I read that a Taiwanese girl won a beauty pageant hold in China. However, I also noticed that during the contest, the lady was forced to change the country name printed on the ribbon worn by her from "Chinese Taipei" to "Taiwan China". She told the press that if she had chosen to reject the contest, she wouldn't have won the game.
I really admire this smart and pretty girl because she sure made a right decision. Actually no one would care much about where you come from or what the official name of your country is. The point is that you let everyone know you have done a great job so you deserve the honor and appreciation from others. Chinese Taipei, Taipei China, Taiwan China....what the heck! Only the politicians and political enthusiasts care all about these, because it will be an worthwhile issue to arouse for their election campaigns. Just wait and see for December, I am telling you.
November 08, 2005
November 06, 2005
Reposted: Is Learning English Hard Work? -- by Bruce Lin
Learning English is not necessarily hard work, as long as you enjoy it. If you, at a certain point in your life, enjoy learning the language, you will be very powerful.
We use listening to English songs as a means to learn English. However, it is not a give-and-take process. Things would mean less if there are no interactions. For the songs, I hope you to enjoy them; I want you to immerse yourself in them; and, most of all, I want you to have response to them – I want you to have conversations with them. English songs, like so many other media in the world, are just texts. Those texts cannot come to life if you don’t use them or comment on them.
Listening to English songs is just a way to learn. As you know, you can also learn by watching a sit-com (such as Six Friends) or going to an art exhibition in English. In other words, you are really learning when you USE the language outside of classroom, not just wasting your time trying to memorizing words or grammar rules. If you enjoy those things, you will be very powerful. When you encounter problems you will find solutions on your own; your curiosity will be in control and nothing can stop your from moving forward.
In this course, I will give you the seeds. You can be gardeners, growing the plants to the infinity.
Bruce
We use listening to English songs as a means to learn English. However, it is not a give-and-take process. Things would mean less if there are no interactions. For the songs, I hope you to enjoy them; I want you to immerse yourself in them; and, most of all, I want you to have response to them – I want you to have conversations with them. English songs, like so many other media in the world, are just texts. Those texts cannot come to life if you don’t use them or comment on them.
Listening to English songs is just a way to learn. As you know, you can also learn by watching a sit-com (such as Six Friends) or going to an art exhibition in English. In other words, you are really learning when you USE the language outside of classroom, not just wasting your time trying to memorizing words or grammar rules. If you enjoy those things, you will be very powerful. When you encounter problems you will find solutions on your own; your curiosity will be in control and nothing can stop your from moving forward.
In this course, I will give you the seeds. You can be gardeners, growing the plants to the infinity.
Bruce
November 04, 2005
Reposted: Extension and English -- by Bruce Lin
The Paradox of Technology
We are living in the global village and technology is supposed to bring us closer to each other. Is that so? Do you use technology to the fullest? Do you use English? For many students, the coming of the Internet means countless hours of online gaming, chatting, and dating; besides, students have cram schools to attend and endless tests to take. I wonder how much time has left for them to reach out to the world through the Internet.
The Extension Concept
English dominates the world. If you know things only through Chinese, your perception of the world will be forever limited. English leads as the primary medium for twentieth-century science and technology and it is authoritative in reportage. Do you know this world is also full of matters that are fun and constructive? Economically, politically, and culturally, do you know that we can no longer afford not to pay attention to global affairs? I am concerned that the younger generation is being pulled away from the real things because of our educational and cultural contexts. Businessmen invented so many ways to learn English. Do they ever know that people don’t need fancy techniques to learn English? Remember that there is only one purpose to learn English – to communicate. You might think that you have to learn English well before you communicate. Actually, you should use English often regardless of your English proficiency. The purpose of this club is to make you be in love with reading English because nothing is more powerful than loving something. You can’t always learn grammar and memorize words; you need to absorb knowledge through English. Whatever you English proficiency is, use the language to extend your senses to feel the world. In other words, don’t learn English, use English.
There Is No Way to English; English is the Way
Human beings are the only animal that knows how to use languages. Using a language means making infinite use of these finite resources. There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet and it is amazing that these letters can bring us to infinity. Why choose a boring life? Please put aside your fear and forget about your grammar deficiency; use English to lead you as far as you can. There is no short-cut in learning a language as it is like personal experiences that take time to cultivate. Learning a language is like walking on a road that has no end. You can think of it as an endless torture. I would suggest you consider it as a process that will give you endless surprises.
Weijen
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/extensionreading/
We are living in the global village and technology is supposed to bring us closer to each other. Is that so? Do you use technology to the fullest? Do you use English? For many students, the coming of the Internet means countless hours of online gaming, chatting, and dating; besides, students have cram schools to attend and endless tests to take. I wonder how much time has left for them to reach out to the world through the Internet.
The Extension Concept
English dominates the world. If you know things only through Chinese, your perception of the world will be forever limited. English leads as the primary medium for twentieth-century science and technology and it is authoritative in reportage. Do you know this world is also full of matters that are fun and constructive? Economically, politically, and culturally, do you know that we can no longer afford not to pay attention to global affairs? I am concerned that the younger generation is being pulled away from the real things because of our educational and cultural contexts. Businessmen invented so many ways to learn English. Do they ever know that people don’t need fancy techniques to learn English? Remember that there is only one purpose to learn English – to communicate. You might think that you have to learn English well before you communicate. Actually, you should use English often regardless of your English proficiency. The purpose of this club is to make you be in love with reading English because nothing is more powerful than loving something. You can’t always learn grammar and memorize words; you need to absorb knowledge through English. Whatever you English proficiency is, use the language to extend your senses to feel the world. In other words, don’t learn English, use English.
There Is No Way to English; English is the Way
Human beings are the only animal that knows how to use languages. Using a language means making infinite use of these finite resources. There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet and it is amazing that these letters can bring us to infinity. Why choose a boring life? Please put aside your fear and forget about your grammar deficiency; use English to lead you as far as you can. There is no short-cut in learning a language as it is like personal experiences that take time to cultivate. Learning a language is like walking on a road that has no end. You can think of it as an endless torture. I would suggest you consider it as a process that will give you endless surprises.
Weijen
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/extensionreading/
November 03, 2005
GEPT High-Intermediate level
Over the past two years, I haven't had a chance to obtain a certificate to prove my eligibilty of teaching English because of my tight class schedule. Considering the importance of having a certificate for better finding a job, I decided to take part in the test last Saturday.
When I was half way to the NTU campus where the test would be hold, I assumed that there might not have been so many people going for the test. Actually, I was wrong when I arrived there; people all flooded into the buildings for the same reason as mine. The mansions, high or low, were mostly occupied by the test participants. Dear! I didn't expect to see such a big crowd craving for the GEPT certificate. I looked around, finding out that the majority on site were college students. I immediately came into a conclusion that they must be taking this test to fulfill their school's course requirement. No wonder I was told the corporate in charge of the test had made a lot of money out of it.
As for how I did with the test. Hmm...well....the test wasn't difficult to me, but I still made some mistakes, as a matter of fact.
When I was half way to the NTU campus where the test would be hold, I assumed that there might not have been so many people going for the test. Actually, I was wrong when I arrived there; people all flooded into the buildings for the same reason as mine. The mansions, high or low, were mostly occupied by the test participants. Dear! I didn't expect to see such a big crowd craving for the GEPT certificate. I looked around, finding out that the majority on site were college students. I immediately came into a conclusion that they must be taking this test to fulfill their school's course requirement. No wonder I was told the corporate in charge of the test had made a lot of money out of it.
As for how I did with the test. Hmm...well....the test wasn't difficult to me, but I still made some mistakes, as a matter of fact.
November 02, 2005
Reposted: Curiosity and English -- by Bruce Lin
“Because it is there.”
-- George Mallory, 1924
-- George Mallory, 1924
This was George Mallory's reply when asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. Mallory was never to return from the expedition. However, the few words are so famous that they say so much about human nature. We humans are active cognitive organisms; we are supposed to feel, respond, know, search, and express – we are supposed to be curious about the world. You are like a living dead if you don't feel that way.
To me, education is to satisfy our curiosity. But it seems education now is more like counter-education – students seldom know what they like in school; (I often ask students what they like.) they only know to prepare for the endless tests that will judge their worth. They spend most of their waking time cramming their brains; do they find time to digest what they learn? Do they have the chance to know what they like to do? When I was in the US, those high school students are free in the afternoon. Does that mean they will be less successful compared with their Taiwan counterparts? Luckily, I have many students so curious to gain knowledge through English. There I see hope.
Mount Everest is there, so is planet Mars that takes unmanned spacecraft 6 months to reach, and so is Saturn's mysterious satellite Titan that takes 7 years to get to. There are so many “Because it is there” things that await you to explore. It is strange if you don't feel the urge to.
We live because we learn; because our senses are constantly stimulated by new knowledge; and because our brains can be in an active state.
English can make our living potential to the fullest.
Weijen
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