Off-topic* 2: Bando de babacas

Hello, guys!

Again*, I know it's not in English (this time, it's not even on-topic*!), but I simply couldn't help it* - I had to* post it! ;)

'What are you laughing at?'*
asked Capitão Nascimento - or so they say*. ;)

Humour (a topic those taking MAC2 now will be discussing* next semester - can anyone from MAC1 please check if there's anything about it in our new course[book]? Thanks!) has always been a potentially controversial issue* - but it's not what has actually inspired this post. This has:

"[...] eu sou da época da gentileza, do muito obrigado e do por favor, acredito no ser humano e ainda sou canceriano e baiano, ou seja, um babaca total. [...]"

I don't know about you*, but this got me thinking*. It made me wonder* (Led Zeppelin!*) about the sort of world we now live in, a world where kindness* is often dismissed as* silliness* - and, yes, where many can't tell* (Pink Floyd!*) 'absolutely hilarious'* from 'downright rude'*.

Don't worry: you're not being invited to take sides* here (did you hate/love 'Tropa de Elite'? Do you hate/love 'Pânico na TV'?), but to read, reflect, write and share your ideas about a topic which I believe is worth our time* - very simply put*, living in society.

So, please, don't leave me talking to myself - I'm only uploading this because I did feel* an uncontrollable urge* to discuss the subject (even though*, as has been pointed out* on* Facebook, those might not even be* Wagner Moura's words)!

*Some focus on (clichés* of) the English language and culture (for me not to* feel so guilty about* this post, indeed*) - your task: pick* a couple of the marked items and explain why they've been marked*. Yes, I'm being serious*.

Off-topic? MAC1 Midterm test: Materials and instructions

Dear MAC1 students,

Please check all your email accounts to make sure you get our Midterm-Test-Extra-Materials-and-Instructions, which I've just sent to the addresses in my list - I mean, not necessarily to the addresses you used when accepting my invitation to our blog.

I hope you've already started studying and send me your questions via email as soon as possible - if you do want them answered in time, that is... :-D

See you next class!

ER Lesson 14: So academic

I hope you're enjoying your weekend, guys.

Here's the link to the (very) extensive reading of the week, which you must do as part of your preparation for Writing Task 2.

Since it's a long text, don't forget to highlight (in your comments!) what you consider to be its main points, that is to say, the advice which might be of most use to you when writing your own essays.

As both a teacher and a writer, I particularly like the following:

• "There are no foolproof recipes for producing a quality assignment. Each student will employ an individual approach to essay writing; however, what follows is an outline of the fundamental steps involved in the essay writing process."

and

• "A clear understanding of what you are expected to do is crucial to writing a quality assignment. Make sure you understand what issue/problem has to be addressed. Analyse the wording of the question carefully to gain an understanding of what is being asked. There are three aspects of the question to consider: instructional/operational/directive/task words; content/information key words; delimiting words."

What about you? Which recommendations do you like the most? Bearing in mind "there are no foolproof recipes for producing a quality assignment", what approach to essay writing do you usually employ?

Have a nice Sunday!

P.S.: It's a semiformal article, not an academic essay, but have you read Bruno's text about life skills being taught at school yet? What's your viewpoint on the subject? Tell us!

P.P.S.: Thank you, Rodrigo, Mariane, for keeping posting such nice comments!

P.P.P.S.: As the number of signatures on the petition to save Balandra beach has increased from 14,204 to 14,211 since I myself signed it, I do believe some of you have done so as well - muchas gracias! ;)

Wirting Text 2 - Mac 2 -

Writing Text 2: Should life skills be taught at school?

It really depends on which skill and his real necessity in our daily, the school should taught these skills only if really needed, cookery for example would have no need to be taught on school, since we can learn by ourselves in our houses with the help of parents or with a cookery book.

The school should know too, when and how to teach these skills, you can`t, for example, teach sex education to kids on primary school! This should be focused on students of high-school at least. In racism awareness the teachers must take care to don’t promote a prejudice that, for example, Afro descent`s or Indians need protection or something to let them feel better. Drug and alcohol awareness is another which needs careless, this shouldn`t induce the students to want to know how they worked, only by curiosity, their dangers and side-effects should be taught and not only the "good effects".

Besides that, some skills are almost obviously why they should be teach in school, first aid is important to at least know what to do in an emergency, but even this should be taught with careless, maybe not by teachers, but by someone specialist in the subject, like nurses, fire-fighters or even doctors.

The best subjects to be taught should be the ones you won’t have interest in learn it on home. Economics it`s usually something the people, at least the kids or teenagers, that doesn`t pay attention in, so if doesn`t applied in school, maybe these students will even know why understand economy is important.

Bruno Akira

Lesson 13: Saving Balandra

'An idyllic place or experience is extremely pleasant, beautiful or peaceful.'
(Cambridge Dictionaries Online)

"Development of Balandra would surely have brought jobs: margaritas would have to be served, tour parties guided and pets pampered. But the people of La Paz have looked into that particular future and dared to choose another path. They have shown that it is possible to take on the inevitable - and win."

"Development of Balandra would surely have brought jobs: margaritas would have had to be served, tour parties guided and pets pampered (the tourist publication Baja Traveler magazine last year, without irony, printed a picture of a waistcoated Mexican smilingly massaging a blond spaniel). As in Acapulco or Cancún, air-conditioned boutiques would have sold trophy watches while wandering hawkers flogged hand-plaited wristbands. But the people of La Paz have looked into that particular future and dared to choose another path. They have shown that it is possible to take on the inevitable - and win."

'Grassroots campaign' at a shopping centre
(Would it be allowed here in Brazil?)

Hi there!

We were talking the other day about the difference in impact between a simplified version of a text and its original version, remember? Here are two questions that you could try to answer in your comments about the conclusion of today's article:

1. Why might it be said that, in this case, the shorter version of the paragraph 'sounds better' than the longer one? Which do you prefer? Why?

2. What information from the original paragraph is lost in the edited one? How important do you consider it? Why?

Also, have a look at the full article, as published in The Guardian, and find two more factors which could possibly explain the resistance to the creation of a resort on Balandra beach.

Finally, if you believe in the importance of such cause and in online activism, you can sign Colectivo Balandra's petition here. In the 'ANP' and 'Novedades' section of the page, you'll see that the place's still in danger (a 'protracted struggle', indeed!) - I reckon all help's welcome!

P.S.: Have you checked what's going on in the comment section of some of our blog posts yet? ;)

ERV Lesson 12: Come and visit - responsibly!

Good afternoon, people!

About yesterday's lesson, you should read/watch at least one of the following:

• E-Campus, Web Project Ecotourism: log in, click on 'Word & Phrase Search' under 'Search' and type in the words 'Web Project Ecotourism' - that's quite simple! :)
• http://www.igtoa.org/info-for-travelers: videos on challenges facing the Galapagos Islands, plus best practice and safety tips for tourists - check also the PDF document entitled 'Best Practices in Galapagos'.
• http://www.global-changemakers.net/marketplace-entries/young-explorers-program-usa-become-an-environmental-ambassador: not much on this page, but I might have missed something...

Your Websearch of the day is:

• 'Environmental ambassadors? Global changemakers? Social entrepreneurs? Read the website and find out more!'

Bonus points (well, not really, but...) if you comment on Rodrigo's (thank you!), Mariane's, Felipe's or Amanda's contributions to our blog! Even more if you write a comment or a post of your own.

Oh, and, Vilela, I'm waiting for uploads of some English-lessons-inspired works of yours... ;-) It'd be a really original way to comment on the texts/videos, don't you think so? Seriously!

Lesson 11: Hello, Harriet

Also as promised, here are the links to:

• lesson 11 video about Galapagos and its tortoises;
• Jurassic Park's scene about the ill triceratops.

Can you also see a resemblance between the two videos? :-D Oh, and an extra link:

• Meet Harriet, the giant tortoise that (supposedly) belonged to Darwin!

Hi there!

P.S.: Sorry, Mariane - I hope you have no nightmares about Harriet! To me, she looks almost like a pet dog in this picture! :-D

ER Lesson 11: Preservar é preciso

As promised, here's your suggested extensive reading of the holiday:

• http://rainforests.mongabay.com/mata-atlantica/mata-atlantica.html (really nice to be reminded that the Amazon rainforest isn't the only one in our country, isn't it?)
• http://www.greenlivinganswers.com/archives/197 (features a video, which I haven't been able to see yet - please let me know if it's worth it if you do!)

And here are my personal recommendations (from contributors to our very own blog - thanks a lot, Mariane, Felipe! - and from the same page as the article on Mata Atlântica):

• "I think every experience in our life is valid. I have never visited the sea and I am sure that when I can I really would soak up it. In the beach, in a cruise or maybe to work in a cruise :)" and "I totally agree with your understanding of this text. You really saved me some time of writing about it! =P". =D

• "Some things are just better when you turn off the lights. Such as star-gazing, campfires, movies, kissing, and the new mushroom species from Brazil, Mycena luxaeterna. This bioluminescent fungi casts an eerie, yet beautiful glow. Researchers named it luxaeterna, 'eternal light', after a movement in Mozart's haunting Requiem. The species is from the Atlantic Forest, one of the world's most threatened and fragmented rainforests. It grows on rotting branches. © Cassius V. Stevani (Instituto de Química – Univ. de São Paulo, Brazil)."

No, that's not what I meant by 'my personal recommendation'!

Star-gazing, campfires, movies, kissing... mushrooms? And Mozart (or sort of...)! Ideas for the holiday - since it's unfortunately too short for a cruise!... ;)

Oh, and don't forget to:

1. join our fellow bloggers Felipe, Amanda and Mariane in their discussion of Lesson 09  and Lesson 10 texts (I'll be doing so myself this weekend!);
2. find, in today's articles, one expression which appeared in yesterday's lesson;
3. highlight at least one interesting collocation per article read;
4. leave a personal comment on at least one of these articles.

A happy Easter to those who celebrate it - I'll be still accepting chocolate on Tuesday! LOL

ER Lesson 10: "Navegar é preciso"?

And today's reading suggestions are...

First, “Put it this way,” Mr. Middleton said: “Those who can afford million-dollar megayachts will be able to afford security teams, insurance premium hikes, and basically whatever it takes to get there.” - thumbs down?

Second, Yes. Green travel is not just what happens at the destination, or indeed how you get there. It does not demand that you eschew air travel altogether or hotels or comfort, or that your holiday is within 10 miles of your home. Rather, it asks you to pack your brain as well as your swimsuit, and to assess and then act on the impact of your visit. - thumbs up?

Third, For some, the appeal of a cruise is 360-degree ocean views, endless entertainment and waking up in a new destination every day. For others, a cruise is basically being trapped at sea, fighting for deck chairs and getting only eight hours to explore an entire country. - thumbs...?

Last but not least, This is a good article that may convince someone who wants to help people, but lacks that encouragement to start. Nevertheless, the people who park their lazy "@*$" in front of the TV will never even finish to read that! and The article: “How graduates can stand out from the crowd” is very motivating and gives important tips. The tip title as “Break the mould” can be very useful in our task of writing a covering letter. ;) - double thumbs up (how many have I got, again? LOL), Felipe, Amanda! Comments soon!

Little tasks to choose from, guys:

1. join our fellow bloggers Felipe and Amanda in our discussion of Lesson 09's texts;
2. find, in today's articles, one word which appears in two of them and one which appeared in yesterday's lesson;
3. highlight at least one interesting collocation per article read;
4. tell us which article most and least appeals to you and why (I intend to do so myself ASAP!);
5. using the frame suggested in lesson 08, write a summary of one of these articles.

Have fun! ;)