still have time to put together a little PowerPoint or record a speech on your favorite subject. If you can... The grades will be published on June 5 (https://www.eoilaredo.org/examenes.html).
N.B. Get ready for a fascinating clip. Yes. Tomorrow I will get back to hardcore grammar and discuss one of those areas that belong to the C1 curriculum, mostly because you should be vaguely familiar with it before you face it in the C2 level: the subjunctive mood.
Hi everyone! Today's message is quite simple: fight your own tunnel vision. Allow me to elaborate on that. All too often, when you're doing a fill-in-the-blank exercise you focus so hard on the gaps that you overlook the stuff around them. Don't get me wrong. Paying attention to the blanks IS your job. That said, once the exercise has been done, you should devote some time to looking at those expressions, words or turns of phrase that you find interesting or simply "usable". That's when you incorporate new input and you really learn. Also, this particular text shows how one can be formal (scrutinize) and informal (eyeball) at the same time. Anyway, watch the video and then consider how many of the words I use you are likely to "steal".
_____________________ N.B. By the way, the phrase "lest I forget" means "otherwise I might forget".
My dear students. Yesterday was a day without a post. I honestly had every intention of uploading a video on verb tenses. Unfortunately circumstances beyond my control made it impossible for me to sit down to edit the presentation. So here you have a "mini-class" in which I discuss a rather basic concept that should help you jazz up your writing skills, specifically your ability to structure information. I do hope it is useful.
There is a running joke in our English department. During the exam season intermediate-level students can typically be broken down into two categories: those who use moreover and those who prefer furthermore. This is specially noticeable in students that only register for the certification exam. I suppose they are eager to show off the connectors they took pains to learn at school. Whatever the reason, they never fail to plug those linkers into any conversation:
Hello, my name is Javi. Furthermore my last name is Pellicer.
Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against moreover and furthermore, but they are rather formal and sort of set the bar pretty high. What I'm trying to say is that you should not be too quick to dispense with simple words likealso, besides, too, as well, another, etc. The key to clear writing does not lie in the use of fancy words. That's why today I would like to touch on a very specific skill: the art of building an efficient sentence, one that includes the information we want to get across. So I'm not talking about crafting a stylish phrase or attempting to wax lyrical. That's not our battle (yet).
Let's suppose we want to convey these simple ideas:
Fact: the airport is going to be closed down
General reason: security is compromised
Specific reason: red-haired people are a threat
Bearing those three elements in mind we could come up with up something like this:
The local authorities have decided to close down the airport due to security considerations as they see a potential threat in red-haired foreigners
What are the key words in that sentence? Clearly they are due to and as. They both allow the speaker to articulate the reason why something is the case. Due to and as are synonyms for because or because of. Once we have understood the cause and effect relationship we may proceed to choose among an array of possible alternatives such as owing to, on account of, etc. Interestingly enough, we don't always need these terms to express such a conceptual connection. Look at how causality is expressed in this sentence:
The scarcity of data on these crimes makes it
difficult to ascertain the true scope of the problem
Of course, the writer could have gone down a different road:
Due to the scarcity of data on these crimes
it is difficult to ascertain the true scope of the problem
Should you be a fan of as or given you could have decided to write something like this:
Given the scarcity of data on these crimes,
it is difficult to access the true scope of the problem
In short, you don't need to resort to fancy linkers if you want to sound advanced. A solid structure (and some accurate vocabulary) will convince any examiner that you know your stuff. ________________
N.B. I'll give you a heads-up. Tomorrow I'm going to post a video in which I discuss precisely how to organize information.
Today I'd like to discuss metaphors: why they matter and why we should be aware of them. Let's start with a simple comparison. According to the English language, time is money. In Spanish, of course, time is gold. It is doubtful whether the pragmatic nature of the first proverb reveals some fundamental worldview that is completely alien to the poetic quality of the second expression. What we can safely assert is that proverbs matter, if only because they plant a mental picture in your interlocutor's head. Let's now take a look at another metaphor which exists in both languages in the exact same form. To give something free rein implies an allusion to a particular kind of unfettered freedom. In fact, many speakers in both English and Spanish use it without giving a second thought to the notion that it contains a horse-riding reference. Now, try and picture that idiom in your head. What do you see? The great outdoors? A different sort of freedom is expressed by the simile as free as a bird. Do you feel the difference? I do.
Metaphors are not fancy literary devices for posh speakers. They permeate your speech whether you want it or not, which is why they are part of our C1 syllabus. Outcomes, the textbook we are using in our C1.2 course, contains an interesting section devoted to extended metaphors in English (see the photo below). In case you're curious you can go to page 56 in the sixth unit, entitled Conflict and resolution. Now that you know how relevant this topic is, we can forget about the textbook for a while and concentrate on the real world.
The extended metaphor that we are all exposed to these days presents us with a government that has (figuratively) "declared war" on the coronavirus. This rhetorical device is, of course, hardly fresh. After all, the United States of America already declared a war on drugs and a war on terror. This new "war" seems to give away a certain lack imagination on the part of politicians. It's either that or they simply enjoy the idea of being at war (or on some color-coded form of alert).
It is clear that the present pandemic calls for an apt metaphor. Which one? Well, let's just see. The coronavirus is obviously aggressive and it is undeniable that it poses a serious threat because it is causing deaths. So, the war analogy seems rather fitting. Right? Maybe not. If we look at the consequences of using that metaphor we may come to realize that it's less than perfect. If we are, in fact, waging a war then healthcare workers are... soldiers? And we (temporary recluses) are fighting the war... by doing nothing? It's here, I'm afraid, that the metaphor ceases to work properly. In a war soldiers face an enemy and, of necessity, have to be aggressive. No question about that. But in our case nurses are not supposed to be aggressive. Where is the caring part of healthcare? Do you see what I'm getting at?
You may regard all this as mere hairsplitting, but the fact is that a number of different linguistics professors have already detected the dangers of injecting the wrong metaphor into the political discourse. This wonderful article published by Lancaster University, not only explores the consequences of using a metaphor which is only partially appropriate. It also offers some thought-provoking alternatives.
I mention all this because, as language learners, it is our duty to make some choices. The advanced level demands that we be in control of our expressions. Besides, we are expected to assess the impact of our choices. And know...We can't possibly change the history of a language. Therefore if a word has a particular origin or used to have certain connotations a thousand years ago, there's not much we can do about it. Nevertheless we do have a choice between a readily available array of options. Case in point: as a staunch animal lover, I abhor bullfighting. The Spanish language, however, is peppered with expressions that refer to that form of public entertainment (cambiar de tercio, dar la puntilla, a toro pasado, etc.). A long time ago I decided to avoid using bullfighting-related idioms, simply because I'm not comfortable with that kind of imagery. It is just a personal choice. Granted. Sometimes we don't have much leeway. Even atheists say oh my god! In Spanish, for instance, we talk about burning our boats (a historical reference to Hernán Cortes's famous decision) when an English speaker would probably prefer burning your bridges (standard military procedure for centuries). Both languages seem to be in short supply of metaphors to describe a decision to destroy all possible ways of going back to a previous situation. So what happens if you don't like the associations? Well, you just grin and bear it. Anyway, that's not usual. More often than not, you will find a wide range of options. Before I come to that, allow me to share with you another case.
I was listening to an interview with legendary producer Quincy Jones in which he discussed how difficult it can be for a songwriter to discard songs that s/he has taken pains to create. He said "it's hard for them to kill their babies". I knew it was only a metaphor, but the sheer idea of killing a baby simply turned my stomach. At the time I realized I could never say such a thing. I thought about the word brainchild (which I happen to use quite often), but I realized that I would never ever say that I would kill a brainchild of mine. I had two good reasons. First: I didn't like the sound of it. Second: there were a few non-murder-related options at the ready. "To let go of your children" is one of them. It is simple and considerably less aggressive. Incidentally, that phrase may describe the process that all parents need to come to terms with when their adult children finally leave the house and turn them into empty-nesters(another self-explanatory metaphor). And this way we come full circle.
So, let's assume that you are confronted with a situation that involves referring to the act of "improving a relationship after having problems". What expression should you use? Maybe you can pick an expression from this list:
Forgive and forget (idiom)
Let bygones be bygones (idiom)
Make amends (neutral expression)
Make it up to them (phrasal verb)
Mend fences (like a good neighbor)
Wipe the slate clean (like an old teacher)
Bury the hatchet (reference to the wars against the native Americans)
Smoke the peace pipe (reference to the wars against the native Americans)
Make a peace offering (military reference)
Hold out the olive branch (biblical reference)
Patch things up with someone (a sewing reference)
Not bad, uh? Just remember that every choice yo make has different connotations, not all of which fit in any conceivable situation.
