martes, 27 de noviembre de 2007

''Chilean Education and the role of future Teachers''

When I think in my near future, generally I feel a little bit scare, because nowadays children are not the same that they used to be years ago, now they don't have any respect for anything or anybody(generally), but it's also true that I have vocation to teach and I feel very well doing it, so when I balance these things, the scale always ends going to the side of my vocation, being this the main reason of why I’m studying to teach English... because I want to transmit the love that I have it, besides the fact that English will bring them many benefits for their future jobs.

Here in Chile is well known that the quality of English that is taught in schools is a little poor, being the verb “to be " taught for years, without achieving that the children create dialogs by themselves. In my opinion this happen because in most of municipal schools, children start learning the language only in 5th grade, being teaching just 2 or 3 hours a week and it’s not enough time to make them learn how to communicate using a language very different from the mother tongue.
It’s our duty as English's teachers, with the help of the education’s authorities, to change this reality, because it’s not possible that only private schools’ pupils can have the possibility of learning a quality English, speaking perfectly the language when they finish the school, whereas the pupils of municipal schools only know the basic vocabulary of this language, as the colors, the numbers and animals and they don’t even handle the verb to be in a good way when they graduate of the school.

You’re probably thinking... how we change this reality?

Well as I already mentioned, if the teaching of the English language was equally for everybody, since pre-school level, children would assimilate the language as natives, not as tourists (like most of adults that try to learn other language) because the brain is predisposed to the learning a new language when they are little children and this innate capacity last up to the puberty and this project might facilitate a lot, the secondary teachers' work who generally must teach basic contents as the verb "to be" over and over again because the secondary pupils don't have the necessary competences that they should have, in this form the quality of the education of English would improve a lot.

Finally I have to mentioned that as the word TEACHER says it, we have to teach children, but not just vocabulary and how to use it in a dialogue or how to communicate, we have to teach them values and give them the necessary tools in order that they could be better and successful persons in the future.
We have to guide them, not just deliver them all the necessary information, but helping them in order that they are capable of constructing their own learning.

domingo, 4 de noviembre de 2007

NICOLE

Nicole (her real name is Denisse Lillian Laval Soza), Chilean singer currently living in Miami, started her career at a very early age, in 1989.
Here in Chile she is one of the most important singers in the genre of music “Pop/Rock” of the last 20 years and one of very few ones that could internationalize her career on the competitive Anglo-Saxon market, since to widen her frontiers, Nicole decided to try some luck in Mexico, and then in the USA.
Now with five discs to her credit, the Chilean singer begins a new stage with the autoproduction of a new album, "APT"… but not many people know her history, which today I want to show you.


She began her musical career when she was just 12 years old. Her first album, “Perhaps I am falling in love” (Tal Vez me Estoy Enamorando) was locally successful, reaching Gold Status. Years later, the singer released “Waiting for nothing” (Esperando Nada), that was produced by Tito Davila (ex Enanitos Verdes), which sold more than 75,000 copies only in Chile. Then in 1997, “Dreams in transit” (Sueños en Transito), produced by Gustavo Cerati, made her deserving of recognition in Latin America as a consolidated singer.
In order to expand her horizons, Nicole decided to emigrate to Mexico and try her luck. Later she moved to the USA, where she managed to make contact with Bruno del Granado, who upon hearing her, made her a part of Madonna’s Latin label “Maverick Music”.
“Infinite journey” (Viaje Infinito), released in 2002, recorded in New York City and produced by Andres Levin, received a Grammy nomination for best Latin Female Vocalist. This album opened the door for her in the musical greats, including participating with the legendary band Chicago in the World Music Jam held in Radio City Hall. She sang with them the successful “If You Leave Me Now”.

During this time, Nicole participated in two cinematographic productions: “The Friend” (La amiga) in Miami and “For Rent” (Se Arrienda) in Chile. The films were recognized in various film festivals throughout the world.
Nowadays, the singer is promoting her most recent album entitled “APT” (apartment), produced by Jimmy Frazier and her, released in July of 2006 under her own label called “Chika Entertainment Inc.” The album’s first single is “If You Come for Me” (Si Vienes por Mi), the second single to be released from this album is "Veneno" (Poison), being more successful than the first choice.

In my opinion Nicole is one of few singers (if she is not the only one) that sounds better a live than in CDs, which makes see her in a live show, a real pleasure. I could verify this, in the last edition of the “Florida Music Fest”, event in which she participated and conquered all the public.



Watch these videos are really good!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsc7YXgAe8E => Culpables

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmWDhT-eAW8 => Esperando Nada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQwGG5yHA7s => Sin Gamulán

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Aq8UvnT-w => Despiértame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VmuIqraQws => Veneno

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxxsS5O6Mkg => Viaje Infinito

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuzPaBhrzl0 => Vida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhY8ttajCv8 => Gotas de Miel (song)