Beyond the oodles of research I am continuing to unearth, what can this blog with such a silly name mean to you, the LL (language learner)? Well...
Are you ready for a unique, accessible, fluid new way to communicate and practice American-ese (social idioms, professional exchanges, and any other topics we investigate and practice face-to-face)? Blogging is the answer!
What are the possibilities that can pertain specifically to you? I'll keep it short and sweet this time, promise...
Since our time together is so brief on Mondays, in order to reinforce what you've learned, without it feeling remedial week by week, we need something more, something deeper to scaffold your storehouse of valuable, meaningful knowledge so it "sticks" with you long after a few days, weeks or months go by.
If you like analogies, think of it this way: Would you want your valuable hours of learning and practice to amount to a row of dominoes that a few puffs of air could knock down fairly easily? Or would you want your incredible investment of time and effort in learning and perfecting your English to accumulate into an Empire State Building (or perhaps even the N Seoul Tower)?
Openly collaborating with one another through multiple media, many of which a blog like "Minglesh" can offer (we can post polls, questions, articles, links, pictures, videos, etc., etc., etc.) means this: There is virtually no limit, no physical blocks in the road to how much we can learn! And I mean really learn.
The more outlets you use to learn = the more you engage your brain = the more you remember. When you accept my invitation to join as "contributers" to this blog, you have all the same opportunities to gain as much from this as you are willing to put into it.
The possibilities are almost endless, as your favorite infomercials would say. Don't worry, though - you don't have to pay for this service in installments of $19.95. It's all free!
So that's all. I just wanted to attempt to positively reinforce my goal with this little place named Minglesh. I hope you will visit again soon and, with a little time and practice, feel comfortable sharing your thoughts, questions and ideas here...and sharing them often! :)
By the way, if you have any trouble "getting in" to Blogger.com or publishing materials on the site, let me know and I will send you a brand new e-mail invite.
And one final thing: I would like to post all forthcoming Monday Meet worksheets, guides and supplemental readings here. That way, if you lose them in an e-mail, you can always come back here to Minglesh to retrieve them. Sound okay? :)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Goat? Cow? Or could it actually be...a "uni"-corn?
An “Asian unicorn?” What’s the real name of this rare creature that was recently captured? | The Hot Word
Bonus: Be sure to listen for when the narrator uses the expression, "Achilles' Heel."
What's your Achilles' heel?
My Achilles' heel would have to be...watching scary movies! I'm easily terrified by cinematic images of ghosts, demons, zombies, etc. Oh, I'll watch one or two of them, but I always cover my eyes and ears when the scary music starts playing. You know what happens at that point..."it" is just around the corner!
Welcome to Minglesh!
Okay, so I've been thinking over the past few days about what we can do to really enhance the learning process beyond our regular Monday afternoon meeting times. Consider this blog an experimental first step toward that goal.
My purpose in setting up this blog is to encourage further discussion outside the traditional, face-to-face encounters we have. Nothing can replace live interaction, of course! However, I've done a little digging, and here are some of the real advantages for online discussions I've found (kind of boring research-y stuff, so skip toward the bottom if you don't feel like reading it):
(Source: Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning by Robert J. Blake, 2008)
So, in sum, I'd like this to be a place, another place, that all of us can visit frequently and openly to interact with each other, as the word "minglesh" indicates (minglesh = mingle in English ^.^). And, no, it's not in the dictionary, since I just made it up. But I think it encapsulates where I'd like to see us go with this project. If it works, it works; if it doesn't, we'll fix it so it does!
Happy posting! I'll come back a bit later to provide further details about how we can use the blog, but for now, poke around and always feel free to send me suggestions. :)
My purpose in setting up this blog is to encourage further discussion outside the traditional, face-to-face encounters we have. Nothing can replace live interaction, of course! However, I've done a little digging, and here are some of the real advantages for online discussions I've found (kind of boring research-y stuff, so skip toward the bottom if you don't feel like reading it):
Researchers frequently cite the computer's usefulness as:
(a) a text-based medium that amplifies students' attention to linguistic form
(b) a stimulus for increased written L2 [second-language] production
(c) a less stressful environment for L2 practice
(d) a more equitable and nonthreatening forum for L2 discussions, especially for women, minorities, and nonassertive personalities
(e) an expanded access channel with possibilities for creating global learning networks.
(Source: Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning by Robert J. Blake, 2008)
So, in sum, I'd like this to be a place, another place, that all of us can visit frequently and openly to interact with each other, as the word "minglesh" indicates (minglesh = mingle in English ^.^). And, no, it's not in the dictionary, since I just made it up. But I think it encapsulates where I'd like to see us go with this project. If it works, it works; if it doesn't, we'll fix it so it does!
Happy posting! I'll come back a bit later to provide further details about how we can use the blog, but for now, poke around and always feel free to send me suggestions. :)
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