Queridas y queridos estudiantes,

Les pido disculpas por la hora de este mensaje un domingo, pero es urgente confirmar que todxs estén informados de que las clases presenciales se retomarán en todos los cursos desde el próximo lunes, 1 de julio. Además, me gustaría adelantar la información que se entregará el lunes en clase y contarles que hay novedades en las evaluaciones.

Afortunadamente, como teníamos 3 evaluaciones ya desarrolladas, se ha acordado una redistribución de las ponderaciones de las evaluaciones de la siguiente manera:

Task 1 Email: 10%

Task 2 Mini Report: 10%

Oral Presentation: 25%

Final Oral Test: 20%

Final Written Test: 35%

Lo positivo de esta redistribución es que hubo una mínima alteración en los porcentajes de las pruebas finales. Este esquema de redistribución de ponderaciones se ha acordado entre las entidades y estamentos correspondientes, tomando como criterio, por un lado, el aumento de la ponderación tanto de las evaluaciones ya realizadas como de los exámenes finales por realizar, y por otro lado, el equilibrio en la evaluación de las cuatro habilidades.

Las otras evaluaciones que no pudieron desarrollarse producto de la contingencia no se llevarán a cabo y sus porcentajes se han redistribuido en los porcentajes presentados más arriba. Nos concentraremos exclusivamente en desarrollar el logro de las competencias de nivel que serán evaluadas en las pruebas finales. La fecha de las pruebas finales es el lunes, 8 de julio.

Cualquier duda, por favor pónganse en contacto a la brevedad.

¡Nos vemos el lunes!

Saludos cordiales,

Prof. Masías

Dear Students,

Today, we began our online session by discussing the current calendar, the ongoing strike, and the sit-in. We concluded that it's essential to stay alert to any new information that may arise during the week.

After our discussion, we engaged in several activities. First, we used flashcards to introduce the topic of Avoiding Stress (https://www.esleschool.com/a2-sports-flashcards/) . We then conducted a listening comprehension activity, where we heard someone talk about activities that help them relax and stay healthy (https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/activities-for-learners/a1l055-i-love-sports) . Following this, we reviewed how to describe situations using the present continuous tense and did an integrative listening comprehension activity with descriptions of sports-related photographs (https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/in-the-picture) . We concluded the first session by working in pairs to give a complete A2-level description of a set of provided photographs. The material is also available on U-Cursos.

In the second session, we started by arranging sentences to introduce Unit 7, Travelling. By the end of this unit, students will be able to find train information and plan a trip, using comparatives and superlatives accurately, and expanding their vocabulary related to means of transport. We then presented a series of disordered conversations, and in pairs, you had to put the interactions in a logical order. Afterward, you modified the information to fit our context in Chile, and finally, we conducted a brief role play, with instructions available in the class handout.role-play

Before concluding, we assigned homework to be completed during the week. This homework aims to support the development of vocabulary related to adjectives and travel (transportation, mobility, shopping, etc.), and to review structures like comparatives and superlatives, which we studied previously and now need to revisit. This exercise handout will also help you review the different types of activities that may be included in the final written exam. For those who need further explanations regarding grammar related to comparisons, you can review the details on the page shared under "enlaces" on U-Cursos (https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar/a1-a2-grammar/comparative-superlative-adjectives) .

Best regards,

Prof. Masías O .

• Las clases deben realizarse en modalidad remota sincrónica a través de Clase Virtual de U-Cursos. Se debe avanzar en los contenidos y actividades programadas en el syllabus de cada nivel, pues el calendario del semestre de inglés no se extenderá.

• Si no se conectan estudiantes en la hora de inicio, esperen unos 15-20 minutos y suban a Material Docente el material correspondiente a la clase y el material extra que consideren necesario, junto con publicar en Novedades sus indicaciones para trabajarlo.

• Por ahora, seguimos sin tomar evaluaciones. Se reprogramarán cuando finalice el paro. 

• La asistencia a clases debe registrarse en U-Cursos pero las inasistencias quedan "justificadas" y no afectan por tanto al porcentaje mínimo requerido para la aprobación en los cursos de inglés.

Dear Students,

I hope this finds you well. I wanted to give you a brief recap of our first online class today, June 10th.

We started with an engaging activity where we reviewed infographics of common phrases used in English to apologize. This was a great way to activate our prior knowledge. We then moved on to an interactive online activity in mini-groups where we explored various situations and communicative vocabulary related to apologies.

Following this, we worked as a whole group to categorize simple phrases into those used for apologizing and those for responding to apologies.

In the second part of the class, we developed a listening comprehension activity and analyzed different scenarios involving emails where apologies and excuses were made in hypothetical situations. After a brief analysis, we reviewed useful structures and phrases for such contexts.

Finally, we practiced a writing simulation for the upcoming writing test. Individually, those present in the class spent 25 minutes developing a selected email topic from several options, and we concluded with feedback on the texts produced.

Please stay tuned for any news regarding the ongoing strike. Needless say, I appreciate your adaptability during this transition to online learning.

Best regards,

Prof. Masías O. 

• Las clases deben realizarse en modalidad remota sincrónica a través de Clase Virtual de U-Cursos. Se debe avanzar en los contenidos y actividades programadas en el syllabus de cada nivel, pues el calendario del semestre de inglés no se extenderá.

• Si no se conectan estudiantes en la hora de inicio, esperen unos 15-20 minutos y suban a Material Docente el material correspondiente a la clase y el material extra que consideren necesario, junto con publicar en Novedades sus indicaciones para trabajarlo.

• Por ahora, seguimos sin tomar evaluaciones. Se reprogramarán cuando finalice el paro. 

• La asistencia a clases debe registrarse en U-Cursos pero las inasistencias quedan "justificadas" y no afectan por tanto al porcentaje mínimo requerido para la aprobación en los cursos de inglés.

Dear Students,

I hope this email finds you well.

I am writing to provide a summary of our recent session and inform you of upcoming arrangements. First, please remember that Week 10 coincided with a holiday, so the class was suspended.

In the session on 27-05, we began with a review of the contents covered so far. We also provided detailed and personalized feedback on the Mini Report assessed activity. Additionally, we addressed any questions regarding the presentations and discussed the implications of the ongoing strike.

In the second part of the class, we engaged in a group discussion about the potential presentation of the talks. The attending students collectively decided that they were ready to proceed with the activity. We agreed that the two students who were absent will have the opportunity to present at a later date. We then allocated 30 minutes for students to finalize details and practice their presentations. The session concluded with the talks and personalized feedback.

Please note that we will coordinate with the two students who missed the session to re-schedule their presentations.

Regarding this week's class (suspended due to the sit-in), we are awaiting further information and instructions from the General Coordination of the English Program and the Faculty. Any updates will be communicated as soon as possible, so please stay tuned for any updates.

Best regards,

Prof. Masías O.

Dear Students,

I hope this message finds you well.

I wanted to share an important update from the General Coordination of the English Program that was communicated last Friday:

" There is no suspension of academic activities by the Faculty. Therefore, academic staff and students are required to attend their classes at the assigned times and rooms and conduct the classes with those who attend.

- If no students attend, professors must upload the class material and any additional necessary resources to the "Material Docente" section on U-Cursos. They should also post instructions on how to work with this material in the "Novedades" section. Please note that the semester plan will not be extended, and missed classes cannot be rescheduled.

- Attendance must be recorded in U-Cursos for each class.
- Absences will be marked as "justified absences."

- Any evaluations scheduled for these dates must be rescheduled.

If there are any changes to these conditions on Monday, [it will be] promptly inform you."

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the situation, do not hesitate to write to me.

Best regards,

Professor Masías O.