Climate Change and the Rainforest

Hello students,
I'm guessing you've heard about the risk to the planet from climate change.  About a week ago, on an international day of action on climate change, hundreds of thousands of people marched in New York City.



There was also a march in Bogotá.  This week's reading is about an aspect of the climate justice movement happening in our backyard.
This story on the destruction of the Amazon in Brazil raises some of the major climate change and evironmental issues that are occurring in South America.  Read it, and respond to the following questions:

1. Is deforestation of the Amazon a problem in Colombia?
2. Do countries like Colombia or Brazil have a responsibility to protect the Amazon region when the major causes of climate change (greenhouse gases) come from wealthier countries  like the USA?
3. Do you know about any efforts in Colombia to stop climate change or protect the environment?

Internet Addiction

Hello students,
This week I'm posting a story about internet addiction, and the way China tries to cure it.  Read (and listen to the story), and respond to the questions below in the comments.

1. Do you think that using the internet for online gaming and social networking websites like facebook is a good thing, especially for children?

2. The story calls the internet "electronic heroin."  Do you think the internet is actually addictive in the same way as drugs?

3. Do you know anyone who has an internet addiction?

Is it good that English is the global language?

Hello students,
For this week's blog, I'd like you to watch this talk by Patricia Ryan, in which she says English study is too important.  Given that all of you are studying English, I'm very interested to find out what you think about it.  Please watch the video and then write your reaction and/or answers to the questions below.
I suggest watching the video with English subtitles; you can turn them on in the lower part of the video player.

1. Patricia Ryan says English knowledge can be a stop sign preventing talented people from following their dreams until they meet English requirements.  Do you agree?
2. Would the world be better if we all spoke the same language from birth, and you could communicate with anyone or read or watch anything without having to learn another language?
3. Is there an advantage to having many different languages in the world?  Should we be worried that a language dies every 14 days?

Please write your answers in the comments below.  I would suggest you write your answers in a MS Word document just in case there is a problem.  Also, it may help to click "preview comment" before posting it.

First Blog Discussion--The Police and Problems in the USA and Colombia

Hello students,

Welcome to our first blog post.  My goal is to use the blog as a forum for you to continue practicing your English by listening to, watching, or reading online sources, and then discussing them with your classmates.

You may have heard on the news about the death of a young black man, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, in the United States.  He was shot by a police officer who stopped him for walking in the street.  There have also been many other recent incidents in the US of black men killed by the police.  Many people have gone to Ferguson to protest police actions and racism.

This story from the Voice of America website discusses the anger against police actions.  I would like you to read/listen to the story and then comment on this post (also sign your name with your comment).  You can respond to the comments of others, or answer the following questions:
1. Police in the US have been criticized for seeing people from poor communities (especially young black men) as criminals.  What do you think about this?
2. Do police in Colombia stop people just because of how they look?
3. How do you feel about the police in Colombia?