THE CREATIVE ENGLISH LEARNING

PIPA, SOPA? What do they mean to the world, to my professional and personal life?

2012-01-30T03:47:00.000-08:00

Dearest all,

Let's share your opinion, until it's still legal (LOL!), on this blog page, as we never know until when our own opinions will be themselves copied and considered a threat to the Intelectual Property legal world.

Jokes apart, this is serious business and I invite you all to post your comments (remember, A+1 comments) on the issue. Below, you'll see video links and reading material to be more up-to-date.

Hope you all enjoy taking part in this discussion.

1) Ted.com video: Clay Shirky: Why SOPA is a bad idea

2) SOPA and PIPA

3) PROTECT IP SOPA Breaks The Internet - Fight for the Future

4) Wikipedia: Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

Look forward to your post here. Let's practice English giving meaning to your ideas!!

Best regards,

Flávia

How to participate on the blog! Let's shake your minds and bodies!

2012-01-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Hope you all had a great time with family and friends and are eager to return to your English studies!

I would really like to have your regular participation here this year, by posting different topics, comments and ideas to share with your virtual peers.

Therefore, I'm sharing teacher Jeff Dionne's fun idea of A+1 blog writing strategy to make the most of your participation. See the jpg files below.

This is an example of how best use a blog.

Can you see the difference between a A+1 blog comment and not a good one?

So now, let's try to do this quiz. Hope you can write lots of A+1 blog comments this year!

So let's have a great start in 2012!

Flávia

End of the Year Message - Compassion as Catalysts for Change - with Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu

2011-11-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

Dearest all,

Ho-Ho-Ho!!

"...Here we go climbing up the mountain, to see what's gonna happen...
... Here we go climging up the mountain, to see what's gonna happen around you"

This is an extract of a lyrics which I composed many years ago.

So, what's gonna happen to you and around you when you reach the mountain top?

Good reflections on this philosophical question. We are gonna talk about it on our 2011 Happy Hour II...which is pretty near... in December.

Here is a great moment to share with you, by mixing wise words and the use of technology, as we can see by clicking on the YOUTUBE link below...

Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu hang out on Google+

I really would like to have your thoughts on these men's wisest thoughts.

Hope you really enjoy!

Be ready for our 2011 Happy Hour II !!

All the best and see you here and at our Happy Hour II.

Flávia

Tribute to Steve Jobs - Read, Watch about him here and post your opinion!

2011-10-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Dearest all,

We can't let it go...
Our message to Steve should flow
From the bottom of our souls!
So I hope you can all show.

Go to the following items about Steve Jobs' quotes, the video on his Stanford Commencement Address to graduates of 2005, besides an article/video about how Apple will be without him. It's really great!

1) Steve Jobs' quotes
2) Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Address of 2005
3) The Future of Apple Without Steve Jobs

Hope you all enjoy and take this very chance to practice English!

See you here.
Flávia

What kind of transformation do you prefer? Food for thought!

2011-08-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Dearest all,

How often and fast do you change your thoughts and beliefs? Your actions?

How flexible are you to adapt to different ideas, places, people, circumnstances and so on?

Is this important or not?

The series of TED.COM videos presented below will show some kind of change. Can you say which kind? Choose 1 or more videos to discuss here.

Let's make the most of this blog to exchange ideas with your virtual friends, in English, of course!!

Hope you all like it!

See you here.

Flávia

1) Mark Pagel: How language transformed humanity (20:10')

Using biological evolution as a template, biologist Mark Pagel wonders how languages evolve.

Mark Pagel builds statistical models to examine the evolutionary processes imprinted in human behavior, from genomics to the emergence of complex systems -- to culture. His latest work examines the parallels between linguistic and biological evolution by applying methods of phylogenetics, or the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups, essentially viewing language as a culturally transmitted replicator with many of the same properties we find in genes. He’s looking for patterns in the rates of evolution of language elements, and hoping to find the social factors that influence trends of language evolution.

When watching him speak, have in mind his definitions and stataments below to find out what he meant by saying those:

1) (...) cumulative cultural adaptation.
2) ' (...) Social learning is visual theft.'
3) ' (...) Language is the voice of our genes.'
4) ' (...) Communication, connectivity around the world, globalization now raises a burden.'

2) Marco Tempest: The magic of truth and lies (and iPods) (5:07')

A magician and illusionist for the 21st century, Marco Tempest blends cutting-edge technology with the flair and showmanship of Houdini.

Marco Tempest’s imaginative combination of computer-generated imagery, quick-cut video and enthusiastic stage presence has earned him a place in the pantheon of great illusionists. At 22, the Swiss magician won the New York World Cup of Magic, launching him into international prominence. Tempest's award-winning television series “The Virtual Magician” airs in dozens of countries worldwide.

When watching him speak, have in mind this question:

How do you think he can do those tricks? Do you think you can do it?

3) Nathan Myhrvold: Cooking as never seen before (10:05')

Nathan Myhrvold is a professional jack-of-all-trades. After leaving Microsoft in 1999, he's been a world barbecue champion, a wildlife photographer, a chef, a contributor to SETI, and a volcano explorer.

Since leaving his post as Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer in 1999 (with fortune in tow), Nathan Myhrvold has been a professional exemplar of the spirit of the "Renaissance Man," proudly following his interests wherever they've led. His dispersed passions have triggered an impressive list of accomplishments, including world barbecue championships, major archeological finds (several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons), prize-winning wildlife photography, building a section of Babbage's Difference Engine #2, s, and a new and consuming interest in the sous-vide cooking technique.

When watching him speak, have in mind this question:

What do you think drove him into developing this cookbook?

DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION or LEGALIZATION- Do you agree or disagree? Why?

2011-06-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone!

I was very happy to see your posts on the last blog issues (Robotics, Mesh, Neo-Evolution)!

Now, I'm on cloud 9, as my student Pamela (Philips-Healthcare) proposed this topic for blog discussion and sent 02 articles (see the links below) - one of them by our ex-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso - that bring controversial issues on drug decriminalization.

I also added a Youtube video talking about the Portugal case, clarifying the difference between Decriminalization and Legalization of Drugs.

Feel free to add any other article or video with more up-to-date information. Your contribution is always welcome!

1) Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work? - by Maia Szalavitz (2009)

Portugal and the Results of Drug Decriminalization - video with Dr. Darryl S. Inaba (CNS Productions)

2) The war on drugs has failed. Now we need a more humane strategy - by Fernando Henrique Cardoso ( The Observer - Sep. 2009).

Really hope to continue seeing your active participation here!!

Best wishes of a great time...especially with the English language!

Flávia

Can you imagine A ROBOT interacting with your kids? What is a MESH company or a POP-UP retail or store? What is NEO-EVOLUTION?

2011-05-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Dearest students,

Let's warm up our brains
To reflect on intriguing issues
Brought up by savvy people
Who think of great virtues!

Choose one or all of the TED.COM videos
Build up your thoughts on the issue/s,
Discuss it/them in class,
And be ready to share it/them here with your virtual friends.

Opportunity to listen to, read about, speak about and write on
Important topics to us alike....beings in evolution...
To practice the English language and come to full fruition.

Hope to see you all here.

XOXOXO,

Flávia

The Rise of Personal Robots

At MIT, Cynthia Breazeal and her team are building robots with social intelligence that communicate and learn the same way people do.

The Future of Business is the MESH. -

Lisa Gansky is the author of "The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing," and the instigator behind the Mesh Directory (http://www.meshing.it/)

Are We Ready for Neo-Evolution?

Harvey Fineberg studies medical decisionmaking -- from how we roll out new medical technology, to how we cope with new illnesses and threatened epidemics.

Discrimination or Not?: Banning Burka Wearing in France and other issues! Are they legal?

2011-04-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

Long time, no see you here!

But now, there are some controversial issues happening in the world I'd like to have your view on.

It's not only French Burka Ban recently portrayed on the media, but also what to say about Crucifixes and Bibles removed or not from Schools and Courtrooms in Europe and Peru, respectively ?

The following videos and/or reading material will give you ideas to form your opinion for or against these legal issues. Try to answer these questions:

1) Are you for or against these measures? Why?
2) If you are against, what should be done to solve it?
3) If you are in favor, what aspects exactly can support your opinion, other than the video or articles you saw or read?

If you know of any other example of prejudice/ discrimination, please share with us, so that we can better argue and counterargue here.

I look forward to your eager participation on the blog in the next weeks!! Be my guest!

Ta-ta (British for bye-bye) for now.

Flávia

1) French Burka Ban
2) Women wearing burka detained in France

3) European Court on Crucifix in Public Schools
4) Peru Court on Crucifix in Courtrooms

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO.... 2011 NOMINEES

2011-02-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

Dearest students,

Here comes one more Oscar Ceremony - February 27th, 2011.

Are you a movie buff? Yes. Or, no, but likes to go to the movies. Well, anyway, this is your chance to take part in this activity.

In case you've already seen one or more movies - let's participate the following 02 weeks, by either writing a thorough movie review (cast, direction, visual effects, audio, screenplay, etc.) on 01 or more films you've seen, or posting your comments on the probable 2011 Oscar winners.

Here is the Academy Awards site links so that you can see the list of nominations by picture and category:

1) List of Nominees by Picture
2) List of Nominees by Category

Then, go to YOUTUBE to see the trailer of your wish.

We can even start betting on which film will get the awards on the categories. What do you think? Choose the one or ones that please you:

Best Picture
Actor in a Leading Role and Supporting Role
Actress in a Leading and Supporting Roles
Animated Feature Film
Art Direction
Cinematography
Costume Design
Direction
Documentary Feature
Documentary Short
Film Editing
Foreign Language Film
Makeup
Music (original score)
Music (original song)
Short Film (animated)
Short Film (live action)
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Visual Effects
Writing (adapted screenplay)
Writing (original screenplay)

Hope you'll like to participate.

See ya here.

Regards,

Flávia

HAVE A GREAT 2011, EVERYONE!! Hope you are all at Full Swing!!

2011-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hello, guys!

Let's heat up our brain-motors (LOL!) and see how interesting the following sites are. They suit lots of tastes and levels. Choose yours!

Have fun with English!!

Hope to see you all in class soon.

Flávia

1) Movie Site for Movie Buffs

2) Legal English - Different Bar Associations

3) BBC - English for Basic Students

4) Economy - Let's learn about the BRIC Bloc - Brazil,   Russia, India and China

5) Best American Newspapers

6) British Council Professionals Podcasts

7) Learn about the CAE - Certificate of Advanced English

8) Phrasal Verb Dictionary

9) Color Idiomatic Expressions

10) Google News Timeline

Write your Seasons Greetings Message to your Virtual Friends!

2010-12-10T01:34:00.000-08:00

Dearest all!

This " tree message "was taken from a message site to illustrate what can be written at Seasons Greetings time to wish your virtual friends and peers what goes in your hearts and souls.

Hope you leave your message here on the blog. Let's practice English and Brotherhood.

My many thanks to all of you that supported my service.

Hope to see you in 2011.

Ah - don't forget to click on the link SEASONS GREETINGS...My Elf Yourself fun message to you all.

Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!!

Flávia

"Lost in Translation" Contest!! (Intermediate and Upper) + Small Talk (Basic)

2010-10-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

How are you doing, everyone?

In October, I'll suggest 2 activities :

for my Intermediate and Upper students: a Translation Contest
for my Basic students: to study Small Talk situations for later practice on the blog.

Do you take this challenge? I hope so.

Intermediate and Upper Level students:

You'll have to translate the following sentences from Portuguese into English, giving special attention to the underlined word or expressions.

Let's see who can best get near the English corresponding structure. Google translator is definitely prohibited. See the clues later on.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!! WAIT FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!!

a) Não vai demorar muito para que as pessoas viagem para o espaço.

b) As pessoas de classes sociais mais baixas não conseguem nem seu ganha-pão, quanto mais participar de projetos sociais.

c)Mal ele entrou na sala e todos começaram a chorar.

d) Uma vez que o governo aprovou a medida, todos se revoltaram.

e) Ele está familiarizado com seu novo trabalho.

f) Se você estiver ciente dos termos, favor assinar este documento em 2 vias.
(you can't use IF or WHETHER)

SOME CLUES: ........ long.......before; ....... alone; .........-bread; ........sooner; ........long.......; given..........; ............into the swing; should........;

Basic students:

As you browse the link below, you'll see lots of links with titles like:

Small Talk

asking for information
apologizing
expressing sympathy
getting people's attention
greeting people in English,etc.

After you study them, I invite you to choose some or all (LOL!) of them to build up dialogs with your virtual friends.

This is just an initiative of a virtual interaction. Hope you buy the idea.

My best wishes of a great time and fun with English.

Cheerio!

Flávia

Are You for Dilma, Serra or Marina? Let's practice democracy in English!!

2010-09-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hello, dearest students.

Well, elections ahead and have you already made up your mind who to vote for?

If so, on this post I hope to drive you to great discussions, and why not to say arguments, to defend your viewpoints, or even change them if you were convinced otherwise. If not, by reading your virtual friends' ideas, you can end up choosing your presidential candidate.

My idea is to offer you different sources for your participation
both in oral (class time) and in writing:

Wikipedia biographies of our 03 presidential candidates;
Videos;
Newspaper or magazine articles about the candidates and correlated election issues.

Really hope to see your live participation here.

Have a nice time!

Flávia

I - Warm-up: Watch this video of AllJazeera News about the 03 Brazilian Candidates:

II - Now, you are going to read a general article about the 1st TV debate of the 03 candidates (August, 2010), extracted from The Economist online:
(http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=119119 )

ON PAPER, José Serra of the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), Brazil’s biggest opposition party, should be able to win the presidential election due on October 3rd without breaking a sweat (begin to perspire, work hard). He has held many big political jobs in a long and successful career, including congressman, senator, minister of planning and then health, and mayor and then governor of São Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city and most powerful state. He is up against a political neophyte: an adviser and bureaucrat who was almost unknown just a couple of years ago, and who has never before fought, let alone won, an election.

Instead Mr Serra is struggling to stay in the race. Polls put him five to ten points behind Dilma Rousseff, the candidate of the governing Workers’ Party (PT). The problem is not presentation, though Mr Serra looks dull except when he smiles, when he looks alarming. Ms Rousseff is hardly charismatic, and has a weakness for offering half-hour answers to one-line questions.

Mr Serra’s problem is that Ms Rousseff is the annointed successor of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the current president. Four-fifths of Brazilians approve of Lula, and nearly half say that in the presidential election they would vote either for him (if the constitution did not bar him from a third consecutive term) or his candidate. Since selecting his successor Lula has praised her to the skies (she is “like Nelson Mandela”) and criss-crossed the country with her in tow. Now most Brazilians know who Lula’s candidate is—and increasingly, they intend to vote for her.

On August 5th, the day of the first televised debate between candidates, one polling firm put Ms Rousseff on 41.6%, a ten-point lead over Mr Serra. Marina Silva of the Green Party came a distant third, on 9%. Exclude invalid responses, and Ms Rousseff would be close to winning an outright majority, avoiding a run-off. This poll may be an outlier, but others give her a growing lead (see chart).

Ms Rousseff looked nervous in the debate, and struggled to keep her answers snappy. Mr Serra was somewhat better. But since the debate was scheduled at the same time as an important football match, hardly anyone watched.

More worryingly for Mr Serra, the debate foreshadowed (forcast, preview) the difficulties he will face for the rest of the campaign. Probably rightly, Mr Serra has decided that attacking a president as popular as Lula would not win him many votes. He disagrees with Ms Rousseff on some things, such as foreign policy and the role of the state in the economy. But he agrees on others. He has felt obliged to promise to continue some of Lula’s programmes, such as Bolsa Família, a grant to poor families. Meanwhile, with the economy growing strongly, Brazilians are enjoying life: “feel-good factor” has entered the Portuguese language.

But steady as she goes sells better for incumbents (in politics, it's the current holder of a political office.) than challengers. Mr Serra’s slogan, “Brazil can do more,” exemplifies the difficulty. He is struggling to capitalise on his own record. He is best known for his role in Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s governments of 1995-2002, which, despite some solid achievements, are recalled by Brazilians without fondness.

“For Dilma it is simple: to persuade people that she represents Lula,” says Rubens Figueiredo, a political consultant in São Paulo. “But Serra has to remind people that Lula is not the candidate—and somehow do it without opposing, or preferably without even mentioning, Lula.”

Ms Rousseff’s lead is not yet unassailable (not able to be attacked). If Mr Serra can deny her outright victory, he might have a chance in a run-off (second round). And in Brazil there is always the possibility of a scandal or blunder.

But there are still a few more votes for Ms Rousseff to squeeze out of being Lula’s woman. Some 8% still tell pollsters they want to vote for the president’s candidate, but do not mention her by name.

She will soon have more opportunity to reinforce that link. From August 17th Brazilian television and radio stations must start running free political advertising, with more time going to candidates whose alliances command more seats in Congress. This means that Ms Rousseff will get more than ten minutes, three times a week; Mr Serra must manage with just over seven minutes. That advantage could end up being the decisive one.

III - WIKIPEDIA BIOGRAPHIES:

a) Dilma Roussef
  b) José Serra
c) Marina Silva
d) Lula

IV - NEWS ON THE CANDIDATES - VIDEO AND PAPER:

1) Dilma Roussef:

Video: Brazil Lula's Chosen Successor Dilma Roussef

Paper: Dilma Rouseff Annointed by Lula to Carry Brazil’s Presidency
           (August 13, 2010, Friday)

2) José Serra:

Paper:Presidential Election: Jose Serra
     (by Jaylan Boyle, Contributing Reporter of The Rio Times)

3) Marina Silva:

Paper:Brazil – The Environment, Lula and Marina Silva

V - CORRELATED VIDEO and PAPER NEWS:

1) Brazilian Oil Entrepreneur Eike Batista's interview

    53-minute video on Charlie Rose's TV program:

a) at 20:10’ he talks on Fernando Henrique's and Lula’s policy;
b) at 38:00’ he talks about Latin America’s top politicians,
     including Lula’s government;
c) at 52:14’, more about Lula's policy

2) Thank you for not joking: Brazil comedians challenge ban on ridiculing presidential candidates (Canadian Press)

3) Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva through the eyes of an American radio commentator (video)

   Radiohogan commentator bases his comments on Wikipedia and Eike Batista's interview (previously introduced).

BRAZIL'S NEXT!! CAN WE COPE?

2010-07-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hello, dearest students!

Here we are again to propose your live participation in this discussion.

The article BRAZIL'S NEXT was extracted from MIGALHAS International Newsletter of July 12th, 2010. It'll be really nice to have your opinion on this issue which will affect us all on the way to 2014 World Cup.

I've highlighted in red the parts which I believe will generate discussion. However, feel free to:

bring up other issues which you believe will generate more controversy.
give other source of information (video, jokes, articles, etc.) to build up more critical thinking.
As a Brazilian, give your suggestion on possible solutions to help solve these problems.

I've also found a CNN video on the issue. Watch it either to complement the article or to spice up the discussion:

Let's practice English by expressing your thoughts in writing!!

Hope to see your posts here.

Flávia

BRAZIL'S NEXT

In four years, it will be Brazil's turn to play host of the World Cup. Just as there were doubts about South Africa's capabilities before the World Cup kicked off on 11 June, there are genuine concerns that Brazil will not be up to the task in 2014. It has unsafe roads, congested airports, overpopulated cities, old and outdated stadiums, high crime rates and a questionable record in government transparency. But if there is one lesson Brazilians have learned from South Africa, it is that all of these problems can be managed or overcome. Not since Mexico 1986 has a developing country hosted an event of such magnitude, but South Africa seems to have passed the test in 2010. Its airports are now world class, most of the stadiums are comparable to the best in Europe, there were enough hotels for everyone and there were few accidents caused by poor roads. Above all, security, such a hot topic of debate, has not been an issue, apart from a few minor incidents. If there was one question mark over the 2010 World Cup, it was its ability to deal with huge amounts of traffic. On match days, public transport did not cope with demand.

So how is Brazil, who staged the tournament back in 1950 and will also host the Olympics in 2016, shaping up in comparison? Well, much work needs still to be done for 2014 and some of it is behind schedule.The time for dallying (wast time; flirt) is over. Some deadlines are approaching and Brazilians need to be fast in their decisions. Bureaucracy has to be facilitated and it cannot be an obstacle. The most pressing issue facing Brazil is the need to build and refurbish stadiums, not to mention airports, in the 12 hosting cities.

Eight venues need renovating while four new ones must be built. At present, the 2014 organising committee is still analysing the financial plans of each project before giving the final go-ahead. Add to the fact that Fifa has not approved the financial guarantees for the refurbishing of iconic Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo and the problems begin to mount up. As it stands, Brazil's largest and best prepared city does not have a stadium to host games.

Another great concern is air travel. As it stands, Brazil does not have enough flights to meet demand, even in normal periods. Back in 2006, Brazil faced a similar crisis to the one experienced by Europe this year, when the Icelandic volcano ash cloud had a major impact on air traffic. Only in Brazil, there were no natural causes to blame - just a lack of infrastructure. To combat potential travel issues, the 2014 organising committee has begun drawing up plans to split Brazil into four major regions, concentrating teams from each group within those areas. This will prevent fans from having to journey long distances, such as from Manaus to Porto Alegre, and would also simplify air traffic control.This is an example of how bureaucracy threatens to stall progress. Fifa and the organizing committee are unsatisfied with the proposal put forward by Sao Paulo FC, owners of Morumbi Stadium, for refurbishing the ground. But neither the federal nor the Sao Paulo state governments are willing to put up any money for the work. The stand-off is due to be discussed later this month and there is no Plan B so far.

HURRAY TO THE NEXT WORLD CUP 2010! Ready for the fun?

2010-05-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Greetings from South Africa!

Well, not really, but on the way, as June 11th baptizes the first soccer game played by South Africa and Mexico, in Johannesburg, in the long-awaited FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 SOUTH AFRICA.

(Listen to The Official World Cup 2010 Theme)

Let's make the best happen on our blog - where I'll post very interesting links to articles and videos to suit all tastes and engage everyone: from wild fans, who enjoy reading about Brazil and other countries' teams, to more collected fans, who enjoy learning about the host cities' tourism, life style, culture, and the like.

These are the host cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Polokwane, Rustenberg, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Nelspruit.

1 - Let's learn about the MATCHES: See the game tables on the following link:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html

2 - Let's have some training on Basic Vocabulary:

BASIC SOCCER POSITIONS:

Backs – Refers to defenders.

Defender – A player who works mainly in the defensive third of the field. They are primarily focused on stopping the opposition’s attackers from scoring.

Forward – A player who is responsible for most of a team's scoring. They play in front of the rest of their team (or in the attaching third of the field) where they can take most of the shots.

Fullback – a rear defender.

Goalie – Abbreviation for Goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper – I bet you know this one. The player positioned directly in front of the goal who tries to prevent shots from crossing the goalline; the only player allowed to use their hands and arms, though only within the 18-yard penalty area.
Keeper – Abbreviation for Goalkeeper.
Midfielder – A player generally positioned in the middle third of the field between the forwards and defenders. Their job is to link the defense and the offense through ball control and passing. They play both an attacking role and a defensive role.
Striker – Generally the same as a forward, though it sometimes refers to a forward that is his team’s primary scoring threat.
Sweeper – Not always used. In some formations, a single defender that plays closest to their own goal behind the rest of the defenders; a team's last line of defense in front of the goalkeeper.

ADVANCED SOCCER POSITIONS:

Attacking Midfielder – The midfielder that plays right behind the forwards; they support the offense by providing passes to forwards to set up goals.
Central Defender – A player who guards the area directly in front of their own goal, often considered the strongest defender.
Central Forward – A team's best-scoring forward who plays towards the center of the field.
Central Midfielder – The midfielder most responsible for organizing play in the midfield area, creating scoring opportunities for the attackers, and often a team's leader.
Defensive Midfielder – The player positioned just in front of their team's defense and often assigned to mark the opposition's best offensive player; tends to play more defense as a midfielder.
Finisher – A forward or striker who has the ability to "put away" or score when opportunities are given to them.
Halfback – Same as a midfielder.
Midfield Anchor – Same as a defensive midfielder.
Midfield General – Same as the central midfielder.
Midfield Maestro – Same as the central midfielder.
Stopper – The player that defends or guards the best scorer on the attacking team, often the opposition's striker.
Wingers – The outside forwards and midfielders (often the fastest players and best dribblers) who play on the sides of the field. Their primary task is to provide them with accurate crossing passes so they can shoot at the goal.

3 - To the real soccer fans, choose 01 or more passages to comment on:

a) CAN BRAZIL PROVIDE SIX APPEAL?

b) KARAGOUNIS AIMS TO ENJOY SOUTH AFRICAN ADVENTURE

c) NEW REGULATIONS KICK-OFF TO COMBAT TICKET TOUTING IN SOUTH AFRICA

4 - To culture and tourism lovers, choose 01 or more links below to comment on:

a) TRAVEL TIPS ON JOHANNESBURG

b) CEO TALKS ABOUT TOURISM IN CAPE TOWN

c) CLASSY CAPE TOWN (2008 video)

d) FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 STADIUMS and INTERVIEW WITH STADIUM ENGINEER

Finally, let's root for our Brazilian team, of course! I propose to you all bet on BRAZIL'S GAMES SCORE. The winner or winners will HIT THE JACKPOT in the end!
What do you think?

I really hope to have your live participation here.

My best wishes of a great WORLD CUP!

Flávia

My article on BLOG USE IN TEACHING

2010-05-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Dear students,

I'd like to share with you the recent publication of my article BLOG USE IN TEACHING in BRAZ-TESOL Newsletter of March 2010.

For your information, BRAZ-TESOL stands for Brazilian Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

I'll be glad to receive your comments.

Wait for the next blog post on South Africa World Cup.

Best wishes and see ya.

Flávia

What can technology and creativity do to us? How useful can these resources be to improve our lifestyle?

2010-04-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

Hello, dear students.

Below you'll see 03 links taken from www.ted.com/talks - a wonderful site to get different speakers on a diverse range of topics.

For our April discussion, I chose Technology and Entertainment...but you can see by watching the lectures that other diciplines can be integrated. You'll have 03 videos to choose from. Feel free to choose the one that goes with your temperament.

The level is advanced, but the basic students who love technology can perfectly participate by giving your opinion on the videos - since images many times can save a thousand words (LOL!)

The first purpose of this posting is to answer the questions proposed in the title. However, you can feel free to approach the way your thinking style leads you to.

So, let's have fun and learn with English.

TED Talk - Learning from the Gheko's Tail

TED Talk - Gaming can make a better world

and for your interest in researching on WorldWarcraft game go to:

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml

Theo Jansen creates new creatures.html

Hope to see your participation here.

Cheerio!

Flávia

Daily Business English Tip

2010-04-01T12:07:00.001-07:00

Is the Swine Flue a Swindle? Is the vaccine shot a problem? Russian Dr. Rauni L. L.Kilde talks about it!

2010-03-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

Dearest students,

There is always the other side of the story.

So, I invite you all to first watch the interview of 6 minutes with Dr. Kilde and then to start posting your opinion on the matter.

The other video link is to deepen your knowledge on this Russian doctor on a variety of topics.

Dr. Rauni Kelde's interview on the Swine Flue (6')

Dr. Rani Kilde's view on Mind Control, UFO and Swine Flue ( 36 ')

Scary, really scary! Or not??

Hope to see you here, guys. Let's have fun with writing in English!

Best wishes,

Flávia

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO....

2010-02-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

Dearest students,

Here comes one more Oscar Ceremony - March 7th, 2010.

Are you a movie buff? Yes. Or, no, but likes to go to the movies. Well, anyway, this is your chance to take part in this activity.

In case you've already seen one or more movies - let's participate the following 02 weeks, by either writing a thorough movie review (cast, direction, visual effects, audio, screenplay, etc.) on 01 or more films you've seen, or posting your comments on the probable 2010 Oscar winners.

Here is the Academy Awards site links so that you can watch the film trailers :
http://oscar.go.com/video?cid=10_oscars_slideshow_Video , and

http://oscar.go.com/nominations/nominees?cid=10_oscars_landingCallout_nominations to see the list of nominations.

We can even start betting on which film will get the awards on the following categories. What do you think?:

Best Picture
Actor in a Leading Role and Supporting Role
Actress in a Leading and Supporting Roles
Animated Feature Film
Art Direction
Cinematography
Costume Design
Direction
Documentary Feature
Documentary Short
Film Editing
Foreign Language Film
Makeup
Music (original score)
Music (original song)
Short Film (animated)
Short Film (live action)
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Visual Effects
Writing (adapted screenplay)
Writing (original screenplay)

Hope you'll like to participate.

See ya here.

Regards,

Flávia

New Year...Job Resolutions...What are the best and worst jobs in the USA for 2010? Consider changing your carrer?

2010-01-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

Dear students,

As the New Year starts, it's time to think our careers over. Have you been thinking of yours?

Let's start 2010 by reflecting on the job market. Well...

I invite you to watch a video (click on the link below), in which a CNN journalist brings The Best and Worst Jobs for 2010 in the USA. After that, you can read Bureau of Labor Statistics article, extracted from the LINKEDIN Community English Language Services Professionals.

Hope you enjoy this 1st 2010 Blog activity and hope to see your comments on either or both material proposed.

Have a great year, you all, and with English all the way!!

Flávia

1) CNN Video: Best and Worst Jobs for 2010 :

http://www.cnn.com/video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_freevideo+%28RSS%3A+Video%29#/video/business/2010/01/06/barnett.best.worst.jobs.cnn

2) Article of January 5th, 2010 by Tatiana Varenik (Resumark Blog):

Considering Changing Your Career? Be Aware Of 20 Occupations With The Fastest Growth And 20 Occupations With The Fastest Decline.

In today’s economy many companies are forced to lay off employees in order to maintain profitability. Whether you suddenly find yourself unemployed, or you are no longer satisfied with your current job, a change in your career path may be just what you need to make a fresh start. It is a difficult decision which takes time and money. That is why when thinking about making a career change, it is important to consider career skills, job satisfaction, salary and some other points. It is also important to make sure the career you choose will be in demand a few years from now.The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its 2008-18 employment projections where presented twenty occupations with the fastest growth and twenty occupations with the fastest decline.

Twenty occupations with the fastest growth:

Biomedical engineers
Network systems and data communications analysts
Home health aides
Personal and home care aides
Financial examiners
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
Physician assistants
Skin care specialists
Postsecondary vocational award
Biochemists and biophysicists
Athletic trainers
Physical therapist aides
Dental hygienists
Dental assistants
Computer software engineers, applications
Medical assistants
Physical therapist assistants
Veterinarians
Self-enrichment education teachers
Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation.

As you can see, half are related to healthcare. Healthcare is experiencing rapid growth, due in large part to the aging of the baby-boom generation, which will require more medical care.Network systems and data communications analysts are projected to be the second fastest growing occupation in the economy. Demand for these workers will increase as organizations continue to upgrade their information technology capacity and incorporate the newest technologies.

Twenty occupations with the fastest decline:

Textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders
Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
Shoe machine operators and tenders
Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers
Sewing machine operators
Semiconductor processors
Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
Postal Service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
Fabric menders, except garment
Wellhead pumpers
Fabric and apparel patternmakers
Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Order clerks
Coil winders, tapers, and finishers
Photographic processing machine operators
File clerks
Derrick operators, oil and gas
Desktop publishers

Fifteen of the twenty occupations with the fastest decline are either production occupations or office and administrative support occupations, both of which are adversely affected by increasing plant and factory automation or the implementation of office technology, reducing the need for workers in those occupations. For example, the duties of administrative assistants involve a great deal of personal interaction that cannot be automated, whereas the duties of file clerks adding, locating, and removing business records can be automated or performed by other workers.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

2009-11-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

Hey, everyone!

This is the group that could attend the Happy Hour last Tuesday (Nov.24th) at Rascal...

For those who came, hope you enjoyed this opportunity to meet new people and exchange some ideas on a number of issues. For those who couldn't attend, hope you can participate some other time.

As Thanksgiving was yesterday (Nov.26th) , I really wanna thank the greatest opportunity to have you guys as my students this year. I really enjoyed teaching you all for the pleasure of learning new viewpoints, different business and areas of interest.

Hope in 2010 your English skills can go beyond your expectations and propel you to new heights!!

All my best wishes of Love, Peace, Health, Happiness and Great Achievements in the New Year.

Flávia

HOHOHO!! CHRISTMAS is approaching and so is our HAPPY HOUR!!

2009-11-14T11:55:00.001-08:00

Hello, dear students.

And so this is CHRISTMAS...and so this is HAPPY HOUR TIME!!

Let's meet our virtual friends.

Look at the slideshow on the left and you will see some of my students (hope some others can join this Gallery). In class, I'm going to say who is who, ok?

But here is what it is:

We are planning our Happy Hour either on TUESDAY, Nov. 24th or WEDNESDAY, the 25th, from 7:30 on...

The place some students suggested is the RASCAL RESTAURANT, on the corner of Santos and Eugênio de Lima Sts, to eat some pizza and exchange lots of opinions on a diverse range of topics...and everything in English, of course!!

Hope you really want to be in this nice gathering and meet interesting people.

Please let me know thru the blog your chosen day and/or place, as soon as possible.

Have a nice time, you all!!

Flávia

Let's correct what's wrong in the following sentences?

2009-10-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

Let's challenge your mind and correct the following English sentences extracted from the book COMO NÃO APRENDER INGLÊS by Michael Jacobs.

Choose 01, 02 or all of the sentences to correct. Up to you! Share your ideas with your virtual friends!

Hope to see your participation on the blog. Give it a try!

Have fun with English!

See ya around.

Flávia

1) My suggestion is you do a freeze on personnel. (Note: the meaning is that you don't want to hire anyone else).

2) She has to have a surgery (Note: there are 04 possible ways to say it better).

3) He thinks he goes to the shopping.

4) Many times I saw that film.

5) The notices are not good (Note the word notice)

6) Did you remember that a meeting budget went 6 months ago?

Movie Activity: Let's watch BABEL (2007 Oscar Nominee for Best Picture)

2009-09-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hello, dear students.

Let's challenge our brains and pretend we are Screenwriters this time! Hope you enjoy taking part in this activity!

Have you seen BABEL? If not, this is your chance. I'll upload the YOUTUBE trailler (see below) for you to have an idea of the plot.

CHARACTERS and Main CAST:
RICHARD - Brad Pitt
SUSAN - Cate Blanchett
SANTIAGO - Gael Garcia Bernal
YASUJIRO - Koji Yakusho
CHIEKO - Rinko Kikuchi
MITSU - Yuko Murata
AMELIA - Adriana Barraza
MIKE - Nathan Gamble

CREW:
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga
Producers: Jon Kilik, Steve Golin, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Director of Photography: Rodrigo PrietoProduction
Designer: Brigitte Broch
Editor: Stephen Mirrione

PLOT:

FOUR interlocking stories all connected by a single gun; all converge at the end and reveal a complex and tragic story of the lives of humanity around the world and how we truly aren't all that different.

In Morocco, a troubled American married couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) are on vacation trying to work out their differences.

Meanwhile, a Moroccan herder buys a rifle for his sons so they can keep the jackals away from his herd.

A girl in Japan dealing with rejection, the death of her mother, the emotional distance of her father ( Koji Yakusho), her own self-consciousness, and a disability among many other issues, deals with modern life in the enormous metropolis of Tokyo, Japan.

Then, on the opposite side of the world the married couple's Mexican nanny ( Adriana Barraza) takes the couple's 2 children with her to her son's wedding in Mexico, only to come into trouble on the return trip.

Combined, it provides a powerful story and an equally powerful looking glass into the lives of seemingly random people around the world and it shows just how connected we really are in the big web of inter-cultural dimensions.

Your Challenging Activity:

After watching the movie, you are going to choose one of the 04 stories (a) the American couple; (b) the Nanny; (c) the Japanese girl and father; (d) the Moroccan father and son ... to continue the plot, because there are some pending resolutions to make and solutions to find to some of these characters. You can either write in DIALOG FORM, or in TEXT FORM, by trying to answer some of these questions (or others you can bring up) related to the 04 stories:

(A) What will happen to Susan (Cate Blanchett) after the hospital?

(B) What happened to the nanny's nephew Santiago ( Gael Garcia Bernal) in Mexico and the nanny herself?

(C) What was written in the note the Japanese girl delivered to the police officer? Will he tell her father what happened?

(D) What will happen to the Moroccan father and son? Will they be penalized or not?

You will have 02 weeks to fulfill this assignment. For a better connection with everyone, I invite you to go to a new Web2.0 resource: http://creativenglish.wikispaces.com/message/list/home . I'll exaplain in class.

I really hope you enjoy challenging your creative mind by using the English language to both write your screenply and put your message across .

Have fun with English!!

See you around.

Flávia

A New Challenge: How to Translate into Portuguese?

2009-08-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

Good morning, everyone!

Let's try a new challenge! Can you translate these sentences into Portuguese?

1) What a nerve!/ He's got a nerve! To come to my house after what he had done!

2) Her new boy friend is accomodating to her refined tastes.

3) When you go to an exclusive club, unless you dress well you won't fit in.

4) I can't have lunch with you today because I have a commitment with a client.

5) You don't like meat. I don't like fish. Well let's compromise: let's eat pasta!

Let's give it a try! Hope to see your posts on the blog!

Cheerio!

Flávia

40 Years after Moon Landing

2009-07-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hello dearest students,

Well, for those who are 40 over must remember the TV announcement and news on the first men to land on the Moon. Those who are under 40 can now watch those moments by the ex-astronauts' own recollections, and all the TV coverage to pay homage to the these incredible men who made that happen!

Here go 02 videos to be appreciated and also to be commented on.

1) - Buzz Aldrin is interviewed by Fox News to answer about which was the most important moment for him when landing on the Moon 40 years ago.

2) - Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and John Glenn speak to about 500 people to celebrate the 40- year landing on the Moon. They expressed their feelings and thoughts even about the future of up-coming missions.

Let's make the best of your English skills by posting your comments here.

Hope to see your post!

Cheerio!

2009-06-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Dear students,

This month, I'm going to propose a more intense participation on the blog.

I've selected some topics on Politics, Culture and Technology to suit all tastes and hope to have your lively participation. Here they are:

1) SCO Summit. Do you know what SCO stands for? If not, go to the following video links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m5pPXXT68g&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qWs4aX7Efs&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYlo6GM0vFs&feature=channel

Also, go to WIKIPEDIA to be well-informed about SCO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisation

Then, you can post your comments on the following point:

Do you think these international organizations (SCO, BRIC, to name some) can help improve regional and international trade and security? Why?

2) Endangered Cultures:

This video shows some interesting points on endangered cultures. Watch it and point out which aspects you agree or not with:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/por_br/wade_davis_on_endangered_cultures.html

3) Twitter, Facebook - new technologies:

This is a very interesting presentation by Clay Shirky on the new technology trends. At the end of the presentation, he asks a question that you can try to answer:

How can we make best use of this media even changing the way we've always done it?

http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html

Have fun and mind work with English!

Hope to see your post here!

Flávia
http://www.creativeenglishlearning.com.br/

BRAZIL, THE CRAFTY SUPERPOWER - Newsweek Article of April 22nd, 2009

2009-04-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

I invite you all to read this article on http://www.newsweek.com/id/194604?from=rss and have in mind the following questions to guide your comprehension and encourage you to write your comments on the blog.

1) How did the journalist Mac Margolis describe Lula's participation in the Domestic and International scenario (number of embassies/ number of International trips/ number of departments in Foreign Ministry) ? What about Brazil's participation ?(G5/BRIC/peacekeeping mission/ trade with Latin countries and USA) . What do you think?

2) What is your view on Brazil having military expenditures stagnant compared to other countries?

3) Do you agree on what was said about Fernando Henrique Cardoso? Why?

4) What about WTO rules in favor of Brazil? Was Lula responsible for that?

5) Do you think the journalist was partial or impartial when talking about Lula and Brazil? Give examples from the article.

6) Is there any relevant piece of information that you disagree on? Why?

Hope you all take this very chance to post your ideas in writing. Have a nice work!

Best wishes of fun with writing!

Flávia

Watch and comment CNN interview with young Chinese pianist Lang-Lang

2009-04-14T11:33:00.001-07:00

Dear students,

Hope you can make the best of this blog and participate the most you can.

This is the link to CNN site (www.cnn.com/talkasia ). Hope you can enjoy it! http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/04/06/ta.langlang/index.html

Hope to see your posts here and you build good networking with your English virtual classmates.

Best wishes,

Flávia

What would you like to discuss in April?

2009-04-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Dear students,

This is the new Blog version, I'll be using from April on.

I invite you all to post your questions or topics for discussion.

Don't be shy! Give it a shot!

I'll be waiting for your participation!

See you all here,

Flávia