Carolina

=Cover letter for my portfolio=

This is my current writing portfolio. I developed it for the TDC course during the last few months, feeling challenged every single minute of it.

I have always had a knack for creative writing, but writing more formal and strictly structured texts was something I had rarely had to do and always performed mostly based on my “gut feeling” of what was right or wrong, essay-wise. Since my usual writing as you can most certainly see, is quite informal and possibly overly friendly, developing a new and more mature style was something I found quite hard and am not yet sure I have even started to achieve... But I'm sure this course set me in the correct direction by making me aware of my failings, not to mention all the help it provided regarding the use of connectors and punctuation.

Looking through the first and last essays, you can see how much of an effort I began to make in order to sound somewhat more formal. The middle essay, my narrative piece, is written in my usual style, just slightly toned down in coloquial expressions. I hope they show who I am as a writer at this point, and that I can compare these texts to what I produce in the future to see how far I can go.



Stop splitting infinitives, Star Trek!

Essay 1
Why is speaking English sought by so many people in the modern world? Being bilingual has always represented an advantage in many cultures, but since the advent of English as a recognized lingua franca, the opportunities awarded to its speakers, native or otherwise, have increased dramatically. Today, having command of this language allows those from different cultural backgrounds to interact in ways that can help them in their studies and jobs, regardless of where they are originally from.

Communicating effectively as an English as a Second Language learner (ESL learner) is many times essential to gather knowledge that has not been altered. If you don’t have to rely on translations or information that is readily available in your own native language, your limits expand considerably. You can understand what is yet to be widely acknowledged in your country, for example, and there is little need to acquire second-hand data. Even though this is true of knowing any other language, it is particularly interesting from the point of view of an ESL, since most articles and papers are published in this language in many areas of human interest - ranging from sciences and humanities to the most mundane topics and the most obscure hobbies. Most websites are published in English, as are most newspapers and online news reports, and having direct access to them will save you time.

In the work environment, being proficient in English enables one to participate in panels, speeches, conferences and trips that would otherwise be unavailable unless under the guidance of an interpreter. Not only does this facilitate your absorption and exchange of knowledge, but being an ESL learner also makes it much easier to export whatever you might have to offer, both literally and figuratively. While this is clearly good for commerce, since your potential clients can understand what you have to offer and how to get it, being able to make yourself comprehended in English boosts your curriculum and is a step in making your own papers and studies known worldwide. Because of these advantages, ESL learning is quite useful for most working people, from academics to businessmen, and simply vital in certain areas such as tourism and online commerce.

ESL learning is also advantageous for those who want to study abroad, even in a country that isn’t originally an English-speaking environment. Many renowned Universities and PhD programs require a hopeful applicant to speak English in order to be taken into consideration, and having a recognized proficiency certificate is necessary in order to take their tests. Even if you are only interested in undergraduate studies, English is so widespread these days that most of its speakers aren’t native, and you can go to many countries - such as Germany and Japan - and study about any area in English (or even get an English degree). And in case you have no interest in going to a foreign country, knowing ESL will also help you in your research in your own studies wherever you might live.

Comprehending and expressing yourself in English allows you to take the reins of knowledge into your own hands. It overrides the need of a third party that might manipulate information you are interested in, gives you a head start over non-ESL competitors in both your work and your studies and facilitates your learning of virtually all possible subjects.

Essay 2
My entire life was shaped by a decision my parents made twenty four years ago. In 1988, my father was awarded an amazing opportunity – a scholarship in order to further his studies, paid by his public job! There was just a little problem… He would have to move to far off Wales, to study at the Bangor University. My mother wasn’t too happy to go abroad for who knew how many years, especially since she spoke very little English and I was only three years old. After a few conversations, she decided thatit would be worth trying, even though we were all very close to her family and would need some time to adapt. She supported my father and we left Brazil three months after he had gone to Bangor to establish himself and get everything ready for our arrival.

The flight itself wasn't too terrible, as far as I can remember, but the arrival left me bewildered. I couldn't understand a single thing those people were saying! My parents explained that I would learn English, the main language spoken in Bangor. They treated learning as a very good opportunity, not only some temporary necessity caused by our need to live there for a few years. My mother did her best to help me settle down, and by the time kindergarten started, I could even introduce myself properly. Yet I sensed this invisible language barrier, and not many of my new Welsh classmates tried to cross the bridge between us and be friendly. I was actually somewhat relieved when the school started offering us, the little foreigners, some separate lessons - but that relief only lasted until I noticed that while we were studying more English, the local children were having a break and watching the telly!

During the following months, despite missing my family, immensely disliking the school’s food and having few friends, I got quite used to Bangor, and more importantly, to English. At first, when I couldn’t communicate as well as I would like to, I drew for the school’s contests. This became an important tool for me, and I kept drawing even as I became fluent - a process that didn’t take long. While I was experiencing all this at school, my mother was helping me at home. She gave me extra classes herself and did everything she could to give me the much needed incentive in my studies in both languages that were an active part of my life. By the time I was four, I had learned to read in English; things clicked together in that language much quicker than they did in Portuguese.

This was a major turn-around point for me. As I started reading, I noticed that I really enjoyed it. Perhaps it was some sort of escape valve for my stress, but reading became my main hobby and through it, my English became much better. I soon reached the point where I even began dreaming in that language. Portuguese took the backseat and I discovered, much to my dismay, that I actually liked English. I needed it to communicate, sure - but it had also become "my” language, the language of my imagination, thoughts and plans.

We spent almost four years abroad before my father was done with his studies. He went back to his job, my mother got a new one where she could practice her much improved English and I started taking English classes. Until this day, I am very glad that my parents didn’t simply let me idle and stop studying the language since it was no longer vital – the way they dealt with things, immediately looking for an English school while enrolling me in a regular Brazilian school, didn't allow me enough time to forget anything I had learned.

Unfortunately, I finished the advanced course too young and, given the option, I chose not to study English formally anymore in high school. I still read in English, of course, and I watched everything I could without the subtitles, but by the time I was 15, my English was no longer as good as it had once been. My native accent had faded away a long time before and by then my vocabulary had also started to dwindle. Worse, I l ost the very firm grasp I once had on certain structures – but I never really lost that ability to “know” that something sounds awkward, grammatically speaking, when it’s wrong. Noticing that my English skills weren’t being used enough, and approaching that time in life when you have to make a career choice that might as well change your whole future, I decided I would go back to studying English in college. When I told my mother this, she was fine with my decision, but couldn’t bring herself to support my possibly becoming a teacher… Which led me to apply for Translation instead.

Studying Translation, I became much better at writing than I had been before, and I favored creative writing over all else in precisely the same way I had always favored fiction over all other books. I also became good at translating things quickly and my vocabulary dramatically increased - but it took me less than a year to notice I wouldn’t enjoy living the life of a translator unless I could work solely in certain areas, and that managing to work like this wasn’t very likely. I would much rather do something more dynamic and interesting. I began to feel haunted by uncertainty, and kept to the path I had designed for myself, until one day I admitted that I would prefer to follow my heart and become an English teacher. I started getting part-time jobs on just about anything that let me lose my natural timidity, while still doing freelance translations and studying, so that by the time I finished college I could think of teaching without having to get a different degree. Meanwhile, I forgot something very basic; it didn’t occur to me that I lacked a deep understanding of English grammar or, even more important, that I had never made an effort to learn how to teach.

After I left college, I noticed my mistake. I spent a while working with translation, learning how to deal with clients and wondering if I should get a Teacher’s Degree or try to learn how to be an effective teacher through practice. I remembered my past teachers, the good and the bad, and came to the conclusion that the ones who influenced me the most were the Welsh teachers that had taught the foreign children with creativity, innovation and kindness. I thought that maybe these characteristics had more to do with a person's own self than with any formally learned knowledge, and set forward to getting a teaching job and learning the rest in any way I could while practicing these qualities I liked so much. Eventually, I arrived at Casa Thomas Jefferson and soon learned more in a month than I had learned in the previous six! This was both a bit frightening and absolutely exhilarating - and it still is. Now I dream of specializing in teaching children and helping them acquire a second language in a way as close as possible to what my old teachers did for me back in Bangor.

Essay 3
This semester the TDC module dedicated to writing was experimentally divided in a way that differed from the norm. There would be face-to-face classes on Wednesdays, but instead of classical Monday classes, students would engage in online activities over the weekend. Discussions would mostly happen in the classroom, but the writing process itself, along with reading and researching, would take place mainly over the Internet. I firmly believe that the writing course should be kept thus divided, as the experience was most profitable learning-wise.

The theory behind this division of the module is sound: being a writing-focused class, there is much that students aren’t able to accomplish in the usual on-the-spot class arrangement. Two lessons in the classroom each week would obligatorily rely heavily on a great amount of homework to fit all writing-learning needs, such as reading, discussing, brainstorming, practicing, writing drafts and essays. Several of these activities, especially the ones related to the practical aspects of the course, could be better dealt with by each student on his or her own, allowing learners to be more independent than when learning a more receptive skill or having to maintain personal interaction. Merging homework with a second, online, class every week would also free space in the face-to-face class to do whatever might be impossible or almost impossible online

Many people think that e-learning isn’t as effective as face-to-face learning. They apparently believe that the old-fashioned approach to teaching, necessarily including students sitting in a classroom, is much better **,** since it allows more contact between those involved in the process, the teacher has a stricter control over the environment and, of course, it is theoretically more dynamic and interactive. This manner of thinking fails to take into consideration that with modern technology and media resources including blogging platforms and self-publishing devices, online lesson **s** can be as interesting, varied and energetic as the best classically **-** taught classes. Not only that, but they can also introduce different ways of stimulating learning that wouldn’t be available in an ordinary classroom, such as allowing the students to create podcasts. It can also facilitate commenting on each other’s work (even anonymously), an activity that could take quite long if done otherwise. These possibilities were all put to test during these past months.

The students who shared this newly divided module were able to do certain activities following their own pace instead of being pressured to write in an unnatural speed. Most of these students also managed to interact online almost as much as they would in class through the use of comments and spontaneous student-created discussions instead of only keeping to what they were formally instructed to do. What they were instructed to do was, indeed, very well thought of and encompassed many skills, taking into consideration: the time an average student would need to complete their tasks, information on where and how to research certain topics, what terms should necessarily be used in future essays, etc. Since the instructions were clearly written in a place easily accessed by the members of the group, very little space for misunderstanding was left **,** even though there was much to learn and think about. Not everyone was familiar with certain online resources prior to the course’s beginning, but the technologies explored were well-chosen and managed to interest the students while also awakening their communicative and curious personalities.

In daring to experiment with the writing course, the TDC organizers managed to make** it ** clear that the use of new technologies while teaching doesn’t need to happen only in the classroom. In using a blended learning approach, this module pandered to different types of learners and gave them all opportunities to do what they do best.

__Teaching Technique 15__

__Help ELLs manage the daunting chunks of grammar information__

The book suggest that lists can be used to help users understand and memorize large tasks by looking for patterns within the lists - never just telling the students they need to memorize these lists, but actually helping them find ways to do so. Examples might include irregular verbs and uncountable nouns.

Patterns seen in irregular verbs lists include A-A-A (such cut-cut-cut, which never changes), A-B-B for the verbs that have the same past tense and past participle, or A-B-C for verbs that are never the same in it's tenses. Other types of patterns can be seen - for example, certain irregular verbs might end with "-en", suchas the past participles for driven/spoken/eaten, while some might lose an "i" to get an "a" such as sink/sank, drink/drank and swim/swam. Pointing theses simmilarities and telling the students to make their own lists consisting of words that "act" the same helps them memorize how they work.

__Voicethread assignment__

media type="custom" key="11517868"

--- = = = **Writing - TDC 2** =

** First draft **:
Being bilingual in the modern world is something sought by most people. It allows you to outreach your typical range, to interact with people who might have important or interesting information to share and to communicate not only with native speakers of the language you learn but also with other second language speakers from different backgrounds.

Communicating effectively in a second language is essential to gather knowledge in many fields. You don't have to rely on translations and second-hand reports if you can understand - and express - whatever you need. It is an investment that saves time, money (it's cheaper to take English lessons, for example, than to pay for translators every single time you must attend a videoconference), and above all, it allows the bilingual person to take the reins of the comprehension process into his or her own hands.

It should also be notes that today’s undeniable lingua franca is English – there were more non-native speakers than native ones in the first decade of the 21st century and these numbers can only go up. Thus, learning English as your second language will allow you to interact with people from many cultures.

Learning a second language, particularly one as popular as English, is more than an interesting way to pass time or a possible way to move forward in business; it is a real necessity for many professionals and those interested in foreign cultures, not to mention making friends and doing business out of their original language-based boundaries.

**Second draft:**
Why is speaking English sought for by so many people in the modern world? Being bilingual has always represented an advantage in many cultures, but since the advent of English as a recognized lingua franca the opportunities awarded to its speakers, native or otherwise, have increased dramatically. Today, having command of this language allows those from different cultural backgrounds to outreach and interact in ways that can help them in their hobbies, studies and jobs, regardless of where they are originally from.

Communicating effectively as an English as a second language learner (ESL learner) is many times essential to gather knowledge that has not been tampered with. If you don’t have to rely on translations or information that is readily available in your own native language, your limits expand considerably. You can understand what is yet to be widely known in your country, for example, and there is little need of relying on second-hand data. Even though this is true of knowing any other language, it is particularly interesting from the point of view of ESL, since mostarticles and papers are published in this language in many areas of human interest - ranging from sciences and humanities to the most mundane topics and the most obscure hobbies. Most websites are published in English, as are most newspapers and online news reports, and having direct access to them will save you time.

In the work environment, being proficient in English enables one to participate in panels, speeches, conferences and trips that would otherwise be unavailable unless under guidance of an interpreter. Not only does this facilitate your absorption and exchange of knowledge, but it makes it much easier to export whatever you might have to offer, both literally and figuratively. While this is clearly good for commerce since your potential clients can understand what you have and how to get it, being able to make yourself comprehended in English boosts your curriculum and is a step to make your own papers and studies known worldwide. Because of these advantages, ESL learning is quote useful for most working people, from academics to businessmen, and simply vital in certain areas such as tourism and online commerce.

ESL is also advantageous for those who want to study abroad, even in a country that isn’t originally an English-speaking environment. Many renowned Universities and PhD programs require a hopeful applicant to speak English in order to be taken into consideration, and having a recognized proficiency certificate is necessary in order to take their tests. Even if you are only interested in undergraduate studies, English is so widespread these days that most of its speakers aren’t native, and you can go to diverse countries - such as Germany and Japan - and study about any area in English (or even get an English degree). Even if you have no interest in going to a foreign country, knowing ESL will help you in your research in your own studies wherever you might live.

Comprehending and expressing yourself in English allows you to take the reins of the English to native language process, and vice-versa, into your own hands. It overrides the need of a third party that might manipulate information you are interested in, gives you a head start over non-ESL learning competitors in both your work and your studies and facilitates your learning of virtually all possible subjects.

**Third Draft:**
Why is speaking English sought after by so many people in the modern world? Being bilingual has always represented an advantage in many cultures, but since the advent of English as a recognized lingua franca, the opportunities awarded to its speakers, native or otherwise, have increased dramatically. Today, having command of this language allows those from different cultural backgrounds to interact in ways that can help them in their hobbies, studies and jobs, regardless of where they are originally from. //(Again, I think hobbies is not the right word here because the first paragraph in the body does not talk about hobbies in general; it talks about he search for knowledge, hobbies being one example provided)//

Communicating effectively as an English as a Second Language learner (ESL learner) is many times essential to gather knowledge that has not been altered. If you don’t have to rely on translations or information that is readily available in your own native language, your limits expand considerably. You can understand what is yet to be widely acknowledged in your country, for example, and there is little need to acquire second-hand data. Even though this is true of knowing any other language, it is particularly interesting from the point of view of an ESL, since most articles and papers are published in this language in many areas of human interest - ranging from sciences and humanities to the most mundane topics and the most obscure hobbies. Most websites are published in English, as are most newspapers and online news reports, and having direct access to them will save you time.

In the work environment, being proficient in English enables one to participate in panels, speeches, conferences and trips that would otherwise be unavailable unless under the guidance of an interpreter. Not only does this facilitate your absorption and exchange of knowledge, but it also (being an ESL learner) makes it much easier to export whatever you might have to offer, both literally and figuratively. While this is clearly good for commerce, since your potential clients can understand what you have to offer and how to get it, being able to make yourself comprehended in English boosts your curriculum and is a step in making your own papers and studies known worldwide. Because of these advantages, ESL learning is quite useful for most working people, from academics to businessmen, and simply vital in certain areas such as tourism and online commerce.

ESL learning is also advantageous for those who want to study abroad, even in a country that isn’t originally an English-speaking environment. Many renowned Universities and PhD programs require a hopeful applicant to speak English in order to be taken into consideration, and having a recognized proficiency certificate is necessary in order to take their tests. Even if you are only interested in undergraduate studies, English is so widespread these days that most of its speakers aren’t native, and you can go to many countries - such as Germany and Japan - and study about any area in English (or even get an English degree). And in case you have no interest in going to a foreign country, knowing ESL will also help you in your research in your own studies wherever you might live.

Comprehending and expressing yourself in English allows you to take the reins of the English to native language process //(I`m sorry I overlooked this the first time around, but I don't really get what you mean here)//, and vice-versa, into your own hands. It overrides the need of a third party that might manipulate information you are interested in, gives you a head start over non-ESL competitors in both your work and your studies and facilitates your learning of virtually all possible subjects.

Apart from my issue about the hobbies part, everything else in your writing is excellent. The highlight is definitely your use of vocabulary. ---


 * Setting:** Brasília - Brazil, and Bangor – Wales.


 * Main characters:** My parents and I.


 * Plot:** In 1988, my father decided to temporarily move to Wales in order to further his studies, and my mother and I went with him. I was three years old and suddenly living in a place where nothing was familiar to me – it was cold, my family and friends were half a world away, and far worse, I couldn't understand anything people said. Thus began my English learning adventures, including feeling excluded by my Welsh classmates and having to take extra-classes with other foreigners, learning how to read in English before learning it in Portuguese, finding out that I loved reading and discovering that I actually really enjoyed English too. After spending years abroad, we came back to Brazil and I started taking English lessons. Eventually, I decided I would like to work with the language, shaping my future according to this four year long experience in my childhood.


 * Climax:** The shift from learning English because I had to communicate to learning English because I wanted to, and how one thing led to the other.


 * Ending:** Becoming a teacher at CTJ and how my childhood experiences shaped my professional path.

Giving Feedback on a peer's outline - by Louise
The outline is very clear to me, Carol gave many examples and details, specially in the Plot.
 * 1. Is there any aspect of the outline that looks unclear to you?**

I think that all areas are very well developed, so I don't have any specific suggestion.
 * 2. Can you think of an area in the outline that needs more development? Do you have any specific suggestions?**

I think you Carol could've given fewer details in the plot. After reading it I felt like I don't even have to read the essay to know what happended.
 * 3. If you have any other ideas or suggestions, write them here.**

First draft:
My entire life was shaped by a decision my parents made twenty four years ago. In 1988, my father was awarded an amazing opportunity – a scholarship in order to further his studies, paid by his public job! There was just a little catch… He would have to move to far off Wales, to study at the Bangor University. My mother wasn’t too happy to go abroad for who knew how many years, especially since she spoke very little English and I was only three years old. After a few conversations, she decided to take a chance, even though we were all very close to her family and would need some time to adapt. She supported my father and we left Brazil three months after he had gone to Bangor to establish himself and get everything ready for our arrival.

The flight itself wasn't too terrible, as far as I can remember, but the arrival itself left me bewildered. I couldn't understand a thing those people were saying! My parents explained that I would learn English, the main language spoken in Bangor. They treated learning as a very good thing, not only some temporary necessity caused by our need to live there for a few years. My mother did her best to help me settle down, and by the time kindergarten started, I already knew some basics and could even introduce myself properly. Yet I sensed this invisible language barrier, and not many of my new Welsh classmates tried to cross the bridge between us and be friendly. I was actually somewhat relieved when the school started offering us, the little foreigners, some separate lessons - but that relief only lasted until I noticed that while we were studying more English, the local kids were having a break and watching TV!

During the following months, despite missing my family, hating the school’s food and having basically a pair of friends, I got quite used to Bangor, and more importantly, to English. At first, when I couldn’t communicate as well as I would like to, I drew for the school’s contests. This became an important tool for me, and I kept drawing even as I became fluent - a process that didn’t take long. While I was experiencing all this at school, my mother was helping me at home. She gave me extra-classes herself and did everything she could to give me much needed incentive in my studies in both languages that were an active part of my life. By the time I was four, I had learned to read in English; things clicked together in that language much quicker than they did in Portuguese.

This was a major turn-around point for me. As I started reading, I noticed that I really enjoyed it. Perhaps it was some sort of escape valve for my stress, but reading became my main hobby and through it, my English became much better. I soon reached the point where I began dreaming in that language, complaining about everything in it, and so on. Portuguese took a step back in my life and I discovered, much to my dismay (as much as a 5 year old can be in dismay!) that I actually liked English. I needed it to communicate, sure, but it had become "my” language, the language of my imagination, thoughts and plans.

We spent almost four years abroad before my father was done with his studies. He went back to his job, my mother got a new one where she could practice her much improved English and I started taking English classes. Until this day, I am very glad that my parents didn’t just let me be and stop studying the language because it was no longer vital – the way they dealt with things, immediately looking for English school while enrolling me in regular Brazilian school, didn't give me the time to forget anything I had learned.

Unfortunately, I finished the advanced course too young and given the option, teenager me chose not to study English formally anymore in high school. I still read in English, of course, and I watched everything I could without the subtitles, but by the time I was 15 my English was no longer as good as it had once been. My accent had faded away a long time before and by this time my vocabulary started to dwindle. Worse, I lost the very firm grasp I once had on certain structures – but I never really lost that ability to “know” something sounds awkward, grammatically speaking, when it’s wrong. Noticing that my English skills weren’t being used enough, and approaching that very frightening time in life where you have to make a career choice that might as well change your whole future, I decided I would go back to studying English in college. When I told my mother of this, she was okay with it, but absolutely didn’t support my possible becoming a teacher, so I chose Translation instead.

Studying Translation, I became much better at writing than I had ever been before, and I favored creative writing over all else in precisely the same way I had always favored fiction over all other books. I also became good at translating things quickly and my vocabulary was dramatically increased - but it took me less than a year to notice I wouldn’t enjoy living the life of a translator unless I could work only in certain areas, and that wouldn’t be very likely. I would much rather do something more dynamic and interesting. I began to feel haunted by uncertainty, and just go with the flow… Until one day I admitted that I would prefer to follow my heart and become an English teacher. I started getting part-time jobs on just about anything that let me lose my natural timidity while still doing freelance translations and studying, so that by the time I finished college I could think of teaching without having to change my major. Meanwhile, I forgot something very basic; it didn’t occur to me that I was lacking a deep understanding of English grammar or, even more important, I had never made an effort to learn how to teach.

After I left college, I noticed my mistake. I spent a while working with translation, learning how to deal with people and wondering if I should get a Teacher’s Degree or try to learn how to be an effective teacher through practicing. I remembered my past teachers, the good and the bad. I came to the conclusion that the ones who influenced me the most were the Welsh teachers that had taught the foreign children with creativity, innovation and kindness. I thought that maybe these characteristics had more to do with a person's own self than with any formally learned knowledge, and set forward to getting a teaching job and learning the rest in any way I could while practicing these qualities I liked so much. Eventually, I arrived at Casa Thomas Jefferson and was soon learning more in a month than I had learned in the previous six! This was both a bit frightening and absolutely exhilarating - and it still is. Now I dream of specializing in teaching children and helping them acquire a second language in a way as close as possible as my old teachers did for me back in Bangor.

Second Draft
My entire life was shaped by a decision my parents made twenty four years ago. In 1988, my father was awarded an amazing opportunity – a scholarship in order to further his studies, paid by his public job! There was just a little problem… He would have to move to far off Wales, to study at the Bangor University. My mother wasn’t too happy to go abroad for who knew how many years, especially since she spoke very little English and I was only three years old. After a few conversations, she decided that (trying would be worthwhile) it would be worth trying *, even though we were all very close to her family and would need some time to adapt. She supported my father and we left Brazil three months after he had gone to Bangor to establish himself and get everything ready for our arrival.

The flight itself wasn't too terrible, as far as I can remember, but the arrival left me bewildered. I couldn't understand a single thing those people were saying! My parents explained that I would learn English, the main language spoken in Bangor. They treated learning as a very good opportunity, not only some temporary necessity caused by our need to live there for a few years. My mother did her best to help me settle down, and by the time kindergarten started, I could even introduce myself properly. Yet I sensed this invisible language barrier, and not many of my new Welsh classmates tried to cross the bridge between us and be friendly. I was actually somewhat relieved when the school started offering us, the little foreigners, some separate lessons - but that relief only lasted until I noticed that while we were studying more English, the local children were having a break and watching the telly!

During the following months, despite missing my family, immensely disliking the school’s food and having few friends, I got quite used to Bangor, and more importantly, to English. At first, when I couldn’t communicate as well as I would like to, I drew for the school’s contests. This became an important tool for me, and I kept drawing even as I became fluent - a process that didn’t take long. While I was experiencing all this at school, my mother was helping me at home. She gave me extra classes herself and did everything she could to give me (in) the much needed incentive in my studies in both languages that were an active part of my life. By the time I was four, I had learned to read in English; things clicked together in that language much quicker than they did in Portuguese.

This was a major turn-around point for me. As I started reading, I noticed that I really enjoyed it. Perhaps it was some sort of escape valve for my stress, but reading became my main hobby and through it, my English became much better. I soon reached the point where I even began dreaming in that language. Portuguese took the backseat and I discovered, much to my dismay, that I actually liked English. I needed it to communicate, sure - but it had also become "my” language, the language of my imagination, thoughts and plans.

We spent almost four years abroad before my father was done with his studies. He went back to his job, my mother got a new one where she could practice her much improved English and I started taking English classes. Until this day, I am very glad that my parents didn’t simply let me idle and stop studying the language since it was no longer vital – the way they dealt with things, immediately looking for an English school while enrolling me in a regular Brazilian school, didn't allow me enough time to forget anything I had learned.

Unfortunately, I finished the advanced course too young and, given the option, I chose not to study English formally anymore in high school. I still read in English, of course, and I watched everything I could without the subtitles, but by the time I was 15, my English was no longer as good as it had once been. My native-sounding accent had faded away a long time before and by then my vocabulary had also started to dwindle. Worse, I l ost the very firm grasp I once had on certain structures – but I never really lost that ability to “know” that something sounds awkward, grammatically speaking, when it’s wrong. Noticing that my English skills weren’t being used enough, and approaching that time in life (where) when you have to make a career choice that might as well change your whole future, I decided I would go back to studying English in college. When I told my mother this, she was fine with my decision, but couldn’t bring herself to support my possibly becoming a teacher… Which led me to apply for Translation instead.

Studying Translation, I became much better at writing than I had been before, and I favored creative writing over all else in precisely the same way I had always favored fiction over all other books. I also became good at translating things quickly and my vocabulary dramatically increased - but it took me less than a year to notice I wouldn’t enjoy living the life of a translator unless I could work solely in certain areas, and that managing to work like this wasn’t very likely. I would much rather do something more dynamic and interesting. I began to feel haunted by uncertainty, and kept to the path I had designed for myself, until one day I admitted that I would prefer to follow my heart and become an English teacher. I started getting part-time jobs on just about anything that let me lose my natural timidity, while still doing freelance translations and studying, so that by the time I finished college I could think of teaching without having to get a different degree. Meanwhile, I forgot something very basic; it didn’t occur to me that I lacked a deep understanding of English grammar or, even more important, that I had never made an effort to learn how to teach.

After I left college, I noticed my mistake. I spent a while working with translation, learning how to deal with clients and wondering if I should get a Teacher’s Degree or try to learn how to be an effective teacher through practice. I remembered my past teachers, the good and the bad, and came to the conclusion that the ones who influenced me the most were the Welsh teachers that had taught the foreign children with creativity, innovation and kindness. I thought that maybe these characteristics had more to do with a person's own self than with any formally learned knowledge, and set forward to getting a teaching job and learning the rest in any way I could while practicing these qualities I liked so much. Eventually, I arrived at Casa Thomas Jefferson and soon learned more in a month than I had learned in the previous six! This was both a bit frightening and absolutely exhilarating - and it still is. Now I dream of specializing in teaching children and helping them acquire a second language in a way as close as possible to what my old teachers did for me back in Bangor.

* It's not that "trying would be worthwhile" is wrong, but "it would be worth trying" is a much more frequently used collocation. ** Sorry I didn't see this before!

Dear Carol, Your effort to write in a less conversational and informal way certainly paid off. Your text is very interesting and well-written. As I said before, I was very pleased to have the chance to know you better and understand your life story and how it brought you to CTJ as a trainee and to TDC. Your passion for reading is definitely reflected in your proficient and effortless writing. Most of the little things I corrected are merely stylistic and by no means jeopardize the quality of your text.

= Process Analysis Essay =

First Draft
Is teaching beginners and people who are already familiar with English the same thing? Do you find the same difficulties and follow the same procedures? Teaching people who are just starting to learn English might be quite challenging if you don’t notice that you have to prepare your lessons differently and modify your behavior and speech patterns accordingly. Beginners vary not only in age, but also in their previous English knowledge or lack thereof. A true or absolute beginner is someone who has had virtually no contact with the English language – someone who hasn’t studied it in high school or by themselves – and these are the students this collection of tips will focus on.

First of all, make sure the group you are teaching is formed basically by absolute beginners. If you believe it might be the case but aren't entirely sure, ask. Preparing lessons for false beginners might be an entirely different process due to their having dormant knowledge of the language they might not even recall themselves, not to mention the fact that many of them can develop their receptive skills better thanks to this previous yet incomplete and almost forgotten learning. On the other hand, true beginners will often know no more than a few words of broken English, and will certainly have no knowledge whatsoever of how to apply any grammatical or linguistic concepts. They are a blank page.

Bearing this in mind, make sure to keep your language use in check. Try to keep things as simple as possible, and if following a programmed schedule or a previously established course of action, make sure to follow the guidelines and the books as closely as possible. Introducing new concepts and vocabulary might seem irresistible to an interested teacher, specially one infatuated with the language he or she is teaching, but it most certainly will do more harm than good to someone who is struggling to grasp the basics of a foreign language. You must become as familiar with the material you will use as possible, and simplify your language accordingly. Just be careful not to fall in one the many possible traps set out for teachers of beginning students and avoid motherese (talking like you would to a child to adult students by oversimplifying structures and communicating through incomplete baby-like sentences).

When and if appropriate, make sure to teach your students the basics of English phonetics. It may be better to learn a few English sentences before learning too much about how to say the whole alphabet or how to pronounce the “th” sounds correctly, so don’t start your semester with this - ease into it slowly. Try to blend studying the alphabet and phonetics with studying sentences and structures learners might use in real life so that the whole process seems somewhat natural and it is clear that they don't need to be experts in phonetics just to communicate in basic English. When you introduce these two concepts, don’t over-correct pronunciation issues, but make sure what they are learning is being expressed in a comprehensible manner. Also be certain that they understand any possible differences between their own alphabet(s) and the one used in English. Songs may be extremely helpful in making students memorize how to pronounce the names of the letters and how to make certain sounds, but there are songs that might not be appropriate for adult learners, and so on, so be mindful of what to choose.

Even with the most simplified language possible and after the students have a firm understanding of English pronunciation and letters, you must rely on different means to make sure you are understood. Mimicking is a good alternative if the students seem to have trouble understanding commands, as are drawing, gesturing and giving examples with regalia. At the beginning of an English course for those who are just starting, it may also be somewhat necessary to rely on a little bit of native language usage. Since these students have a limited vocabulary, this is a fairly acceptable practice - but one that must not go on for more than a couple of classes in order to avoid letting the students rely too much on their native language. Expressing yourself without translating and letting visual aids play a central role is usually the best way to go, since it will help keep the students from wanting to memorize a dictionary instead of actually becoming able to process their thoughts in English.

Never go over important concepts/sentences/structures too quickly. Make sure the students have enough time so that the new things they are expected to learn have time to "click" inside their heads. Failing to do so might make students nervous about how well they are learning and less then confident on the whole pace of your class. True beginners, specially adults, might frequently feel anxious about how to express themselves and it is vital that you help out by providing scaffolding and adequate timing. According to Susan Kinney, on her blog Reading Apprenticeship, supplying scaffolding is very much like teaching one to read a bicycle. You start by giving the students training wheels and keep a hand on their handlebars, and together you practice until, eventually, they manage to take off without any extra support from you. Scaffolding is, therefore, aiding your students by starting with controlled activities, modeling how they should be done and moving forward to guided exercises, until the students are prepared to do exercises on their own and even create freely in activities such as writing. This needs to be well-timed and always built on and re-started when necessary: a teacher can't expect a student to immediately be able to produce a paragraph just because he or she could write a few sentences last class.

Try different types of exercises and keep the activities the most student-centric you can, so that they have many chances to speak, listen and produce in general, but always prepare them for what they will need to do. Soon enough your students will become both more knowledgeable and more confident and you should introduce the idea of reading books and watching TV shows/movies/other media appropriate to their levels in English. This makes for good listening practice and also enriches vocabulary, but you must be careful not to dampen them by giving them material that is above their understanding level.

Applying these steps isn't necessarily something that must be done in this exact order. You might have to “feel” your group in the first classes while following these more wide-ranging tips so that you learn how to get the best reactions from your students. Generally speaking, this process allows changes and additions, but includes the most important things you must think about when teaching a beginner-level group. As time goes on, these learners will no longer absolute beginners and will have started their own inner database, and your lesson planning and scaffolding might become even more free and accommodating.

Second Draft
Is teaching beginners and people who are already familiar with English the same thing? Do you find the same difficulties and follow the same procedures? Teaching people who are just starting to learn English might be quite challenging if you don’t notice that you have to prepare your lessons differently and modify your behavior and speech patterns accordingly. Beginners vary not only in age, but also in their previous English knowledge or lack thereof. A true or absolute beginner is someone who has had virtually no contact with the English language – someone who hasn’t studied it in high school or by themselves – and these are the students this collection of tips will focus on.

First of all, make sure the group you are teaching is formed basically by absolute beginners. If you believe it might be the case but aren't entirely sure, ask. Preparing lessons for false beginners is an entirely different process than preparing classes for true beginners, due to the former having dormant knowledge of the language they might not even recall themselves. On the other hand, true beginners will often know no more than a few words of broken English and will certainly have no knowledge whatsoever of how to apply any grammatical or linguistic concepts. They are a blank page.

Bearing this in mind, make sure to keep your language use in check. Try to keep things as simple as possible, and if following a programmed schedule or a previously established course of action, make sure to follow the guidelines and the books as closely as possible. Introducing new concepts and vocabulary might seem irresistible to an interested teacher, especially one infatuated with the language he or she is teaching, but it most certainly will do more harm than good to someone who is struggling to grasp the basics of a foreign language. You must become as familiar with the material you will use as possible, and simplify your language accordingly. Just be careful not to fall in one of the many possible traps set out for teachers of beginning students.

When and if appropriate, make sure to teach your students the basics of English phonetics. It may be better to learn a few English sentences before learning too much about how to say the whole alphabet or how to pronounce the “th” sounds correctly, so don’t start your semester with this - ease into it slowly. Try to blend studying the alphabet and phonetics with studying sentences and structures learners might use in real life so that the whole process seems somewhat natural and it is clear that they don't need to be experts in phonetics just to communicate in basic English. When you introduce these two concepts, don’t over-correct pronunciation mistakes, but make sure what they are learning is being expressed in a comprehensible manner. Also be certain that they understand any possible differences between their own alphabet(s) and the one used in English. Songs may be extremely helpful in making students memorize how to pronounce the names of the letters and how to make certain sounds, but there are songs that might not be appropriate for adult learners - be mindful of what to choose.

Even with the most simplified language possible and after the students have a firm understanding of English pronunciation and letters, you must rely on different means to make sure you are understood. Mimicking is a good alternative if the students seem to have trouble understanding commands, as are drawing, gesturing and giving examples with realia. At the beginning of an English course for those who are just starting, it may also be somewhat necessary to rely on a little bit of native language usage. Since these students have a limited vocabulary, this is a fairly acceptable practice - but one that must not go on for more than a couple of classes in order to avoid letting the students rely too much on their native language. Expressing yourself without translating and letting visual aids play a central role is usually the best way to go, since it will help keep the students from wanting to memorize a dictionary instead of actually becoming able to process their thoughts in English.

You should also (bare) bear in mind* that teachers should never go over important concepts/sentences/structures too quickly. Make sure the students have enough time so that the new things they are expected to learn have time to "click" inside their heads. Failing to do so might make students nervous about how well they are learning and less than confident on the whole pace of your class. True beginners, especially adults, might frequently feel anxious about how to express themselves and it is vital that you help out by providing scaffolding and adequate timing. According to Sue Kinney, on her blog Reading Apprenticeship (http://blog.readingapprenticeship.org/author/learner4life01/), supplying scaffolding is very much like teaching one to ride a bicycle. You start by giving the students training wheels and keep a hand on their handlebars, and together you practice until, eventually, they manage to take off without any extra support from you. Scaffolding is, therefore, aiding your students by starting with controlled activities, modeling how they should be done and moving forward to guided exercises, until the students are prepared to do exercises on their own and even create freely in activities such as writing. This needs to be well-timed and always built on and re-started when necessary: a teacher can't expect a student to immediately be able to produce a paragraph just because he or she could write a few sentences last class.

Applying these steps isn't necessarily something that must be done in this exact order. You might have to “feel” your group in the first classes while following these more wide-ranging tips so that you learn how to get the best reactions from your students. Generally speaking, this process allows changes and additions but includes the most important things you must think about when teaching a beginner-level group. As time goes on, these learners will no longer be absolute beginners and will have started their own inner database, and your lesson planning and scaffolding might become even more free and accommodating.

* You used "bear in mind" twice.

These are great tips for teachers of adult beginners. They certainly need to be aware of these issues in order to be successful and you touched upon the most relevant issues. If I had to add something, it would be to establish rapport with these anxious learners because they are usually really insecure and learn better when they feel comfortable with the teacher.

Argumentative essay
This semester the TDC module dedicated to writing was experimentally divided in a way that differed from the norm. There would be face-to-face classes on Wednesdays, but instead of classical Monday classes, students would engage in online activities over the weekend. Discussions would mostly happen in the classroom, but the writing process itself, along with reading and researching, would take place mainly over the Internet. I firmly believe that the writing course should be kept thus divided, as the experience was most profitable learning-wise.

The theory behind this division of the module is sound: being a writing-focused class, there is much that students aren’t able to accomplish in the usual on-the-spot class arrangement. Two lessons in the classroom each week would obligatorily rely heavily on a great amount of homework to fit all writing-learning needs, such as reading, discussing, brainstorming, practicing, writing drafts and essays. Several of these activities, especially the ones related to the practical aspects of the course, could be better dealt with by each student on his or her own, allowing learners to be more independent than when learning a more receptive skill or having to maintain personal interaction. Merging homework with a second, online, class every week would also free space in the face-to-face class to do whatever might be impossible or almost impossible online

Many people think that e-learning isn’t as effective as face-to-face learning. They apparently believe that the old-fashioned approach to teaching, necessarily including students sitting in a classroom, is much better since it allows more contact between those involved in the process, the teacher has a stricter control over the environment and, of course, it is theoretically more dynamic and interactive. This manner of thinking fails to take into consideration that with modern technology and media resources including blogging platforms and self-publishing devices, online lesson can be as interesting, varied and energetic as the best classically taught classes. Not only that, but they can also introduce different ways of stimulating learning that wouldn’t be available in an ordinary classroom, such as allowing the students to create podcasts. It can also facilitate commenting on each other’s work (even anonymously), an activity that could take quite long if done otherwise. These possibilities were all put to test during these past months.

The students who shared this newly divided module were able to do certain activities following their own pace instead of being pressured to write in an unnatural speed. Most of these students also managed to interact online almost as much as they would in class through the use of comments and spontaneous student-created discussions instead of only keeping to what they were formally instructed to do. What they were instructed to do was, indeed, very well thought of and encompassed many skills, taking into consideration: the time an average student would need to complete their tasks, information on where and how to research certain topics, what terms should necessarily be used in future essays, etc. Since the instructions were clearly written in a place easily accessed by the members of the group, very little space for misunderstanding was left even though there was much to learn and think about. Not everyone was familiar with certain online resources prior to the course’s beginning, but the technologies explored were well-chosen and managed to interest the students while also awakening their communicative and curious personalities.

In daring to experiment with the writing course, the TDC organizers managed to make clear that the use of new technologies while teaching doesn’t need to happen only in the classroom. In using a blended learning approach, this module pandered to different types of learners and gave them all opportunities to do what they do best.