How to post your assignment to our class blog

Dear Class:

The website of our class blog is located on http://u1354.blogspot.com/. For future postings, please e-mail directly to our class blog email address: dingren.tsao.xxxxx@blogger.com, in which xxxxx is our course number u1354. Be sure to put the assignment title in the subject box and the content as well as your name and ID number attached inside your email. DO NOT POST YOUR CONTENT AS AN "ATTACHMENT"!

The content you have posted will require few more minutes to respond. Be patient to wait and check for it. Do not repeatedly submit your same post.

If you have any questions on specific post in our class blog, please feel free to use "張貼意見" expressing your opinions, or directly send an e-mail to me.  However, be sure to tag your name in the text for identification.

Thank you and good luck

Prof. Tsao

The First Class Note

What to write in your reading journals

1. Basic information of the book (author, re-write author, illustrator, publishing company, year of publishing, word level, number of pages, etc.)

1. What you have read during the period—even if you have not finished the book.
   
2. Your feelings, thoughts (critical responses) and questions from the reading.
   
3. Your reading experience , and how effective you think you are
   
4. Reflections of how might you enjoy the exercise more, such as, how to be more effective, how to choose a more appropriate book, how to make your reading more comfortable, how to share insights with your friends, etc.
   
5. A Warning: Don't copy other's writing as if it is your own. If you copy, mark it as a copy.
   

Extensive Free Reading Project

What is Extensive Free Reading?

Many researches have shown that extensive free reading works well to enhance language proficiency in all aspects. That means, if you read a lot, you not only improve on your reading, but also in writing, listening and speaking abilities.

There are two key concepts in this project. "Extensive" means you ought to do a lot of it, not in a single sitting, but spread out over the days, weeks, even months. It is better to read half an hour everyday of the week than to do three and half hours in a stretch in a single day. You do not just read one book, but as many books as you can get your hands on. "Free" means you choose what you want to read, not something that your teacher or parents or friends impose on you. You choose what suits your ability, not something to impress people. You read for your own gain in language proficiency and other benefits.

We sincerely hope that Extensive Free Reading Project will set you on the road to enjoying reading for your whole life.

• The Procedure
  

1. Choose an English book that you are interested in and would really want to read.
   
2. Bring your books to class for teacher’s advice/approval. (on Oct.3)
   
3. Plan to read for 30minutes everyday and mark your daily progress on the reading log. If you skip a day, skip the entry for that day. This log is to be turned in at the end of each month.
   
4. Every other week, submit a reading journal (RJ) and post it on class blog before the due date. There will be 7 journals for this semester. More submissions do not guarantee extra grades. No late journals are accepted. You are encouraged to look at your classmates' journals and give feedback as often as you can.
   
5. This activity will continue throughout the semester. If you finish reading one book before the semester ends, read another. Always talk to the teacher before you begin a new book.
   

• The vocabulary and close tests
  

Everyone in our class must take these. Both are important to check where your English proficiency is at this point. Do them sincerely. Do your best. If you are not certain which one to choose, go with your instinct. These tests will not be part of your semester grade, but they will be checked and the results made known to you.

• Choosing an English book
  

1. Your motivation is the most important. The ideal situation is that you are so carried with the content that you “forget” that it is in English. Exclude textbooks. (They are to be studied. Studying is a special kind of reading, not what we want you to do for this Extensive Free Reading Project.)
   
2. This class requires that the text be mostly continuous discourses (not simply exchanges of dialogues as often seen in comics) and in English only (avoid bi-lingual, side-by-side presentations). Also, try some contemporary works.
   
3. You don't have to buy the books you read. You can borrow and you can share. The Humanities Library (10th fl. Humanities Bldg) and the Reading Lab (6th fl., Humanities Bldg) offer graded English readers and you can borrow them. It may also be a good idea to share books among friends and classmates.
   
4. Never feel that you "should" begin at high level to justify your college status. Start at (or below) the level you are most comfortable with. It is much better to have a humble beginning and progress steadily than to begin with excessively high expectation then feel frustrated and disappointed. The “feeling good” factor is essential for the success of the reading project. A few pleasant incentives are helpful to attract you to continue.
   
5. Don't look up new words in a dictionary while you are reading. Proceed as quickly as you can. Look up important words/expressions later. It is very important to keep the flow. If you cannot continue without using a dictionary, you may have chosen a wrong book. Or you need to adjust an existing wrong method.
   
6. There is no limit to the amount or the level each student must achieve. The guiding principle is “each person to his/her own best ability”. We certainly would like to see each of you feel proud of your growth.
   

Food for Thought

About Language Learning & Acquisition

~Some basic convictions which affects the designs of all my courses~

1. Language use is essentially a habit. The more you practice, the easier it is to apply it.
   
2. The forming of habit requires regular training and discipline. (Therefore it is best that students should get daily exposure and exercises—in everything that is part of the language: sounds, tone, spelling, grammar, style, etc. Who will do the disciplining? You, the learner, not the teacher, will be the discipliner.) (Success, like language, is a habit, too. The more you experience success, the more you are likely to succeed.)
   
3. Bad old habits can be covered by good new habits. (Therefore, the effort at correction and improvement is meaningful.)
   
4. Methodic instruction is useful in the early stage of language learning. (This is most clearly the "learning" part.) Beyond a certain point, structured instruction should be replaced by self-motivated efforts. Some advising will always be helpful. To become proficient in all aspects of language use, one needs both the process of learning and the process of acquiring. How one acquires a language is still largely a mystery. But it is generally agreed that “comprehensible input” is important for the eventual “comprehensible output”. (Therefore, abundant listening, reading and watching are essential before you can write and speak properly.)
   
5. The world of learning has been changed fundamentally by the wide use of internet. Vast amount of information is out there for anyone who wants it to access freely. Whatever amount knowledge any teacher can offer in a classroom pales in comparison with what one can find on the internet. A teacher’s role as an information giver must surrender to that of a learning coordinator. Learning how to evaluate the quality of information and how to organize to produce effective documents are more important than ever.
   
6. To survive and to succeed in this new world, one must become familiar with the new tools.
   
7. In this third phrase of “globalization”, the major players have become individual persons (in contrast to states and/or large companies of the previous centuries). Teachers should help students to prepare themselves for this newly leveled playground and cultivate and develop all needed abilities. (Which are: …. Can you name some of these essential abilities?)
   
8. MOTIVATION is the determining factor in this new race. 大前研一：「懶於學習的人將没有生存的空間。」And, remember, your attitude determines your altitude. (態度決定高度)
   
9. Knowing it is different from doing it. Knowledge alone simply isn’t enough to make a difference. Action does.
   
10. Education, by means of knowledge and action, enables one to enjoy the fun and the beauty in everything that one engages in. If you are not enjoying it, you are not doing it right.
    
11. Discipline is a crucial part of success of any kind. Students are required to come to all classes on time. If you have legitimate reasons to ask for leave, follow the University rules. (土風舞比賽 is not a legitimate reason.)
    

Syllabus

English 5C (U1354, U1599)

Fridays 8:10 AM~10:00 AM (文308), 10:10 AM~12:00 Noon (文310)

Professor Ding-ren Tsao (文612) dingren.tsao@gmail.com

Class blog: http://u1354.blogspot.com/

Office Hours: Wed., Thur., Fri., 1:30 ~3:30 PM or by appointment

I. Course Objective:

An English class is more than just a class for improving your English ability. Of course, we want to see that your English is improved in this class. But we want more. We want you to see a wider world through this class. We also want you to become a more independent and effective learner.

II. Major Course Content

• A. for U1354
  

1. Extensive Free Reading
2. Studio Classroom (for the first month.) If possible, we may change to Advanced for later.
3. Selected articles on important issues from various books and internet.
4. Presentations in groups
5. Student Learning Initiatives 
   

• B. for U1599
  

1. Dictations from Studio Classroom and material from the internet.
   
2. Watch Friends and related exercises,
   
3. Movies, English Play,
   
4. Students Learning Initiative
   

III. About "Studio Classroom"

• A. The reasons for choosing this material: 1. Good content, 2. Good English, 3. Daily broadcasting, 4. Recitation CD (or MP3) is available, and 5. Meaningful related activities such as call your teacher, letters to the editor. 
  
• B. Get your own copy. On Sundays, preview the articles for the following week (to learn about the content, important vocabularies and expressions). Listen daily to the broadcasting. and read the passage aloud a few times (it is very helpful to read aloud after the teachers) or until you are fluent.
  
• C. In class, students will volunteer (or be volunteered) to read aloud and be prepared for dictations.
  

IV. About Asking Questions

No one knows everything. We are all on the way to learn more and better. We are very fortunate to be in this class together as learning partners. The professor, having done this longer, is happy to share with you all that can be shared. To help her to be more effective in giving you what you need, you must tell her your needs. The ability to ask good questions is an important indicator of your desire and ability to learn.

IV. For our class next time (10/03).

1. Read "About Language Learning & Acquisition" (the handout) carefully and prepare to ask at least two questions (write down your questions).
   
2. Get an English book that you plan to read and bring it to class on Oct. 3. (Read the description of Extensive Free Reading carefully before you make you choice.)
   
3. Get the October issue of Studio Classroom and begin your daily listening and reading aloud. 
   

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