# 1 Self Introduction (revised)

Hi, my name is Janice Chen, a senior in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages of the NTUST. As a going-to-be graduate student, I feel anxious and depressed recently, just like everyone in this age would be. I keep reflecting upon myself what I have learned in these two years. Time flies, and the first thought coming up in my mind is, I have learned nothing special, but how to live independently and happily in a foreign country is a big issue in life lesson. The experience, with good and bad, happy and sad ones, makes me become a mature person. I believe this will be a relaxing and easy semester for graduate student, however, overwhelming for me. I doubt if I can clear away the uncertainty and find my own way out. This is a tough time for every graduate student, a struggle horning in every moment. I wish I have more time to prepare for myself, and bravely face the challenges afront me.

Two Useful Websites for students in the NTUST

I like MIT Open Courseware. It is a great and useful website for me to learn more beyond language learning. We, as Taiwanese students, should realize what other international students receive in their day-to-day course, and how much the professors push them to unlimited enlarge their horizon. We can not only train our listening ability, to measure how much we can comprehend the meaning through their speaking. It is a good training for Taiwanese students to know other learning environment created by foreigners in top-rank University. In MIT Open Courseware, there are a lot about technology, physics, and science subject, therefore, are suitable for students in the NTUST. An advantageous resource, most of the students studying these kinds of subjects cannot comprehend English well, consequently, MIT Open Courseware is a good tool for those students. As for students studying English, and language acquisition, Academic Earth is a good choice, for it provides some literature courses in Yale University for students in English Department. This is also a useful training for students in Taiwan to gauge their ability and comprehension of literature. Needless to say, the training of listening, speaking, writing and reading skills can be available to learn in the course, as well.

BBC Learning English Answer Key

This week,I posted a question below:

My name is Janice, a student at English Department in Taiwan.

I would like to ask if the phrase" make love" has other meaning, asie from sexual intercourse? Thank you

This is the question raised by my teacher, who has been dead for two years in Wenzao. As I was a third grade student in junior college, Miss Chou, teacher of my translation class, asked all of us if the phrase"make love" has other meanings, aside from sextual intercourse. Therefore, I decide to search for the answer from BBC Learning English.
Here are the replies :



Posted by Jang (U14853995) on Tuesday, 3rd May 2011
I'm not a native speaker but here's my penny's worth: no, I can't think of any other interpretation other than that you have already mentioned. I would also add that there's a difference between two people making love and just having sex. Lovemaking usually implies an intimate and emotional relationship between the parties. HTH


Posted by AussieLexie (U13880784) on Tuesday, 3rd May 2011

In some old literature you will find the term 'make love' used to mean ‘carressing’ or ‘whispering words of love’; in other words activities that might be part of a courtship but not including sexual intercourse.

However, these days ‘to have sexual intercourse’ is the common usage.



The two relies above really make me realize that the phrase includes other mearning, apert from sextual intercourse. It seems like in the past time, the phrase indicates more about spiritual relationship and companion. However, nowadays, people prefer to refer the words as having sex, which is quite skin-deep and not well-educated.

Inauguration Obama's address

Randy Pausch 's Last Lecture

English as a Second Language Podcast

English as a Second Language Podcast
ESL Podcast 681 – Disagreeing about Religion

Note: 

This is a dialogue between a man, Jean and a woman, Tammy. The conversation is completely explained in detail, vocabulary, and some common patterns by the host. The conversation is debating on religion, a taboo topic among people. Some people believe in their own faith, but some are agnostics. Nevertheless, one should still show the respect for people having different view about spirituality. One should not baiting on the other people’s faith, and making criticizing remark toward people, which is an impolite behavior.     

As it comes to religion topic during the conversation, the provocative statement should not be made to avoid insult toward others. In the conversation, there is a statement saying that

beliefs are made to be challenged, therefore the believers should know how to defend themselves. I totally disagree with the words, for as long as people genuinely believe in what they truly believe in, even superstition for people, there is no need to defend for their beliefs.  

How YouTube Could Be Used to My Teaching/Learning Experience

Personally, the effectiveness of language learning and teaching with Youtube is not always absolutely positive. There should be strengths and weakness deserving us to think in different aspects.
Learning and teaching with Youtube is definitely more fun than reading in the textbook. Youtube provides learners with vivid animation and even funny shows to arouse learners’ interest, creativity and boost their motivations to know more. By watching Youtube, learners’ thought and well-rounded direction of learning are operated, bringing about students’ effective learning. In my own experience, learning English with Youtube should be more suitable to apply in the beginners. Since English learners, especially beginners, are easily to lose their interest in English, as long as they find it difficult and boring. In addition, the beginners would imitate the pronunciation in the film. The practice will help them find out the flaws, and make the correction. Consequently, building the interest in English for beginners with Youtube is a good way.

On the other hand, I think Youtube is not usually suitable for advance-level students. In my own teaching experience, using Youtube as a main tool for advance learners will normally cause student to distract from their learning. However, Youtube is a good tool for listening training. There are many valuable and outstanding lectures presented by celebrities. Students can learn from the vocabulary usage, sentence patterns, etc. Nevertheless, I think as a advance learners, they should be more focus on the books, such like magazines, novel, journals, newspapers, etc, to broaden more fundamental knowledge.