Is my writing skill improved via blog?

First, I will discuss my thoughts about the Bloch reading. Although Bloch mentioned that Generation 1.5 students (this phrase refers to immigrant students; there is a growing literature on these students) may have different backgrounds from international students who come from areas where literacy is widespread, I felt that what Abdullah contributes to his blog in Bloch’s article is similar to how we run our blog for this class. If you asked me whether my academic writing skill has improved by posting my reflection article every week, my answer is “Yes.” First, I have to read academic articles, and learn the new terminology and knowledge for each article. Next, I need to digest the articles and post my reflection. From the process of reading to distributing, I am doing not only the critical thinking, but also summarizing my ideas about the articles in academic writing. In addition, Bloch claims that blogs have often been used in content area courses to foster a collaborative process of making meaning. I enjoyed looking at the feedback from my classmates and professors. Sometimes, their feedback or suggestions lead me to another level of thinking and perspectives. This interaction helps both sides, the author and the audiences, to communicate in the blogosphere, and reaches the goal: it allows students to voice their own opinions. Therefore, I am pretty sure that this training provides me an opportunity to compose academic writing.

As for plagiarism, I have no exception that I do not clearly understand what plagiarism means. Even though I see the rule of “plagiarism” on the syllabus which I received for each semester, I have never spent time on it. Therefore, Bloch brings out a good concept: it is necessary to understand how plagiarism is viewed in the university. The writers will not be able to establish the validity of claims in academic writing until they fully understand the importance and details of plagiarism.

The only difference I see between Abdullah and me is that I learned “formal” English during my education, so I do not have trouble with “vernacular literacy” in my blog. In other words, I do not even clearly know how to distinguish between what is vernacular or professional forms of literacy. Hence, I do not feel the boundary between the blog (more vernaculerform) and the classroom assignment (more professional form). Is it good or bad if the English learner do not know the differences?

Questions from Dr. Reinhardt

What is your general impression of the game?
How much language use is involved? What skills are addressed?
How could you use this game to learn the language on your own?
What kind of classroom tasks could be built around the game?

Actually, I am not a game fan since my parents do not like for me to play games. My parents always think that playing games is nothing but just a waste of my time. It is true that I have never learned English, the only foreign language I know, via games. I feel sorry that I do not have this kind of fun learning experience when learning English. For most English learners from Taiwan, they seldom learn English intrinsically because English is a required course from junior high to first year in college. Now, the English learning is even earlier, students have to learn English from elementary school. Maybe learning English is more fun since there are a lot of native English speaking teachers at schools in Taiwan compared with the time I learned English. Also, the learning materials are more visual and vivid to attract students’ attention or motivate students’ learning.

Although I do not have game-oriented learning experience, I would like to share the “repetition” learning strategy that Piirainen-Marsh and Tainio bring. There are four types of repetition: repetition and imitation in next turn, anticipatory use, recontextualisation, and expansion. I use the “repetition” in learning English via “movies” or “television shows” instead of games. For the first type of repetition, I first repeated what the actor or actress said by imitating and reproducing the language. During the repetition, I mainly focus on the idiomatic expressions, voices, intonations, and accents, and try to catch up with their speech speed. For the second type of repetition, it is true that if I have watched the movie or TV shows more than one time, I could anticipate what is coming next. It is possible for me to speak out the lines with the actors or actress simultaneously. As for the third type of repetition, it is not hard to find out that similar movie stories might have the similar conversations. This is good training to express the things in different ways. This final type of repetition is the most difficult one for me. It seems that I could use what I learned from the movies or TV shows in my “real” life, and “expand” its usages. Sometimes, it is funny when I use the movies or TV’s conversations with my friends because I might recite the line from the movies or TV. Overall, I have benefited from the repetition strategy when learning English.

Chat with PSU students

I would like to share my experiences of participation in the “chat room” with students from Pennsylvania State University (PSU). These students also study second language teaching and technology. Even though I did not talk a lot during the one hour chat session, I learned several lessons. First, they are very familiar with the technology available at PSU and knew the advantages and disadvantages of the equipment. They try to take advantage of the available equipment and they know how to operate the new technology. Compared to them, I do not know the technologies available for teachers at UA or in Taiwan, my home country. Secondly, they are all “fast typers.” It is difficult for me to follow their chatting speed, so it is necessary to increase your typing speed if you are chatting online. Next, I felt that they knew a lot of “models” with which I was not so familiar. Is it maybe that they have a class that mainly focuses on “models” in teaching? It seems that I am the outsider, but this encourages me, perhaps even “pushes” me (an old fashioned teacher) to learn the technology. In addition, they were friendly and asked me questions if I had not chatted for 5 minutes. They care about their chatting members. To sum up, it is a good opportunity to know how other students incorporate their teaching with technology. I look forward to chatting with them again.

Discussion of My presentation

Since I have not yet finished the questions during my presentation, I would like to share my opinion about them. The questions are: What impact does language and literacy have on the Internet? What is “technological revolution”? What is the benefit of technological change in regard to language learning?

Actually, the first question is borrowed from Blyth’s question in “Research perspectives on online discourse” which is on page 66. Murray (2000) noted that scholars often equate the Internet to the introduction of the printing press in the 15th century and that the printing press is generally understood to have triggered widespread changes in literacy practices. In other words, the literacy is related to the “technological revolution.” According to Murray’s article, technological revolutions entail rapid and far-reaching social change that is the inevitable result of the introduction of a major new technology. Obviously, people could not get rid of the technologies because the new inventions were born every day. Murray, therefore, states that technology and society are in a complex, mutual relationship. When talking about the “benefit” of technological change in regard to language learning, I know that someone might argue that what technology brings to people is “disadvantages.” I agree to some extent, but I still can not deny the “benefit” that technology creates. For instance, people can book tickets, check in, go shopping, chat with friends, and study online. Especially, a lot of software is free to the public, so I mainly use Skype and MSN to communicate with my friends and family.

Text-based Online Chat

I am very impressed by the “chatting room” we used during the class. I heavily rely on MSN and Skype to communicate with my friends and parents. It indeed shows that when I am chatting with my friends in English, I “negotiate the meanings,” and probably “struggle for the appropriate terms”. I support the argument that “online negotiation might be viewed as a way to promote noticing.” Take myself for example. Sometimes, I am not sure how to correctly use the preposition, and I “notice” this problem. This problem inspires me to find the answer either by using a website or by using the dictionary. In the following days, probably half a year, I might remember the correct usage if I use it occasionally, but if I do not use it soon after I notice the problem, this short-time memory will be gone very soon. This situation explains the importance of “uptake.” The language acquisition will develop only if the learners want to uptake the language skill.

Qestions about analyzing data

In my reflection this week, I raise a question based on the Shekary and Tahririan article about language-related episodes theory. I learned language – related episodes (LRE) theory based on the text-based online chat from Shekary and Tahririan’s article. The authors isolated LRE to discuss more thoroughly. I know the three stages of LRE: trigger, response and uptake, but I do not quite know how the authors analyzed the data; especially, the “reliability of coding.” The kappa coefficients for LRE characteristics ranged from k = .685 to .925. Furthermore, there is another theory “dichotomizing coding” I do not understand. Should we get more background about those analytical methods? I am interested in how the authors combined text-online chat with English learning, but I was kind of lost in the part of the article in which they analyze the data.

My English learning experiences on the "My Happy Planet" website

I have had experiences learning English using Internet technology similar to Almon, in Lam and Kramsch’s article. I have learned English via a website called “My happy planet” before I traveled abroad in the U.S. I am quite impressed by the way a person, using the Internet, is free to create a “self identity.” This can make using a new language less stressful. In Lam and Kramsch’s article, Almon is crossing gender lines, and is taking on the nurturing, supportive voice usually associated with the female identity. This situation produces another “I” – in other words, Almon can speak with more than one voice or persona. Sometimes, I would like to try to be an “ideal” me on the website. In reality, I am still afraid of making mistakes or embarrassing myself when discussing (in English) something I am not familiar with; while on the websites, I could “create” a new born identity. When I chatted on the “My Happy Planet” website, I enjoyed making pen pals who have different habits than I have. I felt comfortable sharing my opinions no matter how imaginative it is since I have built a new social environment. Under this circumstance, I felt more confident in my English, just like Almon, who designed his website and is more willing to share things in English there than in his face to face interactions. Therefore, the computer-mediated forum indeed created a stage for second language acquisition (SLA). Even though some might argue that this is not “standard” English, there is no doubt that it assists English learners to take their language skills “one step” further.