The Spanish Residence and Spanglish (two films about multilinguism)

We have concluded the unit, a multilingual world, so we had time to watch some parts of the films: The Spanish Residence (an interesting film about students’ mobility within Europe) and Spanglish (a film which deals with the integration of a Mexican family in the American lifestyle).

This school term is about to end. I have been correcting students’ last tests and evaluating their oral skills and attitudes. They have recently presented the debate about the topic: should we defend the existence of a global language or should all languages be considered equal? I had students who prepared themselves very well for this activity, while others didn´t invest enough time and work to overcome their difficulties.

I wish some would work harder. There are so many temptations everwhere that many have difficulty in sorting out their piorities.

Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile school term. I had students who told me they liked their English lessons a lot.

Varieties of English ...

English is spoken and learned all over the world. It can be used as a first language, a second language or a foreign language. However, English is not the same everywhere. There are differences in spelling, vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar among the different varieties of English.

In Portugal we are exposed to different varieties of English, especially to British English and American English. TV programmes are all in their original audio form; consequently we have access to people’s real voices. It’s no wonder that Portuguese people have a natural aptitude for learning languages, at least, that’s what we hear....

Young people love listening to music and watching foreign films and series/serials. They learn much vocabulary by doing that. Most films and series are American ones, so American English has a strong influence on them. But there are those who prefer the English pronunciation, they find it so charming and chic ... Spelling is another problem for students because the books we use in the English classes have texts written in American English and in British English.

This year, they have been corresponding with American epals, so they are improving and learning new American English words.

My advices are :

• Use English a lot and don’t get too obsessed with these differences...

• Expose yourself to the English language (the maximum you can) by listening, reading, speaking....

• and  HAVE FUN

Now take this quiz - British English and American English

The importance of learning languages ...

I love languages because this type of knowledge allows me to communicate with people from different countries in their mother tongue. It is so rewarding to travel to a country and be able to speak the language which is spoken there. In fact, people appreciate when we make an effort to speak their language. We can learn so much about a new culture, new values, and about a new way of thinking by talking directly to people. We feel refreshed when we talk to people from a different nationality and exchange views on different matters.

I have learned five languages at school. I started with Portuguese, my mother tongue. The way we learn our native language is very different from the way we learn a foreign language. Firstly, I learned Portuguese by listening to the people around me and by repeating after them. Then, when I was six years old, I started my formal education. At that stage I learned to read and to write in Portuguese.

When I was ten years old, I started learning French, and I continued learning it during five years. At that time French was a very important language in Portugal and most children learned this language at school. Nowadays I don’t use this language a lot unless I travel to French or Switzerland, where I have relatives. Nevertheless, I can still understand when I listen to it or when I read it. Speaking and writing are more difficult ...

When I was twelve years old, I started learning English, and I have fallen in love with it since that moment. I like everything about the English language, except for phonetics. 

When I was fifteen years old, I started my Secondary Education. At that time I chose to study humanities because I loved languages so much. I stopped learning French and I decided to start learning two other languages, German and Latin, besides the English language. I found German really fantastic and enjoyed every new lesson. I can’t say the same about Latin. In fact, I found it really difficult. We don’t use Latin for oral communication, so I have forgotten everything I learned then. However, Latin helped me to know my mother tongue better because Portuguese derives from Latin, as well as the other Romance languages: Spanish, French, Italian and Rumanian.

When I was eighteen, I decided to take an University degree in the teaching of English and German as foreign languages. At university the teachers who taught me English came from very different countries, such as: New Zealand, the United States of America and Britain. They had different accents; consequently my English accent has suffered the influence of all those varieties of English.

I have been a teacher for twenty years, and during this time I have taught English and German to Portuguese students. However, I haven’t taught German for seven years. French and German are losing importance in Portugal and Spanish has taken the place of these two languages. Spanish is very similar to Portuguese, so we can understand Spanish easily, even if we have never studied it. Writing in Spanish is another thing because we need to study grammar …

I love Portuguese because this language reflects the history and culture of my country. This is the language I use every day to communicate with my co-citizens. I also love English and this is the language I use every day as a teacher.

 I have been telling my students that English can be an excellent medium of communication among people who do not have a language in common. Nevertheless, the more languages we know, the better for us.

Don’t you think so?

A debate: Should we defend the existence of a global language or should all languages be considered equal?

Students are going to participate in a role play, where they have to defend their points of view concerning the topic: Should we defend the existence of a global language or should all languages be considered equal?


They are going to work in groups of five. One of them is the moderator of the group (he/she will function as a journalist in a debate). Then there are three people who are going to defend the existence of a global language. Besides the English language, they can choose two other languages among: Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese and Esperanto. Finally, there is a student who defends that all languages should be considered equal.

We have already chosen the groups and the role each element is going to play. Now they are preparing themselves for the debate that is going to take place within two weeks. They still have plenty of time …

They are going to be evaluated according to their:

• Complexity of speech;

• Accuracy;

• Fluency:

• Interaction;

• Development of the theme.

Here is a list of links where you can find information about the different languages and about the different arguments you can use.

The advantages of learning English ...

Today we have started another topic: the importance of the English language in the world.

In the following text you can see why it is so important to learn English today.

The Advantages of Learning English

By Jeanne Baird, eHow Contributor .updated: October 27, 2010

Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_5230958_advantages-learning-english.html

The English language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, second only to Mandarin. That English is used almost everywhere is only one of the many advantages of learning the language.

Business
English is the primary language of business throughout the world. Most international business transactions, including emails, memos, reports and contracts, are written in English.
Employment Opportunities
The ability to fluently speak the English language in addition to your native language can be beneficial if you're seeking job opportunities with international companies. The ability to speak a language spoken by most business people can place you a step ahead of the competition.
Movies
Major Hollywood movies have dialogue in English. The plot of these movies is easier to follow if the person watching the movie speaks English. Subtitles in other languages can sometimes cause the meanings of words to be lost in the translation, and they can be a distraction or even block the action taking place on the screen.
Travel
The English language is predominantly spoken throughout the world, so international travelers may find that speaking English can make their travels a little easier. Most hotel and restaurant employees, as well as store merchants, probably speak English to some degree.
Schools
Students from other countries who attend school in the United States will benefit greatly if they can know basic English. This knowledge will help them communicate better with both their students and teachers. The students also will have an easier time with any research or readings they are assigned.
Academics
The English language is the predominant language of academics all over the world, with a large amount of research conducted, written and presented in English. Knowing English can helpful for scholars who wish to communicate their ideas and research findings to peers in their field.
Computers
Most software programs are written in English. Those seeking to expand their computer knowledge can find the ability to read and understand the English language invaluable.
.

Read about some Erasmus experiences ...

Erasmus: Another student exchange programme we talked about in our lessons.

Read what some students wrote about their Erasmus experiences:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus-britishcouncil-casestudy-4.htm

Student exchange: The Comenius Programme

In class We have started a new topic: Student Exchange.

We have been talking about some student exchange programmes, such as the Comenius Programme and the advantages of participating in such projects for both teachers and students.


Read more about The Comenius Programme at: http://www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-benefits-teachers.htm

The students' first tests...

I have been correcting the students' first tests. The results range from bad to excellent. I have been trying to motivate the students who have more difficulties. I hope I succeed ...

However, much of the work must be done by them.

In their tests I used a text I encountered on the web. This text was about the benefits of having a epal.

Have a look at this text: http://www.foreign-languages-guide.com/international-pen-pals.html

A multilingual world ...

We have already started Block 1: A multilingual world.

Right at the beginning of this block, we talked about different types of activities that students can do outside the classroom to improve their English. My students were able to present many different ideas.
Then we read the text: Making cyberfriends is fun! We read this text because having a cyberfriend can be a wonderful way to meet a native speaker and improve your language skills.
At home, many of my students wrote their first email to their American epals. They could put into practice what we had learned at school. They used the educational site: http://www.epals.com/.

In the web I have found a good site about some of the ways to improve our English.

Ways to improve your English
Practice, practice and more practice! It is true that the more you try to speak English the more you will naturally improve. Just by using the English language as much as possible, your fluency will rapidly develop. Speak on the phone, write e-mails and letter, make lists, read as much as possible. Surround yourself with English!

Make contact with native English people. If you have friends who are English then speak with them about as many different topics as possible. The more diverse your subject matter, the wider the vocabulary you will develop. Try mixing with different kinds of English people, those in different jobs and with diverse interests in order to expose yourself to wider varieties of vocabulary and language usage. Speak English whenever you can: in shops, at the pub, in a queue - seize your opportunity to communicate!

Watch English television. Many films are in English and this is a great place to start to listen to faster spoken sentences, colloquial expressions and accent varieties. Be aware of which English you are listening to though as in many mainstream films you will be listening to American accents which are very different from British accents. Television soaps are an excellent way to pick up idiomatic expressions and casual language usage.

Read newspapers. Read all the English text you can find. Newspapers are a good way of reading lots of smaller articles if you do not feel ready to tackle a book. The tabloid newspapers use more basic English vocabulary and sentence structures and will be easier to read than broadsheet newspapers. Cartoons are a excellent way of involving humour in your reading and offer visual clues to the text.

Find a pen friend. Writing skills can be improved by writing to an English person regularly. Perhaps you can find an English person who wants to learn your native language? You could both write half a letter in English and the other half in your native language and correct each other's messages. Exchanging letters, e-mails or chatting on instant messengers on the internet are great ways of making friends. The messages from your English pen friend will expose you to new words and sentence structures.

Make it fun! If your language learning is not enjoyable then you will find it hard to be motivated. What do you find fun, amusing or fulfilling? Try to incorporate the English language into that. If you like computer games, find an English language interactive adventure game where you have to understand and use instructions to play; if you like cartoons, read them in English; if you like comedy, watch English comedies or go to see a English comedian. Play word-based board games, do crosswords, chat in internet chat rooms or read crime thrillers - whatever floats your boat, as long as it is in English!

Read the whole text at : http://www.myenglishlanguage.com/improving-your-english.htm

Yes, you can!

Listen to English and learn English with pie - the podcast site for learners and teachers of English. podcastsinenglish.com


Yes, You can! Phillipa believes everyone can learn English and has some great advice (7 Jan 10)

Listen to this podcast!