Grammar Problems from a Senior in High School

This evening, my niece asked me to teach her English grammar. The following is what had confused her:

1. Wh-noun clause

e.g. Where is John?

--> I don't know where John is.

Where does he live?

--> I don't know where he lives.

LINE Messages from a Tech Geek

Enjoying chatting with Diego via LINE in English about technology. Gosh! He knows so much! He mentioned that to be a tech geek, one needs both passion and systematic learning. That's so true! His messages go as follows:

...

best to start with assembling PC

passion is foundation but won't make a pro

Guest Writer: Extending Student Engagement With Wiggio

http://blog.tesol.org/guest-writer-extending-student-engagement-with-wiggio/#more-7706

Guest Writer: Extending Student Engagement With Wiggio

Posted on 15 March 2016 by Tara Arntsen

For the sake of variety, I enjoy inviting guest writers to the TESOL Blog from time to time for the purpose of sharing even more tech resources with all of you. Today, it is my great pleasure to introduce Dr. Joseph Slick, an integral part of our team at Northern State University, where together we are envisioning ESL for today and for the future. 

Dr. Slick recently had the opportunity to explore ways to interact with students digitally, as he wanted to extend student engagement through a blended learning environment. Because all courses are loaded into our LMS, or learning management system, Desire2Learn (D2L), he used that as a starting point and found Wiggio, D2L’s version of Google Hangouts and Google Drive.

---

Wiggio is a free online communications platform, where Wig stands for working in groups. The design of Wiggio is basic and shares many commonalities with other online communications platforms, which makes it convenient for first-time users to navigate and use. An attention to design simplicity makes this an accessible site for users. Teachers and students can post discussions, share questions, upload documents, upload videos, hold virtual meetings, and schedule appointments in a 24/7 virtual community site.

My comments: Brilliant! This is quite good for ESL or EFL students because what they need most is practice using the target language.

The Vocabularist: How we use the word cyber

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35765276

The Vocabularist: How we use the word cyber

15 March 2016

• From the section Magazine

 

The prefix "cyber-" is now a handy way of denoting words to do with the internet - from cybercrime, cyberbullying and cybersecurity to improbable activities such as cybersnogging. It followed an eventful path to reach its modern meaning,.

On the Star Plan in Taiwan's College Entrance System--"去梯言／繁星應該更多、更亮"

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1566221-%E5%8E%BB%E6%A2%AF%E8%A8%80%EF%BC%8F%E7%B9%81%E6%98%9F%E6%87%89%E8%A9%B2%E6%9B%B4%E5%A4%9A%E3%80%81%E6%9B%B4%E4%BA%AE

去梯言／繁星應該更多、更亮

2016-03-16 01:48 聯合報 公孫策

相對於內閣人事，我更重視最近對繁星計畫（偏遠地區大學推薦入學）的議論。

議論起自一位「四十八級分錄取台大森林系」的考生，引致若干「不平」之鳴。這件「小事」，最終由台大校長發言力挺該考生，一錘定音。

但這其實不是小事，甚至應該是國家頭等大事。這樣說吧，新內閣人事只關係未來一、兩年，高等教育卻將影響未來數十年。

"Liquefaction database goes online"--from China Post; Data show areas thought prone to soil liquefaction--from Taipei Times

This has been a hot issue in Taiwan for the past few days. People want to know if they are living in a safe area. You might like to compare the report by the China Post and that by the Taipei Times.

I learned the new word "liquefaction."

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2016/03/15/460816/Liquefaction-database.htm

Liquefaction database goes online

By Stephanie Chao ,The China Post
March 15, 2016, 12:00 am TWN

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Executive Yuan released the long-awaited inquiry system for soil liquefaction zones in eight regions nationwide on Monday, providing residents with the means to check the status of the areas where they reside.

It Is a Blessing to Find What You Think You've Lost--"洪蘭／失而復得的福氣"

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/1561412-%E6%B4%AA%E8%98%AD%EF%BC%8F%E5%A4%B1%E8%80%8C%E5%BE%A9%E5%BE%97%E7%9A%84%E7%A6%8F%E6%B0%A3

洪蘭／失而復得的福氣

2016-03-14 01:29 聯合報 洪蘭

這次去北京演講，通關後，想到人家說北京的高速公路很塞，進城要走三個小時，於是就先去上個廁所，想不到壞了，我把皮包給忘在北京海關的廁所裡了。我一開始還沒發覺，一直到上了輕軌電車，人很擁擠，我下意識要把皮包挪到胸前來保護時，才驚覺皮包不在身上，忘在樓上的廁所裡了，這一驚，非同小可，真的是魂飛魄散，因為護照、信用卡、手機、演講的資料統統在皮包中。

My comments: This could be a nightmare.

"Which Shakespeare character are you?"--from BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/35730258

Which Shakespeare character are you?

• 
  
  10 March 2016


• From the section Home

With the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death approaching, School Reporters from St Alban's RC High School in Pontypool, South Wales, and King's Lynn Academy in Norfolk, researched some of the most famous characters and put together this quiz which will allow you to find out whether, deep down, you are like one of them (or at least to have a bit of fun).

A Trip to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall & Liberty Square

This afternoon, George and I took my mother-in-law to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Liberty Square. Nice weather, quite a few tourists.

Collabro

I got to know a new English boy band today. The following are their first audition with the song "Stars" from the musical Les Miserables at Britain's Got Talent in 2014 and their singing the same song at the final. You might like to compare the two renditions. I can see the progress. They won the 8th series of BGT in 2014.

Vocabulary Lists for High School Students

Annie emailed me this link. It contains three vocabulary lists which include all the 7000 words high school students are supposed to get familiar with before taking the entrance exam in early July. One of the lists categorizes the words by word case, for example, adjectives, adverbs, nouns, etc.

http://moodle.smsh.ntpc.edu.tw/elearning/mod/folder/view.php?id=5568

Happy Gathering

Time: 11:30am~2:30pm

Place: Jen Dow Vegetarian Buffet, Taipei  (See http://www.jendow.com.tw/JDGroup_web/LianXiang/)

Participants: 谷愛梅老師, 陳美珠, 黃瑞娟, 許慧敏, and me

At the gathering, Ms. Gu shared with us her knowledge about Chinese herbs. What impressed me most was the Three Yellow Powder, or San Huang San (三黃粉), which Ms. Gu once applied to help heal her mother's bedsores and then she introduced to help some hospital patients with the same problem.

TOEFL at High School--"板中創托福ITP測驗 鼓勵留學"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/6915/1553188-%E6%9D%BF%E4%B8%AD%E5%89%B5%E6%89%98%E7%A6%8FITP%E6%B8%AC%E9%A9%97-%E9%BC%93%E5%8B%B5%E7%95%99%E5%AD%B8

板中創托福ITP測驗 鼓勵留學

2016-03-10 08:27 聯合報 記者魏莨伊／板橋報導

板橋高中與托福ITP測驗合作，昨天讓首批80位學生在校內免費參加托福ITP紙筆測驗，成為全國首例；受試考生多數嚮往出國，校方也鼓勵挑戰世界百大，現在就提高競爭力和英語力。

My comments: This reminds me of First Lady of the States Michelle Obama's commencement speech at a high school. She encouraged students to study abroad.

On Education--"不管幾級分上大學，我們其實只在乎分數所形塑的階級"--from UDN

http://opinion.udn.com/opinion/story/7492/1554610

不管幾級分上大學，我們其實只在乎分數所形塑的階級

2016-03-10 16:36:42

為了48級分考上台大森林系，網路上戰成一團。許多沒上台大的學生憤怒不平，有人憂心忡忡認為該生就算入學也一定跟不上，甚至還拿出因成績下滑而跳樓的例子。有學生肯定繁星這種希望打破地域限制促進階級流動的制度，也有老師指出有多少的學校、家長與學生以轉學或技術性選填志願與假造履歷的方式鑽繁星的漏洞，只妄想拿一個系當跳板來進入心目中的理想大學，或增加高中因「辦學績效上報」的機率，卻在這個過程中忽視了自己真正的興趣，而且還可能造成教學上的困擾。

My comments: One must be honest with oneself. I love the Oxford school motto: Truth.

Have You Found What You Love?--"學測48級分進台大森林 系主任說話了……"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1553392-%E9%AB%98%E6%95%99%E6%9C%80%E6%80%95%E2%80%A6%E5%AD%B8%E7%94%9F%E4%B8%8D%E7%9F%A5%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1%E8%88%88%E8%B6%A3

學測48級分進台大森林 系主任說話了……

2016-03-10 01:36 聯合報 袁孝維／台大森林環境暨資源系主任（台北市）

繁星入學放榜了，學測四十八級分進台大森林系成了討論的話題。身為系主任，我看到兩件事情，第一、大家不甚了解繁星計畫的原意與質變；第二、台灣的高教在拚命修補中學教育的破網，結果補成了一張爛網。豈不堪憂？

第一、繁星入學原意是要降低城鄉差距，讓表現傑出的弱勢高中生可以進入前段大學就讀喜歡的學系，而不以學測成績為唯一的考量。但是上有政策，下有對策，然後就有學生特別轉到鄉下或私立高中就讀，有學校為學生造假成績，有學生為了進台大而選擇學測標準寬鬆學系，管他什麼興趣或志向。

"International Women's Day: Sexism rife in textbooks, says Unesco"--from BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-35745327

International Women's Day: Sexism rife in textbooks, says Unesco

By Sean Coughlan Education correspondent

8 March 2016

Sexist attitudes are "rife" in school textbooks used in developing countries, according to Unesco.

The United Nations agency, marking International Women's Day, says negative stereotyping undermines the education of girls.

It says too often female figures are represented in textbooks as "nurturing drudges" in domestic roles.

This is a "hidden obstacle" to gender equality, says Unesco's Manos Antoninis.

Ms. Deng, Thank You for Taking My Request Seriously

This morning Ms. Deng from Shih Hsin Library called me and gave me the exact date of the first series of Human Library activies in the school. I was very touched. A few days ago, I called the library to ask the information because in an article in a reading book co-written with Annie, I mentioned the Human Library in Taiwan started three years ago. However, the editor thought the exact year would be more proper. So I made the phone call. Ms. Deng told me she would ask for me. Then she called back and told me it started around 2011. Today, she corrected the date and said it should be March. 21, 2012.

On Family Education--"當孩子最缺的是缺乏…"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1544228-%E7%95%B6%E5%AD%A9%E5%AD%90%E6%9C%80%E7%BC%BA%E7%9A%84%E6%98%AF%E7%BC%BA%E4%B9%8F%E2%80%A6

當孩子最缺的是缺乏…

2016-03-06 04:27 聯合報 李寶珍／國中教師（新北市）

周五晚親師座談會，家長來的不多，但是每年一定看到小軒爸爸。小軒爸爸開了一間塑料回收廠，也是本班班親委員。我們聊到孩子的教育，他很有自己想法。雖然自己是老闆，他寒暑假一定讓小軒跟工廠工人一同工作。

Nice Encounter

Time: 11:30am~2:20pm, Mar. 6, 2016

Place: Moooon River Cafe & Books

This noon I introduced my niece to my student Hubert, before my niece goes back to the States on the coming Saturday. During this first encounter, there was no embarrassment at all. They seemed to be curious about each other's fields. My niece was pursuing her PhD degree in astronomy, and Hubert was in the last year of medical school. Listening to them, I was really amazed at how time propels people forward on their life timeline if they keep learning and expanding their horizons. Years ago, what they are so familiar with now was brand new to them. As time goes by, they are on the way to being an expert in their specialty.

A Get-Well Card

I got a get-well card from Annie this morning. Getting the card, I felt as if I'd already fully recovered from the flu. In fact, I am much better now than I was the past Wednesday. Thank you, my dear friend.