IB Spanish text types: el póster

To start understanding what a poster is a good starting point can be questioning yourself. Try these three questions:
1. What is the most important/interesting thing from my poster?
2. How can I visually share my idea with my audience?
3. What kind of information can I convey during my talk that will complement the poster?
More things to consider when making a great poster:
- important information should be readable from about 10 feet away
- title is short and draws interest
- word count of about 250 to 500 words
- text is clear and to the point
- use of bullets, numbering and headlines to make it easier to read
- graphics, color and fonts help people understand your idea better
- consistent and clean layout
- includes acknowledgements, your name and institutional affiliation 

Remember that the IB enforces creativity, so don't be shy when comes to adding related features from related texts. 

What a poster reminds you of? Maybe a pamphlet? brochure? 

In short, to score full points in this format, the student must include [this is the very minimum]:

• Title

• Paragraphs (short)

• Visual (s) (image, photo, drawing...)s (short)
  - visual (image, photo, drawing...)

Resources:
- How to make a movie poster [web]
- How to make a poster [web]
- Text types [web]
- Text types: brochure [web]

Children are not good or bad, they are just that, children.

Lunaprofe 10/24/2016  2 comments

IB Spanish text types: la invitación

The key to write a perfect invitation is to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Keeping this in mind you'll be able to identify which are the key components you need to include. 
Basic information always needs to be there. As a telegraphic reminder:

• ¿Qué? [evento]
• ¿Cómo? [código de vestimenta]
• ¿Cuándo? [Fecha y hora]
• ¿Dónde? [Lugar]
• ¿Por qué? [motivo]  

Regarding register we basically have two different types: formal & informal.

Make sure you:

• include a reference to the person/group of people you are inviting

• structure your invitation in paragraphs

• include basic information (review the telegraphic reminder)

Invitación evento formal

#colegio     #escuela  #invitación    #formal

Estimada Sra. Palargo: Tengo el placer de comunicarle que su hijo ha sido seleccionado para uno de los premios que se otorgarán en la ceremonia de clausura de este curso escolar en el Hotel Trinidad, calle San Poque, número 28C a las 20:00. Nos encantaría poder contar con su presencia y la de su familia y nos llenaría de orgullo que usted o su esposo acompañaran a su primogénito a recibir su premio. Nos complacerá muchísimo su compañía en este evento. Me gustaría aprovechar la ocasión para recordarle que este es un evento de etiqueta. Reciba un cordial saludo, María Eugenia de los Toldos Directora de Secundaria CIS

Resources:

• Activity: writing + culture [pdf]
• Presentation on Invitations [web]
• Text types [web]

If we want to reach real peace in this world,

 we should start educating children.

Mahatma Gandhi

Lunaprofe 8/01/2016  No comment

IB Spanish text types: el ensayo

An essay... how many essays have we written in our lives? Hundreds, at least, very probably. But, sometimes is not easy to find a short definition of it. We could say an essay is just a writing piece where the writer express his/her ideas. For that, the most usual structure is:

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion

Now, that we have that clear, what else can be useful to write a good essay?

Simple things always work, like making sure you structure your essay in paragraphs, balance out your ideas and arguments, advantages and disadvantages... if you want to read the complete document with all advice and tips to write a good essay, click here. 

Ensayo:  El flamenco es un estilo de música multicultural y al mismo tiempo muy genuino y auténtico del sur de España. Tenemos numerosos ejemplos de artistas flamencos que han colaborado con artistas de otros géneros y que nos muestran las conexiones entre estos distintos tipos de música. Por ejemplo, B.B. King y Raiumundo Amador colaboraron por primera vez en el Festival de Jazz de Donostia. Este primer encuentro público dio lugar a más colaboraciones que fueron muy prolíferas. Otros estilos o géneros musicales no son tan dados a la fusión, por eso pensamos que el flamenco es un género abierto que ayuda al diálogo intercultural. El motivo del encuentro entre el flamenco y el jazz se puede personificar en Chano Domínguez, siendo el primer artista flamenco que consigue un estilo sólido y lo pasea por el mundo. También El Niño Josele y Jerry Gonzales han fusionado sus melodías con unos resultados espectaculares. Los ejemplos son infinitos, pero quizás, el estandarte de este camino que ha recorrido el flamenco mezclándose con otras músicas sea Paco de Lucía. Paco de Lucía representa la evolución del flamenco. Desde la introducción del cajón peruano, hasta sus increíbles improvisaciones con John McLaughlin y Al Di Meola. En resumen, podemos decir que el flamenco se puede mezclar con otras músicas y de esa mezcla puede salir algo nuevo, fruto de una conversación entre dos mundos distintos que se quieren entender. El flamenco es un estilo de música que conoce sus raíces y que añade lo bueno de otros estilos compatibles.

Resources:

• How to write your essay [pdf]
• Text types [web]

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. 

Learn as if you were to live forever 

Mahatma Gandhi

Lunaprofe 5/24/2016  1 comment

Text types: la carta formal

When writing a letter you must have clear who you are sending that piece of writing to and your purpose. These details will contextualize your writing giving you the necessary information to choose the correct format. Basically, we are looking at two different types: formal & informal. We could simplify this saying that a formal letter is a classic letter and an informal letter looks more like an e-mail [we'll talk about informal letters in a different post]. 

When you have these features identified make sure:

• your letter is concise and brief, this is not a literary text. 
• is organized in paragraphs, the information is accurate and solid. 
• you use full sentences and your vocabulary is polite and precise. DO NOT use abbreviations. 
• the punctuation is correct. Periods and commas are good fellas, give them an opportunity to show off. 

Resumen carta formal: saludo formal y despedida /( Estimado Sr/Sra... / Atentamente) Fórmula de encabezamiento (Me dirijo a usted con el objeto de ... ) Cierre adecuado antes de la despedida (Espero su respuesta...) Firma (tu nombre) Registro formal (uso del usted y formulas de cortesía)

Use these online activities to double-check you understood everything you need to know about this type of text:

• Cartas formales e informales [online activity] [teacher's info]
• Correspondencia formal [1, 2 y 3]

Expand your boundaries:

• ¿Cómo escribir una carta? Icarito [web]
• ¿Cómo escribir una carta? WikiHow [web]
• ¿Cómo redactar una carta formal? Universia-Chile [web]
• Tipos de cartas [web]

If you are interested in more tips and ideas on IB text types swing by here.

I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.

Abraham Lincoln

Lunaprofe 1/18/2016  1 comment

IB Spanish text types: Article

Writing skills have to be combined with text features deep knowledge to have the opportunity to score highly in your exams. Being a great writer also means knowing the specific features of each type of text to be able to reach the expectations of your readers and to make sure your intentions materialize on paper. That is the perfect combination to score highly in your Paper 2 and Written Assignment. 

The article is a very open, and therefore complicated, text type. It can be very heterogeneous in terms of features, audience, communicative goal and structures. But basically, you can divide this text into three different sections with two different intentions: 

1. Communicate information to inform your audience [objective] 
2. Express and opinion trying to persuade your audience about something [subjective]

There are so many different good resources out there that's why in this post besides attaching my documents I've made a compilation of what I think are the best resources available online. 

Types of articles

Goal: To inform a targeted audience. [Texto expositivo/informativo] This type of text is constructed to tell or advise you on something. Useful links: Essential information [Educastur] Structure [Cuaderno de Lengua] Example

Goal: To debate/discuss ideas. [Textos expositivos y argumentativos] To be able to debate ideas and convince people you will need to present the information and provide different perspectives, contrast information and express your opinion. Don't forget to include advantages and disadvantages, positive and negative sides of the argument... You will need to combine both types of texts and their features.

Goal: To express an opinion and/or have an impact on somebody's opinion. Artículo de opinión. [Texto argumentativo/persuasivo] Usually this type of text is written to make you do something: persuade about something, buy an item... Useful links: Structure Example Example of justifying your opinion [Educastur] Theory and Practice [University of Puerto Rico]

Expand your boundaries:

• Artículo [Wikipedia]
• Types of texts with activities [Lenguaparaeso] [pdf]
• Essential information on Articles [Antonio Luna] [pdf]
• Different types of texts [BBC]

Develop a passion for learning.

If you do, you will never cease to grow.

Anthony J. D'Angelo

Lunaprofe 10/26/2015  1 comment