Contents

Editorial .............................................................................................................................. 2
Professors of the ELT Program............................................................................................. 3
ILEUSCO Faculty and Staff................................................................................................... 4
ILEUSCO Class 2013 Picture Mosaic .................................................................................. 5
ILEUSCO Class 2013 Profile ................................................................................................ 6
Graduation Speech .............................................................................................................. 7
Message from the President of University Surcolombiana .................................................... 8
Experiencing Cultural Exchange ........................................................................................... 9
Farewell to dear Professor Gilma Zuiga Camacho ............................................................... 12
Thoughts from the Professors of the ELT Education Program
First Language Interference ................................................................................................. 14
Total Immersion 2012 ........................................................................................................ 17
A Masters Degree in English Language Teaching,
a Real Professional Development Endeavour ....................................................................... 19
Literature Corner ................................................................................................................. 21
Film Festival in Neiva CINEXCUSA........................................................................................ 26
Thoughts from ILEUSCO Teachers and Students
The Usefulness of Web Quests............................................................................................. 27
Exotic Shopping in Canberra................................................................................................. 28
Annihilation or Evolution? ................................................................................................... 29
The Shopping Paradise is New York ...................................................................................... 29
Child Sexual Abuse ............................................................................................................. 30
About our Rubbish! ............................................................................................................. 31
Thoughts from Professors and Leaders of the Department of Huila........................................ 32
English : Guilty ................................................................................................................. 35
Quixotic Enterprise, but a Good, Conforming to Nature, Health Project ................................. 37
50 Useful English Learning Websites ................................................................................... 39
Having fun with words and Phrases ...................................................................................... 40

January 2013
Fourth Edition
Neiva (Huila), Colombia

Universidad Surcolombiana
Facultad de Educacin
Programa de Lengua Extranjera - Ingls
Rector
Eduardo Pastrana Bonilla
Vicerrector Acadmico
Hiplito Camacho Coy
Vicerrectora Administrativa
Diana Patricia Prez
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
Marco Tulio Artunduaga Cullar
Coordinadora de ILEUSCO
Nidia Guzmn Durn

ISSN: 2145-5627
Publishing Commitee
Maryi Lorena Monje
Osiris Hernndez Castro
Leonardo Herrera Mosquera
Layout and Printing
OTI Impresos Calle 28 No. 1A-46 Cndido
Telefax: 875 8485 - Neiva (Huila)
Cover Designer
Joanna Mitchell Hernndez
Correspondence
Universidad Surcolombiana
Av. Pastrana Borrero - va Bogot
Instituto de Lenguas Extranjeras
Neiva, Huila - Colombia
Tel. (0988) 752216 / 8754753 ext. 281
www.ileusco.edu.co

The content of the articles

is responsibility of the authors

Surcolombiana Universitys Modern Language

Institute ILEUSCO, 5 years of service
to the region.
Magister Nidia Guzmn Durn
Words from the Director of the ILEUSCO Language Institute
ILEUSCO'S creation was established following the resolution 015 by the Higher
University Council of the 4th of April 2006. The university's mission, purpose and
objectives outline its creation and launch in detail. In the administrative sense it is
supported by precise and pertinent points detailed in a legal framework which is
found in the General Statute of the Surcolombiana University, Agreement 075 of
1994, and the Agreements of the Higher Council 047 of 2004 of Special Funds
and directed by the Faculty of Education. ILEUSCO is also supported
academically by the Modern Languages Program ensuring that it is and will continue to be a permanent center
for professional development in the field of modern languages, giving students real opportunities to learn and
practice one or more modern languages, preparing them for the realities and challenges that come with the
globalization of the 21st century, and benefitting the surcolombianan region in the following ways:
?
Through inter institutional agreements of teacher training with the Municipality of Neiva from 2008 to 2011

and with the Department of Huila from 2008 to 2009.

?
Giving the communities of the Huila department and the Surcolombiana region opportunities to learn and

practice one or more modern languages through English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese
and Mandarin lessons, as well as Spanish as a second language; to children, teenagers, adults, students,
professionals and non-professionals and to practicing teachers.
?
Offering programs and specialized courses in modern languages as preparation for the standardized
internationally recognized exams such as: TOEFL, MICHIGAN and FCE in English and DELF and DALF
in French. ILEUSCO currently administers its own exam "ILEUSCO TEST" for students, teachers and all
those interested in gaining certification.
?
Supporting research efforts in the fields of teaching and learning of modern languages which not only
focuses on the participation of the university community, but also of the teachers of primary, secondary
and higher education levels of the Huila department, as well as anyone interested in this area of
investigation.
A student looking to enroll at ILEUSCO with the purpose of learning or improving their level of proficiency in
modern languages must undertake 11 courses in order to reach level B2 in accordance with the guidelines of
the Common European Framework, with projection to level C1. Each course has a requirement of 70 hours
and duration of 9 weeks for a total of 4 courses in a year, from Mondays to Fridays. It also offers English
courses on Saturdays.
During the 5 years of the institutes academic life it has certified 4 classes of students. Its population has
grown dramatically as can be seen in the following table.
YEAR

No. STUDENTS

2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
TOTAL

1257
2366
2469
3202
2915
12209

DEPARTMENTAL
BILINGUALISM
2500
2800

MUNICIPAL
BILINGUALISM
270
320
67

5300

657

ILEUSCO has a dedicated and professional team of teachers who comply with the University's requirements.
It is worth noting that the majority of the teachers are alumni of the Surcolombiana Universitys Modern
Languages Program. The institute also strives to maintain high levels of teacher training through various
projects designed with this purpose in mind, including research groups such as COMUNIQUMONOS of the
Modern Languages - English program to ILESEARCH created in 2012 by ILEUSCO. The institute
permanently has a native speaking English assisting teacher on staff (England, Jamaica, Trinidad and
Tobago, Barbados, etc.), in order to complement the academic activities and to implement extracurricular
activities. It also has a specialized library and a language lab with a Multimedia Learning System, which is
easy to use, completely integrated and dynamically interactive.
Towards the end of the present year, the fourth edition of the NEWSFLASH Magazine will be published, in this
occasion in association with the Modern Languages - English Program. The publication is a collection of all
intellectual and investigative productions of the Program and ILEUSCO, as well as other University programs.

PROFESSORS of the ELT Program

Luis Evelio Vanegas Rubio

Marco Tulio Artunduaga Cullar
Gilma Zuiga Camacho
Leonardo Herrera Mosquera
Edgar Alirio Insuasty
Diego Macas Villegas
Lilian Cecilia Zambrano Castillo
Osiris Hernndez Castro
Nidia Guzmn Durn
Lisseth Rojas Barreto

ILEUSCO FACULTY AND STAFF

Carlos Antonio Hermida Guillermo

Julin Cabrera Jimnez
Mercedes Torres Gonzlez
Roco Reyes Herrera
Nidia Guzmn Durn
Diana Goretty Escobar Perdomo

Diego Omar Florez Lugo

Leonardo Ortz Franco
Julin Cabrera Jimnez
Gentl Murcia Molina
Dawn Farawell Boyce
Carlos Ren Bravo Moreno
Ingrid Lorena Palomares Chavez
Norma Bastos Salas
Natalia Mndez Lugo
Nidia Guzmn Durn
Maryi Lorena Monje Araujo
Eilyn Carolina Daz Torres
Lina Mara Contreras Gutirrez
Mayda Mayeth Daz Taque

ILEUSCO CLASS 2013 PICTURE MOSAIC

Nidia Guzmn Durn M.A.

ILEUSCO - Coordinator

Mara Ligia Lavao de Serrato

Dean of the Faculty of Education

ISABEL DEL PILAR

Cardoso Moreno

SERGIO ANDRS
Basto Salas

Osiris Hernndez
Graduates Teacher

KAREN DAYANNA
Penagos Guio

IVONNE LUCIA
Camacho Cullar

DANIEL GUSTAVO
Cuervo Gmez

MARCELA
Araujo Supelano

RUBN DARO
Rojas Vega

LILIBETH
Jimnez Perdomo

ANDRS CAMILO
Aquite Parra

KAREN STEFANNY
Cante Suaza

JENNIFER LILIANA
Campos Chaux

LEIDY TATIANA
Arias Ibez

JESS DAVID
Tafur Ortz

ANGIE DANIELA
Pea Murcia

MARA ALEJANDRA
Salazar Daz

STUDENTS - ILEUSCO

ILEUSCO Class 2013 Profile

Ruben Dario Rojas Vega
Learning English is more than opening a window to
the world. It is being able to communicate with it
and to feel a citizen of the world. When you learn a
foreign language you expand your horizons, your
mind and perhaps most importantly, you
understand that we are all equals and worthy of
recognition and respect.
Mara Alejandra Salazar Daz
When I knew I was going to start English classes at
this institute I felt very happy. It has been a new
and meaningful experience to me. I thank all the
people who have been so patient and
understanding. I am sure my unborn baby will
appreciate it as he is learning along with me.
Marcela Araujo Supelano
Ileusco was to me not just an institute, but a space
to meet wonderful people, unique teachers and an
unparalleled group. They will stay in my heart
along with the unforgettable moments and
experiences that we shared.

Jesss David Tafur Ortz

I just want to say thank you to my teachers,
directives and classmates ofIleusco Institute for
giving me the great opportunity of learning this
wonderful language, which is the key to the world.

Jennifer Liliana Campos Chaux

My levels at Ileusco were a wonderful experience. I
learnt not only English but things for life. Moreover,
I met fabulous persons whose presence will always
be in my memory for as long as I live.

Isabel del Pilar Cardoso Moreno

Ileusco was a step forward to open my mind. To
study English is a way to find an interesting world.

Ivonne Luca
Camacho Cullar
I feel so happy because
during the time I was in
ILeusco l met friendly
people and at the same
time I learned a lot.

Andrs Camilo
Aquite Parra
I feel proud of myself
because I improved my
English a lot. I can be
more competive now.

Daniel Gustavo Cuervo Gmez

When we learnt to talk or read for the first time, we
never thought that years later we could be able to
speak other languages. Today and after 11 levels at
Ileusco institute , I would like to say thank you to all
my teachers, to Nidia, head of the institute, to my
classmates and especially to God for giving me the
opportunity to make my dream come true.
Karen Stefanny Cante Suaza
Having studied at this institute, has left me positive
things such as good teaching and good friends. My
learning process was guided by committed
teachers. None of this would have been possible
without your support. Thanks to everyone.

Angie Daniela Pea Murcia

Ileusco has been one of the most beautiful
experiences in my life. There, I had the opportunity
of meeting new friends and reach my goal of
learning English. Thanks you teachers and friends
for sharing with me unforgettable moments.

Leidy Tatiana Arias Ibez

I am very happy I have finished eleven levels of
learning English at this institute. I met excellent
teachers and good friends. I learnt English and I
had the opportunity to share with wonderful
people.

Sergio Andrs Basto Salas

Knowledge is the gateway to a wonderful world of
wisdom. English is the key that opens the door of
this world.

Lilibeth Jimnez Perdomo

Nowadays an illiterate person
is the one who doesn`t know
about technology and English.

Karen Dayanna
Penagos Guio
English is a key that opens
many door that is why I
decided study it. English
helps me to see the world in
different way.

STUDENTS - ILEUSCO

Graduation Speech
By Karen Penagos (11th Level)
First of all I wish to say thanks to God
and to my Parents for giving me life
and the chance to fulfill my dreams by
successfully completing this course.
Culminating a stage of our educational life is exactly what we are doing
by completing our English Course.
Now we are all different people; I
could swear that anyone here is not the
same person who one day came to the
institute with the intention of learning a language,
which would probably help them in the near future.
The English language has become the most
important representation of culture worldwide, in our
daily life itll surely be an advantage for us to improve
our intellectual skills; and as I said previously itll open
doors anywhere.
Nobody has the same future, we all have different
plans and objectives for the realization of this course,
some people took it just to obtain a certificate to hang in
an office, maybe others saw it as an easy way to
complete a course, due to its short duration. However
there must be someone else like me, I studied because of
my love for music and culture, I dont see this course as a
title to hang in an office, I see it as an opportunity to
open doors in a world which is waiting for us to explore it.
When we talk about what this experience has meant
to us Id prefer to say that it changed all of us rather than
saying that it has only changed me!.
Furthermore, I think that everyone in this group has
learned from each other, life lessons such as how to deal
with other types of personalities and those people who
dont share the same ideas as you, realizing as well that
there are those who you can easily connect with.
Id bet that: "Nobody could forget the first day of
lessons in the institute; and what about that moment
when you had to talk in front of the class for the first
time?". You must have been feeling ashamed, you know
all those crazy ideas that come to your mind If they
laugh I could make a mistake and look ridiculous, but
then you realize that we are all here to learn, you
tolerate, you help others and others help you, you share
ideas, work in pairs and finally you make new friends;
Thats how things work here at Ileusco.
For this, Mrs. Nidia deserves my entire gratitude as
the person responsible for giving me the opportunity to
be able to complete this course and meet all these guys;
I fully appreciate her constant help and, she is a kindhearted woman.

All in all I would like to say in thanks, I wouldnt be

here without all your collaboration.
Obviously she hasnt been the only one who has
helped me, all the people in the office of Ileusco have
been kind enough to support me in every way they
could.
My first and definitely best teacher has been a man
who is very patient and helpful with the kids he works
with.
He is the perfect proof of how successful a person
can be as a teacher without losing control, getting angry,
or delivering a boring class; his methodology is based on
the use of: movies, songs, colors, cartoons; and every
dynamic activity which is available to teachers.
I think that any child would love to learn any subject
with a teacher like you LEONARDO, you made me
understand that even learning English on Saturday
mornings could be more interesting than sleeping all
day long.
I also have to say thanks to Mrs. Norma who made
me strive for a good result. Of Course I must v say thank
you to all those teachers who were involved in any way
in this long process which I wouldnt have completed
without your hard work and dedication.
Finally thanks to all my colleagues who made every
lesson more interesting and also helped me to grow as a
person and explained the things I had difficulty
understanding.
A wise person one day said: "Nobody will bathe
twice in the same river".
I think that this is maybe because of the permanent
state of movement of the rivers water, just as who you
are is also ever-changing.. So, take the advantages that
speaking English can give you because as the rivers
water, life is always changing and you never now what
could happen.
In the end we have realized that many people start
joining this chapter but not everyone gets to the end,
they all have different reasons for leaving, but we are a
very small group which shows that in life you only need
dedication and willingness in order to accomplish your
goals.
WE ARE CLOSING ONE DOOR BUT MANY OTHERS
ARE OPENING. SO. NEVER GO BACK AND GOOD LUCK
IN YOUR LIFE!! BECAUSE YOUR FUTURE IS UP TO YOU
NOW!, REMEMBER THE RESULTS OF YOUR DECISIONS
TODAY WOULD AFFECT YOU!
SO GOOD LUCK ! AND NEVER STOP DOING WHAT YOU
LOVE TO DO !!! THANK YOU

PRESIDENT SURCOLOMBIANA UNIVERSITY

Message from the President

of University Surcolombiana
By: Eduardo Pastrana Bonilla PhD

PRESIDENT of
Surcolombiana University

The SouthColombian University

has focused, within its
development plan, to promote
the internationalization of its
processes and its curricula.
We have signed a number
of agreements with several
Universities and Research
Centers over the world,
especially with Spain, Bulgaria,
France, United States,
Argentina, Chile, Mexico,
among others. Our purpose is
that teachers and students,,
from our University develop
academic internships; and
faculty and students from other
countries visit us to contribute
with their knowledge, or to
learn from us, this in the
dynamic global village that
governs us today.

In this scenario, the knowledge of a second

language is becoming increasingly necessary,
as well as being English essential for those
who want to study a degree in Colombia or
abroad.
To know a second language opens new
academic and work horizons to anyone, and
strengthens the development of new
language skills in their own language.
The Institute of Foreign Languages of the
University Surcolombiana (ILEUSCO) makes a
valuable contribution to regional society and
especially to the academic community of the
University, providing high quality academic
courses at moderate cost for our students.
After an experience of more than six years,
ILEUSCO has achieved high levels of quality
and acceptance by the Huilense community;
the concepts of the graduates of the Institute
ratify this. In this way the University
contributes, through ILEUSCO, to facilitate the
insertion of Surcolombiana`s students in the
competitive "Global Village"; but facilitating
work opportunities in this world of open
markets.

ELT PROGRAM

Experiencing Cultural Exchange

Dawn Boyce, from Barbados, and Garvin Parsons,
from Trinidad and Tobago, are the current English
Language Teaching Assistants at Universidad
Surcolombiana. They have been assisting teachers
both in the English as a Foreign Language Program
and at the ILEUSCO Institute. Dawn and Garvin
have shared with News Flash Magazine their views
on what it means to live in a foreign country.
What reasons motivated you to participate in a
cultural exchange experience in Colombia?
Dawn Boyce:Having participated in four Exchange
programs during my school years, I fully
understood that the experience and
knowledge gained from such programs
could never be discounted. After having
spent three years studying Spanish with
Management at university, I was in fact
disappointed that I would have been
leaving and was no way close to
attaining the level of fluency that I had
expected to achieve. In addition, having
completed a TESOL course at university, I
realized that apart from wanting to
become a Spanish teacher, I had
developed a keen interest in teaching nonspeakers of English the language.
I therefore saw the program as a wonderful
springboard for honing my teaching skills since I
had made the decision more than three years ago
to change careers. The tradeoff would be the
opportunity to completely immerse myself in a
new culture to improve my fluency in Spanish.
Garvin Parsons: In many ways, the
year I spent in Bogot, between 2010
and 2011, teaching English at the
Universidad PedaggicaNacional was a
great motivator in my wanting to
participate in another cultural exchange
program. It was an unforgettable year;
one where I got to experience different
aspects of Colombian culture, like the

food, history, nightlife, and, of course, the

language. Although I had only scratched the
surface of what Colombia had to offer, I fell in love
with this beautiful country, and I knew that I had to
return.
After completing my first degree, I was confused as
to what my next step would be academically. I
knew that I was going to take a year off to figure
out what Master's Program I wanted to pursue,
but I did not want to spend it in Trinidad and
Tobago. I had studied Spanish for three years, and
been to Colombia once before; thus, I decided
that it would be good to participate in another
cultural exchange program, give myself time and
space to think, improve my Spanish, and continue
my cultural discovery of this Latin American
country.
What should people know about your country?
D.B: Affectionately called "Bim" and "De Rock",
Barbados is a small independent island with a
population of about 300,000 people who reside
on 166 square miles of land. Although quite
densely populated, the island is very developed. In
fact, as it relates to the Human Development Index
(HDI) which is a measurement of a country`s
average achievement as it relates to life
expectancy, education and a decent standard of
living, it ranks 47th. This is the highest ranking
among the other Caribbean islands and ahead of
some other major countries such as China and The
Russian Federation.
Barbados is also a tourist destination and
Barbadians or Bajans are distinguished by their
world-renowned friendliness and hospitality. The
island boasts of a democratic form of government
whose parliament is patterned after the British
Westminister system. Having been colonized by
the British in 1627, many of their traditions and
influence can still be seen in the island today
through some cultural aspects such as language
and religion.

ELT PROGRAM

...Experiencing Cultural Exchange

Lastly, Barbadians are an extremely proud people,
as reflected in our motto: Pride and Industry.
However, what certainly makes me proud to be a
Bajanis knowing that the only other place outside
of the USA that George Washington ever visited
was in fact Barbados.
G.P: Based on the quizzical
looks I often get when I
mention that I am from
Trinidad and Tobago, I
would say that the first
thing people should know
about my country is where
it is located. I can tell you
that Trinidad and Tobago
are the southernmost
islands in the Caribbean archipelago, and lie
eleven kilometers (6.8 miles) off the coast of
Venezuela. Furthermore, we are referred to as a
Twin Island Republic since the country consists of
two islands; Trinidad is the larger of the two islands
and the nations commercial and industrial center
whereas Tobago is the tourist capital, and offers
beautiful beaches, waterfalls, wetlands, and diving
sites. Combined, these two islands undoubtedly
offer an excellent escape.
Trinidad and Tobago has a rich cultural heritage,
stemming from a history of European colonization
by the Spanish, French, Dutch and British, West
African slavery, East Indian indentureship, and the
migration of other ethnic groups, like the Chinese,
to the islands. This diversity is clear in all
manifestations of culture, and the make-up of
society in Trinidad and Tobago. On the one hand,
our two main national dishes, pelau and roti, come
from Africa and India respectively. Meanwhile, our
musical genres of steel pan, calypso, soca, and
chutney were all derived from the traditional
music of our ancestors. On the other hand, our
society is considered to be multi-racial, multiethnic, and multi-religious.

10

How different is it living in Colombia to living in

your home country?
D.B: Barbados and Colombia are two vastly
different countries of disproportionate sizes. In
Barbados, it is possible to travel from the north to
the south of the island in approximately one hour.
However, two major differences can be seen in the
climates and the cost of living levels.

Firstly, Colombia is a country of diverse climates. In

Neiva, for example, the sun is extremely hot and
the lack of wind makes it very humid, whereas
Bogota enjoys much lower temperatures. On the
contrary, Barbados has only one type of weather.
Although it is generally sunny, the constant
blowing of fresh sea breezes keep you feeling
refreshed. Secondly, Barbados can boast of having
no real natural resources and consequently, all the
major inputs required for the production of goods
and services are imported. Due to this, these
outputs are extremely expensive and living in
Barbados is costly. Colombia, on the other hand, is
rich in natural resources such as land. As such,
many food crops can be grown not only for local
consumption but also for export. This significantly
reduces the prices of food items and makes these
affordable for many local and foreign people.
G.P: The most notable difference to living in
Colombia than Trinidad and Tobago is the fact that
the former is so much larger than the latter. I
mean, compared to Colombia, my country are two

ELT PROGRAM

...Experiencing Cultural Exchange

dots on the map. Travelling between cities in
Trinidad may take you, for the most, three hours,
and the distance between the two islands can be
traversed in fifteen minutes by airplane, or two
hours by boat. One becomes accustomed to not
spending a lot of time travelling, so having the
option of taking an airplane from one Colombian
city to another, or spending an entire day on a bus
to the Atlantic coast is new and mind boggling.
Culturally, the most obvious difference is that I
come from an island where English is the official
language, and now, I live in a Spanish speaking
context where everything from street signs to the
ingredients listed on the back of food products is
written in the language. On a personal level, life in
Colombia is also different. In Trinidad, I led a very
sheltered life whereby my parents took care of me,
I did not have to work, and my only purpose was to
study and get my degree. In Colombia, things have
definitely changed; not only am I working, but I
have to get up on my own, cook, do laundry, make
groceries, and other tasks that I did not have to
worry about in Trinidad.
What would you like to take from Colombia back
to your country?
D.B: Although hampered by bureaucracy, in some
cases, Colombians generally appear to be a very
industrious people whereas many Barbadians,
especially artisans and public servants, are often
chided for their low productivity levels. I would
certainly like to teach Barbadians about the
importance of giving of their best in their
workplaces to ultimately help to reduce the cost of
doing business on the island. This would be an
important consideration since international
business is one of our main income sources.
On the lighter side, I enjoy cooking, baking and
gardening among other things, in my free time.
Food preparation, the Colombian way, is one area
that beckons my attention. I am keen on learning
how to prepare some traditional Colombian dishes
and I would also like to take some seeds back home

to see whether I can manage to cultivate the same

quality of some of the fruits that are grown here.
G.P: I most admire the work ethic of Colombian
people, and would most like to take it back with
me to Trinidad and Tobago. Every day, no matter
the weather, their health, or whatever personal
obstacle they may be facing, Colombians go to
work. Furthermore, whether you are a bank
executive, a teacher, a street vendor, or someone
who washes the windows of cars, or buses at the
traffic light, there is a certain level of pride in your
job, and appreciation for having said job. It may
seem weird that I find something as simple as work
ethic admirable, but in my country the correct
attitude towards work is lacking, to say the least.
Unfortunately, most people are lazy and noncommittal when it comes to their jobs, and worse
yet, they are bad at customer service. Thus, I
intend to adopt, and teach this attitude to my
fellow countrymen.
With any exchange program, some level of
personal growth is expected. Whilst it is almost
impossible to measure how much you have grown,
you still notice the change within yourself as you
begin to think, and see the world differently. Thus
far, I have learned to be more patient, more
responsible, and more creative. I appreciate my
family more for all that they have done for me, and
the value of money. I am becoming a better
version of myself, and everything that I have
learned, and will continue to learn during this
cultural exchange experience will be put to use
when I return to Trinidad and Tobago.
Although I am a picky eater, I enjoy eating, and
have tasted a lot of great foods, snacks, desserts,
and drinks here in Colombia. My favourite
delicacies have got to be picada, tamal, achiras
and jugo de cholupa. I hope to purchase a book of
Colombian recipes, and take back some cholupa
seeds with me to Trinidad and Tobago. In that way,
my mother can create all my favourite dishes, and I
can possibly have my very own cholupa farm.

11

ELT PROGRAM

Farewell to dear Professor

Gilma Zuiga Camacho
By Luis Humberto Alvarado MA
Professor and Magister
GilmaZuiga Camachos
resume is an extensive, brilliant and admirable
one, with extensive accomplishments in scientific
production in pedagogic subjects akin to the
teaching of the English language.

responsibility of all the teachers of this prestigious

program.
Allow me to take you on a brief journey through
the paths of enlightenment along which Gilma
travelled during her permanent search for
knowledge. Forgive me if I omit some of the
various important events of her professional
career.
Lets begin by remembering that Gilma is a
professor in educational sciences in the field of
languages from the Pedaggica Nacional
University, with a masters degree in English
Didactics from the Distrital University, 1994, as
well as having taken training courses such as
English Plymouth Britain in 1998 and Program
Reading Education Oklahoma University 2001.
She has participated in various lectures and
national and international events such as
ACOCOPI and ASOHPI congresses, in many as a
panellist.

She has an insatiable thirst for knowledge through

reading, research and academic exchange at
regional, national and international levels as is
evident in her extensive biography. Her journey
through the maze of knowledge and intelligence
have seen her gain various academic recognitions,
documented in a detailed written piece which has
helped to enrich the foundations of the Foreign
Language - English program, currently a candidate
for the renovation of accreditation according to
the document being prepared by the CNA in
constant search for the improvement of the
quality of academic processes which together with
Gilma, bears the hallmarks of the knowledge and

12

Among her writings we can find the book

Constructing Literacy for Reading in First and
Second Language, 2001 and the article Involving
Students in Meaningful Writing which was
featured in the English Teaching Forum magazine
in 2006.
Firstly, reading. Exploration of the didactic
strategies for the development of reading in
English in the 6th grade, featured in the magazine
ENTORNOS-N17.
A Framework to build readers and writers in the
second language classroom in applied linguistics
journal-6 of the Distrital University in 2003.

ELT PROGRAM

... Farewell to dear Professor Gilma Zuiga Camacho

Today, the university says farewell to a highly
accomplished professional woman who can boast
the satisfaction of having played an integral part in
the development of young professionals, a task
which she undertook towards the end of the 20th
century, a young and beautiful woman who
exuded confidence, expectations and hope,
qualities which were evident to all of us who have
had the pleasure of working with her, the desire to
succeed and dedication as an excellent teacher to
a countless amount of young students who will
undoubtedly remember her with a great deal of
admiration and happiness as we all will.

Linking reading and writing for successful language

learning in the magazine HOW-9 in 2009.
THE RESTRUCTURING PROCESS OF A
LICENCIATURA PROGRAM IN COLOMBIAN
APPLIED LINGUISTIC JOURNAL in which she
participated as co-author with professors EDGAR
ALIRIO INSUASTY and LUIS HUMBERTO
ALVARADO, Distrital University magazine, 1998.

Gilma, we wish you the best in this new stage of life

which will be filled with joy and new memories
with your family, loved ones and those nearest and
dearest friends who have been with you every step
of the way throughout an arduous and success
filled journey.
You will be missed.
Colleagues and lifelong friends

Driven by her desire to ensure that the programs

alumni obtained better qualifications and job
opportunities, she was part of the team of
teaching staff who created the Specialization in
Didactics of English, as well as managing the
Masters degree in the same area through an
alliance with the University of Caldas.
The above mentioned and many other
accomplishments within her field of expertise
have made her worthy of great recognition and
gratitude on behalf of the program, the faculty, the
region and our country. Congratulations Gilma on
all of your accomplishments which have seen the
constant support of your family members
Milciades, Catalina and Sergio.

13

Thoughts from the Professors of the ELT Education Program

First Language Interference

By Leonardo
Herrera Mosquera MA
The role of one's first languagealso known as
Language 1 or L1in the process of learning a
second language (L2) has been regarded by
linguists and teachers both as advantageous and
disadvantageous. In classrooms, where teachers
speak the native language of their students,
resorting to Language 1 for further explanation of
lexical items or grammatical structures may seem
quite helpful. Yet, a problem emerges when
learners want to make Language 2 a replica of their
first language (L1). In other words, learners are
prone to mechanically transfer the L1 syntax,
phonology and morphology to the L2, creating
awkward sentences or texts. Ellis (1994) suggests
that when the L1 and the L2 bear significant
differences, the likelihood of interference or
negative transfer to occur increases. Conversely,
when the two languages share important
commonalities, the occurrence of positive transfer
increases as well.Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams
(2007) go on to state, it would be an
oversimplification to think that L2 acquisition
involves only the transfer of L1 properties to the L2
interlanguage. There is a strong creative
component to L2 acquisition. Many languageparticular parts of the L1 grammar do not transfer
(p. 349).
As an English teacher of Spanish- speaking
learners, I have witnessed how Spanish linguistic
structure constantly interferes with the process of

14

producing correct or idiomatic English whether

orally or in writing. As previously mentioned, this
L1 interference does not occur only in terms of
syntax and morphology, but also in terms of
phonology and semantics as well. However, due to
space constraints, I will refer only to syntax-andmorphology-related interferences, exemplified in
ten sentences produced by my English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) students. Following are the ten
examples:

1.

We will be discussing about the main

causes of the civil war.

In Spanish, the verb discuss is commonly followed

by the preposition about. Yet, In English this
preposition is not needed. Therefore, we should
say: We will be discussing the main causes of the
civil war.

2.

They consider that we should participate in

the event.

Since Consider is a transitive verb, it needs to be

followed by an object, not by the pronoun that as it
is commonly used in Spanish. Let us take a look at
some correct uses of this verb: I considered her
answer unsatisfactory; she is considered a quite
honest person; and I consider the story
improbable.

3.

Before starting a research, you need to

focus on...

Research is a countable noun in Spanish but an

uncountable noun In English. Therefore, in order
to make it countable in English we should say: A
research study or a research project. Before
starting research, without the article a, can be
a possibility as well.

ELT PROGRAM

...Thoughts from the Professors of the ELT Education Program

4.

Most of people think that being famous

means being happy.

The above phrase could perfectly accept the

preposition of in Spanish. Yet, it is not necessary in
English. Consequently, we should say: Most people
think...

5.

We do not matter what is going on with

them.

Since Matter is a type of impersonal verb, it is

usually conjugated in the third person singular
form. Some examples of its use are: it matters
little; it matters to me; or does it matter? If we
want to express that a situation is or is not
important for us we should resort to verbs such as
care or mind. E.g. It does not matter to us what is
going on with them; we dont care about what is
going on with them; or we dont mind their
situation.

6.

I will do my homeworks and after I will go

to the gym.

This sentence contains two examples of Spanish

interference: the use of the noun homework and
the adverb after. First of all,homework is an
uncountable noun and therefore it cannot take the
plural form with s. In order to make it countable,
we need to add the noun assignment. Secondly,
the adverb after requires an object whether a
pronoun, article plus noun, or a verb. Thus, the
above sentence can be improved by saying: I will
do my homework (or my homework assignments)
and after that I will go to the gym; also, I will do my
homework, and afterwards, I will go to the gym.

7.

Id like to know many cities of Europe.

The verb visit can be perfectly used in the above

phrase in the place of know, a preferred verb by
Spanish speakers. Other possibilities can be: I'd like

to become more acquainted with the cities of

Europe or I'd like to know more about the cities of
Europe.

8.

Parents think is really important because...

While it is acceptable to omit the subject pronoun

and start a sentence with the verb is in Spanish, it is
not accurate at all in English. Hence, the model
sentence requires the pronoun it before the verb
is. The phrase should read: Parents think it is really
important because...

9.

If they dont receive an excellent education

today, they may become in mean people
tomorrow.

I have often seen the use of the preposition in after

the verb become and I wonder if perhaps this error
is due to studentsdesire to translate become as
the Spanish verb convertirse, which usually takes
such a preposition in Spanish, but not in English.

10.

I think the women are usually more

sensitive than the men.

This is quite a typical linguistic interference

provided that Spanish does not omit the article
when referring to general-category or plural nouns
as English does. The animals are; the people
believe...; and the honesty is...are clear examples
of the common mistake made by Spanish speakers
when transferring the definite article to English
sentences.
The above are just ten examples of the many
linguistic interferences- called by some theorists
as negative transfer or errors- caused by the first
language, in this case Spanish, in the process of
learning a second language. The purpose of this
reflective text is not to show L1 transfer as a poor
L2 learning symptom, but as a normal stage in the
process of shaping an interlanguage grammar.

15

ELT PROGRAM

...Thoughts from the Professors of the ELT Education Program

Nunan and Carter (2001), citing Corders
investigation (1967), suggested that errors made
at this stage should not be seen as evidence of
pathology on the part of learners, but as a normal
and healthy part of the learning process (p.88).
The problem may occur though when L2
learnersunwillingness to identify the errors made
at the interlanguage stage (linguistic level between
the L1 and the L2) may result in linguistic

fossilization. Thus, despite the continuous

exposure to adequate input, learners will continue
to lack the mastery of the target language [Fidley
(2006), citing Han (2004)]. It is then the role of
teachers to correct these errors at the early stage
of second-language learning to prevent
fossilization and to help students express
themselves idiomatically in L2.

References:
Carter, R. &Nunan, D. (2001).Teaching English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press.
Ellis, R. (1994). The Study of second language acquisition. Oxford, UK: Oxford Univeristy Press.
Fidley, A. (2006). Reconceptualizing fossilization in second language acquisition: a review. Second
Language Research, 22 (3), pp. 398-411.
Fromkin, Rodman and Hyams (2007).An introduction to language. Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Some sentences were taken or adapted from http://dictionary.reference.com/

16

ELT PROGRAM

Total Immersion 2012

Total Immersion has been a part of the EFL Teacher
Education Program from its inception. This
initiative created by the English professors has
been celebrated annually, although during the last
few years it has had to be canceled due to
budgetary problems, and student strikes.
According to Professor GilmaZuiga, the main goal
of this activity is to give students the opportunity
to use the English language in real contexts
through ludic and academic activities such as
forums, conferences, drama and musical
performances, contests, and sports. It also serves
as a springboard for students to show their talents
and skills. Students consider it to be a perfect day
to meet fellow students from other semesters of
the program, have fun and relax.
This year, Total Immersion was held on Thursday,
November 15th, and was organized by professors
Diego Fernando Macias, and Lisseth Rojas with the
help of a group of students from Semesters Five
and Six. There was a high level of participation
from students who came out to entertain their
teachers, language assistants, and fellow
classmates with a number of dances, songs, roleplays, videos, and band performances. These were
very well prepared, and performed which meant
that it was difficult for the judging panel of English
professors to choose winners in each categoryBest Song, Best Dance, Best Video, Best Drama,

and Best Band. The winners

received prizes such as gift cards,
food vouchers, movie tickets,
USB sticks, notebooks, and
dictionaries. Although the
organizing committee was
unable to give a prize to each
participant, the committee
thanked everyone for their
effort, and willingness to
participate.

By: Lisseth Rojas MA

In general, the academic community of the EFL

Teacher Education Program expressed their
happiness with the Total Immersion. It was an
exceptional day to not only spend time with other
students and practice English, but also to get out of
the daily routine of being in the classroom. In light
of the positive reviews, there were also some
recommendations for next year's event. For
example, Professor Leonardo Herrera expressed
that it is necessary to make it clear to the students
that using English is a must on this day even when a
teacher is not around. In this way, they can
practice using the language in a non-academic
setting. A student from Semester Eight, Sergio
Cortes shared the same view, saying that the
activity was very good, he enjoyed the videos, but
we must find a way to ensure that everyone speaks
English, not just the performers.

Other comments about this years Total Immersion were:

Professor Mauricio Claros

"The activities were very interesting and the
students showed how much progress they are
making in class, they shared what they have
learned and also worked in groups which are
very important for us as teachers.

Enzon Brand
Student, Semester Seven
"Total Immersion was really good for me, I
enjoyed all the activities, the videos, the
dances, and the performances... the activity
was great!

17

ELT PROGRAM

...Total Immersion 2012

Professor Leonardo Herrera
Most of the students were speaking English
and they had the opportunity to use the
language throughout a fun day that was mostly
what we wanted to accomplish with the
activity. The activities were varied and the
students had a great time.

Halexenover Londoo
Student, Fifth Semester
"I want to thank you for the Total Immersion, I
think this was an amazing day, we had a lot of
fun and the food was excellent. It was a very
good idea and I hope that it can be repeated
again.

Garvin Tafari Parsons

English Language Teaching Assistant
Total Immersion 2012 was exceptional! I thoroughly enjoyed myself; I was the Master of
Ceremonies, I had the chance to mingle with students and teachers, whitness the amazing
talent that was on display, play volleyball, and swim in the pool. The food was also tasty! As
a native English speaker, it felt great to see my language being accepted by students.
Overall, great job! Too bad, I wont be here for Total Immersion 2013."
Total Immersion has been a part of the EFL Teacher Education Program from its inception. This initiative
created by the English professors has been celebrated annually, although during the last few years it has
had to be canceled due to budgetary problems, and student strikes. According to Professor GilmaZuiga,

18

ELT PROGRAM

A Master's Degree In English

Language Teaching,
A Real Professional
Development Endeavour

By: Gilma
Ziga Camacho
MA

Teachers usually attend courses,

congresses, conferences and
workshops in the field of English
Language Teaching. These academic
events are usually valued for
teachers as they provide them with
opportunities to use English, learn
new things, share experiences and
be in contact with experts in the field.
However, it is unlikely that they
produce long-lasting effects on
either their communicative
competence, pedagogical practices,
beliefs or studentsoutcomes. These
activities have been questioned and
considered as teacher training which
means they reflect the idea of
techniques, and practical issues
without considering more profound
reflection on teaching /learning
issues in which the teacher is seen as
a critical and reflective thinker
(Richards, 1998).

That's why a Master's degree (M.A., for Master of

Arts) in English Language Teaching can be an
effective way to grow in teacher education and
development as opposed to teacher training. This
implies a more complex view of the job of
teachers. Professional development as it is
conceived in a M. A., promotes continuos learning
and the teachers responsibility for their own
developemnt (Cullen, 1997).
One of the main areas of teacher development in a
M.A., is educatioanl research as it provides
understanding of the teachersexperiences,
learners' characteristics that narrows the gap
between theory and practice, contributes to the
developemnt of pedagogical knowledge and
promotes changes in the educational context.
Through systematic inquiry, methodological rigor,
team work and relationship between problems
and their solutions, research, then, becomes a real
tool for professional development in postgraduate
education.
In Colombia, unfortunately, there is little research
that helps us understand our complex educative
problems. Therefore, we need to create a
community of experts that investigate our
classrooms, our own beliefs, our pedagogical
practices, the way our students learn, amongst
other issues. Another main concern to be
investigated in the Colombian context is the need
to analyze the policies of the national government
which ususally follow foreign criteria that have
nothing to do with our own reality.(Sanchez,
&Obando, 2008).

19

ELT PROGRAM

... A Master's Degree In English Language Teaching,

a Real Professional Development Endeavour
Likewise, a M.A. is an opportunity to exchange ideas and experience and to build up friendships and
professional networks, whilst developing substantial academic and professional expertise. A Program
like this also seeks to provide the student with scientific and methodological instruments which may
allow him/her to promote a quality teaching, capable of ensuring significant learning.
That's why, professors GilmaZuiga and Diego Fernando Macias have designed a project to create a M. A.
in English Language Teaching. The proposal has already been aproved by the University Board of
Directors and is currently being submitted to the Minister of Education.
References:
Cullen, R. (1997). Transfer of training assessing the impact of INSET in Tanzania. In D. Hayes (Ed.), Inservice Teacher Development: International Perspectives. London: Prentice Hall.
Richards, J. (1998). Beyond training. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Sanchez, A. C. &Obando G. V. Is Colombia ready for Bilingualism? In PROFILE 9, 2008.ISSN 1657-0790.
Bogot, Colombia. Pages 181-195

20

ELT PROGRAM

Literature Corner
reader, assimilating the material, thinking, feeling,
showing a true understanding of the facts,
analysing, recalling and bringing the reading into
their own realities making comparisons,
proposing alternatives and finally, supporting
their personal points of view with evidence of
previous knowledge or external factors. The
continuous use of reflection logs would help the
student to create and develop mental and
reflective habits by evoking experienced meaning.
It would help them at the same time to make sense
of the world by addressing issues of violence and
inequity, making of the reading a social reflective
practice.

By: Osiris Hernndez

C.M.A

For the current semester I was assigned to teach

English to semesters three, four and eight of the
Foreign Language Program. Whilst planning my
lectures I decided to give the methodology a slight
special twist whereby through the use of reflection
logs the students would be motivated to
document their reactions to a classic literature
novel. For the successful implementation of this
activity, novels such as Great Expectations and A
Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Alice in
Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Animal Farm by
George Orwell were chosen.

This exercise would put us on the same line as the

famous Blooms Taxonomy, from lower order
thinking
with definitions, knowledge,
comprehension and application to higher order
thinking or critical thinking, characterised by
analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Without further ado, I will let the readers be the
judges of what to me are very valid and solid
appreciations of some of their work.

Each student would present a short written

summary with their reflections on a chapter with
emphasis on their direct relation to the reading on
a weekly basis. This analysis would include a
description of their thoughts and feelings about
the text, the authors statements, the use of
language, descriptions, situations, social issues,
and literary elements such as similes, metaphors,
symbolisms, etc.
The main purpose of this reflection would be to
forge a rapport between the author and the

21

STUDENT - PROGRAM

...Literature Corner

Art, Love and

the Picture
of Dorian Gray
The book " the Picture of Dorian Gray " shows us a
different way to understand the artist and its
relation with the art; in that relation the art is the
way to express the artist's soul and essence.

Harles Ivn
Salazar Aldana
Third Semester
The book also shows us that inspiration comes in
different ways and shapes, for example an
awesome landscape, one handsome person, one
song, history and culture, etc.
Therefore in that way it is more important the
artist and his essence than the same work of art or
the inspiration.
This book also exalts art as the favorite way to
demonstrate love; although the book doesn't
focus only in the most accepted way of love:
"heterosexual" but rather it shows another sort of
love as "homosexual", in which the book makes a
big emphasis.
This book presents homosexual love in erotic
scenes in which Basil Hallward tells that Dorian is
his own inspiration and Dorian's beauty is
everything important in his life.

22

The picture of Dorian Gray" also represents that

relationship between Dorian and Basil as a
different kind of love or dependence that I will call
artistic love. This sort of love displays the feelings
that an artist gets from his inspiration
Even the writer of the book, Oscar Wilde was taken
to prison for two years because of the homosexual
characteristics of his book.
Moreover in his judgment Wilde said that we can't
judge a writer for the things he writes.
Additionally the book tells that in the society we
live in, we have separated beauty from
intelligence.
Nonetheless in that way the book exalts the
ancient Greek culture in which beauty and
intelligence were gathered together in the same
body creating thus, handsome men, who were the
best philosophers, mathematicians, etc.
In this way the perfect harmony between
intelligence and beauty could survive in every
Greek citizen.

STUDENT - PROGRAM

...Literature Corner

...Art, Love and the Picture of Dorian Gray

Furthermore I infer that book is also exalting the
way that Greek citizen saw love, because in Greece
the true love only could be possible and accepted
among men.
It is represented in the book when Basil talked
about Dorian not in a sexual way, but in a way that
shows one intense love among the artist and
Dorian Gray.

Another topic that "the picture of Dorian Gray"

brings up is Dorian's beauty that makes us think
that Dorian characterizes the young Narcissus.
According to the legend Narcissus was the most
beautiful guy, son of the god of the river Cefiso and
of the nymph Lirope. Because of his great beauty,
men and women fell in love with him, but he
rejected their compliments. To punish Narcissus,
Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance, made him fall
in love with his own image reflected in the water.
Thus he became unable to move away from his
image. At the end he drowned into the water. The
book denotes this story in the manner that Dorian
made every character in the book fall in love with
him, or thought that he was very handsome;
Moreover at the end of the book Dorian killed
himself with a knife in a similar way to narcissus.
Finally, I would like to mention that Oscar Wilde
once said that the three principal roles of his book
were in different ways parts of himself: "Basil
Hallward is what I believe that I am; Lord Henry
what the world thinks of me, and Dorian what I
would like to be in other ages, perhaps".

In chapters five and six, Sybil Vane becomes an

important character in the plot. Firstly, the writer
shows us the origin and conditions of Sybil's family.
She comes from a humble birth. Her father is dead
and her mother sees a great opportunity in Dorian,
because she knows that he's a rich class
gentleman. However, Jim, who is the only brother
of Sybil, does not agree with his mother's way of
thinking. He wants the best for his sister and he's
jealous of Dorian. Jim has to leave his family
(mother and sister) because he wants to work as a
Marine and before his trip, he recommends his
dear sister to his mother.
Dorian is increasingly falling in love with Sybil and
he continues with his plan to marry her. He has a

Patricia
Imbachi Espaa
Third Semester

meeting with his friends Harry and Basil and they

speak about marriage and its possible impact,
because Dorian and Sybil are come from different
social classes. Harry believes that Sybil is an

23

STUDENT - PROGRAM

...Literature Corner
opportunistic girl, although he knows that she's a
beautiful and talented woman.
Basil is concerned about the situation. He loves
Dorian, so, he feels that if Dorian marries Sybil,
he'll lose him for sure. On the other hand, he
wants happiness and all the best for his dear and
close friend, although happiness comes at a high
price.
Harry continues to think that beauty and pleasure
are the most important things and the most
valuable treasure in life and according to his way of
thinking, Dorian is at the cusp of his youth and
beauty. So, he has the right to take all that he
wants to take.
I believe that human behavior on the issue of
beauty hasn't changed much since the time when
the book was written by Oscar Wilde. In the book,
we can see in Dorian the desire to preserve his
beauty and youth and in Harry, the idolatry for the
same things, considering them as the most
precious gifts of life.
In our times, we can see the same behavior but in
other contexts. Men and women are going daily to
the plastic surgeon, searching for treatments and

surgeries to keep their youth and make them

beautiful. The power of the picture of Dorian Gray
has been replaced by surgeries and magic recipes
to ensure a good physical appearance.
Millions of people around the world are unhappy
with their bodies and faces. This attitude has
generated health problems like anorexia, bulimia
and self-mutilation among other diseases.
TV advertisements, programs, music videos,
movies and reality shows are constantly showing
us images of the perfect human being, and
standards of beauty set by the fashion industry
and designers brands are becoming more and
more exclusive, making them unattainable by the
common people. The world nowadays bows to
pleasure and luxury as Harry used to do in the
book. Perfect people don't sweat, don't smell,
don't work, don't suffer, don't get fat they just
enjoy life, have parties, and always look slender
and beautiful.
This is the lie of the fancy world, but we must to be
able to see the truth of the real world where
people sweat, work, suffer and enjoy life even
during difficult moments, because this is life and
we are here to live it!

Basil, Henry and Dorian arrive at the theatre

where Sibyl is performing one of Shakespeare's
masterpieces.

Katherine
Lemus
Third Semester

Unfortunately that night Sibyl is determined to fail

as she has realised that there is no point in
pretending something you do not feel, something
that is unreal at the stage, so she prefers to give up
on those artificial notions that most people call
'art' and rather she devotes her whole fate to
Dorian and their marriage.

Basil and specially Henry are baffled as they were expecting much more from Sibyl's performance. They
left the theatre and Dorian shabbily broke up his engagement to Sibyl.

24

STUDENT - PROGRAM

...Literature Corner
Afterwards when he arrives home, he notices that
his picture has spitefully changed and came to the
conclusion that it might be caused due to his
extremely horrible treatment to Sibyl. He quivers
for a moment and goes back to the theatre feeling
regretful for his beloved.
OPINION
This chapter basically gives rise to the beginning of
Dorian's conversion into someone horrid and
shallow. I think he is judging Sibyl as Harry does all
the time with him.
When Dorian breaks up with Sibyl because she is
no longer a good artist, you realise that he has
come to the extent of overrating values, moral,
splendour and feelings as he thinks that art is more
important than anything else without taking into
consideration the role of emotions in the moral
and psychological domain. Afresh, the result of
Henry's experiment is very patent indeed as he
does not consider Dorian as a friend but a canvas in
which he can reinvent himself again.

We all know that art is the perfect getaway from a

spiteful world; art is almost tantamount to waking
after a nightmare or as a famous writer and poet
would say: 'Art enables us to find ourselves and
lose ourselves at the same time'. However, you
cannot put art above reality and human feelings; it
is innate not to feel free from emotional
involvement but when we pretend that there is
nothing more important than art, religion, false
dogmas or even ourselves then we are acting
against our own nature hence we become
dreadful, detached and wretched human beings.
Although Dorian regrets what he has done to Sibyl,
I consider it is too late as he has been already
corrupted by the poisonous speech of Mr. Henry
so he will always be aware of what he is doing at
the moment and what he would be able to do; in
other words he now understands the pros and
cons of following the right and hard path of life or
the opposite one, where everything is lived with
ease and based on appearances.

25

CINEXCUSA FILM FESTIVAL

FILM FESTIVAL IN NEIVA

By: Hernando Flrez

Translated By Maryi Lorena Monje Araujo

This year the Cinexcusa Film Festival presented its
seventh installment fromSeptember 24th to September
28th. The central theme was discrimination and its goal
was to reach people from all the communes and districts
of Neiva.
The Cinexcusa Film Festival was founded in 2006; after
the creation of a cinema club lead by students of Social
communication and journalism. Luis Eduardo
Manrique, Hernando Flrez, HctorMartnez and
Ramiro Mndez created the designed the unique
structure of the event. Since its beginning, it integrates
cinema, literature and journalism with the purpose of
helping people to understand dense topics.
The festival was based on the Cine-clubs Imagen
founded in 2005. It was a space filled with students from
different programs every single Thursday. The cine-club
showed different sorts of topics, which were selected by
the students. The Cine-club developed through the
following steps: presentation of the movie, the showing
of the film, and finally a forum to discuss the different
aspects of the film. The last showing was at the end of
2008.
Another magnificent experience which preceded the
cinexcusa festival was the Star War's week. During five
days Star Wars movies were showing with a respective
forum. The teachers of Surcolombiana University:
Master Antonio Iriarte (1950-2012), OlmedoPolanco,
Luis Carlos Rodrguez, Alfonso Ortiz, JulinVanegas y
Betuel Bonilla were in charge of the lectures during the
festival.

26

The first version of the Cinexcusa festival was in

2006. The topic was the Second World War. It is
remembered as the biggest and best event of the
Surcolombiana University. The agora was
decorated like a concentration camp, surrounded
by barbed wire and patched with rice rind.
There were three national guests: the historian
Diana Uribe, who attracted more than one
thousand people coming to listen to her speech,
Agusto Bernal who is one of the advisors of the
festival and the ambassador of Israel in Colombia
Mr. YairRecanati.
The Cinexcusa festival has been growing in a fast
way. In 2007, the number of national guests
increased; in 2008, the festival had more than five
thousand viewers. In 2009, the festival had its first
international guest Julio Villanueva Chang
attracting big regional coverture. In 2010, the
festival was shown in seven public scenarios and
it was considered as the most important cultural
event after the San Pedro festival. In 2011, it had
two international guests and eighteen nationals,
furthermore, Caracoltv, El Tiempo newspaper
and Arcadia magazine talked about the festival, in
this year twelve scenarios were used in the
development of the festival. In addition to this, it
was widely recognized as a free event talking
about history and current situations about young
people through cinema.
In the last six years, the festival has had more than
eighteen participants, enough people to fill the
biggest cinema in Colombiathirty times over.
If you want to know more about the Cinexcusa
festival you can visit www.cinexcusa.com.

THOUGHTS FROM ILEUSCO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

The Usefulness of Web-Quests

By: Mara Fernanda

Jaime Osorio

Some months ago I had the opportunity to attend

the conference "Towards the Normalization of
Technology in Language Teaching" by magister
Diego Macas from Universidad Surcolombiana in
Colombia. He claimed that technology will be
normalized whenever teachers use technology
naturally, simply and in tandem with other
teaching tools and activities to serve students'
needs. That claim made echo in my mind and I
started using technology more often in my
classroom, so my students and I could at least start
to 'normalize' the issue. One example of the
technology tools teachers can use in language
classrooms according to Macas is a Web Quest.
Web Quests are a lesson format developed by Dr.
Bernie Dodge from San Diego University and
according to the Web Quest Place website, by
using them, students are expected to create
meaningful projects and share them with teacher
and classmates through the web, oral
presentations and others. There are several
advantages when using this tool. One of them is
that we can keep on with 21st century demands on
technology use; furthermore, it is a motivating
resource for students to have the same
opportunity to research on the internet for
valuable and meaningful information they will find
easier to recall when necessary. It also promotes
collaborative and individual learning where
creativity, responsibility, independence and L2 use
are tested and enhanced in students.

On the other hand, there are also disadvantages

when using Web Quests. The main drawback is
that teachers and students have no available
technology resources in the classroom; teachers
and students also state they need great amount of
time to prepare the material and develop the
tasks; and finally, some teachers and students
show redundant to use them because of their lack
of knowledge on the matter. I think that all these
disadvantages can be overcome by governments
providing laboratories to schools and training
teachers on using these types of resources; this
way, teachers and students would use technology
more, decreasing the time spent on preparing and
solving tasks. If we did that, teachers and students
would normalize the use of technology and
therefore, they would find teaching and learning a
meaningful experience with greater academic
achievements.
SEGREGATION OF LOW-TRACK STUDENTS
From my personal perspective I think that due to
the international and national educational
expected outcomes, teachers search for
completing curriculum topics forgetting that lowtrack students need more time, effort and
different kind of activities to achieve tasks and
develop their
proficiency level
of the language.
By treating all
students as if
they were a
whole mass of
humans,

27

STUDENT ILEUSCO

...Thoughts from ILEUSCO

Teachers and Students
teachers promote segregation in the classroom
and thus, students would not accomplish learning
and there would be unequal opportunities for
academic achievement.
Segregation can be caused by several reasons. One
major reason is 'Tracking', a term used to define
what happens when students are separated in
groups according to their abilities and sometimes,
based on their family or socio-economic
background. It seems that 'tracking' has created
differences in social status of schools as well, since
not all students can afford paying more to get into
'tracked' schools. One visible result is that we find
mixed - ability classrooms in public schools and this
last term has been related to low-track students.
Despite this conception, several authors have
claimed that there are advantages when teaching
mixed ability groups. Penny Ur (1996:305) for
example, names four advantages: it provides a
much richer pool of human resources, there is an
educational value, it fosters collaborative learning
and, it provides opportunity for teachers to create,
innovate and develop professionally.
All in all, segregation of low-track is a factual reality
society and teachers deal with day after day. If
teachers really want to make a difference in the
educational field, they have to keep on researching
on the matter until they find out the way of
transforming segregation into inclusion and
appreciation of the differences to generate
academic achievement among all students. From
my viewpoint and taking into account education is
one remarkable basis of society; this is the way to
make the world a place with equal opportunities
for all.

Exotic
Shopping
in Canberra
By: Karen Dayana Perdomo Gmez
Level 3

Canberra is the capital of Australia. There are

plenty of shopping centers around Canberra.
The main malls are in Woden, Belconnen,
Tuggeranong and Civic. These all have major
retail outlets, restaurants/cafes, etc. There are
also many smaller malls with fewer shops
between the main malls.
The Civic centre is a great place to shop in
Canberra. The centre holds two major
department stores, a discount department
store, a major supermarket and over 200 unique
specialty outlets, restaurants and bars. For
variety, Westfield Shopping town is the best
shopping complex in Canberra. With over 50
fashion and accessory stores, a wide range of
major department stores and gift wares, an
international food court and all the
entertainment that comes with a cinema
complex and games arcade, you will find the
right ingredients for a fun day's shopping.
Facilities include free parking, a courtesy bus,
free wheelchair and stroller hire, a trolley
minding service and disabled parking.
In Canberra, the shops are open for longer hours
on Fridays. There is something to suit
everyone's pocket and taste in Canberra. It
really is the best place for shoppers.

28

STUDENT ILEUSCO

Annihilation
or Evolution?
By: Katherine Lemus R.
The university differs from other 'educational'
institutes provided that it acquires the habit of
reflection and a wholesome criticism without
the need of falling back on shallow nihilism or
anarchy. Nonetheless, for the last years we
have witnessed the chaos defying our
supremacy when it comes to democracy and
education by dint of the globalisation and
shameless policies that have led us into the
decay of the fundamental notion of university
as the main architect of critical thinking.
We cannot deny that the university has to
contribute to the development of all
professionals, academicians, scientists and
artists. But is it necessary to abandon the prior
institutional mission of building national,
regional and local communities which serve
as focus of critical reflection? What does it
mean to be technically a 'good' engineer,
solicitor, doctor or politician? The
government has been in debt with our AlmaMater for the last decade since it has enforced
all sorts of dreadful and sordid policies on
behalf of the currently established economic
model: Capitalism, which has caused an
absolute loss of identity and autonomy. What
is even worse is that the academia is losing its
criterion and desire for making great changes
due to its lack of hope or mere conformity
with the system's leftovers.
The comprehension and dominion of
knowledge cannot be abridged to simple
labour functions; otherwise, we must use our
learning as an instrument for progress toward
egalitarian objectives which in the future will
be tantamount to the development of new
ways of education with critical thinking as an
integral part of a democratic society.

The Shopping
Paradise is
New York
By: Caterine del Rosario
Jimnez Perdomo
New York, the capital of the
world, is a shoppers paradise
with plenty of department
stores, and smaller shops.
The people who visit New
York always have time to go
shopping. There are shops for adults and
young people where they can find thousands
of options to choose from and to buy. The
most popular shop in New York is MACYS;
located in Broadway. It is a department store
where you can find all the
well-known clothing brands.
Another famous shop is
SAKSFIFTH AVENUE where
it is easy to find the latest
clothes and accessories for
the whole family and even
decorations for your home
and electronic gadgets. The
best shop to buy shoes is
DSW; it is located in Broadway and the
financial district.
Shops in New York are usually open from ten in
the morning until six in the evening, from
Monday to Sunday. The
biggest sales happen during
Christmas.
Don't miss the chance to go
shopping in New York. It
really is fascinating.

29

STUDENT ILEUSCO

Child Sexual Abuse

By: Natalia Collazos Piedrahita
Level 6

Child sexual abuse is

defined as any kind of
contact or sexual activity
with a minor including
explicit verbal seduction,
performing a sexual act or
masturbation and
exposure of sexual organs.
The ability to entangle the minors in a sexual
bond is based on market dominance, power
and seduction that has the adult over the
child, and contrasts with the vulnerability
aspects and dependence that it has.
According to statistics, victims are
mostly girls; the consequences of this
abuse are devastating affecting mental
and physical health, alsoimplicating the
social development with other
children, the family and the community
at large.

30

Child sexual abuse is a form of emotional and

physical abuse; when it occurs, it is never
unintentional and it always leaves wounds. It
is one of the most severe forms of childhood
abuse, whether or not physical injury occurs,
as there is always an attack on the psyche of
the victim. It is one of the most serious attacks
that can happen to a human being and far
from being rare, it is unfortunately rather
widespread.
Sexual abuse is usually committed by
members of the family or close to it. It is
violence that remains hidden and is often
tolerated.
In our country, any citizen is allowed to report
violence cases and since justice is the one
which determines whether it is a crime or not,
without being responsible for it; so after all it
comes true the saying: ''Justice is blind''
Different campaigns are conducted nation
wide to raise awareness of the problem and
encourage people to report cases.
Also, implementing educational campaigns in
schools to avoid the sexual abuse is a must,
because our children cannot continue being
exposed to human predators!

STUDENT ILEUSCO

About our Rubbish!

By: Gimena Toledo
For many years we have faced a
very difficult problem, which
does not seem to end. After
the industrial age and the
technological development,
everything seems worse. As a
result of that, we have had to
deal a lot with environmental
damages, such as climatic
changes, unknown illnesses
and ecologic damages.
Among the many forms of pollution,
we can find garbage, which are all kinds of articles
or things that we have used and discarded. We
have generated much trash without realizing what
we are doing.
Did you know that when we pay for an article, we
spend the 10% to pay the pack, which we will
throw away later on.But the worst thing is to
realize that everything we throw away takes a long
time to decompose; for example, an aluminum can
take between 80 and 100 years to decompose, a
plastic bottle can take between 200 and 400 years,
a ton of pulp for papermaking is obtained with the
wood of 14 trees, which take over 20 years to grow.
So, what can we do to contribute to the pollution
reduction? There are many steps to take; among
them it is the proper handling of our own rubbish.
The first choice could be reducing the
consumption of packaged and canned food; this
contributes to the decrease of plastic, glass and
metal waste. It is optional to consume natural and
healthy food.

we can use them several times. Other elements

could be cardboard boxes; the paper that we use in
schools andpackages can serve as containers, etc.
As a third option we have the recycling, which is
the process where an article that has already been
used could come back to its life cycle, most of the
objects we use can be recycled later.
In Colombia, recycling is an undeveloped activity
despite that a lot of people are dedicated to it. The
Ministry of Environment reported that Colombia
produces 27,000 tons of waste per day,which only
10% is recycled; however, the government
announced that Colombia ranks first in Latin
American in waste recovery,
processing and reinstatement
into the production cycle.
I think all that we can do
to reduce pollution is
valid, however, I believe
that recycling is an option
that can bring us many
benefits; such as energy
savings, the reduction in
garbage collection costs and
solid waste, and the most important the
environment will be preserved.
Another important point to emphasize is the
ecological teaching our children can receive both
at school and at home; so, I think the preservation
of the environment must be part of our culture.
Start now if you have not done it yet!

The second option is to reuse some elements

such as plastic bags, since most of the
timeswhen we go shopping we end up with
manyof them;so before throwing them away

31

TEACHERS - USCO

Thoughts from Professors and Leaders

of the Department of

Huila

Huila says NO to El Quimbo and

the privatization of the Magdalena River
By: Aldemar Macas Tamayo / Socilogo
On the 20th of September 2012, a
group of delegations from different
municipalities of Huila, university and
high school students and teachers,
farmers, indigenous people of the
region and various social and environmental
organizations gathered together at the Agora of
the Surcolombiana University in order to reject the
arbitrary ways in which the rights of the most
vulnerable populations are being affected by the
construction of the hydroelectric project El
Quimbo, and in an act of protest, took to the main
streets of the City of Neiva demanding the
immediate suspension of the project and the
construction of new dams as well as the
privatization of the Magdalena River.

negligible? On what technical basis do they sustain

such a momentous shift in the concept of the same
lands? A convincing answer was never given.
However we do see a clear government alliance to
favor the transnational interests of Emgesa, where
the Ministry of Environment disregarded the
request presented by the Procuradura General de
la Nacin on the 9th of March 2009 of abstaining
of granting the environmental permit for the
construction of the project El Quimbo, as the
flooding of some of the best lands of the region,
with the highest agricultural value is
inconvenient, taking into account that Huila has a
scarcity of productive land and the difficulty of
the task of restoring productive activity due to
the lack of land with these characteristics".

El Quimbo reflects the authoritarian ways in which

the national government imposes projects,
violating environmental legislation with no
consideration for the vulnerable communities.
They overlook the studies by the Ministry of
Agriculture from 1997 certifying the high value of
the lands which as a consequence of this project
will be flooded to a point where there will be no
way of replacing them. This study was definitive
enough to reject the permits at the time. However,
ten years later in 2007, another study was released
regarding the same lands, only this time the results
proved to be contrary to those of the 1997 study
and enough for the permits to be approved,
allowing for the go ahead of the construction of El
Quimbo.

Research by international organizations has

shown that the energy generated by hydroelectric
plants is not renewable, clean nor cost effective for
the following reasons: they have vastly negative
social and ecological impact; millions of people
have been displaced due to the construction of
hydroelectric plants affecting populations in
resettlement areas and their traditional
livelihoods; the cycle of some of the most
important rivers worldwide have been drastically

What happened during that space of ten years to

convert the state of said lands from high value to

32

TEACHERS - USCO

...Huila says NO to El Quimbo and the privatization of the Magdalena River

modified by dams, affecting their lifecycles as is
the case of the destruction of fish stock,
recognized by the World Commission on Dams;
the decomposition of organic material flooded by
dams produces methane gas, one of the most
aggressive greenhouse gases, and increases the
vulnerability to climate change; they do not
contribute to the eradication of poverty; access to
water, land and biotic resources is restricted;
traditional fishing and agricultural activities are
interrupted, due to changes in the river flow,
resulting in the loss of highly fertile lands, which as
is the case of El Quimbo are scarce and necessary
to guarantee food security, alluvial soils of up to 3
meters of effective depth, organic soils with highly
valuable natural microbiological load; they
increase the likelihood of earthquakes; the
socioeconomic, environmental and cultural costs
do not compensate the benefits to society; they
are not renewable due to sedimentation
problems; they produce dramatic changes in the
flow, quality, quantity and use of water, the biotic
organisms and the sedimentation of the river
basin; they generally disregard environmental
legislation, particularly the participation of the
affected population. The World Commission of
Dams maintains that the only projects which can
be considered "clean" are those with a capacity
inferior to 10MW, 40 times less than that projected
for El Quimbo. The 21st century is seeing strong
developments in alternative energies such as solar
and wind, where dams will be considered as an
obsolete technology due to their high social,
environmental and cultural impacts.
The thematic panels of Control and Monitoring of
the hydroelectric project El Quimbo, which took
place from the 25th of January to the 3rd of
February of 2012, lead by state organizations and
Asoquimbo resulted in the configuration of a
humanitarian crisis in the Region as a consequence
of the economic, social, environmental and
cultural catastrophe generated by the energetic
megaproject; crisis triggered by the fundamental

destruction of supply chains and food security,

state displacement, unemployment, damage to
ecosystems, psychosocial affectations, rupture of
social fabric, damage to Archaeological heritage,
seismic risk and the violation of all fundamental
rights of the affected population as well as the
collective right to a healthy environment.
Logic and licensing standards tell us that the
development of any project must first go through a
series of studies, which must be evaluated in order
to grant or reject a permit. This was not exactly the
case with El Quimbo: the permit was granted, after
which the studies were requested, studies which
for any permit would be key in the decision of
approval or rejection such as the identification and
precise assessment of the social impact to the
many and diverse social groups at risk. Only two to
three years later were the ethnographic studies of
vulnerability presented and there is still no sign (if
so it is very recent) of the economic assessment of
the infinite productive activities of goods and
services at risk. It is for the afore mentioned
reasons that only now are the social and economic
compensation measures being refined, designed
and discussed.
There have been grave and serious social impacts

33

TEACHERS - USCO

...Huila says NO to El Quimbo and the privatization of the Magdalena River

which have not been compensated; loss of the jobs
of laborers, stewards and tenants, grave
repercussions to the livelihood of traditional
fishers of La Jagua - Puerto Seco.
The compensations proposed by the company are
nothing more than plans, intentions rather than
reality. Instead of opening up spaces for dialogue,
in such a polemic, complex and conflictive project,
the Ministry and the ANLA have closed them as
they completely refuse to hold a public hearing,
with shameful and inconsistent arguments,
showing their absolute lack of political willingness
to mediate.
The Civil Resistance organized by Asoquimbo for
the Protection of our Lands, the Magdalena River,
the natural and genetic biodiversity, and the
communities affected by mining, energy and
agribusiness megaprojects, become an ethical and
moral imperative as the matter at stake is the
future of the planet and humankind.
Addendum: The university community of USCO
expresses its complete solidarity to Professor
Miller DussanCaldern, whom as a result of his
endeavor to defend and guide the communities
affected by El Quimbo, Emgesa and State agencies,
is now plagued by disciplinary procedures and
prosecutions. Just as large corporations rely on the
guidance of various teams of advisors, do the
affected communities not deserve the support of
the University during these processes of civil
resistance?

34

TEACHERS - USCO

English: Guilty

this language. Similarly in university English

courses I got the best grades, having the support of
several teachers to master the language lab at the
time.

By: Hernando
Gil Tovar PhD

I want to briefly tell you about the

meaning of English in my life and the
way it has marked it. It has been
responsible for many events, which have
made me what I am today. It's been my
sidekick, the strength with which I'm
identified for by many people, the lever
to achieve goals, the guardian angel in
times of trouble, the key to open doors,
the channel for accessing knowledge,
the entertainment instrument, and so
much more.

When I was starting high school I was fortunate to

have a teacher who encouraged me to grow in the
proficiency of this language and from the first year
I got the highest positions, if not the first place in
the group. In the second year I won the place as the
best student of all second groups, inthe seventh
grade, and from there onI becameundethronable
during the remaining years in the glorious National
College of SANTA LIBRADA.
Being in fourth year, now ninth, I joined the English
course at SurcolombianaUniversitys ILEUSCO, and
today I am part of the first graduated class.
Obviously in the last years of high school I
managed to establish myself in the first place and
gain a reputation as a good student and speaker of

I was just 18 atthat time when I joined as English

lab contractor, working there for several years, and
went on to become a teacher. I began training on
teaching methodology with the teachers of the
language section, a languages Departmenttoday.
You see, English was my purpose for becoming a
teacher, as I worked with the same courses which I
had been assigned for several years as well as
other courses such as: extension, distance
university courses and supporting of other
programs.
Because of English, I was teaching my fellow
Business Administration classmates, who in the
morning were my students and my colleagues at
night. Similarly many of my undergraduate
teachers ended up as my students in the courses,
as well as officers and directors of the university,
neighborhood friends, etc. I met many people
from different ways of life and professions, people
who I had served as a waiter at a club in the city in
my early working years. Because of English I could
be in astatus of social equality with people who
were my bosses. When I was an English teacher I
began to teach marketing in the Business
Administration Program and then I could compete
and win as a full-time teacher of this program.
There are many stories I could tell you where
English proficiency has been responsible for my
success. Due to the requirements of length of this
article I will refer only to the last one. When I
arrived in France for the first time I had to go to the
International Relations Office of the University of
Maine in order to get help for accommodation and
food, among other things.
I was introduced to the director of that
department who greeted me in French. I replied in
French because I thought the level achieved in

35

TEACHERS - USCO

...English: Guilty
Bogot had been sufficient. But to my surprise he
spoke to me, asked several things and I could not
figure out what he wanted. Seeing my confused
state he asked a wonderful question: "Do you
speak English?" The soul returned to my body and
without thinking twice I shouted "yeahhhh". From
then on everything was easier and I managed to
get the needed accommodation and accomplish
all the objectives of my visit to that entity, which
allowed me to attend to the university French
courses without paying a dime.
But the influence of English didn't finish there
because the French courses, obviously, were full of
foreigners like me, for whom French was a barrier
to overcome. Guess which language we
spoke!English, of course! With them I could go
shopping, visit several historical sites, sharing
weekends, helping each otherwith our needs and
finally, we became a united group in search of a
better stay in the Gallic country.

36

As you can see, the English language has been

responsible for many changes in my life; it has
given me my profession like as teacher. It has
takenme to international conferences. I could
survive on my travels, including those to the
United States.It has helped me to understand the
literature of my research topic and it gives me a lot
of resources for my personal and professional
training.
I'm sure its influence will not stop there, because I
plan to remain involved as a researcher in
international events, write in academic journals of
great positioning, travel, and more. And so,
according to all the evidence presented in the
preceding paragraphs, I declare English guilty of
covertly accomplishing the biggest objectivesof
my life. For what it has meant in my life, I repeat
the verdict: "guilty".

TEACHERS - USCO

Quixotic Enterprise, but a Good,

Conforming to Nature,
Health Project

Emilio Polo Ledezma

Ph.D. Biochemistry - Proteolytic
Enzymes - Nutrition.
Teacher of Clinical Biochemistry

Carlos Polo Rivera

Intern Medical Student.
Health Faculty of the
Surcolombiana University,
PACA Research Group,
Neiva - Huila - Colombia
To approximate a true view of the panorama of
chronic diseases, in order to understand their
etiology and, in practice, to make correct
decisions, we must proceed as in the case of
matrioshkierussian dolls and open the first doll the beginning of pathogenesis.

In temperament and form of thinking, I am much

more realist than nominalist, specially as regards
human beings and things that they do to and
make, related their health. For the past 25 years I
have lived and taught in Neiva, near our country's
capital - Bogota. I enjoy teaching Clinical
Biochemistry from a primary preventive point of
view and I like to contextualize my lectures and to
explain why people living in our society and in
other similar ones, have an increased risk to of
hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia,
hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, etc, and why these
hyper...emies increase the risk for chronic
cardiovascular disease and for infectious disease.

I begin my course, in the third semester with

Bioenergetics - the metabolism of fuel
biomolecules. We study the classic metabolical
pathways of glucose, fructose, ethanol... In normal
conditions the body only produces the ATP that it
needs. If we supersaturate the organism with fuel
compounds, part of them follow different
pathways and bring the body to the synthesis of
several compounds, depending on its metabolic
state. There is a strong epidemiological correlation
between the increasing levels of triglycerides,
cholesterol, ribose 5 phosphate, gangliosides,
glucose, uric acid...and the appearance of
cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Long
time before they become evident or manifest, the
body shows signs of biological changes. We use a
lot of names to describe them: metabolic
syndrome, proinflamatory syndrome,
protrombotic syndrome, insulin resistance
syndrome... Metaphorically speaking, these states
are as the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh...
matrioshkirussian dolls.
We live in a very rich country, where there is no
correlation between economic growth and the
development of the country and its society, where

37

TEACHERS - USCO

...Quixotic Enterprise, but a Good,Conforming to Nature,Health Project

the inflation increases dramatically every year.
Most Colombians, over 50%, earn less than the
minimal monthly salary wage, and work in the
informal economical sector; there is social
inequality, political corruption... For people with
low incomes or without an income, purchasing
power decreases. Every year prices globally grow,
some more than others, so that those with low
income are excluded from good consumption; this
is serious when the goods are basic. This year, for
instance, fuel, electricity, gas, cost of medical
visits, health insurance and other necessary
services rose more than 16% and the monthly
salary wage only 4%. The price of food is the most
worrisome: onions, vegetables and legumes
increased more than 25%, fish nearly 57%. With
this very difficult economical situation people can
eat only cereals, tubercles, and platano, meals
with a very low biological value and very rich in fuel
biomolecules. In Colombia a sedentary and poor
person daily may eat 700 grams of carbohydrates.
There are people who eat even more. So as a
logical consequence of this situation and the
increasing sedentary lifestyle of the contemporary
society, in Colombia, and countries like this, it's
very easy to meet children who have signs and
symptoms of radical biological changes, showing
conspicuous symptoms of illness.
In my Biochemical courses I use the term THE
MUST HUMAN SYNDROME for calling this
children's state. I took the term must from the
fermentation industry. Must is a rich in
carbohydrates mixture of primary interest to
winemakers. It is a solution, liable to infection of
various sorts. It may be easily injured and for this
it's necessary to control its dynamic in order to
prevent its disease. Doctors can easily recognize
the ailments that, in children, do develop from
time to time, but they don't have the essential
resources to control them, and the body goes into
decline and eventually deteriorates and chronic

38

disease appears. Sometimes, as the fruit of 30

years of teaching Clinical Biochemistry, I think that
political authorities around the world, know what
to do in order to lower the incidence and
prevalence of chronic diseases, but they don't do
anything because of the financial characteristics of
the contemporary world, which push to them to
make wrong decisions and to defend with
numbers, graphics and figures, the economical
interest of very rich people. For obtaining good
results in the battle against chronic diseases it's
necessary to globalize the people's salary wages, it
means to increase workers' salary wages, to a
globalized economical level. People don't have the
necessary money for eating and living well. In
Latin-American countries we are living a similar
time to that lived by people in England during the
eighteenth century, when new engines and
industrial procedures appeared, but with a big
difference, nowadays' machines are more
powerful and productive than those of the
industrial revolution. For this reason it's necessary
to create a wide social security system for poorest
people and to decrease the big gap between riches
and poor people.
The correction of health situation also requires to
educate people at a primary humanitarian
compulsory school (in Colombia we have a basic
primary one), in aspects related with the
importance of nutrition in human life and social
behavior. It's urgent and indispensable to prohibit
and to eradicate forever distribution and selling of
rambler street foods. Don't permit the official
o p e n i n g o f re sta u ra nt s , b e tte r ca l l e d
"degradants", where people eat bad quality
products, which don't have indispensable
nutrients for living and restoring our body. At
street level it's necessary to rule with a rod of iron.
To promote the nowadays classical TLC - Therapy
of Lifestyle Change - a new living culture
characterized by a permanent daily physical
activity. It's necessary to move the people.

ENGLISH LEARNING

50 Useful English Learning Websites...

By: Leonardo Herrera and Diego Macas
?
To expand your vocabulary knowledge:
http://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/another-word-for/take.html
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/games-by-topic/
http://www.linguee.es/ingles-espanol/traduccion/for+this+reason.html
http://www.learningchocolate.com/
http://rinkworks.com/words/
?
To enhance your Grammatical Competence and writing production:
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar.html
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/alle_grammar.htm
http://www.english-4u.de/grammar_exercises.htm
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/
http://www.indiabix.com/verbal-ability/synonyms/
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/llc/academic-writing/
http://www.webook.com/911writersblock
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar
?
To test your English language proficiency:
http://www.englishjet.com/cursos_ingles_files/test_de_cambridge_first_certificate.asp
http://www.easyenglish.com/freetest.asp
http://www.transparent.com/learn-english/proficiency-test.html
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/
?
To practice your Listening Comprehension skill:
http://es.englishcentral.com/videos#!/index
http://www.esl-lab.com/
http://www.ted.com/talks
http://www.npr.org/
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
http://www.englishlistening.com/index.php/listen-to-passages
?
To practice your reading comprehension skill and enhance your literary competence:
http://www.classicreader.com/
http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/Vanity-Fair-2.pdf
http://www.wiredforbooks.org/kids.htm
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/onlinestory.htm
http://www.rong-chang.com/qa2/
http://www.englishmaven.org/Pages/Reading%20Comprehension.htm
http://lightupyourbrain.com/stories/
?
To check your pronunciation and expand your knowledge of English phonetics:
http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/
http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~karchung/phon1index.htm
http://www.esltower.com/pronunciation.html
http://www.vocabulary.co.il/phonics/
http://www.antimoon.com/
http://upodn.com/
http://www.shiporsheep.com/
http://www.rachelsenglish.com/pronounce_alphabet
?
To practice all English language domains and components:
http://www.eslgold.com/index.html
http://www.eflnet.com/
http://www.learn-english-today.com/
http://www.manythings.org/
http://www.learnenglish.de/
http://www.englishpage.com/
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/
http://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/
http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm

39

ENTERTAINMENT

Having fun with words and Phrases

By Leonardo Herrera Mosquera

Matching Games
A. Latin language is still alive
Latin language is quite present in our daily communication, whether in Spanish or English, in
the form of words and phrases. Below is a list of some Latin phrases and their English definitions.
Match the two columns.
Latin Phrases Definitions
______ Anno Domini
______ Voxpopuli, vox Dei
______ Paxvobiscum
______ Caveat Emptor
______ Ante bellum
______ pro bono publico
______ Semper fidelis
______ Tempus fugit
______ E pluribus unum

a. Time flies
b. One from many
c. Before the war
d. Let the buyer be aware
e. In the year of our Lord
f. The voice of the people is the voice of God
g. Peace be with you
h. For the good of the public
i. Always faithful

B. American or British?
It is estimated that approximately ten percent of British words differ from American words in
spelling, meaning, or grammatical use. Below is a list of British terms and their American
counterparts. Match the two columns.
British Words American Words
______ Mad
a. Potato chip
______ Biscuit
b. Dessert
______ Rubbish
c. Overpass
______ Roundabout
d. Crazy
______ Lorry
e. Garbage
______ A sweet
f. Elevator
______ Lift
g. Cracker
______ Flyover
h. Traffic circle
______ Rubber
i. Truck
______ Crisp
j. Eraser

Taken and adapted from English Teachers book of instant word games by Ruth Rice.

40

ENTERTAINMENT

...Having fun with words and Phrases

A Tense Time Crossword Puzzle
Figure out the verb and the tense used in each clue in the crossword.
1
2
3
4

6
7
9
8

10

11

ACCROSS
1. Jane and Tim .. been seeing each other for long when they decided to get married.
2. Brian .. be able to come to the cinema tonight because he has a cold.
5. "Do you know where Sue and Bob .. gone?" "They went shopping, I think"
6. "You look tired!" "I am. Ive .. working hard all day."
8. After the party .. everyone went home.
10. Do you know what time the meeting is ..to start?
11. "What will you be .. at this time tomorrow?" "Sitting on the sofa watching TV, I expect."
DOWN
1. When the police arrived it was too late. The criminal .. already run away.
3. While Jane was .. television, I did the washing-up.
4. Im .. my friend at the airport later tonight.
7. "How long have you been ..?" "Five years. I bought this car as soon as I passed my test."
9. "Its nearly six oclock." "Oh no!My train .. in five minutes. Id better hurry.

Taken from Quizzes, questionnaires and puzzles by Miles Craven.

41

ENTERTAINMENT

...Having fun with words and Phrases

10 English Riddles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

What month do soldiers hate?

What clothing is always sad?
Why dogs are afraid to sunbathe?
What kind of running means walking?
What two words contain thousands of letters?
What do you get if you cross stereo and fridge?
What did the big chimney say to the little chimney while working?
How do we know the ocean is friendly?
What weather do mice and rats fear?
What is the longest word in the English language?

Answers: March; blue jeans; they don't want to be hotdogs; running out of gas; post office; very
cool music; you are too young to smoke; it waves; when it's raining cats and dogs; "smiles'
because there is a mile between the beginning and the end of it.
Taken from: http://www.yourhero.net/riddles.htm
Knock-knock Jokes: Not always funny, but always cute!
- Knock knock
* Whos there?
- Doris
* Doris who?
- Doris locked thats why Im knocking.

- Knock knock
* Whos there?
- Cheese
* Cheese who?
- Cheese a cute girl.

- Knock knock
* Whos there?
- Disguise
* Disguise who?
- Disguise your boyfriend.

- Knock knock
* Whos there?
- Britney Spears
* Britney Spears who?
- Knock knock
* Whos there?
- Oops, I did it again.

- Knock knock
* Whos there?
- Philip
* Philip who?
- Philip my bag with candy!

- Knock knock
* Whos there?
- Doughnut
* Doughnut who?
- Doughnut worry, its just a joke.

Taken from: http://www.knock-knock-joke.com/

42