Student work

This page is dedicated to work done by my students of English as a Foreign Language at Escola E. B. 2,3 de Sto. António - Parede (Portugal).

Permission has been granted by each student-author.

I have introduced some corrections, though I have not corrected each and every mistake.

Click here to take a look at some delicious recipes from my two 9th grades! And then, why not try one out and send us your opinion/comment?

The text below is the result of a task-based assignment (described in The Euro is here to stay) that I gave my 9. A class (9th graders in their fifth year of EFL) on January 10, 2002. It was their first venture with me on an Internet-based task. While the first three groups were at the computers, the remaining two were doing a matching vocabulary exercise that I created with vocabulary I considered relevant from the five readings. When the last two groups replaced them, they sat at their tables doing the vocabulary exercise. I strongly recommended that all groups refer to monolingual or bilingual dictionaries available in class.

Some people say that Europe will never be quite the same after such a crucial step - the introduction of the Euro - and it is true: 12 countries, 300 million people will be forever connected by the same currency. As a matter of fact, it is the biggest monetary change in history.

The so-called E-Day (meaning Euro Day) takes place on the 1st January 2002 when the Euro started circulating officially. People from all of the twelve countries involved in this monetary change - Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain - will have two legal tenders for two months, meaning that for a period of two months the original currencies and the Euro are accepted as legal money.

The first weeks won't be such good times for armed robbers, because people will be much more alert. However, these weeks will be good times to be fooling around with people!

The European Union is an economic and political alliance of 15 countries. It was created 50 years ago, in 1951, when Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg and West Germany signed the Treaty of Paris, although this idea had gained practical expression in 1945, because of the need to rebuild after World War II and to ensure that such a conflict never occurs again.

Steel and coal were the two resources united by the Treaty of Paris, because this industries were fundamental to the waging of war.

In 1957 "The Six" signed another very important treaty in Rome. That treaty created the European Economic Community (EEC) better known as the Common Market.

Later there were more countries that joined the EEC and that has produced "an ever-tightening ring of mutual economic and political cooperation".

On the 1st January 1999 the Euro, the single European currency, was officially launched.

The Euro started circulating in 1st January 2002, but besides it there is also another important currency on circulation: the dollar. The aim of "the biggest currency conversion" ever in Europe is hope of greater economic prosperity.

The Euro it's a very good thing for tourists, because they can go to another country and they don't need change the currency. And business is lucky, because now exist one single market and they can compare pricing.

January 1, 2002 is defined by some as the day of "the real money-in-your-hands euro". The introduction of the Euro was "a huge task", because 50 billion coins were minted, 14.5 billion notes were printed and 3.5 billion vending machines have to be adapted.

We think that the Euro is here to stay, because it means that we are starting a new era.

The adoption of the single currency was decided by the governments of twelve nations of Europe: only the UK, Denmark and Sweden stayed out. England decided no to adopt the Euro for an economic reason. Of the three which prefer stay out, Denmark was the only nation which stay out by a democratic vote. Denmark decided to do a referendum about the Euro and the population preferred no to adopt the Euro for now.

In our opinion, in the beginning it was a little complicated to adapt to this new currency, and we confess that we had some doubts about the success of this new currency, but now we think it was a good decision to the evolution of our society.

The Euro is the brand new and only currency in Europe (not all) that came to our pockets in the 1st January 2002. The Euro it's consist of 7 banknotes (5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros), but in some countries, like Portugal, we don't have 200 and 500 Euros; and 8 coins (1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 Euros). Like I said before, not all of Europe is making part of the "single currency", only twelve countries.

In Portugal, like the other countries making part of the Euro, the two currencies are still in circulation (the old one and the new one). This type of circulation ends in the 28th February 2002. Until now, the people are making confusions, especially the old people. They complain that they aren't well informed about the new currency and can be "stolen" when they get change. For example, an old person pays a coffee in escudos and the waiter can give to him a wrong change in Euros.

In the European Union, the most populated countries are Germany with a population of 82 million and the UK with 59.1 million, but Germany has the most powerful economy. The most important bank is the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, a country with an important influence in the EU in spite of its small size. And the European Parliament is in Brussels, Belgium.

There are countries that are waiting to get into the EU: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia. There is a special case and a fragile relationship with Turkey, because they say that Brussels "is reneging on earlier promises". (Another situation that's a bit weird is that Japan wants to make part of the Euro, but unfortunately Japan isn't part of the European continent!!!)

Note: Did you know that you can wash your banknotes? In Germany, they make an experience with Euro banknotes. They put the notes in a washmachine at 30°C and nothing happened to them. The banknotes were washed and had a good smell!!!

I confess I'm a very good student, but I have difficulty in Geography and History. I have good marks and I participate very much. My favorite subjects are Physical Education, English and Maths - they are very cool. My friends are terrific, but sometimes they behave badly. I love school! (Patrícia, 7. A)

I like school because a big part of my friends go here and I have a computer room. Some teachers are very boring, but it is a nice school. I don't like homework because at home I like to rest and watch TV. (Pedro Godinho, 7. A)

I like school because it is fun. My class is very nice. My school friends are terrific and my teachers are very fun. The teachers teach very well. My timetable is very good. (Ana Sofia, 7. A)

I think the school isn't very great, but not very bad! My teachers and my colleagues are very nice. My favourite subjects are History and Visual Education, but I like the other subjects, too. I don't like P.E., but it isn't so bad. (Rita Félix, 7. B)

I like school because my teachers and my colleagues are very cool people. (Mírian, 7. B)

I like my school because I have good friends in my class. . . . Maths and Science are a piece of cake. But for History, Portuguese and a little of P.E. things get a little difficult. . . I must confess - some days I don't want to go to school, but I must. . . Just one more thing: sometimes in class I don't behave very well. (Roland, 7. B)

Hello! I'm Pedro. I like my school because of my friends and my teachers. I love Science and Maths. (Pedro Castro, 7. B)

Hello, my name is David. I don't like to have the lunch line. My colleagues are very good friends. I don't like English and Portuguese, but my teachers are nice. . . I like to play marbles with my friends. (David, 7. B)

I like school but sometimes it is terrible. . . My favourite subjects are Maths and History. I have good teachers and fantastic friends. But I also have teachers who are not nice. (Andreia, 7. B)

I like school, but sometimes I don't like to wake up early. I love my bed. I don't like my school very much - it is very ugly. . . . I like History, because I like stories from the past and I like my teacher. (Cláudia, 7. B)

I like school because I like my colleagues very much. The only thing that I don't like is to wake up at 7:50 - it is very boring. I like English, P.E., Maths, Visual Education and "lunch time". I have good marks because I always do my homework, study, behave well and many other things. At lunch time I eat, talk with my friends and play marbles. I don't like homework very much, but I have to do it. (Pedro Canto, 7. B)

In school I hate some work and the lunch line. I love the teachers and my colleagues. I have many friends, above all teachers. (Euzone, 7. B)

I like school, because I like my colleagues and my teachers very much. (Inês Pimentel, 7. B)

Classes are alright and the teachers are not bad at all. I love my colleagues -they are all nice. I think my school is small and old. . . My favourite subjects are English, French and Portuguese. I don't like Maths but I like the teacher. There is also the computer room - it's very cool. . . What I hate most is homework, of course. It's so boring, terrible and awful. (Rita Bernardo, 7. B)

I like school. My favourite subjects are French and Maths. My teachers are very nice. I confess it's the English teacher that fascinates me. (Sónia, 7. B)

My ideal school is more clean and with more results from the students. It has less lessons and more breaks. There are more good students, more teachers and more workers. But I prefer my school. It's so cool! (Patrícia, 7. A)

My ideal school is very clean and big. The teachers are very nice and the students, too. There is a students' room where we can watch TV. There is also a canteen and equipped lab. It is very good. (Rita Félix, 7. B)

My ideal school is a school where the teachers don't give homework and the staff are very helpful. And there is an olympic pool where we can practice sailing every day. The canteen is delicious and there's never classes on the afternoon. (Francisco, 7. B)