Portfolio

PORTFOLIO

TERM 1

Alejandro Pablos Martínez

START

INDEX

Click the red buttons first

Listening

Self-Assessment

About me

Reading

Writing

Iván's feedback

Use of english

Speaking

Extracurricular Activities

ABOUT ME

ALEJANDRO PABLOS MARTÍNEZ

I’m a creative person with a lot of imagination and a good sense of humor. What I enjoy most in life is music, it’s everything to me, no exaggeration! I also love challenges, especially those that require strategy and wit. My greatest strength is how I adapt to tough and stressful situations, always staying calm. I’m also the "psychologist" of my friend group, always ready to help. I’m a perfectionist, and sometimes I get stressed when things don’t go as planned, but I’m mature enough to handle it. Although I can be introspective and a bit insecure, my favorite time to reflect is at night, when I can be with myself and really listen to my thoughts. What I’m most passionate about, besides music, is graphic design. I create posters of my favorite artists and share my opinions about their albums, which helps me improve my English and connect with others.

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ABOUT ME

PERSONAL GOAL mS

1. Prepare for the C1 Exam: Intensify my preparation for the Cambridge C1 exam by focusing on specific skills needed for the test (e.g., reading, writing, speaking).
2. Participate in English Conversations: Take part in more group discussions and debates in English to develop better argumentative skills.
3. Refine Speaking Fluency: Practice speaking more naturally and confidently, especially in more formal contexts or exams.
4. Expand Vocabulary for Different Contexts: Learn more specialized vocabulary, particularly related to academic and professional settings.
5. Enhance Academic Writing Skills: Improve the structure and vocabulary in my essays and writings to make them even more impressive.
6. Master Pre-Writing Techniques: Find a way to adapt my pre-writing process to better match the expectations of my teacher while still keeping my flow.
7. Set Clear Goals for Each Assignment: Break down each assignment with specific language goals in mind (e.g., using more advanced vocabulary, working on sentence structure, etc.).

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ABOUT ME

Moving on to art,

Fav Artists

Fav Songs

Fav Films

Fav Albums

As I said, music is the only thing that makes me happy or sad, angry or calm, melancholic or joyful... It’s something I’m passionate about, just like movies. Since this is the most important thing in my life, I’ve made a top list of my favorite albums, artists, songs, and movies. (By the way, The Substance is one of the movies in my list, and it’s my big inspiration for the design of this presentation. And yes, each term, each portfolio, will be inspired by a movie; that’s my idea, to represent how I feel or my tastes at that moment during these two years of high school).

The Substance

drive ME crazy!

M21CB

RAYE

Lil Yachty

RAYE

La La Land

YOYOK

Blond

Doja Cat

Taylor Swift

Frank Ocean

Everything, Everyone, all at once

Fallen Alien

Happier Than Ever

Frank Ocean

FKA Twigs

Billie Eilish

READING

Reflection

Iván steps

1. Read the questions
2. Read the text quickly to get a general idea for each paragraph.
3. Read the text again and underline de info. for the questions.
4. Understand the info. you've underlined
5. Start you answer using the question given
6. Use your own words
7. Check your answers

I skip the “skimming for the main idea” part. I jump straight into reading the whole text carefully. I think reading it twice is a waste of time. While I’m reading, I underline the answers for the questions as I find them. I also number them so I can go back quickly.

What we did: We only did one reading this term. It was about podcasts, and I thought I nailed it... until I got the exam back and realized I hadn’t answered the questions the way the teacher wanted. I need to start using the question wording in my answers, even if it feels unnatural, because it’s what the teacher expects. How I handle tricky words: Context is my best friend here. Plus, watching tons of series and movies in English helps a lot because I recognize these ‘weird’ words from somewhere else.

USE OF ENGLISH

VOCABULARY

GRAMMAR

USE OF ENGLISH

VOCABULARY

S2. A CLOSE SHAVE

S1. PLUGGED IN

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USE OF ENGLISH

GRAMMAR

S2. A CLOSE SHAVE

S1. PLUGGED IN

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LISTENING

Reflection

What we did: "We did two different listenings, and they both went really well. Listening has always been one of my strengths because I’ve trained my ear by consuming everything in English—music, series, movies, podcasts, you name it." The only challenge: As long as the speaker doesn’t have a Cockney accent (looking at you, Amy Winehouse and Adele), I’m fine. Cockney accents give me nightmares (it's not joke, I had one) My Strategy: First, I always start by reading the questions carefully before listening. Then If there are options (like multiple-choice), I read each one quickly and underline one or two key words—only what I need to remember the main idea when I’m listening. By doing this, I don’t have to waste time trying to understand the whole sentence during the listening; I can focus on catching the right info.

WRITING

Reflection

What We Did: This term we only did one writing. ONE! And it was an e-mail about helping a friend deal with cyberbullying. Serious topic, sure, but as always, I thought: “This is my moment, I’ve got this.” Well, surprise, surprise... the teacher said it lacked vocabulary. Vocabulary? Really? Whatever, I rewrote it, and boom, it was much better. How It Went: When I reviewed it, I was shocked. Why? Because there were barely any mistakes, and the ones I did have were so tiny, they were almost cute. What I Find Easy: Give me a proposal, a story, or an article, and I’ll whip it up like it’s nothing. Easy, fun, and fabulous What I Struggle With: Pre-writing. Ugh, no. Can’t do it, won’t do it. My teacher wants it all structured: pauses here, notes there... and I’m like: “Honey, what’s the point?” I need chaos, I need flow. I write down ideas, verbs, phrasal verbs, words in English, Spanish, or whatever comes to mind. To me, that’s pre-writing. But to my teacher? Nope, that’s a draft. So yeah, I’ve got a big fat zero in that section.

SPEAKING

Reflection

What We Did: We did a speaking task online, and we had to explain to our grandparents how to do something with technology. I chose to teach them how to send photos by e-mail. Classic. How It Went: It went so well. But, listen, let me tell you how I did it, because it deserves an award. I used TikTok, with a green screen filter, and added pictures behind me like a proper YouTuber. And the best part? I improvised. Total time spent? 10 minutes. Same as my coffee break. JAJAJA! What I Think: Okay, I might have gotten a bit tangled up with my pronunciation. Between my natural lisp and my obsession with sounding like a certain famous actress—who shall remain nameless, but I do try to channel her at least once a week—I’m not sure if everything was crystal clear. But hey, I got a great grade, so I must’ve done something right!

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Where have I noticed progress? Definitely in vocabulary! Between classwork and my own projects, I feel way more comfortable using new words, especially in specific contexts. Of course, there are still some tricky terms that confuse me now and then, but hey, nothing a good dictionary and some patience can’t fix. What do I still struggle with? THE BLOODY PRE-WRITING. I just can’t do it the way my teacher wants. Writing with all those pauses and structured steps is just not for me. I thrive in creative chaos, and my process works for me. Grammar: Grammar isn’t an issue for me, but it’s not exciting either. Honestly, it bores me because I feel like I’ve been doing the same thing for years. That said, learning about stative verbs was something new and interesting. What I really need to work on is adapting my answers to how teachers want them. Also, I should stop assuming I’m always right.

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SELF-ASSESSMENT

Goals and how I met them:

• Watching series and movies in English: 100% achieved. I’m deep into Modern Family, and honestly, I’ve basically become an unofficial member of the Pritchett-Dunphy clan. It’s my whole personality now. I’ve also watched loads of movies and other shows, and they’ve helped me a lot.
• Studying for the C1: This one’s going slower. Like my grandma used to say: “Dress me slowly, I’m in a hurry.” I’ll get there, step by step.
• Doing things in English (posters, projects): Nailed it. I’ve gone above and beyond with this goal. Creating projects in English has been super helpful because it pushes me to find new words and express myself better.
• Talking to random people in English: Oh, I’ve absolutely crushed this one. I’ve joined channels and groups and made friends from all over the world. The best part? Thanks to music (my one true love), I’ve connected with incredible people. I’ve even chatted with Japanese folks! Of course, in English—because my Japanese isn’t there yet (though I’m learning on Duolingo. Konnichiwa, buddy!).

IVÁN'S FEEDBACK

So, Iván, my fabulous teacher, has given me some pretty solid feedback this term. First of all, he told me that my grammar is on point, and that my vocabulary is super broad, like, I know a little bit of everything in that department. Pretty proud of that, honestly!But of course, no feedback session is complete without a little constructive criticism, right? He mentioned that I need to focus more when I'm finishing my exams because I tend to make really silly, small mistakes that I could easily fix. Like, come on, I know better than that! And then, he reminded me (as if I could ever forget) to always start my answers by repeating the question. Yeah, yeah, I know. Not my favorite thing to do, but I’ll work on it. Oh, and the pre-writing, of course. Can’t escape that, can I? He pointed out that my pre-writing needs a little more structure, apparently my chaos isn’t what he’s looking for. Maybe I’ll start following his rules, but little by little. Overall, though, I’m feeling good. A few tweaks here and there, and I’ll be unstoppable.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Look, outside of class, I’m taking this seriously. Twice a week, I go to an English academy to prepare for the Cambridge C1 exam. I’ve already passed B1 and B2 (and all the levels before that, obviously), so now it’s time to go for C1, all the way!When it comes to series and movies, I’m telling you, I only watch the English ones, obviously. But Spanish ones like Paquita Salas or LQSA? It would be a crime to watch them in English! They lose all their charm, don’t they? So, I stick to watching those in Spanish. But everything else, everything I can, I watch in English. And when I say everything, I mean everything, not like those people who say they listen to everything just to sound cool. I really do listen to all kinds of music, and most of it is in English. I grew up listening to Cadena 100 all the time, so it makes sense that I now listen to music mostly in English. And let’s talk about my passion: graphic design. I love making posters of artists (which I upload to TikTok, of course), and I use lots of English words. Then, I give my opinion on albums and get people to comment so I can chat with them in English, defend my opinions, and practice my English at the same time. It’s a win-win. Lastly, I write album reviews and post them on a website called "AOTY." Let me tell you, my reviews are fire, everyone’s reading them. And, on top of that, it’s a fabulous way to keep improving my English!

Exercises

Reflection

What we covered: We went over the present and past tenses, basically the same grammar I’ve been doing for ten years. It was a bit boring, to be honest, but at least I learned something new: stative verbs. I already knew you don’t usually use them in continuous forms, but I didn’t know they had a fancy name. How I did: The exercises were easy, but the tricky part was figuring out exactly what the teacher wanted. Sometimes there’s more than one correct answer, but you have to guess which one they’re looking for. How useful it is: It’s basic grammar, but you use it all the time in English, so it’s essential.

Review I've done of an album: Brat by Charli XCX

"Brat" by Charli XCX is a dazzling gem in the contemporary music landscape. From the very first moment, the production stands out as impeccable, deserving a clear 10 out of 10. The attention to detail is evident in every track, making the album sound incredibly rich and clear. Songs like "Club Classics" and "365" particularly shine, featuring inexplicably beautiful and unique sounds that only Charli could blend so masterfully. The lyrics in "Brat" are a showcase of campy, vibrant performances, as seen in tracks like "Von Dutch" and "360." However, Charli doesn't shy away from emotional depth, paying tribute to the late queen of electronic music, SOPHIE, and addressing her personal struggles in "Girl So Confusing." The remix of this song featuring Lorde is one of the most iconic moments of recent years. Lorde's collaboration, adopting Charli's lyrical style, results in a simply beautiful combination. Additionally, Charli's British flair in one of the verses adds an addictive and irresistible touch. In terms of cohesion, "Brat" is a solid album that maintains a consistent aesthetic and melody throughout all the songs, making the listening experience unforgettable. The variety within the album is notable; Charli expands her range from touching ballads like "So I" to dance anthems like "Everything is Romantic." Her voice is perfect for this type of music, and effects like reverb add a hypnotic and satisfying quality. The originality of "Brat" is outstanding, earning all possible stars. From the first song to the last, including a cover that screams "I love graphic design," this album is a 10/10. Its impact has been magnificent, quickly becoming one of my top five most listened-to albums of all time and the most played of the year. This album has been life-changing and will be remembered forever. Finally, I want to highlight my favorite songs from the album: "Everything is Romantic," "Guess," "The Girl, So Confusing Version with Lorde," and "Von Dutch." Charli XCX has shown with "Brat" that she continues to be an innovative and exciting force in pop music, delivering an album that not only sounds good but also resonates deeply.

Posters I've done in English for TikTok:

Reflection

If somewhere in the presentation you see this icon, means that if you click it, will be my reflection written in a window like this one

Lorem ipsum dolor

If somewhere in the presentation you see this icon, means that if you click it, will be the exercices i've done during the term in class

Reflection

S1: Technology (easy for me because I’m used to these words). S2: Health (a bit more challenging but still easy tho) Strategies: I created mind maps and diagrams like the ones you've already seen on Canva. Organizing the words while making everything visually appealing helped me learn better. Difficulties: In the second unit, I tended to mix up the words and use one instead of the other. Useful words and expressions: In unit 1, I learned expressions like hazardous, which I use a lot now because adjectives enrich my English. I also found poke someone’s nose into something and scribble down very useful."

Exercises

Exercises