Time Is Not on Your Side: Establishing a Consistent Statute of Limitations for the Alien Tort Claims Act

This Comment argues that inconsistent application of limitations periods to ATCA claims does not provide sufficient and certain notice to potential parties to allow them to bring a timely claim, thereby potentially denying them an opportunity to receive a fair hearing in federal courts. Absent a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to provide consistent guidance on the applicable ATCA limitations period, Congress should amend the statute to provide a specific ten-year limitations period for most torts. Because both international and U.S. laws provide that murder committed as part of the crime of genocide has no statute of limitations, ATCA claims arising from genocidal acts should also be free of any limitations period. Part II provides general background on statute of limitations jurisprudence and related concepts, such as borrowing statutes, the doctrines of repose and laches, equitable tolling, and the discovery rule. Part II also examines the application of limitations law in federal courts. Part III reviews the history and progression of application of limitations law to the ATCA, focusing on the inconsistency of the limitations periods in representative ATCA claims. Part IV examines arguments for and against amending the ATCA to include a fixed limitations period, and evaluates several proposed alternatives for Congress to consider when amending the ATCA. Part IV also presents the key elements that the amended ATCA should contain. Part V presents conclusions about the appropriate limitations period for Congress to adopt

Time Is Not on Your Side: Establishing a Consistent Statute of Limitations for the Alien Tort Claims Act

This Comment argues that inconsistent application of limitations periods to ATCA claims does not provide sufficient and certain notice to potential parties to allow them to bring a timely claim, thereby potentially denying them an opportunity to receive a fair hearing in federal courts. Absent a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to provide consistent guidance on the applicable ATCA limitations period, Congress should amend the statute to provide a specific ten-year limitations period for most torts. Because both international and U.S. laws provide that murder committed as part of the crime of genocide has no statute of limitations, ATCA claims arising from genocidal acts should also be free of any limitations period. Part II provides general background on statute of limitations jurisprudence and related concepts, such as borrowing statutes, the doctrines of repose and laches, equitable tolling, and the discovery rule. Part II also examines the application of limitations law in federal courts. Part III reviews the history and progression of application of limitations law to the ATCA, focusing on the inconsistency of the limitations periods in representative ATCA claims. Part IV examines arguments for and against amending the ATCA to include a fixed limitations period, and evaluates several proposed alternatives for Congress to consider when amending the ATCA. Part IV also presents the key elements that the amended ATCA should contain. Part V presents conclusions about the appropriate limitations period for Congress to adopt

Workshops centered on authentic videos to enhance speaking

95 páginas : gráficos.Esta investigación explora la pertinencia que tiene el uso de videos auténticos para mejorar la habilidad de habla en los estudiantes de grado once de un colegio público en Bogotá. Principalmente se analizó cómo el diseño de tres talleres basados en esta clase de videos ayudó a los estudiantes a mejorar su comunicación oral a través de la imitación de situaciones reales. Los instrumentos empleados para recolectar la información fueron: portafolio oral, encuestas, artefactos y notas de campo. Esta investigación acción señaló que los estudiantes no encuentran un uso real del inglés y argumentaban que las clases no eran interesantes, ya que solo aprendían gramática basada en actividades escritas de los textos propuestos por el colegio. Los talleres diseñados basados en seis principios sugeridos por Tomlinson (1998) para el diseño de materiales, así como diferentes teorías acerca de autenticidad y habilidades de habla, proporcionaron a los estudiantes algunas estrategias para comunicarse de forma efectivamente en situaciones reales. Los hallazgos demostraron que los estudiantes mejoraron en su comunicación oral ya que aumentó su confianza al usar la lengua extranjera, haciendo más interesante y retador el proceso de aprendizaje.This research study explored the pertinence that authentic videos have to enhance eleventh graders' speaking in a public school in Bogota. It mainly analyzed how the designed workshops based on this kind of videos helped students improve their oral communication by imitating real life situations. The instruments used to collect data were: oral portfolio, surveys, artifacts and field notes. This action research study pointed out that learners did not find a real use of English and argued that the classes were not interesting since they just learnt grammar based on written activities from the books proposed by the school. The workshops designed based on the six principles suggested by Tomlinson (1998), for materials design as well as different theories about authenticity and speaking skills, provided students with helpful strategies to communicate effectively in daily life situations. The findings showed that students enhanced their oral communication since they fostered their confidence when using the target language, making learning process more interesting and challenging.Magíster en Evaluación y Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la EducaciónMaestrí

Organizadores gráficos como una herramienta didáctica orientada al mejoramiento de procesos lectores.

El presente texto presenta una herramienta didáctica basada en el uso de los organizadores gráficos como soporte del proceso lector, apoyándose en diversas teorías que orientan tanto al docente como al estudiante en el empleo de nuevos instrumentos, permitiendo mejorar la comprensión de lectura, en los grados más avanzados de la secundaria de la jornada nocturna. Teniendo en cuenta que el bajo nivel de comprensivo es un problema que se presenta desde la infancia, se hace pertinente elaborar estrategias para el mejoramiento de habilidades básicas comunicativas que le permitan al educando interactuar con su entorno de una forma efectiva; es decir, que explique y simultáneamente comprenda diferentes ideas a partir de lecturas previasThis paper presents an educational tool based on the use of graphic organizers as the reading process support, based on various theories that guide both the teacher and the student in the use of new tools, allowing improve reading comprehension in grades most advanced high of the night shift. Given the low level of understanding is a problem that arises from childhood, it becomes relevant develop strategies for improving communication basic skills that allow the learner to interact with their environment in an effective manner; ie simultaneously explain and understand different ideas from previous reading