javier mendez
-
Posts
24 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Store
Posts posted by javier mendez
-
-
Radical Socialist Democrat/Green
I started being a social democrat and later a communist when I was a teenager. My family was very conservative and religious. I think I can say following Oscar Wilde that I was brought up under middle class morality: good husband, good worker, obedient and with no deep political thought. My father, who was a Franco's follower, used to say the very same words Franco said: "son, do as me, don't get involved in politics". My eldest brother and some school classmates opened my eyes and I started to collaborate in a communist organisation against the regime.
When democracy came to Spain I really thought it was the time for a real leftist government. I soon became dissapointed. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, any communist option vanished. I still think there is no liberty without equality, and equality without liberty, but nothing can be done without the people. Decitions have to be taken by the people and democracy is not voting every four years. I wish we could really decide on what it is really important, even on the national budget. Radical democracy is the solution against using power for personal interests. Politicians are managers of what people decide it should be done, not decition-makers: people decide (by voting) politicians act. I also think we have to preserve this beautiful planet to next generations. We have no right to ruin it.
-
Second language acquisition is an important issue in CLIL.
A general overview en CLIL projects will be shown, especially through the Erupean Network EUROCLIC. Euroclicwww.euroclic.net
A clil unit structure will be also discussed with some proposals for a SLA Help module and unit structure
-
David, your are right, I tried to be practical. I know it is very difficult to talk about an international English language, and neither about an international Spanish language. But I am sure you agree that despite differences American English and British English are basically the same language and communication is possible whether you talk either variety. The same as Spanish is concerned. What I meant it is that any European student will probably will develop his career if he can talk English, otherwise his promotion will be very difficult. That's a fact and we have to make them aware of it.
-
Juan Carlos, I agree with you. English is no more the language of the English people. Eward Said have appointed that one the aspects of English as an international language is that it stops being a patrimony of only English speaking people to become a world's patrimony. An international English language is growing and we have to stick to it. Our students we'll have to cope with anEnglish speaking Europe and this is the reason of teaching English not only as a foreign language but as an instruction language as well. I think the problem arises at language competence level: can a history teacher teach history with a low English competence? Can a student learn history with a low command of the English language in the four basic skills?
-
I can't remember who once said: a good theory makes a good practice. I don't think methodology is something to avoid. History teachers must know the kind of problems they may find when teaching in a foreign language. I agree with David when he says the communicative can be reduced to performative. Perhaps what history teachers have to tell us is what a student should perform in English: speaking, writing, listening and reading.
I remember a teacher of English when I first went to England saying the following:
"You Spaniards are really good at grammar but it really shocks me that you can't say a single English word! (no comments)
Thanks Caterina and David Richardson for the CLIL project. I have downloaded and will prepare myself to read it. It looks quite interesting.
-
David, that' s a great help for a start. Now, Spanish history teachers teaching in English can begin preparing classes.
Do you know if there is any English dictionary of History terms which can be easily purchased by teachers? Dictionaries are a lot more handy.
Another point is about propper methodoloy, What can language teachers tell us about the communicative approach? May it be helpul for a history teacher?
-
About if a History teacher whose mother toungue is not English can't properly teach history, I think it also works the other way round: a foreign language teacher can't either teach History properly. I agree with what Vicente and Juan C. say: there is a need of collaborative job to be done.
Another point, have the problems to be identify by experience or we can foresee some of them prior to teaching? Before facing a class to teach history in English without planned training beforehand where nobody is confortable with the English language can be very frustrating, and as Graham says, we are in the danger of not teaching either subject, nor English, nor History.
-
Teaching in non native contexts
Let me remember one of the aspects of HELP-project. I know it is important the use of ICT in teaching any subject, but one of the points which were brought up in preparing HELP project was the use of a foreign language in teaching any other subject but English, especially History, due to most participating teachers in the project were teachers of History.
I want to specify some points about this part of the project:
1.- ICT are important, but it is important too the difficulties in teaching history in a foreign language
2.- Both teachers and students are using a language different from their mother toungue and they may feel unconfortable if not unsecure with the foreign language
3.- Interference between mother toungue and foreign language (Spanish-English, French- English, etc). There may be tipical errors and mistakes due to interference from the native language. Teachers should be able to identify them and correct them.
4.- Encouragement of using foreing language. Teachers must encourage their students to use the working language and avoid the use of mother toungue. This may arise problems related to the contents of the subject (History) What’s more important, History or English?
5.- Assesment of the subject: Should teachers evaluate only the contents of the subject or take into account the command of the foreign language as well?
6.- In order to be a successful teacher of history in a foreign language, the teacher must know some strategies when dealing with a foreign language and some language methodology to avoid students’ dissappointment. Theachers should be aware that they are not only teachers of History but teachers of foreign language as well.
These are the kind of thoughts I would like teachers of history to ask themselves if they are going to be teachers of history in non-native contexts. It would be very interesting to know what history teachers think about these aspects and to know teachers’ experience when dealing in teaching history in a foreign language (I suppose basically English)
-
The figures about US elections from El Pais journal (november, 18) are the following:
For Bush voted: 40% of latin people, 45% of youngters, 50% of university educated people, 46% of new voters. About Religion: 47% of catholics voted for Kerry, 40% of protestans did too, and 74% of jews voted for Kerry too. Very similar to those offered by John Simkin. Only one thing, I don't really see Bush is supported by a clear christian fundametalism, What happens then?
[/ This was the result: Moral Values (22), Economy (20), Terrorism (19), Iraq (15), Healthcare (8), Taxes (5) and Education (4).
Other factors that need to be taken into consideration include the numbers who bothered to vote. A high percentage of the Evangelical/Born Again Christians decided to cast their vote (20.7m for Bush). Whereas other groups that overwhelmingly supported Kerry (Blacks and those living in poverty) had low turnout rates. This was especially true in the Deep South. Despite having a lot of blacks and people living in poverty, every state was won by Bush. The reason for this is the turnout rate.]
Education, stupid, Education! That's another reason that explains the low turnout rate amongst poors and illiterate people
I think the American education system is mainly voccational oriented and it forgets about forming educated, responsible citizens. To be part of a nation which is the most powerful one in man's history is surely a deep responsability.
-
As Mike says, “American presidents reign for only four years - eight if they are re-elected - and then they go.”
Are you sure they go? It is said, Jeff Bush will be next Republican candidate. It looks to me as the beginning of a dynasty. In addition, it is the second time with suspicious manipulations in elections. Americans aren't too far of becoming a suspicious democracy as John said. Anyway, to handle a world empire is very difficult under democratic premises
-
I completely algree with you, Andy. I think politicians, as people representatives, should listen to the people they represent. What usually happens is that politicians change when in power and they just don't listen to people but to obscure economic interests. From my point of view, Spain must wthdraw troops from Irak, even with a UNO resolution. There is no way to change now what has bee wrongly done from the beginning.
-
Aprovechando la victoria electoral del Psoe, la comunidad educativa debería establecer un debate sobre la educación con el objetivo de llegar a un consenso en una serie de medidas educativas para que la educación quede fuera de la lucha electoral. La educación es una apuesta a largo plazo y no puede estar sujeta a los cambios ideológicos del partido del gobierno. Uno de los problemas que considero centrales para la mejora del sistema educativo es la organización de los IES y CEIPs públicos, una organización heredada de tiempos pasados que tiene más en cuenta el control que la "eficacia educativa". La organización interna de los IES, por ejemplo, es, desde mi punto de vista, uno de los lastres y motivos de que no respondan a las necesidades de los chicos y chicas del nuevo siglo.
-
[t now relies on donations from wealthy individuals. Of course, it is very unusual for wealthy individuals to provide money to political parties committed to redistribution of wealth.]
So, we have one point for a democratic regeneration: No private donations to parties should be allowed. Parties must be financed only by members.
Why don't we just try to get some musts for a better democracy out of this forum?
-
Right, size is one of the problems. Small communities make it better. In Spain we only have three levels: municipality, state and central government. We miss neighborhood. According to Betham electoral districs (neighborhood in this case) should be aproximately of the same size for general elections. Most important decisions about welfare, education and social security should be manage at this level.
About having two chambers I agree, but the second chamber should be elected on regional basis to ensure representations of minorities
-
John, do you know that the Spanish government has passed a law about reducing taxes to high specialist foreign workers? David Bekham is included. Probably he will pay proportionally less taxes that most of us. I am aware he didn't know that by the time he moved to Madrid, or did he?
-
I think that first of all we have to discuss about the concept of "political representation" There is a good book about this, the classical Robert Dhal's On Democracy, a guide for citizens.
No matter the system you adopt as long as some corrections are adopted:
- Division of the three powers
- all political trends should be represented even if they are held by a minority
- free press and access to every group to express their points of view
- create ways of citizens participation on political issues and in all levels of the political organization.
- Education, as Aristotle said: "A good democracy can only be assured on the grounds of an educated man" No one can give up his political responsabilities. Democracy is not just to vote any four years. The vote is not the only way of exercizing democracy or participation. The vote is the final result of a deeper and longer process and not the means of political decision. the problem, from my point of view, in western democracies is that they apply the vote reductionism and democracy is a more serious question.
- Another point: Respect levels of decision . Don't put a decision in a upper level if it can be decided in a lower level, e.g. a local community can decide about how to spend local budgets, it is not a decision of central govermment.
-
Hola, me parece que deberíamos darle un poco de marcha a este foro. Juan Carlos un saludo y espero que todo siga adelante
hastal luego lucas
-
Hi,
I am javier méndez, teacher in secondary education in Madrid.At present I am in a teacher training unit in Alcorcón, a small village near Madrid. My job is to provide training courses and activities to teachers and supervise different seminars and workshops run by teachers on a wide range of different topics. You may visit our website for more information (centros5.pntic.mec.es/cpr.de.alcorcon) Of course in Spanish!My Webpage
Morality and Income Tax
in Politics: Resources
Posted
It has to do with justice and equality, what kind of society do we want? That's the question. or do we still think high top wages are the result of hard work? Some people say if there is a minimun wage, why don't we fix a maximum wage? For christians let me remember you : "it is more difficult for a rich to go to heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle"