Monday, June 23, 2008

Ture of False?

A) My mother is an English - Chinese interpreter.
B) I got a little pretty dog at home.
C) I had a dream to be a coroner when I was in junior high school.
D) My father is a golfer.

Make a guess, guys.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Second language leaning experience

English has been a required course in most of the schools in China over years as it becomes an international language. Even though the studying environment is not as good as it is here in Canada and we didn’t have a chance to dedicate all the time to studying English. In short, my experience of English learning can be summed up to 3 points: listening, speaking and practicing as much as possible.

During the process of learning English, I found out that listening is the weakest point for Chinese learners. Therefore, when the moment I arrived here I started to listen to CNN news and watch TV shows in order to get my ears used to English as early as I can. At that time, I picked the most difficult program to train my ears in spite of the incomprehension due to my limited vocabulary and unfamiliarity. Even though, I still kept listening. After period of time, my listening has made a visible progress that I can comprehend more than 75% in the class as nothing could be harder to understand than CNN news. Also, watching movies is another way to improve listening.

Not only does it improve listening, idiomatic English can be learned from watching movies as well. It’s a bit tired though sometimes because I keep repeating same parts that I don’t understand trying to get the words and making use of them in daily life or study. Besides, I found that shyness is one of the reasons preventing us from getting speaking progressed anymore out of the fear of making mistakes. Once we take one step out on it, as matter of fact, it is not as hard as we thought. And, when the communication starts, more and more ways of expression will come to enlarge our present knowledge over English.

However, anything without basis will come to crush. Practicing is one more important part to have stable foundation in English learning. I found grammar the most boring thing during the process of learning but very useful in, writing especially. The sad fact is that when every time I try to get rid of it I will have to finally go back for it again for my writing. No matter how boring it is, it’s something every learner has to start and deal with. Without doubt, we will get our pay back from practicing grammar in higher academic studying.

Anyway, Rome was not built in a day. Success is awaiting us if only trying hard to stick at learning in those ways.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Left Brain, Right Brain or Whole Brain.

Most people spin better in one direction. One side of their body learns motions faster than the other. Stronger dancers invest untold hours working on their weaker side, both in spinning and other movements where body symmetry is helpful, expected or required. A styling move may require both sides to work perfectly together, but most people start with one side ahead of the other.

So there is a test to see if you are right or left brained. Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking