Review Assignment - By Nov. 25

Today, we are almost halfway finished with the semester. Now you need to think about your goals once again and think if you had made progress.

1. Take a look at the goals you wrote at the beginning of the summer. Have they changed? If so, how? Why?

2. Do you think you are making progress this semester? How? If not, why?

3. Overall, what grade would you give yourself so far? (Are you studying enough? Are you studying smartly?)

_______________________________________________________________

I will comment on your blog, with your participation grade so far. This how I will grade.
(I will check your blog, NetAcademy2 data, and Blackboard data.)

-Are you studying at least one hour a week?
-Are you studying to meet your goals (skills, topics, focus)?
-Are you studying hard? (staying awake, try to choose fun activities)
-Are you studying smartly? (choosing a good level, listening/reading intensively, reviewing)
-Vocab: at least five words a week and good, useful words (not too technical or easy)

Adding your vocab list

It is very important you focus on new words and review them. In this class you need to focus on at least 5 words a week.

You need to make a vocab list on your blog so you can review, and I can see the words you are learning. I will make a personlized vocab test on 11-26. You will also get a participation score based on the number of words and difficulty of them -not too easy, not too technical (SVL 2-8).

1. Press the Customize button on the top-right of the screen (カスタマイズ)
2. Click "Add a Gadget" (ガジェットを追加)
3. Click "Text " (テキスト)
4. Add words from your blog and/or Tango Cho

Language learning review

If you want to improve your vocabulary and listening ability, you need to listen to the same clip many times and also focus on difficult parts. and words

Therefore, it is best to watch a short clip (2-5 minutes) and watch it many times and check the script, rather than watch the whole episode or movie once without reviewing.

Post-Election South Park Episode

Video

Script

Language learning tip 4: Building fluency

Most students know lots of vocabulary and grammar rules but have trouble reading quickly and listening to English spoken at a natural speed. This class can help you read more quickly and listen to faster spoken English if you use the following methods:

1st. After previewing, read quickly first (or listen once) to try to get the main points. Don't worry if you can't understand everything. Take a quiz if available (If doing Netacademy2, do step 3 BEFORE you do steps 1 and 2), or think about the main points.

2nd. Read slowly (or listen to key parts repeatedley) to try to understand difficult parts and vocabulary. Check word definitions if needed.

3rd. Read quickly (or listen to the whole thing) again and again.
(If you are doing NetAcademy2, use STEP 4 and do ADVANCED MODES).

4th. Review next week!

Week 4 (example)

1. Lexxica 20 min.

2.
Skill: Vocab Site: Net Ac2 (Dojo)

Level (if any): 5 Topic: --

Main point and/or Your Score (if any): 9/10 9/10

Key language points to review (words or rules):
Sustain
Progressove

Lesson Rating: :/

Comments: (too easy / a little boring / (not) effective)
______________

Self-evaluation: * * * * *

Study time: 80 minutes

Comments: (studied hard / concentrated / s studied smartly / studied without thinking / studied intensively / thought about my goals / thought about my progress)

My Vocab Test (example)

General English 87%: (4089 words)
TOEFL: 92% (3224)
TOIEC: 94% (2661)

I am not satisfied. I really want to do well on the TOEFL because I want to study abroad.

I willl practice TOEFL vocab.

Language learning tip 3: Choosing words to study.

From lexxica.com

There are over 300,000 words in English, but you should not (and cannot) learn them all! Infact, you probably only need to learn a few thousand.

Your goal should be to understand 95% of words. If you know this much, you can understand and also guess new words. If you know the most common 4,000 words, this may be enough. But most words in English are very uncommon. If you learn thousands of uncommon words, it will not help you much at all!

Week 3 (example)

Skill: Listening Site: ELLLO news

Level (if any): N/A Topic: Pitates, protesters, etc.

Main point and/or Your Score (if any): 2/4

Key language points to review (words or rules):
simulate=copy

Lesson Rating: :/

Comments: ( good level, but slow / okay, a little boring)


Skill: L Site: Yahoo Odd news
Level (if any): No Topic: a giant pumpkin

Main point and/or Your Score (if any): A man won the contest because he grew a huge pumpkin.

Key language points to review (words or rules):
soil= dirt
superb=super
gourd=pumpkin, etc.
LB. = pounds

Lesson Rating: :I

Comments: (good level / interesting / effective)

Language learning tip 2: Reviewing

Most of what we study we forget, especially if we cram right before a test. This is a waste of time and effort!

However, if we review what we have studied before, then we remember much more. Words will become a part of your long term memory if you space your reviews wisely. Here are 2 good details & examples from the vocab site lexxica.com:

Language Learning Tip fo the Day

To improve your ability when studying on your own, it is important that you follow the following steps:

(Listening)

1. Look at the title, description & pictures and think about the topic before listening (make sure you understand all the words in the title & description)

2. Listen once to understand the main points (take the quiz, if available)

3. Listen again & again (especially to any difficult or important parts)

4. If there is a script or vocabulary help, use it to check your listening and improve your vocab

Learner Blog Goals

Research shows the BEST language learners:

*have specific goals

*form a plan

*are aware of their progress

*evaluate the materials they are studying

*make sure they are working hard and effectively

These learners learn much faster than language learners who don't think about anything while they study!!!

Therefore, in this class, we will make a study blog to think about these things and to record & organize our learning. It will take time, especially at first, but we should be able to learn better and faster in the long run.

After we make our blogs, we will think about our goals and try to form a plan. Answer the following in your first blog post.

1.   What is your current language level? (For this class, consider your listening fluency, reading fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and test scores). How do you feel about you ability? Are you satisfied?

2.   What are your long-term English goals? (getting a job using English or requiring a high TOEIC score, volunteer work, maintaining relationships, travel, entertainment, living abroad, etc.)

3. What are your short-term goals for this class this semester?

4.   What is your plan in Language Development to reach these goals? 

(NetAcademy2: listening, reading, TOEIC, grammar dojo)

(Ferris Online English Lab: reading, vocabulary, listening to news, topics, or conversations)

You can add to or change these goals as the semester goes on. Please put a asterisk (*) by any   new or changed info (so I can see how your goals have changed).

Blog Help

How to make a new post 
1. Go to blogger.com
2. Sign in with your user name (email address) & password (top right corner)
3. By your blog name, click "Create new post"
5. Type your post
6. Press the "Publish" button (or "Save as Draft" if you are not finished) 

How to edit or finish an old post
1. Go to blogger.com
2. Sign in with your user name and password (top-right corner)
3. Click on "Posts" after "Manage"
4. Choose the post you need to finish or fix
5. Finish or fix your post
6. Press the "Publish" button

Indepent study report EXAMPLE

1. Skill: Listening 　　　Site: NetAc2

Level (if any): 4 　　Topic: Food in Canada

Main point and/or Your Score (if any):

Food in Canada is similar to America but not in Quebec
Key language points:

deliciate , have a sweet tooth

Rating: :I

Comments: it was interesting but too easy for me

2. Skill: Vocab Site: NetAc2
Level (if any): 3 Topic: N/A

Main point and/or Your Score (if any): finished 3 activities

Key language points to review (words or rules): Summit Utilize Respond

Lesson Rating: :/

Comments: ( good level / boring / not effective)

3. REVIEW

Skill:   Vocab Site: NetAc2

Level (if any): 2 Topic: N/A

_____________________________________

Self-evaluation: * * *

Study time: 50 minutes 

Comments: ( concentrated / studied without thinking / studied intensively / reviewed )