Mai smile blog

Today I learned about Content-based approaches and Instructed Second Language Acquisition(ISLA). In this class we experenced about structured and extended output.  Ex) T: Do you think the watermelon will float?      S1: Yes.      T: Do you think the watermelon will float or sink?      S2: Float.  [ I think the watermelon will float .] This output needs express your ideas with perfect sentence like the last one (I think the..).      In addition we learned about The Balanced Curriculum. There are four parts Language Study(Receptive), Language Study(Productive), Fluency Practice(Receptive), and Fluency Practice(Productive). Examples of first one(Language Study(Receptive))'s practices are dictionary work, studying from a grammar book and so on. Examples of second one are tests or memorized dialogs and so on. Third one's are extensive reading, watching movies and so on. The last one's are casual conversations, Essays and so on.      I understood why Professor Lavin and Yoshii sa

      Today I learned about Content-based Language Learning. In the lesson there are about five important names of key people. Firstly Schmidt & Frota (1986) who are researched about noticing. Secondly Merrill Swain (1985) who is researched about comprehensive output (pushed output). Thirdly Michael (Mike) Long (1981) who thought about “Input, interaction, and second language acquisition”. Next is Stephen Krashen (1981) who is thought about Monitor Theory. It’s including comprehensive input, distinction between acquisition & learning. I thought this name is the most used in this lesson. Lastly Canale & Swain (1980). They researched about communicative competence.      Through today’s class I thought there are a lot of people who researched about language from the point of teaching. • acquisition 取得　

Book Review:       This week I read " TOOTH AND CLAW (Oxford Bookworms Library)". This book had some short stories and all of them included the word "Tooth and claw". Some stories are strange and little horrible but so interesting for me. The reason why I chose this one is that I didn't read this one. I read many books of OBW, and as for the level one and two of that I read all of them. Therefore I chose this book which is level 3 and still I hadn't read. I thought OBW series is interesting and best for me. There are two reasons. Firstly there are many series which I like, so I can read it with fun. Secondly there are few difficult words. Perhaps it's not good for study but I think it's nice for extensive reading. Usually I study English words with text books or books of words so it doesn't matter whether it's a book for study or not. I'm enjoying these series as a hobby.      If you also like this(OBW) series, I recommend "TOOTH AND

      Today I learned about memory. I learned about it when I was taking a 心理学入門, and I found language and memory have strong connection. I knew at least three kinds of memory. Sensory memory(ex: feel the wind, see something, smell and so on), Working memory and Long-Term memory. These memory work after when we input something.   Without Working memory, we couldn’t interpret a sentence or paragraph when reading or listening, because we would have forgotten the beginning before we reached the end. Without Working memory, we couldn’t reason, because we would forget key facts before we had the chance to put them all together and draw a conclusion.   We did pair work which need our memory. When A group’s people said the number or English phrase, B repeated it. It looks easy but the long word were so difficult. I thought how important the memory to communicate.  “the system or systems involved in the temporary maintenance and manipulation of information” Do you know who’s word is this?  The

            Today I learned about benefits of CLT, activities in CLT and so on. I knew CLT is holistic(全体的). It doesn't focus only on structure and vocabulary items, but on all the skills and knowledge needed to communicate. It is often motivating. I thought to focus on one thing like vocabulary or structures is useful but to focus on all the skills is also important from communication. The reason why is to communicate needs a lot of skills(ex. listening, asking, speaking..).      We did activities from the point of CLT. Firstly we separated the members  A or B. Both of them have their own paper, A's people have A paper and B's people have B paper. However their paper isn't complete. A's information of blank was written in the B's paper and B's lack of information need the A's information. We can't show their paper each other so we had to explain about the paper and ask some questions to get other information. We have to imagine other member's pa