ListeningAs for the listening, I like watching series or movies in English. I mostly understand enough so that I know what is going on and I can enjoy it. But sometimes I need to stop the movie and replay some part of it.
I also tried to listen to the radio BBC 2 and it was quite hard for me. I always knew the topic they were discussing, but I didn't catch everything. I really like listening to the songs in English. Usually I'm playing them on youtube with lyrics when I don't understand everything properly. Another excellent method to improve my English is listening to the audiobooks. The great thing about it is that I can play it even when I am too tired and I can just lie-down and listen. One of my favourites is The Alchemist from Paulo Coelho. But it's very easy to understand. Last week I started to play The Giver. I've already heard maybe first quarter of it but I've really enjoyed it. 28.11.2014 |
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The Day of The Triffids
by John Wyndham
I listen to the audiobook The Day of The Triffids.
Justification
This book is written by an English author so it is using a rich language. I chose this book because the plants have an important role in the story and I wanted to know why (what is going on). I am in the 6th chapter so far, but I'm sure I'll finish the book, because I am so curious about where did the green meteor shower came from.
Reflection
I was listening to the first chapter twice because I didn't understand it well for the first time. Sometimes I need to replay some parts, too, because the speaker is talking quite quickly and I am not enough focused all the time. Sometimes I do not understand some of the words. But I am not looking for the words in a dictionary, I usually haven't got problem to understand what's going on from the context (and I usually listen to it while doing something else and I don't have time to look for every word). I think that it shows that I have only slight problems to understand what I hear and I don't translate it into Czech in my head. But I downloaded the PDF version of this book too, so I will look into it later to find some, for me unknown, words.
14.4.2015
by John Wyndham
I listen to the audiobook The Day of The Triffids.
Justification
This book is written by an English author so it is using a rich language. I chose this book because the plants have an important role in the story and I wanted to know why (what is going on). I am in the 6th chapter so far, but I'm sure I'll finish the book, because I am so curious about where did the green meteor shower came from.
Reflection
I was listening to the first chapter twice because I didn't understand it well for the first time. Sometimes I need to replay some parts, too, because the speaker is talking quite quickly and I am not enough focused all the time. Sometimes I do not understand some of the words. But I am not looking for the words in a dictionary, I usually haven't got problem to understand what's going on from the context (and I usually listen to it while doing something else and I don't have time to look for every word). I think that it shows that I have only slight problems to understand what I hear and I don't translate it into Czech in my head. But I downloaded the PDF version of this book too, so I will look into it later to find some, for me unknown, words.
14.4.2015
Year 2
The Devil and Miss Prym
by Paulo Coelho
Justification
I decided to listen to another one of the Paulo Coelho's books. They are very simple and I can relax while listening to them.
Reflection
I didn't have any bigger problems to understand the story. Only sometimes when I stopped listening because of my thoughts running away, I had to replay some of the parts. I'd say that there are many symbols in this book and it's not always easy for me to catch their meanings. I was little confused about the young woman's character as she was going through some inner battle between her angel and devil.
Ally McBeal
Justification
I watch this series before I fall asleep. Even though it's mostly about relationships, the story takes place in the law firm and at the court, so they use some "language of the court", too.
Reflection
In some of the scenes, they talk very quickly and I struggled to understand them during first few episodes. But now I don't. I had a problem to translate a word "Fishism". I took me about 20 episodes before I understood that it is kind of "Richard Fish's thing" .. I was wondering what could it be for so long, even though it was so obvious.
I gained some new vocabulary from this 'court environment'.
18.1.2016
I decided to listen to another one of the Paulo Coelho's books. They are very simple and I can relax while listening to them.
Reflection
I didn't have any bigger problems to understand the story. Only sometimes when I stopped listening because of my thoughts running away, I had to replay some of the parts. I'd say that there are many symbols in this book and it's not always easy for me to catch their meanings. I was little confused about the young woman's character as she was going through some inner battle between her angel and devil.
Ally McBeal
Justification
I watch this series before I fall asleep. Even though it's mostly about relationships, the story takes place in the law firm and at the court, so they use some "language of the court", too.
Reflection
In some of the scenes, they talk very quickly and I struggled to understand them during first few episodes. But now I don't. I had a problem to translate a word "Fishism". I took me about 20 episodes before I understood that it is kind of "Richard Fish's thing" .. I was wondering what could it be for so long, even though it was so obvious.
I gained some new vocabulary from this 'court environment'.
18.1.2016
Reading
I didn't have any English lessons in past three year so I at least tried to read in English in order not to forget everything.
I really love books from Paulo Coelho because they are positive, simple and have their own magic. They are written so simply that maybe I wouldn't like them in Czech.. so I never tried :-)
The book I am reading now is called Children of Hurín by Tolkien. This is really different level of English in comparison with books by Coelho. It's rather complicated story including many characters and I don't feel like it's my cup of tea. But to broaden my horizons and to learn new words.. I am slowly going on.
I also like reading articles in English. The internet is full of them so I am reading everything I am interested in, from articles about the environment to those about economy. But I usually have to use the dictionary to find some words.
I really love books from Paulo Coelho because they are positive, simple and have their own magic. They are written so simply that maybe I wouldn't like them in Czech.. so I never tried :-)
The book I am reading now is called Children of Hurín by Tolkien. This is really different level of English in comparison with books by Coelho. It's rather complicated story including many characters and I don't feel like it's my cup of tea. But to broaden my horizons and to learn new words.. I am slowly going on.
I also like reading articles in English. The internet is full of them so I am reading everything I am interested in, from articles about the environment to those about economy. But I usually have to use the dictionary to find some words.
I really love the book Like the flowing river by Coelho. It's a collection of short stories which I found very inspiring and warming. They are exposing the beauty of very little things in our lives. There is a link to one of those stories called The story of the pencil :http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2009/12/19/the-story-of-the-pencil/.
28.11.2014
NEWSPAPER
Justification
As I mentioned in my goals, I am trying to extend my vocabulary and that's why I decided to read the newspaper.
Reflection
I read articles from The Guardian almost every day and sometimes even the discussion under the article. The best article I have ever read there was about the canal which they want to build in Nicaragua. There were many words which I didn't know (or just wasn't sure about the exact meaning). I wouldn't have a problem to understand the content from the context, but that wouldn't help me with my vocabulary, so I was looking for those words in a dictionary.
Besides The Guardian, I want to start reading some tabloids and also some scientific surveys, where they're using various vocabulary too.
One of the articles about the canal in Nicaragua: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/20/-sp-nicaragua-canal-land-opportunity-fear-route
13.4.2015
28.11.2014
NEWSPAPER
Justification
As I mentioned in my goals, I am trying to extend my vocabulary and that's why I decided to read the newspaper.
Reflection
I read articles from The Guardian almost every day and sometimes even the discussion under the article. The best article I have ever read there was about the canal which they want to build in Nicaragua. There were many words which I didn't know (or just wasn't sure about the exact meaning). I wouldn't have a problem to understand the content from the context, but that wouldn't help me with my vocabulary, so I was looking for those words in a dictionary.
Besides The Guardian, I want to start reading some tabloids and also some scientific surveys, where they're using various vocabulary too.
One of the articles about the canal in Nicaragua: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/20/-sp-nicaragua-canal-land-opportunity-fear-route
13.4.2015
Year 2
ARTICLE
Drought footprint on European ecosystems between 1999 and 2010 assessed by remotely sensed vegetation phenology and productivity (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/gcb.12393/full)
From Global Change Biology (2014).
ARTICLE
Drought footprint on European ecosystems between 1999 and 2010 assessed by remotely sensed vegetation phenology and productivity (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/gcb.12393/full)
From Global Change Biology (2014).
Justification
I've chosen this article for my presentation at Geobotanical seminar (which is one of my subjects at the Faculty of Science). I've read it and translated the key information into Czech language and presented what was it about. There are many scientific terms and complicated sentences in the text and it took me a few hours to translate it well and understand all of the aims of paper, its methodology, conclusions etc.
Reflection
I understood the aims and the results of the paper clearly. But I struggled while going through some methodological information and statistics. Esepecially, when there were many abbreviations. Sometimes I got lost and I had to go back and make a list of the abbreviations so that I could look at them later.
I found it very difficult to translate some of the sentences properly with the correct use of terms. But I didn't have any serious problems while reading. I undestood mostly everything. The problems came with the translation or when I had to focus on the data and their interpretation. But I would say that I'd struggle with interpretation of some czech data as well ;-).
18.1.2016
I've chosen this article for my presentation at Geobotanical seminar (which is one of my subjects at the Faculty of Science). I've read it and translated the key information into Czech language and presented what was it about. There are many scientific terms and complicated sentences in the text and it took me a few hours to translate it well and understand all of the aims of paper, its methodology, conclusions etc.
Reflection
I understood the aims and the results of the paper clearly. But I struggled while going through some methodological information and statistics. Esepecially, when there were many abbreviations. Sometimes I got lost and I had to go back and make a list of the abbreviations so that I could look at them later.
I found it very difficult to translate some of the sentences properly with the correct use of terms. But I didn't have any serious problems while reading. I undestood mostly everything. The problems came with the translation or when I had to focus on the data and their interpretation. But I would say that I'd struggle with interpretation of some czech data as well ;-).
18.1.2016
SPRING 2016
READING
I've been reading quite a lot this semester, mostly for British Literature and American History & Literature classes.
There are two response papers I wrote for those subjects.
I've been reading quite a lot this semester, mostly for British Literature and American History & Literature classes.
There are two response papers I wrote for those subjects.
MIDDLEMARCH
Justification
I didn't just read the extract of Middlemarch, but I had to think about it to be able to write some response and I'd say that the paper proves that I understood what is going on in the story.
Reflection
My teacher wrote me, that my arguments are good and well explained, but that I need to work on the structure of the paper more. I have a problem to separate the introduction and the body. Then I usually put something new into the closing part, that I didn't discuss in the previous parts.
I have to admit that I had to read the extract more than once to be able to understand. I have a problem to pay attention to what I do, lately, and I have to read things more than once.
HISTORY
Justification
The paper shows that I am able to summarize what I read quite well.
Reflection
I've been writing quite many RPs for my readings this semester. I must say that it is very useful to do this because I always put down what I find interesting or important from the text and then it's enough to look into the paper and I can remember what was the text about. It made me learn to summarize texts, but I am still not very good at it. Sometimes it is very hard to choose only the most important things and not to copy the text in front of me. That is why some of my papers are so long (this is probably the longest one).
Justification
I didn't just read the extract of Middlemarch, but I had to think about it to be able to write some response and I'd say that the paper proves that I understood what is going on in the story.
Reflection
My teacher wrote me, that my arguments are good and well explained, but that I need to work on the structure of the paper more. I have a problem to separate the introduction and the body. Then I usually put something new into the closing part, that I didn't discuss in the previous parts.
I have to admit that I had to read the extract more than once to be able to understand. I have a problem to pay attention to what I do, lately, and I have to read things more than once.
HISTORY
Justification
The paper shows that I am able to summarize what I read quite well.
Reflection
I've been writing quite many RPs for my readings this semester. I must say that it is very useful to do this because I always put down what I find interesting or important from the text and then it's enough to look into the paper and I can remember what was the text about. It made me learn to summarize texts, but I am still not very good at it. Sometimes it is very hard to choose only the most important things and not to copy the text in front of me. That is why some of my papers are so long (this is probably the longest one).
LISTENING
As we were supposed to listen to some of the interviews from BBC Radion 4, I decided to download some and put it into my phone. I was listening to it on my way to school and after I came back home, I downloaded some more. :-) I wrote a contribution to the discussion forum about a journalist Alex Crawford:
I decided to pick someone I didn’t know and this turned out to be a very good choice. Mrs. Crawford was born in Nigeria to her half-Chinese mother and Scottish father. She was growing up in Africa, mostly. Working as a Sky news TV correspondent, she presently lives in Johannesburg with her 4 children and husband.
She was bringing news e.g. from Libyan civil war in 2011 or from conflicts in Mali, putting her life at risk many times. It was very surprising to me that she has 4 kids despite her lifestyle full of travelling. She admits that it is hard to combine the work with her family, but she believes that her job is important and sees it as her mission to speak for those who can’t. But she went through such situations that it’s hard for her to talk about it, too, sometimes.
She also mentions how her job formed her personality which is very interesting. She claims that it brought even some bad things upon her – she’s quite irritable and intolerant.
I was listening to it twice. Firstly, because the tram is sometimes noisy and I couldn't hear everything properly and secondly because it was very interesting and I always started to think about what she had said and I stopped to focus. But I have to say that it was very easy to understand everything they were talking about.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/find-a-castaway?q=alex&type=all)