PORTFOLIO

Edwin Buitrago
ENGLISH FOUR:
ONE COUNTRY TO EXPLORE,
ONE MISSION TO COMPLETE
by learning...
Introducing your Classmate's life

Writing on a piece of paper

things that you perceived from
the other person because of
his/her physical appearance or
non-verbal messages.

a. Then, in front of the group

you were sharing and talking
about these different
perceptions. Saying right or
wrong depending on the
information previously said by
your partner.
 I think her name is
Vanessa
Is wrong, my name is
Laura

I think she studies

Literature
Yes

I think she lives in

El poblado
No, I live in La
estrella

I think she has a dog

No, I don´t have a pet

I think she loves

reggaeton
Yes, I love it
THEMATIC UNIT: Discovering destinations
CONTENT: Opinions to study

1. From your point of view, what are the most important universities in
Colombia?
2. According to media rankings, what are the most influential universities
in Colombia?
3. In your perception, what are the most popular public universities in your
region for undergraduate degrees?
4. What are the differences between public and private universities in
Colombia?

PRE
1. In my point of view, the most important universities in Colombia are:
University of Antioquia, National University, EAFIT University and University of
the Andes.

2. Times Higher Education (THE) published the World University Rankings

2022, an international list that ranks the best universities in the world.
According to this ranking, the most influential universities in Colombia are:
Xaverian Pontifical University, University of the Andes, University of
Antioquia.

3. I think the most popular public university in Medellín is the University of

Antioquia. Many people study there and is recognized around the region for
its good education.

4. The main difference between public and private universities is their

financing, public universities depend largely on the state and private
universities do not. Another difference is the infrastructure, it is common for
private universities to have better infrastructure.
PIFLE
TASK 1 - THEMATIC CONTENT 1

1
 ENGLISH FOUR:
ONE COUNTRY TO EXPLORE,
ONE MISSION TO COMPLETE
THEMATIC UNIT: DISCOVERING DESTINATIONS
THEMATIC CONTENT: OPTIONS TO STUDY

TASK: Read about three Colombian universities. Identify their

location, weather, means of transportation used to get around
and an extra feature of your choice. Share your findings with the
class with an oral report.

INPUT
THEMATIC CONTENT: OPTIONS TO STUDY

GOALS:
• To learn about undergraduate programs in a national context
• To speak about international and exchange programs and their requirements
• Action one: Read about the following three Colombian universities in the next
texts. Underline all information concerning location, philosophy, history and
programs

2
LANGUAGE FOCUS
Means of Transportation: Common means of transportation including subways.
Trains, airplanes and two-, three- and four-wheel devices.
Weather: I am always updated with weather-related issues. I published today´s
weather conditions on the web.
Clothing: What do academics wear? Academic clothing taxonomy is basically a series of silly wardrobe
nicknames. These wardrobe Types are like Platonic Forms.
(taken from http://stylishacademic.com/what-to-wear-as-an-academic-2/ for academic purposes)

Zero and first Conditional: If you want to be a good professional, you have to study hard. If Indigenous
communities have more participation in the decision-making process. Colombia will be more
ecologically friendly.
Future Time Clauses (when, as soon as, if, until...): When the ancestors arrive they will see how
conquerors destroyed the country. As soon as she graduates. she will look for a job.
Modal Verbs (should, might, may, could): The government should protect indigenous heritage, We
might travel to Santa Marta next term. We could visit some indigenous communities in both the north
and in the south of the country.
Tag Questions: Are you happy as a profesional. Aren’t you? Do you like the Arhuacos. Don´t you? Have
you visited the Sierra Nevada. Haven’t you?
Materials: Indigenous peoples built their houses and huts with hay. Brush. Sticks. String and sand.
Houses in the cities are made of cement, iron. Plastic and sand.  
Geographic Features: Ancestral communities lived in both the desert and in the mountains. Colombia
has had important economic development along the rivers and riverbeds.   

Programa Institucional de Inglés

 Nature: Equinoxes and Solstices are celebrated on different dates. Colombia has a huge tropical
rainforest. Indigenous communities respect nature.
Festivity-related Expressions: Our festivities will include, films, plays, music, and dancing. We
always have a different event to celebrate and commemorate the Solstice.
Past Perfect (Simple and Continuous forms): They had lived in the same tropical zone for centuries
before the Spaniards arrived. Indigenous people had been cultivating, cropping and planting the
same vegetables and fruits for decades.
Passive Voice: The person was chosen because of her experience and prestige. The prize was
awarded to the best possible candidate. The article was written by the famous scientist.
Language of Opinion: They argue for or against the different candidates. The person is the best
nominee for the award. She is the worst example.
Contrast and Comparison: Most people in Colombia speak Spanish; however, some indigenous
communities only use their own language. (Some contrast and comparison connectors include the
following: on the other hand, however, in comparison etc).
Linking Words: There are many connectors such as first, hence, likewise, thus, however, even
though and in conclusion etc.
Reporting Verbs, Say Vs Tell: The committee said: they are going to win. She was told to send her
curriculum for evaluation. The winner told us the truth.
Second and Third Conditional: If he had not finished the book on time. They would not have chosen
him for the award. She would be a great candidate if she wrote about politics.
Phrasal verbs (separable and inseparable): There are phrasal verbs in academic contexts that can
and should be separated. For instance: carry out, get across, pick up, count on, among others, etc.
3
Reported Speech (affirmative and negative statements): He said he had not come on time. She said
she did not want to receive the prize. They reported they had not reached into an agreement on the
result.

Sounds: /s / bus, / buzz / z /; /v / van / f /

Pronunciation
fan; Linking (pick up, put on, take off, etc)

PRE
In small groups, discuss the following questions, then share your answers
with the class.
1. From your point of view, what are the most important universities in
Colombia?
2. According to media rankings, what are the most influential universities
in Colombia?
3. In your perception, what are the most popular public universities in your region for
undergraduate degrees?
4. What are the differences between public and private universities in Colombia?

While
1. Read about the three following Colombian universities in the next texts.
Underline information concerning location, philosophy, history and programs.
2. Make sure you use a different color for each category
 Text 1
ABOUT US

JAVERIANA CALI AT A GLANCE

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana is founded and guided by the principles of Jesuit education.
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher
education institutions in the country, dating back to 1623. In 1970 Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Cali was established as an autonomous institution. For more than 4 decades of existence, it has
been involved in teaching, research and services (community outreach) with and within its
regional context: the southwest of Colombia and the Valle del Cauca in particular.
Read more about Javeriana Cali at a glance:
http://www.javerianacali.edu.co/en/about-us/javeriana-cali-glance

4
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali is recognized for its high quality education, having been
granted the Acreditación Institucional de Alta Calidad (National Institutional Accreditation for
Academic Excellence) by the National Accreditation Agency (CNA) and the Ministry of National
Education in 2012. The university also has 10 academic programs accredited by the Ministry of
National Education.

JESUIT EDUCATION
The Society of Jesus is present in 127 countries and in the most difficult areas, at crossroads
between ideologies, at social boundaries, at centers of thought and in areas where human dignity
is violated. At all these places, the mission of the Society of Jesus revolves around the service
of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement. Educational works are
part of this apolistic mission, which seeks to proclaim the reign of God incarnate in the here and
now of our realities. Some features of jesuit education at jesuit universities can be expressed the
following:

Programa Institucional de Inglés

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Social responsibility is one of our institutional development goals within the strategic
plan (2011 – 2021).

URBAN AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Santiago de Cali 
Santiago de Cali, with its 2.5 million inhabitants
is located in the southwest of the country, a
few miles from the Pacific Ocean. It is the third
largest city in Colombia and due to its strategic
position, near the Pacific Ocean; it is one of the
major economic and industrial centers within
the country. 

Taken from : http://www.javerianacali.edu.co/en/about-us

See more at: http://www.javerianacali.edu.co/en/about-us#sthash.8m9ylbm7.dpuf

Text 2
EAFIT Inspires, Creates, Transforms

​​​
EAFIT is a university that inspires the current generations to embark on a life project that
maximizes their potential. It is an institution that both conveys and generates knowledge,
thus fulfilling its role as a teaching and research university. It transforms society.
5

This is EAFIT’s message to its entire community and the broader society as it celebrates 55
years since its founding on May 4, 1960, a span in which it not only has trained the business
leaders of Medellín, Antioquia, and Colombia but also positioned itself as a global institution
that encompasses different knowledge areas. 

​ AFIT’s road map has three main objectives, set forth in its 2012-2018 Strategic Development
E
Plan: preserving academic excellence, consolidating the institution as a teaching and research
university, and expanding its national and international reach and impact. 

Many of our efforts and resources are channeled toward achieving these objectives, which
EAFIT reaffirmed in a self-evaluation carried out as part of its pursuit of Institutional
Accreditation. 

Our university obtained that recognition, which the National Education Ministry (MEN)
confers on top-quality higher education institutions, for the first time in 2003. The story was
repeated in 2010, when the MEN renewed our university’s Institutional Accreditation until
2018. 

Openness to new knowledge areas is what lends true meaning to the “university concept.”
For this reason, EAFIT currently offers 21 undergraduate degree programs, 57 graduate
certificate programs, 33 master’s degree programs, and 5 doctorate programs in the schools of
Management, Engineering, Humanities, Law, Economics and Finance, and Sciences. 

​​
The institution’s reach also extends to other publics. In addition to the young people and adults
enrolled in our formal education programs, children, senior citizens, and other members of
the general public form part of the EAFIT community and benefit from continuing education
programs, language courses, and the Children’s University program. 
 Research-backed teaching is another focal point of the institution’s road map, as the goal is to not
only convey but also generate knowledge. In that regard, the budget allocated to this area has
increased over time and enabled EAFIT to achieve a range of objectives, including recognition
by Colciencias of 38 research groups, the registration of 13 patents, and the participation of more
than 900 students in research incubators. 

Another of the university’s main objectives is to extend its national and international reach
and impact. In that regard, it offers students the chance to participate in exchange programs
abroad that enhance their academic and cultural development. Likewise, it provides educational
opportunities to foreigners and students from other Colombian cities who wish to study in
Medellín. 

And EAFIT is culture. Various such as music, literature, dance, theater, film cycles, and exhibitions,
make up a cultural agenda that permeates all parts of the campus, enables the formation of
groups with shared interests, and fosters the organization’s reach and impact both internally
and externally. 

​ AFIT’s Mission is to contribute to the country’s progress, a commitment seen on various fronts,
E
including the launch of consulting and entrepreneurship initiatives.

And it is in this context, in which the university strives to give back all it has received from
society, that its social responsibility efforts are infused with a greater sense of purpose. With
these strategic commitments in mind, EAFIT inspires, creates, transforms. 

Juan Luis Mejía Arango 

​President
Text 3
About UdeA

Established in 1803 under the name of Real Colegio de Franciscanos, and under the
Constitution of the State of Antioquia, Universidad de Antioquia is a government-run
public university based in Medellín, Colombia. Its duties and its powers are prescribed in
the provisions of Act 30 of 1992 of the National Constitution.

The University can establish facilities and campuses anywhere across the nation as well
as join or create corporations, foundations and other public or semi public bodies.

Its mission is to generate, develop and disseminate knowledge in a wide range of

disciplines including humanities, science, arts, philosophy, technics and technology
through research, teaching and extension activities. Universidad de Antioquia offers

Programa Institucional de Inglés

nationally accredited undergraduate
and graduate degrees and post-
baccalaureate programs that are
delivered through both face-to-face
and distance learning methods.

Over its more than 200 years of

existence, Universidad de Antioquia
(otherwise known as UdeA), has
played a key role in the fields of
medicine and law. It has also been a
key actor in the rise of the Colombian
industry and engineering, as well as
an environmental leader and pioneer
in research.

With 80 undergraduate programs and more than 180 graduate programs including 11
doctoral programs, the University currently boasts a student body of nearly 36,000
undergraduate and graduate students.

A brief history of UdeA

In 1789 Medellín lacked schools to provide education to the citizens. Schools are located
in distant cities such as Bogotá and Popayán. 

By the end of the colonial period, the residents of the town of Medellín requested 7
permission from Spain to establish a convent school, and in February 9, 1801, King
Charles IV issued a royal decree granting permission to the Franciscan missionaries to
establish an educational establishment.

In 1822, when Colombia gained independence from Spain, vice president Francisco
de Paula Santander, promoted the implementation of a new plan of study, and in 1827
president Simón Bolívar granted permission to begin the teaching of law.

For much of the nineteenth century the country underwent several wars and conflicts
as well as struggle between political parties and ideologies that affected the academic
environment.  The University was closed due to these confrontations and its facilities
became the headquarters of several forces. However, the then fledgling University
continued to make efforts to provide education to the community. 

In the early twentieth century the University became the ideal place for solving
the problems of the region and therefore the curriculum was redesigned, several
laboratories were built, and skilled faculty hired.

University began to conduct extensive research in the field of tropical diseases,

launched anti-venereal disease campaigns and got involved in tasks such as the
culmination of the Antioquia railway (one of Colombia’s largest rail systems), and the
expansion of the Department’s agricultural frontier.
 An old building that had long served as headquarters for the Franciscan missionaries was
revamped and turned into the new University facility. This iconic building became a major
symbol of the University and was declared cultural heritage of Colombia.

The University magazine as well as the radio station and the central library, which play an
important role in extension and cultural activities, were established during the thirties.
The construction of the campus buildings began in the late sixties through bank loans and
international grants. This resulted in an increase in the number of students, faculty members,
schools and undergraduate programs. 

In the late twentieth century as part of its regionalization program the University opened
campuses in several regions of the Department of Antioquia.

Today, the University continues to be the department’s flagship institution. By 2016, UdeA aims
to become the nation’s leading research university and one of Latin America’s top universities.
The University is committed to providing excellence in education and training and aspires
to become a leader in the socio-economic transformation of the country. It will continue to
promote a learning environment conducive to diversity and dialogue based on respect for
pluralism and the environment.

Taken from: http://www.udea.edu.co/wps/portal/udea/

web/home/about-udea/contenido/asmenulateral/about-us/

Post
Research more information (online) about the three universities presented above regarding
8 location, philosohy, history, research projects and exchange programs.

Take notes on the main points of your classmates’ presentations:

1) apostrophe
2) colon

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: has been ranked #1 for 5 consecutive years, according

to Times Higher Education.

The university is ranked first in the Solar Decathlon Latin American & Caribbean 2019.

EAFIT: currently offers 25 undergraduate degree programs, the new programas are:

interactive design, agronomic engineering and urban design - habitat management.

Claudia Restrepo is the new rector of EAFIT.

Universidad de Antioquia: October 17, 2021, the admission process for the first semester

of 2022, had the possibility of presenting the exam in virtual mode and taking the test in

Colombian Sign Language -LSC- for the deaf population.

Programa Institucional de Inglés

 Action 2

Look for your undergraduate program or a similar one and orally report information related to
professors, credits, prices, courses and professional profile.

PRE

advisor evaluation process semester

aim facilities professor subjects
campus graduation profile term
cohort internships projects thesis
college library registration tuition
credits model requirements vacation
database pedagogical research
dean practice resources
 A. Find and circle the words related to universities and colleges.
B. Using a monolingual dictionary and your own words, write the definitions of at least ten of
the previous words.

1. Vacations: time to take a break from work and rest.

2. Semester: is the time to study at the university, about 5 months.

3. Thesis: the research work that students must complete in order to graduate from university.
Professor: the person in responsible for directing classes at the university or school.
4.
Campus: is the university space, consisting of the faculties, the library, the sports area and other
5. places of interest.

6. Library: it is the soul of the university, there are books, research, places to study.
Evaluation: is a process by which what has been learned in class is demonstrated.
7.
Internship: a period of time where the student works in a company and contributes with what
8. he/she has learned.

9. Graduation: it is the best moment of the university career. When you become a professional.

10. Credits: statistical calculation indicating the difficulty of the subject and the time to be studied.

While

a. Read the texts below to explore the University of Antioquia’s medicine

10 exchange program, available on the English version of the UdeA Medicine
Faculty’s official website here: http://portal.udea.edu.co/wps/portal/udea/
web/home/international-admissions/contenido/asmenulateral/academic-
exchange/. Identify all information regarding requirements that applicants to the program
must fulfill.

b. Using the information gathered in the previous exercise, answer the questions following the
texts.

International student exchange

International students can enroll in courses for up to two consecutive academic years.

Tuition waivers for international students who visit UdeA as part of a formal exchange are
available to students from partner universities. If you are an undergraduate student and
your home university does not have a formal student exchange agreement with Universidad
de Antioquia, you should pay a fee of at least $30 USD for each registered credit. Graduate
students should consult the appropriate academic unit for detailed information on courses and
fees. Exchange students must have approval from the appropriate academic unit of their home
institution prior to registering for the courses in order to ensure that courses taken abroad meet
the student’s academic requirements. Approved courses taken abroad will be recognized by the
student’s home university as part of his/her study program.

As provided by  Resolución 532 of 2015  of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all international
students must register for at least 5 credits per semester (10 hours per week) in order to live
legally in Colombia.
Programa Institucional de Inglés
Admission requirements

Be enrolled in a partner institution that has a collaborative agreement with Universidad de

Antioquia. If your home university does not have an exchange agreement with Universidad de
Antioquia the student shall bear the cost of enrolled credits.

Have an acceptable grade point average (GPA) according to your home university’s grade scale.
Applicants whose native language is not Spanish must demonstrate Spanish language
proficiency. Please attach Spanish proficiency certificate.

Have not been the subject of any disciplinary action at your home institution.
All required supporting documents must be sent in electronic format to movilidadinter@udea.
edu.co from your home institution. Admitted students will receive a formal letter of notification
and will be offered personalized advice.

Questions

What is the difference between international students whose program has a

formal exchange agreement and the ones who do not?
____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________

Why must exchange students have approval from the appropriate academic unit of their home 11
institution?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

What does a student whose first language is not Spanish need to certify as a requirement to be
accepted?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

What requirements regarding credits must an international student fulfill to live legally in the
country?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Explore this web page http://www.udea.edu.co/wps/portal/udea/web/home/international-

admissions/contenido/asmenulateral/living-in-medellin/. Summarize the information provided
to students interested in living in Medellin. Your summary should be no more than one hundred
words.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
POST
Research online about an undergraduate program of your choice offered at
a different university and in a five-minutes-long presentation expose all the
requirements needed to register in that program. Include relevant information
regarding accommodation, cost, transportation and cultural aspects that a
student must know before applying to the exchange program you chose.

12

Programa Institucional de Inglés