Capital Letter

CAPITAL LETTER 7: EDITORIAL

2011-03-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

INDIFFERENCE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 7

Mayo de 2005

One of the questions we usually ask ourselves is why things are the way they are. There should be more peace, more security, more courses, more processes going on, more research, more changes… and endless list of other things.

What are we doing to contribute to the construction of that better society we all envision and desire? Have we contributed in the creation and provision of peace, security, study opportunities or research processes for ourselves and the others? What has been our performance as individuals and as groups? What have our results been?

The Universidad Nacional de Colombia is a place rich in human resources. Students and teachers have been given the chance to exchange and spread knowledge. However, we always complain about lack of opportunities to develop the writing skills and when the occasion comes we take no notice of it. The case of the present discussion originated from the indifference regarding the invitation extended to the community to attend the Talleres de Redacción planned and scheduled by the staff of Capital Letter. Just to exemplify, in the first workshop there were 21 people, from which 14 were students of industrial engineering, 2 from the Geography Department, and just five from the Department of Foreign Languages.

It would be very unfair to say that people in general were indifferent to our proposals. We met people who are tirelessly working to improve themselves as well as those people around them. The great pity is that they were very few. A big percentage of the population is indifferently observing things happening, just happening to faceless and nameless people in emotionally distant scenarios, even if located on the same campus.

I am forced to ask just as that Mexican program which was broadcast many years ago: ¿Qué nos pasa? Maybe, the fact is that Indifference is the name of the game.

CAPITAL LETTER 6

2011-02-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

Capital Letter No. 6
Publicada en Noviembre de 2004

Click en la revista para ampliar visualización:

CONTENIDO

EDITORIAL

STUDYING A POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME ABROAD

Yoana Cristina Pinzón P.

THE JAPANESE TEACHER: INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR NAKANISHI

Lina María Conde

BEYOND CLASSROOM INTERACTION

Monica Patricia Aldana Cifuentes

ABOUT BEING SENSIBLE OR SENSITIVE

Ronnall Castro Q.

PORTUGUÊS: DIZEM POR AI...

Lina Oliveira

PERCHÉ LA GRAMMATICA?

Oscar J. Pachón Torres

EL RESULTADO DE ESE HERMOSO MODO DE TRATAR LAS COSAS: INTERVIEW WITH CIELO VARGAS

Mariluz Ortiz

RUSO: COMENTARIOS DE LA OBRA DE MIJAIL BULGAKOV "EL MAESTRO Y MARGARITA"

Profesora: María Teresa Rojas

Traducción al inglés por Javier Rojas

FIRST COMIC STRIP CONTEST

GLOBAL UNITY

Vivian Chu

A VERSION OF REALITY: THE PERCEPTION OF DISCOURSE IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY

Carlos Alberto Aldana-Sanchez

LOLO

¿"WEST INDIES" EN NUESTRA UNIVERSIDAD?

Dayana Andrea Osorio E.

REPRESENTACIONES DE LA AUTONOMÍA QUE TIENEN LOS ESTUDIANTES DE INGLÉS I DEL PROGRAMA DE DESARROLLO DEL APRENDIZAJE AUTÓNOMO DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS -ALEX. ESTUDIO DE CASO.

Luz Mary Ramírez Mejía

BEYOND CLASSROOM RESEARCH

Elsy Camila Reyes Romero

ELT NATIONAL CONFERENCES IN 2004

Bibiana Hernandez

ELT NATIONAL CONFERENCES IN 2004

2011-02-24T22:17:00.000-08:00

Bibiana Hernandez

biyayita@yahoo.es

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

National ELT Conference 2004: Self- Directed Learning

Autonomy: a key element in the learning process

Being autonomous is perhaps a challenging task since it requires a great amount of motivation and responsibility from the learners. As they are asked to propose and to discuss what is given, they are encouraged to view knowledge and truth as contextual, to see value frameworks and cultural constructs, and to appreciate that they can act on their world individually or collectively to transform it.

The topic of the Seventh National ELT Conference, "Self-Directed Learning" held in Bogotá from 16 to 18 September 2004 at the Universidad de los Andes, was selected according to the responses received from suggestions made by participants the year before to the Sixth ELT Conference. The concept of autonomy as a key element in the learning process was challenged.

The conference was an opportunity for pre-service, in-service teachers, experts and administrative staff to discuss several topics about education and learning. Specifically, the Conference was intended to be a discussion about the rationale beyond self-directed and autonomous learning meaning the process by which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, to analyze their learning needs, formulate learning goals, identify resources for learning, select and implement learning strategies, and evaluate learning results. Particularly, the Conference tried to cover aspects such as the incorporation of autonomy and self-directed learning in language programs, the curriculum, the materials, the roles of teachers and learners and its assessment in view of implications for the language syllabus, self-access centers and the autonomy of the teachers.

39th ASOCOPI National Conference: Defining Standards of English as a Foreign Language

"Standards of English as a Foreign Language" is a topic that has always worried teachers and institutions alike. These are the basis supporting the assessment of students' performance in the target language. Indeed, a definition of those standards will provide teachers with a clear view of the precise point at which a student is located in a language learning process map. In addition, by knowing the standards, the teacher will be able to guide students to find the best and fastest way to reach precision in the target language. Although international standards are available, for example the European Framework, it is necessary to ponder whether those measures are appropriate for the Colombian context or not.

The 39th ASOCOPI National Conference held in Santa Marta from October 14 to 17 gave Colombian pre-service and in-service teachers, administrators, BA and MA candidates as well as international speakers the opportunity to reflect upon the proposed topic having as a reference their teaching experience and expertise. More than 70 academic presentations together with plenary and concurrent sessions showed how the people involved in English teaching in Colombia felt about this important issue. Cultural and social activities also enriched this annual event which is becoming one of the most important spaces for reflection on English teaching in Colombia.

BEYOND CLASSROOM RESEARCH

2011-02-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

Elsy Camila Reyes Romero

camilare23@yahoo.com

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

In this research we wanted to analyze the pedagogical issues that characterize Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory implementation during problem solving situations in project work. This study was developed with 9th grade students at the Instituto Pedagogico Arturo Ramirez Montufar (IPARM), the Universidad National de Colombia School, in an English Language Teaching (ELT) context. We approached data gathering using the following instruments: 1. Field notes; 2. workshop recordings and, 3. students' interviews. The data analysis showed that MI theory implementation motivated students because we worked based on their likes and interests. The research also helped students to develop their second language communicative and argumentative strategies improving students' problem solving and analytical abilities.

Working with multiple intelligences theory helped me to understand classroom research as a manner to get closer to my students and improve the way we as professionals teach. I consider the teacher's work and duties to be more than to lecture knowledge but to guide, observe, relate, analyze, assume positions toward different situations, react, modify and act, which means a constant process of evaluating and modifying throughout teaching-learning course of action.

I invite you to do research within your own classes because it could help you to analyze and modify teaching-learning processes thus improving the student community. This marvelous experience challenges me as a professional and gives me some tools to perform my role as a teacher being closer to my students.

REPRESENTACIONES DE LA AUTONOMÍA QUE TIENEN LOS ESTUDIANTES DE INGLÉS I DEL PROGRAMA DE DESARROLLO DEL APRENDIZAJE AUTÓNOMO DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS -ALEX. ESTUDIO DE CASO.

2011-02-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

Luz Mary Ramírez Mejía

luzmarylaf@yahoo.com

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

There is a "widespread belief that one has to be taught in order to learn" (Littlejohn, 1983:599) which underlies informed and lay opinion about education. That means, among other things that learning depends on the teacher, that knowledge has to be transmitted by the teacher rather than discovered by the learners, and that students expect the teacher to be responsible for the assessment of learning. This is the well-known traditional system. In this approach the teacher is the central agent in the learning process.

We are now facing a new approach called "autonomous language learning" where the learner is the central agent in the learning process. It has been recognized that such an approach can promote more effective and efficient learning. When a student decides to learn and know how to learn, learning is more meaningful and effective.

The Universidad Nacional de Colombia has implemented such an approach since the first semester of2003. Taking into account that most of the students have studied several years in a traditional system, they may hold beliefs either consciously or unconsciously about autonomy, and learners' beliefs can influence both their attitude towards the language as well as toward language learning in general. As a result I decided to observe, analyze and describe in depth the beliefs about autonomous learning that students of English-Level I hold regarding the ALEX Program.

This qualitative research is a descriptive longitudinal case study. It attempts to answer the following main question in four cases chosen at random, during the first semester of2004: What is the relationship between the ALEX Program approach regarding autonomy and English students' beliefs (level) about it?

Bibliography

Littlejohn, A. R (1983). "Increasing Learner Involvement in Course Management. TESOL Quarterly, 17/4, 595-607.

¿"WEST INDIES" EN NUESTRA UNIVERSIDAD?

2011-02-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

Dayana Andrea Osorio E.

yayis0822@yahoo.co.uk

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

Desde hace cinco años existe un convenio entre la Universidad Nacional de Colombia y la Universidad de las Indias Occidentales (University of West Indies) Gracias a éste 20 estudiantes de las sedes de Trinidad, Tobago y Barbados vienen a la Universidad Nacional de Colombia a perfeccionar su español como lengua extranjera y a aprender acerca de nuestra cultura colombiana en un curso intensivo de español a cargo de la unidad de Extensión del Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras, Sede Bogotá. Por otro lado, el convenio permite que un grupo de 20 profesores de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia vayan a dichas sedes a perfeccionar su inglés durante el periodo intersemestral.

En un futuro, se espera ampliar el convenio de tal manera que éste no sólo promueva el aprendizaje de las lenguas sino que también busque una integración en la que se establezcan programas de pasantías con los estudiantes de las Universidades Nacional y de las Indias Occidentales. Estas con el objetivo de implementar programas de especialización y maestrías que fortalezcan los lazos académicos, tecnológicos y científicos entre estas dos universidades.

Este año, como de costumbre, los estudiantes de la Universidad de las Indias Occidentales tuvieron una grata experiencia en su aprendizaje del español como lengua extranjera y quisieron compartirla con nosotros mediante una entrevista.

En primer lugar, expresaron su satisfacción por el curso de español como lengua extranjera puesto que la metodología y el material que trabajaron fue más práctico que teórico, y gracias a ello, lograron aprender bastante vocabulario y expresiones del español que se habla en Colombia.

En segundo lugar, consideraron que la Universidad Nacional de Colombia es una institución muy grande y completa ya que cuenta con muchos recursos tanto humanos como materiales. Además, les agradó la excelencia de los profesores que no se limitaron a su rol únicamente sino que también buscaron ser amigos de los estudiantes. A su vez manifestaron: "a través la educación los jóvenes pueden ser capaces de derrotar las luchas aquí en Colombia" y que por ello los estudiantes de la Universidad Nacional juegan un papel muy importante en este aspecto.

Y en tercer lugar, percibieron a Colombia como un país de contrastes porque, por un lado, es un país muy hermoso, rico tanto en recursos como en cultura y que proporciona mucho a los visitantes; por otro, es un país que vive el conflicto armado. Sin embargo, no lo consideran tan violento como lo exponen los noticieros. Gracias a su estadía en Colombia han podido cambiar su manera de pensar respecto al país. Además, sugirieron que el gobierno necesita vender más a Colombia en el exterior, creando una política más fuerte que exponga, como ellos lo describen: "su rico legado cultural e histórico que el mundo afuera no conoce de ninguna manera"

Durante la entrevista también nos hicieron un pequeño recuento de algunas de sus experiencias en el altiplano cundiboyacense. Tuvieron oportunidad de visitar sitios como la Vega, Zipaquirá y su catedral de sal, Villa de Leiva, El Puente de Boyacá, Ráquira y Chiquinquirá. Este recorrido, junto con lo visto en clase acerca de la cultura (danzas, folclore) y la literatura colombiana, les permitió hallar bastantes diferencias entre su país y el nuestro. Por ejemplo, destacaron el gran tamaño de Colombia en comparación con Barbados. También notaron que los colombianos estamos más seguros de nuestra cultura que la gente barbadense puesto que Barbados es un país que está más influenciado por la cultura americana e inglesa.

Finalmente los estudiantes de la Universidad de las Indias Occidentales resaltaron la importancia de la inmersión cultural cuando se está aprendiendo una segunda lengua ya que de esta forma es más fácil comprender el por qué de algunos usos de la lengua extranjera, y a su vez poder memorizarlos rápidamente. Por esta razón, dichos estudiantes nos invitan a visitar sus países de origen puesto que allí no sólo podremos encontrar países hermosos y ricos culturalmente sino también la oportunidad de mejorar nuestro inglés.

LOLO

2011-02-24T22:02:00.000-08:00

Lolo

http://lolocartoon.blogspot.com/

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

A VERSION OF REALITY: THE PERCEPTION OF DISCOURSE IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY

2011-02-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

Carlos Alberto Aldana-Sanchez

caaldana@msn.com

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

"Life is a constant flow of discourse

of language functioning in one of the many contexts

that together make up a culture."

McCarthy, Matthiesen and Slade(1)

A couple of months ago I was thinking about an idea that is commonly taught in linguistics courses but that sometimes is not clearly explained to the students -considering our own perception of reality as Colombians-. Undoubtedly, an idea which has deep philosophical connotations. I am talking about the concept of discourse as reality.

It has been said that discourses constitute elements of real life, omnipresent ways of knowing, valuing and experiencing the world² It has been said also, that discourses can be used for the assertion of power and knowledge and for purposes of resistance and critique. Some thinkers even affirm that many texts have purposes of regulation, social control, development of power relations, and hegemony (3)

The question is then how to explain the way reality is related to discourse? Or, in other words, what is the implication of discourse for the understanding of reality?

Is it true that discourse is not separable from the individual, social or natural world, or from experience and reality? -Although it is commonly perceived as such- Let me begin with a real life problem. Consider whether we can separate Manuel Marulanda -alias "Tiro Fijo"-, the person accused of leading the guerrilla organization known as FARC for many years in Colombia, from all the accounts we have heard of him. From the Colombian government, we hear he is a terrorist and therefore must be imprisoned; however, those opposed to the government hail him as a hero. In this situation, there seems no definitive way of determining what kind of man Manuel Marulanda is, other than describing him in a variety of ways.

Probably, one might object to all that and form one's own judgement about who really and exactly Manuel Marulanda is, e.g. a fanatic leftist, a result of the inequalities and injustices in the country, or a man with a strong conviction. But, it should be realized, that judgement itself is formed on the basis of existing texts, other than the variety of descriptions that exist about him. Moreover, it forms a denial, dismissal or alternative to the existing texts about Manuel Marulanda. It should be noted, too, that that piece of judgement is potentially subject to modification through time and space, e.g. when new revelations are made and attitudes changed. One might also dismiss all the texts surrounding Manuel Marulanda and go to the mountains to interview him in order to find out who he really is. But then, an opinion will again be formed on the basis of the interview and (re) formulated through verbal means. In the same way, The Universidad Nacional de Colombia will be perceived according to the way it is talked and written about in society, e.g. the best academic centre in the country, "a leftist university" and so on.

That is why all reality, individual, social, historical, or imaginary, can and should be seen as constituted in and through discourse. There are at least three reasons for saying so. First, reality is society, culture, history, mind, concrete people, things or events around us, thoughts and feelings inside us —our lived experience— it is not just 'out there', but involves categorization, characterization and evaluation. That is, discourse imposes its own structure, definition, category, conception and evaluation upon the reality it is supposed 'to describe' Second, our everyday reality is a discursive one—with people conversing, listening, reading and writing to each other. Finally, reality is created, sustained and transformed through discourse. Any warfare in the contemporary globalised world cannot take place go on or cease without propaganda, verbal-psychological preparation, rhetorical concealment, negotiation and so on.

Undoubtedly there are many ways of perceiving reality, the discussion is opened, and nevertheless, one thing is clear: one should be very careful about what is conceived as "reality", and the elements from which "reality" is made, remember it is always possible to create alternative versions of reality.

(1) McCarthy, M., Matthiesen, C., Slade, D. (2001: 55) "Discourse Analysis" in Schmitt, N. (edit) An introduction to Applied Linguistics. London: Arnold.

(2) See Mills, S (1997). Discourse. London: Routledge

See Fairclough, N.(2004b) Language in New Capitalism. In http://www.cddc.vt.edu/host/lnc.incarchive.html

GLOBAL UNITY

2011-02-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

Vivian Chu

globalun@telus.net

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

Vivian Chu is currently a curriculum developer, English teacher, and teacher educator in Vancouver, Canada. She has also taught English in Japan and China, and presented professional development workshops in Colombia, England, Hungary, and Canada. She has published two books for the ELT profession. Additional information on her project, "Global Unity'' is available at http://www.slobalunityed.com. She welcomes your comments and feedback on her work, via email to elobalunda) telus.net.

What is "global unity," and what does it mean to different people? What kind of unity political, economic, religious, cultural, ethnic, or spiritual? Does it mean a world government under one political system, where everyone speaks one international language, forced together by economic trade, where a diversity of ethnicities and cultures are linked through intercultural marriage? How can we have unity with everyone else while still maintaining our own cultural identities, values, and beliefs? Are there universal values and beliefs that are compatible with all cultures, which bring to light our common humanity and speak to us more deeply on the need for global unity?

Through the vision of this project, striving for global unity does not mean that people have to compromise their identities to merge into a convergent global culture. It doesn't mean that people have to exercise tolerance in order to co-exist without violence. Tolerance tends to imply reluctant acceptance of differences, without actually understanding and relating to the foreign other. Rather, realization of global unity ensues from an evolving awareness and ongoing support of universal values and issues amid appreciation of diversity. These values include peace, compassion, respect, justice, equality, social responsibility, human rights, and environmental preservation. Educators in all disciplines have direct opportunities to initiate dialogue and critical reflection on these values and issues in the classroom, and to plant seeds that may eventually have a cumulative effect in forming a world where justice and peace are everyday realities experienced by all, regardless of ethnicity or economic status, from local communities to the international community.

In the educational environment of foreign language classrooms, three vehicles maybe used to assist learners with language acquisition as well as to create a common ground on which to explore their cultural identities, values, and beliefs in relation to others. The culture and history of a people are preserved in language through proverbs, metaphors, and storytelling and these means of conveying information and wisdom can be powerful tools for generating authentic communication between language learners. Proverbs and metaphors abound in our language and everyday consciousness; they affect our perceptions and how we behave, which in turn influence the way we think.

The way we perceive and gather meaning from our experience often draws from the nuggets of wisdom that have been passed down through storytelling and the oral tradition. The effectiveness of using proverbs and metaphors in fostering intercultural communication draws on the frequency with which a proverb from one culture will have an equivalent in another culture. Understanding and affinity between international students increase when they discover similar values, parallel metaphors, and common meaning expressed in proverbs from their various cultural backgrounds.

Our culture evolves along with our changing environment while also remaining linked to the past. We find ourselves unable to leave behind not only our traditions but also our attraction to stories. We may not sit around campfires listening to stories from the elders of our tribes, stories that mixed fact and fiction. Clearly, we no longer live in an age of oral tradition. Mass literacy, education, the computer revolution and the Internet these seem to signify that we are in a new age. Nevertheless, storytelling continues to maintain a strong hold on us, albeit in a different form. The massively successful movie and music industry can readily attest to this. As prime examples, in terms of storytelling, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek fantasies based on science fiction and a mythical past embed powerful metaphors and continue to have a very strong impact on modem culture. They remain as significant cultural icons for decades, spanning several generations. Shifting metaphors and timeless maxims continue to influence us in the way we amass meaning from our outwardly evolving world, yet internally our existence as members of the human species remains apparently familiar, perpetual, and unchanging. Perhaps it is through acute recognition of the unchanging elements of human nature that life can truly evolve to higher states of consciousness.

By exploring the proverbs, metaphors, and stories of various cultures, we can study language as well as explore the commonalities and differences between cultures. We find that there are similarities that transcend cultural differences, and learn to see both our own and other cultures with more relativity. Ultimately, we come to respect and relate to other cultures and the people who live in them, not just tolerate them. In this manner, we can heighten awareness of our spiritual unity despite peripheral differences, and thus cultivate a global unity of humanity, regardless of politics, economics, religion, culture, ethnicity, and gender. It is the vision of this ongoing project to inspire language learners to be co-creators of a more unified and peaceful global community for current and future generations.

FIRST COMIC STRIP CONTEST

2011-02-24T21:46:00.000-08:00

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

Last September 22^nd, 2004, Capital Letter convoked the Academic Community of the Faculty of Human Sciences in the frame of the Cultural Week at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia to the exhibition of the comic strips that participated in the contest organized by the publication. The event took place in the Hall of the Sociology Building. The comic strips had a twofold evaluation: the vote from the public (84 total votes) and the concept emitted by the two invited juries on the basis of this set of criteria: a) Message in terms of content and clarity, b) Sequence and coherence among frames, and c) graphic/artistic quality. The following comic strips occupied first, second, and third place respectively.

First Place

Camilo Morales Neisa

cmoralesne@unal.edu.co

Second Place

Chistian Camilo Cuervo

mystelvok@latinmail.com

Third Place

Esneider Alfonso Gamboa Burbano

snarguer@yahoo.com

RUSO: COMENTARIOS DE LA OBRA DE MIJAIL BULGAKOV "EL MAESTRO Y MARGARITA"

2011-02-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

Profesora: María Teresa Rojas

mtrojasp@unal.edu.co

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

La obra trata de la sociedad comunista que ironiza la existencia de Dios y el demonio. El estudiante Juan Carlos Rodríguez Rendón interpreta el mensaje de Bulgakovyda sus percepciones acerca de la obra, en el texto escrito en ruso.

El novelista y dramaturgo, Mijail Bulgakov, nació en Kiev, Ucrania (1891 1940) Estudió medicina, pero renunció a esa profesión en favor de la creación literaria. Sus primeras obras son narraciones satíricas, Maleficios (1925), Corazón de perro (1925) Morfina (1927) y comedias, El departamento de Zoia (1926) Alcanzó el reconocimiento con su extensa novela La guardia blanca (1925) El maestro y Margarita (publicada en la Unión Soviética en 1966) fue escrita entre 1929 y su muerte, acaecida en 1940. Trata de los problemas eternos del bien y el mal, utilizando narraciones en paralelo, una de ellas situada en el Moscú contemporáneo y la otra en la Judea de Poncio Pilatos, y oscila de la fantasía y la sátira humorística a la tragedia. La fama de Bulgakov no quedó establecida hasta años después de su muerte, cuando sus novelas, obras de teatro y su biografía empezaron a publicarse a partir de 1962.

MASTER AND MARGARITA

Translated by Javier Rojas

javirse@yahoo.com.mx

Monday, June 21th, 2004 I write because I live alone, and because I love my monologue.

Today I am going to tell you about a friend, who I love talking to. She is a small, strong young woman who wears classes and usually reads hooks about psychology. I could talk the whole day about her, because she is also very keen on Literature and studies Philology. She is very sullen, but when I talk to her 1 can affirm the existence of my misfortune and, then, perceive alleviation (perhaps tor that reason I enjoy her company).

Once, while we were walking by the university, a Christian couple approached us and vehemently interrupted our conversation saying: "We are going to show you the true revolution." We thought that they were troublemakers. We did not say anything, but when they uttered the words "God" "Faith", and "Great Lord", we decided to talk only in French so that they could not understand us, and might think that we were mad or drunk. Afterwards, they began to pray.

At that moment, I felt repugnance, and became sick. I can neither understand nor avoid smiling when I listen to such fanatic people. After that, I attended my French lesson. There, I got bored because I had to talk about foolish and embarrassing things, and listen to many details of others' experiences, Thus, I waited eagerly for the end of the class: I wanted to finish reading the book Master and Margarita.

I love Bulgakov's work because he uses a lot of symbols and criticizes the costumes and traditions in a Russian communist society. In this book, the Devil is found playing with the fate of people. This personage wants to prove God's existence in such a way that he gets desperate when the "Soviet citizen" neither believes nor respects God. This mean spirit wants to punish Atheism and, thus, he shouts with irritation when Mijail Alexander Berlitz rejects God's existence; in the end, the Devil slays Berlitz.

Bulgakov ridicules the communist moral, but he also ridicules unconsciously his own God disguised as Devil. The Christian God is always thinking in terms of punishment and, in spite of his apparent moral, public charity, and goodness, He plays both the roles of God and Devil.

In any case, as Literature is the most important thing, Bulgakov endows the Devil with a great personalization. The Devil may be our human fate, which pervades all our deeds.

This Russian writer bestowed Literature with a wonderful fear.

EL RESULTADO DE ESE HERMOSO MODO DE TRATAR LAS COSAS: INTERVIEW WITH CIELO VARGAS

2011-02-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

Mariluz Ortiz

marialunados@yahoo.com.ar

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

“En nuestra vida cotidiana nuestros asientos

tienen cierta cosa de "territorio personal,

la silla nos permite echar una mirada

sobre el alma humana”. (1)

The Foreign Language Department is a very crowded place every single day. Daily many of us pass through the corridor that for us holds nothing special, but for people like Cielo Vargas it is the perfect place to express the space's functionality. Cielo is an art student at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She is finishing her major and is presenting her monograph project called "El resultado de ese hermoso modo de tratar las cosas" Part of her work can be observed in the hall of the Foreign Language Department building.

Cielo's work is not just a decoration for our building; it is an outstanding art project that has been developed since 2001. Tire work has two parts; the first one is located in the teachers' staff room of the Arts Department and the other one in our building.

Although her work on the wall of the Foreign Language Department is a small chair spread along the wall, many interpretations can be taken from it. "It was strange for me finding out wliat people saw in those paintings. Many people thought they were birds or fish and it was not my intention to tell them those were chairs" she said. For her, it is interesting to see how people take her work because it is a reflection of how works on the walls can interact with people who inhabit those places.

The freedom not only to create but also to interpret is what she calls "Art" and it is the main difference between her work as art and not as decoration. Her real intention was to install something in the space that had communication with the elements that are in such a space.

For us, a wall is just a wall, but for an artist like Cielo Vargas, a wall is not only the wrapper of space but the value that this surface has in this space. In this sense, her work is a way to understand that space; it is an intervention in the space from its surface: the wall. She points out that a wall is public and allows us to cover it with our looks, it exists, it's a presence although not always does it reveal its mystery.

It is fascinating to realize the qualities of a place such as the Hall of the Foreign Languages Department. Tire characteristics of the place gave Cielo the idea of creating a work in watercolor with repetitive images or something dynamic that would complement the speed of people walking in this space. "Maybe through repetition I could perpetuate the beauty of the forms I want to inhabit" said Cielo.

The structure of the hall wants to communicate the landscape of the outside with the inside of the building through its stained-glass window. That's why Cielo chose a red colour to make a complement with the green color of the glass that is outside the building.

Artists such as Leger and Sol Le Witt influenced this young artist to work with chairs. "A chair is the nearest reflection of human anatomy, it gives a measure"¹According to the student, the idea came up from the relation that there is between the chairs and the everyday life of humans: without caring about money, there will always be a chair in a house.

Cielo's work is a sample of contemporary creations. And according to her, today there is more tolerance to accept new tendencies in Colombia. "There is a more open conception of art and that's ideal."

Interview done on September 10, 2004.

Charlotte and G. Fiell (2000). “Modern Chairs”. Page 8 in El resultado de ese hermoso modo de tratar las cosas. Page 22.

PERCHÉ LA GRAMMATICA?

2011-02-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

Oscar J. Pachón Torres

oscarpachit@yahoo.it

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

L'attuale furore mondiale per il metodo comunicativo nell'insegnamento delle lingue ci ha fatto dimenticare, anche all'Università Nazionale, un aspetto così importante com'è la grammatica. Per esempio, l'uso dilagante dell'inglese come lingua di comunicazione fra popoli di diversi luoghi ha causato l'impressione che conoscere una lingua voglia dire solamente parlarla e comunicarsi con successo.

Questo potrebbe essere vero per quelli che studiano una lingua perché ne hanno bisogno per parlare con i loro clienti, viaggiare per lavoro, ecc. Nonostante questo, gli studenti di lingue all'università non ci stiamo preparando solamente per parlare la lingua e basta. Noi, come professionisti, dobbiamo imparare bene ad insegnare la grammatica per diverse ragioni.

Primo, è vero che sapere grammatica non è sapere la lingua, ma significa averne la base per produrre e capire parole (morfologia), frasi (sintassi) e testi (grammatica testuale) Non è utile sapere molte parole se non si sa, consapevolmente o inconsapevolmente, come articolarle in unità con significato, sia frasi che testi. Evidentemente le formule del tipo Soggetto-Verbo-Oggetto potrebbero essere difficili per uno studente, ma sono necessarie affinché questi possa produrre e capire una seguenza (frase, testo) il cui significato non è sempre il risultato della somma dei significati delle sue componenti.

Un'altra ragione si trova nel fatto che la grammatica è importante per lo sviluppo della competenza comunicativa. Molta gente pensa che gli studi grammaticali si colleghino solamente a delle strutture. Tuttavia, questo non è del tutto vero. Infatti, gli usi di tali strutture sono tanto importanti quanto il conoscerle. Per esempio, alcune persone potrebbero dire che imparare il passato prossimo solamente permette loro di costruire o riconoscere una frase, anche se non sanno il suo significato. Tuttavia, quando il professore gliene insegna l'uso, gli dà un elemento valioso per capire quello che si vuol dire con la struttura. Lo studente assimilerà l'argomento con la pratica, contro la quale, chiarisco, non ho niente.

Finalmente, nel caso specifico degli studenti di filologia alla nostra università, bisogna dire che, benché loro idealmente parlino bene la lingua, devono conoscerne anche gli aspetti teorici, perché per loro non è solamente un mezzo; è fondamentalmente un fine. Questo significa che i futuri filologi sono persone che possono comunicare con la lingua, e devono essere anche in grado di spiegarla, poiché questa èil loro oggetto di studio.

PORTUGUÊS: DIZEM POR AI...

2011-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

Lina Oliveira

lloliveirad@unal.edu.co

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

Dizem por ai que o português e o espanhol são tão parecidos que a gente não precisa nem estudá-los. Também é comum escutar que o português é um espanhol mal falado e logicamente, isso depende do ponto de vista porque nós, brasileiros, também poderíamos dizer que o espanhol é um português mal falado. E agora, quem tem razão?

É muito comum ouvir:

-Português? Ah, é muito fácil e dá para a gente entender.

Será verdade? Vamos fazer um teste? Vamos lá.

Você, como falante da língua espanhola, o que entenderia, se eu dissesse para você que o jantar que você preparou para mim, com muito carinho, está esquisito? (O jantar está esquisito.) Certamente, pensaria que eu estou elogiando seus dotes culinários, certo? Mas, lamento informar que não é nada disso, e muito mais, que é o oposto do que você pensou, porque, para começar, jantar, significa "cena" e esquisito em português é algo estranho, "raro" "desagradable" Ou seja, eu não estaria elogiando e além do mais, estaria dizendo que o sabor ou o aspecto da comida que você preparou para mim não é bom. Claro que isso seria imaginando urna situação especial porque quase sempre os padrões de educação não nos deixam expressar semelhante frase, sobretudo se levamos em consideração que você preparou tudo com carinho para receber-me. Eu ficaria envergonhadíssima de dizer qualquer coisa negativa e terminaria comendo discretamente. Talvez você ficasse sem saber o que fazer porque quase sempre, a expressão facial que se une á palavra "esquisito ou esquisita" transmite algo negativo. E até acredito que você entenderia meu desagrado depois de um tempo. A comunicação seria possível, mas depois de alguns obstáculos.

O fato é que essa idéia de semelhança quase infinita, por muitos anos difundida pelas pessoas pouco conhecedoras dos dois idiomas, parece estar perdendo alguma força. Os jovens estão saindo cada vez mais dos seus países com o fim de estudar em outros lugares, entre eles, o Brasil, e há a necessidade de um preparo em termos de idiomas.

O Brasil recebe anualmente muitos estudantes que possuem como língua materna o espanhol e vão fazer seus cursos de pós-graduação, doutorado ou especializações nos centros de estudos ou universidades brasileiras. Você pode ser o próximo e para ser bem entendido, mãos á obra!

ABOUT BEING SENSIBLE OR SENSITIVE

2011-02-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

Ronnall Castro Q.

hegerlarx@hotmail.com

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

As classmates (teachers - students) we face extreme situations that force us to reflect daily on our human condition, and specifically our academic WORK. We have to face these situations by making the right decision at the right moment because a word uttered at the wrong moment or an action performed in the wrong place could spoil forever our effort of constructing knowledge for a better society. We can help to create a strong self-confidence in our mates or destroy their capacity to use their strengths appropriately. How do we create and not destroy? How do we get involved in this huge historical process in which humanity has been engaged for twenty-five centuries?

In my opinion, the answer could be found by solving a problem which at first glance is just a linguistic one (1): the difference and relationship between "sensible" and "sensitive" In fact it is a linguistic problem. Both of these words are the same grammatically, but they are different semantically.

Grammatically they are adjectives, but we cannot forget that adjectives are not simply words that qualify nouns. Adjectives are the abstraction we make of a real substantial-substantive attributive relationship between the being in itself and the appearance of that being in reality It means that if we say something of a phenomenon, it can be true or false depending on our correct or incorrect approach to reality. Semantically, sensible is an adjective that WE use to refer to the capacity of having, using or showing good sense or sound judgment and sensitive is an adjective that WE use to refer to the capacity of being readily or excessively affected by external agencies or influences.

Up to this point we already have an important approach: sensible and sensitive are terms which concern things of reality. However, Sensible and Sensitive are adjectives that we do not apply to all phenomena, neither do we apply it to all living things nor all human beings. A sensitive person is the one who can be touched by reality they live in, and sensible is the one who is sensitive. So that, our reflection of reality, which can only be correct by correctly using our senses, is the determining factor in order to acquire sensitivity, but, at the same time, this sensitivity is determined by our sensible (reasonable) conception of reality. On the contrary, a distorted reflection of it will end in chaos.

There is just one way in which we can contribute to creating self-confidence (humanization as individuals) and to get our mates involved in the process of knowledge acquisition(humanization as species) in the classroom: We must be sensible AND sensitive at the same time, and not forget that we are immersed in an inorganic and organic reality, but also, and most importantly, that our direct and primary reality is a SOCIAL one, that we are interacting constantly with human beings who think, suffer, enjoy, laugh, cry, need help, can help, work, feel embarrassed, feel proud, in a nutshell, human beings who live as we do.

1) I am referring to that conception of Linguistics as a simple abstraction disconnected from reality. ZELENY, ]. (1972) La Estructura Lógica de "El Capital" d.c Marx. Editorial Grijalbo. Madrid. WEBSTER'S ENCYCLOPEDIC UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY OFTHEENGLISH LANGUAGE. (1996) Random House Value Publishing. Cramercy Books. New York. Ibid.

BEYOND CLASSROOM INTERACTION

2011-02-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

Monica Patricia Aldana Cifuentes

mooniquita@yahoo.com

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

Students of languages always develop journeys in which they can interact with the tools of the language they are learning. It was the case forty years ago, and it remains till today. I first knew of this idea because students from VIII semester of the English major went to Arbelaez and Zipaquira, seeking a different environment, to practice and interact using English language while having a good time together.

When we were asked, in English Basic V, to work on a free project I chose this one to continue an old tradition. What interested me the most was the importance of natural environments for second language acquisition, far away from the restrictiveness of the classroom. To this end, last term we, students of English Basic VI, undertook a journey, which consisted of leaving the traditional walls of the classroom in order to have a more natural and relaxing learning atmosphere.

Thus, we went to a farm in El Triunfo, where we spent a couple of days. We had the opportunity to play, cook, and practice Taichi. Although, we are quite different from each other, we enjoyed the time we spent together. Besides, as teamwork demands it, we enjoyed a great amount of cooperation and interaction; these meaningful factors, which are not common in today's classrooms.

Developing this kind of activities is important as it increases our sense of belonging and commitment to the university, to the community, and to partnership. Values of which we are seldom told and which are rarely taken into account. We tend to forget we are part of a social framework that requires awareness of individuals in order to go ahead with the education we speak of. We are not only talking about learning the meaning, use, and form of a language; we need also to reflect upon the fact that we are learning another culture, in order to think and fortify our own identity. Therewith, I would like to invite other groups to develop these sorts of trips and exercises, as we have done, for everybody to take advantage of the resources (although limited) offered by the university, such as transportation support. The main purpose of it would be to put into practice not only a target language, but also the values we have been losing or perhaps to create them. Finally, I want to thank Professor Claudia Nieto and Professor Ricardo Romero for their indispensable support and advice, as well as every participant and helper in this project... THANK YOU ALL!!!

THE JAPANESE TEACHER: INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR NAKANISHI

2011-02-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

Lina María Conde

linamaconde@hotmail.com

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

From 1994, Japanese volunteers from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have been coming to the Universidad Nacional de Colombia to teach the Japanese language. They usually stay for two years, but Professor Junko Nagaoka, who returned to Japan last December, stayed for three. We talked to Professor Fujio Nakanishi about his life in Colombia and the experience of teaching Japanese at our university.

Based on his students, Professor Nakanishi's opinion about the Universidad Nacional is that it is an outstanding University, but he said that he regrets the fact that he has not had the opportunity to talk to other teachers very often. Anyway, through his experience at this University, he said that one of the things he likes the most is its free character and the respect to freedom that students and professors show.

Before coming to Colombia, Professor Nakanishi was vice-president of a Korean company that makes car parts. Before that, he was working for NISSAN in Mexico. In order to communicate with his Mexican partners, he began to study Spanish. Professor Nakanishi, who loved the study of Japanese since he was in high-school, started considering the idea of becoming a Japanese teacher due to his experience in Mexico. Furthermore, when he was in Korea, he taught Japanese to his partners at the company he was working at. He also studied to become a Japanese teacher and now he has the certification to do it. Later, he came to teach Japanese at the Universidad Nacional, as a volunteer from JICA.

He said that teaching Japanese is a very interesting job taking into account that the presence of Japanese culture is very reduced in Colombia; "it is incredible to see how students become interested in this language and study so hard to master it" he said.

Professor Nakanishi is living peacefully in Bogota; he does not miss many things from Japan, solely for the soy bean curd, which is very difficult to get in Bogota. He said that he did not have any problems to get used to the life in Colombia; except for the traffic of the city of Bogota, he enjoys living here. He expressed that he finds the weather of Bogota really convenient. "It is true that Japanese seasons are beautiful, but when the summer comes, it gets too hot and you lose the will to work. On the other hand, winter is so cold that you simply do not want to go out. But Bogota's weather is different, because you can go out whenever you want, it is very nice" he said.

Professor Nakanishi has still one year in Bogota and he said that during this time he wants to talk more to Colombian people and get to know more about Colombia. We hope he enjoys this year he has with us.

STUDYING A POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME ABROAD

2010-11-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

Yoana Cristina Pinzón P.

ycpinzonp@unal.edu.co

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

Many people would say that studying abroad would be something perfect for you. Is it really so? Consider the following questions:

• What is a postgraduate degree?

It is a program of study taken following the successful completion of an undergraduate, or Bachelor's degree. It will usually lead to a Master's degree, although postgraduate certificates are also available. PhD degrees and MBAs are advanced postgraduate awards. A postgraduate program can allow you to specialize in your chosen field. It can allow you to enter your career at a higher level than a Bachelor's degree would. Or it can simply be a stepping-stone to further education.

• Why would you study abroad?

Are your reasons related to money, academic needs or cultural interests? If it is money, you should think of the value of the specific qualification in your own country. Will your qualification be recognized? It means, Will your salary pay back for your investment and effort? If it is because of your academic needs, you might think of the programme content. Will it meet your needs? What about the methods? How will your progress be measured? What about the training available in research? How much guidance will you be given? Is the programme a long established, well respected one? What about the quality of the teaching and the reputation of the Department? But, if your reasons are related to cultural interests, what you should think is about the country, the language, the location and facilities. Do I want to become more proficient in the language of the country? Do I want to travel and see the world? Would you prefer to study in the countryside or in a city? Would it be better to participate in a cultural exchange programme?

• What is the process you should follow?

Universities and Colleges offer a wide selection of postgraduate programmes and choosing the right department can be j ust as important as choosing the institution and programme. As you weigh up your options, consider the following steps:

The admission

ü Make a list of Universities and programmes of your interest

ü Find out if you meet all the requirements for entry

ü Get information about the educational system of the country

ü Think about the essays, exams, recommendation letters and translations.

ü Mail applications and other requested documents in order to get the admission (3 or 5 Universities)

ü Write a letter or e-mail with the following information: names, date of birth, mailing address, nationality, educational level and the available funds.

ü Wait for a positive answer (If your request is rejected, try again) Send thank you letters.

The Exams (Language Proficiency and Admission tests)

TOEFL: www.toefl.org

TESTDAF: www.testdaf.de

IELTS: www.ielts.org

GRE: www.gre.org

PELF o DALF: www.delfdalf.ch

GMAT: www.gmat.org

Costs and Financial Aids

The main costs when studying can be divided into tuition fees and general living expenses. Tuition fees vary from one institution to another and also from year to year. You could reduce your living expenses by sharing a private house or flat with other students, buying your food at local markets instead of at supermarkets and shops, choosing a bank that offers the best services to international students and by buying books or other materials at the second-hand shops. Remember that if you live in a city, you will generally spend more on living expenses than living in a rural location. You also have to think of the cost of documents, translations, exams, application, visa, plane tickets, and health insurance.

• What scholarships are available?

Scholarships are widely available for postgraduate studies. But finding them is not easy. It takes a good deal of research, patience and organization. Most Universities and Colleges offer postgraduate study scholarships and there are various other international organizations, governments and voluntary agencies that award scholarships.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization offer schemes for students from developing countries (see: www.programalban.org, www.eurodesk.org and www.europa.eu.int/)

Governments frequently have established schemes for postgraduate students:

Canada

www.cbie.ca

www.stsycanada.ca/colombia

www.aucc.ca

www.embajadacanada.org

France

www.unal.edu.co/ori

www.mal217.org

www.universia.net

United States

www.fullbright.edu.co

www.studysa.com

Germany

www.daad.de

www.daad.de/idp

Mexico

http://becas.ser.gov.mx

Italy

Brazil

Great Britain

Colombia

www.colciencias.gov.co

CAPITAL LETTER 6: EDITORIAL

2010-11-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 6

Noviembre de 2004

More than a role to play

If we ask kids at schools or our students at university to portrait life the way they see it, we might be surprised and even shocked by their vision. Their perception of society is permeated with violence, war, inequality, family rupture, and death. How could it be different if that is precisely what they are living?

It seems we are dedicating our time and energy to ignore t/ie other and to step on him/lier without any further consideration. Brothers attacking each other from different sides of the same river, mother and children challenging the right to command the other without considering feelings and needs, citizens ignoring their duties and pushing on the weakest, governments failing to respond to the innermost feelings of their fellow men.

Children are the future of a country. Young adults are the buds of a generation that is opening. We adults in turn are the result of previous generations with all their strengths and weaknesses. If we are the mirrors from which children and youngsters are taking models, we are in urgent need of revising what we are providing for future generations. With our attitude we might spark a light of hope amidst the dark night the society in general is wrapped up in.

With our honest work and dedication we can plan for a brighter tomorrow. Let us not forget the role we definitely play in the life of people who pass by and consequently in the creation or destruction of our society.