Time for podcasting!!!

HI PODCAST'S COMMUNITY!!

Thanks to our weekly activity we have explored the world of PODCASTS. It is interesting to analyse the meaning of this new word which combines together: “I-pod” and “broadcast”. A podcast is an audio file that people can download from Internet and listen to it on a computer (like we have done) or perhaps on an MP3 portable music player.

Podcasting means MOBILITY: in fact by podcasting you can listen to audio files whenever and wherever you want. On the web there are a large number of websites dealing with audio files. Some websites contains many podcasts, you can download them perhaps those that arouse your curiosity or interest.

Exploring the ‘podcastsphere’ we have discovered that podcasts can be very useful for improving our English. In fact they can support our listening and speaking skills and are also useful for enriching our English vocabulary.

From odeo.com we have found some websites which contain many podcasts useful for improving our English; I would like to suggest you these websites and of curse their podcasts:

The first is LISTEN TO ENGLISH –LEARN ENGLISH!
On this website there are various audio files on different topics. The speaker speaks slowly so besides listening to a perfect English pronunciation you can also enlarge your dictionary. These podcasts are short and you will enjoy listening to. At the end of each audio files you can find further exercises on different aspects of English grammar which can also be very helpful to the improvement of your English.

The second podcast that I want to suggest you is ENGLISHFEED
I would like to suggest this website and its podcasts because they are really interesting. I advice you to listen to the podcast entitled: “Using the web to improve your English”.

The third podcast is ENGLISH FOR EVERYONE
This website contains many interesting podcasts concerning for example: travels, transportation, business. The podcasts are short and the speaker focus on some words or expressions by explaining them. The speaker also delivers some cultural notes which are very useful for English learners in order to enlarge their knowledge about English or American’s culture.

Now listen to MY PERSONAL audio file about podcast’s first impressions

powered by ODEO

Exploring a new virtual genre

Hello everybody!!!

This week I am going to talk about a new textual genre: the website!!

Introduction

In the last few years there has appear on the web an endless number of websites of different nature; they can be classified for example as personal, institutional or informative; quite every company or institution has its own website. They deal with different topics, you can find useful information or entertainment; perhaps some of them can be very useful for improving people’s knowledge about a particular topic of interest. Some websites are also of social interest or utility, like those that me and my classmates have found out last week on del.icio.us and published on an online list which could be helpful for our English course.

A website is a new type of genre. It is an online text made up one or more peculiar elements: web pages and links. Moreover, the website has its own features which distinguish it from other types of online pages like blogs or written texts. These features include medium: the web page and links which make the online text dynamic and interactive, layout, language, register and targets. The particular arrangement of these elements contribute to make a website a new genre of text.

I have chosen two websites from the list on our class network in order to analyse how their language features are combined together. I will describe them and make a comparison by stressing analogies and differences.
The first website is: English club.com, while the second is English verb tenses; they both deal with the same content: English grammar.

Source of the picture: www.flickr.com

Brief description and characteristics

English club.com’s website
On the top of the homepage there is the title of the website “English club.com”, which is written in red bold, and a small picture of a school. The homepage contains an overview of all the topics and hyperlinks contained on the website. By looking at it the user/ reader will immediately notice that the website is very well organized and clear. On the homepage of English club you will find three columns; they are written in red bold in order to capture the interest of readers and deal with: “English Language Skills”, “Special Interest ESL”, “See also in the Clubhouse” and “What’s hot?”. The first group for example contains hyperlinks which deal with English grammar such as “English Grammar”, “English Pronunciation”, etc. In the second group you will find resources for Business English and other areas of English. The third group contains interactive games and pages like “ESL forum”. On the right there is a list of all the items contained on the website which facilitates the website’ user to reach directly what he is searching for.

English verb tenses’s website
This website deals with English grammar as well. It is different from the English club because it is taken from the website of the canadian University of Uottawa. It contains explanations of the English parts of speech. I choose for example the web page of English verb tenses. On this website you will find first of all the title of the part of speech analysed, then a short explanation of the grammar rules concerning that aspect. Then you will find some examples and exercises. This website is simpler that the first one and easier to use. However, the first one is more interesting for an English learner because besides the grammar rules, explanations and examples he can also find many interactive activities and articles, which stimulate his interest. Moreover, it contains also some advices on how to learn English or improve it.



Analysis

As far as similarities are concerned both websites are aimed at a target community: English learners and teachers. I think that the word ‘club’ sums it up very clearly. Both use a large number of hyperlinks.
As regards the register it is more formal on the first one, while informal in the second; the language is descriptive, simple, easy to understand and mainly made up of common words; verb tense is present. This is due to the fact that it is aimed at English learners, those level of English could be law. Moreover the purpose of both website is to convey clear explanation and make English learners improve their knowledge. Short sentences and simple words will for sure clear up their doubts or perhaps capture their interest or curiosity.
Both website contains a great deal of links which help the user to find out what he is searching for without any difficulties. Moreover, interactive exercises make English learners more adept at using English rules in a proper way.
As far as layout is concerned both websites are graphically well organized and the text is divided into short paragraphs; the information is well structured, explanations and exercises at the end of each unit are well organized.

As regards differences the first websites is structure in a different way. First of all the homepage delivers an overview of the content of the website. Moreover, it is also very helpful for users in order to decide for example what type of path they want to follow (for example from the “English grammar” or simple from the list of items on the right side of the homepage).
As far as the syntax is concerned in English club there is a large use of shorter sentences and infinitive structures, the register is informal. There are also a great deal of noun phrases, verbs ellipses and the style is more coincise. Moreover, there are many imperative sentences such as “study word and sentences stress”, “understand the sounds that your language doesn’t have”, interrogatives: “where do I start?”, “Why I want to learn English?”. The verbs used are mainly action verbs.
English club’s website contains also more interactive pages and hyperlinks.

In conclusion websites are simple, easy and fast tools to get information thanks to the large use of interactive pages and hyper textual links The language features of the analysed websites are combined in a successful way in order to enhance the desired purpose (informative, descriptive). The arrangement of layout and simple syntax involves web’s users, stimulates their interests and in this case is helpful for improving their language knowledge.


That's all for the moment
have a wonderful weekend
bye bye

Francesca

Social Bookmarks

Social bookmarking is a type of activity which can be very helpful because you can create and publish a list of websites to put at your classmates' and more in general at an online community's disposal who has some interests in common with you. Moreover, this is a type of collaboration among people whose primary concern is to share useful information by using a simple method.

As regards my experience and impressions I think that this system is very helpful because we have explored many websites and analysed their contents. Then we have chosen some of them considered of "social" interest for us and for our classmates and put them in an online list on del.icio.us website. Besides being an easy method of sharing and finding information it is also useful for improving our English knowledge.

As far as the choice of the social bookmarks is concerned we have selected those bookmarks related to our English course and above all those concerning "English learning" or "blogs".

Exploring the social bookmarks chosen by my classmates
I have found that they contain interesting and helpful information. Some of them have some characteristics in common: they help people to improve their English knowledge.

Marco for instance has chosen "words for translation", and "bbc learning language". The former can be useful for enriching English dictionary; while the latter is helpful to improve English skills and abilities by using a funny method and interactive activities.

Svjetlana, Annalisa and Lucrezia's social bookmarks are helpful to improve English grammar as well.
In her choice, Svjetlana, has given more importance to writing skills, she has chosen: "complete guide to phrasal verbs", "guide to punctuation", and "50 tools which can help you in writing". I have found "guide to punctuation" very interesting because it contains simple and easy explanations which help you to use English punctuation in a more appropriate way. As regards Svjetlana’s choice I also found "Blogging for Beginners" interesting because it contains some definitions and suggestions which are useful for blog’s users.

Annalisa has given more importance to the listening aspect of the language. She has also selected a website about the use of articles in English, which is also one of the most frequent mistakes among Italian students.

Very interesting are also Lucrezia’s "not only chat but a source full with tips and idiomatic sentences" and Annalisa’s "Writing global English" on which you can find 24 useful guidelines for non-native speakers in order to write clear English.

Finally it is worth pointing out Maria Chiara’s choice about the blogosphere, in particular: "A genre analysis of Blogs", which delivers a description about blog as a brand new genre.

See you soon

take care

Francesca

Blogging: what's a fanny way to learn English!!

HI EVERYBODY AND WELCOME ON MY PERSONAL BLOG!

My name is Francesca I am 24 and this is my first experience in creating something as virtual and personal as a blog! Since I am a beginner, please help me!!! If you have any advice or ideas on how to make my blog more original, or improve it, please send me a post!

I am attending the second (and last) year of Specialistica of Foreign Languages for International Communication at the University of Padua. Long translations and those boring hours spent on grammar books are finished. It’s time now to practise a little English. That s why I’ m blogging!! If you are thinking that blogging is part of the English course: you are right! It is exactly that: learning and practicing this amazing foreign language through Internet, in particular the blogosphere!!!

Source of the picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74263838@N00/184733028/

PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS OF BLOGGING

This is my first experience in blogging; before starting this interesting English course the blogosphere was something very unknown to me!! During these two weeks I have discovered many new things about this virtual world and despite my total ignorance concerning computer I really like this alternative way of practicing and improving my English. This course is aimed at making us communicate through blogging in English (something very different from the previous courses, which were more related to grammar and translation).

It seems to be an easy task to communicate in an informal and straightforward language but my short experience on the blogosphere has revealed that it is far from being easy. When blogging we use the blog’s language: a simple and informal English; the word communicative sums it up. I think that this particular method of teaching English is really interesting and stimulating for several reasons.

First you never get bored because blogging is a kind of dynamic interaction which involves a continuous exchange of ideas.

Blogging arouses students’ interest and attention, it stimulates imagination and curiosity and develops their critical ability.
When blogging you become a member of the blogosphere. Interesting topics, funny pictures, provocative sentences or questions make you be involved in the interaction, which is obviously in English.

Second this method allows us not only to read very interesting and funny blogs which are written in English, but also to develop our writing abilities and practice a type of everyday English, which is also very close to spoken language. Furthermore you also enrich your vocabulary and compare the style and the language used in different blogs (formal, informal, colloquial, made up of slangs or idiomatic expressions). This is some kind of text analysis, which helps you to discover some hidden proprieties of the language and how different people from all over the world use English and its vocabulary to communicate or express themselves.

Another interesting aspect is the fact that blogging helps you to improve your writing abilities and communication skills. You should be as direct and communicative as possible. This method stimulates you to think more in English and summarize your opinions or impressions concerning a particular matter of interest. When I write on a blog I feel more free to express my opinions, and this aspect stimulates me a lot. Moreover you should try to capture the blog’s visitors’ interest just by using the language and this is funny but also very difficult!!
From a linguistic point of view I think that this method of teaching English can influence my language learning a lot because I can practice continuously an English which is very close to everyday life without getting bored and being too afraid of making mistakes, I think that I will improve not only my writing skills but also spoken abilities.


That’s all for the moment
Have a nice weekend!
Take care
Francesca