My Learning Journal – Listening (BBC 6 Minutes)
Name
劉沛怡 peggy
Date
20121030
Topic
Speak any language instantly
Source
6 Minutes English
1. A Japanese app, a piece of software common on
smartphones, which allows you to speak language in
the world instantly, for instance, having a
conversation with another person speaking in a
different language translated in real time.
2. This app was developed by the company NTT
Docomo in Japan, but it is not the only instant
translation technology in the world.
3. So far, the app could convert Japanese to English,
Mandarin and Korean by sending words you said to
the server from Google, however, its translation was
understandable but not perfect.
This episode, talking about a new piece of Japanese
software which brings science-fiction closer to fact,
which inspires me that technology makes everything is
not impossible anymore, for example, I don’t have to get
out of bed since the world is readily available to me
right under my fingertips. But the Internet also comes
with lots of negative aspects.
Three main ideas I
heard from this
episode are…
One thing I learned in
this episode that I
may be able to use in
future is…
I’m still unsure
about…
What I am not sure is this app a well-done creation for
people. Will it wear down the passion of learning
languages?
Is technology makes our brains lazy?
Issues that interested
me a lot, and I’d like
to study in more
detail
“How many languages are there in the world?”, a
language-related quiz at the beginning of the
programme interested me and I surf the net for more
information about it.
The invaluable Ethnologue organization quotes 6909
living languages, in the other words, one language for
every 862,000 people on Earth.
In fact, from time to time different languages disappear,
because peoples speaking them die out or assimilate
with other peoples. Thus, their languages become
extinct. Latin is the most striking example.
Additionally, the most popular language in the world
is Mandarin Chinese and there are about 880 million of
native speakers, then Spanish and English is the second
and the third, respectively 325 and 315-380 million
number of native speaker.
New words/phrases I
learned in this
episode are …
1. Put an end to something: to make something stop
happening or existing.
2. In real time: instantly
3. Put someone out of something
4. Server: a central computer which other computers
get their information from.
5. Hot on the heels: very soon after something
Landlines: a cable (= set of wires) that carries telephone
signals under the ground/ a telephone that is not a
mobile phone
6. Biased: showing an unreasonable like or dislike for a
person based on personal opinions
7. Recap: to repeat the main points of an explanation or
description
Word Count
548 I only got 393 in your journal.
Comments:
Pay attention to the highlighted parts and try to revise them.
My Learning Journal – Listening (Academic Listening)
Name
劉沛怡 peggy
Date
20121031
Topic
English for Academic Purposes: Introduction
Source
bbclearningenglish.com
1. How to make the learning experience easier? There
are some tips on effective learning, first of all,
preparation is the great key. For example, knowing
specialist vocabulary in advance, obtaining an
English-English dictionary and a subject dictionary,
listening to the radio and watching TV to improve
both general and specialist English.
2. In this episode mentioned some difficulties that
students at English-speaking University will meet to
and also gave advice on some of the pitfalls to avoid.
Here are some of the linguistic problems, lacking of
vocabulary to transmit own ideas, taking note too
slow and hanging behind, being unfamiliar with
some of the systems in different country, paying so
much attention to decoding words, however, the
chiefly problem is having enough mental energy to
cope with all the problems above.
3. Therefore, there is advice for us to have an effective
way to learning English. Such as surfing English
Three main ideas I
heard from this
episode are…
website to improve reading and increase vocabulary,
watching TV programmes with English subtitle to
improve listening, reading books related to own
subject, reading the course outline and looking at the
title of a lecture to help to predict its language an
content.
One thing I learned in
this episode that I
may be able to use in
future is…
Simon Williams, who teaches EAP in the Language
Centre at University College in London, said that
difficulties experience by language learners in lectures
and other academic situations occur chiefly because
they just don’t have enough mental energy. After
reading the argument he said, suddenly, I realize that all
of obstacles are imagination!
I’m still unsure
about…
There is no question that this is a great learning
material for who would like to improve English more
effectively, therefore I don’t have any unsure in this
episode.
Issues that interested
me a lot, and I’d like
to study in more
detail
This issue is really helpful to me and some points of
discussion are the problem that I face to. I am looking
forward to the next week academic listening, which is a
pretty great website to assist me to prepare aboarding!
New words/phrases I
learned in this
episode are …
1. Linguistic: connected with language or the study of
language
2. Identify: to recognize a problem, need, fact, etc. and
to show that it exists
3. Cope with: to deal successfully with a difficult
situation
4. Pitfall: a likely mistake or problem in a situation
5. Seminar: an occasion when a teacher or expert and a
group of people meet to study and discuss
something
6. Tutorial: a period of study with a tutor involving one
student or a small group
7. Practise= practice
8. Component: a part which combines with other parts
to form something bigger
9. Sort: a group of things which are of the same type or
which share similar qualities
10. Overload: to put too many things in or on something
11. Decode: to understand the meaning of a word or
phrase in a foreign language in the correct way
12. Newsagent: a shop whose main business is selling
newspapers and magazines
13. Recur: to happen many times or to happen again
14. Specialist: someone who has a lot of experience,
knowledge or skill in a particular subject
15. Substantial: large in size, value or importance
16. Illustrate: to show the meaning or truth of
something more clearly, especially by giving
examples
17. Interpretation: an explanation or opinion of what
something means
18. Mat: a small piece of strong material which covers
and protects part of a floor
19. Charge: to ask an amount of money for something,
especially a service or activity
20. Wrestler: a person who wrestles as a sport
Word Count
572
Comments:
Pay attention to the highlighted parts and try to revise them.