Distance Learning

In the old times an educated person was considered to be someone not only out of the ordinary, but also needed to be rich as well. Thankfully, years have passed since then and education is now widely available to a large percentage of us around the globe. Although However/ Nonetheless, many were kept away from their studies partly because of the distance, but mainly because of the time needed to acquire a university degree. So/ Therefore, during the last few years a new form of education has manifested itself/ appear been presented. And ever since the distance learning has been the subject of many heated arguments/ debate.

Many praise the idea of distance learning since it gives the opportunity of an education to someone, who would otherwise be unable to gain it. Distance learning makes it possible for someone to attend a university course, even if it is located in another continent. In this way/ Thus/ Hence, someone will not have to relocate or spend thousands/ a fortune on commutes, rent and various bills just to get (educated) an additional degree. Yet another advantage of this particular kind of learning is the flexible timetable that allows anyone on the fly to attend their desired course by simply arranging their class schedule on their own and not having to subdue to a demanding and uncomfortable one. Additionally, in this way one can acquire useful computer skills and get familiar ized with modern technology, something that is increasingly asked for in a nowadays the modern workplace.

On the other hand, distance learning is a new form of education that not only is not fully tested, but also has a many serious confinements. By enrolling in a program like this, one must know the kind of experiences that will be missed out and would otherwise be part of regular face-to-face education. Firstly, in distance learning one does not have the opportunity to interact in real time with their tutor or their classmates (for that matter). In this way (do not repeat!) a huge part of learning is left out: the part where people get to discuss not only (repetition!) what they do not understand but also their concerns and beliefs. By that/ Consequently/ As a consequence, a huge part of interpersonal relationships is sacrificed in the name of web cameras, emails and virtual chat rooms missed. Furthermore, it is much more possible for someone to (opt out of a class) drop out/ quit making an effort and, as the lack of immediate interaction may cause for someone to lose sight of their actual goal, which is to enrich their your knowledge and acquire a degree.

It In a society where we claim to have fully embraced every technological achievement, there is still the taboo of being educated through the Internet. Personally, I believe that distance learning offers a vast potential to learners (has thousands possibilities), but as always time must pass before it is fully (socially?) accepted.

                                                                                             Costas

Online tests and other links

Here is a list of links aiming at helping present or future candidates as well as teachers in their exploration of online resources.

The main ECPE page (Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English)

Sample essays from the writing section: corrected by trained raters

Free grammar online quiz on examenglish.com

Free online reading, cloze, grammar and vocabulary tests on www.fullspate.net

More links here:

http://markaki-students.blogspot.gr/2009/11/useful-ecpe-links.html

Speaking topics and vocabulary

Great suggestion: Check out the vocabulary for these speaking topics ---->

http://www.ieltsspeaking.co.uk/ielts-vocabulary/

The webpage may be about another certificate, but still is very useful to us, too! 

Enjoy! :-)

The importance of music for youth

  In the recent years, a debate has been going on about whether rock and pop music influence the youth in a harmful way and whether they should be banned. There is no doubt in my mind that those kinds of music should not be forbidden (for the following reasons). 

    That kinds of music are not excruciating and detrimental to young people; in contrast, they help them think ing further. To start with, most songs convey a lot of messages which make people think (stimulate thought) in a different way, sometimes even stopping them being selfish and egocentric. As a result, they help other people who may suffer or have tough problems to overcome these hurdles (how? what do you mean exactly?) (punctuation marks: commas and full stops???). Moreover, another reason why pop and rock music is important for young people is that they get their minds off from their passive routine and they chill out  without thinking of their problems and difficulties that they have to cope with. For instance, they will stop thinking of unbearable situations that they may find themselves in, such as giving explanation for not doing something or apologizing for something they did, etc.

  Another beneficial influence of music is that makes people gather together. Young people interact with others of the same age that have the same interests and  listen to a particular kind of music. As a consequence of getting together, they discuss their worries and problems and they entertain themselves by singing or dancing together. Furthermore, teenagers create music groups in which they play musical instruments together and they compose their own songs as to have fun . Additionally, they sometimes rehearse songs either for a gig or music competitions; consequently (do not repeat!) they let off steam and they derive pleasure from joining in that performance.

 All in all, I totally disagree with the fact that the rock and pop music should be banned. I will always claim that music makes people come closer and share their emotions.

The Tallow Candle by Hans Christian Andersen

The Tallow Candle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen)

It sizzled and fizzled as the flames fired the cauldron.. it was the Tallow Candle’s cradle - and out of the warm cradle came a flawless candle; solid, shining white and slim it was formed in a way that made everyone who saw it believe that it was a promise of a bright and radiant future – promises that everyone who looked on believed it would really want to keep and fulfil.

The sheep – a fine little sheep – was the candle’s mother, and the melting pot its father. Its mother had given it a shiny white body and an inkling about life, but from its father it had been given a craving for the flaming fire that would eventually go through its marrow and bone and shine for it in life. 

That’s how it was born and had grown; and with the best and brightest anticipation cast itself into existence. There it met so many, many strange creations that it became involved with, wanting to learn about life – and perhaps find the place where it would best fit in. But it had too much faith in the world that only cared about itself, and not at all about the Tallow Candle. A world that failed to understand the value of the candle, and thus tried to use it for its own benefit, holding the candle wrongly; black fingers leaving bigger and bigger blemishes on its pristine white innocence which eventually faded away, completely covered by the dirt of a surrounding world that had come much too close; much closer than the candle could endure, as it had been unable to tell grime from purity – although it remained pristine and unspoiled inside. 

False friends found they could not reach its inner self and angrily cast the candle away as useless.

The filthy outer shell kept all the good away – scared as they were to be tainted with grime and blemishes – and they stayed away. 

So there was the poor Tallow Candle, solitary and left alone, at a loss at what to do. Rejected by the good, it now realised it had only been a tool to further the wicked. It felt so unbelievably unhappy, because it had spent its life to no good end – in fact it had perhaps sullied the better parts of its surroundings. It just could not determine why it had been created or where it belonged; why it had been put on this earth – perhaps to end up ruining itself and others. 

More and more, and deeper and deeper, it contemplated – but the more it considered itself, the more despondent it became, finding nothing good, no real substance for itself, no real goal for the existence it had been given at its birth. As if the grimy cape had also covered its eyes. 

But then it met a little flame, a tinder box. It knew the candle better than the Tallow Candle knew itself. The tinder box had such a clear view – straight through the outer shell – and inside it found so much good. It came closer and there was bright expectation in the candle – it lit and its heart melted. 

Out burst the flame, like the triumphant torch of a blissful wedding. Light burst out bright and clear all around, bathing the way forward with light for its surroundings – its true friends – who were now able to seek truth in the glow of the candle. 

The body too was strong enough to give sustenance to the fiery flame. One drop upon another, like the seeds of a new life, trickled round and chubby down the candle, covering the old grime with their bodies.

They were not just the bodily, but also the spiritual issue of the marriage. 

And the Tallow Candle had found its right place in life – and shown that it was a real candle, and went on to shine for many a year, pleasing itself and the other creations around it.

Phrases and grammatical phenomena for stunning and amazing essays.

Grammatical phenomena.
- Inversions.
(Hardly do people believe...)

-Subjunctive.
(It is for great importance (that) (subject) +bare infinitive...)

-Conditionals-mixed,normal

-Inverted Conditionals
(1st-Should you....,...)
(2nd-Were you...., ...)
(3rd-Had you...,...)

-Participle Phrases
(Having been in his place, I know how hard time he is having.)
(Having been me in his place, he still doesn't think that I am trustworthy.)

Useful Phrases.
-To begin with...., Taking all into consideration... , A case in point is that....,For instance..., As an illustration...., This is clearly illustrated by....., As far as I am concerned..., Apart from..., For this reason...., Hence...., Consequently..., Thus... and many more that you have to discover by yourself!!!!! and remember The more you know, the more you know!!

Essays

Useful essay-phrases:

• One argument in favour/against of..
• I am inclined to believe..
• In the light of this evidence..
• Taking everything into consideration,
• There is no absolute answer to the question of...

Useful grammatical structures for essays

• Causative: have (in all tenses) + object + past participle
• Subjunctive: (advise,recommend,suggest,etc) + (that) + subject + (should) + bare infinitive
• Wish/If only: wish + past simple ~~ wish + past perfect ~~ wish + subject + would + bare inf.
• Passive voice: be(in the correct form) + past participle
• Modals: must/mustn't/ can/can't/should/etc. ~~~ Most of the modals + bare inf. = present
                                                                               Modals + have + past participle = past

The negative and positives effects that parents may have on their children when they try to push them in a certain direction.

It is an undeniable fact that parents always want the best for their offsprings. In this pursuit, more often than not, parents put pressure on their children in order to achieve a variety of accomplishments which the former feel that they will help the latter in their future. However, at times, this can lead to what parents try to avoid, even faster from what they would think in the first place.

To begin with, on the negative side when children are pushed into succeeding, they could acquire / develop psychological problems. The more they would try to satisfy the unquenchable need of their parents for excellence, the more the older generation would demands from them. This, in some occasions, could generate a feeling of some kind of hatred or repulsion targeting their parents. The children would constantly wonder why they cannot just accept them for what they are, but they have to instill in them a feeling of perpetual need for distinction. ? Thus, if children cannot meet up the expectations of their parents, they are likely to feel that they are worthless and, as a result, develop would have low self-esteem. Then, feeling alienated from their milieu will happen in short time and will be a further burden in their psychological situation. (would is used for the 2nd conditional, when talking about something impossible or unlikely to happen)

On the other hand, parental pressure also has some positive aspects. One of the most glaring ones is the job prospects in their future. Some professions require devotion and discipline from a very young age to master them. Therefore, the earlier the children start to get involved with them, the better they will be when the time comes. A case in point is when the youngsters would like to become athletes. Should their parents push them into sports early, the former will have a better chance for achieving greatness. (great example!) What is more, having parental pressure applied, children are learning their different aspects of their self can discover hidden talents and they can take advantage of them. Hence, if the family of a child do not urge them to start dancing lessons, but the child has an innate,inborn ability at it, then how are they supposed to become aware of it by themselves?

To sum up, it is clear that both sides have their points. In many respects, it is like a double-edged sword; how much pressure and whether it should be applied or not will be eternal questions troubling all loving parents. However, I reckon it is all a matter of degree. A gentle,subtle push in the right direction could lead the children in the right direction without bringing on the surface any unwanted, negative implications.

useful expressions and grammar structures for a perfect essey

IDEAL EXPRESSIONS:

it is an undeniable fact that.../ it is generally believed that.../ I am inclined to believe that.../ it seems to me that.../ I am convinced that...

first of all,.../ to start with,.../ additionally.../ therefore.../ last but not least.../ for this reason.../ consequently...

there are some measures that should be taken./ to overcome this problem.../ to deal with this it would be a goob idea to.../ to alleviate the situation...

GRAMMAR STRUCTURES:

. Inverted conditionals

( e.g. Were I you, I would feel sorry for him. )

. Causative 

( e.g. My father had his hair cut yesterday.)

. Passive voice

( e.g. Knossos was discovered by Arthour Evans.)

. Subjunctive

( e.g. It is vital / essential / important / that he finish his studies by the end of the year.)

Composition:Phrases and Grammar

PHRASES:

~>to begin with,i would include .. to show...
 the second item i would include would be .. as a reminder of...

~>Some people.../first of all...,secondly..,moreover

~>Furthermore, this means that ,last but not least

~>All things considered,to sum up,in brief,what's more

~>this may lead to, a final consequence is that,I strongly disagree with, problems may also stem  from, in retrospect...

GRAMMAR:

~>relative clauses

~>conditional sentences

~>passive voice

~>inversions

~>sentences beginning with gerunds