REMEMBER YOUR DEADLINES?

Hi guys, tomorrow is your deadline for you to write on your blog your abstract and I have just seen Javier´s work, what´s the matter with the rest of you?

How is your investigation work?

Hi there, I want you to keep working in your particular investigation work and check your comments. I´m going to do my best in coming to our Course, but at 12:30 I have to be in the AAPAUNAM new offices. If I can´t make it (to come to the course), please work by your own. I hope to see you tomorrow, bye.

PARTS OF A RESEARCH PAPER

Hi my dear students, by this time, you must have chosen the topic you want to work with. As a matter of fact, some of you have already written it in your blog, but others haven´t done it.
Please, check this two sites in order to guide you in your work:

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html

http://www2.selu.edu/Academics/Education/EDF600/Mod3/sld003.htm

Also, I want to tell you your deadlines to organize your work. In the first time, as some of you have already done, write in your blog at least 5 URL of sites which contain your theme of interest.
Deadlines:
November 29, 2007. You must have your abstract in your blog.
December 13, 2007. You must have the introduction (no more than 2 pages double spaced).
January 31, 2008. Content. No more than 10 pages, but no less than 5.
February 21, 2008. Conclusions and References. (no more than 2 pages).
Please, take note of this and take you very present so you won´t forget or miss the dates, good bye, I´ll see you tomorrow.

Let´s research!

Hi my dear students, I´ll tell you that we are going to participate in a Research Contest, so, I´ll give you this sites for you to choose what kind of investigation you want to do. Here they are:
Web sites:
http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/
http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/ksd/de/research/research_topics.html
http://www.bookrags.com/browse/researchtopics/
http://www.csulb.edu/library/subj/Paper%20Topics/hottopics/hottopicsindex.htm
http://www.archives.gov/research/topics.html
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/hot-topics.html
http://advertising.utexas.edu/research/Topics.html
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/genealogy/gentopic.htm
http://www.nanotechnology.surrey.ac.uk/research/topics
http://www.rff.org/rff/Core/coreknowledge.cfm

You must browse them and see which ones interest you. Then, you´re going to write on your blog the theme you want to investigate.

HALLOWEEN TIME!

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HALLOWEEN?

Answer these questions and then go to some web sites to learn more about this celebration.

Halloween
What day of the month is Halloween?
Why is halloween celebrated?
Can you explain the history of Halloween?
How is Halloween celebrated in your country?
Do you believe in ghosts?
What makes you afraid of ghosts?
What are some of the symbols of Halloween?
What kind of costume are you going to wear to the Halloween party?
Is your pumpkin still out ?
Are you still eating Halloween candy ?

Facts about Halloween
The origin of Halloween dates back at least 3,000 years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced "sow-ain"). The festival was held starting at sundown on October 31st and lasted until sundown on November 1st. It was similar to the modern practice of the New Years celebration. On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles.Samhain was not the name of a "Lord of the Dead", no historical evidence has ever been found to back this up, it was simply the name of the festival and meant "Summer's End". It was believed that the souls of the dead were closest to this world and was the best time to contact them to say good bye or ask for assistance. It was also a celebration of the harvest. It is still treated as such today by those who practice Wicca or other nature based religions. It has absolutely nothing to do with satan, who was a creation of the Christian church.When European settlers, particularly the Irish, arrived in America they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns. Halloween didn't really catch on big in this country until the late 1800's and has been celebrated in many ways ever since!

NOW YOU CAN DO THIS:

1. The celebration of Samhain used to take two days.
True False
2. Celtic tribes celebrated the end of summer on October 31st.
True False
3. First jack-o-lanterns were carved from turnips.
True False
4. Jack-o-lanterns were supposed to scare away evil spirits.
True False
5. Samhain was the festival of satan.
True False
6. Halloween was celebrated in America long before 1800's.
True False
7. Irish settlers brought Halloween to America.
True False
8. The souls of the dead were believed to be closest to this world on October 31st.
True False
9.Burning twigs were used inside a pumpkin as a source of light.
True False
10. Samhain meant "Summer's End".
True False

If you want to know more, go to this site: http://www.theholidayspot.com/halloween/history.htm

WHO´S IN?

Hello my dear students, I have some persons that have not been working. For example, I have Sofía Vega, I don´t have even your e-mail, you haven´t done your presentation with all the specifications like your English background, your English teacher´s name, and you haven´t done your blog either. Karla González, you haven´t done your blog. Diego Soto, you have to send me your blog´s address because the one you sent me it is wrong. Adina Garcia, I don´t have your blog´s address either. Omar Gerardo is in the same case. You have to work and you have to let me know IN ADVANCE if you are not going to attend the seminar. Please be in touch because next week I have to give your teachers your grades. See you on Thursday. Have a nice weekend.
Here there is another one blog´s address:
http://volidan.blogspot.com/

Don´t forget to finish the job you began to do in the class. See you next Thursday, have a nice weekend. Mtra. Marsella.

HI MY DEAR STUDENTS

Hello dear students, well as I have already told you we are not going to see each other next Thursday, but, don´t forget to work by yourselves. I want you to work about an interesting activity you have investigated and write it in your blog. That is work number one, work number two is to read all blogs of your partners and to comment next Thursday (18). Here, I´m sending the url of your blogs.

http://moraarredondo.blogspot.com/
http://kejikus2.blogspot.com/
http://victor-arrieta.blogspot.com/
http://ricardo-advanced-english-410.blogspot.com/
http://eliarehp.blogspot.com/
http://thecrippler4real.blogspot.com/
http://javikafka.blogspot.com/
http://guadalupe-egipto.blogspot.com/
http://ivonne-advanceenglishenp1.blogspot.com/


By the way, Luis Hurtado, Karla García and Omar León haven´t sent me your url of your blogs.
Here are some new ones:
http://mycourseofenglish.blogspot.com
http://rasller.blogspot.com/http://rasller.blogspot.com/

See you, have a nice weekend.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Amber: Hello, I’m Amber and this is bbclearningenglish.com. In Entertainment today, we listen to a review of the seventh, and last, Harry Potter book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – which millions of children (and adults) rushed out to buy at midnight on the day it was published simultaneously in 93 countries! It had a print run of 12 million in the US alone! After 10 years of twists and turns in the life of the young wizard, Harry Potter, there’s a final confrontation between Harry and a highly evil character. It’s a dark rollercoaster ride, with Harry on the run most of the time. And if the sales figures are true – this is officially the fastest selling book in history! We’ll hear from the author and book critic Amanda Craig. As soon as she got hold of her copy, she sat on the sofa reading it for ‘6 hours solid’ - she didn’t put it down until she’d finished! So what’s so magical about the Harry Potter books? Well, Amanda Craig has an interesting answer to that question. She quotes JK Rowling who has said she doesn’t really like ‘fantasy’ – that’s a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical events! (We have the related adjectives ‘fantastic’ and ‘fantastical’ – meaning - not real, strange and imaginary.) Amanda Craig says the world of Harry Potter is so ‘irresistible’ – it’s so overpowering – because of two things. She says it’s a result of – ‘it’s down to’ – two things. Try to catch what they are.

Amanda Craig: ‘One of the most interesting things about her is that she’s said that she doesn’t really like fantasy. And in fact, if you look at the way that she’s written it, I think the explanation for why she’d so popular is down to two things – one is that in every book she’s sort of writing a detective story or a thriller, and there’s where adults have got on to the whole series, but the other more interesting thing is she’s actually made the magical world seem real, seem something you could just walk into off Tottenham Court Road, and by doing that she’s also correspondingly made reality more magical, and I think that’s what’s so irresistible about her vision, her … you know, Harry’s whole world that it’s a world in which wizards do have to learn magic, they have to do homework, and that’s really delightful.’

Amber: So Amanda Craig explains that she thinks the magical power of the Harry Potter books is down to the exciting stories or plots – every book is like a detective story or thriller. And this is why adults like the books; this is why adults have ‘got on to’ them, why they have become interested in them. And the books make the magical seem real – as real as Tottenham Court Road - a busy road of shops and cafes in central London! And they make the real world seem magical – that is clever isn’t it?

Amber: JK Rowling is also often praised for being a very cinematic writer which is why her books make wonderful films. But she’s probably most respected for encouraging so many millions of young people to read fiction. She’s made them interested in it; she’s ‘turned them on to’ reading. And so now, reading is ‘cooler’ – it’s much more fashionable than it was. She’s stopped reading from being ‘killed off’ by computer games and she’s ‘paved the way’, she’s prepared the way, for another great children’s writer! Try to catch his name.

Amanda Craig: ‘I think a lot more children have been turned on to reading and reading has become a lot cooler than it was. It was real danger of just being killed off by game boxes and computers and I think – yes! – and she’s paved the way for another really great children’s writer which is Phillip Pullman, who has it all, I think!’

Amber: So if you’ve enjoyed the Harry Potter books, try reading Philip Pullman’s stories. Loads of adults think they’re brilliant too! Start with ‘His Dark Materials’… Now let’s recap the language we focussed on. fantasy – a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical events to be down to something – to be the result of something irresistible – overpowering cooler – more fashionable to be killed off – to be ended paved the way – prepared the way More entertainment news stories and language explanations next time at bbclearningenglish.com

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. What is the text about?
2. Do we know how many books were sold at midnight the day it was published?
3. Who is Amanda Craig?
4. How is "fantasy" described?
5. Which two things explain the popularity of the book?
6. Why JK Rowling books make wonderful films?
7. Why is JKR more respected?
8. Who is Phillip Pullman?

WELCOME DEAR STUDENTS

Welcome to this Advanced English Course or English Seminar. I congratulate you for being in this course because of your English knowledge. Remember that we must have some rules. Check this:

1. ATTENDANCE 90%. WHEN YOU HAVE TO MISS CLASSES, JUST LET ME KNOW IN ADVANCE, BUT YOU HAVE TO DO ALL YOUR WORKS ANYWAY.
2. PARTICIPATIONS 100%
3. DISCIPLINE 100%
4. HOMEWORKS 100%

So, it´s not that you must know English (remember, you already know it) but to work in this project and to contribute with your ideas and creativity to learn together and to develop as a useful persons for you, your family, your school and your country.

TASK NO. 1.
You can make a comment here but you also have to create your own blog in which, in the first place, you are going to present yourselves. Name, age, family, English background, address, phone number, hobbies, etc. Once you have already made it, you invite me to see it. OK, this is going to be fun but don´t forget that you´ll have to work. See you. Mtra. Marsella.