Part II

At the time of my secondary school, because of nothing teachers graduated from English at their university, they did not know to teach students a method how to learn English. It was very frustrated. The passing rate of English language in HKCEE only reached 40% and included most of grade in D or E.

Since I started my jobs, I have found that my English standard cannot afford daily use. It led me to abandon contact English.

Anyway, for key to success in learning English, in my mind, only your mind is whether or not determinative. Next, whether or not you can find out suitable textbooks for your study and reference. Fortunately, after completion of my undergraduate, I am able to select the books in learning English.

I am of view that if you want to improve your English, then you must learn the grammar rules. Your construction in oral or writing will be improved and better than before. Watching DVD and following their English subtitle are also crucial to beginners.

Learning English in Part I

Learning English in Part I

This semester, I take two subjects of learning and teaching English. I learned a lot of theories but no one can be applied to my situation. In my secondary school, this is Chinese as medium of instruction school. So I could contact the English at English Language lessons only. At that time, I was not interested in learning English. So my English standard is basically an illiterate. It was very common to others at that school. To be very honest, there were no graduate majored in English studies. Perhaps at that time, the job markets are highly demanding on university graduates. So a very limited number of graduates would be willing to enter the education sector.

In Hong Kong, there were two public examinations for secondary 5 and 7 students to sit it. For the former, secondary 5 students were required to sit for HKCEE with at least 7 subjects including Chinese and English Languages. If candidates passed 5 subjects with E (pass grade), they could be entitled to S5 certificate level. Whereas if candidates can get 14 points in 6 subjects of HKCEE, they could get a place of secondary 6 and 7 (or called matriculate level).

Of course, I could not pass in English Language at HKCEE. So I could only find jobs or repeat for HKCEE again. Besides, no further formal studies I could pursue. Fortunately I could pass the English Language at HKCEE at second times. But I was not still eligible for entry of matriculate level due to under point 14.

I am sure to say that I am an illiterate of English before 2004. I could only write Chinese for formal communication such as correspondence with governmental department. I remembered that my first computer was a notebook type with Chinese version of MS Windows ME. It means that I can only understand the Chinese interface. Likewise, I installed MS Office in Chinese version. For my job, I needed not use English. Usually employers will provide me with employment contract in Chinese only. Perhaps they have a strong assumption that I don’t know English. But it was surprised that those contracts in Chinese are ungrammatical in Chinese grammar and unlike register of Chinese legal terms.

There is a breakthrough in 2004 because I was admitted to CityU for doing my associate degree of legal studies. I do remember at the first lecture at CityU. I could only realize that the lecturer spoke English. However, nothing I could understand. As common knowledge, students learning law must have high standard level of English. Nevertheless, my English ability was substandard.

In 2007, I completed my 3-year programme of legal studies and was admitted to CityU again for my undergraduate programme. It was unbelievable that I entered into a programme of Linguistics. Basically, I was improved a bit of little in English. After graduation, I put English grammar books on my desk. Frankly I enjoyed learning English grammar suddenly. Perhaps for my studies of Linguistics, I have Syntax knowledge to do so. English grammar in mind is similar to formulae. We just need know and understand its principle and operation and then we can produce a complete sentence without grammatical error.

 

 

 

PC notebook or Macbook?

In the past, Apple at 1980's centuary launched two products - Apple IIe and Macintosh -were very successfull.

I started my learning computer using Apple IIe. Do you know what magnetic disk is? However it was phrased out.

Steve Job launched a new product - Macintosh for publication.

But now most people still use PC with Windows 9x, XP, 7.

But why PC could be more popular to people until the 2010? It was because their products are too expensive. There are many games available at PC markets.

Cafe stall at CityU

Hi! It's me again.

Do you know that the cafe stall is very popular to students. Yes it is because their coffee and sandwich are cheap. I enjoyed their coffee seversl years.

Don't miss it.

In the time of deflation, a small coffee just sold at $8.0 but now $10.5 already.

Hope all of you enjoy the life with CityU.

Monday

Oh this is my first time to write my blog using mobile phone. That means the mobile phone can replace PC desktop or notebook.

That's why Steve Job described this era of post PC and IBM gave up the PC market and HP abandon their tablet market.

Google Apps

Too fantastic, last Friday's class, I was taught using Google Drive to be used in language learning.

Basically I just knew how to use Google Drive as a kind of online storage like iCould and SkyDrive. Oh it is out of my expectation because it provided users with instant communication. For example, if someone types his/her documents and shares it with others including public or private or certain persons allowed. The document is not only a common type like typing in Microsoft Word, but it allows users to give instant comment on the articles in documents.

Thus teachers may follow their students' progress online. In the past I just know using the email as communication channel. But now, Google docs lets me have new inspiration in using information technology on language learning.

Google not only provides the apps for Windows users, but for android and iOS users as well. Blogger apps let me post articles easily. To be honest I am using it now at toilet. Ha ha ha...

Too fantasitc !!

online learning

Online learning: My experience of online learning

In formal, educational contexts

Basically, the internet provides a lot of resources with online users not limited to certain classes or groups. Especially the broadband service and technology was launched and instead of 56K modem, the online users can browse the information on the internet easily and conveniently. At the same time, the personal computers (PC) have been enhanced to super-computers level. It means that their speed on mathematical processing was upgraded.

              In the past, most people would be thought of using PC as database and spreadsheet. Generally there was no idea of online learning. Most PC users would learn how to operate their own PC before using their software like dBase, WordStar, WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3.

              But now, everything changed already. Since Windows 95 to XP, Mac OS and iOS of iPhone, suddenly most users would use the PC for their online learning rather than application of the PC software.

              In formal, on educational contexts, I will use the Bilingual Legislation Information System of Department of Justice to search the legislation contexts and find the legal terms in Chinese and English. It was because I took the Legal Translation at University. Thus I needed such tools for my learning.

              In the past, I would check the paper form of dictionary but now I only use the Yahoo dictionary. For my learning in translation, I tried to use Google Translate. It is powerful tool for me to compare their translation with my translation. Consequently I would merge two together.

              Likewise, sometime, I needed some information but no reference books at home. Online resource will be the best choice to me. Oxford and Longman have their homepage for checking dictionary.

              At university level, the intellectual property rights are crucial to every scholars and students. Since some online resources provide academic checking, researchers and students are required to submit the works. It can prevent plagiarism.

             

In informal – out of class contexts

              Since Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia online – was launched, it caused a big evolution in academic. It was because every user can be doing authors to write what they want to write or like subjects. As long as editor approved their editing, all subjects can be published online.