APPLICATION LETTER

Dear Mr.

Richard Cunninghan,

I am writing in connection with the course of Contemporary English Art that you advertised in "El Pais" newspapers last week.

I am very keen on History and Art and since I am finishing my studies, I have attended a number of courses and masters related to the suject. I am well versed in a huge variety of Art Movements ,such as : Impressionism, Expressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism and Pop Art. Moreover, I have just finished a course in Moderm Art Designer in Ivory Press Gallery.

I enjoy being sourrounded by people talking about Art and I am used to all the vocabulary and material related with the theme.
I would be willing to give you further information about my experience or qualificationes if you required it. I believe that I would be a suitable candidate for this interesting course.
I enclose a brief curriculum vitae , just in case you want to know in deep my knowlegde and profesional experience in this field.


I would be happy to have an interview and I hope you will consider my application favourably.

Yours faithfully,

Charo Vidal.

Application letter

Dear Sir/Madam

My name is Victoria Fernández. I’m addressing this letter to you for getting a founding for the photography course offered in the adult education programme.

After a long labour life, I have obtained my retirement two years ago, and I think this is just the time of doing those things that I couldn’t do during my professional life. I have always been very fond of photography (I enclose a photo at the end of this letter as a little proof of my hobby). But unfortunately I have only got a basic knowledge in the digital system. It will be great if I could attend this course and improve my knowledge in this new technique.

This is why, on seen the advertisement, I thought it would be a good idea to apply for the founding as the only opportunity of attending this course that would permit me to improve my knowledge in digital photography.

On the other hand, as I have a lot of free time and I love to walk on the streets, I could return the value of the founding by rendering some public service to the community. I think it would be useful to the town hall that I would send photos of some problems in the streets, as a hole in the road, a paver out of place, a pool of oil, a broken floor tile, some remnants of a “botellón”…

I look forward to your answer. 

Yours faithfully,

Victoria Fernández 

Interested in learning.

Dear Mr. Cobblepot,

I`m looking forward to join your astronomy course. I would like to be familiar with the astronomy technical language and to learn about the universe as we can see it from the Earth. I’ve study geology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and I’ve done a couple of courses about geology applied in planet exploration-just for you to know my background.-

I’ve always been fascinated with the night sky. A few years ago I bought a telescope, a Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope, but despite my efforts I still have problems to use it properly. Please let me know if the Celestron will be enough to follow the practical lessons.

Thank you very much,

Yours faithfully,

Jesús Javier Rey Samper

Creative writing course

Dear Madam/Sir,

My name is Tomás García, and I'm currently studying journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid. I am writing this letter because I would like to take part in the creative writing course you offer.

Writing was always one of my hobbies, since I was a child, and now I have an active blog that I think will endorse what I say (https://notesofthomas.wordpress.com/). Therefore, I would love to enroll in the courses you offer, in order to improve my skills as a writer. The truth is that this type of learning seems essential to me, because in my future career I will be in constantly contact with the writing world.

Also, I want to share with you this little story, one of the most liked, posted on my previous blog:

'Life hit him and knocked him down to the ground. He stood up, faced her and said "you hit like a girl"'

‘La vida le golpeó y le tiró al suelo. Él, se levantó, la enfrentó y le dijo “pegas como una niña”’

Waiting for your soon answer.

Yours faithfully,

Tomás García

Application letter

Dear Sir / Madam,

My name is Jennifer Garcia. I am writing to you  in order to get funding to do the photography course that it is offered through the website of the education programme.

After studying a degree on Advertising and Public relationships, I did a master in Audio-visual Communication. However, it was not until a few years later when I discovered my true passion: photography. Although when I finished my studies at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid I only worked in different companies related to digital marketing and communication in social networks, the truth is that I have developed my passion for photography as a personal desire. In fact, not only do I take pictures in my travels, I also take them at every moment in my life. It is likely simple moments could become single ones with the right lens and an adequate approach angle.  

Here you have a little demonstration, a simple photo I took while I was enjoying a coffee with my friend:

For this reason, on seeing your notice, I instantly seized the opportunity to apply for the funding for doing the photography course. It will be great if I could attend this course and expand my innate capacity for photography with knowledge. Thus, I could become a true professional in this area.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Jennifer García 

ROALD DAHL

As our teacher said....we have to boots our learning this year, and for me,  the easier way is reading in English,
and just when you think that reading in English may be difficult and boring...
I would like to recomend GOING SOLO by  Roald Dahl.

Going Solo, is a note-book of the writer's memoirs during his journey from England to East Africa to take up his job with the Shell Oil company in 1938 and ends at the time he joins the RAF in the Second World War as a pilot.

One of the most intriguing aspects of his book is that you can see the real events and worries that he experienced during this period of his life.The book has even black and white personal photos as well as maps, telegrams, letters to his family that makes the book so personal.

Dahl never describes any horrors of the war. He tells us like a brother or a close friend what happened without any exaggeration and with a true perspective.

It is not a difficult book to read and arouses you interest in the journey and his participation in the war. Sometimes the humour in the face of a bad situation is fascinating.

If you want to know about Africa and the Second World War, I am sure you will be interested throughout the book which can give you a documentary insight into life in those years.
It is well worth reading.

And  as we talked about in class, I would like also, to encourage you to watch this funny video based in a poem of Dahl who say that is better read than watch t.v.
And that is why I like the video.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnRVfEL6178

Writing Coursework

As I said in class, I need ALL STUDENTS to have given me at least five pieces of writing for assessment by the end of April.

So far there are four assignments on this blog. You can hand them in a) on the blog, b) via email or c) on paper. There will be at least two more in class before the end of the course.

If you do any extra writing on the blog this will be taken in consideration. This includes comments on my posts and on your classmates' posts, posts on the reading material I have given you, posts about TV programmes or videos you have watched or you recommend, posts about things you have read and anthing else you would like to contribute!

Social Reportage

We read George Orwell's classic piece about the working conditions of miners in the 1930s.

I asked you in class to find, read and link to a contemporary piece of social reportage, and to be prepared to discuss it in class.

You can put links in comments to this post.

Mens sana in corpore sano

Juvenal, almost two thousand years ago, said mens sana in corpore sano, that is a latin aphorism, usually translated as a sound mind in a sound body. However, he wanted to say something a little different because the whole sentence is orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano, that is you should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body. Nowadays it’s only the second part that we use and it’s perhaps a good beginning for well-being.

Beyond this, each person has his own idea about the meaning of well-being. Some people think well-being is to have a lot of money, but this is only to have economic welfare that doesn’t assure happiness. Other people think the most important thing for being happy is to have a good job, but, if they haven’t any good friends or relatives, they’ll not be happy. Other people think friends or love is the most important thing for being happy, but it isn’t possible to live only with love or friends.

The best indeed would be to have a very good health, to be a good person, to have a lot of money, to have a good job or hobby, to have some good friends and to share life with a lovely person. But it’s difficult to have all that, so I think the real well-being is to have mens sana in corpore sano, that is, in my opinion, taking care of them and not desiring a lot of things but enjoying what you have.

Have you got a problem? Solve it!

Frequently, we’ve a lot of challenges and problems in our life. Some of them are easy problems and we solve them quickly. But others are very difficult problems, problems that when they appear on our life, we say: “It’s impossible”. I want to talk about these problems.

These quandaries can be of multiple kinds; maybe they’re related with an exam, with a relationship...
But it doesn’t matter about what the problem is, we only have to do one simple thing, try to solve it. The only problem that we can't solve is the one that we don't try.
Don’t worry if you fail one time, another, and another… It’s normal. After a new fail, we have to try again until we get it. There aren’t any stone that you can’t use for your own growth.

And don’t mind if the problem seems difficult. Do you think that Gutenberg thought that it would be easy to make a machine that allowed to copy books 6 centuries ago? Or what do you think that Tesla thought about electricity? Or Edison about bulbs? They invented that things because, although it seemed that it was really difficult, they tried.

So, an important as simple advice for your life, always, ALWAYS, try it!

“It always seems impossible until it is done.” – Nelson Mandela

HOW TO BE HAPPY ... WITH YOURSELF!

As Carrie Bradshaw asserts in the popular series Sex and the City, "the most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself. Because no matter what happens, you will always be with yourself". There are two simples steps in which not only can you find out how to get on well with yourself but also how to be happy with yourself. Do you dare to discover how get it?

First of all, you must love yourself before you can be loved. Have you ever tried looking yourself in yours bedroom´s mirror every morning before leaving home and drawing a smile on your face? I guess if you do it and you check your body having in mind it´s one of the greatest gifts the life has given you, you are sure to feel really happy of inhabit it.

Secondly, but not less important, you have to overcome yourself every day. Obviously, it´s nice to have idols. Nevertheless, it´s better to forget about comparisons with others and set your own goals due to the fact win is to overcome others, victory is to overcome yourself. Setting a viable challenge every month and reaching it will make you improve yourself and feel more confident. So, remember, it is important to stop comparing yourself with others because, this way, you will discover your own strengths.

Do you dare to try it? Do you dare to be happy with yourself? To be your best friend?

WELL BEING

After long hours of work and the daily routine each of us need some relaxation or at least some recreation activities.

Every person should pay a little attention and grant themselves with a little free time doing something that they love, and doing so they will feel better psychologically and physically. 

All you have to do, it is to organize very well your time.
In my opinion, group activities are the best as they offer you the oportunity to spend a pleasant time, as well as,to make new friends,solialize and at the same time to develop certain skills doing something new.

Dance clases , it is for me, the most enjoable of all the activities.Not only to keep you fit but also to have fun. I love dancing, I enjoy it, I find it amazing .I can't help dancing as soon as the songs or beats start . I feel that I have to dance.I hear the music and I just want to move.I don't care who is watching me.
I put my emotions away and the only thing that gets my mind away from other things.

Dancing burns more calories than most sports and it is not as boring as the Gym.
Try it and you will likely feel the well being in you.-

We are getting some really good pieces of writng on here now....

...and I'd like to encourage you to read what your classmates have written, and to comment on their pieces.

There are good reasons for this: one is the theory of the Zone of Proximal Development in language learning theory. Essentially this means that you can only learn what you are ready to learn, which is to say things that are a little beyond your current level. Whether or not this is exactly true, like most things in education, hasn't been conclusively proved, but I know from my experience as a language learner and teacher that it's often easier to learn from other foreign speakers than from native speakers.

By reading your classmates' work you are going to a) see some interesting uses of language in terms of interesting words and expressions, ways of organising a piece of writing and uses of grammatical structures that you can use for yourself in future

and b) spot some mistakes that you probably make in your own writing, but don't always notice when you make them yourself.

So, read, and react- not just because your classmates are interesting people who write interesting things, but also to boost your learning this year!

Jane Austen At The The Golden Globe Awards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD_9RyiRe_o

This is Emma Thompson at the Golden Globe Awards in 1996 when she received her Golden Globe award for the best writing screenplay based on material previously produced or published in the film Sense & Sensibility. She spoke as she were Jane Austen for expressing her gratitude. She, Jane Austen, described the ceremony as excessively crowded and warm, she saw a lot of libertine people, the clothes were acceptable, the film director, Ang Lee, of foreign extraction, who seemed to know her better than herself, Miss Kate Winslet as a lovely person, the producer as someone that owed her a great deal of money and a woman named Emma Thompson as the person to whom she didn’t want to meet because she had stolen her novel and added some new things.

The Bag of Excuses

Have you ever missed the bus minutes before your most important exam? Maybe you are so used to first-date-slap relationships that you don’t even try to arrive on time. Maybe you just love to stare at the front car, stuck in a traffic jam.

Guys, here I bring you the answer to your prayers: The ETYSAEPHOTO!

Every Time You See An Excuse PHOTO!, better known as The Bag of Excuses. No matter the day, nor the time, as soon as you see a good excuse take a picture (PHOTO!) with your mobile phone. Even if you are kissing your girlfriend in a lovely park, if you see a car crash: stop immediately and take a good picture of it (PHOTO!), even a close video if possible. Trust me, there might be other girlfriends but you may never see another car crash.  

Anytime you need an excuse, you just need to pick up your phone and choose the one you think it’s better for the place and time. It’s a piece of cake.

Jesús Javier Rey Samper