Friday, October 12, 2012
Blog 8
Today is the end of week 8, which puts us exactly halfway through the semester. In fact, during the next few weeks, there are several holidays so the semester will be over before you know it! This would be a good time to reflect on what you have been learning since you arrived at UM - both in your classes and out of your classes! It is also a good time to reassess goals. What would you like to accomplish by the time ELI fall semester ends (December 7) - be realistic! Write about what you have achieved so far this semester and what you hope to achieve before the semester's end. 200-300 words is great!
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Hello everyone! I'll talk about what I have achieved until now. At first, I was not good at listening to English before I came here. (Actually I'm still weak at English now.) I couldn't understand what someone said in English once, so I had to ask to have something explained many times when I was in Japan. When I attened a first orientation took place at UC (August 20th? I think,), I could hardly comprehend what teachers said. However, my English skill, especially listening ability is getting better, I think. I manage to understand what teachers or friends say. Of course, sometime I am not able to understand when they speak very fast. I was reluctant to ask them to repeat themselves because I wouldn't like them to hate me or I didn't want to give them trouble. But I can do it now since asking to repeat is normal thing for us (international students) and them. I have to put forth an effort to improve my Englush and keep on atudying English during staying UM. My goal before this semester is to improve my English skill and make many friends. It goes without saying, I came here to study English, so I have to pass TOEFL test and I have to be able to communicate with American people in English. Then I would like to make many friends here! I am really shy, it is not easy for me to talk to someone, but I will try to do it! These are my goals in this semester! Thanks for reading.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Mina! It looks like you are well on your way to achieving your goals! You are certainly doing a nice job in our Writing and Grammar class!
DeleteHello everyone, How's your weekend? To begin with,I'd like to announce my one achievement so far. You know,studying has been the most important thing for me and us maybe .For example,when I came here, I have attend most of class and done my homework. In addition,I have studied by myself to overcome my week point in grammar such as articles but I have missed 5 classes in total. I'm not able to be absent anymore and I have to go to the bed early. The next point I'd like to cover my goal in this semester's. First, I MUST get TOEFL score and I think the score is a rough idea as how I have studied English hard for two months. The score,on the other hand,is not a goal, so after that, I'l study in University. In fact,I have been interested in studying in University because students in university tell me how good the lecture in University such as Journalism, economics, biology and so on. Second, I want to get special skill. I went to Glacier National park to join a photo work shop. I got photo's skill and I took photos more than five hundreds. That was special experience for me. Before not only the semester's end but my life end in the US, I want to join cultural events.
ReplyDeleteHi, Genki. I agree with your opinion. Studying is the most important thing for us in this University. I often see you in the UC. You are always studying alone. That’s great! I saw many Japanese are studying in there, so I was surprised, and I decided to study more hard. My goal is the same as you. I also have to get TOEFL score. We have TOEFL test this Friday, so we have to do our best. I hope you can get high score. Moving on, are you planning to go to the university in America after this study abroad? I think it’s good idea too. I really want to do that, but I don’t have enough money…
DeleteYour goals sound really balanced, Genki! I like that you are focused on both academics and something recreational like photography! I saw some lovely photos you took on the walls of the ELI. Remember that TOEFL is only ONE indicator of your English ability. Your grades at ELI are another (and they can earn you advancement into University in place of TOEFL). Also your own comfort level functioning in English is another sign of your increasing ability. Keep up the great work!
DeleteHello, everyone. I have 3 things what I have achieved now. First, I accustomed to live in here. I worried about living in America because I was the first time to come to America. I didn’t know anything but now, I learned how take bus, how buy something, and so on. I don’t know everything, but I can live in here yet. Second, I made friends with a lot of Americans. The beginning of this blog, I wrote I want to make many American friends. I got it now. I have many friends in the dorm. I often speak with them. Third, I’m enjoying my life. I love my class, so I feel happy to go to class everyday. I can think I don’t want to change this class next semester. By the way, what I want to achieve before the end of this semester is I want to pass the TOEFL exam. We have TOFL exam next Friday, so I study hard, and I have to get high score. My university in Japan has a borderline of the score that we must get at the end of sophomore. If I couldn’t get that score, I can’t be junior. Moreover, of course, I want to enjoy my life more!
ReplyDeleteWow! Having to get a certain TOEFL score to progress to being a junior must be kind of stressful for you! Well, I hope you achieve your goals - you are certainly doing a great job in our class this semester. I'm so glad you are enjoying it - I am too! You have a lot of nice classmates, don't you?
DeleteHi,everyone!! Firstly, I have achieved writing skill so far. Before I came here, I had never written an essay. Of course I didn`t know how to write it. But I eantered the UM`s ELI and studied, I can gradualy write it. My essay has always full of mistakes, but my teacher points out my mistakes and teaches me the righ answer. So I can write the correct essay. At first, I was very week in essay , but now I enjoy writting essay! Secondly, I have achieved listening skill. The first one month, I couldn`t understand what the native speakers saying. I heard the conversation like all words were connected. But now, I can hear their conversation narrowly. I can`t understand perfectly, but I can hear words clearly. I want to increase listening opportunities and improve it. Thirdly, I hope to achieve speaking skill before this semester ends. Formerly, I thought what I have to say and made a sentences when speaking. As a result, it takes a few minutes to response. I still think about it when speaking. So I want to speak not to think about what I should say. Buy the time I will go back to Japan, I want to improve these skills.
ReplyDeleteOh! Your writing and listening skills have been improved after you came to here? It’s so nice!! I think ELI classes are much better than Japanese university’s one. Because there are many chances to have own opinion and share it and think answer of the question with classmates. Do you think like that?? Actually, my listening skill also has been improved in compered with before. It is because of our efforts. However, I can’t speak without considering what I should speak, too. Maybe, we need to speak English more during classes. It is one of the best ways to improve the skill!!!! Let’s try it together.
DeleteYou are right that you have improved in all of these areas! I only studied Japanese for one semester before I went to live in Japan for a year and a half. Lucky for me there were so many kind people who could help me in English (only my Japanese never really improved). Anyway, I can really understand how it would take a while to think through what you want to say in English before you are able to say it. I had that experience speaking Japanese too (unlike French or Spanish, which have a grammatical structure more like English). I admire you a lot for all you are doing here!
DeleteHello everyone! I’d like to talk about what you have achieved and what you hope to achieve. In our classes, I could achieve improving my writing skills in English because I wrote many essays in the classes. At first, I didn’t like to write an essay, so it was so hard, and it took me a lot of time to write it. But now I can write it earlier than in the past. Of course, I could improve my speaking skill more than in the past, but it’s not enough, so my goal before the classes end is to improve the speaking skill. Moreover, my listening skill is also poor, so I also want to improve it. Out of our classes, I could accomplish going to Yellow Stone National Park and Glacier National Park. I’m interested in World Heritage and American national park, so I wanted to go to the national parks before I came to Missoula. Now I was so happy because I could go, but I have many places where I want to go. With about 8 months to go before I go back to Japan, I want to go to the places where I want to go.
ReplyDeleteHi Keito. I neither do I like to write essays because What I would lilke to write didn't come to my mind, so I couldn't write a good essay. It took very long time, and I was very tired after writing it. But, keeping on writing is good for us even if we're not good writer. Our writing skill is getting better, I think.
DeleteYour goal is awesome and great!! I know you love to visit beautiful places such as National Park or World Heritage. There are a great many beautiful places in United States, that's why your goal will be able to come true during staying in United States. Actually I'm looking forward to visiting Grand Canyon at the end of November. Let's feel the grandeur of nature!!
Would it surprise you to know that *I* don't like to write essays either? Its a lot of work! But I do like to be able to express my ideas clearly and effectively in writing when I need to. I'm glad you have been able to do so much already in your short time here. Do you have any plans for the winter break? That is a good time to travel around and see some more of the USA if you are able to.
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ReplyDeleteHello everyone. I think I have not achieved anything. On the other hand my life and my personality are changing little by little. To be honest when I was in Japan, I was much lazier than now. The most difference point is that I study at night, sometimes I forget to do my homework though. In Japan I hardly study except right before big exam. Through living in the US, I want to find what I want to achieve and what I really want to be. There are no specific ideas in my mind yet. It goes without saying English skill, so by the end of semester I want to find what I want to be or what kind of jobs I want to do. That is the most important thing I have to achieve. Another thing I want to achieve is getting good muscles. I go to gym to work out or play basketball almost everyday. There are no places to play basketball with tall, big American guys in Japan. It is really good experience for me to play basketball everyday father more with American guys. I hope I will have good, strong muscles.
ReplyDeleteHi Kan.Your comment is attractive to me because it is very important for me what I want to be. Before I came to the US, I experienced job-hunting in Japan, but I was not able to get my job. You might have to decide your future right now in Japan, but you don't need to do here. Besides, we could meet other country students and culture more. New experiences might change thinking about our future. By the way, I tried to go to gym one month ago regularly because I want to get good muscles and to be masculine, but recently, I’m lazy, so I have to follow your habit.
DeleteGood for you that you are balancing academic work with physical activity - that is excellent! Although you don't feel you've achieved much, I bet that a LOT has been happening for you that you don't even realize. Maybe it will become more clear in future years. It is good to be thinking about what you want to be/do in the future, but don't worry TOO much about it. Life is long, changes happen, and things usually work out in ways you could never predict.
DeleteI feel wonder. Because it already have passed about 2 months since I came here. Absolutely, the time passes very quickly. I think I have been learning much stuff in here until now. Of course, I learned about skills of English, but I think I learned not only it but also that we are same even though we are from different countries. Before I came here, I hadn’t had opportunities to talk with people from other countries. So, at the first time when I attended ELI class, I felt nervous and worried whether I can have good relationship with them or can’t. But they are awesome!! I can laugh every class with them and sometimes we talk about own home country. I think this educational environment is good for us. We can know differences and also same points from each other. Maybe, I can say that as nice cultural exchanges. In the class, I had no absences, and I do HWs every times. But I always do only HWs for classes. It might as well do another works to improve my English skills and also to get high score on TOEFL test. So, I want to study beside HWs. Out of my class, sometimes I go out and study with American friends. We teach own language to each other. It’s so nice time for me. Anyway, I hope to get high score on TOEFL test, make more friends and study more independently before this semester’s end.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinions! I also think that time passes much early. It has been two months since I came to Missoula. I felt that it has still been one month since I came here. I want to have more time to spend in Missoula. In addition, I think that we are same even though we are from different countries, too. At first, I was nervous when I came here because I didn’t know all people and they are from different countries. However, I could make friends a few days after I came here and I felt that we are same.
DeleteI hope you achieve all your goals! You are a very hard and conscientious worker in class, and you are doing a great job! And don't forget that fun activities like hanging out with new friends and meeting people from different places are all great learning experiences too.
DeleteHi guys, in this semester I have learned many good things. I studied English in Saudi Arabia for one year. It wasn't good year for me, but I learned such good things. when I came to U.S. for the summer section I learned many good things which helped me to improve my language. this semester I have learned more good things especially in grammar. I wasn't that good when I speak, but now I feel more better when I started using it. second thing, I was shy when I talked to someone because I was feeling that I'm speaking with many mistake, but I got self confidence when I talk. I like to let people correct my mistake especially with my accent and pronapunciation. I'm glad that I knew native speaker who are helping me in my mistake because some people don't correct the mistakes when they hear them. I really thank my teachers for what are they doing and for what they did. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mof! I can`t believe that you was shy! In class, I am always impressed by your speaking skill. Your speaking is very fluently and clearly, so I want to be like you. And I am a shy, too. I think this is a very big problem to speak with someone. Two months have passed since I came here, I am not nervous when speaking in English with friends or someone. But I am still nervous when speaking about some academic topics in class. I think This problem is caused by the lack of confidence and speaking skill. So, I want to study hard and gain confidence. I hope that my speaking sill will be advanced end of this semester!
DeleteYour English is really very good, Mof! Both your speaking and your writing! You ask good questions and you are very articulate! Some people probably don't correct your English to be 'polite,' but I imagine most people genuinely don't 'hear' your mistakes. You speak very fluently and because so many MANY Americans come from all over the world, we are very used to hearing people speak with different accents and slightly imperfect grammar. A lot of Americans have parents or grandparents who grew up with a different first language, so we tend to be pretty comfortable with a wide variety of Englishes. Plus, your speaking is very good!
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