comment1:
On Vina's first week reflection
http://vinaanastasialearningjournal.blogspot.com/2010/06/thursday-3rd-june-2010.html#comments
comment2:
On Jin's second week reflection
http://jinslearningjournal.blogspot.com/2010/06/reflection-for-week-2.html#comments
comment3:
On Julia's first week reflection
http://juliaslearningjournal.blogspot.com/2010/06/reflection-week-1-group-work-outside.html#comments
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Week 3 -- So Busy!!!
This is really a busy week!!
Although Monday is a public holiday, and we do not need to go to the class, I still feel busy at home in preparing for the whole week and doing my homework because this week is so important that may influenced my overseas study life.
On Wednesday, we have an exam of writing a critical response to an article about English language with no less than 500 words in 90 minutes. Although we discussed the whole article in group for more than an hour, and Robyn helped us analysed four main arguments that the writer claims, it is still difficult for us to write this response. I have prepared some opinions during the break. However, when I picked up my pen and began to write, my brain is empty. I cannot remember anything. When Robyn told us there only 10 mins left, I haven’t begin with my conclusion. Disasters pile up on one another. When I try to focus my mind in the last two mins in the last few sentences, someone’s mobile phone rang, and rang, and rang, and rang…OK, I gave up!! How can I finish the essay with a good ending under such situation?
This week we began to compare two essays and then response to them. It is much difficult than one. At the first day, I even cannot followed Carla's step. How come?! And the lecture listening on Thursday shocked me again. There are all bed news for me.
However, the most bed news for me is that, I need to take the IELTS test this Saturday, and I haven't prepared anything about it. OMG!
I now really hope there are 48 or even 72 hours a day...God bless me!!
Busy...busy...busy...
Although Monday is a public holiday, and we do not need to go to the class, I still feel busy at home in preparing for the whole week and doing my homework because this week is so important that may influenced my overseas study life.
On Wednesday, we have an exam of writing a critical response to an article about English language with no less than 500 words in 90 minutes. Although we discussed the whole article in group for more than an hour, and Robyn helped us analysed four main arguments that the writer claims, it is still difficult for us to write this response. I have prepared some opinions during the break. However, when I picked up my pen and began to write, my brain is empty. I cannot remember anything. When Robyn told us there only 10 mins left, I haven’t begin with my conclusion. Disasters pile up on one another. When I try to focus my mind in the last two mins in the last few sentences, someone’s mobile phone rang, and rang, and rang, and rang…OK, I gave up!! How can I finish the essay with a good ending under such situation?
This week we began to compare two essays and then response to them. It is much difficult than one. At the first day, I even cannot followed Carla's step. How come?! And the lecture listening on Thursday shocked me again. There are all bed news for me.
However, the most bed news for me is that, I need to take the IELTS test this Saturday, and I haven't prepared anything about it. OMG!
I now really hope there are 48 or even 72 hours a day...God bless me!!
Busy...busy...busy...
Useful Websites Intruduction
1.Dictionary Website: http://www.macmillandictionar.com/
It is a useful English-English dictionary website to check the simply identify of the English vocabulary.
2.Dictionary Website: http://www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com/dictionary/math
It is also an English-English dictionary. I can compare the identify of two websites, and choose one that is more acceptable for my understanding.
3.Dictionary Website: http://www.iciba.com/
It is an Chinese-English and English-Chinese web dictionary, which is more easier for Chinese to understand while the identity that English-English dictionary give is confusion.
4.News Website: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/
It is widely used in overseas students who wants to improve their listening. It is really useful because we can find the text that can help us in understanding the content below the video.
5.News Website: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/
This website may help we Chinese students to know what had happened in China in English.
6.News Website: http://www.abc.net.au/news/
A news website that shows what happened in Australia,happened around us.
7.News Website: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/
A similiar website as above, but the vocabulary writer used in more easier to understandingand the content is more interesting.
8.http://www.academicearth.org/
Online degrees and video courses from leading universities. We can learn new knowledge from famous lectures for free and it also can help us in improving our listening.
9.http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
A website about grammar.
10.http://www.scribd.com/
Free journals!!
It is a useful English-English dictionary website to check the simply identify of the English vocabulary.
2.Dictionary Website: http://www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com/dictionary/math
It is also an English-English dictionary. I can compare the identify of two websites, and choose one that is more acceptable for my understanding.
3.Dictionary Website: http://www.iciba.com/
It is an Chinese-English and English-Chinese web dictionary, which is more easier for Chinese to understand while the identity that English-English dictionary give is confusion.
4.News Website: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/
It is widely used in overseas students who wants to improve their listening. It is really useful because we can find the text that can help us in understanding the content below the video.
5.News Website: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/
This website may help we Chinese students to know what had happened in China in English.
6.News Website: http://www.abc.net.au/news/
A news website that shows what happened in Australia,happened around us.
7.News Website: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/
A similiar website as above, but the vocabulary writer used in more easier to understandingand the content is more interesting.
8.http://www.academicearth.org/
Online degrees and video courses from leading universities. We can learn new knowledge from famous lectures for free and it also can help us in improving our listening.
9.http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
A website about grammar.
10.http://www.scribd.com/
Free journals!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week 2 -- Critical Response
The main aim of the second week was to practice how to write a critical response essay.
Actually, it confused me. Among "A BELT", these five elements, I think the most difficult one is "L"--logic. On one hand, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the argument is logical or not, because I am not familiar with topics that about language. On the other hand, the way I write about how the argument is illogical is not easy, sometimes, I response in an illogical way. I am now so worried about the text that will taken on next Wednesday. I need to practice more and to be more familiar with all the aspects. Hope everything goes well!
Except critical response, we also learnt reading for comprehensions, listening and taking notes… All of these practice are a bit harder than week 1, however, I found myself can do a better job compare to week 1. So happy!!
Now, two weeks past. Comparing to E6, E7 keeps me busy. I need to spend time finishing my discussion board and reflection in advance, or I do not have time to practice my oral presentation. All of this requires me to arrange my time rationally, or I may have trouble in the EOC. I believe if I can deal them well, I also prepared better for my university life.
I heard from a recent E-mail that our enrolment to the university has been moved up. Time is not enough for me to improve my English, no time to lose, FIGHTING!!!!
picture comes from: http://www.mfdcmacau.com/blogs
Actually, it confused me. Among "A BELT", these five elements, I think the most difficult one is "L"--logic. On one hand, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the argument is logical or not, because I am not familiar with topics that about language. On the other hand, the way I write about how the argument is illogical is not easy, sometimes, I response in an illogical way. I am now so worried about the text that will taken on next Wednesday. I need to practice more and to be more familiar with all the aspects. Hope everything goes well!
Except critical response, we also learnt reading for comprehensions, listening and taking notes… All of these practice are a bit harder than week 1, however, I found myself can do a better job compare to week 1. So happy!!
Now, two weeks past. Comparing to E6, E7 keeps me busy. I need to spend time finishing my discussion board and reflection in advance, or I do not have time to practice my oral presentation. All of this requires me to arrange my time rationally, or I may have trouble in the EOC. I believe if I can deal them well, I also prepared better for my university life.
I heard from a recent E-mail that our enrolment to the university has been moved up. Time is not enough for me to improve my English, no time to lose, FIGHTING!!!!
picture comes from: http://www.mfdcmacau.com/blogs
Discussion board - Language, or linguistic diversity
Many people strongly believe that a country gains strength by encouraging a diversity of languages. Australia is often cited as a good example. What do you think?
I strongly against this opinion. In my opinion, single language can help a country to be more solidarity, raise their citizen's sense of group honor. On the contrary, diversity of languages in a country might lead to disrupt. I will show you three countries for example.
The first is Japan. It is well known that Japan is a country with single nation and single language. This superiority makes Japanese be easier to get their energy together to do difficult things, such as developing their economy. This is the reason why Japan developed so fast after the second world war.
In the topic, it is said that "Australia is often cited as a good example of encouraging a diversity of languages". I doubt the reliability of this example from my own experience. One day, I was taking a tram to school with four Chinese old people and one or to locals. So empty carriage that we could hear everybody clearly. I heard these four old people talking in Chinese, and I also heart that one local woman complained these four people's talking. Not for noisy, but for the language they use, "it is in Australia now, they should speak English", then shacked her head and sighed. From this small case, I can only get the information that, some Australia do not willing to accept or even hear other languages,like Chinese, they prefer English. As a result, a diversity of languages will lead to misunderstanding or even disrupt, let alone "gain strength".
Another bed example is China. I am a Chinese, I know China have more than 100 dialects(or even more), a dialect used maybe only in one city. Can we regard China as a country with a diversity of languages? Too many languages in China create a natural gap between people speak different dialects. Although we have mandarin, oral speech sounds still exits. Some people look down upon people who speak a different dialect, then, with the time going on, disrupt is unavoidable.
In conclusion, there might be some other example support this argument. However, from the discussion I list above, I cannot agree this opinion: a country gains strength by encouraging a diversity of languages.
picture comes from: http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/archives_en.cfm?start=103
I strongly against this opinion. In my opinion, single language can help a country to be more solidarity, raise their citizen's sense of group honor. On the contrary, diversity of languages in a country might lead to disrupt. I will show you three countries for example.
The first is Japan. It is well known that Japan is a country with single nation and single language. This superiority makes Japanese be easier to get their energy together to do difficult things, such as developing their economy. This is the reason why Japan developed so fast after the second world war.
In the topic, it is said that "Australia is often cited as a good example of encouraging a diversity of languages". I doubt the reliability of this example from my own experience. One day, I was taking a tram to school with four Chinese old people and one or to locals. So empty carriage that we could hear everybody clearly. I heard these four old people talking in Chinese, and I also heart that one local woman complained these four people's talking. Not for noisy, but for the language they use, "it is in Australia now, they should speak English", then shacked her head and sighed. From this small case, I can only get the information that, some Australia do not willing to accept or even hear other languages,like Chinese, they prefer English. As a result, a diversity of languages will lead to misunderstanding or even disrupt, let alone "gain strength".
Another bed example is China. I am a Chinese, I know China have more than 100 dialects(or even more), a dialect used maybe only in one city. Can we regard China as a country with a diversity of languages? Too many languages in China create a natural gap between people speak different dialects. Although we have mandarin, oral speech sounds still exits. Some people look down upon people who speak a different dialect, then, with the time going on, disrupt is unavoidable.
In conclusion, there might be some other example support this argument. However, from the discussion I list above, I cannot agree this opinion: a country gains strength by encouraging a diversity of languages.
picture comes from: http://ec.europa.eu/research/headlines/archives_en.cfm?start=103
Dicussion board--The impact of English on the economy
Actually , I believe English brings many positive impacts on economy. In China, English is very popular because most of the Chinese realized English is not only a language tool to communicate, but also brings many economic interests .
First of all, trade between China and other countries, especially the English speaking countries is frequent. More than 50% of products in supermarkets all over the world are made in China. Many Chinese companies gain many profits from exports. During these trade, English plays the key role, or both sides of transaction cannot understand each other, let alone reach a win-win situation.
Secondly, English speaking countries always own the most developed high-tech, they are the spokesman of cutting-edgy technology, and most of high quality academic journal are published in English. China as a developing country needs to learn much from them and improve the economic level of the whole country. Therefore, China put English to an important status.
Finally, with the more and more people realized how important English is and want to improve their English levels, this tendency boomed a new industry - English training. There are many English schools and English teachers in China, it not only helped more people have a job, but also contribute to local economic development.
Due to these aspects, in my opinion, English brings positive impacts on the economy of our country, and I believe more and more people will aware of this phenomenon.
First of all, trade between China and other countries, especially the English speaking countries is frequent. More than 50% of products in supermarkets all over the world are made in China. Many Chinese companies gain many profits from exports. During these trade, English plays the key role, or both sides of transaction cannot understand each other, let alone reach a win-win situation.
Secondly, English speaking countries always own the most developed high-tech, they are the spokesman of cutting-edgy technology, and most of high quality academic journal are published in English. China as a developing country needs to learn much from them and improve the economic level of the whole country. Therefore, China put English to an important status.
Finally, with the more and more people realized how important English is and want to improve their English levels, this tendency boomed a new industry - English training. There are many English schools and English teachers in China, it not only helped more people have a job, but also contribute to local economic development.
Due to these aspects, in my opinion, English brings positive impacts on the economy of our country, and I believe more and more people will aware of this phenomenon.
Dicussion board--Everyone who can, should learn English
I do not believe that it should be required for everyone to learn English, which makes it sounds like English is the superior to other languages that I really can not agree with.
There is no doubt that English will be of great benefits to most of people who can speaks it well. For instance, it may help a job seeker increase competitiveness compare to person who cannot speak English well; save money in hiring a translator and reduced misunderstanding when traveling in a strange country because you can find English speakers all over the world as a lingua franca. More over, English is widely used in international trade and book publish.
However, not everyone should learn English, especially for the people living in rural areas. What they care about are their children, their farms and their life. They can live a happiness life without English. Another example is proprietors. In China, some proprietors, they can earn a large amount of money even without education. The key for their succeed is not English, but their business acumen. These are just two examples and I believe there are exists more situations that people (they can), should not learn English for ever.
As a result, should everyone learn English?
Absolutely no!!
picture comes from: http://researchers.in.th/file/sudjai/view/989
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