Blog dedicated to the exchange of views and impressions about Brazil and the U.S. by prospective English language teachers in Londrina (UEL) and high school students in Minnesota.
Monday, December 20, 2010
A few thoughts from the Bloomington group
Here are a few of the things that the American students felt stood out as memorable among the discussions:
• Brazilian foods, all the wonderful tropical products, and popular national drinks and dishes, such as capirinhas, feijoada, and pastel.
• The geography of the country through images and video and the influence of the Portuguese in language and culture, contrary to the common notion in North America
that Spanish is spoken in Brazil, as it is in Brazil’s neighboring countries.
•The difference between the two school systems, different kinds of classes hours
and shorter school days in Brazil than in the U.S.
•What it is like to teach and learn English in Brazil and the challenges they face.
•A comparison of holidays traditions and different celebrations such as Day of the
Dead (Finados) and Dia do Saci in Brazil, along with the different cultural influences behind them (Portuguese, African, and Brazilian indigenous)
•The history of Londrina and the story of Redfoot (Pé vermelho)
Thanks for participating everyone!
Happy holidays!!!!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Goodbye and thanks!
Thanks so much for all the information about your ways of living and about your country and different cities! I really learned a lot from you guys! I guess this will be a long break for you guys and I hope that you enjoy it!!! I can't wait to be off from school for awhile! Hopefully you thought this was fun, I know I did, it's always fun to learn about a new place and new people! It's sad that this is our last post! So long!
- Taylor
FILO
The Londrina International Festival is the oldest on the continent and an important part of the cultural history of our country created in 1968.
Known for presenting shows of recognized artistic value, aesthetic and critical reflection, every year FILO transforms into a stage for great artists, ideas and expressions.
In addition to the great displays of the various trends of contemporary arts, the festival carries programming focused on vulnerable communities and excluded from the creative process to democratize the production, access and enjoyment of cultural services.
Inclusion of cultural communities and vulnerable and excluded groups is the proposal of the cultural projects developed since 2000 as a way to stimulate inventive potential and allow the expression of creativity of these groups, they become creators.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_IvSr4fhK4&feature=fvst
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Thanks for Teaching!!!
Sincerely,
Yinyin H.
Hey
ADDIOS !!!!!
welll goodbye miss you already !
Goodbye
Hi guys
Happy Holidays
Sincerely
Jason Dominguez
BYE!!
Chet, calvin, and Foley
GOODBYE :)
; Roidely & Jossie
So long brazilians
it was a pleasure to get to meet you all
we have learned a lot from you about brazil.
we are interested in visiting someday.
i hope you guys learned some of the traditions and things that we do in the U.S.
i hope you guys have a nice vacation and enjoy the holidays.
Hekmat & Esra'a
xoxo
good bye
Mandy and Jenna
GOODBYE!!!!!!
Goodbye to our net friends
Have a success on your learning.
Student of JFK
Goodbye :)
Take Care,
Rancell & Heidi
GoodBye !
- Allegra!
Hey Whats up?
cya
tyler ted knase
Monday, December 6, 2010
" I'm a Red Foot "
HISTORY
CULTURE
I love Brazilian culture.
xoxo
Mayara.
Education in Brazil is a very delicate subject.
As we are teachers or future teachers, education is an important issue for all of us. We are aware about the problems that we’re going to face while teachers.
There are lots of things to change on our country when we talk about education, but there are some programs nowadays to prepare the teachers better, to help the students and encourage them to study. It seems to be a small change, but I hope it can be the beginning of a great transformation in here.
Talking about some practical things, here in Brazil we have the "Ensino Médio" that's similar to high school on US. At this period, many students dedicate themselves to pass the "Vestibular", which is a test that we have to do to go to University. It goes like this: If there are 20 vacancy for a course, like law for instance, and there are 100 students trying this vacancy, the first 20 one that have best grades can get the vacancy. These tests generally start with questions about general knowledge ( almost all the subjects we've learn at school), then, the second part is based on the subject related to the course you have chosen.
That's it.
Mayara.
About USA
Friday, December 3, 2010
My city
Adamantina is a Brazilian city located in the northwest of the state of São Paulo.
Founded: 1948
Elevation: 401 m
Population: 34,218 inhabitants (update: 2004 IBGE Census)
Area: 411.78 km²
As you guys could see, my city it's really small in relation with the others ones.
We don't have cool things to do there, but we try. The only thing that I still do when I go there is swim, because you guys dont have any ideia how hot is there.
It's really far from Sao Paulo the capital, like 593km to be more especific.
My gradpa was italian and I have the Italian passaport, he was one of the most italian the comes to Brasil when the WAR II, was happening. My family has until today coffee plantations and a coffee shop.
I hope you guys like it.
XOXO
ANA
watz good!!! (What's good)
Jordan, J-will
Londrina
HELLO
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The History of Bloomington, in Minnesota, USA
As you were telling us the history of your cities. I also want to share the information that I know about Bloomington.
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County, and the third core city of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern metro area.
Bloomington, considered by many to be a bedroom community, has more jobs per capita than either Minneapolis or St. Paul.Its economy includes headquarters of major companies such as Ceridian, Donaldson Company Inc., HealthPartners and Toro. The city is a hospitality and retail magnet, recognized nationally for the United States' largest enclosed shopping center, Mall of America. It is presently the only suburb in the south metro to be served by the Hiawatha Line.
In 1839, with renewed conflict with the Ojibwa nation, Chief Cloud Man relocated his band of the Mdewakanton Dakota from Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis to an area called Oak Grove in southern Bloomington.
In 1843, Peter and Louisa Quinn, the first European settlers to live in Bloomington, built a cabin along the Minnesota River. The government had sent them to teach farming methods to the Native Americans. Gideon Pond, a missionary, who had been following and recording the Dakota language from Cloud Man's band, relocated later that year, establishing Oak Grove Mission, his log cabin. Pond and his family held church services and taught the local Dakota school subjects and farming.
Following the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851, the territory west of the Mississippi, including Bloomington, was opened to settlers. A group of pioneers settled Bloomington, including the Goodrich, Whalon, and Ames families. They named the area Bloomington after the city they were from, Bloomington, Illinois, which means "flowering field."
See you soon!!
World history 1st hour
Yinyin H.
Public Health System in Brazil
This system is only 21 years old and its theoretical foundations are very solid and complex. However, due to the large and growing number of users of the system, the quality of care and the volume of financial resources are still insufficient and inconsistent with the ideal of the SUS.
Brazil is mapped in small regional health authorities and municipalities are primarily responsible for population health. The main focus is on prevention and health promotion, but also shares of medium and high complexity are developed through the SUS.
One example of high complexity is the national regulation system of transplants, which currently is developed and paied exclusively through this public system.
Silvia Karla
Cultural Aspects
In the Northeast we have dances, parties like the BUMBA MEU BOI, MARACATU, and FREVO CAPOEIRA. The typical features the SARAPATEL, a kind of stew, haggis, seafood, cassava cake, among others.
In the Midwest we have the CAVALHADAS. The cuisine is of indian origin such as chicken and fish as a PACU with PEQUI.
In the North the popular festivals are the NAZARETH’s TAPER, THE BOI BUMBÁ FESTIVAL OF PARATINS. The cuisine in this region is also of indian origin and brings cassava, fish, alligator meat and buffalo mozzarella.
In the Southeast there are festivals like the Divine’s Party and RODEOS. The cuisine brings cheese, bread, beans, bean stew and porridge.
In the south, the cultural origin comes from portuguese, spanish, german and italian immigrants. Some cities still celebrate the traditions of the ancestors in traditional festivals, like the Grape Festival (Italian culture) and Oktoberfest (German culture), the fandango of Portuguese influence and Spanish, and tape congada stick. In cooking are present: room mate, shrimp, fish porridge, roast duck and wine.
Silvia Karla
Weddings
I think this is an interesting cultural aspect to be studied.
Another interesting question is the celebration of marriage. In Brazil, most of these ceremonies take place in Christian churches on Saturdays. After the ceremony, it is common for the couple to receive their relatives and friends at a party that includes dinner, music and dance, throwing the bouquet, a tribute video and sometimes the party goes until breakfast.
Many couples formalize their union only through civil registration, others celebrate and receive their friends in a unique environment, a small ranch or something like this.
Silvia Karla.
USA Culture
BYE NOW !!! ( :
About Londrina? Not!
Teaching English in Here
Brazilian Culture
Education In Brazil
Brazil x Usa
Brazil, which we expect to have to show pride
Really a country the size of Brazil has many tourist attractions and an extraordinary cultural diversity.
Brazil for tourists - click
But Brazil has not only tourist attractions. Brazil is the largest economina Latin America, with major cities
Financial capital of Latin America - click
We are well aware of our social problems, but we hope that with the recent discoveries of oil in the layer called pre-salt, generate income that reaches the population through better education, health, housing and employment generation
Renewable energy and the future
National technology - overcoming challenges
As major countries in the world we are big producers of plant foods, meats, fish, fruits, minerals.
I hope that this contact arouse the curiosity in you search on youtube for more videos.
bye Young.
Back to school...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
What I know
I really enjoy the songs and singers like Beyonce, Chris Brown, etc..
I think the really cool show "Everybody Hates Chris" is very interesting and funny.
I'm always updated, always seeking information about what is occurring outside of Brazil and always access the New York Times, is a great site that always has some information.
That's it.
xoxo
Mayara Melo
The importance of teaching english
I think teaching this language, from my own experiences, is something students expect to be cool and exciting and they expect to somehow use this language in their daily lives.
To reach their goals, they must feel intrested in learning the language, so we try our best to make that happen so they will feel more and more comfortable in using the language. I think teachers must know how important it is to teach these students in a way they´ll get more easily inserted in a world where they find english everywhere. It is important for us teachers to know and have always in mind the fact that we play much important roles on that when teaching these students so we can contribute for the goals both us and the students have set in teaching and learning the language.
USA-Brazil
I´d like to tell you now something I love about USA.
First of all, I´ve known some people from US and they´re real nice people, i´m realy glad to have met them all because i´ve learned a lot with them!
Secondly, US series and music are famous all around the world and it´s not any different down here, so yes, most of my favorite songs series and tv shows are american ones.
I think that doesn´t happen with me only, but to a large percentage of people here in Brazil. I tihnk US has a huge connection with Brazil when it comes to entertainment and I believe also causes a huge imapact in Brazil´s economy when it comes to importing products and when it comes to commercializing between the two countries.
why I decided study english
So, when I entered in a language institute I was 11. The classes of english at school had started and I coldn´t understand nothin and my teacher was the worst!I cryed every time that I tried do my hw because I was afraid of just have zeros in my english grades!
I learnt that is very important that the teacher knows how teach, it isn´t just enter in class , write in the board, give hw and whatever! Is necessary knows wath are the dificulties of the students, be paciente and comprehensive..
That´s all!
kisses
Jundiaí! A nice city to grow up in.
To be honest I'm not very good at descring it, so I'll post some photos so you can get a better idea of Jundiaí!
Take care!
=)
a view of one of the busiest avenues in Jundiaí
a view of part of the city
the oldest catholic church, which is downtown
'serra do Japi' a small forest that surounds part of the city. It's protected by the Brazilian government.
History of our city - Londrina
Londrina
State of Paraná - Brazil
General data of Londrina:
Altitude: 610 meters
Main economic activities: trade, industry, finance and services.
Relief: Slightly rolling
Vegetation: Mixed Forest
Climate: Subtropical humid
Average Annual Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius
History:
Brazil has freed itself from Portugal in 1822. Portugal owed money to bankers of England and to accept our Independence, we were forced to pay that debt. Since then England has received a lot of our natural resources as part of the debt.
We’ve never get rid of these debts because they were always made new loans or even because Brazil used to send raw-material for cheaper prices and buying British manufactured goods far more expensive.
In 1924, Brazil's foreign debt with the bankers was huge and we were late with their payments. That same year, as a result of delayed debts we had to receive in Brazil a group of experts sent by the British Bankers creditors. These technicians were led by Lord Lovat and had came to study our land and how to best take advantage of them. With his experience farming and forestry, Lord Lovat became very interested in buying our land because the soil was fertile and the vegetation was very rich in natural woods.
In 1925 he founded the Northern Land Company of Parana. This company divided the land in parcels, overturned part of the forest, opened roads and organized the division of space in urban and rural lots that were sold. Antonio Moraes de Barros, João Sampaio and Arthur Thomas were some people who participated in the organization's Land Company North of Paraná to the starting of work.
In early, London was called GOLD MINE OF BRAZIL, CITY PROGRESS, MIRACLE CITY, ELDORADO, among others.
This propaganda, coupled with other reasons such as poverty and the hope of better life, have prevented many people from all over Brazil come to buy land or seek work in London. Besides the Brazilians also came Germans, Italians, Japanese and others.
So on December 10, 1934 was created the city of Londrina, which could mean Little London, or Daughter of London, as more recently have preferred to call the experts.
Along with the disappearance of the forest over the years, also the inhabitants of these lands, the Kaingangs indians were exterminated. Today there are just tens of Indians and they’re living in poverty in isolated areas.
London was once known as "capital of coffee." Today is the second largest city of Paraná State and Third of South of Brazil.
Tourism: (I'll post the photos)
Igapo Lake
Public Square Mata dos Godoy
Art Museum of Londrina
Salto Apucaraninha
Historical Museum of Londrina
Acoustic Shell
Monument: The Passenger
Public Square Arthur Thomas