Mariíta Huezo (1909-1931)

(foto inédita facilitada por el Dr. Erwing Kruger)

Eran las 10:20 de la mañana del Martes Santo, 31 de marzo de 1931. Un violento terremoto sacudió la capital sorprendiendo a muchos que atestaban los mercados Central Y San Miguel. Maríta Huezo, bella joven de 22 años, se bañaba, y al tratar de huir de los escombros que le caían por todos lados, una gran viga o solera le cayó sobre el pecho quitándole la vida. Maríta era muy apreciada por la sociedad de entonces. Vivaz, generosa, amistosa, muy católica y conocida por todos.

La nota triste la puso el obispo de Granada, monseñor José Canuto Reyes y Balladares. El domingo 5 de abril, hizo que en todos los templos de la diócesis se leyera una carta pastoral que se consideró una ofensa. Expresó que el terremoto era un castigo divino porque los pobladores de Managua llevaban una conducta libertina y licenciosa, vivían en bacanales. Llamó a las madres que no cuidaban a sus hijas “lobas o bobas”.

En Managua la reacción fue de indignación por la carta. La señorita Mariíta Huezo Ortega, era sobrina de monseñor Lezcano y Ortega. Don Francisco Huezo, su padre, publicó una carta y en uno de los párrafos escribió: “Si el Obispo de Granada hubiera conocido a mi hija, la hubiera estimado en los quilates de virtud y alta dignidad que tenía, con una firmeza de carácter superior a su edad, y lo hubiera meditado bastante antes de ofender su memoria y a su familia y a la sociedad, que tanto le quería, porque la conocía bien”.

Yo siempre quise conocer a Mariíta y nunca encontré fotos de ella hasta que el Dr. Erwin Kruger me facilitó una de su album familiar. Mi abuela me contaba de Mariíta y su tragedia en la flor de su vida. Que sirva este pequeño reportaje como un homenaje a su memoria.

Existe un documental musical llamado Romance Oriental, realizado por Bernard Gordillo en memoria de Mariíta con música del compositor nicaragüense Luis Abraham Delgadillo: http://archivo.foronicaraguensedecultura.org/2014/02/01/mariita-huezo-una-impresionante-historia-del-terremoto-de-1931/

CLIL versus Traditional EFL

Target language-medium instruction is all the rage in the US and Europe these days. It seems that CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is on everyone’s mind; at least the best publishers, test developers, and teacher trainers are gearing up for the next era in language teaching. It’s what’s hot in ELT.  Cambridge ESOL has already developed a TKT: CLIL award; and Macmillan now offers a CLIL website and a free CLIL teacher magazine.

According to Macmillan: ‘The term CLIL was coined by David Marsh, University of Jyväskylä, Finland (1994). However, CLIL teaching has been practiced for many years, from the Babylonian era to the early sixties when bilingual education was introduced in many schools around the world.’

David Graddol in English Next India reminds us: "his divide between ‘private’ and ‘public’ has historically reflected the divide between English-medium and vernacular-medium schools. In other words, an elite minority learns through English medium in school, is better prepared for the challenge of university courses taught through English, and provides the main source of students on postgraduate degrees, such as the MBA, which lead to the best-paid careers.”

Latin America’s educational tradition has been much the same as in India, and in more ways than one. Although the main source of high paying jobs, business or study opportunities has been through the medium of English, globalization is pushing the need to learn it at younger ages, and not just in private schools.

CLIL, in the U.S. is better known as SDAIE (Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English) or SI (Sheltered Instruction). It has a somewhat different history and focus than CLIL in Europe. It is mainly the teaching of Academic English in K-12 settings (CALP rather than BICS, in bilingual parlance).

In Latin America, CLIL is usually carried out in French, German or English. When the former two are the main medium, English is normally taught as a third language. However, Portuguese and Dutch (Surinam only) are two other major native languages, particular to South America, aside from indigenous languages that are also given priority in certain national schools.

In any case, the recognition that bilingualism offers an advantage cannot be overstated. Whether it is British or American English, the value associated with being bilingual in English assures that subsequent generations will follow in their parent’s footsteps.

One example of this is The KU International Language Institute in Nicaragua, which was founded in 2000 and is an international, coeducational, college-preparatory institution that trains Spanish-speaking high school students to take on academic work at any mainstream American University.

In Nicaragua, the precursor to CLIL in the area of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is the Keiser University Language Institute which follows an immersion EAP model touching on academic subjects in, such as language arts, social sciences, and academic writing.  Instructors focus on helping to develop English language skills in their students.

Professor Jack C. Richards appeals to our sense of history when he wrote (in Communicative Language Teaching Today, 2003) that “the main motivation for change comes from dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs.”

Studying teaching methods and applying CLIL in my own classroom at Keiser University, has been an education for me, a language teacher since 1980. I had, of course, a firmly established concept of “teacher-centered teaching.”  Understanding the “learner-centered” method has been the greatest reward. 

El Sábalo Real

El sábalo real o Megalops Atlanticus, también conocido como Tarpon, es un pez de agua salada que habita en todo el Mar Caribe. También habita en estuarios de agua dulce así como ríos y lagos. Al Gran Lago Cocibolca se introducen por el río San Juan. El sábalo puede llegar a dimensiones de hasta 3 metros y más de 300 libras. Aunque su carne no es apetitosa, es un favorito de la pesca deportiva por su velocidad y espíritu de pelea. El sábalo puede llenar su vejiga natatoria con oxígeno para poder cazar en estuarios o lugares de poca profundidad.

En Nicaragua existe una especie no migratoria que de perenne vive en el lago de Nicaragua y el río San Juan. Se dice que su pesca indiscriminada lo está exterminando en Nicaragua. ¿Lo irá a afectar el ´gran canal´?

Why Learn English Online?

Speaking English fluently is more important than ever. It's increasingly common for businesses to have branches or manufacturing plants in different countries. Usually, the common language is English. The best way to learn English online depends on the student. Some people learn to speak fluently through practice and conversations with native English speakers. Other students want to understand the grammatical rules of the English language before continuing their studies by reading books and watching cultural films. Some students prefer a mixed approach and appreciate extras like flashcards, daily vocabulary hints and uninterrupted mobile access. Consider the options below to help you find a web service for learning English that will accommodate your language-learning goals.

Quality of Instruction
Quality instruction consists of two things: the preparation of the instructors and tutors, and the available learning materials. Before you decide which English learning website you want to use, make sure that the teachers are native English speakers. Your tutors should have formal training in education or teaching English as a second language. Choose a web service that fits your goals and can accommodate your current English speaking level.

Variety of Offerings
When you select your English learning web service, make sure that you can navigate the site in your native language. You also need to discover whether the site you choose offers the type of instruction you need.

Some websites offer special courses on accent reduction, resume writing, preparation for TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and more. Others focus on live conversation, English for business or cultural studies.

Social Media
Social media can include forums, blogs, chat rooms, Twitter, Facebook or email. Communicating with other English learners and speakers gives you the practice you'll need to speak and understand English in real life. Look for an online English learning website that offers a variety of ways to interact with teachers and other students.

Choose an English learning website that uses web-conferencing software or other live communication tools such as VoIP and web cams. These features will make you feel as if you're actually in the room with your tutor. That way, he or she can help you as you struggle with the intricacies of the English language such as pronunciation, etiquette and conjugation. Often, immediate feedback from a live person will boost your learning speed dramatically.

Ease of Use
Many of the websites are full of features and English-learning tools. Many tools can be helpful, but they can also be confusing, especially if your knowledge of English is limited. The best sites combine multiple features with a curriculum that is easy to use. Look for a site that guides you through each lesson systematically. You should also look for a site that lets you go backward and forward within the lessons to review specific concepts if you need to. 

Furthermore, you should look for a learning English web service that allows you access to extras without interrupting your lesson activities.

Most people want to learn English online with minimal effort and low costs. You should give preference to one of the many online English language learning web sites that focus on quality instruction, ease of use and live interaction.

Vacationers all around the world speak English. This language from the British Isles has come closer to being a universal tongue than any other language in the world.

The rise of the English language in prominence and importance has led to the development of many online English language learning websites. Now you can learn English in many different ways, and these methods include reading and watching videos, practicing conversation, using computer games and more. Now that students no longer need to use heavy and expensive books, you can do all this using only a personal computer.

Online language learning is, to many, superior to traditional classroom instruction and language-learning software because of its enhanced flexibility, multiple learning options and opportunities for live interaction.

La Misteriosa Isla Zapatera

Zapatera es una isla de origen volcánico ubicada al sureste de Granada, en el Gran Lago. Zapatera era el santuario indígena de Nicaragua por su cercanía con tierra firme y su increíble belleza escénica; mas de 100 idolos fueron sacados de la isla y unos 25 estan en el convento de San Francisco otros en el Palacio de Cultura, en los jardines de muchas casas de Granada y otros en el extranjero.

En 1849, el embajador y explorador norteamericano Efrain George Squire encontró en la isla un gran número de ídolos y estatuaria precolombina de origen chorotega. Aparentemente estos ídolos fueron rotos y enterrados presumiblemente por españoles durante la colonia. Estaban dispuestos como en un anfiteatro alrededor de un templo o santuario todavía no excavado aún. También se encontraron petroglifos en todo su contorno. Los ídolos, que datan del año 800 al año 1300 de nuestra era, fueron traídos a Granada y ahora se exhiben en el museo del Convento de San Francisco. Los chorotegas vinieron del sur de México y hablaban la lengua Oto-Mangue.

El 'Lado Oscuro' de la Luna.

Debido a que la velocidad de rotación de la luna es igual que su velocidad de traslación alrededor de la tierra, siempre vemos sólo uno de los dos hemisferios lunares desde la tierra. Nunca hemos visto el ´otro lado´. Ahora, gracias a la ciencia podemos ver fotografías y hasta videos del lado incógnito. Del otro lado se ven más cráteres y no se ven llanuras basálticas llamadas mares, que vemos desde la tierra. Parece ser que nuestro satélite nos ha servido de escudo espacial contra meteoritos al juzgar por la cantidad de cráteres. Esta fotografía es de la NASA.

El Cráter del Santiago

El incandescente inter cráter del Santiago en el complejo volcánico de Masaya, visto desde el sur. El cráter del Santiago se formó entre 1850 y 1853 después del colapso del cráter Nindirí. En 1529, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, cronista de indias, subió a la cima del volcán en compañía del cacique de Nindirí, Nacatime, y dos de sus hombres. El escalamiento fue de noche y se dice que el resplandor del volcán era tal que a 3 leguas de distancia (unos 5 kilómetros) se podía leer una carta. En los años 70 cuando uno venía sobre la carretera norte hacia Managua, se notaba el resplandor rojo del cráter del Santiago. Era impresionante.