THE WALKER FOR PEACE

Gustavo Moncayo is a Colombian teacher who decided to walk from his hometown in Sandona, in the southern of Colombia to Bogotá, seeking to promote an agreement for the release of his son Pablo Emilio who was kidnapped since 1997 by FARC.  Teacher Moncayo, as is known in Colombia, has been a model of persistence, and strength for people who have been forced to leave their homes because of conflict with guerrilla. He has been considered as a hero, because he walked 1186 km (736 miles) in one a half month. It occurred from June 17 to August 1^st in 2007.  It is admirable because he had started his journey alone in June 17 and when he walked his last stretch to the historic downtown of the capital city, he was cheered by thousands by 50.000 people. [1] Also, the climatic conditions in the Colombian Andes are merciless; temperatures there vary between 41 F to 100 F. In addition, Professor Moncayo was fifty five years old at that time, and no matter that no one helped him in his cause and despite his sicknesses, he continued his walk.  At the end of his journey, he had  managed to capture the attention of the whole country, the mass  media,  and the government, and managed to negotiate the release of his son who had been kidnapped for ten years,  at that time, Pablo Emilio was  in captivity  for the longest time on record. But  Gustavo Moncayo’s  struggle did not finished with the release of his son, he has continued to help towards the release of abducted soldiers, because in Colombia still 3143[2]  people, who have been  hijacked by guerrilla.  Perhaps what makes it great to Professor Moncayo, is that being a fighter without weapons , he was victorious.

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[1] EL TIEMPO. Thursday August 2, 2007. Bogota, Colombia.

[2] DANE. National Department of  Statistics in Colombia.  National Report of security. January 2010.

Families Types Tokens Percent K1 Words (1-1000): 86 98 231 78.84%   Function: ... ... (149) (50.85%)   Content: ... ... (82) (27.99%) >   Anglo-Sax       =Not Greco-Lat/Fr Cog: ... ... (32) (10.92%) K2 Words (1001-2000): 10 10 12 4.10% >   Anglo-Sax:      ... ... (5) (1.71%)     1k+2k       ... ... (82.94%) AWL Words (academic): 9 9 12 4.10% >   Anglo-Sax:      ... ... (1) (0.34%) Off-List Words: ? 25 38 12.97% 105+? 142 293 100%

Words in text (tokens): 293 Different words (types): 142 Type-token ratio: 0.48 Tokens per type: 2.06 Lex density (content words/total) 0.49 Pertaining to onlist only Tokens: 255 Types: 117 Families: 105 Tokens per family: 2.43 Types per family: 1.11 Anglo-Sax Index: (A-Sax tokens + functors / onlist tokens) 73.33% Greco-Lat/Fr-Cognate Index: (Inverse of above) 26.67%

GLOBAL WARMING

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What is the Importance of Learning a Second Language?

The easiest way to answer this question is to list the benefits and advantages to those who take the time to explore the language of a culture different than their own.

On a personal level, learning a second language takes people out of their imprinted mindset and exposes them to the mores and customs of an entirely different group of people. Their view of the world expands beyond blurbs on the nightly news and into a deeper understanding of how other people think.

While this can be difficult, the effort pays off in more than simply a new list of vocabulary words. Like a muscle being exercised, the brain is able to function better in terms of organization, memory, and expression. When someone has to express themselves in another language, it automatically improves their ability to express themselves in their native tongue.

In terms of community, learning a second language will also increase understanding and compassion for other cultures. This becomes a powerful tool in fighting stereotypes and bigotry. For example, a native English speaker who takes the time to learn some Spanish before traveling to Mexico will have more than simply a greater chance of understanding the street signs and menus. By making the effort to speak to people in their language, rather than assuming they should speak English, the traveler is validating the Mexican culture. The simple act of trying to express oneself in the other language shows a respect that is usually appreciated.

Pragmatically, with the advent of the global marketplace, having a second or even third language on a resumé is almost a requirement of the job-seeking professional. Especially in careers where clients may be anywhere on the globe, the ability to communicate with them in their own language increases both the quality of the relations and the ability of the business to meet their needs. Businesses recognize that a person with the ability to speak a second language fluently is a valuable asset. It also shows off the capacity of the aspiring job candidate to learn and assimilate complex systems of information, a talent that is sure to catch the attention of any human resources department.

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