Let's write

CFA Àgora

2009-01-19T20:07:00.002+01:00

Let's practice English!

Check these addresses...

1. New Headway Beginner's webpage.
2. New File webpage, with different levels and different activities on grammar, vocabulary, reading... (ok for advanced students).

Enjoy yourselves!
:-)

More practice?

2008-05-27T09:13:00.007+02:00

Tired of reading?
You can also check your grammar and use of English at this webpage. I give you one of the links, but of course you can feel free and surf the different sites OUP offers!
Text Builder is quite fun! How fast can you be?

http://www.oup.com/elt/global/products/englishfile

Choose a level and a type of activities (Grammar, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Games...) and have fun while learning! :-)

Posa't a prova

2008-05-26T11:39:00.003+02:00

Do you want to practice Selectivitat exams? Then click here!
http://www10.gencat.net/dursi/AppJava/posat.jsp

Let's listen!

2008-04-18T14:15:00.007+02:00

I'm sure you are eager to practice listening... So be happy!
Here you have the opportunity!
Open your Exam Preparation Book on page 37 [Exam Preparation 2: Ancient Basketball] and listen to the conversation. Remember that you must choose only ONE answer, and that you can listen to the track TWICE.

We are going to correct the activity next Tuesday in class.

Breaking news!

2008-04-18T13:37:00.003+02:00

Did you hear the news?
That's amazing!
Read what our reporters say...

If...

2008-04-13T22:09:00.002+02:00

This is what we revised on Friday. I don't know why, but pictures have been uploaded in a very bad quality and they are not seen exactly as they were, but for the time being, it will be Ok...
Good luck!

Model

2008-02-22T16:58:00.002+01:00

This is a model (150 words) of a for and against essay about a completely different topic: the advantages and disadvantages of TV viewing. Connectors are highlighted, so you can see the layout clearly...

Very few homes do not have a television these days. There is no doubt that the influence of TV is very strong. However, is it desirable?

On the one hand, those in favour of TV emphasise its educational value. They say that everyone can learn from TV programmes. Moreover, it allows the elderly and the sick to see what is going on in the world. Furthermore, no one can deny TV's entertaimnet value.

On the other hand, those who are against TV point to the sex and violence that we see on our screens every day. They also claim that many people have become addicted to TV viewing and that it has destroyed our social life.

In conclusion, it is clear that there are both advantages and disadvantages to television viewing, and that each of us should know how to achieve the maximum benefit from the programmes we are offered.

This was your draft...

2008-02-22T10:38:00.005+01:00

Hi there...
Here we have your first draft for the for and against essay... Now that you have the comments of your friends and that you have learnt a lot since you wrote that text... Why don't you try to write the final version?

Here I give you some recommendations:

1. Please, organise your text in four paragraphs (see the writing guide on the right column). This is extremely important!!! (It will help the reader understand the text more easily...)

2. Your text should be easy to understand (otherwise your readers will stop reading it!). So write sentences that are short, clear and easily understandable. (It's quality what matters, not quantity!!)

3. Check that all your sentences have subject and verb!

4. Connectors of contrast (to express your for and against points of view) and connectors of addition (to add ideas to support your opinion) willhelp the reader!

5. And finally, check spelling. The word processor will help you in that task (providing you tell him that you are writing in English, and have that funcion installed and active). Otherwise, use a dictionary! (See the links section on this page...)

6. And one final and useful recommendation... Say what you can say, not what you don't know how to say...

Jovita's essay!

2008-01-22T09:46:00.000+01:00

Well, in my opinion, exams are necessary but I think there shouldn't be tests to know the intelligence of the students.

On the one hand, intelligence doesn't show by the academic results because exists more tipe of subjects and another tipe of knowledge and it's impossible to learn all the things of the world. In my opinion, one person is intelligent when he knows what he wants in his life and then try to get it.

On the other hand, if you don't get good marks on the exams it's obviously that you didn't studied by the exam and you must suffer the consequences.

In conclusion, the exams are useful to see the progression of a person in a subject not for know their knowledge, IQ test already exist for that.

Cristian's essay!

2008-01-21T11:39:00.000+01:00

The examinations are tests in order that the students demonstrate the knowledge obtained during the course and this is valued by a final note that can be good or bad, according to the effort of each one.
In my opinion the examinations have not to of be doing, since not the whole world has facility to do them. There are people who becomes nervous, they remain in white in the exam and there is no way, though it is known and then the note does not reflect what really they know and then it is difficult to recover a note if it is very low.
But I know that the note is not alone of but also there is a note of class, which is very important.

Elisah's compostion!

2008-01-21T11:37:00.000+01:00

I doný think that exams have to be used just for testing a classmade knoeledge, I think is unfear because you also can learn from others things and not only what books of "x" year says. Imagene that you do a Maths exam, obiously if you fail it doesnt mean that you are a potatoe in that subject, yust that you need more practice and that you have to work harder. Also I think that exams are not that wortenougt beacuse if you are a nervous person, sometimes nervs can play to you a bad one¡¡¡How many times we havent hear a clasmade say - oh my gosh¡¡¡ how could it be that i havent seen this one¡¡¡ or -Ididnt understan it¡¡¡, yes mens stress isnt good for exams I think is good making exams because you can see where your errors or good points are but not for mesuring youre intelligence or knowlede. Because for examle, as i was saying at the beginning, if you are a grate gardener or farmer you know a lot about that and in school you will not have an exam about hens or roosters nair flowers...Its okey that exams test youre knowledge academy but not youre global knowledge.

Marta's text

2008-01-21T11:36:00.000+01:00

Should academic competition be encouraged at school?

On the one hand it depends on the person and the personality of everyone. The
academic competitions could be result if everybody has an optimist insight of the
things and the teenagers generally hasn’t got a optimist insight. Also the academic competition depends of the attitude of the professor, if he helps you, you are more motivated to study and you try to improve on you marks. Also sometimes you find a bad professor. But it could be boring only thing on the marks, because you need other things.
On the other hand, the academic competitions learn you to improve your responsibility and prepare the students to the job world.
In my opinion, it result in a little number of persons, in addition if this persons are teenager or more young. I thinks that depends of the country, the personalities, and other things that affect the students. I really that this system doesn’t improve the education.

Irene's essay!

2008-01-21T11:35:00.000+01:00

In one hand i think it is not necessary to punish studens if they don’t assist to class, because those are not on obligation.
We want or need to have this studies to acces to other studies we want to do for reach a better job.
We need to pass the exams to graduate, so maybe we only have to so when we have to do an exam not go everyday at school if we don’t want or don’t need help of a teacher.
But in the other hand a work in a public place, there are rules and we must respect then. So its normal that he school have rules too, and if we want to acces to studies we have to accept and respect the rules there are.
Eventually, I prefer to go to class every day, and then it will be easier to study.

Jordi's for and against essay!

2008-01-18T10:22:00.001+01:00

I choose the second topic, “should students be punished for not attending school?”

In my opinion, the fact of punishing students of BAT for skipping class is unnecessary because that isn’t compulsory. Children must be punished for skipping class, but they studying primary education or secondary education obligatory so teachers have punishing students. Furthermore students of BAT are 18 years old and we are responsible of our facts.

In other hand, punish students is good, but exist other ways for do this things, many type of retaliation, for example lowers the marks but no lack of attendance. However, this lacks, can justify lacks unjustifiable or only can be forged.

I think that exist other methods more consistent and more effective for attract students to assist class.

Patricia's composition!

2008-01-18T10:21:00.000+01:00

Should students be punished for not attending school?

I have seen lot, LOT of students behaving very badly in the schools that I have been. Mainly, I’m talking about the ESO.
But, what the teachers can do? Nothing. They only can speak to them trying to stop their behavior. They can punish them, but, normally, the students ignore them. Then the child, will grow up without any type of limit in the school, and he will never pay attention if he don’t want to. In this life you must will have to do lot of things that you won’t like, and if we grow up without this thought in our minds…. Well.
I think that sometimes the pupils often go over the top by disrespecting the teachers. I remember a teacher from my old school, my ESO School, that left school because of the bad behaviour of the class… She never could make the class, the pupils were always talking, throwing things trough the air, paper balls, pencils, rubbers… She screamed, she spoke loudly and seriously, but the pupils, ignored her.
When my father was a child, the teachers punished them lot of times, the teachers hit him too. But, thanks to that, he never had a bad behavior there, and he learned, from he was a child, that there are things that you can’t do in the school. And the teachers could make the class ever they want.
I’m not saying that now we have to start punishing with hits each boy that behaves badly. If we started to do this, maybe the students would end up repressed by the continuous hits and punishments at school. Now this facts in our society, could be a scandal.
But we can make ruder punishments than the current ones. For example, taking away many points from an exam every time a rule was broken.

But, we all know that punish the pupils to force them to learn… it’s not ever the best thing for education.
I think that the problem also could be in the way of giving classes. At my old school, the pupils paid no attention to lot of teachers except one. One who gave all from himself in the class, one who live his classes and his lessons. The pupils where, all of them, paying attention and in silence.
Maybe the teachers could learn new ways to explain her classes, making contests, competitions, making them more entertaining.

In conclusion. The teachers could try new ways to punish her students, but this teachers also have to collaborate so that they don’t behave badly, therefore not having to punish them.

Cristina's text!

2008-01-18T10:19:00.001+01:00

In my opinion, students study too many subjects. Each subject contains too many topics. Students can't show their knowedge when they are sitting their exam. In one exam, it is not possiblefot them to show everything they know. Most students study hard, but in the exam their minds sometimes go blank. In this case, students are not able to show if they know what they studied.
They are also subjects which we study harder than others because most students normally have favourite subjects which are easier to study for them.

Cristina Riveiro's essay!

2008-01-18T10:16:00.000+01:00

In IES Gabriel Ferrater, if students don’t attend classes without justifications, they are expulsed.

One the one hand, it’s normal that schools have their rules moreover it’s fair that the students who skip classes in a concrete moment shouldn’t have the same deal than the students who attend it.

On the other hand, the students who don’t attend classes have their own reasons and the school shouldn’t interpose in their private lives. Moreover, it is unfair for the student because he isn’t only accused of doing something bad but also is seen as an irresponsible person when the teachers don’t know what is really happening.

In my opinion, the problem is for the student, who will have problems with the marks. Additionally, batxillerat is optional, so teachers shouldn’t mind if a student attends. Furthermore, people who skip classes are punished with the prohibition of attending.

Mar's essay!

2008-01-18T10:15:00.000+01:00

Should students be punished for not attending school?

I think students usually goes to class because they want.

The assistance, is really important for you because you can show your interests about the subject. The pupil who decides don’t go to class has a big problem because at last is the student who lose. It’s obvious that is not a teachers problem but for all of them it means that classes could be more interesting, I believe that sometimes students decides to don’t go classes because some subjects are really boring. I’ve been thinking about it and I have thought that is almost impossible to finish.
With this problem, because there are any effective method to punish the assistance, under my point of view if pupils wouldn’t like to go to the school they’ll be at home, because at home we are very well.

Jonathan's text!

2008-01-18T10:14:00.000+01:00

When the teacher says to you “Pay attention, lazy boy!”. You know you are paying attention, but on the flight of a fly. When your teacher looks to you throwing a piece of paper to one of your classroom mates, he punishes you. You tray to explain that you were experimenting the gravity law! When he knows that you are eating sweets and he wants make you do thirty four millions of redactions you tell her that you were giving proteins to your body… but this and the other situations the adults can’t understand… Adults can’t understand most of things, they only thing about money, numbers and work. For these reasons please, don’t ask me what I want to be when I became into an adult.

Iris' composition!

2008-01-18T10:12:00.002+01:00

In my school assistance is a subject really controlled, they watch over strictly students assistance.

In my opinion Gabriel Ferrater’s rules are severe enough.
On one hand I believe that controlling pupils it’s quite important because some students are a little bit irresponsible and they would never go to classes, especially the ones that do not want to follow studying.

But on the other hand I don’t think that the way of punishment they use is the best one. I think it’s tough enough. I don’t agree with their way of penalize students. If you have six faults you get a “conducta” and if you have three “conductes” you get turned out, furthermore you don’t get allowed to go outing. That’s what I don’t like of their method.

Personally I think that punishment it’s sometimes important, but it would be good to find another way of checking assistance.

Alex's text!

2008-01-18T10:12:00.001+01:00

Should students be punished for not attendance in school?

In my opinion, is wrong to punish students who didn’t attend in class or they skip it for his own decision, it isn’t compulsory to do, or to assist in class.

The students who study for their decision don’t need to have a punishment.
Besides, there are students who are not brilliant and isn’t good to skip classes for they, and this must be, maybe not punished but yes to notice to the student.

But the student who are studying compulsory school must have a punishment to skip their classes, because is necessary and important for this students to attend in all the elementary classes what they are having.

Althought if the assitance to the schools is a big problem, the teachers and directors will find the causes of this descending motivation of all the students.

The trouble is not in the children, the trouble I think it’s in the education system who don’t know how to do the rights things, and they want a desmotivation in the students.

Miriam's essay!

2008-01-18T10:09:00.000+01:00

In all the institutes and colleges of the world examinations are done to see that the pupils know. Moreover For some it is something bad because they fail it them and makes to them it suspend the subject but for others this one well because it helps him to try they themselves and to see everything what they know and to demonstrate it intelligent that are.
I don’t like the examinations, I hate it because always I suspend or pass with low note after being the whole everything the study. However I think that this well that they do them because this way they force us to be able the things and in a future be able to do the things well in the profession to which we go away to dedicating.

Sergi's for and against essay!

2008-01-17T20:36:00.000+01:00

Should students be punished for not attending school?

I think that the students of ESO they must be punished if they do not to class, not in an extensive moderation, but if persistent. On the other hand i think that the nonobligatory study students they do not have to be punished because if they study it is because they want, and in the case of lack, they yet have a problem not the teachers or their family, in certain age, one is due to be a little mature, to know what they want in this life, and if it wants to study or to be awhile in classe warming up the chair.

In conclusion I think that is guessed the adwar to students with best marks, or do one accumulation of points with their assistance in class, and in the end they would change it for a prize, but not to discrimine the worse mark students to not to discouraged them.

Lorena's text!

2008-01-17T20:35:00.000+01:00

I believe that if that it is correct that the teachers do examinations to the pupils, because if not, apart from with the homework and the behavior in class, didn’t know as evaluating them. On the other hand, I believe that they give them too much importance, and that probably there are people who strains very much in these subject and suspends the examination and hiseffort is valued little. To my it is not that I like to do examinations but I think that it is the method that has been in use the whole life and that must follow using, that if something is wanted one has to fight for it, because if there were no examinations the people abusing a and did can to do with the confidence of the teachers and that this it was his way of passing.

Berta's composition!

2008-01-17T20:32:00.000+01:00

I chose the second answe, if should students be punished for not attending school.

Well, I think that they shouldn't be punished but other mesures should be taken. However, these measures would depend on the age of the studens because it is absurd punishing them dependingon the student, because they woulddo whatever their like.
On the one Hand, I think that ESO students should be taken into acount more than BAT students and if somebody doesn't go to class he/she shouldn't be punished but if a sanction. A lot of school the sanction is a "conducta" and when the students have a lot of "conductes" tell her parents, about then and try to solution.
On the other hand I think that students of Batxillerat shouldn't be punished for not attending school because they go to school because they want. Nevertheless, students shouldn't miss their classes because studyingis good and important for their lives.

Aleix's text!

2008-01-17T11:43:00.000+01:00

In my opionion these students must be punished, but with a special punishment, no a traditional one. They must work or study at school in the evenings to compensate the time they have missed.

On one hand this measure is right because they don’t want to be at school a lot of time, so they would think a little more before not attending school. On the other hand, this is not the best solution because some of these students would be at school practically all evenings and there is very expensive. The school would have to pay some teachers to be there monitoring the students.

Another measure could be that the parents for the pupils were informed each time their children don’t attend school. This would be a good way to know if they haven’t attended for a good reason (they are ill, they have to go to the doctor) or it’s because they are hooligans.

Eventually I only want to say that I agree with the regulation of the IES GABRIEL I FERRATER of notifying the absences to the parents.

Claudia's essay!

2008-01-15T20:48:00.000+01:00

SHOULD STUDENTS BE PUNISHED FOR NOT ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL?

I think that is a mistake punishing students who are studing something that isn’t compulsory (for example: batxiller) for skiping class. Actually, they are in school for their decision.
This students don’t need somebody who controls their attendance.
However, may be, some the students who are studing compulsory education would skip their classes if there weren’t attendance control.
Nevertheless, if the attendance in schools is a general trouble, the directors shouldn’t find solution on controling attendance, but they should find the real causes which are causing the situation.
The ask is why, why some students are not attending in school? It’s understandable. Sometimes, not only they are bored in class, but also the education sistem appears them like a other world and nothing especial.

Welcome

2008-01-07T18:45:00.001+01:00

Welcome to this online exhibition of your compositions!

Here we will post your texts so that other classmates can read them and make comments to help you improve your writing skills... :-)

Please, make sure you follow these instructions:

1. Choose ONE of the following topics and write a for and against essay (100-120 words).

Should academic competition be encouraged at school?
Should students be punished for not attending school?
Should exams be used to test students' knowledge?

You can have a look at the Writing Guide on page 114.

2. Send your text to iesgabrielferrater@gmail.com [Deadline: Friday, 18th January, 2008]

3. Read and make useful comments on your partners' compositions (write to at least 3 partners). Your comments can refer to content and/or form (grammar, vocabulary, etc.) Don't forget to sign your comments. [Deadline: Saturday, 26th January, 2008]

4. You will be assessed according to your composition and the quality/usefulness of the comments you write to your partners.

Are you ready?