Week1

✿One new thing that you learned in week 1 in any of your classes at HELP.

              I learned differences of English pronunciation among students from non-English country. In Advanced Pronunciation class, each student did speech about each hometown. There were students from Japan, Cambodia, Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Taiwan. Depending on the countries, the number of vowels and consonants, intonation and accent are different, so speakers spoke English differently. Non English speakers’ English are strongly influenced by their native language. When Japanese students pronounce English words, they tend to pronounce all syllables equally like “Ja-pa-ne-se.” Moreover, Japanese students are not good at sorting “l” and “r.” However, others have different problem like Vietnamese English does not have ends. For example, they pronounce Japanese “Ja-pa-ne.” It means that maybe when Vietnamese talk, they do not say “s” of plural or the third person singular because it always comes in the end of words. In pronounce of Portuguese English, “to” sounds like “chu.”  Like these, there were a lot of differences, I noticed. They were hard for me to listen, and probably, other students also thought so about my English pronunciation. Therefore, I want to improve my English pronunciation through this class.

✿One new thing that you learned in week 1 outside of your HELP classes.

             I learned the importance of Scanning. Actually, I had lost my passport last week. It was very serious problem, but finally, my passport was found! However, it was in the Big Island's airport, so I had to open my account of FedEx to get it back from there with shipping. I tried to do that with office worker of HELP this week. I typed my personal information and my credit card information into the form, but I could not open my account. Then, office worker called the FedEx, and we noticed that we needed the credit card in America. Few days after, I borrowed the American credit card from my friend and tried again, but I could not open that. We were confusing, but then, the friend noticed that under the blank which had to be typed the credit card information, there was the notification that told the reader it was important to read. I did not know that. When I read it, it said the credit card information and the personal information had to be matched.  Actually, I typed my personal information and my friend’s credit card information… It was because I could not open my account. Anyway, I learned Scanning was very important anytime.

 

✿Tell me what you think about language learning and other types of learning. Is there any difference?
 

I think language learning is similar to other types of learning. I compare language learning with learning from my part-time job. When I was in Japan, I worked at cram school as a teacher. I taught English to junior high school students who usually study the basis of English. At cram school, I taught and learned the grammar of English at the same time. It means that when I was teaching English, I could reconfirm the basis of English. By knowing the foundation perfectly, it is easier to understand more difficult English. Generally, it is often said that not only input, but also output is important when people study something. I agree that. I think teaching is a kind of output. Also, if I only attend a lecture of English, my English skill will not improve. Only such input, I will forget soon what I learned. To try to speak and write English is good practice and the way to improve English because we can review with action. Acting impresses something in the mind more than seeing. Of course, acting is an output. Thus, output is essential to learn language same as to learn others.

 

 ✿Why do we need learning strategies?

Actually, even if we do not know learning strategy, we can use English in daily life. However, it may take a lot of time. If we know learning strategy, it becomes easier to find out the way to think about. I introduce with the example of Scanning. Most people may do Scanning when they read magazines or newspaper. Before reading the passage, perhaps we look at title and pictures first automatically, but not carefully, and read same sentences again and again to understand completely. It takes a lot of time. Moreover, when people think it does not have to read even if it is important, they will make a mistake like me. It often happens in the situation of reading manual or writing application. However, if we know what is Scanning and the way of Scanning, we can concentrate to look at title and pictures first, and then read the passage consciously to find out keywords or important information. It makes us read faster with understanding. If we can read the passage faster and faster, we can use time efficiently, and may study more. It is a good chance to improve English skill. Hence, we need to know learning strategy.