Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Unit 0: Introducing yourself


We (hopefully) know how to introduce ourselves in conversations and informal situations. Another way of introducing ourselves could be a blog like this (you can visit profiles of other bloggers and check it up).

In a more formal context, we use CVs as a way of introducing ourselves. Of course, these can also be very detailed or include just basic and general information.

Click on the following link to find a simplified CV. Here you can find the basic structure of a CV. It is Alex Stubb's, a Finnish politician who uses a blog to make himself and his work known to the world.

http://www.alexstubb.com/en/index.php?trg=info&id=21

TASK 1

Of course, you can also give the same information about yourself in a narrative form. This is going to be your first written task this year. Using Alex Stubb's CV as a reference, write your own CV as a text, with linkers, proforms and other elements not normally included in CVs. Don't use headings, such as "personal details, work experience, etc." Of course you may decide to omit or add information which you would or would not include in a formal CV. Write between 100 and 120 words.

TASK 2

You've probably heard or read about Finland's education system, as it is considered one of the best in Europe and a model for the rest of the countries in the European Union, Spain included.
Alex Stubb, as present Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, signs a short article about this in the summer number of the Finnair airlines magazine, called Bluewings.

Click on the following link
to access this magazine and go to the June issue, page 40 (sivu 40), where you can find the article in English. Read it and write down the vocabulary that you consider most relevant in the field of education. Then add your comments about the article in this blog entry.