Comments - Week 3

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

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...

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!!

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

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

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.

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

Week 1- A New World for Me

Before entered into E7, I heard many information about how difficult E7 is and have no confidence to pass the final exams.

In the first day, we met Robyn, the teacher who teach us from Monday to Wednesday. She gave us a reading list, articles in the list are all come from real journals or magazines. I felt so shocked at first sight in the very cramped, close characters. However, after I followed Robyn's advice, highlight all the words that I knew of the first three paragraphs, WOW! I was really surprised how many words that I actually did know, and most of the new words are always not really important to understand the whole section. As a result, I felt a bit more confidence after the first day learning. Back to the reading list, all the articles in the reading list are about English language. We have to read these before class, and then, we will discuss the topic in a small group, as a tutorial group. It offers us a chance to communicate with new students and speak with more courage.

On Thursday, I met another teacher - Carla, and faced a new problem, that is creating my own blog. How to create a new blog, how to follow my classmates, and how to beautify my blog, all of these basically problems seem impassable for me, not mention that post my course goals or link my blog with Discussion Board. Until now, I cannot use the tools smoothly, however, I believed I can control it in the near future.

I borrow some e-books from Vina about ielts test and advanced grammar and vocabulary and printed them out. It is really helpful for my English study, and I introduced these books to my group, hope these can help us in proving our English.

NOTETAKING SYMBOLS & ABBREVIATIONS

When you are listening to your instructor and trying to take notes at the same time, it can be a little bit difficult to write quickly enough. Using symbols in your notes will help you write more quickly. Here are some symbols you can use:









http://www.english-zone.com/study/symbols.html

My Course Goals and strategies in REW advanced 2

During this period (5/31-7/2), my main goal is to pass the exams on week 5 and enter into university course successfully. However, all of the four exams are so difficult that I need to plan my study and work hard according to it to improve my English skills. My language learning goals is listing below.

READING
Read fast and accurate.
- Become more familiar with academic texts and journals in my major(commerce). I can borrow some special books from school library or state library and read more business news on the newspapers, such as The Age and The Australia.
- Improve my reading speed.
- Do not use my dictionary when I was reading unless the new vocabulary influence my understanding to the whole meaning of the sentence deeply.

WRITING
Have fewer errors and give unique opinions
- Improve the range of my vocabulary by keeping a vocabulary book.
- Keep practicing academic essay at least twice a week.
- Check the essay I write at least twice before hand in, minimize my grammar errors.

LISTENING:
Familiar with different pronunciation and understand a long academic lecture
- Use useful websites, such as Academic Earth and Behind the News to improve my listening skills. Try to understand each sentence I heart and make notes.
- Can follow local people's daily communication when taking a train or tram.
- Become more familiar with academic lecture and can retell the main points of a lecture.

SPEAKING
No Chinglish, more academic vocabulary and logical speak
- Improve my oral presentation skills by more practice.
- Participates actively in the tutorial group and be more confidence when I was giving my opinion.
- Communicate with everyone in English even talking with a compatriot.

About listening article "English as a Lingua Franca"

This lecture explains what a "lingua franca" is, and the role it plays.

At present, English is regard as the most important lingua franca due to two countries: the UK and the USA. In history, British empire made English widely used all around the world. Nowadays, because of fast development of American economy and high-tech, English is more widely accepted as a second language in many countries. Oversea students choose to study in English speaking countries can be regarded as a result of the increasing requirements for English.

Although it seems not equal to other languages, English is the best choice to be a global language.

My Learning Styles

I am a visual learner!!


Visual learners
Visual learners attend to information most effectively when they see something, for example, pictures, diagrams, films and videos or demonstrations. Check to see if some of the following characteristics may apply to you.

Behaviours/ characteristics of visual learners:•Remember what they see rather than what they hear
•Remember diagrams and pictures
•Prefer to read and write rather than listen
•Have trouble remembering verbal instructions
•Need an overall view and purpose before beginning a project
•Like art more than music
•Sometimes tune out when trying to pay attention.


Study hints for visual learners:•Take written notes in lectures & class
•Use colours to highlight important points
•Pay attention to diagrams, charts and pictures in text books
•Use mindmaps ( with colours & diagrams) to organise information for an assignment or for revision for an exam.
•Put summaries and mindmaps on the walls in your study area
•Use a wall planner.

http://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/1_StudySkills/study_tuts/learning%20styles/visual.html