“In the future we won't need teachers — we'll all be able to study on line ..." (1)

I'm sorry, but that simply isn’t true. You’ve got a point that most subjects we want to study are available on the Internet, but it doesn’t necessary mean that we won´t need teachers in the future.

Many people do learn languages, cooking, history or drawing through apps, by using online classrooms or watching tutorials. We actually look for resources on the net to improve our skills, but not because we want to replace teachers with machines. I personally feel that a teacher is absolutely essential. If you want to succeed you need someone who encourages you through your struggles and this is better if you can keep eye contact with them and feel human affection.

A free, open online course is very attractive to enroll in but, according to experts, more than 90% of people who register in these courses don’t finish. I myself know quite a few examples of people who started a course online and after a short period of time they found it boring and dropped out.

Teachers will never disappear, not until learning online holds students’ attention as teachers do. On the internet we can find a huge amount of information, but a teacher is much more than a “purveyor of knowledge” — he or she provides you with values, too.

Esther Cáceres – C1.1

Describing myself (3)

My name’s Victor Manuel, but everyone calls me Victor. I’m 43 years old. I’m Spanish and I live in a small village near Granada (Moraleda de Zafayona).

I’m going to tell you about myself. I’m a civil guard and I work in Granada. I’m married and my wife’s name’s Almudena. I have two beautiful daughters. Their names are Nadia and Irina. Nadia, who’s 14, is the older, and Irina’s only 9 years old. I also have a small brown dog. Her name’s Cory.

Regarding my physical appearance. I have short brown hair but I’m beginning to have some grey hair. I also have brown eyes. I’m medium height and thin.

I think I’m a positive, friendly and serious person. My friends say I’m very kind but I don’t think so. My boss tells me I’m very hard-working.

I like going to the gym, cycling, running, swimming, walking and I do all of them. I don’t like football. When I can, I like cooking for my family. I don’t usually watch television but I watch a comedy film with my family once a week and, finally, I like pop and rock music but I don’t have any favourite singer or group.

Víctor Guerrero - 2º B

Describing myself (2)

Hello. My name’s Victoria Gracia, but you can call me Vicky. Actually, I think everybody calls me Vicky. I’m 24 years old. I’m from Spain. I live with my mother and my brother in Loja.

At present, I’m working as an assistant pharmacist in Loja. It isn’t my dream job, but I like it and I need to save some money. Also, I’m taking care of a boy some hours every week. In relation to my studies, I’m studying English at the English school of my town.

I have long straight red hair and brown eyes. I think I don’t have big eyes, but they aren’t small. I’m a bit overweight and fairly tall too.

As regards my personality, I’m clever and hard-working. I think I’m serious and shy but I’m kind too. I’m not really generous, but I help people when they need it. I think I’m a good person.

When I have some free time, I like watching films or series online or on TV. I love comedies and crime films. I sometimes watch English film or series. It’s good for my English progress. At weekends, I go out with my friends. We love going to the cinema and having a drink.

Vicky Velasco - 2º B

Describing myself (1)

My name's María Julia but everyone calls me Julia. I'm 51 years old. I'm Spanish and I live in Loja, a town in Granada, but I was born in a town in Córdoba. I've never lived in another country.

I'm going to tell you about myself. I do clerical work and I work in a court. I like my job, but sometimes it's not easy. I live with my husband and my children, a boy and two girls. They’re teenagers. I haven't a pet because my dog died a week ago.

I have long straight brown hair and dark eyes and my nose is very ugly. I'm a bit overweight, so I always want to go on a diet but I never do.

Nowadays I think I'm a friendly and extrovert person, but when I was a young girl I was shy. I'm very talkative with my friends, but I'm serious in my job.

From Monday to Friday I work in my job only during the morning and I go to English classes on Monday and Wednesday in the afternoon, so I don't have much free time and when I have it, I like to do sports, watch TV and go out with my family anywhere.

Julia Cobos - 2º B

Opinion essay: Pollution

Nowadays, climate change is a global concern. Statistics show that carbon emissions, produced for example by cars, are higher than ever before. For that reason many ecologists claim that people should be forced to travel by bicycle rather than by car for all short journeys. Personally, I believe that obligating people to use bicycles is not the way to reduce carbon emissions.

Firstly, is widely known that when governments force people to do something by law, sometimes it produces a feeling of disagreement. Furthermore, it is impossible to obligate citizens to use only a mean of transport without taking into account personal situations such as disabilities or illnesses.

On the other hand, there are several things that can be done to reduce travel pollution instead of forcing people to use only bicycles. Government can encourage for example the use of public transport and car pool companies.

Moreover, long distance travels produce much more carbon emission than short journeys. In the last decades, low cost tourism has increased the number of travellers and their carbon footprint. In addition, food miles, the distance that food travels due to globalization has also a huge environmental impact.

In conclusion, I believe that it is necessary to change not only the way people make their trips, but also the whole globalized system. If people were to change their consumption habits, pollution would be reduced in the future.

Opinion essay: Travelling by bicycle

People should be forced to travel by bicycle rather than by car for all short journeys

It may be daunting to wrap your head around the idea of powering your own transportation, but those who have done it before, call it the best way to travel. Referring to short journeys, there is no doubt that bicycling is way better than traveling by car.

First and foremost, I am convinced that compared to other travel forms, biketouring is one of the most affordable and ecological way to move around. There are neither petrol bills nor transport costs. Also, bicycles are easy to maintain and produce no pollution, which means that their use lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Furthermore, as a person who loves photography, I have noticed that the flexibility of cycling offers special advantages. The bike gives me the opportunity to get forward and to be independent. At the same time, I have the freedom to get into remote areas, to stop everywhere and find the perfect perspective to take a picture.

Despite the fact that riding a bike can be risky when it comes to cycling next to cars and there is a danger of being hit by one, you can minimize it by looking for roads or trails less travelled. It is true that car noise can be very annoying and sport in the fresh air, without car fumes, is even healthier.

In conclusion, I certainly believe that bicycle experiences will not fade quickly, and the landscapes will become more memorable, because I have to fight for them by myself and not just see them passing by while I am driving my car.

Laura Rivera Delgado - 5ºB

In a twinkle

It was a warm and quiet summer night, and a group of lifelong friends were comfortably sitting in their armchairs, having some alcoholic drinks on the spacious terrace of a busy bar when Peter yelled excitedly at the rest of his mates for not having ever arranged to go on holiday abroad all together.

They used to think through where to travel and what famous and popular places to go sightseeing, but that unexpected night, on the spur of the moment, they made a snap decision that would change their lives forever; go to the exotic and heavenly Caribbean islands. - Done!- Peter whispered.

None of them had ever been there before, so they were as happy as Larry and their throats as dry as a bone. For this reason, they raised their glasses in a toast to celebrate it.

The following day, almost all of them had decided to book a package holiday with a well-known travel agency, but two of them that had been hesitating until the last minute, but in the end they did it. The travel agent told them that they had to pay the total amount in advance if they were into it and they agreed.

- The longed-for day had arrived, at last! - Peter shouted with joy. Their travelling friends were going to pack their suitcases, but finally they didn’t do it because Peter got some bad news from the police; they had been cheated by a gang of thieves and all their money had vanished into nothing.

It had been the most surprising thing that had ever happened to them, and probably ever would.

José Luis Ruiz Arroyo - 5ºB