MY THIRD ENCHANGE
Hello everybody!
Last Monday I had my third exchange with my American peer Gillian. The topic of our talk was alternative energy resources in Italy and in the United States. I was impressed by what she told me about hybrid cars and that’s the reason why I developed this topic in the wiki page of my English course. She told me that lots of her friends have hybrid cars and I realised that here in Italy very few people have this kind of vehicle (I don’t personally know anybody who belongs hybrid cars). In my opinion that’s a pity because using hybrids we could protect the environment and the air much more than we actually do.
Then we talked about our opinion concerning alternative energy resources, we asked some questions about the situation in our countries, and what we personally do in order to economize on energy.
Finally, I asked her the reason why she called me for our first exchange. She answered that at first her teacher gave the students the name of their Italian peer and she told her: “Well Gillian, you call Barbara”. For the next exchange their teacher told them to talk to the same person of the first time and Gillian said that she were happy to talk with me again, first of all because we had already broken the ice the previous time and above all we were able to understand each other (maybe not everybody is able to understand what his/her peer tells him/her). Of course, I’m happy as well to have a talk with her anytime we are supposed to have our exchange!
Well guys, that’s all for the moment!
Have a good week!
Bye Barbara

Hello everybody!
Unfortunately yesterday I had't got the opportunity to talk with my American peer because there in the States they are actually on holyday (just for one week). However, this week we are supposed to search for information about alternative sources of energy in Italy which is the topic of our next exchange. I must edit what I found about this subject in our course-wiki and actually I'm waiting (I have been waiting for 40 minutes by now!!!) that the person who is editing at this moment finishes his work...I hope it will happen as soon as possible. Furthermore, I have just realised that this person has already written most pieces of information I had saved in my word-document (before editing it in the wiki)...Well, now I have to revise it (what a pity! I heve been working on it for 2 hours!!!). This is the disadvantage of working in a wiki.
I must go away now, so I will try for the last time to edit my contribution to our course wiki.
See you next week!
Bye Barbara

MY SECOND EXCHANGE
Hello everybody!
Yesterday I made my second exchange with my American peer Gillian and as I supposed, this time things went better than last week as we had already broken the ice: yesterday we were less embarrassed because we already knew each other.
This time she had prepared some questions about recycling in Italy to ask me and she tried to speak Italian. At first I found it difficult to understand her because when she read her question she didn’t make any pause between words (she didn’t separate them). However, after the second question I realised her way of reading and I was able to answer her.
Furthermore, yesterday I recorded my talk with Gillian and listening to it I surprisingly realised that I’m not so bad at speaking English as I thought!!!
Well guys, that’s all!
Bye Barbara

WHAT A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!
Hello everybody!
This week I'm going to tell to you about my first Skyping experience.
Last week we were supposed to find some pieces of information about recycling in Italy and then to write them down in our "Tulanepadova" wiki. On Monday we had our first exchange with American students attending the Tulane Univeristy in the United States and recycling was supposed to be the topic of out talk.
I was skyping with one of my classmates (in order to make some "prove tecniche" before skyping with our peers in the States) when I realised that my Skype-phone was ringing...an American student was calling me. I was quite worried for two reasons: first of all I don't understand American language very well; then I didn't know the person who was calling me so I didn't know what to tell her. However, I was able to talk to her for 40 minutes!!! And I enjoyed myself very much!
We talked a little bit about recycling (I asked her two questions about recycling in the States. She answered to me but as she spoke too fast I didn't understand all that she said.) Then we talked about ourselves as she hadn't prepare anything about recycling (neither questions about the situation in Italy nor pieces of information about that in America). However, I really enjoyed myself!!!
I look forward to talking to her again and I'm sure that next time will be much better than last time: we alreandy know each other and then she promised me she would speak Italian to me!

Well guys, that's all for the moment!
See you next week!
Bye Barbara