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!!!