1、Learning English by Immersion,Some Experience from a LearnerYui-Wah (Clement) Lee, PhD Mar 23, 2007,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-2,Are we paying lip service?,Everyone says they know English is important, but ,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-3,What is the single most important factor for improving your English?,A
2、 good textbook? A good English course? A good teacher? A good language environment? A good attitude!,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-4,Textbook English vs Real English,Textbook English Basic training Artificial context Necessary, but you cant go very far with it “English of the mutes” (啞巴英語)? Real English Y
3、ou can make real and effective communication with a English speaker Intermediate to advanced learners should command real English Youll need not just language proficiency, youll also need an understanding of the foreign culture,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-5,Textbook English vs Real English,A Demo Real E
4、nglish: “Thirteen Days” (1:25) two times, an introduction in-between Some background about the movie Cuba crisis, Oct 1962 Came close to a full-scale nuclear war Key characters in the clip Kenneth ODonnell (Kenny), Special Assistants to the President John F. Kennedy (Jack), The President of the USA
5、McGeorge Bundy, National Security Advisor Textbook English: also from “Thirteen Days” (2 mins) Two times, one without text; one with Real English but this time with subtitle (2 mins),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-6,Textbook English vs Real English (2),Another Demo This Week in Tech (TWiT): Episode 90 (2 m
6、ins) Listen Show questions, and listen again Answer Show questions and answers,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-7,TWiT 90: Questions,Q: Who provides bandwidth for TWiT? A: Q: When was this eposode done? A: Q: What did Leo Laporte (the host) apologize for? A: Q: What was the reason that John had to leave earl
7、y in the last episode? A: Q: What was the last joke in this conversation? A:,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-8,TWiT 90: Questions and Answers,Q: Who provides bandwidth for TWiT? A: AOL Radio (at AOL.com/podcasting) Q: When was this episode done? A: Mar 11, 2007 Q: What did Leo Laporte (the host) apologize f
8、or? A: For missing a show last week and a show two weeks ago Q: What was the reason that John had to leave early in the last episode? A: To send a “wired” (i.e. wired transfer, aka money transfer) Q: What was the last joke in this conversation? A: “John, do you run an international drug cartel?”,Ver
9、sion 1.0,Immersion,1-9,Language is often not regular,E.g. 好不容易才找到兩張門票 好容易才找到兩張門票 A bus stops at a bus-station; A train stops at a train-station; Then, shouldnt work stop at a work-station? Hang up (on) / Be hung up (on) I hang up on her (我掛斷了和她的通話) I hung up on her (我掛斷了和她的通話) I am hung up on her (我
10、迷戀著她),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-10,Learning English by Immersion,Listen to a real English program everyday Story of my Chinese students in New Jersey Example: Danish or Swedish people (compare with the French) Immersion: physically moving to an English-speaking country? How about virtual presence? My
11、story at Parlons-en-provence, a French Immersion Program (expensive!) in Avignon, France,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-11,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-12,Key concepts for learning of a real language,Large amount of input Listen to some English everyday Repetition Listen again and again Ear-eye multimodal learn
12、ing See the words when you listen How can we fit language studies into our busy schedule? Portable/mobile learning,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-13,Key technologies that could be your friends,Podcasting Subscribe to various (audio) program series, and get new episodes by simply say “refresh” Once you get
13、the programs, you can sync them to your portable MP3 player (such as an iPod) Demo using iTunes Subtitle (aka close captioning) The Internet,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-14,The four cornerstones of any language studies,Read,Listen,Speak,Write,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-15,What programs ?,Textbook English Sp
14、ecial English (VOA) Single voice, normal speed News TV News Talk shows Audio Magazines Audio Books Round table (multiple voices, may overlap) Movies,More difficult,With subtitle (close caption) or not?,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-16,VOA Special English,Voice of America (VOA) Special English (慢速英語) Demo
15、(2:50) http:/ (here) Transcript available. E.g. http:/ (here),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-17,VOA: Questions,Q: Whom is this episode about? A: Q: What is the profession of Mr. E? A: Q: What are three major inventions of Mr. E? A: Q: When (which year) was Mr. E born? A: Q: How many siblings did Mr. E have
16、? A: Q: Did Mr. Es teacher like him A:,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-18,VOA: Questions and Answers,Q: Whom is this episode about? A: Thomas Alva Edison Q: What is the profession of Mr. E? A: An inventor Q: What are three major inventions of Mr. E? A: Motion pictures, (phonograph) sound recording, electric
17、 light Q: When (which year) was Mr. E born? A: (Feb 11) 1847 Q: How many siblings did Mr. E have? A: Six Q: Did Mr. Es teacher like him A: No (his teacher thought he had a mental problem),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-19,Normal speed, single voice,News VOA: Voice of America (USA) NPR: National Public Radi
18、o (USA) BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation (UK) TV News ATV World News, TVB Pearl News (Demo: 3:30-6:30) Audio Magazines VOA Our World (Weekly Science and Technology Magazine) Demo: WNYC Brian Lehrer Show (here) Demo: Revolutionary Cuisine (2007) (1:00-2:50) WNYC Leonard Lopate Show (here) Demo:
19、Interview with Stephen Chow (2004) WHYY Fresh Air (by Terry Gross) (here) Demo: Interview with Linus Torvalds (2001),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-20,Audio books,E.g. , by David McCullough Demo: Track 2 (39 secs) Printed book (here) , by Kenneth C. Davis Demo: Track 1 (1:30) Printed book (here) You dont h
20、ave to buy CD anymore. You can buy the MPs directly. There are lot of selections by http:/ (here),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-21,LiveABC Interactive Movie Theater,http:/ (here),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-22,DVDs,The key is the subtitle (aka close caption) Many choices Movies TV Drama TV Comedy Documentarie
21、s Brand names: BBC from the UK PBS (Public Broadcast System) from the US Discovery Channel History Channel,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-23,Demo: Yes, Prime Minister,A BBC classical sitcom from the 1980s Two key figures Jim Hacker, the Prime Minister: The top politician Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Cabinet S
22、ecretary: The top civil servant Side A: Chapter 3: Title 3 ( 4 mins),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-24,RosettaStone,A new approach to learn a foreign language Dynamic ImmersionTM method Good for basic training Demo http:/ (here),Version 1.0,Immersion,1-25,Summary,Now is the time to learn real English Attitude is everything Key concepts Large amount of input Repetition Ear-eye multimodal learning (subtitle/transcript) You blend language study into your leisure activities!,Version 1.0,Immersion,1-26,A related talk (Oct 2000),How to write good English? (here) Some good books on this subject,
