My ET

My ET stands for "My Englis Tutor Online" is another useful program on the Internet.

It is a web-based program employing automatic speech analysis system (ASAS) to identify the words spoken into the recording device, and it can analyze the speech on pronunciation, pitch, timing and emphasis.

I have never heard this before. It sounds amazing and very helpful for me.

Especially it is able to analysize your phonounciation word by word, which may be hard even for a teacher to correct his/her students that way.

After trying My ET, I found it interesting to learn from "playing games."

The practice is sour of games for me, and I also receive ET money, and cirtification after finishing a lesson.

The recording system is also very user friendly, it let me listen to my own speaking and compare to that of the teacher' then I can correct my own speaking .

I like the way of practicing, getting the feedback and correcting immediately.

:)

ESL Podcast

Here is another very useful on-line tool: ESL Podcast
English as a Second Language Podcast.
This podcast is run by a volunteer team of experienced English as a Second Language professors in the States

I just listen Podcast 471 - Trying to Get Off the Phone
Following are my listening note, and comment.

Trying to Get Off the Phone means end the telephone conversation.
There are some expression you can use to end the telephone conversation:
(1) to let you go
(2) have a call on the other line
(3) to get going
(4) cut this short, or even you can say
(5) nature calls!

Other useful words:

• intention: plan to do something
• the nerve: doing something that is not right, that shouldn't be doing
• That's bull: somethng is not true, is a lie
• gun for someone/ something: especially in car, increase you speed to damage something
• get of scot-free: not to be punished or critized when done something wrong

ESL Podcast indeed is very useful for self-study. It contain various topics and most important it provides the free audio, not only the reading but the English explanation. It is good to learn to use the simple word to explain difficult words, meanwhile learning the authentic expression. However, beginners might find it difficult to understand the elaboration in English. And since it is an "English as a Second Language Podcast," it doesn't provide learners the scrip in their own native languages.

Since ESL Podcast provide such great audio, it might be better if they can also provide some listening practice. For example listening comprehension test, fill in the blank, and record system.

International Conference at NTUST

What a relief! It finally over. Working at the conference is really tiring.
Yet, I go to some great speeches and presentations.

I like the one presented by an Japanese Yoshihiro Omura.
The topic is "Instituting an Extensive Reading Component: Preliminary Findings.
I really like Mr. Omura and the way he presentes.
In this presentation he talks about how the professors promote extensive reading in universities.
He lists the different approaches, for example extnesive reading as a class activities or homework, different enduring time for extensive reading, different evaluations for reading, etc.
And see how it effect student's overall English ablity.

I find it interesting that it reminds me of a case I heard.
The story happens in Japanese elementary school.
There are two classes, in one of the class, students are leave to read the books they like at whole Englis class. Meanwhile, the other class has ordinary teacher's lecture.
Surprisingly, the one leaved to read by themselves have significantly better English ability than the ordinary class.
I ask Mr. Omura in person after his presentation, I ask him about the story I heard about extensive reading in elementary school.
Surprisingly Mr. Omura tells me that actually he is also responsible for planning elementary school students' learning English is Japan.
He say that extensive reading strategy use differently in elementary school.
I think that extnesive reading definitely help students's learning.
Now in Taiwan, we are not only doing extensive reading in English, but also in Chinese.
We are encouraged to read Chinese books and write some report.
It's pretty much the same as the strategy of Extensive Reading, right? To improve our English/ Chinese!!!

Google Syntax

超神! That exactly what I think after Brian's introduction to Google Syntax.
I realize that I used the searching engine sooooo "inefficiently,"
and always ended up exhausted without finding the data or paper I wanted.
But I am sure after learning these tips will help me a lot next time I want to find something on the Internet.

^^

Corpus in Language Learning

Corpus, for sure, is the other tool that can help us in language learning.
Teacher Sally had made a very concise conclusion about corpus:

The Application of Concordancers (Corpus) in Language Learning

1. To learn how the word is used in context.

2. To clarify the meaning of words.Whether there is any difference between words that are commonly taken as synonymous.

3. To deal with grammar rules and conflicting evidences.

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We can learn the authentic language from the natural context.
It's even more realible than asking a single foreigner, since there are hundreds thousnads of datas in Corpus.


After looking up in dictionaries and using the concordance tools,
my conclusion about big and large are:

1. Big and Large are used when talking about physical, size, extent, capacity or number.

2. Big is more informal.

3. Large is not normally used to describe people.

e.g. They live in a big/ large house in the country.
e.g. Her husband is a very big man.

4. Big and large are not generally used with uncountable nouns – but note the fixed expressions big business, big trouble.

About Dictionary

I never really go further to get into "studying" dictionaries! It's amazing there are kinds of dictionaries for different usage, and some of them are even entertainment (on-line picture dictionary).

For paper dictionary, the five most commenly used are Oxford, Long-man, Cambridge, Macmillan, Collins Cobuild. I have Cambridge at home. Normally I used the electronic dictionary since it is convenient, but I'll look up in Cambridge if I want to know more about the word. It help me to get the right meaning and usage of the word.

On-line dictionary is another easy assess tool. Where ever you can get on the Internet, there is a free on-line dictionary for you to use. Despite its limited words and explanation, it is convenient.

Dictionary is always a good teacher there for us. Learning about different dictionaries is like knowing about different tools. It helps my learning a lot.

Review from the calss

What is CALL
In general computer-assisted languate learning (CALL) can refer to any language learning or teaching that invlove the computer in a significant way.

Computers in language teaching as a tutor or a tool.

The three phases of CALL:
1. Behavioristic CALL: In 1960s and '70s, programs can referred to as "drill and practice."
2. Communicative CALL: In 1970s and '80s, proponents added more authentic communication, focusing nore on using forms rather than on the forms themselves.
3. Integrative CALL: Based on the multimedia computers and the Interest, there are various methods, approaches and programs be implemented aiming to help creat an integrated communicative environment both for language learning and teaching.