lunes, 23 de mayo de 2016

PORTFOLIO ENTRY #7 Parts of a Paragraph - English Academic Writing



Parts of a Paragraph

  • ·         T.S ----> Topic sentence
  • ·         B ------> Body order of importance
  • ·         C.S ----> Closing sentence.


Effective topic sentence= Interesting topic + my opinion about it

Body= heart of my paragraph= supporting arguments/details/information

2 Ways of ordering details

  • Importance (strong arguments)
  • Chronology (order of events)


The 2 functions of the closing sentence:

  • The C.S Reminds the reader the topic sentence.  
  • The C.S gives extra ideas to keep readers thinking.

jueves, 5 de mayo de 2016

PORTFOLIO ENTRY #4. How miscommunication happens (and how to avoid it) - Katherine Hampsten


Miscommunication

Miscommunication can lead to confusión, animosity and misunderstanding. Even though human communication is incredibly complex, basic understanding of what happens when we communicate can help us prevent miscommunication. There are two interpretations: the transmission model, which views communication as a message that moves directly from one person to another and the transactional model wich acknowledges the many added challenges of communication like receiving feedback and creating meaning.
When communicating, one person expresses her interpretation of a message, and the person she's communicating with hears his own interpretation of that message. Our perceptual filters continually shift meanings and interpretations. Simultaneously, every person interprets
the message they receive based on their relationship with the other person, and their unique understanding of the semantics and connotations of the exact words being used.
Sometimes, our messages turn into a mush of miscommunication but luckily, there are some simple practices that can help us all navigate our daily interactions for better communication. One: recognize that passive hearing and active listening are not the same. Engage actively with the verbal and nonverbal feedback of others, and adjust your message to facilitate greater understanding. Two: listen with your eyes and ears, as well as with your gut. Remember that communication is more than just words. Three: take time to understand as you try to be understood. In the rush to express ourselves, it's easy to forget that communication is a two-way street. Be open to what the other person might say. And finally, four: Be aware of your personal perceptual filters. Elements of your experience, including your culture, community, and family, influence how you see the world. Say, "This is how I see the problem, but how do you see it?", don't assume that your perception is the objective truth. That'll help you work toward sharing a dialogue with others to reach a common understanding together.

domingo, 10 de abril de 2016

PORTFOLIO ENTRY # 3How did English evolve?


How did English evolve?

In the year 400 C.E the Romans withdrew from Britain and the Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians quickly sailed across the water, did away with the Celts, and fromed Kingdoms in the British Isles. Their Germanic language, Anglo Saxon became the common language or “Old English”. In the 700´s a series of Viking invasions began, which continued until a treaty split the island in half. On one side were the Saxon, on the other side were the Danes, who spoke a language called Old Norse and gradually this two cultures mixed their languages. In 1066, the Normans placed a king on the English throne and for three centuries, French was the language of the British royalty. Society in Britain came to have two levels: French-speaking aristocracy and Old English-speaking peasants. The French also brought many Roman Catholic clergymen with them who added Latin words to the mix. English speakers quickly realized what to do if they wanted to sound sophisticated:  they would use words that had come from French or Latin. Anglo Saxon Words seemed to plain like the Anglo Saxon peasants who spoke them. Nowadays the connotation of nobility and authority has persisted around words of French origin. And the connotation of peasantry, real people, has persisted around Saxon words. Our history lives in the words we speak and hear.

viernes, 8 de abril de 2016