Auld Lang Syne

A video shared by my teacher Prof. Chou (周中天教授).


Auld Lang Syne by Sissel (Live) Happy New Year

Questions to Ask for New Year--from CNN

Today is the end of 2013. Time has been flying so fast! I still remember watching on TV the New Year Countdown around the world on the last day of 2012, and now another new year is less than two hours away. While looking for an overall review of what has happened in 2013, I came across the following article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/opinion/liu-new-year/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Questions to ask for New Year

By Eric Liu

December 27, 2013 -- Updated 2151 GMT (0551 HKT)

The Key to Success? Grit--a TED Talk by Angela Lee Duckworth

This TED was highly recommended by my dear friend Annie. A thought-provoking one. Subtitles in different langauges are available. The following is the English transcript for it.

"NTU's Mars Plan"--「火星計畫」 數理偏才免試進台大

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=492032

「火星計畫」 數理偏才免試進台大

【聯合報╱記者陳智華／台北報導】2013/12/29

Tips for Preparing for English Writing on 2014 SAT--103學測英文考科 英文作文考前準備方向

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=491687

103學測英文考科 英文作文考前準備方向

【聯合線上企劃╱英文 Rays老師／StudyBank 學測研究小組提供】2013/12/26

English Listening Test & SAT--明年二次英聽 和學測併考

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=491689&kdid=AR10&r=4

明年二次英聽 和學測併考

【聯合晚報╱記者嚴文廷╱台北報導】2013/12/26

Chinese and English Writing on College Entrance Exam--106學年學測 國、英文寫作可獨立考試

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=491908

106學年學測 國、英文寫作可獨立考試
【聯合報╱記者陳智華／台北報導】2013/12/28

College Entrance Exam--104學年起 指考入學採計最多5科

One of the purposes I started my blog for was to record the evolution of the education in Taiwan. So today I added a new category to my blog: Educatin Issues, where I will post new education policies, especially for college admission.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=491910

104學年起 指考入學採計最多5科

【聯合報╱記者陳智華／台北報導】2013/12/28

Where There Is a Dream, There Is a Way--想通了，路就在前方等著你

I really love the heading of this article. And the story is lovely and inspiring. It's about how a man transforms after his military service working in a prison, where he had a rude awakening to how his life is.

http://udn.com/NEWS/LIFE/X1/8388663.shtml

成長的故事／想通了，路就在前方等著你

【聯合報╱茱麗江(新北永和)】

2013.12.28 03:51 am

On the Bilabial Sound /m/

A common mistake Taiwanese students make in English pronunciation is leaving their lips open when pronouncing the bilabial sound /m/. For example, they would say /tɑn/ when they mean Tom /tɑm/, and /sen/ instead of /sem/ (same). Just ask students to say the simple sentence, "What is your name?" and you can find quite a few do not close their lips at the end. This is because in Mandarin there exists no final /m/ sound after a vowel.

I Have a Dream--人生無夢 和鹹魚沒兩樣

http://vision.udn.com/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=1553&pno=0

人生無夢 和鹹魚沒兩樣

記者蔡容喬、徐如宜、王昭月╱高雄報導

"12 of the World's Most Spectacular Christmas Trees"

Here are 12 of the most magnificent Christmas trees around the globe chosen by CNN. You can see one made of Lego blocks, one of macaroons, and one plastic bottles. There is even a floating Christmas tree, perhaps the only one in the world, as suggested.

I LINEd the link to my LINE friends. A student said her favorite was the one made of macaroons and added that she might like to put fruit on the tree too. Asked what I would like to put on my Christmas tree, I answered, "How about the photos of all the students I ever taught?" In response, she commented that it is going to be the best Christmas tree in the world. What do you think? What would you like your Christmas tree to be made of or decorated with?

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/19/travel/christmas-trees/

12 of the world's most spectacular Christmas trees

By Tamara Hinson, for CNN

December 21, 2013 -- Updated 0910 GMT (1710 HKT

30 Christmas Songs in 60 Minutes

How many Christmas carols have you sung so far today? Which is your favorite one? In this CNN 2-minute news clip "Amazing Mashup of Holiday Music," you can hear Chad Neidt sing 30 Christmas songs in less than 60 seconds. Amazing! Click and enjoy it!

http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/showbiz/2013/12/23/hln-intv-neidt-30-holiday-songs-in-60-seconds.hln.html

 

 

Nick Vujicic Enjoying His Life--盛治仁／力克．胡哲 好得不像話的人生

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI4/%E7%9B%9B%E6%B2%BB%E4%BB%81%EF%BC%8F%E5%8A%9B%E5%85%8B%EF%BC%8E%E8%83%A1%E5%93%B2%20%E5%A5%BD%E5%BE%97%E4%B8%8D%E5%83%8F%E8%A9%B1%E7%9A%84%E4%BA%BA%E7%94%9F-8370246.shtml

盛治仁／力克．胡哲 好得不像話的人生

【聯合報╱盛治仁】

2013.12.19 03:53 am

Telling Right from Wrong--王正方／明辨是非是一切事物的根本

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI4/8367836.shtml

王正方／明辨是非是一切事物的根本

【聯合報╱王正方】

2013.12.18 06:30 pm

Solo and Samuel

Solo, a student I taught around 12 years ago, and Samuel, who I got to know six weeks ago as his substitute teacher, had their first encounter this evening.

Tips for Preparing for IELTS--雅思考試準備方式分享 / 鄭思恆

This evening, I got an email from a former student Henny (an entry about her http://june.ettachou.com/2013/09/07/henny/#more-8826). She would like to share her tips for preparing for IELTS with those who are going to take the test. As usual, she studied on her own, never going to cram school. She spent one and a half months preparing for the test and got a 7.5 out of 9. A good job, indeed! More admirable is her generosity . A woman with not only a mind but also a heart.

Henny is willing to help you prepare for IELTS or learn English. The following is her FB URL:

https://www.facebook.com/henny.cheng.5?fref=ts

雅思考試準備方式分享

A Purpose for Learning English

I was touched by what Jay Walker said in his four-and-a-half-minute TED speech "The world's English mania":
"English represents hope for a better future--a future where the world has a common language to solve its common problems."

Home, Sweet Home

Back home from Kaohsiung. However joyful the outside world is, home is always where you really belong.

Relax

This morning, we visited Fo Kuang Shan Buddha Memorial Center. During a 30-minute lecture, the master guided us to do a 5-minute meditation. She instructed us to relax our body part by part, from the  head to the limbs. The repeated words "relax" sounded so relaxing and I felt totally refreshed afterward.

Relax...

Kaohsiung, Here I Am.

I'm in Kaohsiung.

 

"7 tips for taking better selfies"--from CNN

An Interesting article. Read it, and your English will improve!

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/11/tech/mobile/selfie-photo-tips/index.html

7 tips for taking better selfies

By Heather Kelly, CNN

December 12, 2013 -- Updated 2020 GMT (0420 HKT)

Tips for Learning English from a TOEIC Scholarship Winner--不藏私！多益獎學金得主：學英文靠這10個免費網站

http://www.businessweekly.com.tw/KBlogArticle.aspx?id=5568

不藏私！多益獎學金得主：學英文靠這10個免費網站

撰文者張慶生（2011年多益獎學金得主）2013-12-10

最近聽過我講英文的朋友都太不願意相信：「其實我國小講英文曾經被老師和同學恥笑！」

Don't Forget What You Wanted In the Beginning--洪蘭／不忘初衷

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI4/8359774.shtml

洪蘭／不忘初衷

【聯合報╱洪蘭】

2013.12.14 02:15 am

A Feast for the Ears and Eyes

At Class 219's invitation, I attended their two-hour concert this afternoon.

Keep Them Busy

Having students to talk to the whole class in English is a good chance to make them practice speaking English. When students are giving presentations, a way to make the audience concentrate is to have them take notes; that is, to keep them busy, not only listening but also writing. They can either jot down on a blank piece of paper the key words they hear or fill in a worksheet the teacher has given.

Activity for English Song Learning

Last Friday, at lunch, Regina (鄭卉含), a colleague, shared with me a way to make learning English songs more exciting. She got the idea from a speech she attended weeks ago. Here is how it goes.

What about Three Words a Day?--每天存3單字 「學習存摺」救英文

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=489304

每天存3單字 「學習存摺」救英文

【聯合報╱記者吳淑玲／台南報導】2013/12/10

He Made Time to Learn English--偷時間背英文…托福630分 人稱「英語神廚」

http://udn.com/NEWS/MAINLAND/MAI2/8347712.shtml

偷時間背英文…托福630分 人稱「英語神廚」

【聯合報╱記者賴錦宏／綜合報導】

2013.12.09 05:38 pm

"Creative tributes spring up in memory of Mandela"--from CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/06/world/africa/mandela-creative-tributes/index.html

Creative tributes spring up in memory of Mandela

By Susanna Capelouto

December 7, 2013 -- Updated 0243 GMT (1043 HKT)

(CNN) -- The memorials and tributes to the late Nelson Mandela have grown way past the flags flown at half-staff and the thousands of flowers and candles left at South African embassies throughout the world.

Happy to See You, Kai-ting and Man-jung

Kai-ting and Man-jung are two students from Class 309, who I taught only for around one week in early September last year. Strangely, it seemed that we established a strong bond during our brief time together. This past Wednesday, we were surprised and happy to see each other in my office. After an exchange of words, showing our care for each other, we had this photo taken.

"Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid icon and father of modern South Africa, dies"--from CNN

At the beginning of today's classes, I shared with students the sad news of Nelson Mandela's passing by presenting to them the first two paragraphs of the CNN news report.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/05/world/africa/nelson-mandela/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid icon and father of modern South Africa, dies

By Faith Karimi, CNN

December 6, 2013 -- Updated 0440 GMT (1240 HKT)

(CNN) -- Freedom fighter, prisoner, moral compass and South Africa's symbol of the struggle against racial oppression.

That was Nelson Mandela, who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead his country out of decades of apartheid.

He died Thursday night at age 95.

My Procedure to Teach Unit 9 "A Memorable Event," an Anecdote of Charlie Chaplin

The following is how I taught Lesson 9 "A Memorable Event" today:

1. Ask students to act out some complaints to the hotel manager and the whole class guesses what the complaints are, for example, "The closet smells bad."

2. Present a 3-minute clip of part of the movie "The Circus," in which Chaplin is trapped in a lion cage.

Solo Wang's Scoring

http://youtu.be/KAVm8D9Y3Lo

Solo Wang, a former student, has recently posted on FB his scoring for part of the cartoon Scooby-Doo. In the video, he is the conductor. I'm really happy to see him moving closer to his dream.  When he was in his junior year in colleage, finding what he really loved, he summoned his courage, said goodbye to what he was studying, and pursued his talent. Bravo!

My New Classes--We Are Meant to Meet Each Other

Class 214, taken today, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013

 



Class 219, taken on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2013

 



Class 221, taken on Monday, Nov. 25, 2013



With Shi-xuan, a student in Class 214, taken today with his smartphone. How I love the sunshine on our faces and shoulders!

 

NHSH 2nd English Listening Mid-term

Yesterday, after transcribing the 2nd English listening mid-term, I tried to upload the recording to my yesterday's blog entry so that students can download and listen to it as many times as they can until they can transcribe it. However, I failed because it exceeded the maximum upload size for WordPress. This morning, my dear colleague Regina (鄭卉含老師), who sits opposite to me, mentioned uploading the recording to Google Drive. Just now, I gave it a try, and it worked! Thanks to technology, what was impossible in the past is now possible.

Sharpening Listening Skills

This evening I transcribed the 2nd English listening midterm for tomorrow's discussion. While doing so, I recalled an approach to improving listening skills in the book Not Study, But Learn (千萬別學英語). The author suggested that learners buy and listen to only one tape of English until they can transcribe what they hear.