Typical end-of-the-year parties... I will caption them all some time soon. Meanwhile, take a peek at my students having fun prior the holidays

And these are the guys whom I am helping graduate from our school this year

2013 in my country: the year of major Brazilian demonstrations

Inspired by “Occupy Wall Street” , millions of people took over the streets in almost every 
city and town in Brazil to protest against the bus fair, the national  social and economical crisis.

Demonstrators chanted “Stop with the corruption, or else we will stop Brazil”– Brazil has been a country with countless corruption scandals among politicians for years and years and nobody has ever been trialed and sent to jail. There is clearly no law enforcement for wealthy criminals. 

The demonstrations started in mid June and ended by November, 2013. 
Teachers were treated like this.

I have already been to other demonstrations in my country, 
but these ones were the best example of the power of social media network

“To protest is not a crime. We are together”: millions of demonstrators marched in major cities on pre-scheduled dates through the web. Cardboards, tags, signs, they all claimed for justice and no to violence.

V for Vendetta masks were everywhere.

Among all capitals, Rio de Janeiro had the largest demonstrations of all. Something really breathtaking.

Photo from Belo Horizonte. Saddly some young students died 
as a result of violent acts during the demonstrations.

The reception by the Police wasn't very cuddling.

Demonstrators were taken away and sent to the nearest Police Station 
for interrogations or more physical abuse.

Brazilian Costs: “The World Cup Fifa = R$ 28 billion, 
Olimpyc Games= R$ 26 billion;  Corruption = R$ 50 billion; Minimum Monthly Wage = R$678 ; 
and do you still believe that we are demonstrating here against the bus fair?"

Brasília: Hundreds and hundreds of demonstrators in the capital of my country. There have never been some many honest people in the House of  Representatives in Brasilia. 

They all sang the National Anthem.

“If it doesn't change by voting, we will make it change in the streets"

Bombs, gas, and pepper spray were used to combat the demonstrators. A huge shame for Brazil.

Maria Hortência Brito, 19 anos, is pregnant and she protests too. Photo taken in Recife.

Protests in Curitiba.

Brasilia, the capital

Maceió, in Alagoas State: “Education. Health. Security. I want!”

Me and my former student Elen Uez. The photo is blurry and to make it worse,
it was pouring down in Caxias do Sul, south of Brazil, 4 degrees celsius on June 20th, Friday.

In Rio de Janeiro, protestor holds a sign against police  brutal enforcement  and she wears a mask and  goggles to protect her from possible gases , rubber bullets, or pepper spray. 
"Police, your oath was for the country, not for the government"

Majority in Rio de Janeiro State is against the governador Sergio Cabral

Rio de Janeiro: Policeman attacks a demonstrator with pepper spray.

Protestor holding a photo of Giuliana Vallone, a news reporter that was shot by the Police

Rio de Janeiro City

São Paulo.

Brasília - Congress House, or house of representatives

Violent acts in the demonstrations got out of hand as a 
response to the ignorance from some members of the enforcement.

The only weapons demonstrators had were sticks and stones, but no shields.

From June to November, Brazil staged some peaceful and not so peaceful demonstrations that ended in isolated tragedies. This is NOT the country we want. This is NOT the Police we need.

Source: http://marciokenobi.wordpress.com/editorial-eu-nao-vou-para-a-copa-do-mundo/

How to Become Fluent in English Language

Today's post is a composition that I developed while I was taking college courses at Saint Petersburg College (SPC)- a community college located in the west coast of Florida - USA! There, I majored in Creative Writing. My degree from that great school helped me understand "English Learners" from my own country and many others. Having studied this language at SPC, as teaching it is my today's way of living, gave me the basis to sustain my empowerment while facing students of all levels here at my school, in my country.

"I believe that any person can become fluent in English language." Fluency classes can bring good results. The tool is to join a learner with a strong will power with a decisive tutor. Certainly that living in an English speaking country helps a little more because, this way, one is needed to use that language throughout the day, for weeks or even years. Although, I think fluency is made possible by practicing English at anytime, anywhere.

In case of fluency classes, it is important that the student has a vast vocabulary and so he/she will accordingly build sentences with the English grammar premises. In other words, having advanced English knowledge is far from being useless. The ideal class is to allow him/her to speak freely without interruption, as in a real situation so that the learner will soon become fluent and will communicate without hesitating.

Gathering new vocabulary also helps to enhance all types of conversation. The student must feel comfortable with the topics and also see a short list of vocabulary related to each topic on the board. However, it is difficult to conquer fluency by only listening and not much talking. The tutor and the student must meet in person and both must keep a “normal” conversation, something with true feedback. Therefore, the tutor should make him/her talk freely, write down the learner’s most common mistakes and catch up with them afterwards. This is usually the way, but a new way can also meet the learner’s need anytime is agreeable to both of them.

How long might it take to start feeling the progress? An average of 20 hours of official class time, and 40 extra hours of tutoring and assignment time. Combining writing and reading is fundamental for the improvement. By taking the next step, it won't be any regrets! It is time though to start reading more complex books, magazine articles and reflect about his/her own speaking. It is very interesting to meet someone from another culture too, someone who actually is a non-native speaker. This way, the learner will find out whether he is speaking accurately. Everyone enjoys that!

It is interesting and stimulating as well to turn this process a bit more extroverted. Like How? By watching movies, listening to music and recreating in class true life situations, such as being robbed, having lost an important document, meeting an old friend at a bar or by having forgot how to get back home. <>
What if the person who has been tutored already speaks pretty good English? They may need help with particular vocabulary, pronunciation or their confidence. I'll always match myself with someone whom I will gain from his/her knowledge. Even here, at Saint Petersburg College, many college tutors come from a non-English-speaking background and they do help me a lot more than those from English speaker countries. They understand my difficulties way easier and that makes me feel extremely comfortable to count on them.

I have looked for fluency myself. I know how hard that is. Thus, I must expand my knowledge because I look forward to gaining total proficiency with this language. I have been in this country for a short period (five months only) and I have found out that I need something else. I have needed more than I ever imagined. I should definitely speak in a faster speed. When I get this, then it will be the right time to feel part of this new community, meet new people, and offer help to another newcomer! Everything that I have always wished for."

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