English Through Chatting
In the modern life we are living, things are changing dramatically. Ways we communicate, methods of learning, and channels of collaborating all have changed from the traditional to what we call the online or computerized environments. There is a large debate between those who encourage such change, and others who are against it. Each side has their good reasons. Those who are against claim that it is informal and it degrades the quality of the spoken and written English. On the other hand, those who encourage the change disagree and think it opens the doors not only for learning the language, but for enhancing communication and encouraging team work.
The world is changing to better and the language is becoming easier. The Internet is helping to mix all cultures into one small world, a diversity. This could never be achieved without online chatting and messaging. It encourages and speeds the process of learning for international students. It also does enhance personal skills and make all students ready to cope with the market.
It encourages others to learn the language by simplifying things. I did learn English online. That was a long time ago. At the early beginning, when I was in high school, I wanted to know about local spoken English in the United States of America just for fun. After that, it removed all the barriers and the fears. It made me understand the news on TV channels like CNN, and newspapers like The New Your Time. Without chatting, I wouldn’t have been able to break the sentences and understand what is going on. It helped me enhance my spelling capabilities by seeing and watching the same words and sentences over and over. “These different activities will contribute to features that are evermore present and important in the learning process of the present and future: autonomy and responsibility, team work, collaboration, awareness of the real world out there and of the multicultural diversity it holds, among other things” (Almeida d’Eca, 2003, Para. 12). I agree with the following: “Most students (60.9 percent) believe it improves their learning” (Guess, 2007, Para. 2); Chatting really increased my ability to learn. It made me ready to learn through reading quickly and accurately.
Online communication makes students ready for the local and global market. It develops their communication and collaboration. “The need for effective knowledge sharing, team working and collaborative environments amongst employees has become vital, especially within more geographically dispersed teams” (Wikipedia, n.d., Para. 15).
Without awareness of the language and modern communication channels, students will not be ready for the market. Informal English all the time is not good at all, but a little of it some times is perfect. This can only be achieved by online chatting especially when you live in the other half of the world. It also increases collaboration skills and teamwork by teaching you how to participate and manage speeches in conference rooms for instance. Now, you should try it. It is free and entertaining.
References
Almeida d’Eca, T. (2003, June). The Use of Chat in EFL/ESL. TESL-EJ. Retrieved on June 17, 2008, from http://tesl-ej.org/ej25/int.html
Guess, A. (2007, September 17). Students’ ‘Evolving’ Use of Technology. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved on June 17, 2008, from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/17/it
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Instant messaging & messengers. Retrieved on June 17, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_messaging
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
summary response #2
Our Life Is In Danger
Alok Jha wrote “Science: Environment: Hurricanes and global warming devastate Caribbean coral reefs: Storm damage from waves and death of vital algae likely to become more common, report warns”. The author’s main idea is to list all the causes of coral damage, the impact of losing the reefs, and how to protect the reefs or solutions. The author said that warmer seas and hurricanes did cause death to half of the coral reefs in the Caribbean. That’s why the IUCN is warning the world. “2005 was the hottest year on average since records began and had the most hurricanes ever recorded in a season” (2008, Para. 2). The author also listed the reasons behind the bleaching and damaging of coral reefs. The Caribbean has more than 10% of the coral reefs in the world the authors said, and more than 50% already were killed because of global warming. The author also mentioned that reefs that are near to human pollution are suffering the most. The author summarized the importance of coral to the marine ecosystem, providing the more than 40,000 species spawning, nursery, etc. The author also mentioned in his article that there will be a huge loss of in the future which will affect the tourism and absolutely the economy. A solution mentioned in the article to save corals reefs is to manage the pressures like fishing, fishing and damaging coastal development. The author defended and illustrated the fact that all the facts taken from the report are from an effort of more than 70 coral workers and volunteer divers.
Our life is in danger if we do not protect our ecosystem and life support system. We should stand with environmentalists to protect the resources and try to convince economists that by protecting our resources, we will live sustainably and make the economists happier by making more profit and creating more jobs in the long term.
The author did focus on some factors that we should avoid. I support the author’s thoughts and ideas and we should find a way to stop factories from throwing waste in seas and oceans. Coral reefs that are the homes, food and nurseries of most of the species in the water world are in danger; and we say in danger, we mean that our life is also in danger because we are breaking a complete complicated long cycle that is the life support system. Without coral, fish will lose their homes and their food, and this will affect the human beings. This is just an example but not a limited cause or effect.
The reason for standing with and supporting the environmentalists is that some economists do not think in the long term or imagine what the effects are of missing the earth’s capital resources. And when we lose resources, the whole society would be in danger. The author mentioned an example of the tourism in the Caribbean which I would like to explain more. If we keep causing damage to the Reefs, there will be no more wonderful seas and oceans. This will therefore have bad effects on the tourism. People will stop going to the Caribbean, because the Sea is dirty, the blue amazing color will disappear, the smell would be so stinky in a way that you can't even sit. When people stop going there, lots of workers will get fired and there will be a huge loss in the economy as well as the environment. See how ugly the situation could become?
As a conclusion, we should help the supporters and the organizations to stop the pollution causers. We should defend our beliefs. And as you are part of this society, don't you think life is in danger?
References:
Jah, Alok. (2008, January 24).Science: Environment: Hurricanes and global warming devastate Caribbean coral reefs: Storm damage from waves and death of vital algae likely to become more common, report warns. The Guardian (London). Retrieved on June 3, 2008. from Lexis Nexis
Alok Jha wrote “Science: Environment: Hurricanes and global warming devastate Caribbean coral reefs: Storm damage from waves and death of vital algae likely to become more common, report warns”. The author’s main idea is to list all the causes of coral damage, the impact of losing the reefs, and how to protect the reefs or solutions. The author said that warmer seas and hurricanes did cause death to half of the coral reefs in the Caribbean. That’s why the IUCN is warning the world. “2005 was the hottest year on average since records began and had the most hurricanes ever recorded in a season” (2008, Para. 2). The author also listed the reasons behind the bleaching and damaging of coral reefs. The Caribbean has more than 10% of the coral reefs in the world the authors said, and more than 50% already were killed because of global warming. The author also mentioned that reefs that are near to human pollution are suffering the most. The author summarized the importance of coral to the marine ecosystem, providing the more than 40,000 species spawning, nursery, etc. The author also mentioned in his article that there will be a huge loss of in the future which will affect the tourism and absolutely the economy. A solution mentioned in the article to save corals reefs is to manage the pressures like fishing, fishing and damaging coastal development. The author defended and illustrated the fact that all the facts taken from the report are from an effort of more than 70 coral workers and volunteer divers.
Our life is in danger if we do not protect our ecosystem and life support system. We should stand with environmentalists to protect the resources and try to convince economists that by protecting our resources, we will live sustainably and make the economists happier by making more profit and creating more jobs in the long term.
The author did focus on some factors that we should avoid. I support the author’s thoughts and ideas and we should find a way to stop factories from throwing waste in seas and oceans. Coral reefs that are the homes, food and nurseries of most of the species in the water world are in danger; and we say in danger, we mean that our life is also in danger because we are breaking a complete complicated long cycle that is the life support system. Without coral, fish will lose their homes and their food, and this will affect the human beings. This is just an example but not a limited cause or effect.
The reason for standing with and supporting the environmentalists is that some economists do not think in the long term or imagine what the effects are of missing the earth’s capital resources. And when we lose resources, the whole society would be in danger. The author mentioned an example of the tourism in the Caribbean which I would like to explain more. If we keep causing damage to the Reefs, there will be no more wonderful seas and oceans. This will therefore have bad effects on the tourism. People will stop going to the Caribbean, because the Sea is dirty, the blue amazing color will disappear, the smell would be so stinky in a way that you can't even sit. When people stop going there, lots of workers will get fired and there will be a huge loss in the economy as well as the environment. See how ugly the situation could become?
As a conclusion, we should help the supporters and the organizations to stop the pollution causers. We should defend our beliefs. And as you are part of this society, don't you think life is in danger?
References:
Jah, Alok. (2008, January 24).Science: Environment: Hurricanes and global warming devastate Caribbean coral reefs: Storm damage from waves and death of vital algae likely to become more common, report warns. The Guardian (London). Retrieved on June 3, 2008. from Lexis Nexis
Thursday, June 12, 2008
summary response #1
Nicola Venning wrote “A Caribbean island where the beaches are empty and the holiday homes are affordable – in St Kitts, Nicola finds a brief window of opportunity”. The author’s main idea can be found from the title. The author showed her audience that they can buy beachfront homes that are at a lower cost in Antigua, where the sea is so beautiful, clean and glittering. The cost in these places will be approximately a million dollars. The author also gave the audience more information about St Kitts, where she made a choice, and picked amongst all the villages and cities. Because of its tropical lushness, and sugarcane farms, it is still undeveloped, with fair population ratio in a quite small area, she called it an exceptional place.
The author claims that homes are affordable at a good price too; that is about 300,000 US Dollars. The author is giving reasons why the prices are affordable. The main reason is because of the death of the sugar industry in that region. So the government is encouraging tourism for the long and short term. As part of these initiatives, some airlines and international development companies are moving in. As a result of investment, the author declared that prices of land are increasing. It has already doubled and will be doubling rapidly.
The author highlighted in her article the southeast peninsula, where the place is designated as an up market having all the services with low population. It is meant to be a tourist zone. He stated in his article that current investors are building hotels and lots of homes. He also said that one of the property groups has already built a complex containing more than 150 homes both hillside and ocean view which will finish at the end of 2008. As the author reported in his article that the island suffered hurricanes in the 1990s. The government does not have any design control either and therefore they are offering the one bedroom homes for about $300,000 and around $500,000 for the two bedrooms. And as the author is saying, the government is only promoting upmarket development to protect the environment.
The author also gave an example of a couple who bought land and was willing to build a four bedroom home. This is to show that people are also buying land and building their own homes. It is not the only option to buy a ready built home.
There should be more efforts from the government and the media companies to encourage the development of the Caribbean islands, i.e. living as well as the environment. This can only be achieved by heavy advertising and heavy investment.
I always did wish to own a beach, where I wake up in the morning and see the wonderful sea. But I had never heard of the Caribbean before. Is it because it is not well advertised by the media?
If you have a home there, then you would absolutely do whatever it takes you to protect the environment.
The prices there are so affordable. So why don't you get one before the price doubles? It is a good choice for living. If you change your mind, then you still have a chance to sell it after the price doubled. Don't you think so?
References:
Venning, N. (2006, September 27). This other Eden;A Caribbean island where the beaches are empty and the holiday homes are affordable - in St Kitts, Nicola Venning finds a brief window of opportunity. The Independent (London). Retrieved May 29, 2008. from Lexis Nexis
The author claims that homes are affordable at a good price too; that is about 300,000 US Dollars. The author is giving reasons why the prices are affordable. The main reason is because of the death of the sugar industry in that region. So the government is encouraging tourism for the long and short term. As part of these initiatives, some airlines and international development companies are moving in. As a result of investment, the author declared that prices of land are increasing. It has already doubled and will be doubling rapidly.
The author highlighted in her article the southeast peninsula, where the place is designated as an up market having all the services with low population. It is meant to be a tourist zone. He stated in his article that current investors are building hotels and lots of homes. He also said that one of the property groups has already built a complex containing more than 150 homes both hillside and ocean view which will finish at the end of 2008. As the author reported in his article that the island suffered hurricanes in the 1990s. The government does not have any design control either and therefore they are offering the one bedroom homes for about $300,000 and around $500,000 for the two bedrooms. And as the author is saying, the government is only promoting upmarket development to protect the environment.
The author also gave an example of a couple who bought land and was willing to build a four bedroom home. This is to show that people are also buying land and building their own homes. It is not the only option to buy a ready built home.
There should be more efforts from the government and the media companies to encourage the development of the Caribbean islands, i.e. living as well as the environment. This can only be achieved by heavy advertising and heavy investment.
I always did wish to own a beach, where I wake up in the morning and see the wonderful sea. But I had never heard of the Caribbean before. Is it because it is not well advertised by the media?
If you have a home there, then you would absolutely do whatever it takes you to protect the environment.
The prices there are so affordable. So why don't you get one before the price doubles? It is a good choice for living. If you change your mind, then you still have a chance to sell it after the price doubled. Don't you think so?
References:
Venning, N. (2006, September 27). This other Eden;A Caribbean island where the beaches are empty and the holiday homes are affordable - in St Kitts, Nicola Venning finds a brief window of opportunity. The Independent (London). Retrieved May 29, 2008. from Lexis Nexis
Friday, June 6, 2008
Practice Summary Response
Kurt Loft wrote “Coral Crisis: Global Warming, Trawling, Pollutants threaten the world’s coral population”. The author’s main idea is as follows: while people’s biggest concern is global warming and its negative impacts on marine health, he did highlight other threats that some people did not know about and that will cause un-repaired damage to our ecosystem, which is the coral crisis. More than 50% of the coral are threatened, while huge amounts of the coral reefs are already damaged and may never recover. Many organizations and countries did start such initiatives, since the coral reefs are considered one of the earth’s treasures and hence, we need to protect and take care of them. Coral reefs are affected by the rising of the temperature (i.e. global warming), which implicitly causes death to corals (i.e. bleaching). The author also mentioned that other researchers are announcing good news to the public by mentioning the oceans’ thermostat that regulates temperature of the oceans. The author did also list other problem causers like human pollution, trawling and ocean acidification. The author also explained the importance of coral, because it is the home of most of the oceans’ creatures, and when they are healthy, most of the creatures will live in these corals. The author also mentioned that many of the coral reefs live in warm water and may be tolerant of global warming.
We should take this issue very seriously, and support these initiatives that the author talked about. We should stop the massive trawling. We should eliminate any causers of polluting the air and polluting the oceans indirectly.
When we support such organizations with money or time, or just follow the do(s) and the don’t(s), then we are doing a great job in saving our universe. Scientists spent great time exploring the reasons and the causes of the pollution just to save our ecosystem. Most of these prevention plans are directed to institutions, organizations or countries; i.e. we have to regulate trawling. This has nothing to do with individuals, but It has a lot with companies or countries and organizations. We have to enforce these rules and to make sure they are adhered to by everyone to save our world. We have to take extra precautions and ensure that penalties will occur in the event of someone polluting our oceans and causing death to our food and our environment.
We also need to protect our atmosphere to avoid the temperature rises causing global warming, which will never be recovered. And when atmosphere rises, it does not only affect creatures on the land, but it also affects creatures living down in the bottom of the oceans by damaging their home and their food.
We should do self-practicing and start to save our earth by starting from our selves. And I am sure if everybody did that, then all the countries/organization will do the same because we are part of it. Then, we would find ourselves living in a sustainable society.
References:
Loft, K. (2008, April 21). Coral Crisis: Global Warming, Trawling, Pollutants threaten the world’s coral population. Retrieved on May 27, 2008. from Media General News Service.
We should take this issue very seriously, and support these initiatives that the author talked about. We should stop the massive trawling. We should eliminate any causers of polluting the air and polluting the oceans indirectly.
When we support such organizations with money or time, or just follow the do(s) and the don’t(s), then we are doing a great job in saving our universe. Scientists spent great time exploring the reasons and the causes of the pollution just to save our ecosystem. Most of these prevention plans are directed to institutions, organizations or countries; i.e. we have to regulate trawling. This has nothing to do with individuals, but It has a lot with companies or countries and organizations. We have to enforce these rules and to make sure they are adhered to by everyone to save our world. We have to take extra precautions and ensure that penalties will occur in the event of someone polluting our oceans and causing death to our food and our environment.
We also need to protect our atmosphere to avoid the temperature rises causing global warming, which will never be recovered. And when atmosphere rises, it does not only affect creatures on the land, but it also affects creatures living down in the bottom of the oceans by damaging their home and their food.
We should do self-practicing and start to save our earth by starting from our selves. And I am sure if everybody did that, then all the countries/organization will do the same because we are part of it. Then, we would find ourselves living in a sustainable society.
References:
Loft, K. (2008, April 21). Coral Crisis: Global Warming, Trawling, Pollutants threaten the world’s coral population. Retrieved on May 27, 2008. from Media General News Service.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Travel
Have you ever wondered about exploring the world! Finding out what other people in other parts of the world are doing? Or do you just even imagine how the lifestyle is out there? What is different there, and does not exist in your country, nor does it in your content? Have you ever traveled abroad? Do you know what you can gain and experience? What are the pros and the cons?
Well, if we keep writing about traveling, then we will never stop, and you will keep reading for hours, days and maybe nights. Maybe you have experienced such moments, when you are planning things out and arranging things with your wife: “Darling, where do you want us to go? Do you prefer the sun and the beach, or the mountain, forests and adventures?” And finally, you decide! You start booking a ticket online where you can find a variety of options. Some people decide to take the plane which they think is safer and faster. Others enjoy reaching their destinations other kind of transportation, e.g. ship or car. Now, when you decide how to travel, you start planning for the stay where you can find different offers, also online, or through travel agencies. Some couples prefer to stay in a 5 star hotel, where they can spend hours at the hotel’s spa, maybe its resort, the comfortable beds in the hotel rooms and the marbled toilet – what I personally do. Other couples prefer to go with a 3 star hotel where they just sleep and leave early in the morning to explore more places and more culture.
In the end, you will decide which is more convenient for you and stick with a choice before the holiday ends and you get back to work! So hurry up! Time is running out!
Well, if we keep writing about traveling, then we will never stop, and you will keep reading for hours, days and maybe nights. Maybe you have experienced such moments, when you are planning things out and arranging things with your wife: “Darling, where do you want us to go? Do you prefer the sun and the beach, or the mountain, forests and adventures?” And finally, you decide! You start booking a ticket online where you can find a variety of options. Some people decide to take the plane which they think is safer and faster. Others enjoy reaching their destinations other kind of transportation, e.g. ship or car. Now, when you decide how to travel, you start planning for the stay where you can find different offers, also online, or through travel agencies. Some couples prefer to stay in a 5 star hotel, where they can spend hours at the hotel’s spa, maybe its resort, the comfortable beds in the hotel rooms and the marbled toilet – what I personally do. Other couples prefer to go with a 3 star hotel where they just sleep and leave early in the morning to explore more places and more culture.
In the end, you will decide which is more convenient for you and stick with a choice before the holiday ends and you get back to work! So hurry up! Time is running out!
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