Buenos Aires (by Silvia)

It's been a while I have wanted to go to the Capital Porteña and it seems that the time has come. Next week, for the first time I'm going to Buenos Aires and I'm very excited about that.
Many friends have said I should do this and that, but I just feel like visiting the city not as a tourist, but as a Porteño, going to the places they usually go. I’m not the tourist kind that goes to the most visited places and take pictures only of the most famous spots. I like discovering things, people. Even though, I’m posting below a picture of Caminito, one of the most famous neighborhoods in the city.

Word Order (by Lucila)

Tuesday, 26 August 2008
On Team GB
A correspondent wonders about the 'unusual' grammar of the phrase Team GB, as used for the Olympics team. It reminds him of a North London pub in the 1970s called Pub Lotus (where it seems all the chairs were replica bucket seats from Lotus sports cars) and Canadian usages such as Health Canada. He adds: 'Here in the UK we seem to be in a transitional stage, with English Heritage coexisting with Sport England. It's not unlike the pattern seen in stock phrases taken from Norman French, e.g. court martial, battle royal - the difference being that in the modern pattern nouns, rather than adjectives, are used in apposition.'

But that difference is important, making the construction very different from the case of postposed adjectives. How unusual is it, in fact? If we construe it appositionally as 'the team which is, more specifically, GB', then the construction is not very different from the many cases of restrictive apposition which have been in English for a long time:

Mount Everest (= the mountain that is Everest)
Lake Windemere (= the lake that is Windermere)
River Thames (= the river that is Thames)
County Cork (= the county that is Cork)
Queen Elizabeth (= the Queen who is Elizabeth)
Dr Brown (= the doctor who is Brown)
architect Jim Smith (= the architect who is Jim Smith)
the number six (= the number that is six)
the year 2009 (= the year that is 2009)
my brother Fred (= my brother who is Fred)
Platform 3 (= the platform that is 3)
and so on.

But Team GB does have a certain rhetorical punch, which comes, I think, not only from the reversed word order but also from the omission of any determiner: compare the GB Team. This makes it like Operation Desert Storm, Hurricane Katrina, Eggs Benedict, and so on, as well as such dramatic names as Mission Impossible. Constructions such as Health Canada are interesting because of their use of an uncountable noun as the first element. And part of the effect of Team GB may derive from the fact that its first element is a collective noun. A few other collectives work in the same way, e.g. Club Med, Department 2, Generation X

Is the usage likely to extend beyond the present top-level institutional senses? Will we get Team England, Team Chelsea, and so on? It would be good to collect a few more examples of the current fashionable trend.
Posted by DC at 18:38 12 comments

http://david-crystal.blogspot.com/
Imagine how confused a speaker of English as foreign language can be when faced with a construction such as Team GB, if even an educated native speaker is. Word order seems to be a little bit tricky to many students of the English language, and it can be very hard to explain. The thing is, even though anyone with a certain level of proficiency in English can understand the meaning of expressions or names discussed in the text above, it is not so clear the reason for that. One thing to look at when faced with such unusual constructions is the fact that although English derives from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages, it was greatly influenced by French with the event of the Norman Invasion in 1066. This influence goes beyond the contribution of French words in the English lexicon and it is also responsible for a change in word order from Old to Middle English. But this pattern observation also poses us to the truth that English is changing every day, and besides the new vocabulary coined for specific purposes, there is slang being created, as well as idioms, expressions and so on. As Mr. Crystal said, let’s wait and see if this pattern becomes a new trend.

Black Hole? Armaggedon? Whada Hell! ( by Chrystian)

Some weeks ago you might heard about a pos

sible End of The World by a Black 

Hole artesanal made by humans, right?

Well, I read about it and discover that tale about 

the Armageddon is nothing less than gossip.

Swiss scie

ntists created the "LHC" - Large Hadron Collider - which is the biggest machine in the whole world; it has 27km of perimeter and cost more than £4 billions.

The LHC has as objective to control the acceleration in the atoms to see how it works and his variations. Another thing is to explain the origins of the elementary particles (Quarks and Leptons) and to do this job this project will count with more than 2,000 physics from more than 35 countries.

 

Some scientists are worried about this project because they believe that this machine can create a Black Hole on Earth and destroy everything around it. Well it's not THAT true. But, yes, this machine can create a Black Hole, but not dangerous. Due the fact that our atmosphere does not give conditions for a Black Hole to survive. And IF a Black Hole were created it would go out to Space, because it needs a 300,000km/sec to exist, to stay on Earth it would rotate only 15km/h. Otherwise it would be attracted to the Space. 

 

Moreover, special physicians as Antony Hawkins already researched about it and conclude that there are nay problems. So don't worry. It's not this time that we will have our final Judge with our Hearts being put on Anubis' Balance.

The mystery continues… (by Valéria Guilherme)

I was waiting to talk about my pregnancy after knowing if I will have a baby boy or a baby girl, but as we have just one more posting, there is no time for that. I had in mind that I would be able to talk about the big news this time, but unfortunately, the baby was too shy on our last appointment. This week I had to do an ultrasound, and maybe on it the doctor would be able to see the sex of my baby… unfortunately the baby was with her (or his) legs crossed, so it was impossible to confirm if I must to include on my shop list some pink ribbons or a little truck. However, no big deals, as the most important thing was to know that the baby is fine.
These last months are being a great surprise, with lots of discoveries and new things to learn and to care about it. I got from Solvejg a nice book that is helping me a lot to solve my doubts, concerns, and expectations… This book called “What to expect when you are expecting” by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. On it we can find useful information about everything related to pregnancy: the first symptoms, how the baby is developing through the weeks, how will be the first months before the childbirth. And on it you can also clarify doubts about exercises during pregnancy, all the body changes related to this period, what we must (or not) eat, the breastfeeding… so many comforted answers to millions questions that the future moms usually have.
I read this week that my baby is about palm-size, and his (or her) heart is regulated by the brain and clocks in at 140 to 150 beats per minute.
I know most of you are not interest yet on this subject, but this book is a good option for a present.

Internet & "crazy" ideas!!! (by Antônio)

It’s pretty clear to all of us that the Internet is an amazing tool for entertainment, research, communication and obviously education. In other words it changed our lives in many aspects. When it comes to education, the range of possibilities is endless. The computers and specially the Internet made a revolution in terms of education. Another interesting feature of the Internet is the amount of emails we receive, most of these emails are “chains”, jokes, useless or nonsense information. Some are meant to be funny; while others have a social purpose such as people looking for people who have disappeared, charity and advertisements in general. Once in a while I receive funny emails like power point presentations, small audio files, cartoons and pictures. As we, English teachers, are privileged professionals that can work with almost any topic in classroom, I’ve decided to plan warm ups and wrap ups activities base on these emails I get. So I’ve been thinking about using some of these emails in class.

I’m posting here 3 of these files, which are my favorite ones so far. The first on is called “The floating cat theory” and needs translation. The second is a cartoon already in English. I’ve thought of doing writing and speaking activities with it, but I’m not sure whether it could be used as a listening activity or not. The last is my favorite one; it’s an audio file of a conversation between Condoleeza Rice and George Bush. I’ve already done an activity with it in class; it was focused on listening, general knowledge and a little bit of grammar (phrasal verbs). These are only “crazy” ideas for classes, which need planning. Contributions are welcome, so feel free to send me your opinion about them and I’m sure you might also have some interesting stuff in your email boxes.

At least they are very funny!!!!!

PS: I couldn't attach the last two files here, so I sent them to this email account. ipappi3@gmail.com

Hum.... (by Cecília Haas Mezzomo)

Yeap, I’m really running out of ideas. I mean… not really. One of my most frequent thoughts lately is going to the beach and walk bare foot on the sand. Just that feeling would do wonders I suppose.

Time flies! It’s Monday, week begins and, with a blink of an eye and it’s the weekend. And soon it’s Christmas! In about two weeks it will be already possible to see the shopping malls all decorated.

Wow… it’s scary. By the way, in a week’s time, it’s gonna be Halloween. At the school where I work, there is going to be this huge party that we’ve been preparing since the beginning of October. Kids are doing crafts to decorate the room, we’ve been reading spooky stories, playing games, singing songs… really nice! I love this particular holiday.

Anyway… I’ve started writing about one thing, ended up with something else, but what I can’t forget to say is “THANKS LUCILA!” She knows why. (LOL)

The Freedom Writers (Solvejg Braathen)

I would like to talk about a film that I saw recently, which is The Freedom Writers. It is the true story of a literature teacher and what she had to face to teach a special class that no one wanted to teach. It is a story of strength and courage in which her class and she achieved success. Erin Gruwell is a new teacher that had to face her first group of students in the school. The class was a mix of African-American and Latino students, many of them had grown up in rough neighborhood. The students were not interested in anything, but she changed that, after a few days she motivated them to write about their own life, their problems and fears. And once they started to write they did not want to stop. It’s a very moving film and I think it is important to us, future teachers, to watch it. It film is based on the book with the same name, and there is also a website The Freedom Writes Foundation with information about the book and the film.

http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/site/c.kqIXL2PFJtH/b.2259975/k.BF19/Home.htm

Homeless People (By Anelise Sarantopoulos)

Living in the streets is a worldwide phenomenon. Around one hundred millions of people live like that in the whole world, and, in Brazil, around 26.615 people live in a miserable situation. But, nowadays, the homeless’ profile is not represented by the figure of an immigrant, usually Negro, with little schooling anymore. There is a new sort of homeless, formed by people who already had a job and who have a family. It is possible to find those who even speak a second language or who are graduated as well.
Although a part of homelesses in Brazil is unemployed, the major part of them practices a paid activity. They are recycling collectors, “car keepers” or civil constructions workers. But, even thus, their level of gains is really low: they earn between 20 and 120 “reais” a week. The major part of them does not receive any benefit of governmental organs, such as “Bolsa Família”; but they utilize the public health services, such as hospitals and health stations.
On the other hand, although the homelesses have to face all this difficulties every day, there are those who really worry about them. One example is the “Fundação de Assistência Social e Cidadania” (FASC), in Porto Alegre, which is a foundation created by the town hall of the town. This foundation offers some services that give support to children, teenagers, adults and old-aged people who live in the streets and also who live in a situation of poverty. These services have as main objective to develop on the target public the will of elaborate a new life project. The volunteers and the social assistants go through the streets of the town and they establish a confidence link with the people who are in the streets. There is also a service called “Acolhimento noturno” in which the homelesses can eat, sleep, take a shower and can participate of cultural and recreative activities.
Indeed, it is not easy to change the world, and to help all people who live in the streets. The change will delay to fulfill but, even thus, we must try. We are able to promote humans values and we can help people to find out and value their own human dignity.

They really deserve our help (by Júlia Rockenbach)

This’s a photo of a place where a couple takes care of many dogs (more than 150). In general they take animals from streets and provide them food, medicines, a place to live and love. These people sold their apartment and bought this place, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to do what they’ve been doing. They don’t have any servant to help them thus, they do everything by themselves and every month they spend around 2,500 reais on food, medicines, etc. One day, four months ago, they didn’t have any food to give to their dogs so that they decided to organize a campaign at Usina do Gasômetro in order to collect food (ração) for the dogs. The donations mantained the dogs for more two months, but now they need to do it again. They have already done it on September, but I received their e-mail just this month.

For people who like animals and who would like to help them, the dates for donations are October 25th and 26th; November 29th and 30th and December 27th and 28th at Usina do Gasômetro.

I’m not sure about the time they are going to be there, but I believe it will last all day. For people who want to know more about their job and who want to have a confimation of the event, here are their phone numbers and e-mail adress:

(51) 9911 9910 (Acyr) / (51) 8409 3260 (Ceres) / soscannisluppus@gmail.com

Wild Life X Confort Life (By Priscila Cunha)

I have been reading a book called “Into the Wild” from Jon Krakauer which depicts a real story about a guy called Chris Mcandlless. He left his family to take his backpack and live an adventure, goes to Alaska and stay there for two months without contact with technology, money and etc. He really wanted to be into the nature and live with the earth gives to him. But he made a mistake there and unfortunately he died.

Thinking of it I tried to understand what lead a person left everything to live a simple life. Because you need to be sure that you are prepared to do it. Today is it possible live only with the necessary? How to measure what is important and what is frivolous nowadays. Every place you look the media and also the people want to make us slaves of technology and make us buy more than we need. Are we prepared to live without these stuffs which we be used to? It’s important answer these questions to know if it’s important a change in your life style and have more quality in your life or realize that you are happy the way it is.

(Child's day - by Vanessa Filippini)

(CHILD’S DAY – by Vanessa Filippini)

In October 12th Brazilians commemorate the child’s day. During this week, most TV programs showed many documentaries related to children. I could watched some of them on Hoje Em Dia (a Rede Record program), like how to deal with hyperactive children, poor nutrition on Nordeste, pedophilia, campaigns to collect toys for needy children, child labor in Brasil and others. However, the documentary that most attracted my attention was the child’s day gift the Hoje Em Dia gave to children’s home Luz do Mirante in São Paulo. The home shelter around thirty orphans abandoned and molested children.
Unfortunately the children’s home was very old and the furniture too and the walls was discolored. The program output contracted an architect to make alterations in the home. During three days the children stayed in a hotel, which they could swim, play video game, ride horses, watch films and play a lot and al of them loved it.
In the children’s home the architect and her equip worked hard to finish all the reform.
In the last day in hotel, the hotelier gave a new television, home theater and a micro system away to the children.
When returned to home the children have a big surprise. The entire home was completely different, besides the bright color in the walls, was installed a new computer laboratory, library with new literary books, a Walt Disney classic DVDs collection and new toys. Some of them cried emotionally when saw their home completely new.
I think this child’s day will turned unforgettable for them. Congratulation to Rede Record and Hoje Em Dia output.

Farol de Santa Marta (by Antônio)

Dear folks, I’m writing about one of my favorite beaches in Santa Catarina. It is also one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

Farol de Santa Marta is a small beach in Santa Catarina that everybody must visit and help to protect. The beaches are very clean and the restaurants offer very good food.
The main beach is surround by a range of hills, the locals are very proud of their place because it’s a well-preserved area ecologically speaking. The beach is known by its lighthouse, which is one of the oldest of the Brazilian shore. Another sightseeing attraction is the foundation for the white whale protection. The shore of Santa Catarina is visited every year by the whales that go there to breed, so there is the need of constant protection.
Farol de Santa Marta beach has a colony of fishermen, so on everyday of the week you can buy fresh fish and seafood. To complete the countryside atmosphere, the houses were all built on the hills. Most of them are small, colorful and made of wood. There are houses that are really close to the sea, some have fireplace for those who wish to visit the beach in the winter.
For those who like being in touch with nature, having healthy food, enjoying the company of simple people and don’t like cars, television and mobile phones, Farol de Santa Marta is the right place to visit.
If you have nothing to do in the summer please visit this beach I bet you won’t regret it.

Public X Private Schools (Chrystian Oliveira)

Probably one of the things that I most hear in the Academic Enviroment when we talk about ou internships is the horror that a public schools are nowadays. Things like children with weapons in school, using drugs and almost having sex inside of it (probably they already do). And how students are agressive and dangerous loosing their respect with the teachers image, that they would obbey and follow as an example when they do not have it at home ( I know that some educations must me taught at home, but...). And at my internship I've been hearing some creepy stoies about students behavior. THe school that  I "work" is a Pivate one and goes from the Elementary to the High School and has two turns. I do my internship there at the afternoons three times per week and you just can't imagine the sort of things that I hear there. Things like students with drugs, weapons, confronting teachers at classroom, and sometimes as I have mentioned before, some stoies of students having sex along the school. The school is just a mess, and studentes are unstoppable. The teachers and the coordinators try to do everything to decrease this kind of behavior at school. They try to work side-by-side with children's parentals, but they seem just to close their eyes to somethig that is clearly visible: the lack  of respect and behavior.

I studied there when I was a elementary student and things were completely diferent, it's hard to understand how things can dramatically change just in a decade. Well, I listen to people talk about this same problems in other institutions, like the public ones. And frankly I do believe that time when we could clearly separate the Public and the Private school by their enviroment and teaching quality are things fom the past. Honestly I don't know what can be done to reverse this situation, but the things is that nowadays, public and private schools walk hand-in-hand. And people just gave up to try to revert this situation. As an almost teacher I do believe that we can do soemthing to help even if it is a minimal thing, it will be a great diferential.

Sexual Traffic (By Anelise Sarantopoulos)

I was thinking in what I will write in this week when I remember about a subject that I will use to present my social issues in English 4. It is about a sexual traffic, in specific in international traffic of women and children. I thought this after I saw a movie that is about it. In my opinion this is a strong movie that do we think about what are the value of the people, all the terrible situations that some women and children pass to do another person earn a lot of money.
This movie inform that every year more than one million people are trafficked across international borders against their will, this borders are mainly in New Jersey.
Well, I don’t now what this fell me so thoughtful about this subject and did me fell so upset. Must be because we think in our own life, our family, friends……..you can imagine if your brother, sister, daughter, son disappear? I think this situations cause so much despair.
In Claudia magazine, (number 08, ano47) we can find an article written by Priscila Siqueira, 69 years old that is very worry with this problem too.
Friends, I think to see this movie can change our head and we would think in something to help this people.In Portuguese the name of this movie is “Desaparecidos.

Legoland (by Bruno)

This week I was searching for some material to apply in my internship and I found a very interesting text in wikipedia website about the origin of “lego”, this fantastic toy that most of us have already played with. Well, among other information about the history of the company that produces the toy (Lego Group) and the stores that they have around the world, I underline the following: the country where Lego Group was based in 1932, which is Denmark; the word “lego”, that in Danish is “leg godt”, which means “play well” in English; and the legolands, the parks that are Lego themed. Here are some pictures of these parks:

Looking for a place to go..(by Eduarda Duarte)

One of the things I'm doing very often nowadays is going to restaurants that I've never been to. We always tend to go to the ones we already know for years and to eat the same things we've been eaten for years! At least I do. But now I'm trying to do it differently. It's a hard thing to do, especially for me, I don't really know new places to go in Porto Alegre. So I always look for information on the internet..and the website hagah is a good option for that. There's information and pictures about some restaurants including comments from people that have been there. So It's helping a lot.
On this website we can also find information about places (restaurants, pubs, hotels..etc..) to visit in Santa Catarina and in Parana. I recomend!
http://www.hagah.com.br/

My American Family (by Valéria Guilherme)

At the end of this month will turn one year that I visited my American family. At this time last year I participated in a workshop at Bausch & Lomb’s headquarter, so I had the opportunity to spend the weekend over with them. It was so nice and pleasant to see them again and most important thing was realized that our relationship is still strong even with the distance.
I spent the last six months of my exchange program with them. The first part of the program I stayed with another family, and as I had serious problems with the boy I took care of, I changed to Taylor’s house. As they enrolled on the program just because they wanted to help me, I was the first nanny they had. They decided to be part of the program because some friends of them had a Brazilian au pair (it is the way girls that participate on this program are called) on their house and she told them about my problem. So they decided to help me… this was one reason because for me they are very special: they did not need a nanny for a full time, they did not know anything about me, and even in front of this prospect they decided to help me.
Through the time I lived with them I was so happy and few weeks later my arrival I was totally involved with them specially with their baby Nicolo. He was a lovely boy and it was so easy to take care of him. Attached are some pictures of him when he was little and one from last year.

This experience for sure it was the most important challenge I have ever had in my life. Even the bad moments contributed to my growth, but through the good ones, I was able to learn how kind and generous someone can be.

P.S. I think they will be at my graduation so you can meet them and see how nice they are.

Follows the web site of the Program (it is the same one Priscila talked about it few weeks later): www.Aupair-World.net

Packing (by Lucila)

Do you find it difficult packing for a trip? I certainly do!

That's why I searched the net looking for tips for this not easy task. Well, it's not like I am taking a long trip, on the contrary, I am going to be away only for three days and I do not want to get to my host's house with lots of luggage. On the other hand, I can't figure out what to cut down on my list. I have to take hygiene products for me and my kid (and it does not make much of a difference if it is for 3 or for 30 days), clothes for rainy weather (I've already checked the weather forecast) and also for the beach (we might have a sunny window), and the same with shoes. Sunscreen, sunglasses, documents, mp3 for the trip, ohmygod! Well, guess what, two sites helped me concentrate on what's really necessary, one of them even reminding me to consider what to do with my pet (I've already arranged a hotel for the "lady") before I leave.

http://www.travelsense.org/TIPS/PACKING.CFM

The other one has options to choose from, such as lenght of the trip, temperatures you are going to get, what activities you plan to do, etc. You submit your information and they instantly create a list with all you need. And it is also a good idea to keep the list to check it when you pack to get back.

http://upl.codeq.info/

See you all when I am back! Cheers!

A Cultural Tip (by Solvejg)

This time I will recommend a play. Next week on 17th, 18th and 19th of October will be in Porto Alegre a Shakespeare’s play, Othello, at São Pedro Theater. I know that it might be a little too expensive because it is with Diogo Vilela (global actor) and it is at São Pedro but I think it is worth. Othello is my favorite play I know I wouldn’t miss it. We all need a recreative moment for the sake of change. To get more information about price and the play you can go to http://www.opuspromocoes.com.br/.

Laughing is contagious! (by Júlia Rockenbach)

I was looking for something interesting to write about here when I found a short text called “Why laughing is contagious". It reminded me of Douglas’ “show and tell” in English V, in which he talked about “Yawning”.
This text says that the University College London did a research which found out that the fact of people laugh without a reason, just because they see another person laughing occurs due to the action of “mirror-neurons”. They are located in the premotor cortex and inferior parietal lobule and are essential for imitation and language acquisition. This way, these mirror-neurons awake the comprehension of the meaning of gestures and body expressions and it makes us imitate what we see. The cause of this reaction hasn’t been known yet, but it might be because of a natural artifice that helps people in the social integration, unconsciously we want to be accepted by the group so we do what they do. This might be the same reason why we yawn when we see other people yawning, don’t you think?

This is not the text I read, but here you can read something about it.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/061212_laugh.htm

Volunteer teaching in Porto Alegre (by Silvia)

If you have availability and are looking for a reliable NGO (non-governmental organization) to dedicate your free time helping people, why not use your teaching skills to do so?
In Porto Alegre, more specifically in Lomba do Pinheiro, you can see the integrity of the organization IPDAE – Instituto Popular de Arte-Educação. This institution provides lower class children access to culture, music, art and education (including English classes). I know that it is a little far for most of us, but IPDAE has also an association relationship with Pão dos Pobres, which is located in Cidade Baixa.
How can you help? You don’t have to donate any money; you just have to have availability and sympathy.

If you are keen to the idea and have some spare time, get in touch with me and I can introduce you to the people there. Unless you prefer to contact them directly. Feel free.

The main point here is to help those who need it.