Running Dictations: A Runaway Success

This activity could not only help students learn English but relieve their boredom of sitting all day in the classroom.

http://blog.tesol.org/running-dictations-a-runaway-success/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=running-dictations-a-runaway-success&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

Running Dictations: A Runaway Success

Posted on 27 September 2013 by Alexandra Lowe

Touch...

This is a photo I took today on the trip to Yangmingshan with my mom and sister. I was wondering how the bud and the trunk felt each other.

An Interesting Project for Mark Zuckerberg in 2013

http://www.businessinsider.com/this-year-mark-zuckerberg-is-meeting-a-new-person-every-day-2013-4

This Year, Mark Zuckerberg Is Meeting A New Person Every Day

By Nicholas Carlson, April 4, 2013

Happy Teacher's Day!

To my senior high school teacher, Ms. Li-shan Lin

 



To my NTNU professor, Ms. Pi-chun Liu

 

Find Your Element--成人抓周：找出天賦興趣與社會現實的第三條路

http://udn.com/NEWS/READING/X4/8180744.shtml

青春名人堂／成人抓周

【聯合報╱李欣頻】

2013.09.24 03:31 am

成人抓周：找出天賦興趣與社會現實的第三條路

"After 30 years, lost 'Steve Jobs Time Capsule' finally recovered"--from CNET

Please sit back and enjoy this news story.

A few years ago, the writing task on a college entrance exam asked the examinees to write about three things they would put in their time capsule and why so that people in the future, when digging the capsule up, can have a glimpse of what life nowadays is like. It's an interesting task and the following is a recent relatd news story. Click the link, and you'll see a few photos of the capsule. Before going on to read the story, think about three items  you would put in your time capsule.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57603802-37/after-30-years-lost-steve-jobs-time-capsule-finally-recovered/

After 30 years, lost 'Steve Jobs Time Capsule' finally recovered

Buried, and lost, in an Aspen field in 1983, the 13-foot-long tube contained, among other things, the mouse from Jobs' Lisa computer. Now, thanks to the TV show "Diggers," it's been found.

by Daniel Terdiman

  September 20, 2013 5:00 AM PDT

'Afternoon naps' aid children's learning--a CNN Article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24202591

'Afternoon naps' aid children's learning

24 September 2013 Last updated at 00:59 GMT

How Much Passion Does It Take?--吳曜宇：沒進音樂班 讓我更熱中音樂

http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NATS2/8178952.shtml

吳曜宇：沒進音樂班 讓我更熱中音樂

【聯合報╱記者何定照／台北—巴黎專訪】

2013.09.23 03:55 pm

Homemade Teacher Day Card from Annie

Yesterday Annie (詹麗馨老師) sent me a homemade Teacher Day card via FB.

"English in a Minute"--VOA Learning English

What do "my two cents" and "a dime a dozen" mean? Each episode of "English in a Minute," a program produced by VOA, introduces in a minute an American English idiom, sometimes with the origin of the idiom.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/media/video/1665309.html?z=3619&zp=1

Get Rid of Clutter--斷捨離

This is a book I bought months ago. It offers tips for de-cluttering our home. The basic principle is: Remove things that WE don't need NOW.

BBC and CNN News about Typhoon Usagi

Two pieces of news about Typhoon Usagi from BBC and CNN respectively. You might like to compare their ways of reporting the news.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24170721

Typhoon Usagi moves towards Philippines, Taiwan

20 September 2013 Last updated at 04:37 GMT

The Philippines and Taiwan are braced for Typhoon Usagi, which meteorologists say could become the most powerful typhoon of 2013.

To Be Superior to Your Previous Self--放狗出來，台灣年輕人也會跳牆

This is an article a good friend emailed to me. Then I found the source online: http://www.businesstoday.com.tw/article-content-80396-102058

放狗出來，台灣年輕人也會跳牆

兩岸最高學府名師陳嫦芬

撰文/施禔盈       出處/今周刊872期

Oprah Winfrey's 2013 Harvard Commencement Speech

The following is the commencement address Oprah Winfrey delivered to Harvard gradutes on May 29, 2013. The speech lasts about 29 minutes.  Listen and see how many life lessons you can get from her speech.  Following the speech is an article I came across online on five lessons from Oprah's talk.

Oprah Winfrey Harvard Commencement Speech

May 29, 2013

 

Happy Moon Festival! & A Video "The Legend of the Mooncake Festival: The Story of Chang-E"

Happy Moon Festival!

The following is a YouTube video of a story related to this festival. Enjoy it!

The Legend of the Mooncake Festival: The Story of Chang-E

Are We Losing Our Competitiveness?--上午八時的校園競爭力

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI1/8170568.shtml

上午八時的校園競爭力

【聯合報╱黑白集】

2013.09.18 02:08 am

清晨八點的大學校園，在對岸，是學生爭相進教室準備的奮發景象；在台灣，則是空蕩蕩的校園，許多學生懶得起床，學校則多把課排在九點以後。這是台大教授薛承泰觀察到的兩岸校園對比景象，他說，由此看兩岸校園競爭力的落差，驚悚程度猶甚於一千顆飛彈對準台灣。

"Fall Foward"--2011 Penn Commencement Address by Denzel Washington

This is a 22-minute commencement address given by Denzel Washington, a renowned American actor and film director, at University of Pennsylvania in 2011. The title is "Fall Foward." It was recommended to me by a student, Yen-yu Chen.

In the speech, Denzel Washington talked about some failures in his life. What made what he is now? He didn't quit.  The speech is full of gems of wisdom. For example, a question in his speech is quite thought provoking: "What are you going to do with what you have?" Yes, even if you are not as smart as Bill Gates, you must have something to give. And I love the sentences near the end of the speech: "Never be discouraged. Never hold back. Give everything you've got."

Welcome Party & Chien-yu's Presentation on Differentiated Instruction

This afternoon, I was invited to the NHSH welcome party held for the 5 new English teachers and 2 substitute teachers. Besides me, two other retired teachers, Yi-li and Da-chong, were also there. We had lunch together at TiMAMA Bakery & Cafe. After lunch, Chien-yu (葉倩羽老師) gave a presentation on "Differentiated Instruction from Reading to Writing."

"Lack of Sleep Linked to Medical Risks"--from the New York Times

A retired professor from the English Department of NTNU once told me that our first language, if used properly, can enhance English learning. When her son got frustrated by English in elementary school, she helped him out by recording her own reading of the English text in the textbook followed by Chinese translation for him.

Read the following New York Times article. With each paragraph followed by its Chinese translation, does a complete grasp of the meaning help you learn the English?

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=466620

睡眠不足 戕害你的健康

Lack of Sleep Linked to Medical Risks

【By JANE E. BRODY／田思怡譯】2013/07/18

The Best Advice a Friend Ever Gave Me...--from Reader's Digest Contest

http://www.rdasia.com/best-advice-friend-gave-me

The best advice a friend ever gave me...

We asked our readers to share the best piece of advice they've received from a friend. Here are some of their helpful and humorous words of wisdom. - See more at: http://www.rdasia.com/best-advice-friend-gave-me#sthash.QQQZrLxI.dpuf

With great power comes great electricity bill.

Ms J Cochrane

Christmas Trees Give off No Phytoncide--王文華／聖誕樹沒有芬多精

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI4/8151115.shtml

王文華／聖誕樹沒有芬多精

芬多精: phytoncide  ['faɪtənsaɪd]

【聯合報╱王文華】

2013.09.09 01:56 am

One more 314 Reunion

Time: 6:00pm, Friday, Sep. 13, 2013

Place: Pin Tian Restaurant

Attendees: Chia-jung Lee, Yi-fen Hsieh, Yu-ting Hung, Pi-han Wu, Yi-ling Chen, and me.

These girls didn't attend the class reunion last Friday. Some of them had to work. So before school starts next week, they decided to get together, and I was invited. The small gathering was organized by Chia-jung Lee.

Taiwan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng expelled by governing party--News from BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24050840

Taiwan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng expelled by governing party

11 September 2013 Last up

314 Reunion

Time: 12:30pm, Sep. 6, 2013

Place: A Thai restaurant

Organizer: Hung-yu Kao

Attendees: Hung-yu Kao, Hsin-yu Chang, Li-yu Wang, Chun Lin, Dao-ching Lin, Yi-hung Kao, Wei-hsiang Huang, Tze-hao Ma, and me

Warm-up for 314 Class Gathering

Last Thursday, Sep. 5, when working on my listening book around 1:30pm, I got a phone call. It was Wei-hsiang, a student from my former homeroom Class 314. He said he was in Neihu with Li-yu and Li-xuan and asked if they could pay me a visit. Busy as I was and although we were having a class gathering the next day, I said yes. When students have something to tell me, I always have my ears ready.

Follow the Instructions

Yesterday evening before starting  to write the last unit of the listening exercise book, a mock test for GEPT Elementary Level, I decided to expand the basic 1200 words list by adding to it the words provided by ITTC so that I will know what words I can use and what I can't.

The Power of Positive Thinking

This noon when I had to park my car a little far from the restaurant, where I was going to take my mom  for lunch, I felt a little sorry. However, positive thinking came into play and I told her that it was a good chance for us to exercise and soak up the sun, which is good for our health, especially the bones. The walk soon turned into a valuable experience.

Be Careful with the Thought "Just This Once"

These words from the book How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen can save people from going to jail:

"Many of us have convinced ourselves that we are able to break our own personal rules "just this once." In our minds, we can justify these small choices. None of those things, when they first happen, feels like a life-changing decision....But each of those decisions can roll up into a much bigger picture, turning you inot the kind of person you never wanted to be."

To Boost Your Brainpower--大笑、多與人互動 頭腦更靈光

http://mag.udn.com/mag/life/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=471341

大笑、多與人互動 頭腦更靈光

【台灣新生報／記者萬博超 ／台北報導】 2013/08/13

Henny

On the evening of Sep. 4, the day I got together with 301 at noon, I had a good four-hour chat with Henny, a former student who graduated from NHSH in 2008 and went on to study at NTU majoring in anthropolgy. She just came back days ago from Turkey, where she studied as an exchange student for a year.

Liberal Education in Taiwan--「博雅」實踐者 腳踏文理多條船

http://vision.udn.com/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=1086&pno=0

「博雅」實踐者 腳踏文理多條船

聯合報記者李昭安／台北報導

「姑蘇城外寒山寺，夜半鐘聲到客船。同學不僅要了解這兩句詩的文學意義，更要搞懂背後的物理意涵。」政大講座教授錢致榕舉唐朝詩人張繼的「楓橋夜泊」為例，告訴台下六十多名學生，學習不是死讀書，要會反思，「因為我們教的不是知識本身，而是求學問的態度和方法」。

A Gathering with 301

The day before yesterday, Sep. 4, I had a gathering with some students from 301 who graduated last year. The reunion was organized by Sung-ju Lin, who I haven't seen for a year. In our time machine, we went back and forth between memories and dreams while having lunch at the Chips in Neihu.

"Stranger pays for 'special' family's dinner, leaves touching note"--A Touching Story from CNN

This is touching! When I came to the middle part, tears welled up my eyes.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/03/us/north-carolina-act-of-kindness/index.html

Stranger pays for 'special' family's dinner, leaves touching note

By Justin Lear, CNN

September 4, 2013 -- Updated 1741 GMT (0141 HKT)

Another Great Day with Carla and Students

The day before yesterday, I took Carla to the National Palace Museum. To help expand her circle of friends in Taiwan, I invited three former students, Chi-peng (王繼蓬), Chun-da (林君達), and Yi-wen (陳儀汶), who in fall are going on to their sophomore year at NCCU to join us. And thankfully, they accepted my invitation even though it's on short notice. We had a great time at the museum. Carla seemed most interested in the bronze vessels, paintings, and calligraphy. Of course, the jade cabbage and the meat-shaped stone appealed to her. Here I'd like to thank Chi-peng, Chun-da, and Yi-wen for their generosity with their time.

Our Time Machines

Just now, when go over a lesson in a junior high school textbook for writing an listening exercise unit, I came across the following sentence. Love it.

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams."  ~ Jeremy Irons

Double Majors--雙專長合體 大學走出死胡同

http://vision.udn.com/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=1059

雙專長合體 大學走出死胡同

聯合報／記者張錦弘／台北報導

Take Good Care of Yourself--三明治世代 好好保存自己

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/8120368.shtml

三明治世代 好好保存自己

【聯合報╱彭懷真、洪金鳳】

2013.08.26 02:53 am

Tips for Picture Telling

The following is part of a composition handout I used in the last few years teaching at NHSH.

Picture telling