Can you learn a language online?

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill grabbed headlines last October in deciding to offer its introduction to Spanish classes exclusively online.

The increase in high-band Internet access at home, revolutionary software programs like Skype, and an explosion of convenient online opportunities have combined to force brick-and-mortar universities to compete in cyber educational arena.

Online Language Learning Works?
While some subjects like calculus and history may be adaptable outside the traditional classroom, what about languages?

Modern languages can indeed take their rightful position along with other university classes online.

While not privy to the setup of the Spanish classes at UNC-Chapel Hill, introduction classes for any language are delicate. Students need to be able to listen and mimic the language to speak it. Thus, a heavy audio and/or video component would be necessary.

From experience, as both student and teacher, online courses are customarily divided into self-contained modules in which students are exposed to new material every week. Homework is submitted by school-based email using Blackboard or another content management system.

In the case of a language program, students could record an audio file and upload it for the professor to grade.

And for office hours? Fire up Skype or MSN. My Skype ID is professorwinn. Notice the Skype button in the lower right column.

Conclusion
A pioneer in online education was MIT's Open Courseware Project. Its free modern language offerings include Chinese, French, Spanish, and German. Unlike the UNC Spanish class, no university credit is given.

Other institutions have joined MIT's lead as learning a plethora of subjects online becomes a reality.

Spanish and Portuguese speakers also have a key to online courses via Universia.

Have you taken a language class online? What was your experience?

*** If you are in São Paulo and need English lessons, or Elite English Services including translations (Spanish/French/Portuguese to English), please contact Professor Winn by sending an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation. Buy your English-language texts today!

Suben 16% el precio de los medicamentos/16% increase in medicine

Spanish - English Translation/courtesy of Professor Winn

The good professor also translates Spanish, French, and Portuguese to English.

The following article from Argentine medical blog, BlogSalud (HealthBlog), always is a good read to keep up to date on medical issues and terminology. It is well-written and well-respected. The cost of medical care and medicine continue to affect developed and developing countries alike.

Suben 16% el precio de los medicamentos
16% increase in medicine

Laboratorios logran venia de Moreno y suben 16% el precio de los medicamentos
Laboratories get Moreno’s permission and raise the price of medicine by 16%

El incremento previsto para 2010 se llevará a cabo en tres etapas. Algunas firmas ya pusieron en marcha la primera, con alzas del 6%. El resto sería en julio y octubre.
The expected increase for 2010 will come in three steps. Some companies have already taken the first with a 6% rise. The rest would come in July and October.

La novela por el aumento de las cuotas de la medicina prepaga todavía está lejos de llegar a su fin, aunque por si le faltara algún condimento al segmento de la salud, ahora apareció una nueva disputa.
The saga of increased costs of prepaid medicine is far from over, as if the health sector needed a new dispute.

Los laboratorios comenzaron –y con éxito– una rueda de negociaciones con el secretario de Comercio Interior, Guillermo Moreno, que les permitirá incrementar los precios de sus medicamentos un promedio del 16 por ciento.

Laboratories began – with success – a round of negotiations with Interior Commerce Minister Guillermo Moreno allows increases in the prices of medicine by an average of 16 percent.

***
If you are in São Paulo and need English lessons, or Elite English Services including translations (Spanish/French/Portuguese to English), please call Professor Winn at 6214-1511 or send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation.

Buy your English-language texts today!