Author Archives: admin

Deseos e Intención

Hay cosas que no debes hacer,
Y que no quieres hacer.
Cierto.

No tienes que hacer nada,
De lo que no quieres hacer.
Cierto.

No obstante.

Hay cosas que puedes hacer,
Aunque antes no lo creía.
Cierto.

Puedes hacer lo que quieres hacer,
Y no hay nada ni nadie que puedes detenerte.
Cierto.

Además.

Tus deseos son tuyos,
Y ellos forman tu propósito divino en la vida.
Cierto.

Tus deseos junto con la intención de verlos,
Son todo necesitas para volar como águila.
Cierto.

Deseos e intención pueden llevarte al cielo.

Semana Santa Marinilla Colombia

I began writing this post on Good Friday, which is called Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) here in Latin America. It is the holiday that is set aside to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. And in fact, I am writing these very words as I sit at my desk within my apartment here in Marinilla, Colombia, and the building I am living in just happens to be named Jesús Nazareno.

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is a BIG deal in all of Latin America, and here in Colombia is no exception. It is estimated that 86% of Colombians identify as Roman Catholic, and in this little Catholic town of Marinilla I’ve heard that as many as 95% of the community is Catholic. Other than a few Protestant churches and a congregation of Jehovah Witnesses, Catholics rule here. Marinilla is also well-known throughout Colombia for its extensive Semana Santa celebrations, programs, concerts, activities, and much more. This town also has a museum filled with nearly 3,000 crosses, crucifixes, and Christ figurines, which they claim is the most extensive collection in the entire world.

I am very appreciative of my Catholic upbringing, however I have never been one who is enamored with pageantry and pomp and circumstance, so at times this week I have wondered how many parades of Jesus statues throughout the town does it take to make people more devoted to God? Every day there is a different parade, sometimes multiple parades, making a slow procession to the Catholic Church that anchors the central plaza. Many people line the parade route, but there are just as many people in the bars and restaurants drinking beer and eating food as the parades pass by. Some of the parade participants seem focused and even devotional, but others look bored and tired and ready for it to be over. I guess that for the true devotee, if all this activity deepens your devotion, I want you to know that I am happy for you. Perhaps there are others who are sitting on the fence and just kind of living indifferently toward God, yourself, and your fellow human being … if these celebrations awaken your spirit, I am all for them. There may even be many people here who are put off by all this fuss, and who view it as an inconvenience and as a false show of righteousness … to you I say that I hope you will not let it discourage you from connecting more deeply with your Source. I myself am very grateful for the opportunity to be here to experience Semana Santa in Latin America, and I have enjoyed it … however, I honestly don’t know whether it has been for me a truly spiritual experience because I think that I am more inclined to sense God’s presence in stillness and quiet.

I wonder what God thinks about all of this? I expect that God honors and blesses it all, if for no other reason than the fact that this is what people want to do here at this time of year in this part of God’s world. God obviously made a multi-color, multi-racial, multi-religion, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual world … and I believe that it is all beautiful in God’s eyes. Not beautiful in the sense that anything that anyone does or believes contributes to a better world for all, but beautiful in the sense that God’s infinitive love is truly beautiful.

Teach English in Medellín Colombia

English is becoming essential all over the world. Moreover, someone who learns to speak English has better job prospects, earns more money, and enjoys a higher quality of life regardless of background or social status. However, often the opportunity to learn English is only available to those with higher incomes.

In January 2016, I plan to establish an English program in one of the lower income areas of Medellín, Colombia. Once I find a location, I will announce classes and volunteer to teach English for up to 4 months. Donations will be used to buy books and materials for the students.

If you would like to donate to this good cause, go to my Generosity.com page at http://igg.me/at/HlpT-40D6Y0

Thank you!

Keith

30 Ways to be an Excellent ESL/EFL Teacher

Do preliminary testing if possible in order to group students by language level.
Identify your students’ language goals and vocabulary requirements.
Choose your textbooks and resources carefully.
Bring enthusiasm for learning English to the classroom.
Establish your authority in the classroom from the beginning.
Learn your students’ names, and take an active interest in getting to know each student.
Always be culturally sensitive and aware, and show appreciation for the students’ native language.
Don’t be bound by the textbook, rather use supplemental materials as needed.
Prepare a lesson plan for each class, but be flexible and change focus in class as needed.
Explain what you are teaching, and explain why the topic/activity is helpful.
Make your instructions short and clear for each activity.
Speak clearly and with sufficient volume … speak slower as needed, but not too slow.
Don’t talk too much – limit Teacher Talk Time (TTT) to about 50%, depending on the activity.
Respect both “slow” and “fast” learners, and teach to their language level while motivating each student to reach higher.
Don’t try to force change on a student – allow them to be who they are, to use their own learning style.
Motivate your students with variety … turn some activities into games or competition.
Don’t overcorrect.
Allow time for spontaneous communication.
Be an encourager, and use humor to liven up the class.
Stay calm, and don’t exceed their own desire to learn … practice engaged detachment.
Be attentive to each student, and don’t show favoritism toward specific students.
Circulate among all the students.
Be fair and realistic in testing … and give each student honest assessments of their progress.
Develop the 4 language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing … teach these skills in equal measure if possible.
Become a grammar expert, and develop their grammatical abilities in each of the 4 language skills.
A large vocabulary never hurt any language student … the more words they know, the better.
Be reflective on how well a class went, on how well a term went … prepare future changes as necessary.
Keep it light, and be willing to laugh at yourself.
Be dedicated to always improving as a teacher.
Trust that you are an excellent and dedicated ESL/EFL teacher … and trust that the Universe is working through you.

Mejor Inglés – Better English

Inglés conversacional creará muchas oportunidades para ustedes. Sin embargo, los hispanohablantes se encuentran en desventaja competitiva porque la gente de otros países son capaces de hablar inglés mucho mejor que los hispanohablantes. Aquí hay un enlace a mi curso gratuito en Udemy.com titulado, “Los tiempos verbales de inglés para hispanohablantes,” https://www.udemy.com/english-verb-tenses-for-spanish-speakers/. ¡Los tiempos verbales son la clave para mejorar su ingles!

Conversational English will create many opportunities for you. However, Spanish speakers are at a competitive disadvantage because people in other countries are able to speak English much better than Spanish speakers. Here is a link to my free course in Udemy.com entitled, “English Verb Tenses for Spanish Speakers,” https://www.udemy.com/english-verb-tenses-for-spanish-speakers/. Verb tenses are the key to improving your English!