英語教育講義⑨

    The second half of this course introduces the CLT (Communicative Language Teaching). CLT sets as its goal the teaching of communicative competence. We can clarify this term by comparing it with the concept of grammar translation. People need to communicate in a second language. While the knowledge of grammar is an important dimension of language learning. A famous linguist Michael Halliday showed how grammar is used to express language functions. 

    Teachers and learners are the key roles in the classroom. Teachers always teach the pattern first, then offer some examples according to different circumstances or situations. Students will learn to use the target language as a means of expression. Furthermore, they will learn to express the functions that best meet their own communication needs. From my point of view, learners have to participate in classroom activities so that they will become comfortable with listening to their peers in group work rather than relying on the teacher. Plus, teachers have to assume the role of monitor rather than correcting speech and writing. 

SLA Junior Seminar 2-7: The Secret Garden

Before he met Mary, he thought only about his back. But now he thought about his new friends and the secret garden. (p37) 

    I read The Secret Garden which was written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The protagonist, Mary was born in India, but she lived with her parents in England. Mary was not a very likable girl, and she never thought of others. She was born in a wealthy family, so she even didn't know how to dress and put on shoes. Things began to change because her parents died. Then Mary had to move to her uncle's home in England. In her uncle's home, she met an enthusiastic and helpful girl, Martha. One day, she heard a story from Martha. Her uncle, Mr Carven locked a big garden and buried the key. Nobody can get in it. In the next few days, Mary spent almost all her time in the adventure of the garden. She also found a sickly boy in an exquisite room. Who is there?

The Secret Garden (Penguin Readers: Level 2) (Penguin Readers (Graded Readers)) 著者 : F. HodgsonBurnett Pearson Japan 発売日 : 2001-02-01 ブクログでレビューを見る»

英語教育講義⑧

    It is common to experience culture shock when living in a foreign country for a certain period of time. Culture shock is a quite natural part of being used to a new environment. The advantage of living in a foreign country largely outweigh the disadvantages. In spite of these advantages, however, there are also challenges you will encounter. 

    When I first came to Japan, I was excited about living in a different place, and everything seems to be marvelous. Afterward, I became tired of many things about the new culture. It made me feel distressed and tired because I began to notice that not everything is as good as you had thought. After experiencing failure many times, I  felt I was coping fine alone, so I didn't try to ask for help. However, this negative feeling really hurt me because it prevented me from making necessary adaptations to the new culture. Then I adjust myself to the new norms, traditions, values of the new country. At the moment, I feel more comfortable because I have learned to understand the culture. Consequently, culture shock is not something you can avoid when living in a foreign country. It helps you learn more about yourself by learning about other cultures. 

 

SLA Junior Seminar 2-6: Titanic

All these men could do was wait for the ship to sink, with only their lifejackets to save them. (p35)

    The majority of people gathered to witness the launch of the Titanic on October 20th, 1910. However, this "unsinkable" ship shock the world by killing 1455 passengers. Most of them had third-class tickets. The Titanic is known as the "miracle in the history of world industry". The accommodation was made for three classes of passengers: luxurious rooms for first class, cozy rooms for second class and basic cabins for third class. The lifeboats of the Titanic played a crucial role. However, the Titanic carried just 20 lifeboats to provide capacity for 1060 people. Since only women and children were allowed at first, their lovely husband and father could do was wait to be rescued. Why didn't Titanic carry enough lifeboats for everyone on board?

 

Titanic (3.3 Young Reading Series Three (Purple)) 著者 : AnnaClaybourne Usborne Publishing Ltd 発売日 : 2006-03-31 ブクログでレビューを見る»

英語教育講義⑦

    In the latter part of the presentation, some of the ways were introduced to get rid of distractions. To begin with, keeping your phone away is one of the efficient ways when you feel distracted. If it is in your sight, you can have an urge to check it frequently. Concerning that, keeping your phone on silent is vital while studying. Put your phone to silent mode so that frequent notification does not disturb you. However, there are students who use mobile phones for study purposes as well. Hence,  it is imperative for us to manage our time.  

    Another great way to raise the study efficiency is to pair up with a study partner. There are some benefits of having a study partner. A study partner will understand some methods or problems that you don't. Moreover, study partners can share what you know to help each other out. For these reasons, finding a study partner is much important than studying in isolation. 

英語教育講義⑥

    In this class, we shared our ways of learning English. To talk about my own experience to learn English, keep memorizing vocabulary while using sticky notes. Since vocabulary is the basic and difficult point for English learners. This is a really great method and it doesn't make any effort or any time out of your day to just look at a sticky note and mentally repeat it to yourself. 

    There are some method which seems very useful while practicing inputting and outputting. One is reading what you are interested in. Interest has been playing an active role in stimulating and enhancing learning. The presenter shared with us the way she mainly paid more attention to such as browser through blogs or magazines about fashion or culture. Another is sticking with what we are doing. For instance, persisting on the output such as listening to the podcast, writing the diary in English. They are very excellent methods to improve our English ability. 

SLA Junior Seminar 2-5: The Story of Toilets, Telephones & other useful inventions

Toilets and telephones - we all use them, but who invented them?

    Most people today have at least one toilet inside their homes. Do you know when the first flush toilet was invented? In 1596, Sir John Harrington produced the first flushing toilet for use by him and his godmother. Harrington’s godmother was Queen Elizabeth I of England. However, the usage of the flush toilet has not been popularized. In the mid-nineteenth century, residents of London and other cities were still throwing chamber pots of waste out of their windows into the street. Obviously, it caused several problems of convenience and hygiene. We should thankful for our current life. 

The Story Of Toilets, Telephones and Other Useful Inventions (3.1 Young Reading Series One (Red)) 著者 : KatieDaynes Usborne Publishing Ltd 発売日 : 2004-10-29 ブクログでレビューを見る»

英語教育講義⑤

    A lot of learning methods that have balanced from Nation's Strands were introduced in this class. In terms of meaning-focused input, he suggests that already familiar material can more attract learners' interests. Otherwise, those words which are unfamiliar with learners would lose their interests easily. English extensive reading influences reading interests, approaches of stimulating. Plus, it is an effective way for us to acquire the language we use in everyday life by watching Dramas or movies. To make the best use of the knowledge, we need to produce the regular output. One of the example activities I think is practicable is setting a target time. For instance, writing a blog or an essay in a limited time. This makes sure that you can more concentrate on what you are working on.

    In my opinion, the key is to find what works for you and then plan your time accordingly. It is no use talking without taking any action.