Virginia

Get ready for the DISCOVERY party!

2009-05-13T09:50:00.003+02:00

Any ideas? any problem?
Let us know so that we can share it at the party!

Nicenet

2009-04-17T11:00:00.001+02:00

"Nicenet" Una comunidad internáutica de fácil acceso.

Los BLOGs en el aula

2009-04-17T10:52:00.001+02:00

Un proyecto de BLOGs como excusa para desarrollar la escritura creativa:

Welcome to the teacher's Blog

2008-09-26T13:12:00.002+02:00

As we are starting a new school year, I encourage you to visit my previous year student's blogs for you to see how active and creative they were.

I hope you enjoy learning English as much as I enjoy teaching!

Discoveries. Ian McEwan

2008-03-26T20:42:00.001+01:00

I’m curious enough to follow my instincts when I read a review about a film. Thus it was with the film Atonement based on the novel of the same title by Ian McEwan. When I saw the film, I liked it, but I had the feeling that the novel would give that detailed information I was longing to know and the film, in spite of the beautiful scenes could not provide. I was right. His writing hooks you completely.
Here is a little taste of the film for you to admire the beauty of some scenes:

What I have discovered after the experience of the film is that Evan McEwan is one of the best British literary authors of the present time. His literature is real, deep, modern, and passionate. He explores the human beings and the conflicting situations they inevitably come across. I’ve just finished reading Enduring Love and realized that there’s also a film to the novel. What intensity! And how easily you think you can control a situation that when you are on a dire straits, you just can, or can’t you? Here is a good example of both:

Enjoy them in the original version. They are both stories excellent films and novels.

Once

2008-02-19T12:47:00.003+01:00

I cannot speak but I can listen and of course I can watch! I love the movies, so, tired of being at home, I took my beloved train to Barcelona which I miss so much and went to see “Once”. My intention here is to convince you all to go and watch it!
There are plenty of reviews you may read on the Net. Have a look for yourselves, I’m not going to tell you about these but I just want to encourage you to take some time to go to the Verdi Cinemas. It’s going to be removed, so do it soon!
The film is fresh and unconventional. The English – Irish can be easily understood (maybe because the main female character is a foreigner, just like you) because they do not speak too fast and, of course, they sing. They clearly sing and pronounce words really well. Let me know if you watch it.
Here is a taste of the film! Enjoy it!

A matter of identity: Chasing a “tortilla” sandwich

2008-01-20T12:04:00.000+01:00

While I am still trying to assimilate the book I have read in French Les Identités Meurtrières by Amin Maalouf (a must!!!) and still wondering about personal and community identities, I am facing the fact of the disappearance of the French Omelette “bocata”. Last Thursday I did not have time to have a proper lunch, so I decided to have my favourite sandwich. My first attempt was a bar I had visited in the past quite often. The owner was a very nice, stout lady with a fresh, friendly and county look, who used to ask me to keep an eye at her bar while she was in the kitchen making the omelette. She was not there, instead I found a Chinese looking young woman, very polite and smiling by the way, but she could not understand “un bocadillo de tortilla”, please. She looked so puzzled that I wasn’t even able to ask what had happened to the previous lady. I finally gave up and went into another bar in the neighbourhood and asked for the same thing. The man, this time, said “de patata”? I corrected him “francesa” I said, so I could get my precious desire accomplished. He was sorry but he could not make such sandwich. My third attempt was another bar on the corner. I asked for the food almost reluctantly and completely decided to fast in case nobody could make it. The bar tender said that his stove did not work and he could only offer me a tuna, cheese, jam or sausage sandwich. I probably showed my discouragement so clearly that a man having his “carajillo” looked compassionately at me and said. “Go across the street, a few meters down, they’ll make you one there”. That was going to be my last attempt and I was so happy to hear after my request “kitchen, a French omelette sandwich, with tomato!”, “marchando!” was the answer from the rear room. I think I’ve never enjoyed a meal so much as I did last Thursday but I fear the disappearance of a real identity meal. At least it is for me! Are you ready to fight that reality? Or, are we fighting against the inevitable?

Best Wishes

2007-12-22T12:38:00.000+01:00

I’ve tried to update with my corrections. However try to understand if there is one among your posts that has not been corrected. This will happen. If I don’t correct everything it doesn’t mean you do not have to write. You MUST WRITE in order to get loose, to practise, to respond more naturally. It is a constant training.

Enjoy the holidays but do not forget your English completely during these days. Enjoy yourself and use the language for your own benefit. Each of you learns in a different way. Find your own learning way!!!

Suggestions? Films, English TV programmes, articles on topics you are interested in, pod casts, going to the country if possible really or virtually…

I’m leaving for Marseille in a few hours. I will not be able to check my mail, so meanwhile I do hope that you enjoy your holidays and send you my best wishes for the New Year.

And do not be too “shopaholic”…

Bits of daily/weekly life

2007-11-12T11:13:00.000+01:00

Hi there!

I can understand how difficult it is to find time to write for some of you. I specially understand you now with my daily railway problems. I’m stolen a couple of hours of my “leisure” time everyday going up and down trains and busses. I’m quite desperate. I have to admit I feel more exhausted than I’ve ever been. Probably because I’m getting a “little” older but in any case this lost is by no means justifiable. These works drive me crazy!

I promised I was going to write from Galicia (25-27 October) but time flew! I was really busy and a little nervous before my presentation. After my presentation everything was easier. People were really interested in the topic and many teachers ended up by creating their own blogs. These teachers are now writing to me saying how thrilled they feel with their new toy: their BLOGS.

But I want to tell about a moment that was really special to me. You know these times in life that you do not know why but they reach you and you perceive them in a very special way… It was Friday. I had finished all my presentations and workshops and we were wandering around the streets of Santiago. I find this city so special…!!! All of a sudden I could listen to a crowd of heavenly voices. The moon up in the sky was full, the streets were empty and I thought there was a kind of magic in the air… We got into the church of “Las Ánimas”, and all the choir people from England were gracefully singing. There was an international choir meeting and they were surprisingly singing in front of a very scarce audience. I was sorry but at the same time the silence, the dim light and the emptiness of the church contributed to the magic. I was delighted.

Last long week end was quite nice too (1-4 November). I enjoyed my visit to Majorca with my little granddaughter. We went to see the loquat she planted two years ago. It had grown!! And we all enjoyed the stay at my friend’s country house and the visit to Porto Colom to another friend’s house by the port. The latter is the house of my dreams, not only because of the building but from what you see from inside out. A house overlooking the sea, the port in this case which at the time it was quiet and the light at sunset was incredible. I love the Mediterranean. It is the thing I miss most when I am away from it. What do you miss most when you are away?

Last week end I spend shopping, cooking and correcting. No time at all during the week!! Not really thrilling but it was necessary. I think I have almost updated all my corrections!

Keep going and writing of course!

Bits of myself

2007-10-19T23:30:00.000+02:00

After reading your wonderful presentations, I feel I owe a debt of gratitude to you. What can I say about me? I think the teacher cannot be anyone else but herself, so let’s tell you a little bit about myself, my real self.
I was born in Sitges, a town I dearly love because living there made me more open minded and curious than if I had been born somewhere else, I think.

When I was a little girl I was delighted at the different languages that were spoken in my town. The undistinguishable sounds were a “music” that I have been listening to all my life. Funny enough, I recalled my childhood when I was living in New York a few years ago. Walking in the streets and listening to so many different languages was a real pleasure! So, foreign languages have to do with my pleasures as well as with my profession.

I call myself “Virginia” on the blog because I am a real fan of Virginia Woolf. I adore her literature and I have been, for ages, fascinated by her character. My favourite book is To the Lighthouse, maybe because I felt identified with the main character at the time I read it. I will never, never in my life, unfortunately, be able to write like her. She is a real delight and challenge to read! I enjoyed A Room of One’s Own a lecture she gave encouraging women to have a little space of their own to be able to write, when women did not have many privileges at the beginning of the 20th century.

There are many more things you will involuntarily discover about the teacher during this year while we establish this complicity in the classroom. That’s the only way I’ve found to really involve learners in their learning and… I DO care for your learning!

That’s all for now… the rest, little by little. I encourage you to ask questions about me if you are curious enough because this… this is just the beginning!

Enjoy the experience!

Welcome to the Teacher's Blog

2007-09-24T14:21:00.001+02:00

Dear Students,

I am starting a new, well quite new experience with you. As you know it is very important that you loosen yourselves up with writing, reading and specially speaking this school year. You have to believe in that! So, it also means you have to work hard to get easy with communication. No secrets, a simple piece of advice: write, read and find many chances to speak the language you are learning. Only if you do so, you will improve your skills. A few things to consider and talk about in class before we meet:

1. We are going to work with anonymous blogs. Do you know what a blog is? Find out here: https://www.blogger.com/start and if you succeed in opening one the better but do not give the blog your real name, give it a nickname. It will be more fun but if you want to be yourselves, go ahead with your own name.

2. We are going to have a class page to share links basically but we shall use it to send mails or communicate with people from the class. The page is in www.nicenet.org and this is your key to access the class: 82Z5Z5746. In this page you should not be anonymous. So use a username that has to do with your name and use a password for you to access the page. This password you will only know. Write it down when you register. Some students forget their password and you are going to need it every time you access the page.

That’s all for now!
I’ll see you very soon.
All the best,

The teacher