Katia Dumarets'ka: Body language

Katia Dumarets'ka

We must admit that the body language is an important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating. If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can (or cannot) use your body to say what you mean. Body language comes in clusters of signals and postures, depending on the internal emotions and mental states.

There are some types of body language, for example aggressive body language or attentive body language, bored body language, closed body language or opened etc. A significant cluster of body movements is used to signal aggression.

Aggressive body language - this is actually quite useful as it is seldom a good idea to get into a fight, even for powerful people. Fighting can hurt you, even though you are pretty certain you will win. In addition, with adults, fighting is often socially unacceptable and aggression through words and body language is all that may ever happen.

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Test your knowledge of Body Language here.

Maryna Ostapchuk: Netiquette

Maryna Ostapchuk

Netiquette, a portmanteau of "net etiquette", is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks, ranging from Usenet and mailing lists to blogs and forums. The concept and its application remain in a state of flux, and vary from community to community.

Netiquette originated prior to the emergence of the World Wide Web in 1989. Text-based email, Telnet, Usenet, Gopher, Wais, and FTP dominated internet traffic, which was primarily used by educational and research bodies. At that time, it was considered somewhat indecent to make commercial public postings and the limitations of insecure, text-only communications demanded the community have a common set of rules. The term "netiquette" has been in use since as early as 1988. Read more

Iryna Gerasymchuk: Jagiellonian University: Standards of Education

Iryna Gerasymchuk
PhD, KhNU

An integration into a European Higher Education Area, that is what Ukraine is striving for undergoing a process of fundamental change in the education system. But ask any Ukrainian University instructor what the Bologna Process means for them and you will hear about additional workload, ask a student and you will hear complaints on an increased number of tests. I tried to find out what it means for the lecturers and the students of the Jagiellonian University.

The Jagiellonian University was the second university to be founded in Central Europe (in 1364). Mikolaj Kopernik (Nicolaus Copernicus) studied liberal arts in Krakow. There are over a hundred degrees and specialties available in Polish, as well as a dozen in English. The number of students is 50 000. There are 15 Faculties and 7 Units, among them Jagiellonian Language Centre where I am currently at.

Implementation of the Bologna Process main provisions includes adoption of a two-stage and later three-stage cycle of study The one-stage master's degree at the Jagiellonian University has been transformed into a two-stage cycle of study. Read more

Natalia Kunda & Victor Barannik: Modern approaches in teaching foreign languages

Natalia Kunda & Victor Barannik

There are many interesting approaches in teaching foreign languages in teacher’s practice. I try to list them: ....

All of these approaches have many advantages, but they also have disadvantages. For example, if one of them is useful to one person, it doesn’t mean that it would be good to another one. So these methods are used only in individual teaching.

But new approaches include only advantages of these methods. Modern ways of teaching become almost perfect. But you can ask: “Why these approaches become so perfect only at our time?” The answer is IT. Internet, software, electronic and audio-books are reasons of this great achievement. It used to be unreal to capture all features of teaching foreign. But fortunately our society is improving. Almost all the young use the internet. They can chat, study or even amuse themselves with improving their foreign knowledge. So Internet becomes good teacher at our time. Read more

Nina Lyulkun: Virtual Busking

Hi participants! I am delighted to invite you to discuss one of the interesting topic I've just bumped into while checking my Twitter.
Feel free to express your ideas. It would be very nice to hear from you. Just look through the video below, then visit the URL and listen to the songs, and then decide what you think and how you can help. ;-)

Amazing, isn't it???

Roma Boyko: Culture of young people or melody of my soul

Roma Boyko

Do you know what hip-hop is? Nowadays if you ask most people to give a definition of "rap", they're likely to state that it's the reciting of rhymes to the best of music. Hip-hop music or rap music is an admired and famous style or genre of music in the USA. This well-known music genre is made up of two components, rapping and record scratching. Rapping is also known as MCing and DJing, which comprises of audio mixing. These two main components combined with graffiti and break dancing form the four core elements of hip-hop.

Hip-hop was initiated as a cultural movement by inner-city youth, mostly Latinos, Hispanics, and African Americans in New York City, in the early seventies. The word "rap" was derived in the sixties, from a slang word that meant conversation. Read more

Kozlova Ilona: Essential Elements of Every Email

Kozlova Ilona

Supervisor: Olena Sydorenko

With every email you have the opportunity to communicate with clarity. The onus is on you as the author to ensure that the intent and tone you wish to relay is what comes across to those you email. And, with every email you also run the risk of being misunderstood or giving a less than positive impression by not paying attention to detail. In email you lose the benefit of eye-contact, body language, a firm handshake or a smile. By taking the time to create emails that have 5 Essential Elements firmly in place, you ensure your meaning is not detracted from while minimizing possible negative perceptions and misunderstandings. Read more

Oxana Vezdenetska: Internet memes

Oxana Vezdenetska

The habitants of virtual network invented their own manner of speaking long time ago. This language can’t be founded in none dictionary. It is made of words from many varieties of slang. Almost everyone was welcomed with a word «Превед!» or listened to extraordinary narrations about Ktulkhu… Such means of communication got the name of Internet memes. In Wikipedia they are determined as the «phenomenon of spontaneous distribution of some information or phrase, often empty in sense, which spontaneously purchased popularity in Internet by all possible methods (on an e-mail, in messengers, forums, blogs and others); and also this information or phrase». Read more

Andriy Nikityuk: Art of new generation

Andriy Nikityuk

Art of new generation

Graffiti became a way of life – the adrenaline fear of being caught, standing in dangerous places while you graffiti, stealing the paint and creating something they were proud of. Graffiti style was massively influenced by the hip-hop culture that had started in the Bronx in the sixties. Hip-hop with its rapping, breakdancing, attitude and graffiti became a way to show anger and humor. The area and its inhabitants lives were dominated by crime, drugs, gangs and unemployment. Street gangs began to write the name of their gang on walls in order to mark territorial boundaries. Read more.

Graffiti samples are here

Lyuba Podoba: Amazing Waterfalls - My Dream!

Lyuba Podoba

My close relative - Viktor Kovalskiy told this story to me. My rosy dream is to visit this wonderful place. Each time I remind this story I travel in my thoughts to this landscape. And now I'd like to invite you to travel with me.

The "Niagara of Pennsylvania", Bushkill Falls is among the Keystone State's most famous scenic attractions. This unique series of eight waterfalls, nestled deep in the wooded Pocono Mountains, is accessible through an excellent network of hiking trails and bridges which afford fabulous views of the falls and the surrounding forest.

Hiking the trails and viewing the towering 100-foot Main Falls are not the only activities possible on the expansive grounds of Bushkill Falls. Read more

Lyudmyla Bodnarchuk: Manner Matters

Lyudmyla Bodnarchuk

There is an old saying in English,
"When in Rome, do as Romans do"
What do you think this saying means?

For example, in Japan, a simple bow to show your respect when you meet someone can carry a thousand positive messages about your attitude towards their culture. Likewise, in Germanic countries and the United States, you should remember that business people will often be eager to get down to work. They believe that “time is money.” Almost everywhere else in the world, it is considered very important for businessmen to get to know one another better before proceeding with negotiations. Scheduling time for building relationships is as important as making time for whatever is on the business agenda. Speaking English can be your passport to many foreign markets, but do not leave home without that all-important guide to local etiquette. Read more

Dmitriyeva Natalia:The problems of young people

Dmitriyeva Natalia

There are many young people in our country. Each of them has one's own view point on life and future. There are many problems which are common for all young people. For example: how to spend their free time, what to do after school, choosing a profession, how to deal with girl and boy-friends and so on. The problem number one of most of the young people is the problem of fathers and sons. Every generation has its own culture in music, fashion, and hair-do. Older people can't understand it: they think that girl's skirts are too short or too long. They consider our clothes to be too colorful. Read more

Vitaliy Soyko: Electronic Mail at Work

Vitaliy Soyko

The conventions for email at work are a little different than for email among friends. Professional email can still be informal. But a lot of the humor and wit that's appropriate in a discussion group is out of place at work. Everybody emailing at work should take into consideration important facts about using email at work.

Firstly, you should check your email preferably three or four times a day, but at least twice a day. Read more