tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-114184662024-03-13T06:54:52.607+07:00살인미소 - Sarin MisoOr The Art of Positive Thinking and Positive DoingJangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1144579259462557832006-04-09T17:39:00.000+07:002006-05-02T17:38:51.196+07:00Le Retour / 귀가This makes me a little worried about heading back to the UK...<br /><br />영국에 돌아가는 것에 대해 이 것이 다소 걱정시킨데.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Britain? C'est un slave ship - Matthew Campbell</strong><br /><br />영국은 노예선 - 매슈 캠벌<br /><br />TIRED of being everyone’s punchbag, the French have hit back at their favourite enemy, “les rosbifs”. A book [by Philippe Auclair] published in Paris has depicted Tony Blair’s Britain as a land of paupers, “fat cats” and mindless consumers.<br /><br />누구의 농담거리가 되는 것이 넌덜머리나서 프랑스 사람들이 자기 가장좋은 적인 "로스트 비프들"(영국 사람들)에 반격했다. 파리에서 출판한 책은 토니 블레어의 영국을 극빈자들와 부자들 그리고 의식없는 소비자들로 묘사하고 있다.<br /><br />This slave ship, he goes on, is “awash with money” but 13m people are living below decks in poverty. While 10m adults have no insurance, no savings and not enough clothes for winter, he claims that “2m homes are without sufficient heating” and that 25,000 old people died in their homes of cold in the winter of 2004. None of it stops “les fat cats” from enjoying their six-figure bonuses.<br /><br />이 노예선은 "돈이 넘치"지만 사람 1300만명 주갑판 밑에서 가난하게 살고 있다고 한다. 1000만명의 성인은 보험이 없고 예금이 없고 겨울옷이 충분치 않으면서 "200만 집이 부족한 난방이 있"고 2004년 겨울에 노인 2만5천명 집에서 추워 죽었다고 주장했다. 아무리 해도 부자들이 여섯 자리수의 보너스를 받는다.<br /><br />After privatisation, the British railway system is more fit for “cattle on the way to the abattoir than for humans” and Blair’s “third way” has brought the National Health Service to its knees.<br /><br />민영화 후에는, 영국의 철도 네트워크가 "인간보다 도살장으로 가는 소에 맞는다"고 블레어의<br />"제삼의 길"이 국민건강봉사법을 굴복시켰다.<br /><br />Education, too, is a failure: “A frightening proportion of Britain’s adolescents leave all forms of education at 16. Many can barely read or write.”<br /><br />교육도 실패다. "깜짝 놀라게 하는 비율의 영국 청소년이 16살에 교육을 그만둔다. 많은 이 청소년이 읽거나 쓰지 거의 못한다."<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">...</div>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1143522291550482832006-03-28T11:58:00.000+07:002006-06-27T21:03:24.080+07:00Unfortunate Names<div align="left">It's kind of ironic that even while page after front page of the Korea Times reveals new corruption scandals, there's a new section of the paper trying to convince us of the "Changing Corporate Culture" in Korea.<br /><br />The thing that amused me almost equally was the man being questioned in connection with the latest Hyundai-Kia slush fund scandal, "identified only by his family name, Kwak." My god, no wonder they're having problems, who would have a Kwak work for them? ;p<br /><br />Which brings me to the poor sod below. The best comment I've seen read: "He was winning until the crowd started chanting his name." </div><p align="center"><img style="WIDTH: 311px; HEIGHT: 235px" height="346" src="http://www.davidjanes.com/images/KimYooSuk.jpg" width="346" /></p><div align="left">And as a final note, I should like to pay homage to the unforgettably monikered former Korean foreign minister, Lee Bum Suk.</div>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1143365994960461202006-03-26T16:33:00.000+07:002006-03-26T16:39:55.016+07:00Readying for the World Cup / 월드컵 준비하기<a href="http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200603/200603210009.html">Surname Dearth Brings New Clothes for Taeguk Warriors</a> <em>[slightly edited]</em><br /><br />The relative scarcity of surnames in Korea will lead to a change in the way national football squad will be identified on their jerseys. Thus the Manchester United striker currently sporting a shirt that reads J S PARK will instead be identified as JISUNG.<br /><br />"There are many players in the country with the same last name, and distinguishing among them can be difficult," the Korean Football Association said Tuesday. The current system "also makes it difficult to increase the international recognition of the players' names, so we've decided to change it." In the case of the team that played Angola on March 1, the names Kim and Lee accounted for 12 out of 23 players. Three players - Kim Do-hun, Kim Doo-hyun and Kim Dong-hyun - are all identified as D H KIM.<br /><br />The new jerseys will first be donned in friendlies at the end of May and later be seen at the World Cup in Germany.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1142990110551833642006-03-22T10:08:00.000+07:002006-03-22T08:15:10.570+07:00World Baseball ClassicCongrats to Japan on a well-played game against Cuba to win the WBC.<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://ww2.worldbaseballclassic.com/2006/images/home/bracket_standings.gif" /></p><p align="left">Passions (and national pride) in Korea flared briefly - feeling like a watered down version of the 2002 (Football) World Cup. Team Korea beat the Japanese twice and even the Americans to get through - just like the World Cup - to the semi-finals. Excellent effort guys!</p>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1140053162215825762006-03-03T03:33:00.000+07:002006-03-08T08:22:39.610+07:00Ways to Demonstrate Respect at Work and in Class<p>There's an interesting article at about.com from <a href="http://humanresources.about.com/mbiopage.htm">Susan M. Heathfield</a>. She talks about the importance of treating everyone at work with respect, from the point of view of a good manager. I'd argue that these go equally for teachers in a class. Here are a few of her ideas:</p><blockquote><p>Treat people with courtesy, politeness, and kindness.</p><p>Encourage coworkers to express opinions and ideas.</p><p>Listen to what others have to say before expressing your viewpoint. </p><p>Never speak over, butt in, or cut off another person.</p><p>Use people’s ideas to change or improve work. Let employees know you used their idea, or, better yet, encourage the person with the idea to implement the idea.</p><p>Never insult people, name call, disparage or put down people or their ideas.</p><p>Do not nit-pick, constantly criticize over little things, belittle, judge, demean or patronize. A series of seemingly trivial actions, added up over time, constitutes bullying. </p><p>Praise much more frequently than you criticize. Encourage praise and recognition from employee to employee as well as from the supervisor.</p><p>The golden rule does apply at work, or, as professional speaker Leslie Charles, says, “Implement the platinum rule: treat others as they wish to be<br />treated.”</p></blockquote>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1140247149963115982006-03-02T19:02:00.000+07:002006-03-03T13:36:23.400+07:00Controversial TwoAs a follow-up to my earlier post on discussing/debating controversial topics - <a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/01/controversial.html"><span style="color:#ff9900;">here</span></a> - I'd like to add just a few more possible topics to the list.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;">"Money has eyes."</span> - Korean saying<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">[ie. trying hard to make money is a waste of time; money chooses you]<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">"He who has money can eat ice cream in hell."</span> - Lebanese proverb<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Success is spending less time in the office."</span> - Anon.<br /><br /><span style="color:#00cccc;"><span style="color:#cc0000;">The majority is usually wrong.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">If changing one's appearance by plastic surgery is looked down on, changing it with make-up, fashionable clothes, hairstyles and jewelry should be too.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">A teacher can't teach a subject; a teacher can only help the learners learn for themselves.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;">"If you're not with me, you're against me."</span> - George Walker Bush<br /><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"><span style="color:#ffcc99;">If you kill a person, you should be killed. </span><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;">Terrorism is a legitimate method of political struggle.</span>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1128684741818922022006-03-02T18:19:00.000+07:002006-03-04T13:59:11.333+07:00Cliché-free SimilesLOVE the <strong>similes game</strong>! Learners try to explain these.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Her silence was like a card game.<br />Her smile was like the sea/ a rocking chair.<br />Her need for revenge was like a train.<br />Her anger was like a museum.<br />Her sense of timing was like a shadow.<br />Her self-esteem was like a bell.<br />Her kindness was like a tree.<br />Her passion was like a toolshed.<br />Her laughter was like the jungle. </span><br /><br />(Variation. 2 piles: 1 human trait, 1 interesting noun. Learners pick them at random and try to explain the meaning.)JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1141294444099418482006-03-02T18:16:00.000+07:002006-03-02T17:14:04.100+07:00Convincing Others<em>Students take a 'convince' card and have to persuade their partner (who plays the role of the person named on the card) to do the action on the card.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Convince your president to give you a million dollars. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Convince a good friend to swallow a goldfish. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Convince your grandmother to shave her head. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Convince a senior citizen to join a dance troupe. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Convince your brother to grow a beard. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Convince your teacher to buy you an elephant. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Convince a millionaire to wear a pink tutu.</span><br />...<br /><br />The language they use to do this might involve anything from begging (Pleeeeease do it! Pretty Please!) to negotiating with conditionals (If you do it, I'll give you 20 dollars. How about it?) to threats (You'd better do it. Or else I'll... / Unless you do, I'll...) to advice (You should do this: it'll be a great benefit to your health!) to whatever else might spring into a creative human mind.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1139876852568464342006-03-01T19:57:00.000+07:002006-03-01T17:55:13.240+07:00Quick Idea - GroupingWhen putting learners into pairs or groups for an activity, don't just put them with the same partner they're always with. You can be more creative than that, I'm sure!<br /><br />Try to find learners who have something visible (or otherwise known to the teacher) in common when creating pairs or groups. For example, <span style="color:#ff99ff;">'the purple eyeshadow team'</span>, <span style="color:#ffffff;">'the white shirt team'</span>, <span style="color:#ff6666;">'the tied-back hair team'</span>, <span style="color:#cc9933;">'the grungy clothing team'</span>, <span style="color:#ff0000;">'the Japanese learners' team'</span>.<br /><br />It's something I've been doing for a few months now. Though (deceptively) simple, it provides an obvious starting point for conversation and mutual interest between the people you've grouped together. Try it yourselves.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1130908278527230352006-03-01T10:54:00.000+07:002006-03-05T08:37:27.210+07:00EFL - all articles<p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;"><u>vocabulary building</u></span></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/10/eflkorean-anatomy-101_113064514314312232.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;">Anatomy 101</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;"> , </span><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/11/eflkorean-anatomy-102_113100424497865474.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;">Anatomy 102</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/04/efl-long-days-journey-into-night.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;">Phrasal Verb</span></a><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/04/efl-long-days-journey-into-night.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;">s</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#6633ff;"> , </span><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/12/efl-practise-your-phrasal-verbs-here.html"><span style="color:#6633ff;">Funky Phrasals</span></a></span><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/04/efl-long-days-journey-into-night.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;"><br /></p></span></a><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/04/efl-long-days-journey-into-night.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#6633ff;">Long Day's Journey</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/11/efl-ironing-out-wrinkles.html"><span style="color:#6633ff;">Blame/Criticise, Lecture/Class</span></a></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ccffff;"><u>self-expression</u></span></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/07/efl-metaphorically-speaking.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ccffff;">Metaphorically Speaking</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/03/clich-free-similes.html"><span style="color:#ccffff;">Cliche-free Similes</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/01/conversations-with-larry-king.html"><span style="color:#ccffff;">Conversation Starters</span></a><span style="color:#ccffff;"> ; <a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/02/starting-conversations_26.html"><span style="color:#ccffff;">Conversation Starters Two</span></a></span></p><p align="center"><span style="color:#ccffff;"></span></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#999900;"><u>pronunciation</u></span></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/06/efl-crisp-otter.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#999900;">Crisp Otter</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#999900;"> -- consonant clusters</span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/05/efl-pronunciation1-linking-1.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#999900;">linking / 영어 발음 도움 1</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#999900;"> </span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/05/efl-pronunciation2-rhythm-2.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#999900;">rhythm / 영어 발음 도움 2</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#999900;"> </span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/05/efl-pronunciation3-intonation-and.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#999900;">intonation and stress / 영어 발음 도움3</span> </span></a></p><p align="center"><strong></strong></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffcc99;"><u>listening</u></span></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/07/efl-british-accents.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffcc99;">British Accents / 영국어 발음 듣기</span></a><span style="color:#ffcc99;"><br /></p></span><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/09/learning-resources.html"><span style="color:#ffcc99;">Online Radio listings</span></a> </p><p align="center"><br /></p><strong></strong><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc66cc;"><u>writing</u></span></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/09/efl-shaking-her-pen-defiantly.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc66cc;">Shaking her pen defiantly,...</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc66cc;"> </span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/09/efl-piff_29.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc66cc;">Piff!</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><u><strong>teaching</strong> </u></span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/11/efl-ice-breakers.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Ice-breakers</span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /><br /></span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/05/efl-language-anxiety.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">language anxiety</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">- the learning environment </span><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/02/moving-from-linguistics-to-language.html"><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">From Linguistics to Language</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/11/efl-exhuming-sapir-and-whorf.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">varieties of English</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/03/quick-idea-grouping.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Grouping Learners</span></a></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9966;"><strong><u>discussion</u></strong></span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/01/controversial.html"><span style="color:#ff9966;">controversial</span></a><span style="color:#ff9966;"> ; </span><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/03/controversial-two.html"><span style="color:#ff9966;">controversial two</span></a></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><u><strong>other</strong> </u></span></span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/08/efl-hot-or-hotter.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#33cc00;">Hot or hotter?</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#33cc00;"> - comparitives </span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/06/efl-six-thinking-hats.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#33cc00;">Six Thinking Hats</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#33cc00;"> - creativity lesson</span></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/03/convincing-others.html"><span style="color:#33cc00;">Convincing Others</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/02/two-jokes.html"><span style="color:#33cc00;">Two Jokes</span></a></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="color:#33ccff;"><u>TOEIC</u></span></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/11/efl-anti-toeic-rant.html"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Anti-TOEIC rant</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2005/04/toeic.html"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Analysis</span></a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/01/for-toeic-bell-tolls.html"><span style="color:#33ccff;">For TOEIC the bell tolls</span></a></p>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1140403580108082732006-02-26T16:10:00.000+07:002006-03-06T10:55:02.490+07:00Moving from Linguistics to Language (a response to AJ)A surprising number of learners here in Korea seem to <strong>do little but “study” languages</strong>. That is, they put a great deal of time and effort into memorizing lots of words and grammar rules. However, outside the classroom setting these learners tend to <strong>find it very difficult to communicate</strong>. What’s gone wrong?<br /><br />여기 한국에서는 놀라울 정도로 많은 학생들이 <strong>언어들을 "study"하기만</strong> <strong>하는것</strong> 같다. 즉, 많은 단어와 문법을 암기하려고 애쓰는데. 이런 학생들은 교실 밖에서 다른 사람과 대화하기가 어려운 것을 깨닫는다. 무엇이 잘못 된 것일까?<br /><br />The most obvious answer is that they <strong>aren’t trying to learn communicative language skills</strong>, the kind most people use every day, let alone improve their communication skills. Instead, faced with another language, too many people (from any country) overlook their first language. The logic goes something like this: “It’s a different language (not to mention a different culture!), so it must be completely different from my own.”<br /><br />가장 명백한 응답은 대부분의 사람이 매일 쓰는 대화 기술을 향상시키지않을 뿐만아니라 <strong>회화 기술도 공부하지 않는다는 것이다</strong>. 너무 많은 사람들이 (그게 어떤 나라든지) 다른 언어를 접하는 대신에 모국어를 등한시 한다. 말하자면 이런 것이다. “이것은 다른 언어다 (문화의 차이를 이야기 하는 것이 아니라) 그러니까 내 모국어와 완전히 다르겠지.”<br /><br />I’d suggest that looking at the communication skills most people already have is the most useful way to start. An approach to communication skills might <strong>start by raising learners’ awareness</strong> <strong>of how they communicate on a day-to-day basis</strong> in their first language. (Some people are naturally more self-aware than others.) Looking at: how they interact with different people; how they use language; how they use grammar; how they actually use body language, maybe helping them understand how we keep at a comfortable distance when we talk;<br />what they talk about; how they recycle topics of conversation, falter sometimes, pause, use fillers; how they ask questions to confirm they understand; how they use intonation, pitch and speed, and how these reflect their feelings; how the language actually sounds, which is often different from how it looks on paper.<br /><br />내 제안은 이렇다. 언어습득을 시작하기에 가장 좋은 방법은 사람들에게 원래 있는 언어기술을 찾아내는 것이다. 회화의 기술에 대한 접근은 모국어로 <strong>매일의 대화의 기술에 대한 자각을 높이는 것부터 시작</strong>하면 아마 좋을 것이다. (어떤 사람들은 원래부터 다른사람에 비해 자기자신을 더 잘안다.) 구체적으로, 어떻게 그들이 다른 사람들과 행동하고 표현할 것인지, 언어를 어떻게 쓸지, 실제로 문법을 어떻게 쓰고, 바디 랭귀지를 어떻게 쓰고 대화시의 적절한 거리를 유지하는 것을 이해할 수 있도록 어떻게 도울 것인지, 대화의 내용이 무엇이고, 얼마나 대화의 화제들을 "인용"하고 가끔 더듬거리고 잠시 중단하고 머뭇거리는 소리(음... 저...뭐... 등등)를 내고, 얼마나 이해하는지를 확인하기 위해 질문을 하고, 언어의 억양과 높낮이와 속도를 얼마나 적절히 사용할 지, 또 이것들이 어떻게 감정을 표현할 수 있을지, 문어체에 비해서는 종종 차이가 있는 언어의 실제 소리가 어떤지를 살펴보는 것이다.<br /><br />It's far easier to build on this awareness than to try and teach all of these skills from scratch. And, importantly, any <strong>new skills they pick up will be a clear extension of their own selves</strong>, rather than something alien.<br /><br />이러한 지식을 더하는 것은 ("from scratch") 아무런 기본지식 없이 그냥 이러한 기술을 가르치는 것보다 훨씬 더 쉽다. 그리고 중요한 것은 그들이 <strong>새롭게 익히는 기술들이</strong> 단순히 주입된 것이 아니고 <strong>그들 자신들에게 명백한 성장일 것이라는 것</strong>이다.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1141522479052554292006-02-26T15:28:00.000+07:002006-04-09T18:55:33.506+07:00Starting ConversationsHope these example conversations aren’t too clichéd!<br /><br /><em>At a tourist spot:</em><br />1: How’re ya doing?<br />2: <span style="color:#ff99ff;">Pretty good</span>, thanks! <span style="color:#ffff33;">Y’self?</span><br />1: I’m <span style="color:#ff99ff;">fabulous</span>! <span style="color:#ff99ff;">Gorgeous</span> day, <span style="color:#ffff33;">isn’t it!</span><br />2: Sure is!<br />1: <span style="color:#33ccff;">What d’ya think of this place?</span><br />2: <span style="color:#ff99ff;">Amazing</span>, <span style="color:#ffff33;">isn’t it!</span> Been here before?<br /><br /><em>In a busy coffee shop:<br /></em>C: Hi there! How ya doing?<br />J: I’m <span style="color:#ff99ff;">good</span>, thanks!<br />C: <span style="color:#ff99ff;">Bit crowded</span> <span style="color:#ff99ff;">in here</span>, <span style="color:#ffff33;">isn’t it!</span> <span style="color:#ff99ff;">’S</span> <span style="color:#ff99ff;">like a</span> cattle market!<br />J: Ya c’n say that again!<br />C: <span style="color:#ffcccc;">C’n I ask</span> what ya’re having?<br />J: <span style="color:#ff99ff;">I’m thinking</span> a latte <span style="color:#ff99ff;">would be</span> <span style="color:#ff99ff;">nice</span>. <span style="color:#ffff33;">How about y’self?</span><br />C: Maybe the same. <span style="color:#ffcccc;">Mind if I</span> join ya f’r a while?<br />J: Not at all! I’m Jake, by the way.<br /><br /><em>At a bar:<br /></em>A: Hey, how’s it going? My name’s Adam.<br />E: Nice t’ meet ya. I’m Eve.<br />A: <span style="color:#ff99ff;">Good atmosphere</span> in here, <span style="color:#ffff33;">don’t ya think?</span><br />E: Yeh, I like it. <span style="color:#ff99ff;">It’s chilled.</span><br />A: <span style="color:#ffcccc;">C’n I ask</span> where ya’re from?<br />E: Oh, <span style="color:#33ff33;">d’you know</span> South Korea? I’m fr’m the second city – Busan.<br />A: Oh, yes? I haven’t heard of it. <span style="color:#33ccff;">What’s it like?</span><br />E: Well, there aren’t many sights, but Busanites c’n be quite friendly.<br /><br /><em>On the subway:<br /></em>H: Hello there. My name’s Hyo-ri. <span style="color:#ffcccc;">D’ya mind if I ask</span> where ya’re from?<br />B: Of course not! England, I’m from England. People call me Becks.<br />H: <span style="color:#ffcccc;">C’n I ask</span> where ya’re going, Becks?<br />B: I’m on my way t’ PNU. <span style="color:#33ff33;">D’ya know it?</span><br />H: Yes, of course! In fact, I’m going there myself. <span style="color:#ffcccc;">Mind if I</span> join ya?<br />B: <span style="color:#ff99ff;">That could be nice!</span><br /><br /><br />NB. A number of the spellings have been changed to better reflect how the words are actually spoken in fluent English. Sometimes the odd spelling of English gets in the way of correct pronunciation; it can also impair your listening skills if you think a word is pronounced in one way when in fact it sounds quite different in fluent English.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Language Foci<br /></strong><br /><span style="color:#ffff33;">QUESTION TAGS<br />~isn’t it! (falling intonation, to ask for agreement)</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ff33;">SEEKING COMMON KNOWLEDGE<br />Heard of (it)? D’you know (it)?</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">ASKING FOR OPINIONS<br />What d’you think of…?<br />(Also good: What’d you say to…?)</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;">GIVING OPINIONS<br />I’m thinking…<br />That could be good/ fun/ nice/ interesting.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;">POLITE REQUESTS<br />Can I (ask)…? Mind if I…?<br /></span>(Also: Mind if I sit here?<br />-> Not at all/ Go ahead/ I’d rather you didn’t)JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1140242559798944892006-02-18T12:56:00.000+07:002006-02-21T22:20:04.093+07:00Two JokesFrom January's edition of <a href="http://www.hltmag.co.uk/jan06/index.htm">Humanising Language Teaching</a>.<br /><em></em><br /><em>The bus driver and Big John</em><br /><br />One day a bus driver was in his bus when the biggest man he had ever seen got on. The giant looked at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't pay." Then he took his seat on the bus. The bus driver was only a little man and he didn't want to argue.<br /><br />This happened for several days. After a week, the bus driver was beginning to get a little angry. Everybody else paid, so why not the big man? So the driver decided to go to the gym and start a course of body-building. He didn't want to be frightened of Big John any more.<br /><br />A number of weeks later the driver had strong muscles and was feeling very fit. At the usual stop, Big John got on. "Big John doesn't pay," he said. But this time the driver was prepared for him. He got up and said, "Oh, yeah? And <em>why</em> doesn't Big John pay?"<br /><br />"Because Big John has got a bus pass," the man replied.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~<br /><em>The doctor's advice</em><br /><br />A man was feeling unwell and he went to see the doctor. He went with his wife because he was a little worried. Afterwards, the doctor spoke in private to the man's wife.<br /><br />"I'm afraid I have some bad news," he said. "Unless you follow my instructions carefully, your husband will die. Every morning you must give him a good breakfast and you must cook him a healthy meal every night. What is more, you mustn't ask him to do any housework and you must keep the house very clean. I realise it is a lot of work for you, but it really is the only way to keep him alive."<br /><br />On the way home, the husband asked his wife what the doctor had said to her.<br />"He said you're going to die," she replied.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1139386720298779142006-02-08T15:01:00.000+07:002006-02-09T23:19:39.053+07:00Back to the wallWith a much more humane work schedule this month, I'm finally finding the time to get back into the pastimes I've had to desert for the past few months. This afternoon I followed the steep road behind the local Carrefour up to <em>Mt. Hwangmyeong Sports and Leisure Park</em> [황령산 레포츠 공원]. The YMCA centre there has a simple but adequate climbing wall, which a friend introduced me to. Free use too, as long as you can put up with the youngsters downstairs practising their choreography to a never-ending loop of dance music.<br /><br />Round trip on foot from work - 1 hour, plus an hour or so on the wall. I'll be heading up there more often, methinks. (Especially if the weather stops hovering around zero and warms up a bit!)JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1139388379820562972006-02-08T14:29:00.000+07:002006-02-08T16:36:38.763+07:00Korean name?Yes, my Korean name is <em>Yong Se-chan</em>.<br />(Thankfully it's the same, no matter how you romanize it.)<br /><br />After calling so many Koreans by an English name (far easier for westerners to remember), it's only fitting that I should reveal my Korean name. Most Koreans that I've mentioned this name to seem to think it sounds nice and gives a good impression, which is important.<br /><br />The meaning?<br />龍 (용 룡, dragon) Yong, dragon, is fairly rare as a surname in Korea, but it does exist and I have in fact met someone with it. The choice was easy: the flag of Wales has a dragon on it, so...<br /><br />世 (세상 세, the world)<br />贊 (도울 찬, help[s])<br /><br />Because of Korean's subject-object-verb word order, the name in full means "[the/a] dragon [who] helps the world". A reference to my personal philosophy of being nice to others and also to my work as a teacher.<br /><em></em><br />Written in Korean alphabet (han-geul): 용세찬<br /><br />Written in Chinese characters (hanja): 龍世贊JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1135913081301643612006-02-04T17:14:00.000+07:002006-02-04T15:49:33.033+07:00thee dickhead soh faarFrom an <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1675173,00.html">intelligent article by historian Simon Schama</a> on the decade referred to as "the noughties":<br /><br /><blockquote>There was the teeny matter of the beginning of the end; of planet Earth, that is, the last chance of reversing the irreversible damage that has been done to the ecosystem, beside which all the rest of its problems were small potatoes.<br /><br />Short of taking the current president of the United States by the scruff of the neck and dunking his head deep into the rapidly melting Arctic ice cap, what more did the Earth need to do to make someone listen to its cry for help? But this was the decayed decade, when everything that urgently needed to be done to reverse carbon emissions was identified, documented, articulated - and then systematically obstructed by the power that was disproportionately responsible for the damage. When the rest of the world shouted "Emergency", America chanted back "Growth".<br /><br />The decade when coral reefs turned pallid and died; when Alaskan caribou butted their heads against pipelines; when what seemed like a marginal rise in oceanic temperatures translated into hurricanes that ate entire shorelines, was also the decade of the Hummer.</blockquote>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1138052959456462672006-01-24T21:47:00.000+07:002006-01-29T19:27:03.306+07:00Fabulous Start to 2006^^This has been a kick-ass month!<br /><br />I love this feeling that I'm getting out of it and I've been getting plenty of positive feedback from the learners about it too! There's only one class that I'm a little concerned about that really haven't bonded at all – formal Korean social hierarchies... But they still manage to find enjoyment if I don't group the younger students with the older ones.<br /><br />Back to the kick-ass front, my overall inspiration, creativity, motivation and enjoyment have soared this month. I’ve been trying new things, sharing ideas with colleagues,... I love it! <em>This</em> is why I love my work!^^<br /><br />(Still, I do desperately need to get away from work more too – <em>lousy</em> work schedule for the past months.)<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~<br />Update: 26th January, I've just been told by our so-called manager that the student evaluations this month (yes, the students rate their teachers on 10 basic criteria; odd, I know) are <em>far</em> lower than last month, when I was severely burnt out twentyfour-seven.<br /><br />I've been getting excellent and uplifting feedback from the students verbally and without asking. I also got very positive comments from a useful 'How can I help you learn better?' form I got them to fill out at the two-week mark. <span style="font-size:85%;">[Compared to the other students in class, I feel I'm <em>at the same level / more advanced / less advanced</em> because... ; I feel my weakest points are... ; What I like about this class is... ; In class, I’d like to see more...]</span><br /><br />I therefore find my "manager's" news <em>highly</em> suspicious. I'm asking to see the eval sheets for myself and next month I will be personally signing each and every evaluation sheet I hand out to make sure the numbers aren't subject to foul play.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1138053048706689142006-01-24T14:49:00.000+07:002006-01-24T12:43:35.363+07:00on being fabulous and romantic<blockquote>"If we say nothing but what has been said before us, we are dull and have observed nothing. If we tell anything new, we are laughed at as fabulous and romantic."- <em>English society figure Lady Mary Wortley Montagu in a letter to her husband in 1718. </em></blockquote>During a stay in Sydney a while back I worked in a non-sales-related telephone job, cold-calling people all around Australia. After a few weeks of settling into the job, it dawned on me that I was in fact a modern-day Santa Claus (long hours and too much caffeine perhaps??). That is, I could potentially bring joy and happiness to people in every city, town and outback corner of Aussie; I could have an impact on the outlook of the whole country from that single bright sunlit room. <p class="MsoNormal">I would make every call smiling, be as pleasant as humanly possible, and make the mere five-odd minutes I had with each person count to the max. My aim was to make each person at least a little bit happier. And after they put the receiver down, they might just be nicer to the next person they met. And they too might be a little more cheerful. And so on.</p><p class="MsoNormal">By enriching even one person’s life, I could be the butterfly that flaps its wings. And I could flap them cheerfully in every corner of the country with a mere tap of my fingers on the keyboard and a smile in my voice! And that smile became more and more beaming with every person I was able to make even a little happier.</p><p class="MsoNormal">(Of course, this did my employer a lot of good too and I got very positive feedback from my boss and co-workers.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">Make today the day that you too become a fabulous and romantic butterfly.</p>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1137220984052591322006-01-16T16:42:00.000+07:002006-02-14T19:40:18.513+07:00Controversial? / 논쟁적인가?<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.</span></p><p>"사람들에 대한 궁극적인 판단방법은 그들이 편안하고 안락한 순간에 취하는 태도가 아니고 도전과 논쟁의 시기에 취하는 자세에 있다." - 마틴 루터 킹</p></blockquote></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I have one fussy high-level class this month who take a lot of work. One lesson that I spent hours designing and creating was reduced to a long po-faced silence in no time. So, working on the concept that I had to come up with a topic for the next class that even they couldn't <em>not</em> have opinions about, I racked my brain for contentious issues. What follows are some of the ones that worked really well (;p), grouped into vague categories for you to peruse.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><em>The goal is to provoke learners (and yourself) think, to present a compelling topic for them to express their views on. It can also be used to practise discussion skills, and potentially debating skills too.</em><br /><br /><strong>Quotes</strong><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="color:#33ccff;">"God is dead."</span> - Friedrich Nietzsche<br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">"Imagination is greater than knowledge."</span> - Albert Einstein<br /><span style="color:#ccffff;">"Eighty percent of success is just showing up."</span> - Woody Allen<br /><span style="color:#66ff99;">"Laughter is the best medicine."</span> - saying<br /><span style="color:#ffff99;">"Innovators are inevitably controversial."</span> - Eva Le Gallienne </span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="color:#ffcc99;">“There is nothing wrong with our faces or bodies that social change can’t cure.”</span> - Naomi Wolf<br /></span><br /><strong>Universal?</strong><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="color:#ff6666;">Hitler was the greatest criminal ever.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;">Beauty is nothing more than a matter of taste.</span><br /><span style="color:#ffcc33;">A woman's place is in the home.</span></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#cc66cc;">Airbags in cars should be replaced with big steel spikes - people would drive more safely.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#66ffff;">People who get plastic surgery are truly happier about themselves.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#66ff99;">TV is a huge waste of time.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ffffcc;">Monogamy doesn't work.</span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Korea-based</strong> </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="color:#009900;">Military service is a bad influence on Korean men.</span><br /><span style="color:#66cccc;">"Fan death" is nothing more than a Korean urban legend.<br /></span><span style="color:#ffffff;">The Korean education system is a robot assembly line.</span> </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ffcc66;">Harisu (the famous Korean transsexual) is, basically, a man.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;color:#ffcccc;">English teachers in Korea should be qualified to teach English.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff6666;">The “East (Asia) Sea” should be referred to by the most widely-used current term – the “Sea of Japan” – until any disagreement has been resolved. </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">The lack of sleep that Korean high school students put themselves through is damaging.</span> </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#33ff33;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Japan is actually a bit better than Korea.</span><br /></span><br />~~~~~~~~~~<br />A related activity is to play them Savage Garden's catchy song <strong>"Affirmation"</strong> <span style="font-size:85%;">(lyrics below)</span> and ask, <span style="color:#33cc00;"><em><span style="color:#ffffff;">To what extent do you agree?</span></em><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>verse 1</em><br /></span>I believe the sun should never set upon an argument.<br />I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands.<br />I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you.<br />I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem.</span><br />I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>chorus</em><br /></span>I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned.<br />I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned.<br />I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side.<br />I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>verse 2</em> </span><br />I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">I believe that trust is more important than monogamy.</span><br />I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul.<br />I believe that family is worth more than money or gold.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair;</span><br />I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires.<br /><em>chorus</em><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>verse 3</em><br /></span>I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed.</span><br />I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists.<br />I believe in love surviving death into eternity.<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">chorus</span></em></div>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1136718247064260222006-01-10T15:07:00.000+07:002006-01-10T13:04:47.936+07:00Dumb? Are you?"You scored 30 out of a possible 38" That means, I hope, that I'm NOT dumb, thank you very much!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Of the wrong ones, 1 was on football - I'm only really interested when the World Cup's on - and 2 were on recent British pop culture - I haven't tried to keep up with that while I'm away - I figure it'll make for more interesting conversations when I get back...!</span><br /><br />What I'm talking about is this: A recent survey of Britain's 18- to 24-year-olds has shown up the many gaps in the cultural knowledge of the "information generation". Has ignorance triumphed over enlightenment?<br /><br />As one commentator observed, "Every healthy culture winnows and chooses a past which it finds useful. But something has been lost."<br /><br />Should we welcome the free-thinking technological generation, "a generation whose minds are more empty than open"? Or should we take the view that "the better informed are also the tolerant and compassionate"? Should we be "smart" or "knowledgeable"?<br /><br />You can take the test yourself and comment on the meaning of the results <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/dumb">here</a>.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1135918349617942632006-01-08T19:01:00.000+07:002006-01-24T15:08:22.460+07:00Appropriate ManagementGareth Morgan, a professor of organizational behaviour once commented that, <em>Farmers don't grow crops. They create the conditions in which crops grow</em>. This, as I see it, is the job of any good leader, coach, teacher, manager, conductor - to ensure an environment in which people can thrive at what they do and develop at a speed that fits them.<br /><br />Albert Einstein, a man whose name is synonymous with intelligence, said, "I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."<br /><br />And one more quote to drive the nail home:<br /><blockquote><p>Many years ago my friend Christopher was a junior manager at Yorkshire Water Company. He was asked by his line manager to visit a senior engineer at his home in Huddersfield. Chris knocked on the door and was invited in. "Would you like a cup of tea?" the engineer asked. While Chris waited for the kettle to boil in the kitchen, he looked out of the back window expecting to see a garden. Instead he saw row upon row of fish tanks, stacked one on top of the other, each filled with a different species of fish. "I didn't know you kept fish," said Chris. "Nay lad," replied the old engineer, "<span style="color:#ffcc99;">I</span> <span style="color:#ff9966;">d</span><span style="color:#ff9900;">o</span><span style="color:#ff6600;">n'</span><span style="color:#cc6600;">t</span> <span style="color:#cc6600;">k</span><span style="color:#993300;">e</span><span style="color:#663300;">e</span><span style="color:#663333;">p</span> <span style="color:#996633;">f</span><span style="color:#996633;">i</span><span style="color:#cc9933;">s</span><span style="color:#ffcc33;">h</span><span style="color:#cc9933;">,</span> <span style="color:#ff9900;">I</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">k</span><span style="color:#cc6600;">e</span><span style="color:#663300;">e</span><span style="color:#993300;">p</span> <span style="color:#33ccff;">water</span>." </p><p>Now that's great leadership, if you think about it. - from <a href="http://www.hltmag.co.uk/mar05/mart02.htm">HLTmag</a></p></blockquote>At work, we have a monthly teacher evaluation system that allows our learners to voice their opinions of their teacher. Although a lot depends on how they feel towards the teacher personally rather than the quality of the teaching per se, I relish the feedback. I've realised that even if the ratings and comments ARE mainly based on their feelings, surely a large part of my job in the classroom IS based around feelings: if the learners can't find a personal connection with the teacher and the class and the language, how much can I really expect them to learn?<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />One thing is missing though: <span style="color:#009900;">manager evaluations</span>. Following a similar format to the teacher evaluation form, and for anyone who might want to use this, here's my proposed "good manager" evaluation form.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em>For each question give an answer from 1(never) to 5(always).</em><br /><em>Please be an honest as possible.</em><br /><br />01. Manager facilitates employees' work, empowering them to do their very best.<br />02. Manager recognises the value of employees and shows them respect and trust.<br />03. Manager is knowledgeable and capable.<br />04. Manager praises and gives credit where it is due.<br />05. Manager is fair and reasonable, not punishing employees unduly.<br />06. Manager recognises problems quickly and knows how to deal with them effectively.<br />07. Manager admits mistakes and recognises the value of them in striving for new highs.<br />08. Manager is open to new ideas, suggestions and questions - listens actively.<br />09. Manager is human and friendly, and helps motivate employees.<br />10. Manager maintains a positive and motivating attitude.</span>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1135918005152301202006-01-08T18:23:00.000+07:002006-01-22T17:52:55.823+07:00For TOEIC the Bell Tolls / <토익을 위하여 종은 울리나>For me this is great news. Maybe I'm a fool for being too hopeful about the demise of this infamously inept test, but an article in the Chosun Ilbo (Chosun Daily) <a href="http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200512/200512040016.html">here</a> reports to my delight that the TOEIC:<br /><br />나에게는 이게 아주 좋은 소식이다. 어리석게도 나는 이 악명높게 부적절한 시험의 멸망를 낙관하고 있다. 하지만 <조선일보>에서 있는 글이 이렇게 토익에 대해 보고했다.<br /><blockquote><p>may at last be on its way out. Some 12 corporations ... have <span style="color:#ffff00;">dropped a TOEIC score requirement</span> for job applicants, and three others ... have <span style="color:#ffff00;">lowered the minimum requirement</span>...<br /><br />"...we judged that the <span style="color:#ffff00;">TOEIC not an appropriate indicator of actual English skills</span>," says Lee Jeong, head of personnel at the Industrial Bank of Korea. </p><p>...The test, which has no reading and writing sections and consists largely of formulaic multiple-choice questions, may have come to the end of its extended run. <span style="color:#ffff00;">Most candidates sit the test for employment reasons. If companies now dismiss it, the exam's survival is under threat.</span> </p></blockquote>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1135923178217269402006-01-08T18:06:00.000+07:002006-03-04T13:57:16.850+07:00recommended ELT reading<p align="center"><a href="http://sarinmiso.blogspot.com/2006/03/efl-all-articles.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">my own efl articles</span></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center">~~**~~</p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.hltmag.co.uk/"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,204,0)">Humanising Language Teaching</span></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://iteslj.org/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">internet TESL journal</span></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,204,0)">teachingEnglish.org.uk</span></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/information/tesl-ej/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">TESL e-journal</span></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.onestopenglish.com/"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,204,0)">one stop English</span></a></p><p align="center">~~**~~</p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/1930/Journal/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">hwakwang university TEFL</span></a> <span style="COLOR: rgb(51,204,0)">and</span> <a href="http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">asian EFL journal</span></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://info.ox.ac.uk/bnc/"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,204,0)">British National Corpus</span></a> and <a href="http://www.lextutor.ca/concordancers/concord_e.html"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,204,0)">LT concordancer</span></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center">~~**~~</p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a style="COLOR: rgb(255,153,102)" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml">BBC World Service (UK) Learning English</a><br /><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,204,204)"></span><a style="COLOR: rgb(255,255,204)" href="http://abcasiapacific.com/learnenglish/">ABC Asia-Pacific (Australia) Learn English</a></p><br /><br /><p align="center">~~**~~</p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.geocities.com/adamgwyneddjones/newsversion2.html"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,204,51)">News Links</span></a></p>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1134729986628258732006-01-08T18:00:00.000+07:002006-01-08T17:11:31.463+07:00Conversations with Larry KingA few weekends ago, I read the well-known Larry King book "How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere" and was fairly impressed. Well, at least by 6 of the 12 chapters. His commonsense advice for better conversations can be summed up as follows:<br /><blockquote>When looking for someone to have a conversation with, choose someone who looks alert and interested in what's going on around them.<br /><br />There's a good chance the person you're about to talk to is shy, so you don't need to be! Try to put them at their ease. Never feel inferior or intimidated - everyone's human.<br /><br />Pay attention to the situation, setting and the person.<br /><br />Conversation starters for 10:<br />The weather - a no-brainer.<br />The situation.<br />Popular current affairs - everyone has opinions.<br />Kids/pets - people care a LOT about these things if they have them.<br /><br />Your job is to find out what they're avid about, what's closest to their heart. Be sincere and curious, aim to learn something from them and you will. And <em>you</em>'ll be a more knowledgeable person for it! So, listen. Oh, and don't stay too serious for too long!<br /><br />Pay attention to the person you're talking to. Lean closer if they seem comfortable with it - it shows you're interested. Look them in the eye - but don't freak them out by staring non-stop!<br /><br />Listening well (for example, making interested sounds and clarifying what you've understood by rephrasing what they've said) will help you ask better follow-up questions ("the mark of a good conversationalist") based on what you've heard.</blockquote>JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11418466.post-1135587858091206512005-12-18T14:40:00.000+07:002005-12-26T16:04:18.096+07:00Learning Resources - online video/TV<strong>International</strong><br /><a href="http://mediahopper.com/portal.htm">MediaHopper</a> (Choose a country)<br />Mainly news, sports, fashion, culture.<br /><br /><strong>USA</strong><br /><a href="http://www.tvland.com/originals/sitdown/">Sit Down Comedy</a> (Interviews)<br />Click "Watch full episodes and sneak peaks"<br /><a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_collection=23899">Comedy Central</a> has 2-minute video clips<br /><a href="http://tvguide.com/default">TVGuide</a> (Video reviews of TV shows)<br /><br /><strong>BBC</strong><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/03/tvnews.shtml">BBC London</a> 15 mins. of news daily (RealPlayer)<br />The BBC also shows <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/default.stm">Panorama</a> and <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/question_time/default.stm">Question Time</a><br />Guide to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/broadband/">BBC broadband</a> services<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dw-world.de/">Deutsche Welle TV</a> (Click "Video on Demand")<br />(Also in German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese)<br /><br />I do tend to agree with the Linguist on this: MP3's better because you don't have to stare at it; you can do other things while you learn. TV's just more colourful.JangJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644959044644668483noreply@blogger.com0