Melissa...

Assignment #5/Acronyms Melissa Roldán

2008-11-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

Acquiring Acronym
Acronyms are both very popular and very important in the English language. It makes our speech & writing more efficient. It is important to learn the meanings of acronyms, so you can more easily understand the language. You use many acronyms when communicating on the internet, such as: lol (lots of laughs), btw (by the way) & wtf (what the fuck?).Translate the following acronyms:

Translate the following acronyms:

1. CNN: Cable News Network.
2. UFO: Unidentified Flying Object.
3. SCUBA: Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
4. IBM: International Business Machines.
5. VHS: Video Home System.
6. DVD: Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc.
7. SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.
8. LASER: Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
9. RADAR: Radio Detection And Ranging.
10. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
11. FAQ: Frequently Asked Question.
12. CD-ROM: Compact Disk - Read Only Memory.
13. DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
14. JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group.
15. ATM: At The Moment.
16. BCE/A.D.: Before the Common Era /After Death OR Before the Christian Era /After Death.
17. EU: European Union.
18. NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement.
19. 4WD: Four Wheel Drive.
20. AWD: All Wheel Drive.
21. CIA: Central Intelligence Agency.
22. FUBAR: Fucked Up Beyond All Repair or Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition
23. FIDO: Field Integrated Design and Operations. (NASA)
24. ABS: Anti-Lock Brake System.
25. TLC: : Tratado de Libre Comercio

Assignment #4/Early Modern English & Modern English Melissa Roldán...

2008-10-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Branagh & Emma Thompson in Henry V
go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Modern_English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakepeare
answer: the following questions on your blogsite
due: Sunday October 19th, 2008

1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.

The great vowel shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language...

2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.

American english, Australian english,British english,Canadian english,Caribbean english...

3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?

Samuel Johnson (England)
Nora webster (American)

4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?

53 countries

5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:
I. First language? II. Second Language?

First language 380 mill

second language 600 mill

6. When was Early Modern English spoken?

used from about the end of the Middle English period (the latter half of the 15th century) to 1650

7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?

The change from Middle English to Early Modern English was not just a matter of vocabulary or pronunciation changing: it was the beginning of a new era in the history of English

8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?

Indo-European, Germanic,West Germanic,Anglo-Frisian, Anglic.

9. Name 4 worldwide uses for Modern English

10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of Modern English around the world? Why?
11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare's writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare's plays?
12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.
13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.
14. In which town was Shakespeare born?
15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?
16. Even though Richard III is the most performed play, Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous play. In you opinion, what does this portion of Hamlet's famous soliloquy mean:
To be or not to be, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,...
17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.
18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?
19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?
20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.

Assignment # 3: Middle English Melissa R.

2008-09-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight
read: article pages
answer: the following questions on YOUR blog site.
due: October 1st, 2008
Clearly Identify: Assignment #, title & your name (last, first)

1. Approximately when was Middle English spoken?

spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century

2. What were the major factors which led to the development and the spread of Middle English?

When the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press into England by William Caxton in the 1470s, and slightly later by Richard Pynson.

3. Match the following Old English words with their Anglo-Norman equivalent:

A. Pig - pork
B. Cow - beef
C. Wood - forest
D. Sheep - mutton
E. House - mansion
F. Worthy - honourable
G. Bold - courageous

4. Compare & contrast the structure of nouns, pronouns and verbs, between Middle English & Modern English.

-Nouns
Despite losing the slightly more complex system of inflectional endings, Middle English retains two separate noun-ending patterns from Old English. Compare, for example, the early Modern English words engel (angel) and nome (name)

- Verbs
As a general rule (and all these rules are general), the first person singular of present tense verbs ends in -e (ich here - "I hear"), the second person in -(e)st (þou spekest - "thou speakest"), and the third person in -eþ (he comeþ - "he cometh/he comes"). (þ is pronounced like the unvoiced th in "think"). In the past tense, weak verbs are formed by an -ed(e), -d(e) or -t(e) ending. These, without their personal endings, also form past participles, together with past-participle prefixes derived from the old English ge-: i-, y- and sometimes bi-. Strong verbs form their past tense by changing their stem vowel (e.g. binden -> bound), as in Modern English.

- Pronouns
First and second pronouns survive largely unchanged, with only minor spelling variations. In the third person, the masculine accusative singular became 'him'. The feminine form was replaced by a form of the demonstrative that developed into 'she', but unsteadily – 'ho' remains in some areas for a long time. The lack of a strong standard written form between the eleventh and the fifteenth century makes these changes hard to map.

5. How is pronunciation different between Middle English and Modern English?

Generally, all letters in Middle English words were pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts but continued spelling conventions.) Therefore 'knight' was pronounced /ˈknɪçt/ (with a pronounced K and a 'gh' as the 'ch' in German 'Knecht'), not /ˈnaɪt/ as in Modern English.

6. What is the Chancery Standard, and how did it come into effect?

Chancery Standard was a written form of English used by government bureaucracy and for other official purposes from the late 14th century. It is believed to have contributed in a significant way to the development of the English language as spoken and written today. Because of the differing dialects of English spoken and written across the country at the time, the government required a clear and unambiguous form for use in its official documents. Chancery Standard was developed to meet this need.

7. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?

Geoffrey Chaucer

8. Describe the medieval pilgrims who journeyed from Canterbury to London.

On an April day, a group of medieval pilgrims set out on a pilgrimage from London to Canterbury to pay their respects to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
represented. Religious characters, such as a monk and a pardoner, travel alongside a sailor, miller, carpenter, and a knight, among others. When the group stops for the night, the host of the pilgrimage proposes that they all tell stories to each other along the way

9. Why did the pilgrims take this journey?

to pay their respects to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral

10. It is thought that some of the stories in The Canterbury Tales originated in Italy. What was the name of the Italian book and who wrote it?

The Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio

11. The Canterbury Tales is considered an extremely important book, both in terms of English Literature & in the history of English writing. In your opinion, why is this book so important?

Because The Canterbury Tales is among the first English literary works to mention paper, a relatively new invention which allowed dissemination of the written word never before seen in England. And also the religiuos importance that this story has.The Canterbury Tales can also tell readers much about astrology

12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is:

d. A medieval romance poem, with Arthurian themes.

13. Who is Sir Gwain?

He is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table.

14. What is the challenge that The Green Knight proposes to the Knights of the Round Table?

He offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day.

15. What is the similarity between Sir Gwain and the Green Knight and the Irish tale of Cúchulainn?

the challenge of beheading

16. What is the importance of the pentagram/pentangle in the poem?

The poem describes the pentangle as a symbol of faithfulness and an "endless knot". It is described as "a sign by Solomon". Solomon, the third king of Israel, in 10th century B.C. was said to have the mark of the pentagram on his ring, which he received from the archangel Michael. The pentagram seal on this ring was said to give Solomon power over demons.The symbol was also associated with magical charms which, if recited or written on a weapon, would call forth magical forces. However, concrete evidence tying the magical pentagram to Gawain's pentangle is scarce.

17. How are numbers used to symbolize events in the poem?

The poet highlights number symbolism to add symmetry and meaning to the poem. For example, three kisses are exchanged between Gawain and Bertilak's wife; Gawain is tempted by her on three separate days; Bertilak goes hunting three times, and the Green Knight swings at Gawain three times with his axe. The number two also appears repeatedly, as in the two beheading scenes, two confession scenes, and two castles. The five points of the pentangle, the poet adds, represent Gawain's virtues, for he is "faithful five ways and five times each". The poet goes on to list the ways in which Gawain is virtuous: all five of his senses are without fault; his five fingers never fail him, and he always remembers the five wounds of Christ, as well as the five joys of the Virgin Mary. The fifth five is Gawain himself, who embodies the five moral virtues of the code of chivalry: "friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety". All of these virtues reside, as the poet says, in the "Endless Knot" of the pentangle, which forever interlinks and is never broken. Thus, the poet makes Gawain the epitome of perfection in knighthood through number symbolism.

18. What is the significance of Sir Gwain's neck wound?

During the medieval period, the body and the soul were believed to be so intimately connected that wounds were considered an outward sign of inward sin. The neck, specifically, was believed to correlate with the part of the soul related to will, connecting the reasoning part (the head) and the courageous part (the heart). Gawain's sin resulted from using his will to separate reasoning from courage.
19. Which actor played The Green Knight in the film adaptation, Sword of the Valiant?

Sean Connery.

20. In many ways this poem is, in the modern sense, a soap opera. Compare Sir Gwain and the Green Knight with a modern Chilean teleseries.

2008-09-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

answer: the following questions
1. When was Old English spoken?

the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century.

2. Name 4 language groups which influenced the development of Old English.

England and southern Scotland west Germanic language, old Frisian,old Norse

3. In the Phonology section, name 5 phonetical differences between Old English & Modern English.

-fricative(labiodental)= f (v)
-fricative(dental) = θ (ð)
-fricative(alveolar)= s (Z)
-affricative(postalveolar)= tʃ (dʒ)
-fricative(palatal) = (ç)

4. Are there any similarites between Old English and Modern English? Name them.

old english should not be regarded as a single monolithic entity just as modern english is also not monolithic

5. In the Orthography section, enlarge the picture of the runic alphabet. How many letters (runes) are there in this alphabet?

There are 34 letters in this alphabet.

6. Which epic poem was originally written in Old English?

Beowulf was originally written in Old English.

7. In the See Also section, click on: Beowulf. Appoximately when was Beowulf written?

dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between the 8th[1] to the 11th century.

8. Even though Beowulf was written in England, the story takes place in which countries?

Beowulf was written in England, but is set in Scandinavia.

9. In the poem, which 3 antagonists does Beowulf battle or fight against?

Grendel, a Dragon, Grendel's mother

10. What happens to Beowulf at the end of the story

Beowulf and his warriors come to fight the dragon, but only one of the warriors, a brave young man named Wiglaf, stays to help Beowulf, because the rest are too afraid. Beowulf kills the dragon with Wiglaf's help, but Beowulf dies from the wounds he has received. In addition, the immense hoard of the dragon is buried with the hero.
11. Who was the author of Beowulf?

Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship, dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript.

12. What were the titles and the dates of the two film versions of Beowulf?

Beowulf has been adapted a number of times for other novels, theater, and cinema, including the 1999 film Beowulf (1999 film) with Christopher Lambert and Rhona Mitra, the 2005 film Beowulf and Grendel and the 2007 animated film Beowulf directed by Robert Zemeckis.

bye..

2008-07-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

this year was really interesting, have been a big change because it's all new for me, I realized THAT IT'S NOT SO EASY AS THE SCHOOL WAS.but is better i have known very many nice people that i help myself.

bye see you next semester.

mely...

my classmates

2008-07-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

This year I have known Many persons who have been fundamental in this first year, classmates and teachers.

my classmates have been very important this year because was so hard for me, Also some teachers have been of great help.

Winter Holidays !!!

2008-07-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

Next July 12 we go out of holidays after the first difficult semester.
i hope that the next semester is even better.

i 'm exiting for start the holidays,.. I need peace And to prepare myself for that it comes.

Chequen mi Slide Show

2008-07-02T11:01:00.001-07:00

My expectations like future teacher

2008-06-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

My expectations are: that the students could communicate with the language, also I would like to look for new forms of education in order that the class is easy and active.

myself

2008-05-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hey!
My name is Melissa Roldán,I'm 19 years old, I live in Idependencia
I study English pedagogy at ucinf university.I want to be a professor of English because of two things I like languages, and I like teaching and helping people.

My experience as a student

2008-05-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

My experience like student of English has been good. The most difficult thing for me is grammar.And what I like most is phonetics it has been easier because I like it.