WEEK II
Monday
Activity 1
Do the following cloze test. You can do the text online at the following link.
http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/exercises/main/reading.html
Shirley Allen: Follow Every RainbowAdapted from Darlene Toole, Living Legends (1998):
Butte Publications Inc., p. 19-22.
Shirley Allen loved to sing and play the piano. She studied music in college. Her dream was to become a concert pianist or blues singer/pianist.Everything changed when she was 20 years old. She became sick with what doctors think was typhoid fever. Shirley was in a coma for five weeks and she almost died. Doctors gave her medicine to help her get well, but the medicine _____1_____ her to become totally deaf. She could no longer _____2_____ the music which she had always loved.Shirley would never give up playing the piano, but she did decide to change _____3_____. She transferred to Gallaudet University and studied English. In 1966 Shirley graduated from Gallaudet and looked for a job. She wanted to be independent and work full-time.For three years, Shirley worked as a clerk in Washington, D.C. Then, in 1967 she was asked to work at Gallaudet University as a _____4_____ supervisor. Shirley supervised young women who lived on campus during the school year. She also taught English. Somehow she found time to ____5______ graduate school at Howard University in Washington, D.C. In 1972, Shirley received her M.A. degree in counseling from that institution.Always ready for a new challenge, Shirley became a professor at National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in 1973. NTID is located in Rochester, New York. This college offers deaf and hard-of-hearing students technical and professional training.When Shirley started teaching at NTID, she was young and eager. She was also the only black and deaf teacher on campus.This ____6______ woman became the first black deaf female in the world to receive her Ph.D. She made _____7_____ in 1992, when she received the highest degree in education from the University of Rochester in New York.Dr. Shirley Jeanne Allen has traveled many roads and followed many rainbows searching for her dream. With courage and determination, she never gave up.
Choose the correct answer for each blank line.
Shirley Allen: Follow Every Rainbow -Cloze exercise
1. Shirley was in a coma for five weeks and she almost died. Doctors gave her medicine to help her get well, but the medicine __________ her to become totally deaf.
a) allowed
b) tempted
c) caused
d) convinced
e) encouraged
2. She could no longer __________ the music which she had always loved.
a) write
b) perform
c) hear
d) feel
e) remember
3. Shirley would never give up playing the piano, but she did decide to change __________.
a) clothes
b) attitude
c) friends
d) careers
e) oil
4. For three years, Shirley worked as a clerk in Washington, D.C. Then, in 1967 she was asked to work at Gallaudet University as a __________ supervisor.
a) bookstore
b) security
c) dorm
d) traffic
e) library
5. Somehow she found time to __________ graduate school at Howard University in Washington, D.C. In 1972, Shirley received her M.A. degree in counseling from that institution.
a) attend
b) observe
c) describe
d) sample
e) advertise
6. This __________ woman became the first black deaf female in the world to receive her Ph.D.
a) strict
b) wealthy
c) amazing
d) lazy
e) athletic
7. She made __________ in 1992, when she received the highest degree in education from the University of Rochester in New York.
a) suggestions
b) history
c) excuses
d) agreements
e) faces
Activity II - In small groups, identify the turning point in Shirley's life. Then, take turn to tell each other one of the turning points in your life.
Activity III - Read the short story in the link. Then discuss the story in your groups.
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Neck.shtml
Tuesday
Activity 1 - Reading
Pre-reading activity:
In pairs, discuss what you read, why you read them and how you read them.
Reading:
Now compare your list with the following reading passage. You can also read the same text and the questions at the following link.
http://esl.about.com/od/englishreadingskills/a/readingskills.htm
Ask yourself this question: Do I read every word in your own language when I am reading a schedule, summary, or other outlining document?
The answer is most definitely: No! Reading in English is like reading in your native language. This means that it is not always necessary to read and understand each and every word in English. Remember that reading skills in your native language and English are basically the same.
Here is a quick overview of the four types of reading skills used in every language:
Skimming - used to understand the "gist" or main idea Scanning - used to find a particular piece of information Extensive reading - used for pleasure and general understanding Intensive reading - accurate reading for detailed understanding.
Skimming
Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information, or 'gist'. Run your eyes over the text, noting important information. Use skimming to quickly get up to speed on a current business situation. It's not essential to understand each word when skimming.
Examples of Skimming:
The Newspaper (quickly to get the general news of the day)
Magazines (quickly to discover which articles you would like to read in more detail)
Business and Travel Brochures (quickly to get informed)
Scanning
Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information. Run your eyes over the text looking for the specific piece of information you need. Use scanning on schedules, meeting plans, etc. in order to find the specific details you require. If you see words or phrases that you don't understand, don't worry when scanning.
Examples of Scanning
The "What's on TV" section of your newspaper.
A train / airplane schedule
A conference guide
Extensive reading
Extensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject and includes reading longer texts for pleasure, as well as business books. Use extensive reading skills to improve your general knowledge of business procedures. Do not worry if you understand each word.
Examples of Extensive Reading
The latest marketing strategy book
A novel you read before going to bed
Magazine articles that interest you
Intensive reading
Intensive reading is used on shorter texts in order to extract specific information. It includes very close accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to grasp the details of a specific situation. In this case, it is important that you understand each word, number or fact.
Examples of Intensive Reading
A bookkeeping report
An insurance claim
A contract
Post-reading activity - Answer the following questions according to the in formation in the text.
1. Do you read every word in every document in your native language?
2. Are reading skills in your native language and English similar?
3. Skimming is:
a) used to understand the "gist".
b) used to find a particular piece of information.
c) used for pleasure and general understanding.
4. Scanning is:
a) used to understand the "gist".
b) used to find a particular piece of information.
c) used for pleasure and general understanding.
5. Extensive reading is:
a) used to understand the "gist".
b) used to find a particular piece of information.
c) used for pleasure and general understanding.
6. Intensive reading is:
a) used to get a general idea.
b) used to find specific information.
c) used when reading for pleasure.
7. Use _______ to find a train departure time on a schedule.
a) skimming
b) scanning
c) extensive reading
8. Reading a business brochure to get a general idea of a business is:
a) skimming
b) scanning
c) extensive reading
9. Finding your favorite TV show is an example of:
a) skimming
b) scanning
c) extensive reading
10. You should:
a) understand each and every word when skimming and scanning.
b) not worry about understanding each and every word when skimming and scanning.
c) always understand each and every word when reading anything in English.
11. Use ________ skills when reading a novel in your free time.
a) skimming
b) extensive reading
c) intensive reading
12. Use ________ skills when reading a contract you are about to sign.
a) skimming
b) extensive reading
c) intensive reading
13. Use ________ skills when reading the latest financial figures from your company.
a) skimming
b) extensive reading
c) intensive reading
14. You should:
a) understand each and every word when reading an insurance claim.
b) not worry about understanding each and every word when reading an insurance claim.
c) always understand each and every word when reading anything in English
Activity 2 - Do as many reading tests as possible at the following link.
http://www.geocities.com/yamataro670/readinglab.htm
Thursday
Activity 1 - Reading a story.
Go to the BBC home page below. Choose and read a story. After you finish reading, take turns to summarize ther story you have read for each other. Feel free to ask questions if you don't understand anything.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/switch/slink/sexlovelife/reallife/index.shtml
Activity 2 - Writing
Write the personal story of someone you know, which, you think, is interesting. (250 words)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Unit 1 - Language Learning Experience
WEEK I
MONDAY
Activity 1
Now that you are level 7, you've had your English learning experience. What is your advice for someone who wants to learn English? What are the facts and myths about learning a language? Discuss the questions with your classmates.
Activity 2
Read the following text. Have you mentioned any of the myths in the article while you were doing the activity 1?
http://ezinearticles.com/?Myths-Of-Language-Learning&id=1187893
Myths Of Language Learning
By Audrey Lewis
By breaking down communication barriers, the language learning industry has indeed changed the lives of people significantly. Careers advanced, relationships improved, and businesses doubled their revenues through the help of this growing business. Sadly, however, there are still those who think that learning a new language can be done in other ways. Language learning got enshrouded by myths because many people believe that in this fast-paced world everything can be acquired without exerting much effort. Learning a new language may be a gratifying experience, but it takes time and dedication. Listed below are some of the common notions misguided people have on language learning.
Myth 1: Language learning is quick and easy. Those who believe that they can learn Spanish or French in two to eight weeks are about to get the biggest disappointment of their lives. No school or university has met a student who can learn something that would normally take years to master. Language learning is not also an easy task, as what many perceive it to be. It requires a great amount of discipline, time and effort. The only time learning a new language becomes easy is when one visits a different country and learns a few foreign key words or phrases just so he can find his way around the city.
Myth 2: Going to foreign countries is the best way to learn a foreign language. If one is in a foreign country, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she will automatically become an expert of the country's language. Individuals who are forced to speak a foreign country's language will often end up saying incorrect sentences that eventually becomes a galling habit. And when the habit becomes full blown, it becomes almost impossible to correct. Institutions and universities specializing in language learning is still the best place to develop a foreign tongue.
Myth 3: Kids learn languages more easily.This is a popular belief commonly affirmed by linguists because of the belief that children begin learning a language at birth. The problem, however, happens when the child enters puberty (about 12 years old). A study done recently suggests that one's first language must be acquired by that age, because after puberty, neurological changes in the brain make it impossible to fully learn a language.
Myth 4: Pronunciation is not important.Many fail to correct their pronunciation either because their professors didn't consider it important or they just assume that their pronunciation is already good enough. A long-time resident in the US who suddenly migrates to England will be surprised to find out that most British will not understand a word he'll utter simply because the way English is pronounced in both countries are different. Genuine language learning considers the importance of proper accent and pronunciation in making conversations smoother and more pleasant. Furthermore, if one takes time to learn a foreign country's natural way of speaking, he or she will look more secure and learned, becoming more easily accepted by others.
Being a consistent editor-in-chief in every official school organ she is in from elementary to college, Audrey is a certified grammar-conscious writer and professional translator She can edit tons of articles in a snap. Aside from learning perfect English, this 21-year-old OC is also a nursing student. Although writing is her first love, being a nurse is her chosen profession.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Audrey_Lewis
Activity 3
Read the following two passages about the language learning experiences of two different people. Compare and contrast their experiences.
Passage 1
http://teachingalanguage.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-language-learning-experience.html
My language learning experience
My very first exposure to languages was in Middle School when we were all assigned to take one semester of both Spanish and German (in a small, rural high school, there were not many choices). Technically my roots are in German and my grandfather still can speak and understand a form of Pennsylvania Dutch, but I was always more drawn to Spanish for its practical use. During high school, my teacher was recently interested in the TPR (total physical response) approach and also using a lot of songs, videos, etc to make learning Spanish more interesting. Looking back now, I think learning some of these methods and strategies has really helped me to continue language learning on my own. I also participated in a 2 week trip to Spain with the Spanish club during one summer. The moment that I saw words in print, on billboards, etc. that I recognized or was able to answer basic questions sparked a feeling in me like no other type of learning.
In college, I pursued Spanish as a second major, even though it was my most difficult subject material. I had a dream of traveling, and Spanish seemed to be my ticket to doing that. During my junior year, I decided to study abroad in La Plata, Argentina. This was my first real test in utilizing my Spanish and really taking it to the next level. I wish now, however, that I had better memories or had better documented my learning during this time. My recommendation to anyone learning a language now would be to tape record yourself at various stages of learning a language (which I too will do when I learn a third language). I would love to have a tape version hearing myself with an Argentine Spanish accent because this is something that I can’t even mimic now. The only thing I remember about learning Spanish in Argentina was that I forced myself to think in Spanish as often as possible. Walking down the street, I would describe everything around me using whatever words I had in Spanish. It was this training of my mind to think in a new language is what I truly accredit to my mastery of Spanish. From there it was just a matter of acquiring more vocabulary and improving grammar.
After I came home from Argentina, I was finally confident and excited to use my Spanish and looked for every opportunity to do so. I worked, volunteered, and did internships to continue using Spanish in my community. I also became turned on to Latin American history and politics and remember the excitement and passion that my professor of Latin American history had for the subject that made me want to find out more. Through my experience in Argentina, I also now had a much broader base of authentic (and interesting) materials to use to practice Spanish. Learning Spanish for me now was not just reading Garcia Lorca in a literature class, but meant listening to and learning the latest Shakira lyrics on my own time and reading Latina authors such as Esmerelda Santiago in their native language.
Using Spanish in the US was a whole new experience. I now possessed an ability that many around me did not have and I could be the link between people who spoke different languages. I continued to pursue employment where I could utilize my Spanish abilities and eventually went on to spend a summer in Mexico at a volunteer project with other Mexicans and then to a year of post-grad study at a University in Spanish. By that point, I did not need to think much about using Spanish and was able to float between languages easily.
Now that I have gotten to a comfortable level in a second language, I am interested in learning a third. When I am around other language speakers, I often try to learn at least a few words and am amazed at how difficult I find it to remember even those few words. If the language is one of the romance languages, I find myself floating back into Spanish since that is my default language. In order to learn a third language, I think I will need to employ some of the techniques that helped me learn Spanish, but also employ new methods and make a new space in my mind for a third language and new way of thinking.
Posted by Rbergey at 11:46 AM
Passage 2
http://toshuo.com/2005/my-language-learning-experiences/
My language learning experiences
November 11th, 2005 by Mark
My own experience with language learning has been a long and painful journey. Some people have told me they thought I had a “natural aptitude” for learning foreign languages. If only they knew. All of my more recent success is a direct result of spending 10 years failing… miserably.
Latin
Excluding the small amounts of Spanish introduced in Sesame Street, my first contact with foreign language learning was in middle school. Since it was some kind of fancy school for “gifted” kids, it was a small school and only offered one foreign language… Latin. I spent about five hours a week in Latin class and two hours a week doing Latin homework for three years. The end result? I remember class was fun, but I don’t really know any Latin. The only thing I remember is that the 3rd declension is weird… or something like that. If someone were to jump me in a dark alley and threaten to beat the life out of me with a Latin-English dictionary unless I could spit out 50 Latin words, I could probably have come up with 20.
French
I went to a medium sized high school, where I had the options of studying French, Spanish, or Japanese. Oh, how I wish I’d chosen Spanish! Instead, I studied French for three years. Largely due to the fact that my grandmother always gave me the impression that French was a suave, intellectually elite, dignified language that any “truly cultured” person must know, I worked hard. I always did my homework. I memorized dozens of irregular verbs. I drilled myself on rules for pronouns and contractions. I always aced the verb tests (in which we had to conjugate various irregular verbs. In class, we usually practiced sentence patterns and did drills in which we had to ask classmates questions and answer. We also did a fair amount of reading homework, which meant reading one or two paragraphs which included 10-20 new vocabulary words in bold along with translations at the bottom. During the third year we slogged our way through Le Petit Prince, spending a day on each page. I probably spent half an hour a night struggling through the page we were supposed to read the next day. While I did write translations above words I didn’t know and temporarily, at least, figured out what each sentence meant, I still have no idea what the story was about.
If someone were to jumped me in a dark alley and demanded that I give them the futur antérieur conjugation of an irregular verb such as savoir, it would have been no problem. If that same someone were to have actually spoken French to me, I wouldn’t have had a clue what he was saying. Despite memorizing hundreds of words, dozens of forms of dozens of verbs, and quite a few grammar rules, my ability to actually understand or speak French was very limited.
In college, I took three more semesters of French. I started from the intensive beginning review class, and then took the 2120 (second semester of the second year) French class. In these classes, we still had extensive practice with sentence structures (many of which I already knew), but also started to read a bit more. I think we were reading about 5 pages per week from our reading textbooks. This reading was from a book designed for foreign students, and was MUCH easier than Le Petit Prince. I probably only spent about 10 minutes per page. I found myself enjoying class more than before and making modest progress in my conversational abilities as well. The third year French class, 3110, was too hard for me, though. I couldn’t make the jump from working through text books to acquiring vocabulary and fluency from authentic native sources. I tried, but I felt like I was drowning in a sea of only semi-comprehensible speech and text. I took an incomplete in the class. If I meet a French speaker now, I’ll say “Je parle le Francais comme une vache Espanol.” Then, the French speaker will usually laugh, figure I’m an okay guy, and use English with me from then on. Read more.....
Activity 4
Write a paragraph on your language learning experience (300 words).
TUESDAY
Activity 1
Look at the following web pages and think about how you can use them for vocabulay building. Do you know any other pages for vocabulary practice? If so, would you like to share them with your classmates?
http://www.vocabulary.com/
http://www.gamequarium.com/evocabulary.html
http://www.manythings.org/lulu/
Activity 2
Get into a group of two. Read the following links about tips to learn vocabulary. In your pair, agree on strategies of learning English vocabulary that you will use this term and present them to the class.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/vocabulary_tips.htm
http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/languages/classical/latin/tchmat/grammar/lvocab2.html
Activity 3
Write your plan in a paragraph to your teacher (300 words).
THURSDAY
Activity 1
Read and understand the article in the link. Do not use a dictionary when you read it for the first time. Then, read the article for the second time and use a dictionary to check the meanings of the words that you do not know.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-memory.htm
Activity 2
Work on your own. Choose five words and write them on small cards. Try to define the words to your partner so that he/she can find the word in the text.
Activity 3
Get in groups of 5. Get all the cards you have prepared in a deck. Take turns to draw one card. Do not show your card to your classmates and define the word so that they can guess the meaning.
Homework: I'm learning Spanish and I find it very difficult to memorize the meanings and different forms of words. Please give me some suggestions about what to do and explaing how they are useful in a paragraph (300 words).
MONDAY
Activity 1
Now that you are level 7, you've had your English learning experience. What is your advice for someone who wants to learn English? What are the facts and myths about learning a language? Discuss the questions with your classmates.
Activity 2
Read the following text. Have you mentioned any of the myths in the article while you were doing the activity 1?
http://ezinearticles.com/?Myths-Of-Language-Learning&id=1187893
Myths Of Language Learning
By Audrey Lewis
By breaking down communication barriers, the language learning industry has indeed changed the lives of people significantly. Careers advanced, relationships improved, and businesses doubled their revenues through the help of this growing business. Sadly, however, there are still those who think that learning a new language can be done in other ways. Language learning got enshrouded by myths because many people believe that in this fast-paced world everything can be acquired without exerting much effort. Learning a new language may be a gratifying experience, but it takes time and dedication. Listed below are some of the common notions misguided people have on language learning.
Myth 1: Language learning is quick and easy. Those who believe that they can learn Spanish or French in two to eight weeks are about to get the biggest disappointment of their lives. No school or university has met a student who can learn something that would normally take years to master. Language learning is not also an easy task, as what many perceive it to be. It requires a great amount of discipline, time and effort. The only time learning a new language becomes easy is when one visits a different country and learns a few foreign key words or phrases just so he can find his way around the city.
Myth 2: Going to foreign countries is the best way to learn a foreign language. If one is in a foreign country, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she will automatically become an expert of the country's language. Individuals who are forced to speak a foreign country's language will often end up saying incorrect sentences that eventually becomes a galling habit. And when the habit becomes full blown, it becomes almost impossible to correct. Institutions and universities specializing in language learning is still the best place to develop a foreign tongue.
Myth 3: Kids learn languages more easily.This is a popular belief commonly affirmed by linguists because of the belief that children begin learning a language at birth. The problem, however, happens when the child enters puberty (about 12 years old). A study done recently suggests that one's first language must be acquired by that age, because after puberty, neurological changes in the brain make it impossible to fully learn a language.
Myth 4: Pronunciation is not important.Many fail to correct their pronunciation either because their professors didn't consider it important or they just assume that their pronunciation is already good enough. A long-time resident in the US who suddenly migrates to England will be surprised to find out that most British will not understand a word he'll utter simply because the way English is pronounced in both countries are different. Genuine language learning considers the importance of proper accent and pronunciation in making conversations smoother and more pleasant. Furthermore, if one takes time to learn a foreign country's natural way of speaking, he or she will look more secure and learned, becoming more easily accepted by others.
Being a consistent editor-in-chief in every official school organ she is in from elementary to college, Audrey is a certified grammar-conscious writer and professional translator She can edit tons of articles in a snap. Aside from learning perfect English, this 21-year-old OC is also a nursing student. Although writing is her first love, being a nurse is her chosen profession.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Audrey_Lewis
Activity 3
Read the following two passages about the language learning experiences of two different people. Compare and contrast their experiences.
Passage 1
http://teachingalanguage.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-language-learning-experience.html
My language learning experience
My very first exposure to languages was in Middle School when we were all assigned to take one semester of both Spanish and German (in a small, rural high school, there were not many choices). Technically my roots are in German and my grandfather still can speak and understand a form of Pennsylvania Dutch, but I was always more drawn to Spanish for its practical use. During high school, my teacher was recently interested in the TPR (total physical response) approach and also using a lot of songs, videos, etc to make learning Spanish more interesting. Looking back now, I think learning some of these methods and strategies has really helped me to continue language learning on my own. I also participated in a 2 week trip to Spain with the Spanish club during one summer. The moment that I saw words in print, on billboards, etc. that I recognized or was able to answer basic questions sparked a feeling in me like no other type of learning.
In college, I pursued Spanish as a second major, even though it was my most difficult subject material. I had a dream of traveling, and Spanish seemed to be my ticket to doing that. During my junior year, I decided to study abroad in La Plata, Argentina. This was my first real test in utilizing my Spanish and really taking it to the next level. I wish now, however, that I had better memories or had better documented my learning during this time. My recommendation to anyone learning a language now would be to tape record yourself at various stages of learning a language (which I too will do when I learn a third language). I would love to have a tape version hearing myself with an Argentine Spanish accent because this is something that I can’t even mimic now. The only thing I remember about learning Spanish in Argentina was that I forced myself to think in Spanish as often as possible. Walking down the street, I would describe everything around me using whatever words I had in Spanish. It was this training of my mind to think in a new language is what I truly accredit to my mastery of Spanish. From there it was just a matter of acquiring more vocabulary and improving grammar.
After I came home from Argentina, I was finally confident and excited to use my Spanish and looked for every opportunity to do so. I worked, volunteered, and did internships to continue using Spanish in my community. I also became turned on to Latin American history and politics and remember the excitement and passion that my professor of Latin American history had for the subject that made me want to find out more. Through my experience in Argentina, I also now had a much broader base of authentic (and interesting) materials to use to practice Spanish. Learning Spanish for me now was not just reading Garcia Lorca in a literature class, but meant listening to and learning the latest Shakira lyrics on my own time and reading Latina authors such as Esmerelda Santiago in their native language.
Using Spanish in the US was a whole new experience. I now possessed an ability that many around me did not have and I could be the link between people who spoke different languages. I continued to pursue employment where I could utilize my Spanish abilities and eventually went on to spend a summer in Mexico at a volunteer project with other Mexicans and then to a year of post-grad study at a University in Spanish. By that point, I did not need to think much about using Spanish and was able to float between languages easily.
Now that I have gotten to a comfortable level in a second language, I am interested in learning a third. When I am around other language speakers, I often try to learn at least a few words and am amazed at how difficult I find it to remember even those few words. If the language is one of the romance languages, I find myself floating back into Spanish since that is my default language. In order to learn a third language, I think I will need to employ some of the techniques that helped me learn Spanish, but also employ new methods and make a new space in my mind for a third language and new way of thinking.
Posted by Rbergey at 11:46 AM
Passage 2
http://toshuo.com/2005/my-language-learning-experiences/
My language learning experiences
November 11th, 2005 by Mark
My own experience with language learning has been a long and painful journey. Some people have told me they thought I had a “natural aptitude” for learning foreign languages. If only they knew. All of my more recent success is a direct result of spending 10 years failing… miserably.
Latin
Excluding the small amounts of Spanish introduced in Sesame Street, my first contact with foreign language learning was in middle school. Since it was some kind of fancy school for “gifted” kids, it was a small school and only offered one foreign language… Latin. I spent about five hours a week in Latin class and two hours a week doing Latin homework for three years. The end result? I remember class was fun, but I don’t really know any Latin. The only thing I remember is that the 3rd declension is weird… or something like that. If someone were to jump me in a dark alley and threaten to beat the life out of me with a Latin-English dictionary unless I could spit out 50 Latin words, I could probably have come up with 20.
French
I went to a medium sized high school, where I had the options of studying French, Spanish, or Japanese. Oh, how I wish I’d chosen Spanish! Instead, I studied French for three years. Largely due to the fact that my grandmother always gave me the impression that French was a suave, intellectually elite, dignified language that any “truly cultured” person must know, I worked hard. I always did my homework. I memorized dozens of irregular verbs. I drilled myself on rules for pronouns and contractions. I always aced the verb tests (in which we had to conjugate various irregular verbs. In class, we usually practiced sentence patterns and did drills in which we had to ask classmates questions and answer. We also did a fair amount of reading homework, which meant reading one or two paragraphs which included 10-20 new vocabulary words in bold along with translations at the bottom. During the third year we slogged our way through Le Petit Prince, spending a day on each page. I probably spent half an hour a night struggling through the page we were supposed to read the next day. While I did write translations above words I didn’t know and temporarily, at least, figured out what each sentence meant, I still have no idea what the story was about.
If someone were to jumped me in a dark alley and demanded that I give them the futur antérieur conjugation of an irregular verb such as savoir, it would have been no problem. If that same someone were to have actually spoken French to me, I wouldn’t have had a clue what he was saying. Despite memorizing hundreds of words, dozens of forms of dozens of verbs, and quite a few grammar rules, my ability to actually understand or speak French was very limited.
In college, I took three more semesters of French. I started from the intensive beginning review class, and then took the 2120 (second semester of the second year) French class. In these classes, we still had extensive practice with sentence structures (many of which I already knew), but also started to read a bit more. I think we were reading about 5 pages per week from our reading textbooks. This reading was from a book designed for foreign students, and was MUCH easier than Le Petit Prince. I probably only spent about 10 minutes per page. I found myself enjoying class more than before and making modest progress in my conversational abilities as well. The third year French class, 3110, was too hard for me, though. I couldn’t make the jump from working through text books to acquiring vocabulary and fluency from authentic native sources. I tried, but I felt like I was drowning in a sea of only semi-comprehensible speech and text. I took an incomplete in the class. If I meet a French speaker now, I’ll say “Je parle le Francais comme une vache Espanol.” Then, the French speaker will usually laugh, figure I’m an okay guy, and use English with me from then on. Read more.....
Activity 4
Write a paragraph on your language learning experience (300 words).
TUESDAY
Activity 1
Look at the following web pages and think about how you can use them for vocabulay building. Do you know any other pages for vocabulary practice? If so, would you like to share them with your classmates?
http://www.vocabulary.com/
http://www.gamequarium.com/evocabulary.html
http://www.manythings.org/lulu/
Activity 2
Get into a group of two. Read the following links about tips to learn vocabulary. In your pair, agree on strategies of learning English vocabulary that you will use this term and present them to the class.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/vocabulary_tips.htm
http://www.slu.edu/colleges/AS/languages/classical/latin/tchmat/grammar/lvocab2.html
Activity 3
Write your plan in a paragraph to your teacher (300 words).
THURSDAY
Activity 1
Read and understand the article in the link. Do not use a dictionary when you read it for the first time. Then, read the article for the second time and use a dictionary to check the meanings of the words that you do not know.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-memory.htm
Activity 2
Work on your own. Choose five words and write them on small cards. Try to define the words to your partner so that he/she can find the word in the text.
Activity 3
Get in groups of 5. Get all the cards you have prepared in a deck. Take turns to draw one card. Do not show your card to your classmates and define the word so that they can guess the meaning.
Homework: I'm learning Spanish and I find it very difficult to memorize the meanings and different forms of words. Please give me some suggestions about what to do and explaing how they are useful in a paragraph (300 words).
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