Languages Institute

LEARNING PRODUCT GUIDE FOR ENGLISH LEVEL 4 2012- 1 (JANUARY- MAY)

1. DEFINITION An article is an individual section of a larger written work. These nonfictional prose compositions appear in magazines, newspapers, academic journals, internet or any other type of publication. Articles can be divided into two main categories: news stories and feature articles (specialized). (Feature: characteristic, a prominent aspect of something). News stories deal with the precision and immediacy of breaking news (news that is happening and being reported or revealed at this moment), while feature articles are news stories that deal with human-interest topics or which offer the opportunity for providing more extensiveness or depth, context of history or other explanatory background material. 2.

a. b. c. d.

PROCEDURE Choose an option from the topics proposed by the teacher. Select your group work. Check the dates of the tutorial sessions in the program provided by the teacher. Attend all of them!

Prepare the draft of that portion of the learning productt that corresponds to every tutorial session. (See the chart # 1 below) and be ready to meet with your teacher. When you have discussed with the teacher the content and corrections of your draft, put it in clean and have it ready to be submitted to your teacher again. e. Prepare only the portion of information corresponding to the plan of tutorial sessions

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
All drafts should be checked in the class tutorial session. No translations, copy and paste document. Internet production will be neither graded nor received as a draft.

The oral presentation will start punctually with turns being assigned at the beginning of the class. No reading will be accepted during the oral presentation. All grammar topics seen in class should be highlighted, bold or underlined on the written paper.

Product

3. PRODUCT EVALUATION Chart #1. Product evaluation chart Components to be graded

Drafts for tutorial sessions: Complete portions of the project submitted for revision in the tutorial session. Academic paper: Clean production of the project printed on paper with the grammar topics and the vocabulary underlined, following ICONTEC patterns. Oral presentation: Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency, accuracy, applied when presenting

20% of the total grade

6%
1 2 3 4 5 1 2

1.2 % each

4% 10%

2% each 5% each

1 2

News stories A news story is an article published in a print or Internet news medium which discusses current or recent news of either general interest (i.e. daily newspapers) or on a specific topic (i.e. political or trade news magazines, club newsletters, or technology news websites).
A news article can include versions of observers to the happening event. It can contain photographs, explanations, statistics, graphs, recollections, interviews, statistics, debates on the topic, etc. Headlines can be used to focus the readers attention on a particular (or main) part of the article. The writer can also give facts and detailed information following answers to general questions like who, what, when, where, why and how. Quoted references can also be helpful. References to people can also be made through written stories of interviews and debates confirming the writers information and the reliability (consistency) of the source. A good conclusion is an important ingredient for newspaper articles. Newspaper reporters are trained to write in inverted pyramid or triangle style1, with all the most important information in the first paragraph or two. If less vital details are pushed towards the end of the story, the potentially destructive impact will be minimized.

Feature Articles Feature articles are nonfiction articles that intend to inform, teach or entertain the reader on a topic. The topic centers on human interests. The following are examples of feature articles: Column A short newspaper or magazine piece that has to do specifically with a particular field of interest, or generally with an issue

or circumstance of public interest. They could appear on a regular basis (daily, weekly, etc.) or be written exclusively for one newspaper or magazine. Evergreen A timeless article that editors can hold for months and publish when needed. They need little or no updating. Expos These articles use in-depth reporting with heavy research and documentation. Used to expose corruption in business, politics or celebrities. Also called the investigative article. Filler Short non-fiction items, usually just under 300 words, used to fill in small spaces on a page of a magazine or newspaper page. How-to How-to articles help people to learn how to do something. They provide step-by-step information for the reader. Human interest story An article that involves local people and events and can be sold to daily and some weekly newspapers. Human interest elements, such as anecdotes or accounts of personal experiences, can support ideas in magazine articles as firmly as facts or statistics. Also called "true-life" stories.

The triangle's broad base at the top of the figure represents the most substantial, interesting, and important information the writer means to convey. The triangle's orientation is meant to illustrate that this kind of material should head the article, while the tapered lower portion illustrates that other material should follow in order of diminishing importance.

Interview This feature story type article includes the text of the conversation between two or more people, normally directed by the interviewer. Interviews are often edited for clarity. One common variation is the roundtable the text of a less organized discussion, usually between three or more people. Op-Ed Articles that run opposite the editorial page. They are a response to current editorials and topical subjects. Political op-eds are the most common, but they don't have to be limited to politics. They should, however, reflect items that are current and newsworthy. Personal experience An article in which the writer recounts a difficult situation, process or event he has experienced. Personality Profile A personal or professional portrait sometimes both of a particular individual. Seasonal An article written about a holiday, a season of the year or a timely observance. This kind of article will be submitted months in advance of the anticipated publication date. Service Article An article about a consumer product or service; it outlines the characteristics of several versions of the same type of commodity. The aim is to help a potential purchaser to make the best selection possible. Sidebar A short feature that accompanies a news story or magazine article. It elaborates on human interest aspects of the story, explains one important facet of the story in more depth or provides additional factual information such as a list of names and addresses that would read awkwardly in the body of the article. Can be found in a box, separated from the main article on the side or bottom of the page. Travel literature Travel articles inform and enlighten the reader through facts about a region's landscape, scenery, people, customs and atmosphere.

4. ARTICLE OPTIONS 1. Being competent in my profession . Professional competence is defined as the ability to perform a specific task, action, duty or function successfully in a specific job. What does it take to a professional in your profession to be competent in the current field of work? How can a person get the proper skills? Is college training enough to be prepared? What professional issues are involved in being competent?
For the individual article: the student will describe and analyze a specific situation in the Colombian context where a professional needs to apply definite abilities (competences)

2. Business ethics in my field of work. Ethics is a area of philosophy which deals with questions about morality; that is, about concepts like good and bad, right and wrong, justice, virtue, etc. Business ethics, also known as corporate ethics is a form of applied ethics that examines principles and moral which happen in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole. Based on this, students will write an article related to an aspect concerning their major .
For the individual article: the student will describe and analyze a specific situation in the Colombian context where ethics are significant in the execution of a task related to his/her profession.

3. New opportunities in my profession. Everyday we hear about all kind of crisis related to food, the environment, politics, values, etc. Crisis also involves issues related to everyones job. They may be an excellent opportunity to grow, personally and professionally. Many of the inventive products we have today have been the result of a critical situation. What are the opportunities your profession is facing today? What are the new markets for a person in your major, or the products or services you can provide with? What about innovation and technology?
For the individual article: the student will describe and analyze a specific situation in the Colombian context where a new opportunity takes places in his/her profession.

4. Being part of the solution, not of the problem -Sustainable development in my profession.- Todays professional world is highly connected to sustainable development, a model of resource use, that intends to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come. The field of sustainable development can be conceptually divided into three components: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and sociopolitical sustainability. How is your major involved in sustainable development? How is it faced academically? What is its impact and responsibility? Students will do research about the way their majors deal with the three constituent parts of sustainable development as a fundamental commitment to current society to write their articles.
For the individual article: the student will describe and analyze a specific situation in the Colombian context where a social issue represents a challenge for the sustainable development in his/her profession.

5. Are you ready to confront life? Competences for modern living. (This topic does not
refer to professional competences). The world as it is conceived today was unimaginable some time ago. We live at a speed that everything changes so fast that it is hard to keep up with the civilization of information and technology that modern living is immersed in. Key competences in the shape of knowledge, social skills and attitudes, appropriate to each context, are fundamental for each individual in a knowledge-based society. They provide added value for the labor market (not referring to specific professional competence), social cohesion and active citizenship by offering flexibility and adaptability, satisfaction and motivation. What are those competences young adults such as UAO students- need to deal with all the challenges and issues that being modern citizens require? Whats the profile of a competent young person to be able to manage todays life? What are the abilities, skills and attitude a Colombian young professional should have in order to have more chances? http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth/lifelong_learning/c11090_en.htm

For the individual article: the student will describe and analyze a specific situation in the Colombian context where society has been affected by the usage of technology in his/her profession.

Languages Institute

L IV

LEARNING PRODUCT Process Guide

6% 4% 10%

20% of the total grade

Tutorial s: Complete portions of the project submitted for revision in the tutorial session. Written reports: Clean production of the project printed on paper with the grammar topics and the vocabulary underlined, following ICONTEC patterns. Oral presentations: Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency, accuracy, applied when presenting.

Sessions

Grammar and vocabulary

Development
Definition of an article (from the Learning Product guide. Clarifying its types and variations). Presentation of topics.

Introduction
Week 1 Session A

Jan 23-28/12

For next tutorial session (On week 3 session A): Students select a topic in groups of 3 and bring the introduction to the topic, the title and the headline for the groups article. (Individually)

PART 1
Tutorial 1
Week 3 Session A

Writing an article about a main topic. One article written and presented Between 600- 800 words
Grammar Topics Unit 7 Real Conditional Gerunds and infinitives Purpose/reason /result Vocabulary Appearance Personality

in group

Feb 6-11
Introduction to the topic, the Title, the Headline and explanation

Group work in class (See definitions and tips below) Each member of the group brings: A paragraph (5 lines) about the introduction to the topic. A title A headline A paragraph (5 lines) explaining the title and the headline . Using and underlining the grammar topics studied in U. 7 The group meets and writes the introduction to the topic, a title and a headline for the article. Also, a paragraph of 5 lines explaining the title and the headline from the material brought by the 3 members. The group hands in to the teacher the material brought to class by the 3 members and the new material.
For next tutorial session (On week 5 session B): Groups bring the Lead and the Body of the article including all the grammar topics of units 7 and 8.

Illness and injury

Title Writing a good article title is essential to capturing your intended audience. If your article title is an inaccurate description or summary of your article, those who may be interested in your article will not read it. Your title must be carefully considered and concisely written. If possible, the title should be the subject of the first sentence: However, if the article title is merely descriptive the title does not need to be the same as the main text. Here are some tips to write a good title: Determine your intended audience. Who are you writing for? Your article title needs to immediately capture the interest of your intended audience and motivate them to read further. Decide the purpose of your article. Are you trying to convince your audience to do something, buy something or read something? Consider the purpose when crafting your title. Determine the main idea of your article. Use a shortened version of the main idea in the title of your article. Write an article title that offers readers an indication of the content with their first look. Plan for simple, direct language in the article title but don't be afraid to also try an attractive phrase or wordplay. Headline Closely complementing the title the headline is text at the top of an article, indicating the nature of the article. The headline captures the attention of the reader and sums up the focus of the story. It should clearly explain the subject so that the reader is prepared for the greater level of detail that follows. The headline should be attractive, should catch the attention of the reader and relate well to the topic. The article should begin with a short declarative sentence, answering two questions for the non-specialist reader: "What (or who) is the subject?" and "Why is this subject notable?"

Tutorial 2
Week 5 session B

Feb 20-25
The Lead and the Body

Grammar Topics Unit 8 Questions (y/n wh) Present Simple Passive Past Continuous/Past Simple Vocabulary Verbs about change Phrasal Verbs about relationships Books talk

Group work in class (See definitions and tips below) Each member of the group brings: A paragraph about the Lead A paragraph about the Body Using and underlining the grammar topics studied in U. 7 and 8. The group meets and writes a paragraph about the Lead (8 lines) and one about the Body (10 lines) from the material brought by the 3 members. The group hands in to the teacher the material brought to class by the 3 members and the new material.
Lead: What is the importance of the topic? How is it connected to the major of each member of the group? Relevance? What is its background? Definitions. Body Applications of the information researched. Show practical evidence for argumentation.

Use quotations to support your point. Give facts such as: chronological, cause and effect, classification, compare and contrast, list, questions and answers from different sources.

For next tutorial session (On week 10 session A): Groups bring the conclusion of the article including all the grammar topics of units 7,8,9,10.
Lead The lead, the introductory text, should establish significance, include mention of notable criticism or controversies, and be written in a way that makes readers want to know more. Be clear about why you are writing the article. Is it to inform, persuade, observe, evaluate, or evoke emotion? The paragraphs should give a summary of the article. It should provide an overview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable, including its more important controversies, if there are any. The lead also establishes the subject, sets the tone and guides the reader into the article. Here you

ORAL PRESENTATION 1 (Group + individual) Article about a topic from the guide
Brief summary of each students article THE TITLE HEADLINE LEAD INTRODUCTION to the topic (In general) and its connection to each students major (Individual). THE TITLE HEADLINE LEAD BODY CONCLUSION

ORAL PRESENTATION 2 (Individual article about a subtopic of the previous article)

BODY CONCLUSION