Always remembers and understands that language is speech above all else and that ears are more useful than eyes in acquiring a foreign language.
Speaks English in class at all times - with the teacher and with fellow students; tries to speak English with the secretaries and other teachers, too, as a way to get even more practice and help to create a rich learning environment.
Is self-confident. Reaches beyond his capacity, risking mistakes when trying to convey an idea but is receptive to corrections.
Tries to reproduce pronunciation as close as possible, taking advantage of the teacher's performance model.
Tries to infer the meaning of new words rather than translating and flipping the pages of the dictionary.
Does not question the irregularities of the language in search of grammar rules. Tries to learn more inductively than deductively.
Is a player rather than a spectator. Participates as fully as possible in classroom activities; helps to build the English atmosphere; analyzes his or her difficulties and errors to understand language differences.
Asks questions; takes full advantage of the teacher's knowledge of language and culture, and joins all extra activities that the school offers.
Has perseverance rather than expectations.
Communicates his or her needs, suggestions and ideas directly to the teacher; a good teacher is always ready to improvise, helping each student achieve his/her specific language objectives.
Takes charge of his or her learning and commits time and efforts to it. For example, dedicates time outside class to English (watching English TV or movies, listening to English music, searching the Internet or reading in English, etc.).
from: http://www.sk.com.br/sk-gdstu.html
A leap year consists of 366 days, as opposed to a common year, which has 365 days.
During Leap Years, we add a Leap Day, an extra – or intercalary – day on February 29. Nearly every 4 years is a Leap Year in our modern Gregorian Calendar.
Leap Years are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the sun.
It takes the Earth approximately 365.242199 days (a tropical year) to circle once around the Sun.
However, the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year, so if we didn't add a day on February 29 nearly every 4 years, we would lose almost six hours off our calendar every year. After only 100 years, our calendar would be off by approximately 24 days!
* The year is evenly divisible by 4;
* If the year can be evenly divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year, unless;
* The year is also evenly divisible by 400. Then it is a leap year.
This means that 2000 and 2400 are leap years, while 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500 are NOT leap years.
Julius Caesar introduced Leap Years in the Roman empire over 2000 years ago, but the Julian Calendar had only one rule: any year evenly divisible by 4 would be a leap year. This lead to way too many leap years, but didn't get corrected until the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar. more than 1500 years later.
Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the history of this centuries-old holiday, from ancient Roman rituals to the customs of Victorian England.
The history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its patron saint--is shrouded in mystery.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
According to another legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today.
Did you know that nearly 150 million cards are exchanged each Valentine's Day? Or that more than 40,000 American are employed at chocolate companies? Explore these and dozens more Valentine's Day facts about cards, chocolate, flowers and candy, the hallmarks of St. Valentine's Day.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!
See ya =)
