WR 8.2. My personal Quest for English

WR 8.2. My personal Quest for English 4 -5 levels 50 minutes

GOAL. To do some introspecting work to know how English is also part of your life.



English pride is part of our lives but we not always display the fierce defence of its presence in our lives. In this sheet we will assess how the process of writing evolves in shaping an interesting text.

WARMING UP.
TASK 1. Write the three texts you composed in English last year that you are more proud of.
Title readers, effort, feedback % satisfied?

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TASK2 . Choose the longest of the three, and answer these two questions.
Q1. Consider what part of the writing process took you longer: content, drafting, editing. Elaborate.
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Q2. Focus now on the drafting process. Which part took you longer to rephrase? Did you rewrite the beginning at the end? Elaborate.
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TASK 3. Imagine you are asked to write an assignment of 600 words with this approximative title: My personal quest for English. Complete the activities below.
1# How long would it take to write the piece? ..............................................
2# How long will you work on the content? 5 min / 10 min / 15 min
3# The tone of the text. Do you rephrase most of it? ...........
4# Which of the following titles would you choose for your composition:
➢ My English language learning traditional since 1995
➢ What I always wanted to write about and I was afraid to start
➢ Confessions of an obsessed English learner
➢ .......................................................................
LANGUAGE STUDY.
TASK 4. Read swiftly the text My personal quest for English written by Jordi G. in annex1. Then go ahead with the other tasks.

You will deal with some aspects of each paragraph. Study the use of generic statements, impersonalised, including the reader and the writer.
TASK5. Observe the changes in second version of this paragraph. Copy the changes you would accept and answer the question at the end.
There is a moment in our lives that we decide to go in reach for something we want. Be a friend, money, a goblet, a wife, or anything else... at that moment, the quest has started already and we don’t know where it will lead us.
There is a moment in anyone’s life where you decide to go after something you long for. Be a friend, money, a goblet, you name it. At this moment, my quest has started already and I don’t know where it will lead me.


Q1. Accepted changes: . .............................................................................................................. ........................................ ...............................................................................................................
Q2. Do you prefer the second version to the first one? ...........

TASK6. Observe the changes in second version of this paragraph. Copy the changes you would accept and answer the question at the end.

First fights were with words, pronunciation, listening,… the elemental things you must learn at first level. By then, I still had the illusion of learning fast. I thought I was cleverer as I really am.
I won some battles that gave me confidence, I could understand some English at least and acquired the ability to communicate with my classroom mates in English. Of course the words were the easiest ones and the sentences the elemental ones, but I was even able to read in English, and from 0% to some English there was a big progression. I thought it would have been always like this. This was the prelude of a big defeat.
First fights were with words, pronunciation, listening… the elementary stuff you must face at first level. By then, I still had the fading illusion of learning fast. I thought I was cleverer than I really am. I won some battles here and there that gave me confidence. I believed in myself as I understood the tapes in the classroom and acquired the ability to communicate with my classroom mates in English. Of course the words were the basic ones in adapted books and the sentences followed the essential grammar. As I was able to read in English having started from scratch, this showed a real headway. I gullibly thought this scenario would be the pattern in the years to come. This was the prelude of my big defeat.


Q1. Accepted changes: . .............................................................................................................. ........................................ ...............................................................................................................
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Q2. Do you prefer the second version to the first one? ...........
TASK6. Observe the changes in second version of this paragraph. Copy the changes you would accept and answer the question at the end.




Three years later I landed in the UK. Armed with few words, some colloquial phrases, a dictionary and the believing that people spoke there a bit better than my classmates, I was eager to communicate with native English speakers.

I didn’t think that that battle would be so hard and the enemy so arrogant. People there spoke to me with a language I didn’t understand. The enemy was fierce too. He didn’t want to make any effort to understand what I was trying to say with my, I can say it now, poor English. After three days I had to accept the defeat, my scarce weapons were not enough to deal with native speakers. I needed more practice, that was sure. The aim of the quest was further than ever.
Three years later I landed in the UK. Armed with few words, some colloquial phrases, a dictionary and the hope that locals spoke there a tiny little better than my classmates, I was eager to communicate with native English speakers.

I didn’t expect that the battle would be so harsh and the enemy so arrogant. People there uttered a somehow different code with strange consonants and weird vowels I couldn’t decipher. The enemy was fierce and not merciful at all. He didn’t want to make any effort to understand what I was trying to say with my, I can say it now, poor English. After three days I had to accept the utter defeat, my scarce weapons were not enough to deal with native speakers. I needed more practice, that was for sure. The aim of this particular quest of mine was further ahead over the horizon.




Q1. Accepted changes: . .............................................................................................................. ........................................ ...............................................................................................................
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Q2. Do you prefer the second version to the first one? ...........


TASK 8. Write your own composition with the title: My personal quest for English using some of the style features mentioned above