PORTFOLIO

- ICPNA -

LEVEL: ADVANCED 6, GRAMMAR 3

2023
 WRITING N°1
GRAMMAR TASKS: focus and negative adverbs, adverbs of condition, contrast and place, connectors for addition
and conditions.
GERMANY AND PERU
For this writing, I am going to express my appreciation and investigations about these two
countries, which are special for me because of my family. I am Peruvian, as well as my most of
my family, but my mother’s sister, the third and last, lives in Germany since more than 20 years
ago and she has a daughter, my cousin, who is basically German (in addition her father is from
England), but she was born and is been raised there. I have never been to Germany, but I hold
a special sentiment for it because it’s the home of my cousin and aunt for many years.
Clearly, both countries have a lot of differences in culture, traditions and people in general, still
there are areas where we have things that can have the same amount of value between people
and the whole country. Starting with the geography and climate; Peru is located in South
America, next to the Pacific ocean while Germany is in Central Europe, surrounded by other
countries; the climate in both countries are also really different, although we do have seasonal
climate, in Germany it fits more because they have cold winters and warm summers, whereas,
in Peru, we have diverse climates that can go from coastal deserts to high mountain ranges to
the Amazon rainforest. About the language, the official one in Germany is German, while in
Peru, we have multiple ones, just like Spanish, Quechua and Aymara; though Spanish wasn’t
even originally from here. Throughout history, both countries have gone through a lot of big
events and reigns, most of them being complex; Germany had a period with the Holy Roman
Empire, the Reformation and more recently, the division and reunification of East and West
Germany (the Berlin Wall); Peru had ancient civilizations like the Inca Empire, the Spanish
colonization and consequently, the struggle for independence. Both countries went to many
wars and/or started them. In another different area, we reached culinary diversity! Both
countries have a really diverse culinary traditions, where we share a love for potatoes, them
being originally from Peru and started being exported to Germany; this last country is very
recognizable for its sausages, pretzels and hearty meals, while Peru has a rich culinary
heritage, with a lot of national dishes and a variety of indigenous ingredients; also, we share an
appreciation for beer, in Germany there is a wide variety of beer and there are various festivals
held just for it, one of the most famous ones, is ‘Oktoberfest’; here in Peru is also a popular
beverage (alongside with ‘Pisco Sour’, one of the most recognizable peruvians drinks; hardly do
we not mention it), and there is a growing craft beer scene. In the cultural heritage, we are
countries that have been granted by the UNESCO ‘World Heritage Sites’, which showcases
historical and cultural significances, most of the sites have to do with religion, like the Cologne
Cathedral in Germany and Machu Picchu in Peru; other places are the Würzburg Residence
and the historic center of Lima.
In conclusion, even if we don’t have much in common, we still have a great culture in these two
countries, which are of great honor for their people; me, as a Peruvian, I feel really proud of the
things we, Peruvians have gone through centuries ago and how we still can get a hold of most
of the events the country has had. Our culture and traditions may have a lot of differences, but
we should still be proud of what we have, because our heritage still has a long way to go.
Words: 601
 WRITING N° 2
GRAMMAR TASKS: noun clauses: that, subject or adjective complement; noun clauses with whether, direct and
indirect speech, past unreal conditional.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 GRAMMAR COURSE - REFLECTION
My thoughts about the whole advanced grammar course are summarized in only one phrase:
“What a journey!”. And I finally realized why the teachers repeated how difficult it was. One thing
is that I really tried and even though I am maybe giving an off vibe of my overall experience, I
actually enjoyed a lot of things of the grammar course, first, because it was the first time in years
that I studied and learned again grammar and second, because I learnt to ask for things that I
didn't understand at first and met really great teachers, who always tried to help the students. I
know that my development in this final course might not be the best, because I got situations
and a job this month, but still, I am really grateful to you, teacher, because I noticed you always
tried to do your best in classes, presentations and explanations.