English Course

Beauty and the Beast

2011-05-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a merchant who lived with his three daughters. One day before going to the market, he asked each of his three daughters what they would like as a gift on his return. The first daughter replied a brocade dress, the second asked for a pearl necklace, but the youngest and prettiest of all, whose name was Beauty said to her father "All I'd like is a rose you've picked specially for me!"

After finishing the work the merchant set off for home. However, a sudden storm blew up, and his horse lost his way in the howling gale. The merchant now had lost all hope of reaching a safe place to stay for a while. Suddenly he noticed a bright light shining right in the middle of a wood. As he went nearer, he saw lightening palace.

"I hope to could get some shelter there for the night," he said to himself. When he reached the door, he found it open, but still he asked ‘Is there anyone’, but there was no reply. He slowly went inside. On the dinning table a splendid dinner was ready to be served. The merchant still shouted for the owner of the castle. But no one came, and so the starving merchant sat down to have the meal.

After having the delicious meal, he went upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent rooms and halls. Fire was burning in the first room and a soft bed looked very inviting. It was quite late so the merchant could not resist and he went to sleep. Next morning when he woke up, an unknown hand had placed a cup of coffee and some fruits bedsides him.

The merchant after having breakfast went downstairs to thank the person who provided tea and fruits to him. But he could not find anyone so he went towards the garden where he had left his horse. There he saw a large rose bush. He remembered his promise to Beauty so he bent down to pick the rose. All of a sudden a horrible Beast appeared from the rose garden. The angry Beast shouted at him, "Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter and food and you are plucking my favorite flowers. Now I shall put you to death for this slight!"

The merchant fell on his feet and asked him to forgive him. He further clarified that the rose was not for him but for his daughter Beauty. The Beast thought for a while and said, "I shall spare your life, but for this you have to bring me your daughter!" the merchant was so terrified that merchant he promised that Beast to do so.

When the merchant reached home, his three daughters ran to greet him. But they were quite surprised to see him crying. Why are you crying father said the eldest daughter? So he told them of his dreadful journey, Beauty immediately replied that I can do anything for you father so you don't worry. The merchant hugged his daughter and then they both went towards the palace.

The Beast welcomed Beauty graciously, which was quite surprising. Beauty was frightened of the Beast in the beginning but day by day her horror was gradually fading. She was given one of the finest rooms in the palace. She sat for hours, embroidering in front of the fire. And the Beast would sit, for hours on the other end observing her. Soon little conversation started between Beauty and the Beast. Days passed, and Beauty and the Beast became good friends.

One fine day, the Beast asked the girl to be his wife. Beauty didn’t know what to say. Instead of marrying such an ugly Beast I would rather die, she said to herself. But at the same time she didn’t wanted to hurt Beast. "I really can't say yes," she began shakily. "I'd so much like to..." The Beast interrupted and said its ok! Life went on as usual.

One day, the Beast presented Beauty with a magnificent magic mirror. When Beauty peeped into it, she could see her family, far away. "You won't feel so lonely now," said the Beast. Beauty stared for hours at her distant family. She became quite worried and kept weeping for her family. The Beast saw her crying so he asked "What's wrong? So she told that "My father is very ill and close to dying. I wish I could see him again, before it's too late!"

But the Beast only shook its head and went away. After sometime, he returned back and said “If you promise to return back in seven days then you can go to see your father!". Beauty replied “I swear! I swear and she went to her fathers house. Everyone at home was happy to find her back especially her father. She told them about the kindness of Beast. Soon her father also recovered from illness. Beauty was happy at last. However, she had failed to notice that seven days had already passed.

One night she saw a terrible dream that the Beast was dying and calling her in great agony. She rushed to the palace; the Beast was in the garden his eyes were shut as if he is dead. Beauty threw hugged him tightly. Don't die! I'll marry you . . ." these magical words turned the ugly Beast's into a handsome young man.

“I've been waiting for this moment since a long time, he said. Then he told his story to Beauty that an evil witch turned him into a monster. The witch had told that the true love of a woman who will accept me as I am, could transform me back into my real self. I am so glad to have you in my life.

Soon Beauty and the Beast married each other and lived happily forever.

Cinderella

2011-05-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Her step mother never gave her good clothes to wear, good food to eat and any time for rest. Her life was very miserable. She worked hard all day. Only in the evening she was allowed to sit near the cinders, for a while. That’s why everybody called her Cinderella.

One fine morning, an announcement was made in the town. It was about the ball dance to be held in the palace. The step mother and her daughters became very excited for the ball dance. They purchased new gowns, new shoes and new jewelries for the function. When Cinderella heard about it she also wanted to go there but she didn’t have the guts to ask her stepmother.

She went back to her room and started crying on her destiny. She was missing her mother very much when suddenly a fairy appeared in front of her. Don't worry Cinderella, said the fairy. I know you want to go to the ball dance. And so you shall... But how can I, asked Cinderella.

The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic stick Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever seen with lovely shoes and jewelries. The fairy also brought a sparkling coach for Cinderella to reach the palace. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes. She was very happy. Cinderella thanked the fairy and went towards the palace.

When she entered the palace she was very surprised to see it so beautifully decorated. She met people around, danced and enjoyed a lot at the ball. Soon the prince and the king entered the hall. Everyone stopped dancing. They wanted to meet the prince, but... but the prince was finding someone lese in the huge crowd. He was finding his princess of dreams. He saw Cinderella standing far off near the stairs; the prince went towards Cinderella and offered her to dance with him. Both of then danced together for a long time. It seemed as if the prince was in love with Cinderella.

Now it was half night, Cinderella had to return back home before her stepmother and sisters returned. She remembered what the fairy had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the Prince’s arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her shoes, but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up!

The Prince who was now madly in love with her picked up the shoes and asked his ministers to go and search for the girl. I will never be content until I find her!”

So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of every girl in the town but were not successful. When they reached Cinderella’s home, her sisters too tried to wear the shoes but unluckily they failed. The shoes didn’t fit anyone of them. Cinderella was standing nearby, the ministers asked her to try the shoe as well. Her sisters laughed at this. When Cinderella wore the shoe it fitted perfectly. Everyone was surprised to see that. The prince also reached there, he was happy to find her dream girl. He took Cinderella to his palace and soon they got married.

Cinderella begins a happy life with the prince…..

Text Types

2011-05-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Based on generic structure and language feature dominantly used, texts are divided into several types.
They are narrative, recount, descriptive, report, explanation, analytical exposition, hortatory exposition, procedure, discussion, review, anecdote, spoof, and news item.

These variations are known as GENRES or KINDS of TEXT

NARRATIVE
Purpose: To amuse/entertain the readers and to tell a story
Generic Structure:
1. Orientation
2. Complication
3. Resolution
4. Reorientation
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using Past Tense
2. Using action verb
3. Chronologically arranged

RECOUNT
Purpose: to retell something that happened in the past and to tell a series of past event
Generic Structure:
1. Orientation
2. Event(s)
3. Reorientation
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using Past Tense
2. Using action verb
3. Using adjectives
Narrative and recount in some ways are similar. Both are telling something in the past so narrative and recount usually apply PAST TENSE; whether Simple Past Tense, Simple Past Continuous Tense, or Past Perfect Tense. The ways narrative and recount told are in chronological order using time or place. Commonly narrative text is found in story book; myth, fable, folklore, etc while recount text is found in biography.
The thing that makes narrative and recount different is the structure in which they are constructed. Narrative uses conflicts among the participants whether natural conflict, social conflict or psychological conflict. In some ways narrative text combines all these conflicts. In the contrary, we do not find these conflicts inside recount text. Recount applies series of event as the basic structure

DESCRIPTIVE
Purpose: to describe a particular person, place or thing in detail.
Dominant Generic Structure:
1. Identification
2. Description
Language Features:
1. Using Simple Present Tense
2. Using action verb
3. Using adverb
4. Using special technical terms

REPORT
Purpose: to presents information about something, as it is.
Generic Structure
1. General classification
2. Description
Dominant Language Feature
1. Introducing group or general aspect
2. Using conditional logical connection
3. Using Simple Present Tense

EXPLANATION
Purpose: To explain the processes involved in the formation or working of natural or socio-cultural phenomena.
Generic Structure:
1. General statement
2. Explanation
3. Closing
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using Simple Present Tense
2. Using action verbs
3. Using passive voice
4. Using noun phrase
5. Using adverbial phrase
6. Using technical terms
7. Using general and abstract noun
8. Using conjunction of time and cause-effect.

ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION
Purpose: To reveal the readers that something is the important case
Generic Structure:
1. Thesis
2. Arguments
3. Reiteration/Conclusion
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using modals
2. Using action verbs
3. Using thinking verbs
4. Using adverbs
5. Using adjective
6. Using technical terms
7. Using general and abstract noun
8. Using connectives/transition

HORTATORY EXPOSITION
Purpose: to persuade the readers that something should or should not be the case or be done
Generic Structure:
1. Thesis
2. Arguments
3. Recommendation
Dominant Language features:
1. Using Simple Present Tense
2. Using modals
3. Using action verbs
4. Using thinking verbs
5. Using adverbs
6. Using adjective
7. Using technical terms
8. Using general and abstract noun
9. Using connectives/transition
Then what is the basic difference between analytical and hortatory exposition. In simple word. Analytical is the answer of "How is/will" while hortatory is the answer of "How should". Analytical exposition will be best to describe "How will student do for his examination? The point is the important thing to do. But for the question" How should student do for his exam?" will be good to be answered with hortatory. It is to convince that the thing should be done

PROCEDURE
Purpose: to help readers how to do or make something completely
Generic Structure:
1. Goal/Aim
2. Materials/Equipments
3. Steps/Methods
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using Simple Present Tense
2. Using Imperatives sentence
3. Using adverb
4. Using technical terms

DISCUSSION
Purpose: to present information and opinions about issues in more one side of an issue (‘For/Pros’ and ‘Against/Cons’)
Generic Structure:
1. Issue
2. Arguments for and against
3. Conclusion
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using Simple Present Tense
2. Use of relating verb/to be
3. Using thinking verb
4. Using general and abstract noun
5. Using conjunction/transition
6. Using modality
7. Using adverb of manner

REVIEW
Purpose: to critique or evaluate an art work or event for a public audience
dominant Generic Structure:
1. Orientation
2. Evaluation
3. Interpretative Recount
4. Evaluation
5. Evaluative Summation
Dominant Language features:
1. Focus on specific participants
2. Using adjectives
3. Using long and complex clauses
4. Using metaphor

ANECDOTE
Purpose: to share with others an account of an unusual or amusing incident
Generic Structure:
1. Abstract
2. Orientation
3. Crisis
4. Reaction
5. Coda.
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using exclamations, rhetorical question or intensifiers
2. Using material process
3. Using temporal conjunctions

SPOOF
Purpose: to tell an event with a humorous twist and entertain the readers
Generic Structure:
1. Orientation
2. Event(s)
3. Twist
Dominant Language Features:
1. Using Past Tense
2. Using action verb
3. Using adverb
4. Chronologically arranged

NEWS ITEM
Purpose: to inform readers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important
Dominant Generic Structure:
1. Newsworthy event(s)
2. Background event(s)
3. Sources
Dominant Language Features:
1. Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline
2. Using action verbs
3. Using saying verbs
4. Using adverbs : time, place and manner.

Teaching English Pronunciation Skills to the Asian Learner. A Cultural Complexity or Subsumed Piece of Cake?

2011-04-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

Article Title

Teaching English Pronunciation Skills to the Asian Learner. A Cultural Complexity or Subsumed Piece of Cake?

Author

Paul Robertson

Bio Data

About the author - Paul Robertson received his Ph.D in 2002. He has lived in Korea since 1997

Introduction:

For the last two decades academics and publishers have propounded theories on pronunciation acquisition and on pronunciation training. For the greater part, they have paid lip service to the critical issue underlying both the aforementioned, namely the culture behind the target of the pronunciation theory. With a broad sweep, all L2 learners were grouped as though there were no differences that could possibly affect the learner. Politzer and McGroarty's 1985 survey, fleetingly cited by Ellis (1996:559) notes the early suggestion that cultural differences are important. Carmichael (2001) identifies the issues that immediately precede the role of pronunciation teaching, whilst Robertson (2002a, 2002b) examines the Korean learner's characteristics and the impact of Confucianism on the Korean learners learning style. Otlowski (1998) leads the future in Asian pronunciation teaching by arguing for pronunciation programs to be included in all L2 students training, and further believes there is optimism for success in the outcomes of such programs.

Yet Dash (2002) researched and analyzed the Korean classroom and found that an English Only policy was seriously flawed. Thus we have a chasm between what some believe is the academically ideal way to proceed in any pronunciation program, and those who consider clearly identifying cultural peculiarities within the target (Asian learning zone) leads to identification of alternate approaches in delivery of pronunciation programs in Asia. However, despite propounding the inclusion of pronunciation programs, (Otlowski, 1998, Kenworthy, 1996) the method of delivery is thrown into doubt by Dash's (2002) findings. This paper will submit, {i} based upon the evidence to date, that pronunciation programs in Asia must and can be delivered successfully by native speakers of English irrespective of their varying levels of educational background. This view is supported by Kenworthy (1996:69) whilst Fromkin and Rodman (1998:349) extend the category to those with near native speech. Secondly, {ii} that the mode of delivery of a pronunciation program must relate to that particular countries culture so as to complement, and not offend, cultural complexities.

Otlowski (2001) notes the oft cited view that little relationship exists between teaching pronunciation in the classroom and attained proficiency in pronunciation, which was supported by research done by Suter (1976, 233) and Suter & Purcell (1980, 286). They concluded that pronunciation practice in class had little effect on the learner's pronunciation skills and moreover, 'that the attainment of accurate pronunciation in a second language is a matter substantially beyond the control of the educators,' Suter & Purcell (1980, 286). The findings were subject to the caveat (as also noted throughout literature in numerous places) that variables

of formal training and the quality of training in pronunciation could affect the results, especially see Carmichael, (2001) for analysis of this issue.

This seems, a fiori, obvious, but definitely worthy of further research. However Pennington (1989, 203) noted that there was no 'firm basis for asserting categorically that pronunciation is not teachable or that it is not worth spending time on…" (1989, 220) and Pennington and Richards (1986) suggest that there is little or no evidence to support pronunciation training, but that view must now be seen as out dated, and lacking credibility in the area of Intercultural L2 training issues. Between these divergent views, Stern (1992, 112) says, "There is no convincing empirical evidence which could help us sort out the various positions on the merits of pronunciation training." Yet one decade later that evidence is slowly being manufactured. (This is not to ignore the critical age hypothesis ramifications as discussed in Ellis (1996:492) and Robertson (2001) proposing a 'window of opportunity' theory, but that is for another paper.)

In highly specific research (compliant with the caveats of Saville-Troike (1989) of research in another culture, and Robertson (2002a)) conducted in a language laboratory in Korea in 2003, on 300 students aged 12-14 (Korean age) and 60 adults aged 24-55, results showed that those in both groups who undertook six hours of pronunciation training recorded noticeably higher computer analyzed results of pronunciation than those whose training omitted the pronunciation program. Instructors were native English speakers, qualified and unqualified in EFL teaching. However, the software and language laboratory are something not generally available to the greater majority of educators. But the results supported the view that pronunciation training does help the student in his L2 mastery, and is an effective tool in the teacher's repertoire. This supports and advances the view of Pennington (1989.)

Pronunciation Teaching & Presentation.

But, nevertheless, as the above views represent the split in opinion on the teaching of pronunciation, what can the teacher do to improve their students' pronunciation, that is if we accept the position that the momentum begun by Otlowski (1998) is clearly worthy of advancement and we decide on the basis of the evidence before us that improvement in student's pronunciation can be obtained? The time has come to find further substantial empirical evidence and assuming that we educators determine that pronunciation training is effective, for we also know the end users want it, indeed demand it, as well, "...the teaching of pronunciation is so crucial to our students", (Goodwin, 2001:117) then how do we teach and present it?

(1) Include it in government school curriculums?
(2) Include it in private school courses?
(3) Train and certify teachers in pronunciation teaching?
(4) Carefully monitor results?
(5) Draft new teaching programs?
(6) Devise a new culturally considerate methodology?
(7) Devise a culturally acceptable approach?
(8) Draft new comprehensive books?
(9) Teach the teachers about the target culture?

The options, not limited to the above, are numerous and in need of action. Publishing companies on the whole seem to avoid their responsibility in this area for it is said to be not a lucrative area to invest in, (Jones & Evans, 1995). According to Jones & Evans (1995:224) "most materials still have a long way to go in presenting pronunciation in a truly communicative and holistic manner." Examination of education department books in Korea and China shows scant attention paid to the subject, yet whilst graduate teachers note comprehensive L2 pronunciation training at university level, this does not translate into classroom presentation. However, it is clear that whilst the questions posed above are easy to formulate, until those persons whose native tongue is not English and who dictate the terms of curriculum processes, begin to admit and accept that native English speakers are well qualified to give opinions about L2 issues in Korea (in this case) then change will be piecemeal, ad hoc and relatively ineffective.

More recent research (University of Aizu, 1999) suggests that researchers are at least looking for ways that may help the educator in the quest to teach pronunciation in a meaningful way. After 7 years of observing Korean English teachers in the classroom, it is obvious that Korean school teachers are well aware of the student's shortcomings and pay attention to the problems, but usually long after they occur. Research carried by Dash (2002) clearly shows that students in governments schools receive almost no opportunity to speak in the L2 in classes that are still teacher centered. In one month the student may get to speak for one minute only if lucky. Thus teacher centered classes are the norm, and whilst this is the wrong approach, it is easy to see why attention is not given to pronunciation issues so as to minimize the need for subsequent corrections. Again one merely glances through the poorly and ill-designed text books to see where the fault lies. However, even if the approach changed and students were to receive more opportunities to speak, the native Korean speaker is subject to the overriding silent yet powerful issue of Confucianism (Robertson, 2002b) and may be hesitant/scared to speak in the L2.

Generally speaking, changes in language learning and teaching have influenced a move from teacher centered to learner-centered classrooms. Chamot (L&R 92) says, "To develop classroom speaking skills, children need opportunities to participate in small group discussion, to present oral reports, and to respond adequately to teacher questioning…" No doubt the first aspect is easily arranged, but clearly the second element depends upon numerous factors not elicited in the phrase, namely the student's level of linguistic competency, inter alia.. The third aspect, whilst being an ideal, is no more for overriding rules of Confucianism dictate that silence is the norm. And whilst teachers talk of a shift towards student centered learning, this is more in lip service than practice, for it is not an aspect of classroom management widely understood.

Morley (1991,48) notes there has a shift from specific linguistic competencies to broader communicative competencies as goals for teachers and students. In particular, the Korean education system is focussing much attention on student centered classes, with classrooms specifically designed for language teaching, whereby students occasionally work in groups in a well equipped and spacious rooms, sometimes stocked with reasonable reference materials for student use. However, Korean teaching staff on the whole are reluctant to speak in English and have little or no training in the appropriate methods of pronunciation teaching. Action research carries out by numerous EPIK (1) instructors clearly shows the Korean teacher not willing to speak English in his or her L2 lesson. And whilst Morley (1991) states the need for the integration of pronunciation exercises with oral communication, a shift from segmental to supra-segmentals, increased emphasis on individual learner needs, meaningful task based practices, development of new teacher strategies for the teaching and introduction of peer correction and group interaction, (also Castillo, 1977, 71) , the fundamental issues that underpin this theory have been ignored. In other words, the cart is well before the horse in Asian English teaching programs.

As well, the 'individual learner needs' must often be ignored when dealing with a large class size, with 35 - 45 students, though as noted by experienced NNS educators in Korea, class size should not be a valid reason to avoid individual student attention. The main factor identified and noted by numerous educators is that classes are 'test driven' and not not 'learning driven.' This is also noted in Poole's (2003) expose' of the Japanese education system and Lee's (2001) expose of the Korean education system.

Cohen (1977, 71) argues that teaching of pronunciation goes far beyond the teaching of phonemes, thus with the emphasis on meaningful communication and Morley's premise (1991, 488) that, "Intelligible pronunciation is an essential component of communication competence,…" teachers should ideally include components of pronunciation in their courses, and according to Otlowski (2001) "…expect students to do well..." However if we consider the Asian classroom with its Confucian influence, (Robertson, 2002b ) this 'expectation' should be qualified by first assessing what inhibitors are at work in the group before such claim can be made. However, it is undeniable, as Otlowski (2001) notes, that pronunciation training must be included in the students' learning.

It is also said that that without adequate pronunciation skills the learner's ability to communicate is severely limited. Morley (1991) believes that not attending to a student's pronunciation needs, '…is an abrogation of professional responsibility' (Morley, 1991, 489.) Unfortunately this requirement overlooks a list of criteria such as, curriculum needs, student's motivation or the countries educational demands, to mention but a few items of relevance. Other research gives support to Morley's (1991) belief in the need for 'professional responsibility' when the results show that '…a threshold level of pronunciation in English such that if a given non-native speaker's pronunciation falls below this level, he or she will not be able to communicate orally no matter how good his or her control of English grammar and vocabulary might be.' This seems logical, however, it can be argued that there are numerous factors at play if the student fails to communicate, and pronunciation is but one of many possibilities, and it is submitted, not the only factor.

Good or bad pronunciation: The test?

Of course this makes one thing crystal clear. Bad pronunciation is a communication that cannot be understood by the listener. What it does not do is add to the definition of what is 'good or understandable pronunciation,' (Celce- Murcia 1987, 5). For example, if a student utters a sentence in English which lacks all the 'function words,' but the 'content words' make it clear what is being said, can we say this is good pronunciation, or is there some unseen mix of 'understandability level' to be added? Seemingly the utterance would pass the 'pronunciation threshold test' as being understandable, yet fail the fluency and syntactic tests. This then adds up to the exemplified conclusion that the term 'pronunciation' includes meanings not strictly limited to the definition supplied. However I do note the arguments associated with 'konglish' (Kim, (2002)) and in an e-mail communication on 12 May 2003, Mr. P. Dash pointed out that Chinese English 'chinglish,' often not understood by him, is readily understood between Chinese speakers using English.

Gilbert (1995, 1) believes the skills of listening comprehension and pronunciation are interdependent."If they can not hear well, they are cut off from language. If they cannot be understood easily, they are cut off from conversation with native speakers." Nooteboom (1983, 183) also has suggested that speech production is affected by speech perception; the hearer has become an important factor in communicative discourse and suggests that body language (which varies between cultures) needs to be taught. Does this not add a new dimension to pronunciation? Should the listener now be faced with some 'test' to determine if what 'he hears/ sees' is of a satisfactory level to qualify him as a commentator on the pronunciation, or does the speaker have the added duty to determine that his utterance was understood as he wished?

This though, illustrates the need to integrate pronunciation with communicative activities, to give the students situations to 'develop' their pronunciation by listening and speaking. This begs the question, namely, what does 'develop' mean? The current research and the current trend reversal in the thinking of pronunciation teaching shows there is a consensus that a learner's pronunciation in a foreign language needs to be taught in conjunction with communicative practices for the learner to be able to communicate effectively with native speakers. Unfortunately, there is a significant difference in 'the thinking of what makes good pronunciation' and the applying of the thinking.

Pronunciation and Communicative Teaching.

Morely (1991, 496) submits that students can be expected to do well in the pronunciation of English if the pronunciation class is taken out of a 'meaningless isolation' and becomes an 'integral part of the oral communication class.' Of course that predisposes that 'communication' is part of the curriculum. Further, just what 'communication class' means is open to interpretation. Is it a teacher centered class where substance is first taught, as in the Czech Republic, then a student centered approach takes over for the second part of the communication class, or is it totally student centered with minimal teacher time apart from guidance? Or is it teacher centered as in Greece, complemented by learner centered when students enter the native English speaker's communication class?

It is argued by Morely (1991: 500) that the goal of teaching understandable pronunciation should be changed from the attainment of 'perfect' pronunciation, to the more realistic goals, but this imprecise term 'perfect pronunciation' is, at best, a slippery slope, for who can say what perfect pronunciation is? What is the test, and who are the testers? In a world of numerous different accented native English teachers with localized dialects, one cannot begin to postulate even an image of 'perfect pronunciation' without meeting a barrage of questions, most of which will succumb to a different answer by a different nationality teacher. Kenworthy (1996:3) prefers to see the terminology reduced to a goal of a 'comfortably intelligible' pronunciation, but even this begs many questions when considered alongside a Chinese, Japanese or Korean speaker. Secondly, Morely's goal can surely only apply to an ESL situation, and have no relevance to a EFL situation such as exists in Japan, Korea and China where English usage outside the four walls of the English classroom is non existent.

The teacher also has a specific role to play in the communicative learning program, a role that Morley describes as one of 'speech coach' or 'pronunciation coach' (Morley, 1991, 507) and supported by Otlowski (1998). Rather than just correcting the learner's mistakes, the speech coach supplies information, gives models, offers cues, suggestions and constructive feedback about the performance, sets high standards, provides a wide variety of practice opportunities, and overall supports and encourages the learner (Morley, 1991, 507.) It is also submitted that whilst the majority of teachers in Asia are not teachers in the normal sense of the word, they still have the local cultural knowledge and skills required to effectively carry out the speech coach program. Without an understanding of the student's culture, the application of Morely's premise per se' is meaningless and may even transcend culturally impermissible boundaries.

The Speech Coach.

Taking Morley's (1991) proposal one step further to reality, what is it that a speech coach should know and do? Furthermore, who can be the speech coach must be considered. And what differences must be applied to adult second language teaching as opposed to adolescent second language teaching? The teacher can be a native English speaker or can be a qualified teacher of that country. This is the 'ideal world' scenario. In practice it will not apply but will be tempered with a concoction of good professional teachers, bad professional teachers, good nonprofessional teachers and bad nonprofessional teachers in some ratio. Whoever has the task allotted to them must give attention to their role. Teachers must know their limitations, and not supply advice when they are no more than giving an uneducated guess. Like a football coach who has dozens of individual items to take his charges through, the speech coach is but part of the teacher's overall function.

Rein (1995) reports on a study carried out in Israeli high schools wherein teacher's perceptions for effective coaching of mixed ability classes were measured. Although the term 'coach' has wider connotations than just 'speech coach' and includes all teacher functions, the results showed that the teachers considered the coach's personality to be the critical factor in the coaching process. Mutual understanding, trust and respect were the prerequisite to the teachers' acceptance by students. The teachers were mostly interested in practical guidance and ideas directly applicable to their specific teaching situation, whilst staff development was also seen as a vital component to teaching. It is submitted this study emphasizes that greater importance and more useful training must be given by School boards and School directors to the teachers and their particular roles if students are to receive the best second language acquisition.

One consideration the speech coach must give is to error correction. At the outset it should be decided in consultation with students (if age is sufficient to accept) that error correction is both a team effort and the coaches overall responsibility. Madden, Matt, Moore and Zena (1997) surveyed a group of university students to determine an opinion about error correction in Pronunciation. Overall, students valued pronunciation as an important part of their instruction, and wanted more correction both within and outside the classroom, and demanding more emphasis be placed on the pronunciation component within the course. (One wonders how a teacher can find a solution to student error correction outside the classroom?) But those students in their elementary years will find it hard to accept this principle, let alone understand it, so the coach will be more dominant in his/her role in the early years.

Of course most teachers encounter a class well after they (the students) have begun their training, that is they have been trained by one or more second language teachers in the past. This can cause problems, as style will differ in coaching. The teacher as coach must be aware then that his/her style and teaching philosophy will probably differ from the previous coach, thus it must be made clear to the students what his/her philosophy is and how they as a team can work together to obtain the new coaches standards. Student centered approaches will lower the inhibiting factors aforementioned. In particular, pronunciation teaching should be implemented, at least to some degree, in pairs or groups. Crookes and Chaudron (1991, 46) note, "Contrary to a popular negative view of the outcomes of learner dominated activities, classroom centered research has demonstrated that at the same time that students have many more opportunities to employ the target language, they manage to perform equally successfully in terms of grammatical accuracy as when the teacher is leading the discussion." In Japan and Korea, research has shown that some students who actively communicate in a teacher centered class, will become passive in group work, and vice versa. This is for the teacher/coach to observe and utilize to the pronunciation program's benefit.

Whilst Do, (2001) seems to suggest a form of hopelessness in teaching Korean students, "Although EFL learners in Korea are silent and inactive in terms of English use, they do nor want to feel like, as they say, ""an imitation, a copy, a stuffed figure, or a puppet with a talking mouth."" Their sense of being manipulated merely as objects of teaching has often left them psychologically self-defeating and self-alienated, which results in their poor self-image as English users...," is rather broad, vague and unsupported by research, yet does indicate that the teacher/coach must be acutely culturally sensitive to his students.

The speech coach will be able to do the following:
a) irrespective of curriculum demands, he/she will design and implement a program to draw students' attention to their pronunciation, both strong and weak points. This program will complement the curriculum.
b) Practice those areas that are identifiably causing problem.
c) Be aware of the problems that adult students 'may' face if the fundamental concept of critical age period is accepted.
d) Monitor at the outset the student's L2 speech production and regularly assess their progress and provide constructive feedback.
e) Feedback. By providing effective feedback the teacher is giving attention to 'one of the most important aspects in pronunciation instruction…" (Celce-Murcia, 1991, 147.) Of course the underlying question is just what aspects of the student's pronunciation must the speech coach correct, and more importantly, how to correct it effectively? It is widely agreed that self-correcting is the most effective form of learning, but arriving at the 'how' does not present a unified answer, and it does depend upon the resources available to the speech coach, ranging from a well equipped and easy to manage language laboratory, to the more common and widely used classroom.
f) Consider introducing lessons related to body language in various cultures.

A Suggested Teachers' Guide to Pronunciation Monitoring.

(i) Consider the student's rate of speech. Fast speech may increase the mispronunciation of syllables and change good English to poor English. This test is subjective, but the teacher must be aware of the factor. It does no harm to slow the rate of speech down of all speakers until their word pronunciation becomes clear. Examples of fast speech pronunciation are too innumerable to cite, but a professional teacher needs no list to know what spoken words are sounding 'bad' as opposed to what spoken words are sounding 'very nice.' Educators who hold that speech should be at a 'native rate' namely reasonably fast, miss the point completely when it comes to professional speech coach training.
(ii) Asian students need practice with identifiable areas of speech, namely country specific complex sounds, cluster problems, th' words, and linking words and sounds.
(iii) Students should be exposed to as wide a range of pronunciations as possible. This must include careful slow speech to normal North American speed speaking. Supplying a transcript of the words at first is suggested, with later playing putting more emphasis on the student's word perception. The teacher can design any one of a number of testing models.
(iv) As the 'listener understanding' plays an important role in pronunciation, strategies for listening, evaluating, calculating and responding meaningfully become part of the pronunciation program.

The L2 Educator's Speech Rate.

Learners of English, either juvenile or adult frequently say the hardest thing about learning English is understanding the native English speaker. The vast majority of Asian students lament that they cannot understand U.S. English, and have a clear preference for Canadian English. The rate of U.S. speech is, for them, too fast. Obviously it is the ultimate goal of proficiency to master the varied speech rates of the various English speaking countries, but that is at the end of the line, not in the formative stages. Thus the speech coach, if he/she is to teach pronunciation and to teach it successfully, will be critically aware of his/her rate of normal speech. A number of studies have been carried out which suggest that a slower rate of speech aids comprehension, however, according to Ellis (1996) "… in many cases the speech rate was investigated alongside other variables, making it difficult to assess the effect of speech rate per se."

Various speech rate tests, ranging from speeds of 450 words per minute to 196 words per minute were carried out by Conrad cited in Ellis (1996.) The subjects were native speakers, high-level non-native speakers and low-level non-native speakers. The test showed (as for the non-native speakers) that both groups displayed "…considerable difficulty … even after the fifth reading." Griffiths (1990) tested varying speech rate, using rates of (a) 94-107 words per minute (b) 143-156 w.p.m. and (c) 191-206 w.p.m. The test required answers to true and false questions. The results note considerable difficulty with the fast rate, whilst the medium and slow rate showed no difference in comprehension.

According to Ellis (1996) "The studies suggest that there may be a threshold level - around 200 words per minute - below which intermediate and advanced learners experience little difficulty in comprehending and above which they might." However it seems various caveats must be placed on such a broad formulation. Despite Griffiths (1990) testing lower intermediate level English learners, the criteria for who falls in this group needs clarification. Similarly, the active vocabulary of the subject needs careful assessment. However, if we accept Ellis's premise (1996) that "…there is mixed evidence regarding the value of linguistically simplified input for promoting comprehension…whereas speech rate does have a clear effect, grammatical modifications do not always result in improved comprehension…" then the following should be applicable to the teacher in Korea, namely, materials that supply spoken input should be carefully assessed for speech rate according to both level, age and advancement of their learner. But it is nigh on impossible to imagine any publisher will pay so much attention to what is clearly required. Further, the teacher himself must be aware of his/her speech rate, (easily ascertained) and determine which speed he/she desires to pursue for that level. It is suggested that the speech rate for Koreans who (in Korea) are classified as low to medium level language ability learners, would sit around the 120 words per minute rate. This would ideally be termed "foreigner talk with explicit teaching function" (Naro, 1983.)

Conclusion.

The TEFL teacher as speech coach or pronunciation coach has a vital role to play. For the speech coach to be effective he first must have the unfettered support of his employer ( Board of Education) to embark upon the coaching program. The coach/teacher will then assess his students in relation to multiple criteria (ascertained by the coach, for each class may need different assessment criteria,) and finally prepare his/her program followed by the monitoring mode. And like any coach, monitoring may result in changes back and forth until an 'ideal' is found. The teacher will then implement a program inside of the cultural complexities to be found in that country, and should be acutely aware of the boundaries of cultural acceptability, even if that means a poorer pronunciation is the resultant. Loss of face is of far greater harm than poor pronunciation is to an Asian speaker of English. Though Douglas-Brown (1994:187) says language and culture are inextricably intertwined, it is submitted that view, albeit 9 years old, is subject to critical review, and that well fashioned research will untie the previously considered complexity.

What is clear from this paper and others, is that the teaching of pronunciation programs must be included in the students' training, yet that training must be country specific, and materials and research must now stop focusing on the 'general' and start considering the 'specific'. I note that Dash (2003) in support of Mangubhai, (2002) may well have take the opposite view as to the extent culture plays in SLA. (It remains to be seen if the two views might be reconciled in so far as pronunciation teaching goes, to which this paper only addresses.) But as Otlowski (1998) notes, pronunciation must be seen as "...a crucial part of communication." Yet what is deemed an ideal pronunciation program for a Korean learner is unlikely to be the program that should be applied to Japanese learner or Chinese learner. This statement clearly leads to one conclusion,- that the field of EFL research must intensify and be country culture specific, and materials that portray to cover the field of EFL/TEFL training must be seen as inherently flawed if they suggest a particular program is good for one and all.

(1) EPIK. English Program in Korea. A Korean government initiative to bring native English speakers to help train Korean teachers and assist in the Korean L2 classes. However, surveys show generally few EPIK teachers are qualified to do either role, yet should be utilized far more effectively in light of the above analysis.

Index.

Ahn. Soo Wong, Park Mae Ran, & Ono S. 1986. A comparative study of the EPIK and JET program. In English Teaching. Vol. 53 No 3. 241-267.

Castillo, L. 1990. L2 pronunciation pedagogy: Where have we been? Where are we headed? The Language Teacher, Vol. xiv No' 10. 3-7.

Celce-Murcia, M. 1991. 'Teaching pronunciation' in Celce-Murcia ed, Teaching English, Heinle & Heinle, p136-153.

Carmichael, S. 2001 (accessed March 2003), 'An Expose of 'What Is An English Teacher', The Asian EFL Journal, (Online), http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/arch3.htm

Chamot, A. 1981, 'Applications of second language acquisition', In Methodology in TESOL, Long & Richards, eds, OUP, Oxf.

Cohen, A. 1977. Redundancy as a tool in listening comprehension,TESOL Quarterly, 16/1 pp. 71-77.

Crookes,G. & Chaudron,C. 'Guidelines for classroom language teaching.' in Teaching English, M. Celce-Murcia (Ed) , Heinle & Heinle, NY, pp. 46-66.

Dalton,C. & Seidlhofe, B, 1994. Pronunciation. OUP.

Dash, P. 2002 (accessed March 2003), 'English Only in the Classroom. Time For a Reality Check', The Asian EFL Journal, (Online), http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/decart2002b.htm

Dash, P. 2003 (accessed April 2003), 'Culture as an Individual Difference in the SLA Process: Significant, separate and appropriate?' The Asian EFL Journal, (Online), http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/june2003.subpd.htm

Do, Seon Eur. 2001. A Psychoanalytic Approach to Teaching English as a Foreign Language [1]. Journal for the Psychoanalysis of Culture & Society, v6 i2 p209.

Douglas-Brown, H. 1994. Principles Of Language Learning And Teaching. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Ellis, R. 1996, The Study of Second Language Acquisition, OUP. London.

Fromkin, V. & Rodman, R. 199,. An Introduction to Language, Harcourt Brace, Ft. Worth.

Futatsuya, K. & Chick, J. 1996, Developing and implementing your own pronunciation assessment program,The Language Teacher, 20 (8), pp.15-20.

Gilbert, J. 1995, Pronunciation practices as an aid to listening comprehension. in, A Guide for the Teaching of Second Language Learning, D.J.Mendelson and J.Rubin eds, San Diego. Dominic Press, pp.97-11.

Goodwin, J. 2001, Teaching Pronunciation, in Celce-Murcia ed, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, 3rd edn,, Heinle & Heinle, p117-138.

Griffiths, R 1990, Speech rate and NSS comprehension. Language Learning 40. pp.311-336.

Higgins, M, Higgins, M. & Shima, Y. 1995, Basic training in pronunciation and phonics: A sound approach. The Language Teacher, 19(4), 4-8.

Hite, S. 2000, 'Teaching Pronunciation Online', Training, 2000 v37 i7 p30.

Jones, R.H. & Evans, S. 1995, "Teaching Pronunciation Through Voice Quality", ELT Journal, 49:3, pp. 244-251

Kenworthy, J. 1996, Teaching English Pronunciation, Longman, London.

Kenworthy, J. 2000, The Pronunciation of English: A Workbook, Arnold London.

Kim, P. 2002, (accessed February 2003) 'Korea. A cross cultural communication analyzed', The Asian EFL Journal, (Online), http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/june2002art3.htm

Lee, J. 2002, Korean Higher Education. A Confucian Perspective, Jimoondang Publishing, Seoul.

Luh, J. 1999, Non-English Speakers Get Help From Plug-in.(Sentius' RichLink software enhances Web pages to facilitate language comprehension) Internet World, March 8, v5 i9 p21.

Madden. J, Matt. J. Moore. R & Zena. M. 1997, ESL students opinions about instruction in Pronunciation. ERIC database, ED416716.

Makarova, V. & Ryan, S. 2000, 'Language teaching attitudes from learners' perspectives: a cross-cultural approach', Speech Communication Education, Vol 23, pp.135-165.

Mangubhai F. 1997, "Primary socialization and cultural factors in second language learning: Wending our way through unchartered territory",Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, Series S, pp.23-54.

Milroy, J. 2001, Received Pronunciation: who "receives" it and how long will it be "received"? Studia Anglica Posnaniensia: International Review of English Studies, Annual 2001 p15(18).

Morley. J. 1991, The pronunciation component in teaching English to speakers of other languages. TESOL Quarterly, 25/1 pp. 51-74.

Morley. J. 1999, New developments in Speech Pronunciation Instruction, As We Speak, Newsletter of the TESOL. Speech Pronunciation Interest Section 2(1) pp.1-5.

Naro, A. 1983, Comments on simplified input and second language acquisition. In Anderson ed. 1983

Noteboom, S. 1983, 'Is speech production controlled by speech perception'? In Sound Structure, van den Broecke et al eds, Dordrecht:Foris, pp183-194

Nunan, D. 1998, Language Teaching Methodology: A Textbook for Teachers, Prentice Hall, New York

Otlowski, M. 1998, (accessed November 2002), 'Pronunciation: What are the expectations'? The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. IV, No. 1, January 1998, (Online) http://iteslj.org/Articles/Otlowski-Pronunciation.html

Pennington, M. 1989, Teaching pronunciation from the top down. RELC Journal, 20/1 pp. 21-38

Pennington, M & Richards, J. 1986,"Pronunciation Revisited," TESOL Quarterly, 20:2 pps. 207-225.

Poole, G. 2003, (accessed January 2003) Assessing Japan's Institutional Entrance Requirements, The Asian EFL Journal, (Online), http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/march03.sub5a.htm

Purcell, E. & Suter, R. 1980, Predictors of Pronunciation Accuracy: A Reexaminatio,Language Learning, 30/2, pp.271-287.

Rein, M. 1995, (accessed November 2002), Teachers perceptions of effective coaching for mixed class ability. Unpublished Ma dissertation, (Online), Surrey University. U.K. www.surrey.ac.uk

Robertson, P. 2002a, (accessed March 2003), 'Asian EFL Research Protocols', The Asian EFL Journal, (Online), http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/decart2002a.htm

Robertson, P. 2002, (accessed February 2003), 'Confucius and Mencius: Their Influence in Modern Day EFL', The Asian EFL Journal, (Online), http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/june2002.conf.htm

Saville-Troike, M. 1989, 'The Analysis of Communicative Events', in The Ethnography of Communication: An Introduction, 2nd edn, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 107-180.

Stapp, Y. 199,. Neural Plasticity and the issue of Mimicry tasks in L2 pronunciation studies. University of Tsukuba. Japan,TESL-EJ, vol. 3 No. 4.

Stern, H. 1992, Issues and Options in Language Teaching, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Suter, H. 1976, Predictors of Pronunciation Accuracy in Second language learning, Language Learning, 26. p.p233-253

University of Aizu, 1999, Using Electronic Visual Feedback to Teach Suprasegmentals, System 20:1, pp.51-62.

Gunslinge - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:56:00.001-08:00

Yeah, you've been alone
I've been gone for far too long
But with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

Never let it show
The pain I've grown to know
'Cause with all these things we do
It don't matter when I'm coming home to you

I reach towards the sky I've said my goodbyes
My heart's always with you now
I won't question why so many have died
My prayers have made it through yeah
'Cause with all these things we do
It don't matter when I'm coming home to you

Letters keep me warm
Helped me through the storm
But with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

I reach towards the sky I've said my goodbyes
My heart's always with you now
I won't question why so many have died
My prayers have made it through yeah
'Cause with all these things we do
It don't matter when I'm coming home to you

I've always been true
I've waited so long just to come home to you
I'm making it through
It's been far too long, we've proven our
love over time's so strong, in all that we do
The stars in the night, may lend me their light
to bring me closer to heaven with you

(Bring me closer)

But with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

I reach towards the sky I've said my goodbyes
My heart's always with you now
I won't question why so many have died
My prayers have made it through yeah
'Cause with all these things we do
It don't matter when I'm coming home to you

And with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

M.I.A. - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

Staring at the carnage, praying that the sun would never rise.
Living another day in disguise.
These feelings can't be right, lend me your courage to stand up and fight, on tonight.

Ooooo...
Stand up and fight

The fighting rages on and on, to challenge me you must be strong.
I walk your land but don't belong, two million soldiers can't be wrong

It's no fun but I've been here before
I'm far from home and I'm fighting your war.
(Not the way I pictured this, I wanted better things)
Some are scared others killing for fun, I shot a mother right in front of her son.
(Take this from my consciousness, and please erase my dreams)

Fight for honor, fight for your life
Pray to God that our side is right.
Even though we won, I still may lose
Until I make it home to you
I see our mothers filled with tears,
grew up so fast where did those years go?
Memories won't let you cry,
unless I don't return tonight

So many soldiers on the other side, I take their lives so they can't take mine.
(Scared to make it out alive now murder's all I know.)
Nobody tells me all the reasons we're here. I have my weapons so there's nothing to fear.
(Another day, another life, but nothing real to show for)

Fight for honor, fight for your life
Pray to god that our side is right
Even though we won, I still may lose
Until I make it home to you
I see our mothers filled with tears,
grew up so fast where did those years go?
Memories won't let you cry,
unless I don't return tonight

Staring at the carnage, praying that the sun would never rise.
Living another day in disguise.
These feelings can't be right, lend me your courage to stand up and fight.

Watching the death toll rise wondering how I'm alive.
Stranger's blood on my hands, I've shot all I can
There are no silent nights, watching your brothers all die
To destroy all their plans with no thought of me
No thought of me, no thought of me

Ohhhhh...

Walk the city lonely
Memories that haunt are passing by
A murderer walks your streets tonight
Forgive me for my crimes;don't forget that I was so young
Fought so scared in the name of God and Country

Feel - Robbie Williams

2011-02-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

Come on hold my hand, I wanna contact the living
Not sure I understand, this role I've been given
I sit and talk to God, and He just laughs at my plans
My head speaks a language, I don't understand

I just wanna feel, real love fill the home that I live in
Cause I got too much life, running thru my veins, going to waste
I don't wanna die, but I ain't keen on living either
Before I fall in love, I'm preparing to leave her

Scare myself to dead, that's why I keep on running
Before I've arrived, I can see myself coming
I just wanna feel real love fill the home that I live in
Cos I got too much life, running thru my veins going to waste
And I need to feel, real love in the life ever after, I can not get enough

I just wanna feel, real love fill the home that I live in
I got too much love, running thru my veins, to go to waste
I just wanna feel, real love in the life ever after
There's a hole in my soul, you can see it in my face, it's a real big place

Come on hold my hand, I wanna contact the living
Not sure I understand, this role I've been given
Not sure I understand, not sure I understand
Not sure I understand, not sure I understand

Second Heartbeat - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:54:00.001-08:00

We keep writing, talking and planning, but everything's changing,
We all know what to do but no one does it,
Now this time has passed and full of regret,
Two in my heart have left me a while, I stand alone,
When they get back, it won't be the same,
Never be the same,
My life, you've always been there,
Now you're gone and my heads spinning,
Left the childhood, left the memories, left the good times in the past,
Moving on your time has run out,
Wishing the clock would stand still, the world can wait,
Wasting away once again, once lived as friends,

As time passes by, regrets for the rest of my life,
The ones who I confide were gone in the black of the night,

Never will I forget you, and all the memories past,
So rarely I get to see your face,
Growing I looked to you in guidance.
We knew that time would kill us, but you're still so close to me,

To me you were my life,
To me you were my soul companion,
Now you are so far away,
Nothing can take away the time and the memories we had,
Come back - to the days when we were young
Come back - to the days when nothing mattered
to the days when nothing mattered

And I feel time passes by, regrets for the rest of my life,
The ones who I confide were gone in the black of the night

As time passes by, regrets for the rest of my life,
The ones who I confide were gone in the black of the night.

Scream - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

(loud scream)

Caught up in this madness too blind to see
Woke animal feelings in me
Took over my sense and I lost control
I'll taste your blood tonight

You know I make you wanna scream
You know I make you wanna run from me baby
but now it's too late you've wasted all your time

Relax while you're closing your eyes to me
So warm as I'm setting you free
With your arms by your side there's no struggling
Pleasure's all mine this time

You know I make you wanna scream
You know I make you wanna run from me baby
but now it's too late you've wasted all your time

Cherishing, those feelings pleasuring
Cover me, unwanted clemency
Scream till there's silence
Scream while there's life left, vanishing
Scream from the pleasure unmask your desire
perishing

We've all had a time where we've lost control
We've all had our time to grow
I'm hoping I'm wrong but I know I'm right
I'll hunt again one night

You know I make you wanna scream
You know I make you wanna run from me baby
but now it's too late you've wasted all your time

Cherishing, those feelings pleasuring
Cover me, unwanted clemency
Scream till there's silence
Scream while there's life left, vanishing
Scream from the pleasure unmask your desire
perishing

Some live repressing their instinctive feelings
Protest the way we're built don't point the blame on me

Scream, Scream, Scream the way you would
if I ravaged your body
Scream, Scream, Scream the way you would if I ravaged
your mind

Cherishing, those feelings pleasuring
Cover me, unwanted clemency
Scream till there's silence
Scream while there's life left, vanishing
Scream from the pleasure unmask your desire
perishing

this madness,this madness,this madness,weve lost control,lost control,this madness,this madness,ill hunt again one night, this madness, ill hunt again one night

Beast And The Harlot - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

This shining city built of gold, a far cry from innocence,
There's more than meets the eye round here, look to the waters of the deep.
A city of evil.
There sat a seven-headed beast, ten horns raised from his head.
Symbolic woman sits on his throne, but hatred strips her and leaves her naked.
The Beast and the Harlot.

She's a dwelling place for demons.
She's a cage for every unclean spirit, every filthy bird
and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
Fallen now is Babylon the Great.

The city dressed in jewels and gold, fine linen, myrrh with pearls.
Her plagues have come all at once as her mourners watch her burn.
Destroyed in an hour.
Merchants and captains of the world, sailors, navigators too.
Will weep and mourn this loss with her sins piled to the sky,
The Beast and the Harlot.

She's a dwelling place for demons.
She's a cage for every unclean spirit, every filthy bird
and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
Fallen now is Babylon the Great.

The day has come for all us sinners.
If you're not a servant, you'll be struck to the ground.
Flee the burning, greedy city.
Lookin' back on her to see there's nothing around.

I don't believe in fairytales and no one wants to go to hell.
You've made the wrong decision and it's easy to see.
Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us,
You're welcome to the city where your future is set forever.

She's a dwelling place for demons.
She's a cage for every unclean spirit, every filthy bird
and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
Fallen now is Babylon the Great.

She's a dwelling place for demons.
She's a cage for every unclean spirit, eery filthy bird
and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
Fallen now is Babylon the Great.

Walk - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:52:00.000-08:00

Can't you see I'm easily bothered by persistence
One step from lashing out at you...
You want in to get under my skin
And call yourself a friend
I've got more friends like you
What do I do?

[Pre:]
Is there no standard anymore?
What it takes, who I am, where I've been belong
You can't be something you're not
Be yourself, by yourself
Stay away from me
A lesson learned in life
Known from the dawn of time

[Chorus:]
Respect, walk
What did you say?
Respect, walk
Are you talking to me?

Are you talking to me?

Run your mouth when I'm not around
It's easy to achieve
You cry to weak friends that sympathize
Can you hear the violins playing your song?
Those same friends tell me your every word

[Pre]

[Chorus x2]

Are you talking to me?
No way, punk!

[Chorus x2]

Are you talking to me?
Walk on home, boy

You're Not Alone - Saosin

2011-02-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

That's just like him
To wander off in the evergreen park
Slowly searching
For any sign of the ones he used to love
He says he's got nothing left to live for
(He says he's got nothing left)
And this time I think you'll know

You're not alone
There's more to this I know
You can make it out
You will live to tell

She's just like him
Spoiled rotten, confused by the lies shes been fed
Shes searching for no one (but herself)
Her eyes turn to green and she seems to be happy that she is her
And this time I think you'll know

You're not alone
There is more to this I know
You can make it out
You will live to tell

You're not alone
There is more to this i know
You can make it out

(There is more to this)

We're not alone
There is more to this i know
You can make it out
You will live to tell

(So tell me)

You're not alone
There is more to this i know
You can make it out
You will live to tell

You're not alone
You're not, your not alone

Bat Country - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

He who makes a beast out of himself
Gets rid of the pain of being a man

Caught here in a fiery blaze, won't lose my will to stay.

I tri-ie-ied to drive all through the night,
The heat stroke ridden weather, the barren empty sights.
No oasis here to see, the sand is singing deathless words to me.

Can't you help me as I'm startin' to burn (all alone).
Too many doses and I'm starting to get an attraction.
My confidence is leaving me on my own (all alone).
No one can save me and you know I don't want the attention.

As I-I-I adjust to my new sights the rarely tired lights will take me to new heights.
My hand is on the trigger I'm ready to ignite.
Tomorrow might not make it but everything's all right.
Mental fiction follows me; show me what it's like to be set free.

Can't you help me as I'm startin' to burn (all alone).
Too many doses and I'm starting to get an attraction.
My confidence is leaving me on my own (all alone).
No one can save me and you know I don't want the attention.

I'm sorry you're not here I've been sane too long my vision's so unclear.
Now take a trip with me but don't be surprised when things aren't what they seem.

Caught here in a fiery blaze, won't lose my will to stay.
These eyes won't see the same, after I flip today.

Sometimes I don't know why we'd rather live than die,
We look up towards the sky for answers to our lives.
We may get some solutions but most just pass us by,
Don't want your absolution cause I can't make it right.
I'll make a beast out of myself, gets rid of all the pain of being a man.

Can't you help me as I'm startin' to burn (all alone).
Too many doses and I'm starting to get an attraction.
My confidence is leaving me on my own (all alone).
No one can save me and you know I don't want the attention.

I'm sorry you're not here I've been sane too long my vision's so unclear.
Now take a trip with me but don't be surprised when things aren't what they seem.

I've known it from the start
All these good ideas will tear your brain apart.
Scared but you, you follow me
I'm too weird to live but much too rare to die.

Almost Easy - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

I feel insane every single time I'm asked to compromise
'Cause I'm afraid and stuck in my ways and that's the way it stays
So how long did I expect love to outweigh ignorance?
By that look on your face I may have forced the scale to tip

I'm not insane, I'm not insane
I'm not insane, I'm not... not insane

(mother)
Come back to me it's almost easy
(Said at all)
Come back again it's almost easy

Shame pulses through my heart from the things I've done to you
It's hard to face but the fact remains that this is nothing new
I left you bound and tied with suicidal memories
Selfish beneath the skin but deep inside I'm not insane

I'm not insane, I'm not insane
I'm not insane, I'm not... not insane

(mother)
Come back to me it's almost easy
(Said at all)
Come back again it's almost easy
(You'll learned your lesson)
Come back to me it's almost easy
(But first you'll fall)
Come back again it's almost easy

(guitar solo)

Now that I've lost you it kills me to say
(Hurts to say)
I've tried to hold on as you've slowly slipped away
I'm losing the fight, I've treated you so wrong now let me make it right

(Make it alright)

I'm not insane, I'm not insane(evil laugh)
I'm not insane, I'm not... not insane

(mother)
Come back to me it's almost easy
(Said at all)
Come back again it's almost easy
(You'll learned your lesson)
Come back to me it's almost easy
(But still you'll fall)

Come back again it's almost easy

Afterlife - Avenged Sevenfold

2011-02-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Like walking into a dream, so unlike what you've seen
so unsure but it seems, 'cause we've been waiting for you
Fallen into this place, just giving you a small taste
of your afterlife here so stay, you'll be back here soon anyway

I see a distant light, but girl this can't be right
Such a surreal place to see so how did this come to be
Arrived too early

And when I think of all the places I just don't belong
I've come to grips with life and realize this is going too far

I don't belong here, we gotta move on dear escape from this afterlife
'Cause this time I'm right to move on and on, far away from here

A place of hope and no pain, perfect skies with no rain
Can leave this place but refrain, 'cause we've been waiting for you
Fallen into this place, just giving you a small taste
of your afterlife here so stay, you'll be back here soon anyway

This peace on earth's not right (with my back against the wall)
No pain or sign of time (I'm much too young to fall)
So out of place don't wanna stay, I feel wrong and that's my sign
I've made up my mind

Gave me your hand but realize I just wanna say goodbye
Please understand I have to leave and carry on my own life

I don't belong here, I gotta move on dear escape from this afterlife
'Cause this time I'm right to move on and on, far away from here
Got nothing against you and surely I'll miss you
This place full of peace and light, and I'd hope you might
take me back inside when the time is right

Loved ones back home all crying 'cause they're already missing me
I pray by the grace of God that there's somebody listening
Give me a chance to be that person I wanna be
(I am unbroken; I'm choking on this ecstasy)
Oh Lord I'll try so hard but you gotta let go of me
(Unbreak me, unchain me, I need another chance to live)

(Fast Guitar Solo)
(Screaming)
(Laughing)

I don't belong here, I gotta move on dear escape from this afterlife
'Cause this time I'm right to move on and on, far away from here
Got nothing against you and surely I'll miss you
This place full of peace and light, and I'd hope you might
take me back inside when the time is right

Seize the Day

2011-02-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over

I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time
But I'm too young to worry
These's streets we traveled on will undergo our same lost past

I found you here, now please just stay for a while
I can move on with you around
I hand you my mortal life, but will it be forever?
I'll do anything for a smile, holding you 'til our time is done
We both know the day will come, but I don't want to leave you

I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time
But I'm too young to worry
(a melody, a memory, or just one PICTURE)

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over

Newborn life replacing all of us, changing this fable we live in
No longer needed here so where do we go?
Will you take a journey tonight, follow me past the walls of death?
But girl, what if there is no eternal life?

I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time
But I'm too young to worry
(a melody, a memory, or just one PICTURE)

Seize the day or die regretting the time You lost
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over
Trials in life, questions of us existing here
Don't wanna die alone without you here
Please tell me what we have is real

(guitar solo)

So what if I never hold you, yeah, or kiss your lips again? Whooooah
So I never want to leave you and the memories OF us to see
I beg don't leave me

Seize the day or die regretting the time You lost
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over
Trials in life, questions of us existing here
Don't wanna die alone without you here
Please tell me what we have is real

(Silence, you lost me-- no chance for one more day)
(Silence, you lost me-- no chance for one more day)
(I stand here alone
Falling away from you, no chance to get back home) x2

(Silence, you lost me-- no chance for one more day)
(Silence, you lost me-- no chance for one more day)

Cinderella

2011-02-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there lived a young pretty girl. Her mother was dead and her father had married a widow with two daughters. Her stepmother didn't like her and scolded her always. She only loved and cared for her own daughters. For this reason Cinderella always lived unhappily.

Her step mother never gave her good clothes to wear, good food to eat and any time for rest. Her life was very miserable. She worked hard all day. Only in the evening she was allowed to sit near the cinders, for a while. That’s why everybody called her Cinderella.

One fine morning, an announcement was made in the town. It was about the ball dance to be held in the palace. The step mother and her daughters became very excited for the ball dance. They purchased new gowns, new shoes and new jewelries for the function. When Cinderella heard about it she also wanted to go there but she didn’t have the guts to ask her stepmother.

She went back to her room and started crying on her destiny. She was missing her mother very much when suddenly a fairy appeared in front of her. Don't worry Cinderella, said the fairy. I know you want to go to the ball dance. And so you shall... But how can I, asked Cinderella.

The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic stick Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever seen with lovely shoes and jewelries. The fairy also brought a sparkling coach for Cinderella to reach the palace. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes. She was very happy. Cinderella thanked the fairy and went towards the palace.

When she entered the palace she was very surprised to see it so beautifully decorated. She met people around, danced and enjoyed a lot at the ball. Soon the prince and the king entered the hall. Everyone stopped dancing. They wanted to meet the prince, but... but the prince was finding someone lese in the huge crowd. He was finding his princess of dreams. He saw Cinderella standing far off near the stairs; the prince went towards Cinderella and offered her to dance with him. Both of then danced together for a long time. It seemed as if the prince was in love with Cinderella.

Now it was half night, Cinderella had to return back home before her stepmother and sisters returned. She remembered what the fairy had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the Prince’s arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her shoes, but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up!

The Prince who was now madly in love with her picked up the shoes and asked his ministers to go and search for the girl. I will never be content until I find her!”

So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of every girl in the town but were not successful. When they reached Cinderella’s home, her sisters too tried to wear the shoes but unluckily they failed. The shoes didn’t fit anyone of them. Cinderella was standing nearby, the ministers asked her to try the shoe as well. Her sisters laughed at this. When Cinderella wore the shoe it fitted perfectly. Everyone was surprised to see that. The prince also reached there, he was happy to find her dream girl. He took Cinderella to his palace and soon they got married.

Cinderella begins a happy life with the prince…..

Snow White And The 7 Dwarfs

2011-02-25T21:42:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there lived a King and a Queen. They had everything except for a child. One fine winter day the Queen sat near the window sewing her husband’s shirt when suddenly she pricked her finger. A drop of blood fell on the snow. "Oh, I wish, I had a daughter with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony wood, and lips as red as a rose", she said. In autumn the Queen's wish came true as she was blessed with a beautiful daughter. Sadly the Queen died soon after.

The little princess was named Snow White. After few years the king remarried. The new Queen was beautiful but arrogant. She liked to use magic and had a magic mirror. She would ask: "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" "You Ooh Queen,” hearing this, the Queen would smile with pride.

One day the queen spoke to the mirror as usual but the answer was different this time. "You Queen, are fair, but Snow White is the fairest of them all". The Queen stamped her foot. She plotted to kill Snow White and stormed right out of the room. One morning the Queen called the huntsman and ordered him to take Snow White into the forest to kill her and bring back her heart to prove that she was dead.

The huntsman was horrified. He loved the little princess and did not want to kill her. He took her deeper into the forest and spoke to her, "Beware of your stepmother, she wants to kill you”. But I can't kill you. So run away into the forest." The huntsman left poor Snow White alone and then killed a small deer and took its heart back to the queen. The Queen was very happy seeing the heart of the dear.

Meanwhile, Snow White ran as far as she could until she came to a cottage hidden deep in the forest. She knocked the door but there was no answer. She then pushed the door and went inside; the house was very very small. She wondered who could live in such a tiny house. She looked around--everything was so small. She was surprised to find that there was seven of everything: seven dirty cups, seven plates, seven knives, seven forks, seven messy beds and seven chairs. Quickly, she dusted the house and then had some bread and cheese by now she was very tired, so she went off to sleep.

At night, the masters of the house returned from work, they couldn't believe their eyes. Their home was clean and spotless, "who could have done this?" they asked. They looked around. Dinner was cooking in the oven and the table was laid. Then they crept into the bedroom. There they saw the beautiful princess. Snow White woke up to find seven dwarfs standing by the bed. "Don't be scared," they told her, "How did you find this place? They asked her. Snow White told her story. The dwarfs were horrified. "You must stay here with us," They said Snow White was very happy and the dwarfs were delighted to look after her. Snow white and the seven dwarfs started living a good life she soon forgot all about the wicked Queen.

On the other hand the Queen was living peacefully and happily but one day she thought to ask the magic mirror again that who is the fairest of all. The magic mirror replied. "Snow white, who dwells with the seven little men, is as fair as you". When she heard this, the Queen went pale, for she knew that the huntsman had tricked her. But this time she didn't want to take any chance. She tried her magic spell and became an old beggar-woman. She went into the forest. And as the seven dwarfs went out for work, she knocked at the door. Snow White opened and saw an old beggar-woman standing on the door step. She was holding a basket full of apples. "Try my apples, they are magic wishing apples: one bite and your dreams will come true.

Snow White thought about the handsome Prince of her dreams and took the apple. She took one bite and felled down. The old beggar woman turned back into the wicked Queen, "Nothing but a kiss from your true love can save you now," laughed the Queen. "Good bye!" When the seven dwarfs returned they saw a shadowy figure near the cottage. They chased her through the forest, towards the mountains. That figure was of the Queen.

The Queen ran on but she slipped on a ledge and fell down the side of the mountain into a deep hole between the rocks. She was never seen again. The dwarfs came back to the cottage. They tried everything to wake Snow White but it was of no use. They would have buried her but then she looked as if she was alive. So they made a coffin of crystal glass and laid her in the coffin. For a long time Snow White lay in the coffin looking as if she was asleep she was still as white as snow, her hair as black as ebony wood and lips as red as a rose.

One day a handsome prince came riding from a nearby kingdom. He saw then beautiful snow white and fell in love with her. "How beautiful she is!” He said kneeling down to kiss her. It was the kiss of true love- the one thing in the world that could break the spell! Snow white woke up and looked around. She was surprised to see the handsome prince besides her. She realised that this was the prince of her dreams. The prince without waiting much asked Snow White "Will you marry me?” She smiled and said ‘Yes’.

Snow White took the prince to the seven dwarfs and told them everything. The dwarfs were very happy for her. Soon Snow White married the prince and they lived happily forever.

The Thirsty Crow

2011-02-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

One hot summer day, a thirsty crow flew all over the fields looking for water. He was very thirsty but couldn’t get water anywhere. When he got tired and weak he decided to take rest under a big mango tree. He came down and sat upon the tree. Suddenly his eyes went on a pot, which was kept on the other side of the tree.

He went near the pot and when he peered inside he found some water in it. He became delighted. “Ahhha finally I got water”, said the thirsty crow. He quickly put his peak inside the pot of water but couldn’t drink because the water was deep below the pot. Now the thirsty crow didn’t know what to do?

He sat for a while and then looked here and there. He found some pebbles on the ground. So he picked a few of them. Then he came near the pot of water, threw one pebble in it and watched. He saw that the water in the pot was coming up. So he put more pebbles in the pot. Now the level of water in the pot was high enough for the crow to drink.

Without wasting anytime the thirsty crow drank all the water and fulfilled his thirst. And then flew away…

English and Education: Discussion Corner

2011-02-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

English and Education: Discussion Corner

Error Questions

2011-01-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

Type 1: Verb + Noun

1. Can you…..an eye on my car while I go in the shop? Keep
2. If we…..a mistake in the exam can we cross it out. Make
3. Whose turns is it to …the housework? Do
4. I’m going to…. a chance and ask her if she wants to go out somewhere. Take
5. I’ve tried telling him that I don’t want to see him again but he doesn’t seem to be…the message. Getting.
6. The mountaineers…. the summit on the fourth day of their ascent. Reached
7. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I keep…. my temper with everyone. Losing
8. You should try to….more attention in class. Pay
9. Can I….an appointment to see the doctor today?
a. make
b. accept
c. invite
10. They’ve….all of their friends to the wedding.
a. refused
b. made
c. invited
11. Have you….any arrangements for the weekend?
a. Booked
b. Made
c. accepted
12. I’ve… a table for us at a Vietnamese restaurant.
a. Booked
b. Refused
c. made
13. My boss wasn’t happy when I refused her…to dinner.
a. Booking
b. Invitation
c. arrangements
14. Carlos has made….to go to Thailand with his girlfriend.
a. Invitations
b. Appointments
c. Plans
15. She’s good at writing stories for children and is always keen to…up new plots.
a. Do
b. Get
c. Make
d. Take

16. The son assured their father that they would work hard to…out the treasure.
a. Find
b. Sort
c. Seek
d. Try

17. I ….a lot of presents for my birthday.
a. Got
b. Became
c. Become
d. have

Type 2: Verb + Adverb
1. It’s going to be impossible to get this finish in time.
a. Highly
b. Deeply
c. Virtually
d. Severely

2. She was temped to resign immediately.
a. Sorely
b. Fatally
c. Perfectly
d. Highly

3. Your car needs servicing. It sounds terrible
a. Severely
b. Desperately
c. Sorely
d. Deeply

4. I remember asking you to post that letter.
a. Eagerly
b. Perfectly
c. Distinctly
d. Virtually

5. He regrets sending you that mail.
a. Fatally
b. Bitterly
c. Distinctly
d. Severely

6. We await your replay and hope that your response will be positive.
a. Deeply
b. Desperately
c. Eagerly
d. Distinctly

7. I don’t know why you could not follow his directions. They were clear.
a. Highly
b. Deeply
c. Virtually
d. Perfectly

8. He was very sorry about being late and apologized .
a. Interminably
b. Deeply
c. Profusely
d. eagerly
Type 3: Noun + Verb
1. Bikin sendiri
Type 4: Adjective + Noun
1. Don’t talk to him about politics because it’s like a rag to a bull.
a. Blue
b. White
c. Red
d. black
2. she lost the company a lot of many last week and as a result has got a mark against her name.
a. red
b. blue
c. white
d. black
3. you’ll notice that as soon as the children come home from school, the dog will jump up and show its great ¬ for them
a. infection
b. affection
c. affectation
d. protection

4. There is a huge in the local paper about the special offers available in the store this weekend.
a. Announcement
b. Display
c. Notice
d. advertisement
5. Sociolinguists maintain that some of the film on show today have created a generation of children.
a. Frighten
b. Afraid
c. Fearful
d. Frightening

6. He tends to forget things very quickly and behaves more and more like the typical professor.
a. Clear-minded
b. Absent-minded
c. Well-minded
d. Cool-minded
Type 5: Adverb + adjective
1. The election is very DELICATELY BALANCED at the moment. Either party could win.
2. The new production of 'Hamlet' was ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED by the first night audience.
3. She's too HIGHLY QUALIFIED for the job -- we don't want someone with a degree.
4. The house is IDEALLY SITUATED, ten minutes from the sea, and ten minutes to the mountains.
5. If you think I'm going to agree to that, you're BADLY MISTAKEN
6. The disco was already DANGEROUSLY OVERCROWDED when the fire started.
7. His words were CAREFULLY CHOSEN to ensure they appealed to different sections of the audience.
8. The President has been CLOSELY ASSOCIATED with the idea from the start, so he's very anxious that it is a success.
For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below.
1. The cost of a new house in the UK has become high over the last few years.
2. The drug company should not have put a new product on the market with fatal side-effects.
3. After a warm start to the month, the weather in the second half of June was cold.
4. Even when the cost of running the event were subsidised by local government, tickets were still in the region of fifty pounds.
5. For the last ten years Malcolm Sargant's gossip column in the Daily Planet has been read by thousands of readers.
6. To award a man like Thomas Green with the greatest lifetime achievement award seems unfair.
7. Our test this week is quite challenging in places but the one we got last week was easy.
8. There were some exciting moments in the second half of the film but the first ninety minutes were slow in places.
9. Hugh Tomlinson is believed to be the best director of his generation in Hollywood at the moment.
10. I am appalled by the thoughtless attitude of people who needlessly endanger other people's lives by using mobiles while driving.
11. This holiday offer does seem attractive but I think we are going to have to pass on it because of the high cost.
12. After all her hard work, Martha was disappointed when she got a grade B in her CAE exam.
Your answers

1. A
astronomically B
totally C
utterly D
blatantly
2. A
partially B
particularly C
potentailly D
painfully
3. A
unfortunately B
unseasonably C
unpredictably D
astronomically
4. A
tremendously B
avidly C
heavily D
atronomically
5. A
avidly B
vividly C
heavily D
tremendously
6. A
painfully B
blatantly C
widely D
bitterly
7. A
laughingly B
humorously C
highly D
absurdly
8. A
massively B
astronomically C
utterly D
painfully
9. A
thoroughly B
widely C
greatly D
massively
10. A
tremendously B
terribly C
awfully D
utterly
11. A
avidly B
absolutely C
irresistably D
heavily
12. A
painfully B
bitterly C
completely D
totally

Educational Settings and Second Language Learning

2011-01-06T00:42:00.000-08:00

A. Introduction

This research was done by Rod Ellis. Professor Ellis, a renowned linguist, received his Doctorate from the University of London and his Master of Education from the University of Bristol. A former professor at Temple University both in Japan and the US, Prof. Ellis has taught in numerous positions in England, Japan, the US, Zambia and New Zealand. Dr. Ellis, who is known as the "Father of Second Language Acquisition", has served as the Director of the Institute of Language Teaching and Learning at the University of Auckland. This research was published in online journal website at http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/December_07_home.php volume 9 issue. 4.

B. Content

It is stated in introductory paragraph that a general distinction can be drawn between ‘natural’ and ‘educational’ settings. The former arise in the course of the learners’ contact with other speakers of the L2 in a variety of situations—in the workplace, at home, through the media, at international conferences, in business meetings, etc. In considering the relationship between setting and language learning, it is important to clarify what is meant by ‘setting’, according to which social life is viewed as ‘a structured set of social categories which, to some extent, control our social characteristics and opportunities’ which is called type 1. Also, sociolinguistics assumes that ‘social life and our entire experience of society is best seen as structured through local actions and practices’ which is called type 2.

Types of educational settings

Skuttnab-Kangas distinguished a number of different types of educational settings, ‘non-forms’; types that do not use two languages of the learner as the media of teaching and learning, ‘weak forms’; types that have monolingualism, strong dominance of one language or limited bilingualism as their aim, and ‘strong forms’; types that aim to promote high levels of bi- or multilingualism and multiliteracy for all participants.

The language classroom setting

‘The language classroom’ is defined here as a setting where the target language is taught as a subject only and is not commonly used as a medium of communication outside the classroom. In this sense it includes both ‘foreign’ language classrooms (for example, Japanese classes in the United States or English classes in China) and ‘second’ language classrooms where the learners have no or minimal contact with the target language outside the language classroom. Foreign-language classroom contexts can be distinguished from second language classroom contexts in that native-like cultural and pragmatic competence is not a high priority in the former.

The role relationships between teacher and student influence learning in a classroom. In the case of traditional approaches to language teaching, where the target language is perceived primarily as an ‘object’ to be mastered by learning about its formal properties, the teacher typically acts as a ‘knower/informer’ and the learner as an ‘information seeker’. Parents may play an active role by monitoring their children’s curricular activities. They may also play a more indirect role by modelling attitudes conducive to successful language learning. Skuttnab-Kangas noted that foreign language classroom settings are characterized by very varying degrees of success.

Submersion
Submersion is a programme where linguistic minority children with a low-status mother tongue are forced to accept instruction through the medium of a foreign majority language with high status, in classes where some children are native speakers of the language of the instruction, where the teacher does not understand the mother tongue of the minority children, and where the majority language constitutes a threat to their mother tongue—a subtractive language learning situation.

Segregation
Segregation occurs where the L2 learner is educated separately from the majority or a politically powerful minority, who speak the target language as their mother tongue. Skuttnab-Kangas claimed that segregation settings produce poor results. But, in certain situations, the provision of separate educational facilities may have beneficial effects. Segregation also has some advantages where L2 learning is concerned. In particular, because the learners are likely to be at the same level of development, it is possible to tailor input to their level.

Mother tongue maintenance

Skuttnab-Kangas pointed out that mother tongue maintenance can take the weaker form, pupils are given classes in their mother tongue, directed at developing formal language skills, including full literacy and in the stronger form, pupils are educated through the medium of their mother tongue. Mother tongue maintenance programmes are based on enrichment theory, according to which high levels of bilingualism are seen as a cognitive and social advantage. There is also evidence that mother tongue maintenance settings, particularly those of the strong kind, result in considerable educational success.

Immersion
Immersion programmes began with the St. Lambert Experiment, a French immersion programme for English-speaking children living in Quebec, Canada. In the context of the Canadian French immersion programmes, it referred to programmes where members of a majority group (native speakers of English) were educated through the medium of French, the language of a minority group.

C. Conclusion

In this article, the researcher has considered the relationship between different educational settings and L2 learning. The aim has been to identify the potential learning outcomes associated with different types of settings, defined in very broad terms. It is important to note that there will be considerable variance in learning outcomes within settings as well as between settings.

It is possible to identify a set of general principles that underlie likely language learning success in educational settings. The following is a list of such principles.

1. L1 maintenance—ensuring that learners achieve a high level of both oracy and literacy in their L1 will promote learning of the L2.

2. Perceptions of L1—learning is enhanced when the setting confers status on both their L1 and the L2.

3. Social need—learners learn best when they have a clear social need for the L2. This social need is highly varied, however.

4. Target norms—success in L2 learning cannot always be measured in terms of a set of norms based on a standard form of the language.

5. Initial learning—initial L2 learning is more successful if learners have the opportunity to learn within an L1 speaking group

D. Comment

After reading this journal, I considered that this journal is not well organized. The structure of the content is not good enough because some of the necessary parts; for example, the methodology, are not exist. But, in some parts, the explanations of the contents are quite clear and understandable. For other students who interested in this journal, I suggest to read this journal more than two time in order to get full understanding.

The Study of English Learners’ Synthesizing Process While Reading

2011-01-06T00:39:00.000-08:00

A. Introduction

This research was done by Lu Fang Lin, Ph. D, an assistant professor in the Foreign Language teaching and Research Center, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan, who is involved in research into English teaching in the EFL context and English reading comprehension instruction. This research was published in online journal website at http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/March_08_home.php in March 2008.

This research investigated how English learners can retell two kinds of text with culturally familiar and unfamiliar topics, in this case they are Chinese and non-Chinese topics. Firstly, Lin, the researcher examined whether there was difference of English learners’ way of synthesizing between those types of passages/texts and it was showed that there was no significant difference. Then secondly, synthesizing information was classified by function and strategy to explain how the participants utilized the synthesizing process to comprehend an English passage on Chinese versus non-Chinese topics. Thirdly, Lin, the researcher, explained the process of how the participant utilized prior knowledge to produce synthesizing information. And in the last section of her paper, the researcher gave some recommendations for classroom practice in an effort to help language teachers apply the result of the study to the actual instructional context.

B. Body
In the introduction of this research, it is said that most of researcher in the field of reading comprehension have agreed that the readers’ prior knowledge can affect the degree of text comprehension. Furthermore, a great number of empirical studies have demonstrated significant impact of prior knowledge on reading comprehension. Because of its important role, prior knowledge is viewed as the key resource in the meaning construction of reading process. The followings are summary of each subtitle in this study.

Cognitive reading process

In cognitive science, reading can be viewed as a literacy process connected with cognition which refers to any internal or mental aspects of reading. This process included attending, analyzing, associating, predicting, inferring, synthesizing, generalizing, and monitoring and these processes might operate on various sizes of text units which are depended on the reader purpose. However, these all cognitive processes require knowledge. Then, prior knowledge will be added as a factor influencing the operation of these cognitive processes.

Macrostructure Formation during comprehension

Kintsch claimed that macrostructure formation occurred as an integral of comprehension. During the comprehension process, a reader can select a macroproposition and delete several micropositions. Thus, in forming a generalization, several microproposition can be replaced by an appropriate macroproposition which is called reduction process.

Effectiveness of Prior Knowledge in L2 (second language) Reading Comprehension

In previous studies, the effect of cultural specific prior knowledge and global knowledge still compete with each other. For example, research on the effect of content schemata held the perspective that L2 readers’ culturally specific schemata might cause reading difficulty. Therefore, comprehension of a culturally unfamiliar text was more difficult than comprehension of a culturally familiar text. On the other hand, readers’ comprehension of text could be attributed to cross-cultural prior knowledge, which was not culturally bound but a global knowledge of the world. Some parts of this type of knowledge in some studies could be termed as subject knowledge or content knowledge which might as well, to some degree, facilitate L2 students’ reading comprehension.

Restraints and Conflicts in Previous Research

The cognitive process variable, the synthesizing process, has not been examined closely.
the inconsistent results
Conflicting opinions that that non-natives had more trouble synthesizing the information

Methodology Elaboration

In this study, the researcher elaborated on the methodology used in previous research by Cohen (1988) and in previous research on the issue of macrostruture. In the previous experiments for measuring macrostructure comprehension (Kintsch & van Dijk, 1978; Guindon & Kintsch, 1984; Lorch, Lorch, & Mathews, 1985), they focused on the recognition task to study the speed and accuracy with which reading times for topic and detail sentences were calculated, and words from topic and detail sentences were recognized. In this study the researcher used the retelling technique to examine how L2 readers form macrostructures. As used to analyze readers’ retellings, synthesized information at intra- and inter sentential levels might “[come] from more than one part of the passage” (Alberta Education, 1986, p. 44) and included synthesis of single words, clauses, phrases, or sentences. For a higher level of synthesizing information, the reader might reconstruct the author’s words and ideas and produce synthesizing information across paragraphs. Also, to show the reader’s dynamic development of reading process, the present study increased the number of the topics to prolong the period of data collection.
To generate a concept of English learners’ general English reading, the present study added more topics that did not demand discipline-specific information.

Research Purpose and Research Questions

The purpose of the research:

1. To examine the effects of prior knowledge on L2 readers’ synthesizing process of the text with cultural specific topics (Chinese topics and non Chinese topics).

2. To explore how English learners apply their prior knowledge to comprehend English passages with Chinese and non-Chinese topics.

Three research questions were formulated to guide this study:

1. Is there a difference between English learners’ synthesizing information while retelling passages with Chinese versus non-Chinese topics?

2. How do English learners utilize the synthesizing process to comprehend an English passage on Chinese versus non-Chinese topics?

3. How do English learners use prior knowledge to produce synthesizing information?

Methodology

Participants

The participants in this study were from a senior high school in Taipei, Taiwan. In this study, the researcher considered the students’ cultural background and made an adapted Informal Reading Inventory (IRI). After each student was given an English reading test through the IRI, 14 Grade 11 senior high school students were selected to join the study. According to the results of the IRI, their English reading proficiency level was at the grade seven instructional level. The rationale for using this level of students as participants was that according to teachers’ comments on this group of participants’ general English ability, their English academic achievements were at the top ten from the highest scores in their class and they would be better able to express their own opinions.

The Procedure of the Study

The study began with a retelling practice session to ensure that all participants have the necessary abilities to retell the passage in Mandarin, if their retelling performances were satisfied, each of them joined individual retelling meeting. After that, the researcher had an immediate interview with each participant to confirm some vague description in his/her retellings.

Retelling Assessment Technique

The retelling technique encourages participants to retell the story in their own words. With such perspective, participants may be encouraged to restate the essential part of the original text, relate what they knew about the content of the text and to reconstruct the information they have just read without looking at the passage again.

Materials

In this study, twelve passages were used as reading materials for the retellings.

Six passages have topics on Chinese culture:

Chinese Farming (CF1),
Chinese New Year (CNY3),
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (SYS5),
The Great Wall (GW7),
The History of Tea (HT9), and
Cooking and Eating (CE11).
The other six passages have topics on non-Chinese culture including Canadian and European historical events, peoples, and customs. They are;
River of Salmon (RS2),
Railway across Canada (RC4),
First Peoples in Canada (FPC6),
Easter (EAS8),
Fishing in Canada (FC10), and
Ways of Sending a Message (WSM12)

Scoring and Labeling the Participants’ Retelling Protocols

After the participant finished retelling, the researcher transcribed the recorded retelling in Mandarin and further translated it into English. Then the researcher adopted the DRP procedure for judging the students’ retellings and divided the participants’ retellings into smaller meaningful independent units called thought units. A thought unit is a group of words representing a syntactically grammatical and meaningful unit of information represented in a text or retold by the participants. For example, one simple sentence is regarded as one unit for it conveys a piece of meaningful information independently.

After the participant’s retelling was divided into thought units, the parsed retelling information was further screened and labeled into synthesizing information (S). The thought units of this category were then summed up. To ensure the credibility of the analysis, the researcher asked another PH. D. student who was a native English speaker as a second rater.

Results and Discussion

Synthesizing Information

The statistic analysis in Means and Standard Deviations for Synthesizing Information Chinese and Non-Chinese provided the answer to the first research question that there is no significant difference in the participants’ synthesizing information when retelling the passages with (on) Chinese and those with non-Chinese topics. The possible reason can be that the participants may have had the competence of an awareness of the macrosturures and then combine some information in the text to make a synthesized statement over the passage on culturally familiar and unfamiliar topic.

A process of integration
In this study, most participants generalized ideas from several sentences and produced a larger gist or general meaning. That is, one synthesizing statement extracted the words directly from two or three sentences and interweaved another new statement.

A process of reconstruction

In this study, the participant reconstructed the meaning of the text by using their own words rather than the author’s words. Such kind of synthesizing information usually conveys the essential meaning presented in sentences.

A process of deletion

In this study, the participant retold a generalized statement by reducing some minor details, especially those with unfamiliar vocabulary. In the interview, the participants expressed that they did not use much of their life experience to understand this unfamiliar word because they did not have that in Taiwan. They stated that they had no idea about the words, so they skipped retelling the segment with unknown vocabulary in it, and thus made a generalized statement for the paragraph with their general knowledge of date sequence.

A pragmatic strategy of opening a talk and filling up the gap
In the beginning section of most retelling meetings, there was a period of silence. Most participants usually prefaced their retelling with a short over-generalization for the whole passage. Most participants directly used the topic to produced such synthesizes. These broad over-generalizations were still categorized as synthesizing information in this study although they were a much different synthesis that did not exactly summarize main ideas from the original text. Such over-generalizations could be a strategy they used to opening their talk.

Utilization of cross-cultural prior knowledge

In this study, the participant expressed that they did not have much of prior knowledge about non-Chinese topics, so they mostly could not retell many detailed contents of the passage but they could retell synthesizing information.

General findings can be summed up to show that the production of synthesizing information may primarily depend on the participant’s prior knowledge. If the participant lacks culturally specific knowledge about the text, they may rely on their cross-cultural prior knowledge and thus synthesize information in generalized way. In this study, the passages with non-Chinese topics may include several messages related to culturally specific prior knowledge and cross-cultural prior knowledge. When retelling the passages with non-Chinese topics, synthesizing information may occur as often as in passages with Chinese topics. Therefore, there is no difference found in synthesizing information between the two types of passages. This study also finds that if the participant has neither culturally specific knowledge nor cross-cultural prior knowledge, most of the message in the text cannot be synthesized.

Author’s Recommendations

In this study, most participants could provide a synthesized topic statement in the beginning of their retellings. This result recommends that the instructor notify the students the text with a topic or a paragraph with a topic sentence.
This finding can also suggest that the instructor may lead the students to read a passage without a topic first and ask them to assign a topic for the passage they have just read.
The study finds that the synthesizing information integrates main ideas from several sentences. The teaching activity can be that after learners finish reading a passage, the instructor asks them to figure out the essential parts in the passage and use the following patterns to lead them to describe the generalized concepts of the segments of a text
The result of this study shows that the participants still can do well in synthesizing the information from the English passages on non-Chinese topics. The result recommends that except the familiar topics, the teacher can lead the student to read a passage on unfamiliar topic to produce synthesizing retellings as long as the readability of the passage fits English learners’ English reading ability.
In this study, the researcher recommended another way of summary writing. Teachers may also focus on the summary retelling activity for collapsing a whole paragraph into smaller meaningful chunks, pointing out essential features in each chunk, and then asking learners to integrate the essential features in larger synthesizing statements.

C. Conclusion

In this study, this group of teenagers has proved that they have the ability to retell synthesizing information over familiar and unfamiliar topic passages with the assistance of their prior knowledge.Moreover, the results of the study provide further evidence in the field of prior knowledge studies to ensure the essential impact of the cross-cultural knowledge (Brantmeier, 2005; Hammadou, 2000). More than that, the findings of the study suggest that the reader’s cross-cultural knowledge can facilitate English learners to operate a synthesizing process. In contrast, the result of the study was not in agreement with Cohen et al’s (1988) conclusion that non-natives had more trouble synthesizing the information at the intra- and inter sentential levels as well as across paragraphs than natives. The different result from this study and the classification of synthesizing information can add new knowledge to the field of English learners’ cognitive reading process. In the near future, the researcher will include other groups of English learners with different levels of English reading abilities to further examine the non-natives’ synthesizing process via culturally specific and cross-cultural topic passages.

D. Comment

After reading and trying to understand this journal, I can say that this is a good journal. It stands for some reasons. First, this journal is written systematically and has complete composition / content, also the author biography and references are provided. It means that this journal can be used for academic usage. Second, the method in retelling assessment in this study is slightly different from that of recall. The third reason, then, it provides data of the study and it seems quite valid because in collecting data the researcher asked another PhD student who was a native English speaker as a second rater to ensure the credibility of the analysis. Then, the last reason, but not the least, I said that this is a good journal because this journal provide a study which can give a new finding/result that fix the misunderstanding/restraint in the previous research.

Finally, I suggest to other student to read this journal because this journal provides new knowledge which might be useful for us. After all, this journal uses communicative language and easy to be understood as well.

“Universal Characteristics of EFL/ESL textbooks: A step towards systematic Textbook evaluation”

2011-01-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Hasan Ansary and Esmat Babaii

Criticized by : Khumaidah

In February 2002 a TESL journal “Universal Characteristics of EFL/ESL textbooks: A step towards systematic Textbook evaluation”, Hasan Ansary and Esmat Babaii at the Shiraz University presented the study about the common- core characteristics of standard EFL/ESL textbooks by using checklist approach. It discussed about whether or not a de facto consensus exists all over the world and what makes a good standard EFL/ESL textbook. Besides, the discussion is for looking for some theory-neutral, universal and broad consensus-reached characteristic of EFL/ESL textbooks and also for drawing up some guidelines for the generation as well as systematic evaluation of EFL/ESL textbooks and the last for a graphically represented mode of EFL/ESL textbook analysis.

Hasan Ansary and Esmat Babaii (Shiraz University), in his article “Universal Characteristics of EFL/ESL textbooks: A step towards systematic Textbook evaluation” say that no textbook is perfect. Teachers should be more careful in taking the materials for the students. They should base on the suitable purpose and needs and be used judiciously. By using the 10 EFL/ESL textbook evaluation schemes and 10 EFL/ESL textbooks reviews, the study has stated that there is a limitation to teach the materials which can be expected to do for us because for getting the complex satisfaction in managing the language learning is difficult to get. In this study the researcher has described that however perfect the textbook is, it is just tool in the hands of the teacher. It depends on the teacher what will be done with the textbook

Critique of Kazuya Saito in “The Influence of Explicit Phonetic Instruction on Pronunciation in EFL Settings: The Case of English Vowels and Japanese Learners of English”

2011-01-06T00:25:00.000-08:00

by: Tony Anggadha

In his article entitled “The Influence of Explicit Phonetic Instruction on Pronunciation in EFL Settings: The Case of English Vowels and Japanese Learners of English” Kazuya Saito stated that Japanese learners have difficulty in learning English pronunciations, especially in segmental phonology. This is because Japanese learners have to learn many phonemes that do not exist in Japanese but do exist in English. Experiments are made to solve this problem, and the result demonstrated that explicit phonetic instructions enhance learners’ pronunciation of the target language. This result is true and can be accepted. Moreover, most researchers agree that teaching phonetic is more effective through explicit instructions.

Kazuya said that it is important to give attention to pronunciation teaching in English education. He explains two difficulties in teaching pronunciation. First, the class cannot always have native speakers of English as teachers. Second, since teachers are usually non-native speakers of English, they might not be confident, or still not competent enough, to be able to provide students feedback that is very crucial to successful pronunciation teaching. This study emphasizes how explicit phonetic instruction can improve pronunciation teaching in Japan and presents a research-based experiment that provides tangible results in which Japanese learners of English improve their speech production greatly. In addition, this study explores the capabilities of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in order to make pronunciation teaching more explicit. Ultimately, the present study aims to make a valuable contribution to the field of TEFL, particularly for Japanese learners of English. The pedagogical idea describe in this study may be advanced to other EFL contexts in Asian countries which are similar to that of Japan.

If we see from the subject matter, the research is important to discuss. As Kazuya quoted form Wei, this subject is necessary to discuss because although English has become more disseminated globally the importance of pedagogies for English has increased, pronunciation teaching is still not given enough attention, especially in English education in Asian countries. So, this article is really helps for the development of pronunciation teaching.

Based on my experience, I agree that the differences in phonemes can cause difficulties in learning others language. For instance, when I try to spell ”teuing”, a sundanese word, it is hard for me to spell /eu/ (I do not know what is the correct symbol), because I don not have that phoneme in my daily talk/conversation. I face the same problem when I spell /æ/, because this phoneme does not exist in Indonesian. This result of the study shows that Japanese learners of English have difficulties in spelling phonemes whose phonemic inventories differ considerably from that of English. It is no surprise that they have difficulties in pronouncing English due to the fact that English has many phones that do not exist in Japanese. In fact, Tsujimura notes the segmental differences between English and Japanese both in vowels (English: 12, Japanese: 5) and consonants (English: 24, Japanese: 14). According to Ohata (2004), many Japanese learners of English have difficulties pronouncing certain sounds that don’t exist in Japanese but do in English.

In my point of view, the learners usually change the phonemes which “strange” for them with the closest phoneme of their mother tongue. This opinion is based on Fledge’s study. His inventions states that second language learners usually substitute the closest first language phones for similar ones.

As the conclusion, it is common for English learners have difficulties in learning pronunciation, especially segmental phonemes which do not exist in their first language. As the result, the learners will search for the closest phoneme for the second language phoneme and replace the phoneme.