Outlines
-Brief introduction
-The effect of globalisation on language
+:lingua franca is growing all over the world
-:linguistic diversity decreases nowadays
-The benefits of glonalisation on translation
a)Many opportunities for working in mautinational companies
b)Easier and quicker work(Because of communication technology)
-The drawbacks of globalisation on translation
a)Opportunities for translationg minor language other than English dicrease
b)The appearance of New English makes it difficult to tranlate correctly
-Conclusion
Monday 8 September 2008
Verb patterns2
Today, we tried to make short speech with different verb patterns.
Please think about who is this speaking person.
(The answer is below)
I want to inform you of my decision to go to LA.
I've told that I would never play football in England's teams except the Manchester United.
I was advised to play in famous club in Italy and Spain.
But, I decided to play in LAGallexy.
I hope I'll come back to play football in England someday.
(Ofcourse, Beckham!)
Please think about who is this speaking person.
(The answer is below)
I want to inform you of my decision to go to LA.
I've told that I would never play football in England's teams except the Manchester United.
I was advised to play in famous club in Italy and Spain.
But, I decided to play in LAGallexy.
I hope I'll come back to play football in England someday.
(Ofcourse, Beckham!)
Sunday 7 September 2008
Verb Patterns
1.Verb+to infinitive
ex: agree, decide, fail, hope, refuse
I decided to study in the U.K.
2.Verb+ing gerund
ex:admit, deny, finish
He denies stealing my money.
3.Verb+to infinitive or ing
a) little change in meaning
ex:like, prefer, continue
I prefer drinking coffee to tea.
I prefer to drink coffee to tea.
b) a change in meaning
ex:dread, remember, forget, go on, mean, try, stop
I forgot to respond your email.
I forgot living in Canada when I was 3 years old.
4.Verb+object+no infinitive
ex:let
Let him go.
5.Verb(+object)+to infinitive
ex:choose, expect, intend, want
His father expects his son to be a lawyer.
6.Verb+object+to infinitive
ex:compel, force, consider, imagine, know
The gvernment forces them to serving the army.
7.Verb(+object or genitive)+ing gerund
ex:anticipate, dislike, enjoy, risk, insist on
We anticipate the Manchester United beating the Chelsea.
8.Verb+object+ing
ex:observe, imagine
The teacher observed us studying.
9.Verb+object+no infinitive or ing with some change in meaning
ex:feel, hear, see
I hear someone knock(knocking) on the door.
ex: agree, decide, fail, hope, refuse
I decided to study in the U.K.
2.Verb+ing gerund
ex:admit, deny, finish
He denies stealing my money.
3.Verb+to infinitive or ing
a) little change in meaning
ex:like, prefer, continue
I prefer drinking coffee to tea.
I prefer to drink coffee to tea.
b) a change in meaning
ex:dread, remember, forget, go on, mean, try, stop
I forgot to respond your email.
I forgot living in Canada when I was 3 years old.
4.Verb+object+no infinitive
ex:let
Let him go.
5.Verb(+object)+to infinitive
ex:choose, expect, intend, want
His father expects his son to be a lawyer.
6.Verb+object+to infinitive
ex:compel, force, consider, imagine, know
The gvernment forces them to serving the army.
7.Verb(+object or genitive)+ing gerund
ex:anticipate, dislike, enjoy, risk, insist on
We anticipate the Manchester United beating the Chelsea.
8.Verb+object+ing
ex:observe, imagine
The teacher observed us studying.
9.Verb+object+no infinitive or ing with some change in meaning
ex:feel, hear, see
I hear someone knock(knocking) on the door.
Presentation
On Tuesday, we are going to have a presentation in class.
I summaraise the important points of presentation.
'Presentation'
1. Tell them what you are going to say=introduction
2.Then say it=main presentation
3.Then tell them what you said=summary
'Phrases'
Introduction
Good morning, everyone. My nname is..........
I'm going to talk about..........
First, I'll explain..........
Secondly,I'll describe..........
Then, I'll talk about..........
Finally, I'll show..........
Main Presentation
So, let me start by describing A.
----I have just described A so, let's go on to think about B.
As you can see B is..........
Now I'd like to move on to discussC.
Finally, last but not least it it worth talking about D.
I summaraise the important points of presentation.
'Presentation'
1. Tell them what you are going to say=introduction
2.Then say it=main presentation
3.Then tell them what you said=summary
'Phrases'
Introduction
Good morning, everyone. My nname is..........
I'm going to talk about..........
First, I'll explain..........
Secondly,I'll describe..........
Then, I'll talk about..........
Finally, I'll show..........
Main Presentation
So, let me start by describing A.
----I have just described A so, let's go on to think about B.
As you can see B is..........
Now I'd like to move on to discussC.
Finally, last but not least it it worth talking about D.
Friday 5 September 2008
My Final Essay
Summarise the main effects of globalisation and discuss to what extent they are beneficial to Applied Translation Studies
In recent years, there has been an increasing movement of globalisation all over the world. This means the expansion of interaction between many countries. Globalisation is an ongoing process, so the viewpoints about its effects are often revealed differently. Some supporters believe that it provides us with easy and convenient ways of communication. Critics, however, point out the increase in gap between the rich and the poor because of the international free trade. Although globalisation includes controversial matters, it is undeniable that the effects of globalisation spread widely on various fields such as economy, technology, science, and business. In particular, the advances in the globalisation of the economy, communication, and language are remarkable for the last several years and this change has considerable impact on translation which plays a significant part in these human interactions. This essay will consider the effect of globalisation from the standpoint of economy, communication, and language and examine how valuable they are for the translation business. The examples of the impact of globalisation will be shown and both positive and negative effects of the globalisation on
translation will be given.
With regard to the effect of globalisation on economy, the increase in cross-border corporate activities is given as one of the biggest changes all over the world. At first, it is obvious that international free trade intensifies by the effect of globalisation. Free trade is an economic theory of selling products between people without any trade barrier like taxes or quotas (BBC NEWS, 2004). It is often argued that international free trade causes the inequalities between rich countries and poor countries. However, it is no question that there are great benefits for many farmers and they can organise their own marketing and selling. Another divelopment is, the presence of multinational companies in economic. Steve Schifferes (2007) mentioned that in the post war years more and more of the global productions have been carried out by big multinational companies who operate across borders. Multinational companies, such as Unilever, TOYOTA, and Nestle, obtain huge profits by globalisation. Unilever, for instance, its sales of $45,679 million in 2000 ranked it fifty-fourth by revenues in the fortune 500 list of largest companies for that year (Geoffrey J, 2002).
Globalisation also makes it possible to communicate with people across national borders easily. Communication has two meanings: One is defined as the act of communicating with other people and the other is explained as a message sent to someone by letter, telephone, etc. (Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary). According to this definition, globalisation gives rise to two different types of communication. Firstly, it affects our face-to-face communication. Thanks to the effect of globalisation, easy and quick transport which connects with many countries facilitates easier face to face communication. It enables us to overcome the distance barrier. Secondly, globalisation provides us with better spatial communication such as e-mail, skype, and facebook. Skype, which allows users to make free calls over the internet, experienced a huge growth in user numbers during the past year and it has about 246 million registered users worldwide(BBC NEWS, 2007). In fact, improvement of communication technologies contributes to the spread of borderless communication all over the world.
With the expansion of globalisation, the need for common language (lingua franca) is growing around the world. The prospect that a lingua franca might be needed for the whole world is something which has emerged strongly only in the twentieth century, and since the 1950s in particular (Crystal D., 2003). Now English begins to be recognised as a global language and it is applied to every field of our lives. The role of an official language is today best illustrated by English, which has some kind of special status in over seventy countries, such as Ghana, India, and Singapore (Crystal D., 2003). However, linguistic diversity, especially indigenous and minority languages, disappears rapidly because of the spread of English. This leads to the loss of cultural identities and varieties. Moreover, it has a speculative concern about the future of English. As a result of the dissemination of English as a lingua franca, every people speak English in different ways because of their different territories where the language has taken root. This is known as ‘New English’. New English might cause the complexity of the original English.
As a result of the better communication facilities due to globalisation, many opportunities for translation in the international circumstances are created. With the growth of multinational companies, the demand for working for multinational companies as a translator has been increasing. Employment of translators is projected to increase 24% over the 2006-16 decades much faster than the average for all occupations (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007). In addition, the expansion of the internet and communication technologies makes it possible to do translation work easily and quickly. Today, nearly all translation work is done on a computer and most assignments are received and submitted electronically. This change reduces the burden on translators and offers smoother communication with the client across the borders. Moreover the internet provides translators with further resources of special knowledge or terminology.
On the other hand, the spread of English as a lingua franca by globalisation seems to impact translation practices negatively. Firstly, it causes the loss of varieties in translation business. It is widely believed that demand for translating English into another language and vice versa increases rapidly with globalisation. However, this does not take into account that the opportunities for translating languages other than English decreases in recent days. The United Nations (UN) was established with five official languages. There is now a widespread view of reducing the numbers of languages to cut down the translation costs (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007). Secondly, the appearance of New Englishes makes it complicated to pursue the accuracy in translation work. To translate means to adapt a text to its target culture without changing the intention of the writer, so it is nearly impossible to handle many forms of English based on hundreds of different cultural backgrouds.
On the whole, globalisation affects various fields like economy and communication and this change provides us with comfortable and innovative life. In terms of language, especially translation business, there are both positive and negative impacts on it. On one hand, it is benefcial for translators to gain more opportunities to work in an attractive environment. On the other hand, it causes the loss of translation industry for many indigenous languages. Maintaining balanced relations between common global language and other particular languages is the key to live and work in a globalised age.
(1091words)
References
Cronin M., 2003, ‘Translation and Globalization’, London, Routledge
Crystal D., 2003, ‘English as a Global Language’, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
Geoffrey J., 2002, ‘Unilever-A Case Study’, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, 9 December
Available at: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3212.html [accessed at 3 September 2008]
Giddens A., 1999, ‘Reith Lectures 1999’, BBC –Radio4-
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith1999/interview.shtml [accessed at 21 August]
Munday J., 2001, ‘Introducing TRANSLATION STUDIES’, Oxon, Routledge
O’Hagan, M. & Ashworth, D., 2002, ‘TRANSLATION-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION IN A DIGITAL WORLD’, Clevedon, Multilingual Matters Ltd
Schifferes S., 2007, ‘Globalisation shakes the world’, BBC NEWS, 21 January
Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6279679.stm [accessed at 21 August 2008]
Spence J., 2008, ‘Reith Lectures 2008: Chinese Vistas’, BBC –Radio4-
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2008/index.shtml [accessed at 7 August 2008]
U.S. Department of Labor, 2007, ‘Interpreters and Translators’, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 December
Available at: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos175.htm#emply [accessed at 4 September 2008]
2004, ‘What is Free Trade?’, BBC NEWS, 9 October
Available at: http://www.open2.net/society/international_development/bigquestion_freetrade.html [accessed at 30 August 2008]
2007, ‘3 launches new Skype mobile phone’, BBC NEWS, 29 October
Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7066271.stm [accessed at 4 September 2008]
In recent years, there has been an increasing movement of globalisation all over the world. This means the expansion of interaction between many countries. Globalisation is an ongoing process, so the viewpoints about its effects are often revealed differently. Some supporters believe that it provides us with easy and convenient ways of communication. Critics, however, point out the increase in gap between the rich and the poor because of the international free trade. Although globalisation includes controversial matters, it is undeniable that the effects of globalisation spread widely on various fields such as economy, technology, science, and business. In particular, the advances in the globalisation of the economy, communication, and language are remarkable for the last several years and this change has considerable impact on translation which plays a significant part in these human interactions. This essay will consider the effect of globalisation from the standpoint of economy, communication, and language and examine how valuable they are for the translation business. The examples of the impact of globalisation will be shown and both positive and negative effects of the globalisation on
translation will be given.
With regard to the effect of globalisation on economy, the increase in cross-border corporate activities is given as one of the biggest changes all over the world. At first, it is obvious that international free trade intensifies by the effect of globalisation. Free trade is an economic theory of selling products between people without any trade barrier like taxes or quotas (BBC NEWS, 2004). It is often argued that international free trade causes the inequalities between rich countries and poor countries. However, it is no question that there are great benefits for many farmers and they can organise their own marketing and selling. Another divelopment is, the presence of multinational companies in economic. Steve Schifferes (2007) mentioned that in the post war years more and more of the global productions have been carried out by big multinational companies who operate across borders. Multinational companies, such as Unilever, TOYOTA, and Nestle, obtain huge profits by globalisation. Unilever, for instance, its sales of $45,679 million in 2000 ranked it fifty-fourth by revenues in the fortune 500 list of largest companies for that year (Geoffrey J, 2002).
Globalisation also makes it possible to communicate with people across national borders easily. Communication has two meanings: One is defined as the act of communicating with other people and the other is explained as a message sent to someone by letter, telephone, etc. (Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary). According to this definition, globalisation gives rise to two different types of communication. Firstly, it affects our face-to-face communication. Thanks to the effect of globalisation, easy and quick transport which connects with many countries facilitates easier face to face communication. It enables us to overcome the distance barrier. Secondly, globalisation provides us with better spatial communication such as e-mail, skype, and facebook. Skype, which allows users to make free calls over the internet, experienced a huge growth in user numbers during the past year and it has about 246 million registered users worldwide(BBC NEWS, 2007). In fact, improvement of communication technologies contributes to the spread of borderless communication all over the world.
With the expansion of globalisation, the need for common language (lingua franca) is growing around the world. The prospect that a lingua franca might be needed for the whole world is something which has emerged strongly only in the twentieth century, and since the 1950s in particular (Crystal D., 2003). Now English begins to be recognised as a global language and it is applied to every field of our lives. The role of an official language is today best illustrated by English, which has some kind of special status in over seventy countries, such as Ghana, India, and Singapore (Crystal D., 2003). However, linguistic diversity, especially indigenous and minority languages, disappears rapidly because of the spread of English. This leads to the loss of cultural identities and varieties. Moreover, it has a speculative concern about the future of English. As a result of the dissemination of English as a lingua franca, every people speak English in different ways because of their different territories where the language has taken root. This is known as ‘New English’. New English might cause the complexity of the original English.
As a result of the better communication facilities due to globalisation, many opportunities for translation in the international circumstances are created. With the growth of multinational companies, the demand for working for multinational companies as a translator has been increasing. Employment of translators is projected to increase 24% over the 2006-16 decades much faster than the average for all occupations (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007). In addition, the expansion of the internet and communication technologies makes it possible to do translation work easily and quickly. Today, nearly all translation work is done on a computer and most assignments are received and submitted electronically. This change reduces the burden on translators and offers smoother communication with the client across the borders. Moreover the internet provides translators with further resources of special knowledge or terminology.
On the other hand, the spread of English as a lingua franca by globalisation seems to impact translation practices negatively. Firstly, it causes the loss of varieties in translation business. It is widely believed that demand for translating English into another language and vice versa increases rapidly with globalisation. However, this does not take into account that the opportunities for translating languages other than English decreases in recent days. The United Nations (UN) was established with five official languages. There is now a widespread view of reducing the numbers of languages to cut down the translation costs (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007). Secondly, the appearance of New Englishes makes it complicated to pursue the accuracy in translation work. To translate means to adapt a text to its target culture without changing the intention of the writer, so it is nearly impossible to handle many forms of English based on hundreds of different cultural backgrouds.
On the whole, globalisation affects various fields like economy and communication and this change provides us with comfortable and innovative life. In terms of language, especially translation business, there are both positive and negative impacts on it. On one hand, it is benefcial for translators to gain more opportunities to work in an attractive environment. On the other hand, it causes the loss of translation industry for many indigenous languages. Maintaining balanced relations between common global language and other particular languages is the key to live and work in a globalised age.
(1091words)
References
Cronin M., 2003, ‘Translation and Globalization’, London, Routledge
Crystal D., 2003, ‘English as a Global Language’, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
Geoffrey J., 2002, ‘Unilever-A Case Study’, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, 9 December
Available at: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3212.html [accessed at 3 September 2008]
Giddens A., 1999, ‘Reith Lectures 1999’, BBC –Radio4-
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith1999/interview.shtml [accessed at 21 August]
Munday J., 2001, ‘Introducing TRANSLATION STUDIES’, Oxon, Routledge
O’Hagan, M. & Ashworth, D., 2002, ‘TRANSLATION-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION IN A DIGITAL WORLD’, Clevedon, Multilingual Matters Ltd
Schifferes S., 2007, ‘Globalisation shakes the world’, BBC NEWS, 21 January
Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6279679.stm [accessed at 21 August 2008]
Spence J., 2008, ‘Reith Lectures 2008: Chinese Vistas’, BBC –Radio4-
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2008/index.shtml [accessed at 7 August 2008]
U.S. Department of Labor, 2007, ‘Interpreters and Translators’, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 December
Available at: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos175.htm#emply [accessed at 4 September 2008]
2004, ‘What is Free Trade?’, BBC NEWS, 9 October
Available at: http://www.open2.net/society/international_development/bigquestion_freetrade.html [accessed at 30 August 2008]
2007, ‘3 launches new Skype mobile phone’, BBC NEWS, 29 October
Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7066271.stm [accessed at 4 September 2008]
Monday 25 August 2008
Essay outline
Summarise the main effect of globalisation and discuss to what extent they are beneficial to your subject area.
1.Introduction
2.General effects of globalisation on lunguage
positive-to communicate smoothly with people all over the world
negative-the loss of cultural identity→the minor language will disappear
3.Advantages of globalisation for translation studies
Many opportunities are given by the effect of globalisation
e.g. multiinternational company
subtitles on a film
4.Disadvantages of globalisation for translation studies
If everyone can speak one common language, the needs for translation will decrease farther in the future
5.Conclusion
1.Introduction
2.General effects of globalisation on lunguage
positive-to communicate smoothly with people all over the world
negative-the loss of cultural identity→the minor language will disappear
3.Advantages of globalisation for translation studies
Many opportunities are given by the effect of globalisation
e.g. multiinternational company
subtitles on a film
4.Disadvantages of globalisation for translation studies
If everyone can speak one common language, the needs for translation will decrease farther in the future
5.Conclusion
Friday 22 August 2008
Useful links for my self-study
These are the useful links for the listening practice.
http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~wcl8/sacll/lectures.php
There are many lectures recorded by lecturers who have various background. And it is very helpful because there is transcript for each lecture.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith/
Jim and Steve have already shown us this website.
It's also helpful to find many kinds of lectures.
http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb062/Unit3/li_spinal/page_01.htm
We can experience the academic lectures (based on undergraduate lecture) here.
http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb063/eap/04/du4s50404.htm
It is useful and effective because there are many excercises and we can check to what extent we can understand.
http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb063/eap/03/cdu2s30103.htm
It shows how to do the note taking effectively.
http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~wcl8/sacll/lectures.php
There are many lectures recorded by lecturers who have various background. And it is very helpful because there is transcript for each lecture.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith/
Jim and Steve have already shown us this website.
It's also helpful to find many kinds of lectures.
http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb062/Unit3/li_spinal/page_01.htm
We can experience the academic lectures (based on undergraduate lecture) here.
http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb063/eap/04/du4s50404.htm
It is useful and effective because there are many excercises and we can check to what extent we can understand.
http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb063/eap/03/cdu2s30103.htm
It shows how to do the note taking effectively.
Thursday 21 August 2008
Summary of the sentences about fair trade
A. The drawback of the fair trade is that the high prices are charged for the products by some buyers and sometimes the wage is not paid fairly to the farmaers(Lee, R2002, Is Fair Trade Really Fair?, Oxford University Press).
B.It's too early to judge whether the fair trade is effective or not because there are both aspects of advantages and disadvantages and we have not seen the consequences of the fair trade moving(Montgomery, J & Smith, M2007, Fair trade matters, Penguin).
C.The fair trade brings many benefits, which higher price and profit for producers result in the improvement of the product for consumers.These are so called 'win-win situation'(Schofield, PH2008, 'Fair trade: a win win situation', Rural Studies(Elsevier), vol.2, June).
B.It's too early to judge whether the fair trade is effective or not because there are both aspects of advantages and disadvantages and we have not seen the consequences of the fair trade moving(Montgomery, J & Smith, M2007, Fair trade matters, Penguin).
C.The fair trade brings many benefits, which higher price and profit for producers result in the improvement of the product for consumers.These are so called 'win-win situation'(Schofield, PH2008, 'Fair trade: a win win situation', Rural Studies(Elsevier), vol.2, June).
Useful website for the essay of globalisation
I found some useful links for my essay.
1.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6738603.stm
It is written about the argument whether the translation should be decreased or not. And also it is metioned that the increase in translation means the growth of globalisation.
I should think about pros and cons of this statement.
2.http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/csgr/research/workingpapers/2005/wp16305.pdf
I am not sure this article is reliable or not...but this essay shows the relation between translation and globalisation exactly. It is worth reading it.
1.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6738603.stm
It is written about the argument whether the translation should be decreased or not. And also it is metioned that the increase in translation means the growth of globalisation.
I should think about pros and cons of this statement.
2.http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/csgr/research/workingpapers/2005/wp16305.pdf
I am not sure this article is reliable or not...but this essay shows the relation between translation and globalisation exactly. It is worth reading it.
Wednesday 20 August 2008
Collocations
I read the case-study of Unilever's global business.
And find the collocations by Gap maker, so I tried to write the sentence connected to my subject by using that collocations.
Collocations list
1.manufacturing facilities
2.a central pillar of the economy
3.construct economic policy
4.corporate strategy
5.economic management team
6.investment intentions
7.government policy
8.impact on -'s business
9.major businesses
10.national priorities
11.national capacity
12.indigenous capacity
13.an almost exclusively Ghanaian management
14.contributors of tax revenue
Example sentence
-The translations in the area of patent application will be the major businesses in the translation agency.
-The development of the translation tools had a strong impact on the applied translation business.
-It is important to know the corporate strategy when we translate the business documents.
And find the collocations by Gap maker, so I tried to write the sentence connected to my subject by using that collocations.
Collocations list
1.manufacturing facilities
2.a central pillar of the economy
3.construct economic policy
4.corporate strategy
5.economic management team
6.investment intentions
7.government policy
8.impact on -'s business
9.major businesses
10.national priorities
11.national capacity
12.indigenous capacity
13.an almost exclusively Ghanaian management
14.contributors of tax revenue
Example sentence
-The translations in the area of patent application will be the major businesses in the translation agency.
-The development of the translation tools had a strong impact on the applied translation business.
-It is important to know the corporate strategy when we translate the business documents.
Friday 8 August 2008
Practising concession and examples in paragraph
Topic: Shopping in supermarket
It is widely believed that shopping in supermarkets is convenient for everyone, especially the housewives. There are many choices of products and the prices of those are quite reasonable in recent days. However, there is another argument that smaller, local shops might go out of business. This is examplified by the TESCO in Holloway RD. The opening of a branch of supermarket chain, TESCO in Holloway RD, has put pressure on small shops in the area.
It is widely believed that shopping in supermarkets is convenient for everyone, especially the housewives. There are many choices of products and the prices of those are quite reasonable in recent days. However, there is another argument that smaller, local shops might go out of business. This is examplified by the TESCO in Holloway RD. The opening of a branch of supermarket chain, TESCO in Holloway RD, has put pressure on small shops in the area.
Thursday 7 August 2008
Reading 'Translation Studies'
My subject librarian recomended the book which related to my area.
I could finish reading only chapter1, but it is useful for me to know the introduction of my study area. I'll keep on reading it.
Summary of the chapter1
Translation studies is a new discipline which has been expanding in recent years. It has two main aims, one is 'Pure' and the other is 'Applied'. Pure areas of studies are divided into discriptive translation and theoretical translation. Applied includes 'translator training' , ' translation aids' and ' translation criticism'. These structured much recent research and positioned between the theory and practice of translation.
I could finish reading only chapter1, but it is useful for me to know the introduction of my study area. I'll keep on reading it.
Summary of the chapter1
Translation studies is a new discipline which has been expanding in recent years. It has two main aims, one is 'Pure' and the other is 'Applied'. Pure areas of studies are divided into discriptive translation and theoretical translation. Applied includes 'translator training' , ' translation aids' and ' translation criticism'. These structured much recent research and positioned between the theory and practice of translation.
Listening practice
I listened to the lecture from BBC.
The title is 'Englis lessons'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2008/index.shtml
Summary
The relationship between China and Western countries ,espsccially Enland and the United States are not easy. However, this interconnection has been developping the language exchange and understandings of each countries. In 1620, foreign contact with China began through the traders. At this time, the trading was controlled by the governmnt, so it was full of violence and misunderstandings. Although British people tried to learn Chinese to do the effective trade, they were forbidden from lerning it because Chinese government protected their languages. After this period, the trading language was developped. It besed on Chinese grammar and some essences of English, Portuguese, and Indian. In fact, the first English translation into Chinese was the Bible. Missionaries tried to understand Chinese way of life. After the long history of war, the relationship between China and Western countries were broken, but some Chinese still continued the relationship and keep trading. They came to Britain(sometimes illegaly). It is the origin of the people who works and live in Britain now.
The title is 'Englis lessons'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2008/index.shtml
Summary
The relationship between China and Western countries ,espsccially Enland and the United States are not easy. However, this interconnection has been developping the language exchange and understandings of each countries. In 1620, foreign contact with China began through the traders. At this time, the trading was controlled by the governmnt, so it was full of violence and misunderstandings. Although British people tried to learn Chinese to do the effective trade, they were forbidden from lerning it because Chinese government protected their languages. After this period, the trading language was developped. It besed on Chinese grammar and some essences of English, Portuguese, and Indian. In fact, the first English translation into Chinese was the Bible. Missionaries tried to understand Chinese way of life. After the long history of war, the relationship between China and Western countries were broken, but some Chinese still continued the relationship and keep trading. They came to Britain(sometimes illegaly). It is the origin of the people who works and live in Britain now.
Wednesday 6 August 2008
AWL Highlighter -Academic vocabulary-
I tried to check how many academic vocabularies included in my first introduction.
By the AWL Highlighter, 12 words were defined as academic vocabularies.
And I noticed that the words 'media' is written for many times. Next time, I'll try to avoid using same words.
Introduction
-Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in opportunities to have contact with the media such as television and internet. Specifically, the number of people with internet has risen all over the world. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark (BBC, December 3rd 2004). On the one hand, it is widely believed that people can obtain huge information quickly through media. On the other hand, however, recent research has suggested that people especially children and teenagers tend to be controlled by media images. This sometimes leads to the negative impact on their behaviors and thoughts. The first section of this essay will give an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of the media effect on our lives. It will then go on to explain the importance of media literacy and argue that how we should manage the media information.
By the AWL Highlighter, 12 words were defined as academic vocabularies.
And I noticed that the words 'media' is written for many times. Next time, I'll try to avoid using same words.
Introduction
-Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in opportunities to have contact with the media such as television and internet. Specifically, the number of people with internet has risen all over the world. The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark (BBC, December 3rd 2004). On the one hand, it is widely believed that people can obtain huge information quickly through media. On the other hand, however, recent research has suggested that people especially children and teenagers tend to be controlled by media images. This sometimes leads to the negative impact on their behaviors and thoughts. The first section of this essay will give an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of the media effect on our lives. It will then go on to explain the importance of media literacy and argue that how we should manage the media information.
Tuesday 5 August 2008
The feedback of the second seminar
summary
We had the second seminar today and discussed about crime and surveillance. At this time, we tried to discuss with all the class members on the condition that we chose three chair persons. First of all, we took the examples of surveillance systems like CCTV, biometrics and so on. And after that, the ideas of each systems were discussed. Finally, everyone had a opportunities to show our opinions of which system is the best for surveillance. Each of us had a different thoughts, but our class concluded that it is important to make the good use of each systems and think about which system is suitable for the criminal situation.
My attitude to the seminar
Before the seminar, I read the articles about the topic and looked up it on the internet. In the first seminar, I couldn't express my thoughts clearly, so I tried to speak more than before.
I think I could show my ideas better than before. And also I was a good listner. I never developped irritating habits and I listened carefully to what other people were talking about. However, the language I used was not accurate and fluent. In addition to that, I couldn't use the phrases which we practiced in the class because it was all I could do to show my opinions. More experiences and improvements are required, I think...
Preparation for the seminar 2
CCTV
-The UK has more CCTV cameras than any other country in Europe.
-Each of us is captured ,on average, 300times a day on CCTV.
-There had been a 27% fall in robbery and a 26% redution in burglary in the North-east of England over the last two years
-Billions of pounds have been spent on it , but the police doesn't know how to use the images
Biometrics
-Passport with IC tip was introduced in 2006 in Japan
-It is used for ATM, cash card, mobile phones, entrance of the office
-Finger biometric systems can be problematic for people with feint prints, or wet or dry hands.
-The UK has more CCTV cameras than any other country in Europe.
-Each of us is captured ,on average, 300times a day on CCTV.
-There had been a 27% fall in robbery and a 26% redution in burglary in the North-east of England over the last two years
-Billions of pounds have been spent on it , but the police doesn't know how to use the images
Biometrics
-Passport with IC tip was introduced in 2006 in Japan
-It is used for ATM, cash card, mobile phones, entrance of the office
-Finger biometric systems can be problematic for people with feint prints, or wet or dry hands.
Preparation for the seminar
Crime and surveillance
-What technology is available now both in Britain and elsewhere
1)biometrics(Finger print, foot print, iris)
2)CCTV
3)DNA database
4)facial recognition
5)electronic tagging
-The effect that these technologies have on crime and privacy
crime:to reduce comitting a crime
privacy:New tehnology could mean there will soon be nowhere to hide for any of us.
-The arguments for increasing or reducing the use of these technologies
・CCTV is too much
・Biometrics is useful for looking for the criminal and reducing the forgery.
-What technology is available now both in Britain and elsewhere
1)biometrics(Finger print, foot print, iris)
2)CCTV
3)DNA database
4)facial recognition
5)electronic tagging
-The effect that these technologies have on crime and privacy
crime:to reduce comitting a crime
privacy:New tehnology could mean there will soon be nowhere to hide for any of us.
-The arguments for increasing or reducing the use of these technologies
・CCTV is too much
・Biometrics is useful for looking for the criminal and reducing the forgery.
Thursday 31 July 2008
Jim's grammer exercises 1
-Fill in the blanks with appropriate form
47)monotonous
48)adaptation
49)elegance
50)excellent
51)sympathetic
52)complexion
53)remarkable
54)archaeological
55)significance
56)recognision
57)responsibility
58)computation
59)accessibility
60)appointment
61)educational
47)monotonous
48)adaptation
49)elegance
50)excellent
51)sympathetic
52)complexion
53)remarkable
54)archaeological
55)significance
56)recognision
57)responsibility
58)computation
59)accessibility
60)appointment
61)educational
Tuesday 29 July 2008
Gap fill
I tried to practice gap fill, but my score is...21%...!
I have to learn more vocabularies...
Education Gap-fill exercise
When the desks in the classroom are in straight rows and the pupils sit silently while the teacher talks and writes on the board, education is teacher-controlled.
When there are groups of tables and the pupils are facing in different directions and the teacher talks to each one in turn, education is individually-based.
In Britain, education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16. After that, it is optional; you don't have to stay!
Most schools are state-controlled. The fees are paid for out of taxation. However, some schools are private. It can cost several thousand pounds per year to send a child to one of these schools. Many are boarding establishments. This means that children live as well as study in the school premises. They eat and sleep there. Some of these schools are for girls only or boys only. These are called single-sex schools, but in recent times most parents prefer to send children of all ages to coeducational schools.
In the 1950s and 60s, teachers in Britain were usually very strict. They were permitted to beat their pupils with a cane or hit them with a slipper. Consequently, they were feared and respected, though some people did not have real respect for them.
Nowdays, school in Britain is usually more relaxed. Teachers are more liberal and spend more time giving advice to individual pupils. That is to say they play the role of consultants. Either they come to you to offer help or you can easily go to them. They are much more approachable than the teachers of the past.
However, some parents are unhappy about the new relaxed atmosphere in many schools. They prefer their children to be put under pressure. They feel that their children cannot be trusted to learn by themselves and that the teachers are failing to check that the pupils have learnt anything. Informal assessment is not sufficient. They prefer their children to be tested regularly.
These parents are often unhappy too about the way their children are put into classes. Some schools prefer to put pupils in mixed-ability groups so that the fast ones can help the slow ones, but ambitious parents usually prefer the classes to be streamed. Of course, they want their own child to be in the top group - the A-stream and certainly not the D-stream!
At Secondary School level, between the ages of 11 and 16, most classes are subject-based. For example, a 45-minute period of Mathematics is followed by a French period of similar duration.
Some Primary Schools operate a different system, They do not timetable different areas of study for 45-minute periods in the morning or afternoon. They prefer the integrated day. Not all parents like this system. They would prefer to see even small children following set periods in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
The Government has responded by making all schools follow a National Curriculum with some compulsory subjects.
I have to learn more vocabularies...
Education Gap-fill exercise
When the desks in the classroom are in straight rows and the pupils sit silently while the teacher talks and writes on the board, education is teacher-controlled.
When there are groups of tables and the pupils are facing in different directions and the teacher talks to each one in turn, education is individually-based.
In Britain, education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16. After that, it is optional; you don't have to stay!
Most schools are state-controlled. The fees are paid for out of taxation. However, some schools are private. It can cost several thousand pounds per year to send a child to one of these schools. Many are boarding establishments. This means that children live as well as study in the school premises. They eat and sleep there. Some of these schools are for girls only or boys only. These are called single-sex schools, but in recent times most parents prefer to send children of all ages to coeducational schools.
In the 1950s and 60s, teachers in Britain were usually very strict. They were permitted to beat their pupils with a cane or hit them with a slipper. Consequently, they were feared and respected, though some people did not have real respect for them.
Nowdays, school in Britain is usually more relaxed. Teachers are more liberal and spend more time giving advice to individual pupils. That is to say they play the role of consultants. Either they come to you to offer help or you can easily go to them. They are much more approachable than the teachers of the past.
However, some parents are unhappy about the new relaxed atmosphere in many schools. They prefer their children to be put under pressure. They feel that their children cannot be trusted to learn by themselves and that the teachers are failing to check that the pupils have learnt anything. Informal assessment is not sufficient. They prefer their children to be tested regularly.
These parents are often unhappy too about the way their children are put into classes. Some schools prefer to put pupils in mixed-ability groups so that the fast ones can help the slow ones, but ambitious parents usually prefer the classes to be streamed. Of course, they want their own child to be in the top group - the A-stream and certainly not the D-stream!
At Secondary School level, between the ages of 11 and 16, most classes are subject-based. For example, a 45-minute period of Mathematics is followed by a French period of similar duration.
Some Primary Schools operate a different system, They do not timetable different areas of study for 45-minute periods in the morning or afternoon. They prefer the integrated day. Not all parents like this system. They would prefer to see even small children following set periods in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
The Government has responded by making all schools follow a National Curriculum with some compulsory subjects.
Sunday 27 July 2008
Summary of the seminar (25/07/08)
On Friday, we had a first seminar about media.
Our group consists of seven members and discussed about the topic.
-summary-
We discussed about three points which the text suggests as a task.
First of all, we talked about 'television viewing habits'.Each of the members introduced the research of their country's habits. After the few minutes' discussion, we found the common problems of TV viewing habits of children. Recently, the children tend to spend too much time on watching TV. That's because they have little opportunities to play outside and the lack of communications with their friends and family. Then, we moved on to the next points about 'television images'.We all agree with the opinion that television influence on the young people.And it depends on the case whether the influence is good or bad. And the last discussion is that 'the future for television and television viewers'. The importance of media literacy is the same idea among all members. We suggested the children should be taught the media literacy in school.
-In my point of view-
The habits of viewing television are different from each country, but the problems about the television and media are quite similar to all the countries in which the members came from. I think the television will be taken place of by the internet in the near future. However we should be more attentive about the internet because of its passive aspects.
-My attitude to the seminar-
I tried to be talkative and did my best. However, it was not enough. Next time, I'll try to express my ideas (not only the agreement with others but the opinions of my own.)
And we should be more careful of time management.
Our group consists of seven members and discussed about the topic.
-summary-
We discussed about three points which the text suggests as a task.
First of all, we talked about 'television viewing habits'.Each of the members introduced the research of their country's habits. After the few minutes' discussion, we found the common problems of TV viewing habits of children. Recently, the children tend to spend too much time on watching TV. That's because they have little opportunities to play outside and the lack of communications with their friends and family. Then, we moved on to the next points about 'television images'.We all agree with the opinion that television influence on the young people.And it depends on the case whether the influence is good or bad. And the last discussion is that 'the future for television and television viewers'. The importance of media literacy is the same idea among all members. We suggested the children should be taught the media literacy in school.
-In my point of view-
The habits of viewing television are different from each country, but the problems about the television and media are quite similar to all the countries in which the members came from. I think the television will be taken place of by the internet in the near future. However we should be more attentive about the internet because of its passive aspects.
-My attitude to the seminar-
I tried to be talkative and did my best. However, it was not enough. Next time, I'll try to express my ideas (not only the agreement with others but the opinions of my own.)
And we should be more careful of time management.
The preparation for seminar
1.Television viewing habits around the world
'How much TVpeople watch'
-In Japan, children (especially primary school and junior high school) get in touch with media(TV,video,game) for 1825 hours.
-Japanese spend the longest time on watching TV all over the world.
-They watch television about 4 hours on weekday and 5 hours on weekend.
'The kinds of programmes people watch'
-In Japan, comedy is the most popular programme.
-Also, the sports programme is still popular among wide age.
'How television viewing habits have changed in the last 20 years'
-'The Nintendo Wii','cell phone','internet' these stuffs are taking the place of television.
'The positive/negative effects'
positive:-To get latest information visually and aurally.
-To have the same time with family.
negative:-Celebrity culture negatively impacted the aspiration of the pupils.
(Try to look like celebrities and dressed in unsuitable styles.)
-The understanding of TV contents differ depending on the media riteracy of each person.
2.Television images
'Does reality TV show reality?'
-In Japan, sometimes even the reality TV programme was intentionally-fabricated.
'Who cotrols the images we see on TV?'
-The creator of TV programme
-By ourselves
3.The future for television and television viewers
'How important is media riteracy?'
-It is important for children to acquire the ability to distinguish whether the information is effective or not.
'What should the main purpose of TV be?'
-To entertain
'How do you think TV will develop over the next twenty years?'
-Corneal TV ( Using corneal as a screen)
'How much TVpeople watch'
-In Japan, children (especially primary school and junior high school) get in touch with media(TV,video,game) for 1825 hours.
-Japanese spend the longest time on watching TV all over the world.
-They watch television about 4 hours on weekday and 5 hours on weekend.
'The kinds of programmes people watch'
-In Japan, comedy is the most popular programme.
-Also, the sports programme is still popular among wide age.
'How television viewing habits have changed in the last 20 years'
-'The Nintendo Wii','cell phone','internet' these stuffs are taking the place of television.
'The positive/negative effects'
positive:-To get latest information visually and aurally.
-To have the same time with family.
negative:-Celebrity culture negatively impacted the aspiration of the pupils.
(Try to look like celebrities and dressed in unsuitable styles.)
-The understanding of TV contents differ depending on the media riteracy of each person.
2.Television images
'Does reality TV show reality?'
-In Japan, sometimes even the reality TV programme was intentionally-fabricated.
'Who cotrols the images we see on TV?'
-The creator of TV programme
-By ourselves
3.The future for television and television viewers
'How important is media riteracy?'
-It is important for children to acquire the ability to distinguish whether the information is effective or not.
'What should the main purpose of TV be?'
-To entertain
'How do you think TV will develop over the next twenty years?'
-Corneal TV ( Using corneal as a screen)
Wednesday 16 July 2008
New vocabulary
Yesterday, we had the end of month exam.
From the exam, I found some unknown words.
New vocabulary
1.inspection
a)an official visit to a building or organization to check that everything is legal
b)noun
c)NIKE has a standard rule of inspection.
2.scepticism
a)when you doubt that something is true or useful
b)noun
c)I had scepticism about my boss.
3.concede
a)to admit that something is true, even though you do not want to
b)verb
c)We have to concede our defeat.
From the exam, I found some unknown words.
New vocabulary
1.inspection
a)an official visit to a building or organization to check that everything is legal
b)noun
c)NIKE has a standard rule of inspection.
2.scepticism
a)when you doubt that something is true or useful
b)noun
c)I had scepticism about my boss.
3.concede
a)to admit that something is true, even though you do not want to
b)verb
c)We have to concede our defeat.
Sunday 13 July 2008
Practice of translation
I tried to translate BBC article into Japanese for my subject study.
Sorry to write Japanese.
To Japanese students,
If you read this, please give me a comment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/07/080711_mexico_china.shtml
メキシコのCalderon大統領は中国を訪れ、両国の経済協力を助長するようはたらきかけた。メキシコは多くのラテンアメリカ国家と違い、近年中国経済の急速な成長の恩恵を受けていないのである。ラテンアメリカ解説者であるJames Painter氏に詳細を聞いた。
「アルゼンチン、ブラジル、ペルー、チリでは大豆・鉄鉱石・銅・その他金属などの産物を数多く中国へ輸出したことで近年の経済は急速に成長した。しかし、メキシコは靴や服など、特に中国と同じような製品をアメリカ市場に供給しているため中国との経済競争に苦しんでいる。 実は、メキシコでは中国との国交はチャンスではなく脅威であるという見方が多い。中国では労働賃金が安いため、メキシコの組み立て産業は中国に取って代わられ、その分の外国投資の損失が指摘されているのである。また、中国との貿易赤字は２００億以上となっている。
Sorry to write Japanese.
To Japanese students,
If you read this, please give me a comment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/07/080711_mexico_china.shtml
メキシコのCalderon大統領は中国を訪れ、両国の経済協力を助長するようはたらきかけた。メキシコは多くのラテンアメリカ国家と違い、近年中国経済の急速な成長の恩恵を受けていないのである。ラテンアメリカ解説者であるJames Painter氏に詳細を聞いた。
「アルゼンチン、ブラジル、ペルー、チリでは大豆・鉄鉱石・銅・その他金属などの産物を数多く中国へ輸出したことで近年の経済は急速に成長した。しかし、メキシコは靴や服など、特に中国と同じような製品をアメリカ市場に供給しているため中国との経済競争に苦しんでいる。 実は、メキシコでは中国との国交はチャンスではなく脅威であるという見方が多い。中国では労働賃金が安いため、メキシコの組み立て産業は中国に取って代わられ、その分の外国投資の損失が指摘されているのである。また、中国との貿易赤字は２００億以上となっている。
Saturday 12 July 2008
BBC Learning English
I read and listen the article BBC from BBC Learning English.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/07/080711_mexico_china.shtml
New vocabulary
a)meaning b)part of speech c)example sentence
1.boost:
a)to increase or improve something
b)verb
c)I have to boost my English vocabulary
2.boomed
a)grown rapidly
b)verb
c)The economy of China has boomed in recent years.
3.assembly industries
a)businesses where workers and machines in factories make products
b)noun
c)The most famous assembly industries in Japan are cars.
4.deficit
a) the money that you spend is more than the money that you receive
b)noun
c)He has a lot of deficit.
5.meagre
a)not enough in amount
b)adjective
c)My savings are meager to live comfortably in the U.K.
6.burgeoning
a)growing very quickly
b)adjective
c)Burgeoning economy in China causes some problems in South America.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/07/080711_mexico_china.shtml
New vocabulary
a)meaning b)part of speech c)example sentence
1.boost:
a)to increase or improve something
b)verb
c)I have to boost my English vocabulary
2.boomed
a)grown rapidly
b)verb
c)The economy of China has boomed in recent years.
3.assembly industries
a)businesses where workers and machines in factories make products
b)noun
c)The most famous assembly industries in Japan are cars.
4.deficit
a) the money that you spend is more than the money that you receive
b)noun
c)He has a lot of deficit.
5.meagre
a)not enough in amount
b)adjective
c)My savings are meager to live comfortably in the U.K.
6.burgeoning
a)growing very quickly
b)adjective
c)Burgeoning economy in China causes some problems in South America.
Monday 7 July 2008
Reading and listening about Wimbledon
Yesterday,I went to see the tennis match in Wimbledon.
It was the most excited game I've ever seen!
I read the article about Wimbledon and also tried to listen the sports news on BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7492520.stm
New vocabulary
a)meaning b)part of speech c)example sentence
1.arguabuly:
a)possibly
b)adverb
c)Rafael Nadal is arguably the best tennis player in the world.
2.timid:
a)shy, frightened
b)adjective
c)Federer was timid in the first set.
3.nail-biting:
a)thrilling
b)adjective
c)The final match is so nail-biting.
Summary
Men's singles final match was one of the most impressive game in the history of Wimbledon.
Federer and Nadal were both playing quite well. But, Federer was a little bit nervous in the first two sets compared to Nadal who kept his pace throughout the whole sets. It is curious to see how Federer recovers from his defeat. We may see both of them in a Wimbledon final next year,too.
It was the most excited game I've ever seen!
I read the article about Wimbledon and also tried to listen the sports news on BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7492520.stm
New vocabulary
a)meaning b)part of speech c)example sentence
1.arguabuly:
a)possibly
b)adverb
c)Rafael Nadal is arguably the best tennis player in the world.
2.timid:
a)shy, frightened
b)adjective
c)Federer was timid in the first set.
3.nail-biting:
a)thrilling
b)adjective
c)The final match is so nail-biting.
Summary
Men's singles final match was one of the most impressive game in the history of Wimbledon.
Federer and Nadal were both playing quite well. But, Federer was a little bit nervous in the first two sets compared to Nadal who kept his pace throughout the whole sets. It is curious to see how Federer recovers from his defeat. We may see both of them in a Wimbledon final next year,too.
Saturday 5 July 2008
Useful Website
I chose these three website for my self-study.
1.http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml
This website include business vocabulary and also grammar. As I'll study business translation from September in my Masters' course, it is useful for me to know business words and phrases. In addition, there are many programme such as listening, exams.
2. http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
Our class tries to write a research report now. This website shows exactly how to write an academic sentences and phrases. From this site, we can learn various ways of expressing academic sentence.
3. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/mba/podcasts/
This is very interesting and convenient for the people studying business subject or MBA.
We can take a lecture of many famous business teacher or analyst by reading or listening their materials.We can also download the text. For me, it is useful to know many fields such as economics, finance, marketing, and management.
1.http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml
This website include business vocabulary and also grammar. As I'll study business translation from September in my Masters' course, it is useful for me to know business words and phrases. In addition, there are many programme such as listening, exams.
2. http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
Our class tries to write a research report now. This website shows exactly how to write an academic sentences and phrases. From this site, we can learn various ways of expressing academic sentence.
3. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/mba/podcasts/
This is very interesting and convenient for the people studying business subject or MBA.
We can take a lecture of many famous business teacher or analyst by reading or listening their materials.We can also download the text. For me, it is useful to know many fields such as economics, finance, marketing, and management.
Friday 4 July 2008
Expressing differences and similarities
Japan has many eating manners which are allowed in other countries. For example, tapping on table before eating and resting our elbows on table when eating are both considered to be bad manners, whereas it is no problem in some countries like Thailand. However, slurping noodles is not impolite (only Japanese noodles).This is in contrast to Thailand, where slurping noodles is not allowed irrespective of noodle's type.
Tuesday 1 July 2008
Today's homework(01/07/2008)
Today,we trialled our research questions in international London Met pre-sessional students.
From the result, I found four interesting and important feature.
1.Almost all the students want to be married in the future regardless of nationality/culture.
2.Nearly 85% of the students think personality is most important when he/she choose their partner.
3.Japanese tend to choose the different answers with the individual though they have a same cultural back ground.
4. Nobody think he/she doesn't want to have a child.
From the result, I found four interesting and important feature.
1.Almost all the students want to be married in the future regardless of nationality/culture.
2.Nearly 85% of the students think personality is most important when he/she choose their partner.
3.Japanese tend to choose the different answers with the individual though they have a same cultural back ground.
4. Nobody think he/she doesn't want to have a child.
Monday 30 June 2008
Research Question
We want to find out if International LondonMet students have different ideas about marriage and children depending on their culture/nationality.
1.Where are you from?
2.Which status do you prefer to be?
a)single b)married c)live someone without wedlock d)have no idea
3.How old do you want to be married?
a)18-21 b)22-25 c)26-29 d)30-
4.Where do you want to hold your wedding?
a)church b)hotel c)home d)others
5.How many children do you want to have?
a)one b)two c)three d) more than five e) No
6.What do you think your husband/wife should be?
a)good-looking b)rich c)high education d)emotion e)personality f)others
7.How much do you want to spend your wedding?
a)less than ￡2000
b)￡2000-￡4000
c)￡4000-￡5000
d)more than ￡5000
8.What do you think about who had a child /children out of wedlock?
a)Good b)It's OK c)Bad
a)It was difficult to express in sentence what we want to know.
b)I think 2 and 8 is still ambiguous in some grammatical problems.
c)I want to add this question in Q2.
- If you choose a.single as the answer, Why do you prefer to be single?
1.Where are you from?
2.Which status do you prefer to be?
a)single b)married c)live someone without wedlock d)have no idea
3.How old do you want to be married?
a)18-21 b)22-25 c)26-29 d)30-
4.Where do you want to hold your wedding?
a)church b)hotel c)home d)others
5.How many children do you want to have?
a)one b)two c)three d) more than five e) No
6.What do you think your husband/wife should be?
a)good-looking b)rich c)high education d)emotion e)personality f)others
7.How much do you want to spend your wedding?
a)less than ￡2000
b)￡2000-￡4000
c)￡4000-￡5000
d)more than ￡5000
8.What do you think about who had a child /children out of wedlock?
a)Good b)It's OK c)Bad
a)It was difficult to express in sentence what we want to know.
b)I think 2 and 8 is still ambiguous in some grammatical problems.
c)I want to add this question in Q2.
- If you choose a.single as the answer, Why do you prefer to be single?
Helen's homework and new vocabulary1
Helen gave us the article from 'METRO'.
It was '60second interview'.
I guessed the hidden question by reading the answer.
My guess
a)what kind of story does your new novel develop?
Does it seem a catalogue of atrocities?
b)Why did you choose to write a book than film scripts?
c)When do you usually write your novel?
d)What did you do or buy by your first income?
e)Before you work as a writer,what did you do?And how was that?
f)How is your next biopic?
g)What kind of person is she(Courtney Love)?
h)Has the casting already decided?
i)Are you happy with the casting?
j)Was it hard to make the movie 'TROY'?
k)What do you think about your works turned out to be a film?
l)What do you want if you can get anything you want?
New vocabulary
I write down 1)meaning 2)part of speech 3)example sentence.
atrocity:
1)a cruel and violent act(especially used in a war)
2)noun
3)'Black Hawk Down' was the film of atrocities.
bachelor:
1)a man who doesn't get married.
2)noun
3)He must be a bachelor because he is quite odd.
bouncer:
1)someone who is responsible for not to having a trouble among the visitors in the bar or club.
2)noun
3)I used to work as a bouncer in Piccadilly Circus.
swanky:
1)informal,fashionable,expensive,stylish
2)adjective
3)'Daikanyama' is the swanky place in Tokyo.
skull:
1)the bones of the head
2)noun
3)He was hit by a car and broken his skull.
booze:
1)alcohol drink(informal words)
2)noun
3)Giving booze is the best way to peasuade the troublemaker in the club.
biopics:
1) a film which is based on someone's life and achievement
2)noun
3)'Anne Frank' is one of the most famous biopics.
mess up:
1)spoil something or someone's good behavior
2)verb
3)I don't want to mess up his efforts.
It was '60second interview'.
I guessed the hidden question by reading the answer.
My guess
a)what kind of story does your new novel develop?
Does it seem a catalogue of atrocities?
b)Why did you choose to write a book than film scripts?
c)When do you usually write your novel?
d)What did you do or buy by your first income?
e)Before you work as a writer,what did you do?And how was that?
f)How is your next biopic?
g)What kind of person is she(Courtney Love)?
h)Has the casting already decided?
i)Are you happy with the casting?
j)Was it hard to make the movie 'TROY'?
k)What do you think about your works turned out to be a film?
l)What do you want if you can get anything you want?
New vocabulary
I write down 1)meaning 2)part of speech 3)example sentence.
atrocity:
1)a cruel and violent act(especially used in a war)
2)noun
3)'Black Hawk Down' was the film of atrocities.
bachelor:
1)a man who doesn't get married.
2)noun
3)He must be a bachelor because he is quite odd.
bouncer:
1)someone who is responsible for not to having a trouble among the visitors in the bar or club.
2)noun
3)I used to work as a bouncer in Piccadilly Circus.
swanky:
1)informal,fashionable,expensive,stylish
2)adjective
3)'Daikanyama' is the swanky place in Tokyo.
skull:
1)the bones of the head
2)noun
3)He was hit by a car and broken his skull.
booze:
1)alcohol drink(informal words)
2)noun
3)Giving booze is the best way to peasuade the troublemaker in the club.
biopics:
1) a film which is based on someone's life and achievement
2)noun
3)'Anne Frank' is one of the most famous biopics.
mess up:
1)spoil something or someone's good behavior
2)verb
3)I don't want to mess up his efforts.
Sunday 29 June 2008
Reading -SQ3R-
I read this article from BBC NEWS by using SQ3R technique.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7155939.stm
My question
1)What is the main issue of this trial?
2)Why did the court rule against pub TV appeal?
Recite
The court has ruled against pub TV appeal because the official broadcasting company has the right to broadcast the football matches. It has been decided in U.K law. However, it relates to other European country which provides the football match programme through the satellite.
So, the court also has to think about other European law. That's why it is difficult to draw the judgement on this case.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7155939.stm
My question
1)What is the main issue of this trial?
2)Why did the court rule against pub TV appeal?
Recite
The court has ruled against pub TV appeal because the official broadcasting company has the right to broadcast the football matches. It has been decided in U.K law. However, it relates to other European country which provides the football match programme through the satellite.
So, the court also has to think about other European law. That's why it is difficult to draw the judgement on this case.
Friday 27 June 2008
Gap maker
Helen's homework
I found this article from BBC online and try 'Gapmaker'.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7474951.stm
Gap File produced at level 3
Is this the new age of the train?
With motorists facing rising fuel prices and rail companies reporting growing passenger numbers, are we entering a golden age for public transport in the UK?
Rail and bus firm Stagecoach declared a "fundamental shift" in attitudes to public transport when it announced a rise in profits this week.
Last year, the National Road Traffic Survey recorded its first drop in car use since it began its annual study.
But the "two rails good, four wheels bad" theory might not necessarily hold for those who have suffered rising prices and disruption on mainline services.
Road or rail?
Motoring organisation the AA found that more than a third of 17,500 surveyed members had made a decision to start leaving their cars at home.
Many of these, it appears, are getting on the train instead - with passenger numbers up by 40% in the last decade. More people are now travelling by train than at any other time since 1946.
Four in five are satisfied with the service, according to one survey, but lack of speed, overcrowding and difficulties for those not on mainline routes are regular gripes during discussions led by local authorities.
Numbers are expected to grow by another 30% in the next 10 years, but people are going to have to pay more for the privilege.
Independent rail passenger watchdog Passenger Focus hit out at the rail companies in January for "inflation-busting" fare rises.
Government-capped fares went up by 4.8%, but rail operators put prices up by more than 9% in other areas - mostly for turn-up-and-pay tickets.
Government policy is also steered towards making fare-payers carry more of the burden in the future, so taxpayers can pay less to subsidise the service.
Meanwhile, Stagecoach - saying there is growing public concern about congestion and climate change - is benefiting from the boost in popularity in trains and buses.
Its pre-tax profits for the year to 30 April rose from £162m to £174m, as sales increased by 16% to £1.76bn.
The operator of South Western and East Midlands Trains said the UK rail sector was undergoing a "renaissance" due to increased demand, investment and more effective marketing.
Similarly, another operator, the Go-Ahead Group, said rising petrol prices meant it was likely to beat profit expectations.
And most recently Arriva, which runs 13,000 buses and trains, said in its outlook for the year that its first-half revenue would increase by more than 50%. It highlighted strong growth in its UK bus division, including more passengers in the regions.
On your bike
One union leader called for the increased profits to be spent on better customer service and safety.
Reacting to the Stagecoach results, Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: "People want to see more staff on stations, not fewer, and it is time for the government to stop rail privateers milking ever-bigger profits out of what should be a public service and not a cash cow."
There have also been concerns raised about the state of the infrastructure, most notably engineering work on the West Coast Main Line, where there are plans for more services between London and Manchester.
It also remains likely that drivers will jump back in their cars if the price of petrol starts to fall.
Those switching vehicles because of environmental concerns might look to expanding tram systems in some UK cities.
Nexus, which runs the Tyne and Wear Metro rail system, said there had been a "surge" in annual season ticket sales since 1 April, despite a 6.5% rise in fares.
Manchester and Nottingham both have the carrot of tram systems, in addition to the stick of planned new congestion or car parking levy schemes.
But, of course, drivers might turn away from motorised vehicles - including public transport - altogether.
"We have definitely noticed an increase in buyers in the last few weeks mentioning it [the rising fuel price] as a factor in their decision to buy a bike," says Patrick Trainor from Evans Cycles, the UK's biggest independent bike retailer.
"People who wouldn't previously have considered buying a bike realise it now makes financial sense, particularly at the cheaper end of bikes.
"Because petrol prices are going up, it can cost £50 to fill up a tank. So people are finding they can buy a bike for the equivalent of a month's worth of petrol."
I found this article from BBC online and try 'Gapmaker'.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7474951.stm
Gap File produced at level 3
Is this the new age of the train?
With motorists facing rising fuel prices and rail companies reporting growing passenger numbers, are we entering a golden age for public transport in the UK?
Rail and bus firm Stagecoach declared a "fundamental shift" in attitudes to public transport when it announced a rise in profits this week.
Last year, the National Road Traffic Survey recorded its first drop in car use since it began its annual study.
But the "two rails good, four wheels bad" theory might not necessarily hold for those who have suffered rising prices and disruption on mainline services.
Road or rail?
Motoring organisation the AA found that more than a third of 17,500 surveyed members had made a decision to start leaving their cars at home.
Many of these, it appears, are getting on the train instead - with passenger numbers up by 40% in the last decade. More people are now travelling by train than at any other time since 1946.
Four in five are satisfied with the service, according to one survey, but lack of speed, overcrowding and difficulties for those not on mainline routes are regular gripes during discussions led by local authorities.
Numbers are expected to grow by another 30% in the next 10 years, but people are going to have to pay more for the privilege.
Independent rail passenger watchdog Passenger Focus hit out at the rail companies in January for "inflation-busting" fare rises.
Government-capped fares went up by 4.8%, but rail operators put prices up by more than 9% in other areas - mostly for turn-up-and-pay tickets.
Government policy is also steered towards making fare-payers carry more of the burden in the future, so taxpayers can pay less to subsidise the service.
Meanwhile, Stagecoach - saying there is growing public concern about congestion and climate change - is benefiting from the boost in popularity in trains and buses.
Its pre-tax profits for the year to 30 April rose from £162m to £174m, as sales increased by 16% to £1.76bn.
The operator of South Western and East Midlands Trains said the UK rail sector was undergoing a "renaissance" due to increased demand, investment and more effective marketing.
Similarly, another operator, the Go-Ahead Group, said rising petrol prices meant it was likely to beat profit expectations.
And most recently Arriva, which runs 13,000 buses and trains, said in its outlook for the year that its first-half revenue would increase by more than 50%. It highlighted strong growth in its UK bus division, including more passengers in the regions.
On your bike
One union leader called for the increased profits to be spent on better customer service and safety.
Reacting to the Stagecoach results, Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: "People want to see more staff on stations, not fewer, and it is time for the government to stop rail privateers milking ever-bigger profits out of what should be a public service and not a cash cow."
There have also been concerns raised about the state of the infrastructure, most notably engineering work on the West Coast Main Line, where there are plans for more services between London and Manchester.
It also remains likely that drivers will jump back in their cars if the price of petrol starts to fall.
Those switching vehicles because of environmental concerns might look to expanding tram systems in some UK cities.
Nexus, which runs the Tyne and Wear Metro rail system, said there had been a "surge" in annual season ticket sales since 1 April, despite a 6.5% rise in fares.
Manchester and Nottingham both have the carrot of tram systems, in addition to the stick of planned new congestion or car parking levy schemes.
But, of course, drivers might turn away from motorised vehicles - including public transport - altogether.
"We have definitely noticed an increase in buyers in the last few weeks mentioning it [the rising fuel price] as a factor in their decision to buy a bike," says Patrick Trainor from Evans Cycles, the UK's biggest independent bike retailer.
"People who wouldn't previously have considered buying a bike realise it now makes financial sense, particularly at the cheaper end of bikes.
"Because petrol prices are going up, it can cost £50 to fill up a tank. So people are finding they can buy a bike for the equivalent of a month's worth of petrol."
important collocation/phrases
i.rising fuel prices
ii.fundamental shift
iii.getting on a train
iv.in attitudes to
v.inflation busting
vi.made a decision
vii.a decision to buy a bike
summary
Because of the rising fuel prices, a fundamental shift in attitudes to bus or trains was happened.People become to get on a train more than before. As numbers of passengers are increasing, they have to pay more fare for the inflation busting. On the other hand, numbers of people who made a decision to buy a bike are getting increased.People find it more efficient to buy a bike than filling up a tank with fuel.
Thursday 26 June 2008
Today's homework(25/06/2008)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6294643.stmI wonder if the students from other countries think they should learn the citizenship through the school education.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)