Christiano — Portofolio #2

Differently from what some people may say, living in a cosmopolitan city like Sao Paulo is a pleasure for me due to all sorts of job opportunities, the variety of entertainment offered, and the opportunity to stay close to my friends.

First, living in a city with so many job offerings is very pleasant for me. The city of Sao Paulo, according to IBGE, is the one with the highest numbers of employees in Brazil, and the most variety of professions too.  (Here you would need more specific numbers. You could take a look at Larissa’s portofolio for you to see how deep you are supposed to get.) From doctors to dogwalkers, anyone in Sao Paulo can have a job opportunity and this is a positive point in this city, which really appeals to me.

Second, the local entertainment industry is another aspect that makes me a Sao Paulo`s lover. A huge variety of restaurants are available to Sao Paulo inhabitants. High quality French , Italian, Japanese, American food can be found easily in different places in Sao Paulo. (Here you would need specific examples.) The same idea applies to cultural issues. All sort of plays and movies have been shown in Sao Paulo and there are real opportunities to have fun every day, like My Fair Lady, Beauty and The Beast, The Phanton of the Opera, As favas com os escupulos, and many others. This entertainment industry is unique and makes my days in Sao Paulo much more enjoyable.

Finally, the opportunity to stay close to my friends is the most important aspect of living in this city. In my opinion, friends and family are the most important asset that we have in life. Dinners with friends, Sunday lunch in my mother’s house remind me of how rewarding it is to live in the place that you born where I can really call as a home. (Again, here Cristiano, you would have to include an example of spending this time with your friends and family here in São Paulo, and how such habit fulfills you as an individual.)

Cristiano,

On the last two days of the Writing Course, we teachers do not give students feedback for two reasons: everyone gets to turn in late work and the number of compositions for teachers to give feedback to is overwhelming. Second, since it is the end of the course, anyway, there is no reason to provide suggestions for a rewrite since there will be no rewrite. So here are your grades based on the quality of your work on the SECOND paragraph since this portofolio piece did not have to be an essay.

Content: 5/5

Structure: 5/5

Vocabulary: 4.5/5 (Your text could have been a little more sophisticated)

Grammar: 5/5

Mechanics: 4.5 (There were quite a few words that were mispelled.)

Total: 24/25

Christiano,

I am quite pleased at how much your writing has developed this semester as far as presentation of your ideas go. Your paper is more structured, and your thoughts make a lot more sense. Now, the next areas for you to work on are vocabulary sophistication (your writing still sounds a bit basic) and also grammar and mechanics. You have made some silly mistakes that need a grammar review. I would strongly suggest you buy an exercise grammar book like Raymond Murphy’s Grammar in Use and start doing the exercises on your own (It comes with an answer key.)

 Rick

Grace — Portfolio #3

French gastronomer, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarian, said it in the early 19th century, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are.” It is not necessary to snoop into someone´s life to know one person. By just asking about his food habits, we will be able to find out his religious background, financial status and personal lifestyle.

What we eat is influenced by our religious beliefs. The majority of religions affect human habits. One of them is related to our nourishment. These religious beliefs dictate what we should and shouldn´t eat. For instance, the Bible says that it is forbiden to consume blood under any circunstances. Thus, some Christians, who are devoted followers, don´t eat anything mixed with blood, like raw meat or dishes like sarapatel, which is made with blood. Therefore, we can discover the person´s religion just analyzing his food habits.

Our financial condition can determine what we eat, because food can serve as a classificatory measurement tool. The food habits between the poor and the rich are different not only because of cultural aspects, but also related to the kind of food that we can and cannot afford. For instance, the difference between airline meals between first class and economic class are a classic example. While the first class eats salmon, the economy eats cereal bars. Thus, what we eat can be a consequence of our financial conditions.

 Finally, it is possible to discover the person’s lifestyle by their food as well. Our food habit is also influenced by the way we live. And because of that, the food industry considers these characteristics when they launch new products. One good example is organic food, which is produced without chemical components. This lauching is a response for those looking for a healthy and natural lifestyle. Therefore, our lifestyle is another element that can influence what we eat.

Grace,

On the two days of the Writing Course, we teachers do not give students feedback for two reasons: everyone gets to turn in late work and the number of compositions for teachers to give feedback to is overwhelming. Second, since it is the end of the course, anyway, there is no reason to provide suggestions for a rewrite since there will be no rewrite. So here are your grades based on the quality of your work.

Content: 5/5

Structure: 5/5

Vocabulary: 4/5 

Grammar: 4/5

Mechanics: 4/5

Total: 22/25

Grace,

I believe your writing has improved tremendously at every area since your very first entry in this course. If you go back and take a look at your earlier work you will agree with me. Congratuations And keep up the good work

Rick