Revista Newsflash 2

November 2010
Scond Edicin
Neiva (Huila), Colombia
Universidad Surcolombiana
Facultad de Educacin
Programa de Lengua Extranjera - Ingls
FOREIGN
LANGUAGE
INSTITUTE
COORDINATOR
Nidia Guzmn Durn, M.A
On the occasion of the first graduate class of ILEUSCO Language Institute of

Universidad Surcolombiana, we proudly present the second edition of NEWSFLASH,
The institute`s magazine.
NEWSFLASH is the Institute`s bilingual magazine (ISSN:2145-5627) which was first
launched in 2009 to celebrate ILEUSCO`s first anniversary . The first issue of the
magazine was devoted to various topics written by teachers and students, related to the
teaching-learning process of foreign languages, voicing the opinions of students and
foreign language assistants.
.
The second edition is devoted to the celebration of the institution's first graduate class,
students who attended and successfully passed 11 English levels with a total of 770 hours
of a well thought out and executed curriculum, based on the guidelines of the European
Framework of reference for Foreign Languages.
These guidelines refer to an international standard, the purpose of which is to measure
and evaluate the level of proficiency in a foreign language. The European Frame Word
establishes the level of proficiency in understanding, writing and reading, which the
student has to achieve in every category. Understanding integrates the ability to listen and
comprehend, as well as reading comprehension. Speaking combines the skills of oral
interaction and oral production. Writing, expresses the ability to comprehensibly write a
short text.
Therefore, students who reach B2 or independent user level, reach the equivalent of
Upper Intermediate level according to the established curriculum for the Universidad
Surcolombianas foreign language institute.
These young students who started English classes on the 21st of January 2008, at
ILEUSCO, today accomplished their first goal, and would like to share with the readers of
the magazine their valuable academic and personal experiences.
Their commitment to continue learning and further their English training is remarkable, as
they have expressed interest in advanced levels of phonetics and conversational courses.
This will truly enhance their knowledge and command of the English language.
To all of them, my sincere and warmest congratulations for having accomplished this
academic challenge. Special thanks to the teachers, who have significantly contributed
towards achieving this goal. Thanks to the Institute staff for making this dream come true.
Last but not least, thanks to the University's principal for his academic contributions to the
magazine, as well as the teachers who have found in the magazine a space to share their
experiences and knowledge.
Rector
Eduardo Pastrana Bonilla
Vicerrector Acadmico
Luis Evelio Vanegas Rubio
Vicerrector Administrativo
Julio Hernn Zambrano
Vicerrector de Investigacin
y Proyeccin Social
Jairo Antonio Rodrguez
Decana de la Facultad de Educacin
Mara Ligia Lavao de Serrato
Jefe de Programa de Lengua Extranjera
Lilian Cecilia Zambrano C.
Coordinadora de ILEUSCO
Nidia Guzmn Durn
ISSN: 2145-5627
Publishing Commitee
Norma Constanza Basto
Osiris Hernndez Castro
Sonia Amparo Salazar Aristizabal
Layout and Printing
OTI Impresos - Calle 28 No. 1A-46 Cndido
Telefax: 875 8485 - Neiva (Huila)
Correspondence
Universidad Surcolombiana
Av. Pastrana Borrero - va Bogot
Instituto de Lenguas Extranjeras
Neiva, Huila - Colombia
Tel. (0988) 75 22 16 / 875 47 53 ext. 281
www.ileusco.edu.co
First Prom Upper Intermediate English B2
Nidia Guzmn Durn M.A.

ILEUSCO - Coordinator

Dean of the Faculty of Education

Graduates Teacher
Juan Gabriel
Jimnez P.
Laura Catalina
Espaa L.
Ral Santiago
Cano E.
Cristian Camilo
Gonzlez V.
Olga Mara
Alarcn Q.
Helmer
Snchez D.
Sandra M.
Bermeo S.
Luz Elena
Collazos R.
Lina Paola
Solano M.
Ludy Alejandra
Rengifo R.
Jeisson Enrique
Lara B.
Jairo Alberto
Hoyos B.
Camilo Alberto
Ramrez R.
Juan Felipe
Leyva P.
Stephanie
Devia A.
Mara Fernanda
Ramrez N.
Mnica Andrea
Sandoval C.
Hernn Felipe
Gasca F.
Laura Ximena
Vega O.
Diana Constanza
Mndez A.
ILEUSCO -STAFF
Julin Cabrera Jimenez

Mercedes Torres Gonzlez
Nidia Guzmn Durn
Roco Reyes Herrera
Diana Goretty Escobar Perdomo
Carlos Antonio Hermida Guillermo
Giovanni Durn Cerquera

Edgar Aliro Insuasty
Jos Giovanni Mosquera C.
Marco Tulio Artunduaga C.
Diego Fernando Macas V.
Lilian Cecilia Zambrano C.
Nidia Guzmn Durn
Lisseth Rojas B.
Gilma Ziga C.
Yohamer Ernesto Guevara

Norma Constanza Basto S.
Sonia A. Salazar Aristizbal
Lisseth Rojas B.
Nidia Guzmn Durn
Luz Dary Torres Gonzlez
Julin Cabrera Jimnez
FORMING EDUCATORS WITH

INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY AND
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
33 YEARS
1. FORMING EDUCATORS WITH INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 33 YEARS
1. The faculty of education was created through agreement No. 034 of the Consejo Superior, June 1976, and has
now been established for 33 years. Myriam Botero Jaramillo was its first Dean from 1977 to 1980.
2. The teaching of pedagogy as specific knowledge of the faculties of education of the Universities in charge of
training educators.
It is known that the educational process has been a much-discussed topic throughout the years; however,
pedagogy itself has arisen as a result of scientific and technological development and curiosity about nature
and rationality.
Herein lies the explanation as to why its origin is associated with a positive, objective and rational conception,
and why its research draws from scientific models, being of a more socio-humanistic nature, as has been
demonstrated by its own crises.
2. CHALLENGES FOR THE FACULTY
Main contributions of the Surcolombiana Region:
Academic.
- Adequate and balanced contribution to the training of educators.
- Training in disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge, the pillars of the educator's identity.
Investigative and of Social awareness.
The field of pedagogical investigation requires implementation of the faculty's guidelines, and those of each
academic program within the plan of investigative development.
This will also be applied to the plan of social service, or outreach, in order for the educational establishments to
benefit from the innovations generated by the faculties.
Challenge for the coming years:
Focus:
1. Academic consolidation and accreditation.
2. Strengthening of scientific, technological and cultural development.
3. Qualified social outreach.
4. Strengthening, Optimization and increased flexibility of the academic offer.
3. GRADUATES PER FACULTY OF EDUCATION PROGRAM:

Degree in Educative Administration: 1133
Degree in Physical Education: 1075
Degree in Foreign Languages English: 415
Degree in Spanish: 1.154
Degree in Mathematics: 96
Degree in Mathematics and Physics: 447
Degree in Childhood Pedagogy: 1.118
Degree in Artistic Education: 65
Degree in Performing Arts: 79
Degree in Music: 158
Degree in Visual Arts: 225
Degree in Education for Democracy: 143
Degree in Biology and Chemistry: 115
Degree in Natural Sciences and Environmental Education: 128
Degree in Educational Technology:328
FACULTY OF EDUCATION: TOTAL GRADUATES: 6.679
FACULTY OF EDUCATION: TOTAL POST GRADUATES: 2.196
4. RESEARCH GROUPS
1. RESEARCH GROUP IUDEX.
Research focus: Mother tongue, discourse and communicative competence.
Edgar Alirio Insuasty, Gilma Ziga C. Llian C.a Zambrano C., Nidia Guzmn D., Diego Fernando Macas, Sonia
Amparo Salazar.
2. RESEARCH GROUP : COMUNIQUEMONOS
Research focus: Education and specific knowledge. Foreign language English.
Edgar Alirio Insuasty, Gilma Ziga C. Llian C.a Zambrano C., Nidia Guzmn D., Diego Fernando Macas, Sonia
Amparo Salazar.
3. RESEARCH GROUP MOLUFODE
Research focus: Recreational Motricity, Physical activity and sport training.
4. HUB OF RESEARCH TRASENDENCIA
Research focus:
Research focus: Recreational Motricity, Physical activity and sport training.
5. RESEARCH GROUP ALTERARTE
Research focus: Education and specific knowledge.
6. MEANINGFUL LEARNING OF CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING IN STUDENTS OF
EDUCATION IN NATURAL SCIENCES.
Research focus: Education and specific knowledge.
7. PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES TO THE DRAWING BOARD IPPE
Research focus: Education and Human development.
H EAD OF T H E
FO RE IG N
WHICH IMPORTANT CHANGES ARE
EXPECTED TO BE MADE BY FOREIGN
LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN COLOMBIA?
Lilian Cecilia Zambrano
Over the last years the National Education Ministry
has promulgated, through different documents
(Programa de Ingls/88, Ley 115/94, resolucin
2343/96 and Lineamientos curriculares/99), the
promotion of the teaching of a foreign language
from a communicative standpoint in elementary
and secondary schools. Those regulations have
been made partly because of the contributions of
scholars who have been concerned with the
improvement of the second or foreign language
learning. Among the assumptions made by
linguists, there are three central tenets which
demand significant changes into the teaching
practices of a second language: multiple
intelligences theory, the role of interaction and
participatory language teaching. The present
paper is intended to show my perceptions on how
these three factors should have promoted deep
changes in the process of teaching and learning
English in public schools in Colombia.
According to Richards and Rodgers, (115) Multiple
Intelligences (MI) refers to a learner-based
philosophy that characterizes human intelligence
as having multiple dimensions that must be
acknowledged and developed in education. MI is
based on the work of Howard Gardner, a
distinguished cognitive psychologist whose theory
has fostered great educational innovations
throughout the world. Campbell et all (1993),
recognize the importance of all the varied of
human intelligences and their combinations
because it can give people a better chance to deal
appropriately with the many problems they face in
the world. They assert that this theory offers English

language teachers a way to examine their teaching practice
and promote teaching techniques and strategies which may
benefit students in light of human differences. There are
innumerable ways of how MI theory applies to ELT; it gives
teachers the opportunity to involve students in the use of
language through communicative tasks which foster music,
physical actions, hands-on activities, drama, games, etc.
On the other hand, the role of interaction has been
considered, among other scholars, by Vigotsky (1978) in
Richard-Amato (51) as an essential factor in the coconstruction of knowledge. Students can take advantage of
collaborative work where more mature and less mature
learners, and the teacher as a leader, learn with and from
each other as they engage together in a dialogic inquiry. This
assumption has made other authors to make some
recommendations for teaching. Wells, 1999 (52) on his part,
suggests that we should engage with learners in challenging,
personally significant activities, and observe what they can
do independently in order to guide and help them moving
forward to solve problems. Task-based or project-based
teaching is a good way to involve students in a process where
the co-construction of knowledge can take place.
As for Participatory Language Teaching, Richard-Amato (71)
claims that it involves not only communicative teaching and
negotiation for meaning, but also the individual's place in
society and with society in general. It considers language
learning a social and cultural process, not something that
happens to individuals in isolation. Participatory practices
demand a different role from teachers. They are expected to
take into consideration the experience of the participants,
their needs and concerns, and they have to encourage
learners to take more responsibility for their own

learning through planning, critical exploration,
decision making and reflective thinking. However,
in our Colombian context, not much has been
explored on these fields.
The results of a study conducted by VanegasZambrano (1995) in Neiva showed that most of the
teachers who were in charge of teaching the target
language at elementary schools neither spoke
English nor had a theoretical background on how to
teach it to children. So far this situation has not
changed significantly; as a result, the kids cannot
be exposed to a very enriching experience.
Another study carried out in Neiva in secondary
schools by Insuasty and Zambrano (2000), showed
that there is a gap between theoretical and legal
expectations and what actually happens in the
classroom. In most of the classes observed, it was
found out that the four skills and the components of the
language are still being taught under traditional
methodologies like Audiolingual method, and most teachers
do not use English in class; consequently, they do not
encourage students to use the target language for
communicative purposes.
The findings of these two studies let me draw the following
conclusions: the implementation of varied activities where
students are actually involved in the use of the language for
communicative purposes in public schools in Colombia is still
scarce; cooperative work is not strongly promoted by
teachers; and learners' participation in the construction of
the curriculum is very limited. Consequently, the legal
expectations that secondary school students can get a high
level of communicative competence in a foreign language
are not very realistic, because what is actually going on in the
language classrooms do not reflect truly communicative
language teaching processes.
BILINGUALISM AND
COMPETITIVENESS
Eduardo Pastrana Bonilla PhD

Only a few years ago, learning a second language was
something related to a personal interest arising from
the improvement and understanding of the world.
Today, it is an urgent need in order to be competitive in
academic, social and commercial terms. The final
frontier in all areas of knowledge is found in specialized
databases and, in a high percentage, in a second
language, where English is the preferred one. In
addition to this, many people who want to study a
postgraduate program apply to scholarships offered by
foreign countries. For Colombians, Australia, USA and
Canada are the preferred destinations for students.
The boundaries in this global village have disappeared.
Internet is a common tool that lets everybody know
what is happening, in real time, in other parts of the
world, and it is important to underline that the flow of
information on the network is over 80% in English.
From the standpoint of social and economic
components, relations with foreign countries are
becoming more intense and permanent. The pursuit of
competitiveness means that our entrepreneurs have to
interact with leaders around the world, where the
universal language is English. It is urgent to learn the
lesson of the Asian countries. In this important region of
the world, the promotion of education, as basis of
development, and within the strong support for
bilingualism has been an important factor for their
excellent economic performance, and has catapulted
the standard of living of their population. The power of
interaction with trading partners in the same language,
without interpreters, without intermediaries, has

prepared countries like Japan, China and Korea to be
leaders in selling industrial products; Indonesia and
Malaysia to be the cream of the crop in tourism; India,
China and Japan leaders in selling technological
services. Much of this impact was achieved after their
governments promoted bilingualism as a key strategy
for competitiveness. The Colombian Ministry of
Education and the Departmental Secretary of
Education are promoting this important educational
issue in the search that high school students achieve
the B1 level and higher education graduates the C1
level of the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages, which will, in the medium
term, improve our chances of competitiveness.
However, the road ahead is still long. The results of the
tests that ICFES applies to students completing their
secondary education show that the subject area with
the poorest results is precisely that of English. In the
past six years the national average for this component is
less than 43 points, which shows that it is one of the
great deficiencies of our educational system, and being
the knowledge of a second language the way to
improve our presence in the context of a globalized
world, it must be a factor to be supported,
strengthened and consolidated, because it has a
collateral benefit: In the long run, students learning a
second language are benefited because it helps them to
better understand their first language, increase their
vocabulary and therefore, to perform better in their
school or their job.
NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM
Cristian Camilo
Gonzlez V.
Speech
Good evening University principal, vice principal, dean
of education, head of the language program, head of
Ileusco, dear teachers, parents, peers and friends.
Tonight is a very important night for us because we are
celebrating a special occasion; we have already finished
this course, a course which when we started was just
that, an English course. But which has become much
more than that. Not only did we learn to speak English
but we learned to share. And it wasn't just sharing
knowledge, we shared thoughts, words, laughs, smiles
and many other things that will help us grow up,
become better persons and succeed in life.
How many of you as children dreamed of becoming a
professional and a very important person in the world? I
think all of us did. Some dreamed of becoming doctors
and some others dreamed of being teachers and that's
OK, because that's what we do, we dream. All of us,
children and adults dream. Children dream of being
adults so that they can make their dreams come true,
and adults dream of being able to see their children
making their dream come true.
That's why we have to do our best to make our parents

proud of us, because they always want the best for their
children. And that's why I'd like to thank first of all, God,
for giving us life, for giving us this chance to share this
achievement with all the people we love and for giving
us this great opportunity. This is a big step towards new
and better things and it'll certainly open many doors for
us.
Second of all, I'd like to thank our teachers too for
sharing their knowledge with us and guide us along this
road that isn't over here; this is just the beginning of a
long road. But it's up to us if we want it to last or to end
here.
And finally I'd like to thank our parents for supporting
us, in everything we have wanted and for always being
there for us. They are like those little voices in our heads
telling us: These things are good for you, those are
bad, take this way, don't take that one, it's bad, we
will help you choose your friends, and so on.
I just want to tell you that the success of this step in our
lives is because of you. We wouldn't have made it if it
hadn't been for you. And to my dear peers: never give
up on your dreams, never give up dreaming, and don't
be afraid of taking risks and confront new challenges. If
you stumble and fall just stand up and carry on. To
learn, you have to fall and to win, you have to lose. This
is what makes life meaningful. And it doesn't matter
what you want to be, just be the best.
Thank you all for being here tonight and God bless you.
Sandra Bermeo
It is becoming mandatory in our country to speak at least another language especially for
students and professionals who want to work or take further studies abroad, even in
Spanish speaking countries. The government should be aware that in order to be proficient
and have complete command of another language it is indispensable for them to open more
doors and possibilities for student training. English is the most commonly used foreign
language around the world, for this reason to learn it is the first step towards a successful
career for those with academic or professional purposes. In my case, I applied for a place to
take a PhD course in a private university in Australia where I had to show high score in an
international English exam. English courses and teachers at ILEUSCO helped me reinforce basis of general
knowledge and the basic skills as speaking, reading, listening and writing in order to have obtained the good score I
got when I took the IELTS test. Nowadays at ILEUSCO we are receiving intensive training for improving those skills
whichever international or proficiency exam we take.
Graduation Speech
By Jairo Alberto
Hoyos Barreto
Good afternoon Ladies and

gentlemen!
Mrs. Nidia Guzman Duran,, Ileusco's coordinator ,

parents, teachers, classmates, secretaries, and ILEUSCO
staff .
Such is the significance of this event that we are all
together celebrating the happy ending of a cycle of 11
levels at ILEUSCO. First of all, I would like to thank God,
He is my life; Thank God my path is like the light of dawn
which shines brighter and brighter until the new day is
born. His word has been like bread for my soul. I am
standing here, reading this farewell speech because
God has given me all the strength to fulfil my goals and
wisdom to reach new goals in my whole life.
I would like to thank Nidia Guzmn Durn because she
has done a lot for ILEUSCO to make it better every day.
We have a language laboratory and we are going to have
a library soon.
Parents, you are the reason we are here, without your
financial support, we would not have been able to be
graduating today. Thank you mother, you have helped
me a lot during this learning process and given me good
advice, sense of responsibility and encouragement to
be the best in all areas of my life. I love you so much!.
Brother, you have been like the father I never had. I
really appreciate your help and care. Sister, I love you
because God changed my life dramatically because of
you. Thank you. I appreciate that.
Teachers, Thank you for loving your job and especially
the patience you had with us, particularly with me. I
query about every thing, all the time. I remember when
Topazia Brown said O.k.! Instead of saying study, we
are going to say Jairo so Lets Jairo It was funny, at the
beginning I did understand what she said but not what

she meant. Minutes later, I got it. I love studying a lot.
My classmates are witnesses. Especially, my teachers
such as Topazia Brown who is in Jamaica and Angela
Marker who is in England. I enjoyed what you taught us,
particularly when you gave us homework to do. That is
one of my favourite adventures. I really love reading,
writing, speaking, almost everything about languages. I
had a thrilling time being your student. Secretaries and
staff, thank you for your commitment with ILEUSCO.
Classmates, Thank you for being part of my life, you are
also important. I had good friends who were honest,
friendly, easy-going etc and that is good.
To tell you the truth, One of the most remarkable
experience at ILEUSCO was having English native
speakers as teachers, strict teachers who worry about
their students learning process, teachers who also are
outstanding, and excellent.
My next goal is to be part of USCO, to be studying The
Foreign Languages Program. It is also well known that
USCO has a good quality of education. Obviously I
would like to learn other languages such as French,
German, and Portuguese among others.
Furthermore, I would like to share some tips of mine
about learning a language with the students of
ILEUSCO: First, Love the language you are learning,
second, have passion, third, be perseverant and finally
take time to study because there are so many people
who want to learn English but never have time to study
due to their jobs.
Classmates, I am really happy to see that you are
receiving that certificate for studying English which
meant a lot of effort from every one of us.
Congratulations! I hope you take advantage of going
abroad because you might practice this language in real
life situations.
Congratulations! First class 2010 of ILEUSCO.
We are going to make our dreams come true because
there is a passage in the Bible that says: For you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was
GRADUATION SPEECH
rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his
poverty might become rich "I have been crucified
with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives
in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I take this passage for my life because I know that money
will not be excuse for not studying. I will be able to make
all my dreams come true. Thank you!
God has blessed me with letting me be part of this
highly qualified college because ILEUSCO.
Surcolombiana Universitys Foreign Languages Institute
is the best one in Neiva-Huila. I studied two or three
days in another Institute, however it was not the same
teaching methods as ILEUSCO .I also won an English
contest at SENA . and the prize was half a scholarship
to study at another institute but I did not take it. I did the
placement test of an institute here in Neiva and I passed
all levels and I was at that time doing my seventh English
level at ILEUSCO. Can you think for while about it? I
think that you cannot take so much time to realize that
ILEUSCO is the best of all. They said that they were going
to call me but they never did up to now. I am not really
interested about that.
One of the most interesting things that ILEUSCO has is
the teachers. When I started the first English level. I was
so excited about it that everything was excellent. My
first English teacher was Osiris Hernndez. She was
pretty demanding, strict, outstanding, extremely
punctual and an excellent instructor. She always
brought extra material, DVDs to watch for the class. She
always took her role as a teacher very seriously. She did
not want us to be mediocre.
She was always worried about our learning process. We
used a course book called Enterprise 1, a workbook for
the class. I felt really encouraged everyday to learn
because that is exactly what I love about teachers. They
must be strict and worry about their students learning
process, outstanding, and excellent instructors. We also
have the chance to go to the library using ILEUSCOs ID
and may pick some books to read. The good thing about
the course book is that it is based on the common
European Framework. It was also educational. It has a
lot of information about other cultures and advice you
when travelling to those countries.
What is more, When I was doing from the fifth to the
seventh English level. I had an English Native speaker as

a teacher called Ashley Topazia Brown. She was also
focused on her job. She wanted the best for us to learn.
She did the best she could to help us improve our
English. Her teaching method was also noticeable. I
really learnt a lot with her. Another good thing that
motivated me was that she was from Jamaica. I felt
comfortable talking to her because she was like a friend.
We had a lot of hilarious moments. We were just friends
do not let fly your imagination so much.
Furthermore, When I was doing the seventh, ninth, and
the tenth English level. We had yet another English
native speaker as a teacher called Angela Marker from
England. I was also like jumping of happiness because I
love the British English. That is my favourite accent. She
was always concerned about teaching us a lot of
speaking. I think she was concerned because speaking
is one most important skills of any language. She
brought us extra material for the class about the English
culture. Even, more interesting and remarkable
experience was that she brought almost all her family to
the class her father, mother and sisters. I felt great
about having her as a teacher because of that.
Moreover, When I was doing the eleventh English level.
It was sort of hilarious because I started the first English
level with Osiris Hernandez and finished the last level of
the institute with the same teacher I started. In this
level, obviously, she was stricter because she had to
prepare us for the Michigan Test. She brought us extra
material as she always did. That is great. We watched a
film in English of course and had a lot of fun during that
level. I felt pretty comfortable during this learning
process.
ILEUSCO also has some resources where students may
learn more English such as the lab where there is a
program in the computer which helps you increase your
knowledge of English.
The other one is the library which will be open as soon
as they do the book`s inventory. Every Friday there is an
English club for who is available this day and want to
learn in a very spontaneous way, having fun, watching
videos, doing activities etc.
Studying at ILEUSCO has been one of the best
experiences I have ever had due to the qualifications
GRADUATION SPEECH
that the teachers have. It was for about two years and
nine months the time that I have studied at ILEUSCO.
giving people information about ILEUSCO to study

there.
I would like to thank the coordinator Nidia Guzman

Duran because she has been such a helpful,
understanding and wise lady for helping the institute to
be the best of all. I also would like to thank Luz Dary
Hoyos, my mother because she has always done the
best for helping me studying. I really love her very
much. I also thank the teachers for all their support,
care, and patience and I thank all the staff who work at
ILEUSCO, secretaries etc. for doing such great job in
Last but not least, I am going to be part of USCOSurcolombiana University. I am going to study The
Foreign Languages Program next year. This advice is for
students of ILEUSCO: Never give up studying, love this
beautiful language, have passion, have perseverance
and try to take some time to study. If you have any
chance to go abroad, go and have fun. If you have any
relatives who like English encourage them to be part of
this college
Years ago I had a dream. I wanted to learn English and in

fact I started two courses: first at USCO, then at SENA,
but incredible as it may sound, people hardly reached
the second level and gave up. There were not enough
people to continue the next level, so my dream had to
be put off. Then I heard that USCO was going to open a
language institute and I was looking forward to taking
my English classes again. I had some friends at the
University, so I hoped they would tell me when the
Institute opened, but nobody did that. Fortunately I
could take a test and join the class at third level.
all, it requires unity, a committed

team, with a good leader,
working in the same direction,
aiming at the same objective and
people who have the will to
overcome difficulties. I think that
is the reason for the institute's
success, furthermore it has
responded to a necessity of the
Neivan community.
Since then, I feel I have had the chance to make my

dream come true. During these last three years I have
lived the greatest experiences at the institute. All these
have been like an adventure for me. Each new level has
been a new step to reach my goal; My personal
challenge!! A popular expression says that "An old
parrot can't learn to speak" but I can say it is not true. I
think the expression" When there is a will, there is a
way" is absolutely true. You need a strong will to reach a
purpose and you will see that all your efforts are
worthwhile. One doesn't mind working hard and time
passes by quickly if you love what you are doing. So
excuses are not allowed. If you want it, you can do it, go
for it.
I will never forget teachers like Topaz, Norma
Constanza, Johamer, Angela, Carlos, Osiris, Nidia, for all
their help. They always had words of encouragement
that motivated me to go on. I am sure they also have
contributed with their work and professionalism to turn
the institute into the success that it is today.
Reaching success requires effort, perseverance,
commitment, dedication and determination. But above
Last but not least, I should not

forget my peers. I remember that
Olga Mara Alarcn
when we began there were two
courses and I was placed with the
oldest students, but one day I had to take classes with
the younger students and I had the worst impression of
them because they were too wandering and noisy.
However, after a while they became more mature and
today most of them are university students. They look
more responsible and down to earth.
Laura Jimena is in the middle of her degree, Giber looks
like a boy with his sense of humour, Luz is happy waiting
for her first baby, Helmer always responsible and
gentlemanly, Felipe with his malicious smile, Santiago,
Jeison and Camilo, a little shy, Ludy, Diana, and Mafe
always talking like parrots (but I love them)Lina and
Laura Catalina slim and beautiful, Monica Andrea calm,
Stefany always busy studying to become a nurse,
Sandra with her project waiting for her trip to Australia,
Christian with his musical hobby, Juan Gabriel and Juan
Felipe a little isolated and shy as well, and Jairo with his
recipes. All of them working hard to reach their dreams.
I feel lucky to have shared this experience with them. I
hope they reach their goals and may all their dreams to
true.
By Ludy Alejandra and Ral Santiago Cano

Hello, we are RAUL SANTIAGO CANO and LUDY
ALEJANDRA RENGIFO. We are students from the
first prom of this institute. We took our first level
when the ILEUSCO institute began in January 2008.
Our first teacher was OSIRIS MITCHELL who was to
us an example and hope in a course of studies
which lasted almost 3 years.
We are the fruit of excellent teachers who gave
everything of themselves to share their knowledge,
We were accompanied by national and
international teachers, most of us were with the
teacher OSIRIS MITCHELL and YOJAMER GUEVARA
in the first level, Osiris Is a person who always
smiles and has extensive experience with the
teaching of English classes and Yohamer is always
kind and patient to teach and explain. In our second
level our teacher was MAURICIO. He is a La
Fragua teacher and well-known for his height and
chivalry. He emphasized above all phonetics, how
words should be pronounced. In the third level we
were guided by EVELIO VANEGAS. He was a teacher
who made us create our first sentences, break the
ice and forget the fear and shyness. In the fourth
level we were oriented by OSIRIS MITCHELL who is
a good, very cheerful and great teacher. She was
always willing to clear our doubts. In the fifth and
sixth level we were accompanied by a sample of the
Jamaican culture. She was TOPAZIA BROWN . She
always made us smile when she tried to speak in
Spanish and she taught us a lot of about her culture
and a lot of vocabulary. In the seventh level
BRENDA MACHADO was our guide

teacher. She was very gentle and willing
to provide us with her help in the
moment that we needed it. In eighth
level our teacher was very cheerful and
young ; he was funny and always used to
wear very short hair! (bald), his name was
CARLOS PUENTES. Later on, in ninth level
were accompanied by CARLOS GARCIA,
he was very serious and a good partner,
and our beloved British teacher ANGELA
MARKER. Her classes were very well
directed, and we learnt a lot about the
British culture. In our next level we were
accompanied again with ANGELA
MARKER. In that level she was our official
teacher, she spoke by this time, pretty
good Spanish. She returned to her
country with our Opita culture in her
heart. Her classes were very funny and
nice and finally at the eleventh level we
were guided by our teacher OSIRIS
MITCHELL again. She is famous for her
clothes and counseling, she taught us a
lot about the English language and
culture of other countries.
Throughout this time, we could find new
friends, but we saw others off, however
they will always be in our hearts,
unforgettable meetings with our
colleagues like the one to celebrate the
welcome of Professor Topazia, the day of
love and friendship, the goodbyes to the
teachers Topazia and Angela. We can not
forget the coordinator Nidia and all those
who made our stay enjoyable, we, on
behalf of the first promotion, give thanks
to God and all of you who contributed,
not only to teach us the language but
also to form us as honorable human
beings . Thanks.
What Would It Have

th
1
1
Been Of
Level Without
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Camilo Ramirez and his Flirty style

Cristian Gonzales and his deep knowledge
Diana Mndez and her happiness and spontaneity
Helmer Snchez and his fellowship
Felipe Gasca and his late arrivals
Jairo Hoyos and his intensity with homework
Jeisson Lara and his class contributions
Felipe Leyva and his Im the engineer
Juan Gabriel and his English vocabulary
Laura Espaa and her passivity
Laura Vega and her natural way.
Lina Solano and her constant smile
Ludy Rengifo and her friendship
Luz Elena Collazos and her shyness
Mafe Ramirez and her dream of being a cat
Mnica Sandoval and her curly hair
Olga Mara Alarcn and her willingness
Santiago Cano and his Jokes
Sandra Bermeo and her kindness
Stephanie Devia and her dream of becoming a princess
By Diana Contanza
Mendez A.
ILEUSCO
STUDENTS' INTERVIEW
One of the Best Students at Our Institute ILEUSCO
Interview to Jairo Alberto Hoyos, September 23rd 2010.
Four students from 3rd level interviewed a student from 11th level.
Angela Maria Manchola
Emanuel Felipe Chantris Farfn
Jess David Tafur Ortiz
Gerardo Gonzalez Lasso
His name is Jairo Alberto Hoyos, he is 18 years old and was born in Venezuela. He attended
INEM High School at Rodrigo Lara School, at this moment he is studying FOOD TECHNOLOGY at
SENA.
Here there are some of the most important questions:
Emanuel: What did you use to do when you were fifteen?
Jairo: When I was 15 I was already studying English at ILEUSCO.
Jesus David: Are you living with your parents?
Jairo: I live with my mom.
Angela: Do you work?
Jairo: I don't work.
Gerardo: Why are you studying English?
Jairo: I'm studying English because I love it.
Emanuel: How long have you been studying English at Ileusco Institute?
Jairo: I have been studying English at Ileusco for about two and a half years.
Jesus David: Are you studying another language?
Jairo: Recently I started to study French because I like it.
Angela: If you had the opportunity to travel abroad, which country would you like to go to?
Why?
Jairo: If I had the opportunity to travel abroad, I would choose England because the British
shopping and culture are great and I would like to learn a bit more.
Gerardo: What do you think about Ileusco?
Jairo: For me, Ileusco is the best language institute in Neiva.
Emanuel: What are you going to do when you finish the course?
Jairo: When I finish English at Ileusco, I would like to study other languages here too.
This is all for today, thank you for your time and attention.
TEACHER - ILEUSCO
Learning
Languages Online
By Sandra Mercedes
Parra Trujillo
Is there a web for learning

languages?
Sure there is, and not just
one, there are many webs for
learning languages, but which
is the right one? Lets talk about
them, but we are not considering the educational
webs; we are going to tell you some experiences
with other webs.
Face book, Tagged, Wayn, Badoo, Bpeople, etc. are
social sites that people use for meeting new
friends but they are useful for learning languages
too.
Learning English, French, Chinese or Spanish
online has its pros and cons. In these sites you can
meet nice people that speak Spanish and the
language you are learning. This is good because
you can converse better together and help each
other with pronunciation.
According to Carl Andrew Morris, an English man
from Oxford English is not a difficult language to
learn we do not have a female and male it is the
same talking to a man as to a woman. I find certain
words difficult to pronounce but with somebody`s
help, it becomes easier, you get a better
understanding of the language.
You can make some good friends online too;

you will know cultural aspects from different
countries comparing the differences between
the two of you. If you're really lucky maybe
start a relationship. It is not unheard of online
relationships, you can find your real love. I had a
friend who was Australian he used to chat to a
Canadian lady and now they are married
Why are you studying a foreign language? Are you
thinking about living in another country next year,
perhaps? Only you know the answer. Morris says:
I want to know Colombia and if you are thinking of
travelling abroad you can get some good advice of
places to visit and see and also the cost of some
items, Wayn is a good site for this. BUT Never
ever give out your personal details to anybody on
the net, be careful !.Your personal details can be
used for different purposes. I had an online
friend where she lived, her whereabouts, etc the
city and OMG, well, he turned out to be a different
person from the one of the photo he had sent..
There are some strange people out on the cyber
world, never trust anyone unless you're certain
they are who they say they are. Think about what
you want out of this internet chat.. Do you want
friendship?? Love?? Just to learn another
language??
Please, don't forget to be sincere never be rude to
the person you're talking to. Be patient it's difficult
for them to understand sometimes and dont
forget your principal objective is to learn a new
language.
TEACHER - ILEUSCO
Hi, my name is Lu Xiaona, I am a Language and
Culture student at the Beijing university in China.
I am in Colombia thanks to an exchange program
offered by the Chinese government to students of
Spanish, with the purpose of improving our
Spanish, get to know some Hispanic countries and
expand the Chinese culture.
The first impression I had on arrival is that people
are very friendly, warm hearted and extrovert,
they have all been very kind with me.
Young people enjoy going out and having fun; the
great majority are very independent and they
normally work to finance their studies. Here,
people enjoy life at the fullest, with little worries.
I am at present, working at ILEUSCO institute,
there, I teach Chino-Mandarin. More and more
people want to learn Chinese every day and visit
my country; this is perhaps due to financial and
cultural exchange between Colombia and China. I
am of course very happy to be a Chinese
ambassador in this part of the world.
China is the largest and most populated country in
East Asia, with more than 1.300 million
ASSISSTANT
TEACHER
FROM
CHINA
LU XIAONA
From CHINA
inhabitants. It is a socialist republic ruled by the

communist party.
There are 21 provinces, 5
autonomous regions, 4 municipalities' and two
special regions with a high level of self
government. Its total area is 9.6 million square
kilometers approximately. It is therefore, the
fourth largest country in the world.
In the north, we have prairies along with deserts
and moors; in the south, there are hills and small
mountain ranges. In the east, along the Yellow and
the Chinese seas there are plain lands; In the west
we have vast mountain ranges such as the
Himalayan.
China is a multi-ethnic country with 56 recognized
ethnic groups, 91% belong to the Han ethnic
group. The most important religions are:
Buddhism, Taoism, Christianism, Catholicism and
Islamism. The amount of Buddhists in China, may
vary from 60 to 80%, but we refer to Buddhism as a
philosophy rather than a religion.
Mandarin is the official language in China. More
than 885 million people are native speakers ,more
than any other language in the world.
Nevertheless, some other dialects are spoken in
other regions. Our independence day is
celebrated on October the first.
Back in Colombia, I would like to say that so far, I
have been in this beautiful country for 8 months
and my time here is running short. Colombia has
been my second country and I would love to have
the chance to come back some day.
Yo soy de China.
Trabajo en Ileusco.ILEUSCO
Neiva es una ciudad hospitalaria. Neiva
Los jvenes son alegres y espontaneos.
Yo amo ILEUSCO. ILEUSCO.
Tengo 3 hermanas.
Tengo muchos amigos en NEIVANEIVA
Taken from: http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/minority-ethnic/

For more than half a century, immigrants from the
Indian subcontinent and the West Indies have added
variety and diversity to the rich patchwork of accents
and dialects spoken in the UK. British colonizers
originally exported the language to all four corners of
the globe and migration in the 1950s brought altered
forms of English back to these shores. Since that time,
especially in urban areas, speakers of Asian languages
and Caribbean descents have blended their mother
tongue speech patterns with existing local dialects
producing wonderful new varieties of English, such as
London Jamaican or Bradford Asian English. Standard
British English has also been enriched by an explosion of
new terms, such as balti (a dish invented in the West
Midlands and defined by a word that would refer to a
'bucket' rather than food to most South Asians outside
the UK) and bhangra (traditional Punjabi music mixed
with reggae and hip-hop).
The recordings on this site of speakers from minority
ethnic backgrounds include a range of speakers. You can
hear speakers whose speech is heavily influenced by
their racial background, alongside those whose speech

reveals nothing of their family background and some
who are ranged somewhere in between. There are also
a set of audio clips that shed light on some of the more
recognizable features of Asian English and Caribbean
English.
Slang
As with the Anglo-Saxon and Norman settlers of
centuries past, the languages spoken by today's ethnic
communities have begun to have an impact on the
everyday spoken English of other communities. For
instance, many young people, regardless of their ethnic
background, now use the black slang terms, nang
('cool,') and diss ('insult' from 'disrespecting') or
words derived from Hindi and Urdu, such as chuddies
('underpants') or desi ('typically Asian'). Many also use
the all-purpose tag-question, innit as in statements
such as you're weird, innit. This feature has been
variously ascribed to the British Caribbean community
or the British Asian community, although it is also part
ENGLISH THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE

of a more native British tradition - in dialects in the West
Country and Wales, for instance which might explain
why it appears to have spread so rapidly among young
speakers everywhere.
English Language (1828). Both of these publications

were enormously successful and established spellings
such as center and color and were therefore major
steps towards scholarly acceptance that British English
and American English were becoming distinct entities.
Original influences from overseas

The English Language can be traced back to the mixture
of Anglo-Saxon dialects that came to these shores 1500
years ago. Since then it has been played with, altered
and transported around the world in many different
forms. The language we now recognize as English first
became the dominant language in Great Britain during
the Middle Ages, and in Ireland during the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries. From there it has been
exported in the mouths of colonists and settlers to all
four corners of the globe. 'International English', 'World
English' or 'Global English' are terms used to describe a
type of 'General English' that has, over the course of the
twentieth century, become a worldwide means of
communication.
American English
The first permanent English-speaking colony was
established in North America in the early 1600s. The
Americans soon developed a form of English that
differed in a number of ways from the language spoken
back in The British Isles. In some cases older forms were
retained the way most Americans pronounce the <r>
sound after a vowel in words like start, north, nurse and
letter is probably very similar to pronunciation in 17th
century England. Similarly, the distinction between past
tense got and past participle gotten still exists in
American English but has been lost in most dialects of
the UK.
But the Americans also invented many new words to
describe landscapes, wildlife, vegetation, food and
lifestyles. Different pronunciations of existing words
emerged as new settlers arrived from various parts of
the UK and established settlements scattered along the
East Coast and further inland. After the USA achieved
independence from Great Britain in 1776 any sense of
who 'owned' and set the 'correct rules' for the English
Language became increasingly blurred. Different forces
operating in the UK and in the USA influenced the
emerging concept of a Standard English. The
differences are perhaps first officially promoted in the
spelling conventions proposed by Noah Webster in The
American Spelling Book (1786) and subsequently
adopted in his later work, An American Dictionary of the
Influence of Empire
Meanwhile, elsewhere, the British Empire was
expanding dramatically, and during the 1700s British
English established footholds in parts of Africa, in India,
Australia and New Zealand. The colonisation process in
these countries varied. In Australia and New Zealand,
European settlers quickly outnumbered the indigenous
population and so English was established as the
dominant language. In India and Africa, however,
centuries of colonial rule saw English imposed as an
administrative language, spoken as a mother tongue by
colonial settlers from the UK, but in most cases as a
second language by the local population.
English around the world

Like American English, English in Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa has evolved such that they are distinct
from British English. However, cultural and political ties
have meant that until relatively recently British English
has acted as the benchmark for representing
'standardized' English spelling tends to adhere to
British English conventions, for instance. Elsewhere in
Africa and on the Indian subcontinent, English is still
used as an official language in several countries, even
though these countries are independent of British rule.
However, English remains very much a second language
for most people, used in administration, education and
government and as a means of communicating
between speakers of diverse languages. As with most of
the Commonwealth, British English is the model on
which, for instance, Indian English or Nigerian English is
based. In the Caribbean and especially in Canada,
however, historical links with the UK compete with
geographical, cultural and economic ties with the USA,
so that some aspects of the local varieties of English
follow British norms and others reflect US usage.
An international language
English is also hugely important as an international
language and plays an important part even in countries
where the UK has historically had little influence. It is
learnt as the principal foreign language in most schools

in Western Europe. It is also an essential part of the
curriculum in far-flung places like Japan and South
Korea, and is increasingly seen as desirable by millions
of speakers in China. Prior to WWII, most teaching of
English as a foreign language used British English as its
model, and textbooks and other educational resources
were produced here in the UK for use overseas. This
reflected the UK's cultural dominance and its perceived
'ownership' of the English Language. Since 1945,
however, the increasing economic power of the USA
and its unrivalled influence in popular culture has
meant that American English has become the reference

point for learners of English in places like Japan and
even to a certain extent in some European countries.
British English remains the model in most
Commonwealth countries where English is learnt as a
second language. However, as the history of English has
shown, this situation may not last indefinitely. The
increasing commercial and economic power of
countries like India, for instance, might mean that
Indian English will one day begin to have an impact
beyond its own borders.
Differences Among Languages

Taken from: http://www.seniorserviceamerica.org/pdf/CALGuide-CulturalDifferencesinAmerica.pdf
To help understand some of the ways that other
languages differ from English, let us consider Spanish. It
is the language of the majority of immigrants in the
United States.
Like English, Spanish is an Indo-European language that
uses the Roman alphabet. Spanish and English have
many words that look similar and mean basically the
same thing (cognates). Examples include such words as
historical / histrico; presentation / presentacin; to
study / estudiar. The numerous cognates may facilitate
an immigrant's reading in English.
However, the differences between pronunciation of
Spanish and English letters and words may interfere
with Spanish speakers' being understood in the United
States. For example, in histrico, the h is silent, and the
i's are pronounced like English e's. Furthermore, the
sound of a in Spanish is similar to the a in the English
word all, rather than the vowel sound used in the name
Al. This means that the Spanish speaker might transfer
these sounds to the English historical, saying it in a way
that might sound something like ees-to-ree-call.
The situation with cognates is further complicated
because some cognates are false friends they do
not mean the same thing at all. For example, the
Spanish verb asistir does not mean to assist, but rather
to attend. Similarly, the
Spanish verb atender does not mean to attend, but
rather to wait for.
Given these differences, a native Spanish speaker might

find it hard to select the correct verb when speaking
English (or, for that matter, so might an English speaker
who is speaking Spanish). The way words are put
together (grammar and syntax) is also different in
Spanish and English. For example, in English, you might
say: I took my father's green shirt to the dry cleaner last
week, but they didn't get it clean.
In Spanish you might say: La semana pasada llev la
camisa verde de mi padre a la tintorera, pero no la
limpiaron bien.
Literally translated (word for word) this would be: The
week past took the shirt green of my father to the dry
cleaner, but no it cleaned well.
Given these differences in word order (syntax) and
grammar, it is also not surprising or a sign of a lack of
intelligence or education if a native Spanish speaker
makes English sentences with the words in an improper
order.
These examples offer a glimpse of a few of the
difficulties native Spanish speakers sometimes
encounter when speaking English. But consider a native
speaker of a language that is less like English.
The two major languages spoken by Chinese
immigrants are Mandarin or Cantonese. Both of these
languages are non-alphabetic; pictures or symbols are
used to depict whole words.
...DIFFERENCES AMONG LANGUAGES

Chinese-speaking immigrants must learn the
English alphabet and the use of soundsymbol
correspondence. They must also learn English
intonation rules (e.g., the voice goes up in a yes/no
question) and stress (e.g. not all words are equally
stressed in English).
Chinese languages, as well as Vietnamese, are tonal
languages. In these languages, changing the intonation
and pitch of words changes the meaning of words. For
native English speakers, these concepts can be very
difficult to grasp. Think of the challenges immigrants
from these areas face when learning to understand,
speak, read, and write English.

Arabic is another language that differs from English,
using a non-Roman alphabet that is written from right
to left rather than from left to right. Think about the
challenge to Arabic-speaking immigrants that learning
English (especially reading and writing) would present.
While you may be unable to learn more than a few
words in the languages spoken by the seniors in your
program, knowing something about their languages
will give you insight into the difficulties they are facing
and can help you improve your ability to communicate
with them.
Australia Vs. New Zealand

Taken from: http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/newzealand.html
Australia and New Zealand share three main commonalities. Firstly, the urban societies of both countries were
created by the British in the last three centuries, and built on the invasion of a population that didn't live in cities.
Secondly, around 20 per cent of the population of both countries are migrants. Thirdly, both countries are in the
same part of the world.
Although both countries share some commonalities, they have been subjected to differing historical and
environmental influences that have resulted in significant cultural differences. Specifically, Australia was founded
to be a penal colony while New Zealand was founded to be a religious colony. Furthermore, Australia is a harsh land
of droughts, snakes and desert while New Zealand is a heavenly land with lakes, glaciers and fertile soil.
...AUSTRALIA VS. NEW ZEALAND

Language
New Zealand and Australia have different versions of
English. One difference is that New Zealanders have
difficulty pronouncing 'I' sounds correctly. For example,
instead of saying "fish and chips" New Zealanders say "
fush and chups." Another difference is that New
Zealand English lacks the difference in male and female
pronunciation that is a feature of Australian English. In
New Zealand, men and women pronounce their
diagnostic vowels in the same fashion. On the other
hand, the male Australian accent is significantly
different from the female accent. About ten per cent of
Australian men speak like Paul Hogan or Steve Irwin,
with what is known as a broad accent. Around 80 per
cent speak like Nicole Kidman, with what is known as a
British received accent. A final ten per cent speak with a
cultivated accent, which sounds like someone educated
at Oxford University in England. These speakers are
chiefly women. (Australia is the only English speaking
country with a gender difference in pronunciation.)
A final difference between Australia and New Zealand
English is creativity in language use. New Zealanders do
not use rhyming slang, idiomatic expressions,
humorous expressions or profanity to the same extent
as Australians.
Traditional British dishes have had competition

from other dishes over the year. Despite this, if
you visit England, Scotland or Wales, you can still
be served up the traditional foods they have been
eating for years.
MAIN MEAL DISHES IN ENGLAND
Roast Beef
Yorkshire Pudding
Toad-in-the-Hole
Roast Meats
Fish and Chips
Ploughman's Lunch
Cottage Pie
Shepherd's Pie
Gammon Steak with egg
Lancashire Hotpot
Bubble and Squeak
English Breakfast
Bangers and Mash
Black Pudding
Bacon Roly-Poly
Cumberland Sausage
Pie and Mash with parsley liquor
Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding is England's
traditional Sunday lunch, which is a family affair.
Typical Traditional British Dishes

Taken from: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/dishes.htm
...TYPICAL TRADITIONAL BRITISH DISHES

RECIPE.
Preparation time: overnight
Cooking time: 1 to 2 hours
Serves 6
What's a roast without the all-important trimmings?
Make the Yorkshire pudding batter a day before and let
it rest in the fridge.
Ingredients
Fore rib beef (about 4 kgs/9 lbs), French trimmed,
on the bone, chined
olive oil
salt
freshly cracked black pepper
For the Yorkshire pudding
3 eggs
115g/4oz flour
275ml/ pint milk
beef dripping
salt
Yorkshire Pudding is not usually eaten as a dessert like

other puddings but instead as part of the main course or
at a starter
Yorkshire pudding, made from flour, eggs and milk, is a
sort of batter baked in the oven and usually moistened
with gravy.
Preparation method
1. Preheat the oven to its highest setting.
2. Rub the beef with the olive oil, salt and
pepper all over.
3. Put a heavy-based roasting tray on the hob
and when hot, add the beef.
4. Seal the beef quickly on all sides to colour
and crisp the outside.
5. Transfer the beef immediately to the oven
and leave the oven on its highest setting
(about 240C/460F/Gas 8) for 20 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and
roast for half an hour per kilo for rare,
adding another ten minutes per kilo for
medium rare, 20 minutes per kilo for
medium, and 30 minutes per kilo for well
done.
7. Remove the beef from the oven, transfer it
to a carving board and cover with foil. Allow
it to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
8. For the Yorkshire pudding, mix together the
eggs, flour and a pinch of salt.
9. Add the milk, stirring constantly, until you
have a runny batter.
10. Leave this to rest, covered, in the
refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
11. Place 1cm/in of beef dripping in the
bottom of each pudding mould, or if you
are using a rectangular roasting tray, place
1cm/in of beef dripping across the
bottom.
12. Heat the dripping in the oven (at
240C/460F/Gas 8) for about ten minutes,
until it is piping hot.
13. Remove the roasting tray from the oven,
pour in the batter, and immediately return
to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, until
golden brown and crispy, making sure not
to open the oven door for the first 20
minutes.
14. Serve immediately with the carved roast
beef.
Yorkshire Puddings
The traditional way to eat a Yorkshire pudding is to have a large, flat one filled with gravy and vegetables as a starter
of the meal. Then when the meal is over, any unused puddings should be served with jam or ice-cream as a dessert
Considerations About
the use of Focus on form
Instruction In Foreign
Language Teaching
Introduction
There seems to be a general claim in Colombia that the
t e a c h i n g o f g ra m m a t i c a l fo r m s h a s b e e n
overemphasized in English language classes in state
schools. This is supported by Tello (2006, p. 170) who
states that the teaching and learning of English in the
country has been traditionally equated with linguistic or
grammatical accuracy. Similarly, this might also be
reinforced by the widespread belief that many EFL
teachers in Colombia have been teaching about the
language and not the language in light of its function in
communicative situations. In other words, students
have been learning about grammar from the
perspective of assimilating and understanding how
grammatical structures are formed rather than using
them in communication. This approach has generated
some frustration since many learners tend to think that
they have been studying English for a long time without
making progress in terms of being able to use the target
language for successful communication.
A reaction to this trend came along with the emergence
and promotion of the communicative approach. Thus,
less emphasis on grammar forms and more attention to
meaning to achieve communication were expected to
occur. However, despite several attempts to move away
from linguistic forms towards meaning-focused
instruction, students still continue to give evidence not
only of limited knowledge of the English linguistic forms
but also of an inability to convey meaning when using
the target language for communicative purposes. In this
regard, a study carried out by the British Council and the
Ministry of Education in Colombia revealed that only
6.4% of students finishing high school performed in
English at an intermediate level, whereas an
overwhelming 93.6% did at a basic and no students
were found to perform at an advanced level (Usma,
2009, p. 128).
Given the poor results that

traditional approaches have
offered to most English
learners in Colombia, it is my
Diego
goal here to raise awareness
Fernando
about focus on form instrucMacas V.
tion as an alternative to enrich
the English teaching process in
Colombia. This type of instruction might significantly
contribute to help EFL students reach their goals of
communicating successfully in the target language
without losing sight of the relevance that linguistic
forms have in such a process. Initially, I will introduce
the concept of focus on form. Then, I will provide a brief
rationale for focus on form instruction along with
various pedagogical implications in connection to the
use of this type of instruction.
Defining Focus on Form Instruction

Although the word 'form' has often been used to refer
exclusively to grammar, Ellis et al. (2001, p. 415) argue
that it needs not and, indeed, should not [since]
focus on form can be directed at phonology, vocabulary,
grammar and discourse. Now focus on form
instruction has been defined by various authors with
mostly the same considerations in mind. To begin with,
Long (1991, p. 45-46) defines focus on form as drawing
students' attention to linguistic elements as they arise
incidentally in lessons whose overriding focus is on
meaning or communication. Then in a similar way, Ellis
et al (2002, p. 420) affirm that in focus on form
instruction the primary focus of attention is on
meaning. The attention to form arises out of meaningcentered activity derived from the performance of a
communicative task.
For Ellis (2006, p. 100-101), focus on form implies
no separate grammar lessons but rather grammar
GENERALITIES
... Considerations About the use of Focus on form

Instruction In Foreign Language Teaching
teaching integrated into a curriculum consisting of
communicative tasks. It is possibly here when
alternatives such as task-based language learning (TBL)
and content and language integrated learning (CLIL) can
be of great consideration given their emphasis on
providing meaningful tasks and using the language to
help learners gain knowledge in other subjects.
Unlike focus on form, focus on forms is equated with
the traditional teaching of discrete points of grammar in
separate lessons (Sheen 2002, p. 303) or as stated by
Ellis et al. (2002, p. 420), it refers to instruction
involving a structure of the day approach, where the
primary focus is on the form that is being targeted. I
cannot help but think about the Colombian context
where a focus on forms has been seemingly the most
traditional type of instruction and where unfortunately
it has not offered the desired results for English
language learners as I mentioned earlier. I consider that
focus on form deserves more attention in Colombia
given the apparent inefficacy of focus on forms
instruction. However, this does not entail a complete
exclusion of focus on forms as another viable
alternative in other settings where it may still be
offering the expected results.
Rationale for Focus on Form Instruction

While it might be true that students are able to learn
language forms without receiving any instructional
intervention, EFL settings like Colombia show that
learners do not usually acquire a strong linguistic
competence just from meaning-focused instruction as
promoted by the strong version of communicative
language teaching. Learners still need exposure to
language forms as they incidentally occur in interaction
without having to set aside the overall goal of
communicative language use.
In other words, focus on form allows that meaningfocused interaction becomes a means for learners to
acquire linguistic forms without necessarily placing
great emphasis on traditional grammar-based
approaches. This is something that especially young
English learners in Colombia have been going through
for a long time and that has failed to yield positive
results in terms of their level of language competence
and proficiency.
Pedagogical Implications
Researchers like VanPatten (1988) have argued that a
simultaneous focus on form and meaning can overload
the learners' cognitive processing system, particularly
beginner-level learners. While this might be true, Spada
(1997, p. 79) argues that this can no longer be an
obstacle if tasks are carefully designed with close links
between form and meaning. Thus, it follows that focus
on form instruction can significantly contribute to help
establish such links. It is hard for me not to relate to
those teachers who advocate an emphasis on meaning
to achieve communication in the target language and
yet I think that attention to linguistic forms should not be
disregarded as these are the elements that help learners
understand and convey meaning in communicative
situations. Nevertheless, I am not advocating a focus on
forms instruction since it would possibly lead learners in
the same direction where they are coming from, that is;
a strong emphasis on the study of the linguistic forms,
grammatical structure, and accuracy at the expense of
fluency or meaning-focused interaction.
The old tradition in foreign language teaching in
Colombia has also debated about whether there are
more convenient moments to draw the learners'
attention to language forms. Some would argue that it
is better to provide corrections and explanations at the
moment of a communicative activity and so take
advantage of the fact that the learners are engaged
with the language and therefore they might assimilate
the correct forms appropriately. Others would say that
interrupting learners during a communicative activity
would hinder interaction and eventually affect the
learner's motivation to maintain communication. Thus,
it is often suggested that teachers take note of the
forms that cause learners trouble during a
communicative activity and deal with them when the
activity is over. In this respect, Ellis et al (2002, p. 430),
declare that this reaction ignores one of the key reasons
for employing focus on form, namely to make learners
aware of specific forms at the time they need to use
them. As can be observed, this is still a very
controversial issue and it is difficult to come up with a
radical conclusion as to which approach is more
effective. The answer might lie in the teacher's
knowledge of the context and the students and the
types of errors and corrections that need to be made.
GENERALITIES
... Considerations About the use of Focus on form

Instruction In Foreign Language Teaching
Much has been said about the relevance of form and
meaning in language teaching and efforts have been
made to see them as two separate entities in a way
disregarding the fact that they complement each other.
It follows that one common challenge for foreign
language teachers is to think of activities that involve
attention to form while retaining meaningful
communication and using form for communication. As
stated by Nassaji (2000, p. 244), if the goal of language
learning is to develop fluency and accuracy and if the
latter is not achieved unless students pay attention to
form, learning may be more effective if learners focus
on form while using language for communication. A
sensible reflection here is that linguistic forms might be
more easily recalled and therefore effectively used by
learners if they are attached to the context of
communication where they learned them.
Conclusions
It has been claimed that it is not enough to focus on
studying the language forms as has been the case in ELT
in Colombia for several decades usually by means of a
structural syllabus in a coursebook, nor is it enough to
focus entirely on meaning to achieve communication as
has been proposed by followers of the strong version of
the communicative approach. Perhaps, what needs to
be done is to bring language forms to the learners'
attention deliberately or as they occur within meaningbased communicative activities as suggested by the
principles of focus on form instruction.

It must be noted that although focus on form
instruction might not be the ultimate alternative to
improve the process of English language teaching in
Colombia, it is definitely worth exploring in view of the
gains it has provided in other settings. Teachers should
be cautious not to rigidly adopt a specific type of
instruction since there is considerable disagreement as
to which type (focus on form or focus on forms) might
be more effective (Ellis 2006, p. 101). In fact, there have
been several studies which seem to give evidence that
either one works. Initiatives need to come from foreign
language teachers and ELT researchers to explore the
potential usefulness of this type of instruction and
determine to what extent it might satisfy teachers' and
learners' needs and expectations.
Task based learning (TBL) and content and language
integrated learning (CLIL) remain as two alternatives that
may facilitate focus on form instruction in foreign
language teaching settings. Even though meaning seems
to be at the core of both of these approaches, the context
they generate is enriched with opportunities to bring
students' attention to linguistic forms as they emerge in
the process of interaction and communication. It is
nevertheless beyond the scope of this paper to elaborate
on the principles of any of these two approaches, for
further insights see (Skehan, 1998; Willis, 1996).
References
Ellis, R., Basturkmen, H. & Loewen, S. (2001) Preemptive focus on form in the ESL classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 35 (3): 407-432.
Ellis, R., Basturkmen, H. & Loewen, S. (2002). Doing Focus on Form. System 30: 419-432.
Ellis, R. (2006). Current Issues in the Teaching of Grammar: An SLA Perspective, TESOL
Quarterly, 40 (1): 83-107.
Long, M. H. (1991). Focus on Form: A design feature in language teaching methodology. In K.
de Bot, R. Ginsberg, and C. Kramsch (eds). Foreign Language Research in Crosscultural Perspective. Amsterdan: John Benjamins. 39-52.
Nassaji, H. (2000). Towards Integrating Form-Focused Instruction and Communicative
Interaction in the Second Language Classroom: Some Pedagogical Possibilities. The Modern Language Journal 84 (2): 241-250.
Sheen, R. (2002). 'Focus on form' and 'focus on forms' English Language Teaching Journal,
56(3): 303-305.
Skehan, P. (1998). A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Spada, N. (1997). Form-focused instruction and second language acquisition: a review of
classroom and laboratory research. Language Teaching 30: 73-87.Tello, Y. (2006). Developing Pragmatic Competence in a Foreign
Language. Colombian Applied
Linguistics Journal 8: 169-182.
Usma, J. A. (2009). Education and Language Policy in Colombia: Exploring Processes of Inclusion, Exclusion, and Stratification in Times of
Global Reform. Profile Issues in Teachers' Professional Development 11: 123-141.
VanPatten, B. (1988). How juries get hung: problems with the evidence for a focus on form in
teaching. Language Learning, 38(2): 243-260.
Willis, J. (1996). A Framework for Task-Based Learning. London: Longman.
GENERALITIES
Positivism and Bentham in

Colombia during the First
Half of the XIX Century
By Martha Isabel Barrero Galindo
USCO Full-time teacher and ILEUSCO Student
La Gran Colombia is the first name our country was
given after independence. This republic legally existed
between 1821 and 1831, from the Congress of Cucuta in
1821. This meant the end of the Spanish monopoly and
the opening of the Nueva Granada to other foreign
influences and cultures such as the British and French
among many others. The Latin language lost its
importance and was replaced by English and French,
and there was a notorious decrease on the influence of
the catholic religion. The New textbooks introduced,
such as Jeremy Bentham, were condemned by the
Vatican.
In Colombia, positivism wasn't

taken completely seriously,
in the strict sense; it was
a reaction against the
speculative and talkative
intellectual culture of
the country.
Jeremy Bentham (1748 1832) and John Stuart Mill

(1806-1873) were the creators of utilitarianism.
Utilitarianism is the belief that the only moral norm is
determined by its usefulness. The heroes of the
Colombian independence movement knew about the
existence off Bentham`s writings.
In 1822, Ramon Salas, a professor of the University of
Salamanca, introduces the book Treaties of civil and
criminal legislation by Bentham, in Latin America and
in 1824, it finally comes to Bogot .
In that moment, all thoughts of politics, philosophy,
pedagogy and the Colombian society in general was
influenced by the positivism movement .The Positivism
was a philosophical movement. It was born in France
with Augusto, later it extended all over Europe. For the
Positivism followers the only authentic knowledge is
the scientific one, in opposition to the religious and
metaphysical knowledge .The metaphysical movement,
studies aspects of reality that are inaccessible to the
scientific investigation. Some of the metaphysic
concepts are: to be, anything, existence, essence,
world, space, time, mind, God, freedom, change, cause
and end.
The first reaction against the traditional teaching and

the scholastic philosophy; began with the written
curriculum in 1774 by Francisco Antonio Moreno y
Escandon, commissioned by the viceroy Guiror. Later
Francisco de Paula Santander by decree of November 9,
1825 stands as text in all colleges and universities
Bentham's work The treaty law, being official on
October 3, 1826 by law in the general curriculum.
In 1826 the national government proposed a
curriculum for teaching modern scientific content.
Unfortunately, due to lack of money, It couldn't buy labs
nor could it recruit foreign teachers.
Finally Simn Bolvar in 1828 abolished the influence of
Bentham, but it survived at the National University.
Positivism and Bentham in Colombia

during the First Half of the XIX Century
GENERALITIES
Greatest Inventions
of the Technological World
By Julian Cabrera Jimenez
International Space Station
Hubble Space Telescope
About 60 years ago the world was plunged into one of the
greatest wars known to man. Not so many years after that
we were thrown into the cold war. Who would have
believed that before the end of the 20th century,
countries that were bitter enemies for the larger part of
the century would join together to create a space
station? The participating countries at present are the
United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and numerous
European nations. The Space Station has enabled us to
learn that we can work together peacefully, especially in
the pursuit of scientific knowledge
Since its launching in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope

has become one of the most significant instruments in
the history of astronomy. Hubble has brought the beauty
of the heavens to the face of the earth. The Hubble
telescope has enabled a great amount of amazing
discoveries about our universe and its origins to be
carried out. It has also provided us with some of the most
beautiful images of all times. To understand the true
value of this telescope, consider the Hubble Ultra Deep
Field the deepest image of the universe ever taken in
visible light, looking back in time more than 13 billion
years.
Linux
Linux has to be on the list for the very fact that it truly
opened the door to Open Source software to more
people than any other open source project. The very fact
that so many people can work together without meeting
face to face to bring together such a complex project as
an operating system and to make it good enough to
compete with the giants in the industry, is a wonder in
itself. The project started with Linus Torvalds
Cell Phone
A type of wireless communication that has changed the

way we communicate. It is called 'cellular' because the
system uses many base stations to divide a service area
into multiple 'cells'. Cellular calls are transferred from
base station to base station as a user travels from cell to
cell. By the end of 2009 the number of mobile cellular
subscriptions worldwide reached approximately 4.6
billion (4.600'000.000).
GENERALITIES
...Greatest Inventions of the Technological World

Lasers
The Computer
When lasers were invented in 1960, they were called a

solution looking for a problem. Since then, they have
become ubiquitous, finding utility in thousands of
highly varied applications in every level of our modern
society, including consumer electronics, information
technology, science, medicine, industry, law
enforcement, entertainment, and even the military.
Every day virtually every person is affected in one way or
another by lasers. In the medical field, lasers have
revolutionized surgery and we can now restore sight to
the near-blind with their help
The computer has changed the world so much that we

can say we are now living in the computer age, having
left the industrial age well behind us. Computers are
used in virtually every arena of human life including
medicine, science, crime detection, entertainment, and
much much more. The computer has revolutionized so
many aspects of our lives that it is now hard to imagine
life without it.
The Internet
It is fair to say that the Internet is the new Library of
Alexandria. The Internet now stores an immense portion
of human knowledge and it is not just available to an elite
it is available to every man, woman, and child in the free
world. For many of us, our daily life relies heavily upon
the internet not just for information gathering and
research, but for shopping, entertainment, news, and
communication. It allows us to speak to any person on
the planet without the high costs imposed by telephone
companies. The Internet has launched the careers of
many great artists people who would normally be
overlooked by the mainstream industries they work in.
There can be no doubt, the Internet is the greatest
wonder of the technological world.
GENERALITIES
Cultural Exchange:
The best way to improve your English level
By Luis Felipe Ramrez Prez (English VIII)
National and International Relations
Surcolombiana University
I couldn't find the person who was supposed to pick me

up at the airport, in other words, my worst nightmare
became my reality.
The first week was hard due to the language, but after
15 days I was taking in English, in real English to native
people from the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Maybe you don't notice how fast you develop your
skills (specially listening and speaking), you brain and
you hearing get in tune with with the language in the
daily interaction, and you feel and think like American
people.
I once participated in one of those agencies for Cultural

Exchange, also known as Summer Camps, or Work
experience in USA, it was during the summer of 2009
and I have to admit It was the best experience of my
whole life.
What was the job about? I applied to be a Camp
Counselor, and basically my job was to play all day with
campers. There was a schedule with activities, games,
art and craft, delicious food (Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch,
more snacks, Dinner, and even more snacks!),the rest of
the time was devoted to playing games again, lake time,
more games, campfire and finally sleep time. The camp
was amazing, huge, full of nature, with part of a lake for
the water activities, cabins, and a main building in
which there was a restaurant, the movie projector,
computers with internet and a video game zone. The
camp specialized in two sports: Soccer and Basketball.
I remember the flight, it was nice, but when I arrived at
Atlanta's International Airport everything was terrible, I
didn't understand anybody speaking in English, nobody
spoke Spanish anywhere, the immigration officer asked
me something I couldn`t work out, my luggage was lost,
Then, the hard moment to say Good Bye got closer.

Time passes by quickly and you don't want to come
back, all the new friends, all the experiences, special
moments, customs, weather, activities, you miss all the
stuff. But when you return to your normal life, you feel
different, more mature, more independent and......
bilingual! (as a bonus).
GENERALITIES
How Did
Christmas Start?
Taken from: http://www.soon.org.uk/christmas.htm
Since about 400 AD, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus.
'Christ' means 'Messiah' or 'Anointed One' - the title given to
Jesus - and 'Mass' was a religious festival.
In the West today, the real meaning of Christmas is often
forgotten. It has become a non-religious holiday! More children
believe in Father Christmas than in Jesus. Christmas Day is a time
for eating and drinking too much and watching television.
But the real Christmas story is found in the Christian Bible. It is
told in two different books: Matthew and Luke chapters 1 and 2.
You may think that the story of the birth of Jesus, and the way that
the West celebrates Christmas today, do not seem to have many
connections.
The Old Man With The Sack

'Father Christmas' (or 'Santa Claus') has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures will
be seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys.
Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas (or in some
countries on December 6th - St. Nicholas' Day), and many children up to the age of 7 or
8 really believe this is true. In most countries, it is said that he lives near the North
Pole, and arrives through the sky on a sledge (snow-cart) pulled by reindeer. He
comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the
children in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.
In shops or at children's parties, someone will dress up as Father Christmas and give
small presents to children, or ask them what gifts they want for Christmas.
Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.
Who was he? Father Christmas is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, which
explains his other name 'Santa Claus' which comes from the Dutch
'Sinterklaas'. Nicholas was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey)
in the 4th century AD. He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people
without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house
and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to
dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in
children's stockings.
GENERALITIES
The Thanksgiving
Story
Taken From: http://wilstar.com/holidays/thankstr.htm
Most stories of Thanksgiving history start with the harvest celebration
of the pilgrims and the indians that took place in the autumn of 1621.
Although they did have a three-day feast in celebration of a good
harvest, and the local indians did participate, this "first Thanksgiving"
was not a holiday, simply a gathering. There is little evidence that this
feast of thanks led directly to our modern Thanksgiving Day holiday.
Thanksgiving can, however, be traced back to 1863 when Pres. Lincoln
became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday
has been a fixture of late November ever since.
However, since most school children are taught that the first
Thanksgiving was held in 1621 with the pilgrims and indians, let us take
a closer look at just what took place leading up to that event, and then
what happened in the centuries afterward that finally gave us our
modern Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were
originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect).
They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The
Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed
more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted
with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the
Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to finance a
pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the
Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the
company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists
were Separatists.
The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth

Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first
winter was devastating. At the
beginning of the following fall, they had
lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on
the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621
was a bountiful one. And the remaining
colonists decided to celebrate with a
feast -- including 91 Indians who had
helped the Pilgrims survive their first
year. It is believed that the Pilgrims
would not have made it through the
year without the help of the natives.
The feast was more of a traditional
English harvest festival than a true
"thanksgiving" observance. It lasted
three days.
It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine
editor, whose efforts eventually led to
what we recognize as Thanksgiving.
Hale wrote many editorials
championing her cause in her Boston
Ladies' Magazine, and later, in Godey's
Lady's Book. Finally, after a 40-year
campaign of writing editorials and
letters to governors and presidents,
Hale's obsession became a reality when,
in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed
the last Thursday in November as a
national day of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every
president after Lincoln. The date was
changed a couple of times, most
recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who
set it up one week to the next-to-last
Thursday in order to create a longer
Christmas shopping season. Public
uproar against this decision caused the
president to move Thanksgiving back
to its original date two years later.
And in 1941, Thanksgiving was finally
sanctioned by Congress as a legal
holiday, as the fourth Thursday in
November.
GENERALITIES
What is a Rainforest?
TAKEN FROM: http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/what.html
Rainforests are the Earth's oldest living ecosystems. They are so amazing and beautiful.
These incredible places cover only 6 %of the Earth's surface but yet they contain more than 1/2 of the world's plant
and animal species!
A Rainforest can be described as a tall, dense jungle. The reason it is called a "rain" forest is because of the high
amount of rainfall it gets per year. The climate of a rain forest is very hot and humid so the animals and plants that
exist there must learn to adapt to this climate.
Rainforests basically have four layers to them.

EMERGENT LAYER
The tallest trees are the emergents, towering as much
as 200 feet above the forest floor with trunks that
measure up to 16 feet around. Most of these trees are
broad-leaved, hardwood evergreens. Sunlight is
plentiful up here. Animals found are eagles, monkeys,
bats and butterflies.
CANOPY LAYER
This is the primary layer of the forest and forms a roof
over the two remaining layers. Most canopy trees have
smooth, oval leaves that come to a point. It's a maze of
leaves and branches. Many animals live in this area
since food is abundant. Those animals include: snakes,
toucans and treefrogs.
UNDERSTORY LAYER
Little sunshine reaches this area so the plants have to
grow larger leaves to reach the sunlight. The plants in
this area seldom grow to 12 feet. Many animals live
here including jaguars, red-eyed tree frogs and
leopards. There is a large concentration of insects here.
FOREST FLOOR
It's very dark down here. Almost no plants grow in this
area, as a result. Since hardly any sun reaches the forest
floor things begin to decay quickly. A leaf that might
take one year to decompose in a regular climate will
disappear in 6 weeks. Giant anteaters live in this layer.
As many as 30 million species of plants and animals live in tropical rainforests.

At least two-thirds of the world's plant species, including many exotic and beautiful flowers grow in the
rainforests.
Rainforests are the source of many items that we all use in our own homes!
We eat several foods from the rainforest and many medicines are made from ingredients found only in these
areas.
Fill Words in the Carpet

by Gilberto Zuiga
Food
Sports
Subjects
Body
Jobs
Colours
Clothes
Animals
ENTERTAINMENT
Telling a Story
Target Group: Young Adult

Type of activity: Speaking
This activity combines problem-solving and storytelling.
Students should be encouraged to use their
imaginations
Method
1. Copy and cut out the objects and the problems
below- one set for each group
2. Explain the rules. Each group must select five of the
objects without looking at the situations. They turn
over one of the situations and select three of the
objects they have chosen (no more, no less)
3. When they have worked out to complete the story,
the students should be asked to practice saying the
whole of the story using past verb forms.
4. Students then can be asked to tell the story to the
other groups. The class can then decide which story
they think is best.
Variations
1. The stories can be mimed and the other groups can
guess what the story was
2. Groups can tell one story or more than one story
3. Different groups can be asked to tell different
stories
4. The stories can be recorded and another group can
make suggestions for improvement.
by Marco T. Artunduaga and Lisseth Rojas
You are on your way to have an interview for a very

important job but the lift stops between floors.
There is no emergency button but there is a small
hole in the top of the lift. How do you get to the
interview on time?
You are giving a dinner party for some very
important guests in the top floor flat of a very high
building. You are having drinks in the room next
door and you go into the dining-room to check that
everything is ready. Unfortunately, you see a dead
body under the table! There is no other door in the
room. How do you get the body out without the
guests knowing?
An old man has lost the secret of his childhood. He
wanders all over the world trying to find it but
without success. One day he comes across a huge
river. There is a forest on the other side and he is
sure that he can find the secret of his childhood
there. But the river is very deep. He has no boat, he
can't swim and there are no rocks in the river. How
does he get across?
You wanted to parachute into a field. You have
jumped from the plane but your parachute hasn't
opened. You are falling very fast on to a motorway.
There are many ears and lorries below you. You only
have the three objects you have chosen to help you.
How do you land safely?
You are living in a town by the see. You see
somebody rob a bank and run away with the
money. You chase the robber through the town and
on to the beach. The robber can run faster than you.
There is no boat. How do you stop the robber and
get the money back?
From Top Class Activities, edited by Peter Watcyn- Jones. Penguin 1997
ENTERTAINMENT
The Wonderful Worlwide

Names Quiz
Target Group: Secondary/Young Adult

Type of activity: Reading/Vocabulary
This is a general Knowledge and vocabulary quiz for individual or pairs of students
Method
1. Copy the handout below- one copy for each student or pair.
2. Students (individually or in pairs) work through the quiz as quickly as possible, racing again each other to
complete it. Set a time-limit of either 10 or 15 minutes. Tell them they can use their dictionaries to look up any
vocabulary they do not know, but this will obviously slow them down
3. Allow all the students time to finish the quiz after the first student/pair has won the race. The students who
finish first can go back and try to add more names beginning with the same letters to their answers as they must
be able to think of several answers for each question
4. Check answers with the whole class
Can you
Name an ocean beginning with A?
Name a sort of food beginning with B?
Name a country beginning with C?
Name a part of a house beginning with D?
Name a high mountain beginning with E?
Name a day of the week beginning with F?
Name a European language beginning with G?
Name a type of Japanese car beginning with H?
Name an American state beginning with I?
Name a month of the year beginning with J?
Name a part of the body beginning with K?
Name a job beginning with L?
Name a large sea beginning with M?
Name a planet beginning with N?
Name a fruit beginning with 0?
Name a farm animal beginning with P?
Name an Australian state beginning with Q?
Name a flower beginning with R?
Name a piece of clothing beginning with S?
Name a large bird beginning with T?
Name an international organization beginning with U?
Name a Canadian city beginning with V?
Name an alcoholic drink beginning with W?
Name a musical instrument beginning with X?
Name a colour beginning with Y?
Name a country in Africa beginning with Z?
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From Top Class Activities, edited by Peter Watcyn- Jones. Penguin 1997
ENTERTAINMENT
Nestled in a Nest
Write a sentence about each picture to make your own story.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Crocodile
Camel
Cat
Ant
Ape
Alligator
Rino
Rooster
Rabbit
Parrot
Panda
Penguin
Elephant
Eagle
Eel
Tiger
Turkey
Turtle
Clothes
Coat
Cap
Apron
Anklepants
Rain Coat
Robe
Pants
Panties
Ear Muffs
Eye Wear
Tie
Toupee
Top
Colours
Cyan
Chrome
Coal
Amarath
Amber
Aquamarine
Rose
Red
Ruby
Purple
Pink
Platinum
Emerald
Evergreen
Ebany
Terracotta
Topaz
Turquoise
Chef
Carpenter
Artist
Arquitect
Engineer
Economist
Electrician
Theacher
Tailor
Trainer
Body
Cheek
Chin
Coccyx
Arm
Ankles
Ribs
Retina
Rectum
Pancreas
Pupils
Ear
Eyes
Elbow
Toes
Teeth
Thorax
Subjects
Chemistry
Arts
Antropology
Religion
Politics
Philosophy
English
Engineering
Tourism
Climbing
Criket
Archery
Airobatics
Rugby
Rafting
Racquetball
Polo
Parasailing
Pentathlon
Equitation
Eskrima
Tennis
Taekwondo
Cucumber
Celery
Apple
Almonds
Asparagus
Rice
Ravioli
Radish
Potatoes
Pizza
Pie
Eggs
Eggplant
Edam cheese
Toast
Tomato
Tuna
Food
Jobs
Animals
Sports
Answer Exercise page 39
Professor
Receptionist
Painter
Repairer
Radio Mecanic Paramedic

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November 2010

On the occasion of the first graduate class of ILEUSCO Language Institute of

First Prom Upper Intermediate English B2

Nidia Guzmn Durn M.A.

Mara Ligia Lavao de Serrato

Osiris Hernndez Castro

Julin Cabrera Jimenez

Giovanni Durn Cerquera

Yohamer Ernesto Guevara

FORMING EDUCATORS WITH

3. GRADUATES PER FACULTY OF EDUCATION PROGRAM:

the world. They assert that this theory offers English

learners to take more responsibility for their own

Eduardo Pastrana Bonilla PhD

without interpreters, without intermediaries, has

NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM

That's why we have to do our best to make our parents

NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM

Good afternoon Ladies and

Mrs. Nidia Guzman Duran,, Ileusco's coordinator ,

beginning I did understand what she said but not what

NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM

seventh English level. I had an English Native speaker as

NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM

giving people information about ILEUSCO to study

I would like to thank the coordinator Nidia Guzman

Years ago I had a dream. I wanted to learn English and in

all, it requires unity, a committed

Since then, I feel I have had the chance to make my

Last but not least, I should not

NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM

By Ludy Alejandra and Ral Santiago Cano

BRENDA MACHADO was our guide

NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM

What Would It Have

Camilo Ramirez and his Flirty style

NEWS FROM THE FIRST PROM

Is there a web for learning

You can make some good friends online too;

inhabitants. It is a socialist republic ruled by the

Taken from: http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/minority-ethnic/

their racial background, alongside those whose speech

ENGLISH THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE

English Language (1828). Both of these publications

Original influences from overseas

English around the world

ENGLISH THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE

meant that American English has become the reference

Differences Among Languages

Given these differences, a native Spanish speaker might

ENGLISH THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE

...DIFFERENCES AMONG LANGUAGES

speak, read, and write English.

Australia Vs. New Zealand

ENGLISH THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE

...AUSTRALIA VS. NEW ZEALAND

Traditional British dishes have had competition

Typical Traditional British Dishes

ENGLISH THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE

...TYPICAL TRADITIONAL BRITISH DISHES

Yorkshire Pudding is not usually eaten as a dessert like

Given the poor results that

Defining Focus on Form Instruction