My English Course

In this subject, I liked to practice english talking, because I could improve my english and learn many words, phrases and grammatical rules. I think the pronunciation was important too, in this subject I learnt much about this. There were occasions which I didn’t understand the pronunciation of words in the audio records. However, the teacher achieved to learn us, this process was very interesting, I could learn subtle differences between the pronunciations of similar words. The subject was assigned on Thursdays. However, the schedule was exhausting, because it was after of lunch in afternoon.

I think the blogs was a good idea, I could develop my writing skills, this is useful, because I can now understand and response converses and jokes in internet. This was a new door for me. I wrote about my own story of life and my interests. I think that it was contributed to self-development.

I need to improve my understanding of listening and to improve my pronunciation. In this aspect I will need much practice. In addition, I believe the best way to improve is talking with foreign people or to go at other English country. The practice and the experience is an important thing, while more hours I practice it will be better for me.

In these days I have used the english to understand many songs about different artists, such as Nirvana, Queen, Black metal, John Lennon. It has been interesting and entertaining. In addition, I have translated many papers of psychology.

The social media revolution.

In the past, social Media Companies believed if one person had been a member of a certain demographic group, he was predictable. Nevertheless, it changes, in actual social media together with networking; we’re able to connect with people quite freely and to redefine ourselves in the world, because these groups aren’t rigid now. The researchers have found out an important thing, the most people which accesses to the internet is the female gender. So they are really driving the social media revolution. Because according to the statistics, in every single age category women outnumber men and in their use of networking technologies, also they dominate the social media space. In addition it has impacted the popular culture, for example, you can see a lot more female characters in cartoons, games and TV shows. Johanna Blakley says maybe the chick flick could be an importan category of movie.

In my opinion, the media companies transmit a misconception about gender. They show an unreal concept of feminity and masculinity.  Unfortunately, women are more influenced about this concept and are affected visibly greater than the men. Maybe, the companies take advantage of this susceptibility. Other researches also talk about this phenomenon, according to surveys, historically, women have been enthusiastic users. Pew Research Center (http://www.pewresearch.org/) shows, between December 2009 and December 2012, women were significantly more likely than men to use social networking. Then, they could participate in the networking but they could also be victims of this social media. 

Quebrada de La Plata

An important enviromental issue for me is Quebrada La Plata. A mine installed a long time ago in a hill named Quebrada de la Plata located in Maipú, which is a municipality of Santiago. In this area there is a diversity  of flora and fauna, but it will be in danger. Many organizations have interested in protecting of those species and vegetations which will be affected by pollution. The most important danger is wáter pollution through underground aquifers. This aquifers supply potable water to Maipu.

A new world of Social Media: creativity, trolls, popular knowledfe and other

In recent years technology has allowed many advances in our lives. The way to comunicate is not the same as before. Nowadays through media such as the internet, you can comunícate with your friends and family quickly. It has allowed the emergence of a new world: social media.

Social-media technologies take on many different forms including magazines, Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, microblogging, wikis, social networks, podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking. This is a new door to creativity, leisure, company and exchange of thought. In my personal opinion I feel empowered.

I usually use social media sites. It’s so good, you can help promote creativity, interaction, and learning through forums and “threads”. The threads are many comments about a topic, its main characteristic is all can write their opinion freely. Sometimes, it becomes too entertaining and you can learn many useful things. However there is people who hate the world and waste their times writting nonsense things, their aim is to offend the other. They are named  “trolls”.

Also, It can help you with homework and class work. Stay connected with peers, and interaction. And it’s very good.

In addition, other interesting thing is the informal and popular knowledge. I have learnt many such interesting about this, for example, I learnt how to win all levels of Pokemon. This was my favorite game of the childhood. I couldn’t never won it. I tried many times with this game, but I always lost it. Until this time I felt so sad. But I find a wiki-pokemon. This is a page wich you can learn all about pokemon games. What I liked is this a collaborative encyclopedia for everything and anything that is related to the Pokémon World. There was 6,582 articles!! So I feel so empowered

An article of Social Phobia and cognitive-behavioral therapy

I chose an article related to Phobias. It’s a lot of different phobias which affects a individuals who suffer it. The pacient feels generalized or especefic fear about a object. This reaction is  non-rational and insane relating to the object which produces it. Therefore, it’s very important for the social health to research about its nature, how to treat it and which is the best therapy.

I’m interesting about the social phobia, because, it’s a phobia very common and it can be explained by the individual and competitive society what we live. The article chosen is a review of relevant aspects of social phobia and the stages of treatment within cognitive-behavioral therapy.  

The article says phobia is a chronic and prevalent condition, characterized by social inhibition and excessive shyness. The main techniques used in cognitive-behavioral therapy for social phobia are described and exemplified in a case report. The conclusions is there is a general consensus in the literature that cognitive-behavioral therapy is efficacious.

Specifically, the cognitive aproach consists  in a interpretation or meaning of a given experience which permeated by beliefs or values built by the individual. Then, an cognitive-behavioral therapy provides the patient with a wide and varied repertoire of more adaptive social behaviors, reducing passivity and feelings of impotence or anger, taking into consideration the patient’s characteristics and the social group they belong to.

This research could help to pacients. They could heal efficiently, because, it says the researches. Therefore, the cognitive-behavioral treatment could be useful to my career.

This is the link: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbp/v30s2/en_a07v30s2.pdf

The happiness!!!

I think that the happiness is a important concept which is present in the most part of the life. Dan Gilbert is a psychologist and he argues that our brains systematically misjudge what will make us happy. His conference is about the causes, mechanism and kinds of halppiness, he explains two concepts: Natural happiness and synthetic happiness. Natural happiness is what we get when we get what we wanted, and synthetic happiness is what we make when we don’t get what we wanted. In our society, we have a strong belief that synthetic happiness is of an inferior kind. Indeed, our brain responses as a psychology immune system, thus, we feel truly happy, even, If the things don’t turn to be as we had planned. In my life, I think that the happiness is something which is not necessary to think, because, all in this moment expresses the grace of the life, from air, the mortal body, the children, lakes, mountains to seas, so, the only important thing is to know how to appreciate this and don’t forget it. Some times we spend the most time in resolve problems that not worth it. 

Aquí comienza English IV, segundo semestre 2013, profesora:Lourdes Barria