Wonderful Destinations: Peru and Canada (part 1 of 2)

Dear student, this is a series of two postings related to our Travel English conversation studies. 
On the first part we will show you 4 videos of Peruvian travel destinations together with their corresponding audio transcripts so that you can watch the video scenes and also read along for better comprehension. 
We recommend that you watch the video first without reading the text, then read the text and watch the video again.  Afterwards you may wish to listen as you read for a few  times and finally read the text as if you were the announcer yourself!
We will show you places in Lima, the Inca trails, Machu Picchu and the famous Santa Catalina convent in Arequipa.
On the second part of this series, we will take a long jump across the skies heading north and land in British Columbia, Canada! Likewise the transcripts will be there for you to read along and practice your English.
Please visit our video corner on our website; there you will find a collection of similar videos to help you improve your English! Here is the link: 

http://www.englishmindset.com/apps/videos/

Please fasten your seat-belts and let your imagination take you to the wonders of Peru!   
Lima-Peru

Script from the YouTube site.
Lima, Its the capital city of Peru, and the only large city on the Pacific coast of South America.
With 8 million people living in the rain shadow cast by the Andes mountain range, Lima is the second largest desert city in the world, behind Cairo in Egypt.
Its now considered the gastronomic capital of the continent, with Peruvians proud to show off their unique cuisine.
Dozens of restaurants serve the national dish ceviche, using lime juice to cook raw fish and seafood.. Its also the birthplace of the novo andino movement that combines ancient Inca ingredients with the latest trends in high cuisine, and Lima now has the most cooking schools of any city in the world, with trainee chefs eager to learn the trade.
A string of gardens connect the financial, cultural and tourist areas of the city, leading down to the Parque del Amor at the top of cliffs overlooking the beaches and rolling surf of the Pacific coastline.
Paragliders float over the heads of surfers and fishermen who brave the rich cool waters of the Humboldt current for its abundant seafood.
Located on Perus central coast, Lima was founded by Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and was originally known as the City of Kings.
Colonial and Republican architecture adorn its streets plazas and churches, from the Cathedral and Presidential Palace on the main square, to the convent and catacombs of nearby San Francisco.
UNESCO declared Limas historic center a World Heritage Site in 1988.
The city guards its pre-Columbian past. The pyramids of Pucllana seem to sprout up from the heart of a wealthy suburb, and the mud city of Pachacamac lies a short distance away on the southern edge of Lima.
These ancient monuments stand in contrast to the cutting edge skyscrapers in the financial district.
The Inca Trail-Tambomachay, Peru

Script from the YouTube site:
ot far from Puca Pucara, on the road from Cusco to the Sacred Valley, Tambomachay combines intricate stonework with the Incas devotion to water.
Known as the Baths of the Incas, a number of aqueducts and channels run through the site. But the focal point is a string of carefully designed waterfalls, which split spring water into a series of cascades
that fall in such a precise and delicate manner that its believed they were built as part of a water cult. 
The trapezoidal niches on the high terrace and off to the side of the waterfall are among the most highly crafted stone constructions left by the Incas. 
The precision of the falls is matched by a similar water feature at Ollantaytambo, but the Incas also showed great control over water for more practical purposes.
Their use of stone irrigation channels to feed agricultural terraces around Cusco and the Sacred Valley allowed them to grow abundant crops at high altitudes, something previous Andean cultures never achieved.
Fertur Peru Travel.
A full service travel agency and tour operator dedicated to making your journey to Peru a dream come true.
Machu Picchu - Cuzco, Peru

Script transcribed by Cesar Macher
Invisible from below and completely self contained in the Andes Mountains of Peru, few words can capture the beauty of Machu Picchu.  This travel video postcard was contributed by Venessa Velles. 
Perched on a mountain ridge at almost 8,000 feet the ancient Inca site is enigmatic and spectacular.  Climb the steep Inca Trail to Machu Picchu if you are up to it, or ride the tourist bus that wines from Aguas Calientes.  If you descend by foot don’t forget to stretch when you reach the bottom, your legs will thank you the next morning.  Arrive before dawn and don’t be disappointed by the fog. The ruins and surrounding peaks reveal themselves as the fog lifts and steal your breath away! Marvel at the genius of the ancient builders, in truth no cam or camera can do justice to Machu Picchu.  Inspiring and timeless yet almost forgotten until its rediscovery in 1911, this magnificent site, is a place not to be missed.
Santa Catalina Convent - Arequipa, Peru


Script from the YouTube website.
Santa Catalina Convent is one of South Americas most prominent religious establishments, a city within a city famous for its astounding architecture and its brightly painted walls, murals and religious artworks.
Located in Perus second largest city, Arequipa, the convent was founded in 1580.
During its first 300 years, Santa Catalina was a refuge for unmarried daughters of wealthy Spanish families who paid a dowry for inclusion into the Catholic order. 
But instead of keeping to vows of poverty, the nuns kept servants and slaves and lived lavish lifestyles. In 1871, the Pope sent Sister Josefa Cadena to put things right. She did so by sending most of the daughters of nobility back to Spain, setting the slaves and servants free and giving them the choice of staying on as nuns. 
The walled-in convent, covering an area of almost 30 thousand square meters, was opened to the public in 1970. Visitors can stroll the streets and cloisters and appreciate this masterpiece of colonial architecture.

Welcome Georgina Hudson

English mindset is joyous to announce that Georgina Hudson has joined our instructor’s team.  She has specialized in adult education and believes that teachers should lead by their example.  She has a passion for helping students achieve their learning objectives and believes that radiating happiness is the most effective way to deliver; a trait that comes built in her professional demeanor.  We are certain that Ms. Hudson will make significant contributions to English Mindset.   Like us, she is also the type that makes every minute count because our accomplishments are based on our shared belief that success is happening right now!

Bio:   Born and raised in Argentina within an Anglo-Argentine family, she got her College Degree in Teaching English at the Profesorado Nacional de Rosario in 1997. She’s specialized in teaching adults ever since. She has worked in Argentina, France and England. She taught Franco-African children in Paris with no knowledge of the Spanish or English language encouraging everyone to speak in the target language at all times. This proved how effective teaching methods can be even when there has been no contact with the new language. While living in London, she got her Certificate in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language and upon getting her certificate, she became an International House teacher, one of the most respectable language schools worldwide with a strong global presence and a high reputation for innovative and quality teaching. Convinced that teachers should be excellent communicators who inculcate happiness and a passion for learning through creative and innovative activities, she embarked on the completion of her Neurolinguistic Programming PractitionerCertificate at Instituto Argentino de Formación e Investigación last year. She runs a consulting firm which specialises in “in-company teaching and learning” implementing the academic program, managing the teaching team, displaying a flexible bespoke teaching approach, handling testing and liasing with training departments. Among her publications are “Teaching English at University level: How to Make it a Memorable Experience when Reading Comprehension and Grammar Instruction Prevail” Humanising Language Teaching Magazine, UK, Jan / Feb 2011 issue, ISSN 1755-9715 and her teaching blogs at the BBC & British Council.  These articles have been frequently chosen and recommended by the editor. Her main areas of professional interest are how adults learn and developing hands-on curriculum that reaches every student learning style and ability. Georgina is fond of modern dance lessons, yoga and drama classes.

 Trafalgar Square: photo remix permitted. original by Alex Dawson - (Creative Commons)

Welcome María Salaberry

Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires (Bkgd - Luis Argerich - Creative Commons)

English Mindset is proud to announce that Ms María Salaberry of Bahía Blanca, Argentina, has joined our teaching staff.   She brings with her many years of experience teaching English to executives and professionals of prestigious corporation. She is a real agent of change and we are sure that her work will have a significant impact on her students' education and careers.

As a Sworn Translator from La Plata University in Argentina, María began her career in 1979 at the National Research Council helping in the edition of scientific papers and the organization of international seminars and conferences. Upon getting a Post Graduate Degree in Education she was also hired to provide in-company language training for professionals and executives at prestigious global companies doing business in South America,  also assisting them with legal and technical documentation as well as business video conference sessions. She works as a free-lance translator and interpreter mostly in topics related to exports, business, finance, engineering,  medical science, human resources and education and teaches English at Universidad Nacional del Sur. Getting involved in various educational, art and cultural exchange programs, such as the Bahía Blanca-Jacksonville Sister Cities Association, which she has chaired for the past 3 yrs has been a passion. With interests varying from tango dancing to travelling, cycling and swimming, she is the proud mother of two under-graduate university students. Helping develop effective communication at all levels has always been her main professional focus.  

Bahía Blanca - by J. Allermann.

Welcome Ana Maria Beeck

English Mindset is proud to announce that Ms Ana Maria Beeck of Miami Florida has joined our teaching staff.  She is a native speaker of English, however since the age of three she has had the opportunity to enrich her life by living in various countries where she learned Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French. 
Her capacity to communicate cross-culturally is second to none; she is a firm believer that the English language has attained a unifying role in its ability to make people around the world understand each other better. 
We are absolutely delighted to have you with us and we hope that you find English Mindset a place where you will find great pleasure helping others improve their English speaking abilities.  


Bio: Ana was born in the US but her journey into living and working in different countries began at the age of 3… She is a native English, Spanish and Portuguese speaker, is fluent in Italian and understands French.  Throughout her career she used her language skills to effectively communicate with nationals of different countries and backgrounds.  After working in the corporate world for many years she now enjoys teaching, transcribing and translating from the shores of Miami, Florida.  She also teaches a self-healing, expansion of consciousness seminar on-line (www.isha.com).  She holds a JD and a Masters in International Management and Finance.
Here is a short video of the Isha Judd System that claims to be a "revolutionary method that creates an internal experience of peace, joy and unconditional love." and from where Ana Maria teaches people to attain internal beauty.

Welcome Beth Sarla Persky

English Mindset is proud to announce that Ms. Beth Sarla Persky of Santa Fe, New Mexico has joined our teaching staff. Her passion to help others succeed in life is evident from her work-life trajectory.  Our association with Beth will strengthen our ability to reach more people from diverse cultural backgrounds who seek the English language as a tool for a better future. Together we feel that by helping others speak better English we are effectively closing the communication gap that separates people.

 Beth has a stellar academic background that begins with a Political Science B.A. from the university of Michigan and graduate degrees in the following areas:

·        M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Illinois at Chicago

·        M.A in  International Relations from Tufts University Fletcher School of Law  

·        Juris Doctor Degree from Boston University.

She has been practicing immigration law since the early 1990s and has worked in Washington state, southern California, Oregon and now New Mexico. Beth teaches legal studies on-line for Kaplan University. In her spare time Beth likes to ski and dance. Beth traveled to Brazil in December and is currently working on her Portuguese. She has traveled and lived in Europe and Latin America. 

Please visit her web site at bethspersky.com to learn about the immigration and naturalization services she offers.  

Welcome Deborah Gray

English Mindset is proud to announce that Ms Deborah Gray of Santa Fe, New Mexico has joined our teaching staff.   She brings with her many years of experience teaching English at all levels focusing on language intonation, pronunciation and proper grammar usage.

We are absolutely thrilled to have you with us and we hope that you find English Mindset a place where you will find great pleasure helping others improve their English speaking abilities.  Your friendly ways and innate abilities to teach are all you need to make this a memorable journey.  Welcome Deborah!

     

Bio: Raised in what she considers the best of both worlds, Deborah Gray, a dual national, and fluent in English and Portuguese is the youngest of three children of Brazilian and American parents. Born in Mobile, Alabama, she and her family moved from Air Force base to Air Force base, from eastern to western U.S. and back and forth to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She also lived in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, off the Portuguese mainland, in the archipelago of the Azores Islands, for three years. 

She began her teaching career in 1977, providing corporate professionals and adult individuals with beginner, intermediate and conversational fluency lessons through a local English course in Copacabana to students all over the city of Rio. Growing to love the profession and appreciating the teacher - student interaction her main focus is on teaching her students language intonation, pronunciation and incorporating grammar usage into everyday dialogue. With years of teaching experience, the methodology she uses ensures the student to grasp the language in three months. Students are amazed at being able to communicate in a foreign language in such a short time.
Click here  to see her class schedule

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This short video features Santa Fe, New Mexico - the place that Deborah calls home! 

A message from our Managing Director

English Mindset

Communications portal for ESL students, professionals and travelers, via Skype!

Greetings,

Our ability to understand each other effectively is crucial to our well being.

We live in an age where exponentially more and more people use advanced Internet communication technologies to reach worldwide audiences.   The English language has a central unifying role that helps people around the world understand the intricacies of our single shared humanity; more and more people use English as the language of choice in cross cultural communications and the rate of growth is unprecedented. 

 As a consequence of globalization, whether in commerce, academia, diplomacy, or while traveling these  days, etc., people from all cultural backgrounds seek English as a common language to bridge the communication gap that divides us. 

English Mindset's mission is to utilize state of the art communication technologies to reach students and instructors around the world and match them up for a value added experience.  We welcome qualified English instructors and students of all levels to participate in this most beneficial exchange. 

Either form the comfort of their homes or from anywhere with an Internet connection, people  from all walks of life, like full time workers with limited time, persons with disabilities, homemakers, ESL students, professionals, travelers, etc., will be able to gain confidence in speaking English as they advance through our courses.   English Mindset is committed to select only the most reliable and expert language instructors. 

These instructors are either English native speakers or those with English as a second language with superior skills.   We believe that instructors who can speak more than one language may consequently offer great assistance to students in their own language.

Last but not least, English Mindset wishes to explore opportunities towards promoting tourism into Western Canada by providing services  to travelers who wish to use their stay in Canada as an opportunity to have fun and at the same time practice their English skills.  English Mindset looks forward to your thoughts on this matter and invites you to start a dialog with us. 

Thank you very for your kind consideration,

Sincerely yours,

Cesar Macher

Managing Director,

English Mindset