Hello, everyone....and especially Rizky!
If you have seen this message, it probably means that you have been invited to Pontianak Reads, a blog I started while teaching in Indonesia. The idea behind this blog was that we could share our ideas about stories we were reading in difficult English, and new vocabulary words we had discovered. When I left Indonesia, Rizky and I decided we might want to keep this blog going, but we never did.
I remember teaching Rizky's and his classmates very well. I would go to Mr. Bunau's night-time reading class hoping he would be there with a lesson, but most of the time, he would be absent. So, I signed everybody's attendance cards, and went back to my office to find a good story for us to read together. Difficult English is nothing to be afraid of...you just need to read it with your friends. This makes it so much more interesting.
My students at Kansas State University English Language Program (Program Bahasa Inggeris Universitas Negeri Kansas) now have their independent reading assignments for the semester, and some of them are very long and difficult. Of course, they won't be getting any hard tests on those readings. There are enough hard tests already that come from our blue skills textbook, and these tests are given to us by the department.
But I think I like to give students difficult passages to read in English mainly because I miss Mr. Bunau's class. Struggling through a passage that is difficult to understand is like going on a long adventure together.
If you are a Kansas State ELP student reading this message, I hope that you will share with me and Rizky your thoughts about reading passages from "English Yes!" and short stories like "The Sojourner" and "English as a Second Language."
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Monday, July 11, 2011
SMA 2 - Pontianak: Answers to questions from my visit last semester
And I must apologize sincerely for the delay in responding. I decided to use this blog, since blog postings don't have so many space limitations as an update on Facebook...and let's be honest...who really clicks on the links to find someone's documents on FB? :)
So here they are, one by one, as written on the slips of paper...
Q: How do you think about Indonesian culture? How [is] the education in America?
A: Indonesian culture does not place as much emphasis on individual rights and personal liberty as American culture typically does. There are both good and not-so-good things about this. As for education, America lags behind all the other Western countries and unfortunately will continue to do so in the area of primary education, because the system is too political and people do not wish to fund the education of "other" people's children, especially when the "other" people irritate them so much. In university education, the variety and quality found in the USA are both quite good, and going to university in America, even for just a year, is definitely worth the trouble and paperwork you must endure.
Q: We have to learn English and we know that English is so important. How, we have some method to learn English easier from you. But I want to know what is your opinion about Bahasa Indonesia?
A: There is no magic "method" for learning English, but there are good principles to follow. Try to listen, speak, read, and write using English at least once every day. Also, when you listen, speak, read, and write, try to find material in English that you are actually interested in.
Bahasa Indonesia is quite difficult for me, because there are sounds that do not exist in English. For example, the sound NG can only be made at the end of a word in my language, but in your language, it often occurs at the beginning of a word.
Q: How the way to learn English well but fun not bored?
A: You have to connect English with things that you like to do. Karaoke singing is a fun activity many people in your city like to do for learning English.
Q: How's the way to have so many vocabularies? Is it possible to have a free in paying the fee and free life needs if I try to get a scholarship there? Because I really want to study abroad.
A: Reading in English will be necessary to increase your vocabulary, because you are not in an environment that allows you to do this mainly by listening and speaking. Make sure you are reading something that interests you so that you learn how words are really used; do not memorize lists of words. Write to an English-speaking person, also. Higher education in the USA is high quality but very expensive, and not possible for most students without a scholarship of some kind. From high school onward, you should monitor the web site www.aminef.or.id
Q: How can to speak English well without book or have course, and can communicate well to another people with English?
A: You must find a way to practice the use of English regularly, either online or in person with an English-speaker. The best situation would be reading material in English that you find interesting, which you might discuss with someone in English as you read it.
Q: How to learn English easily? I mean how to remember all of the material or the formula about English? According to you, it is better learning by dictionary or by alfalink? My mom said that is better to enlarge your knowledge about vocabulary from the dictionary. Can you explain about this?
A: I think your mom is trying to let you know that definitions of English words for school projects should come from a reliable source of information; dictionaries are normally reliable. Alfalink will become more reliable in the future, also. But the main thing is NOT to try and increase your vocabulary by memorizing lists of words. Never read a dictionary. Read what interests you, make a note of difficult words, and look them up in the dictionary later. Make a note of what you thought the meaning of the word was when you saw it. Compare your best guess to what you find in the dictionary.
Q: How to keep me away from "dead position" when my teacher teach with a really boring way?
A: You are talking about what I called the Position of Death, I think. The Position of Death happens when we have our chin resting on our hands, looking into space without really hearing what is happening. The "proper" English word for this is daydreaming. But when I was your age, we sometimes called it being "zoned out." In order to avoid this condition, your teacher should plan activities that require you to leave your seat and move around for at least part of the time. Many teenagers, especially guys, have trouble learning when they are not able to do this.
Q: How the way to learn English for beginner old man or old woman?
A: Do you practice English with your grandfather or grandmother? If so, that's great. Learning as a family can be fun and it can motivate you in a whole new way that most young people don't stop to consider. Your grandparents can learn to speak another language best by learning to use it to talk about their experiences. Ask them to talk about their lives in their first language, then write down exactly what they tell you about how things were in the "old days." Practice writing and saying the same thing in English, as you explain the new vocabulary to them. Some people call this a Language Experience Approach. Older people have more experiences than you do, so they must use these for learning, since their experiences are their strength.
Q: First, I don't like to study English subject, because of our teacher English subject. So, how the way we love English subject and also English teacher?
A: I am not sure how to answer, since I don't know your teacher, but I think you are probably bored with school - like most teenagers, everywhere in the world. It can help to remember that your teacher has an extremely difficult job. Planning lessons is not easy, even if you are working in your first language, as most Indonesian teachers of English are not doing. But any communication has to happen in both directions. Do you know what your teacher is interested in? Have you ever heard him or her talking about interesting topics in English? If you are only using prepared materials in the form of a textbook, you might ask your teacher to share with you how these materials are different from other English teaching materials, which might use a different approach. The more interested you appear in how your teacher prepared to teach you, the more interesting your class is likely to be. But you cannot just sit and stare into space until someone less boring suddenly arrives to instruct you. Make the most of your time.
Q: How to learn English in an easy way?
A: There are no easy ways. But some ways are more effective than others. The most effective methods are those that allow you to use English in a way that is relevant for your everyday life.
Q: In USA, how to way to improve disciple?
A: I think you mean discipline. If we are talking about the USA, we must remember that we Americans like to win. We never like to lose. And whenever someone publishes education statistics that say our students are not learning as well as those in Europe and Japan, we get very upset. Those calling for stricter discipline are usually those who believe that students are mainly at fault for the USA's bad performance in education for high school and below. In your case, though, you may be asking about how to find a better way to discipline yourself. If you are like most Indonesian students, you are not as lazy as people have told you that you are. So first, don't criticize yourself so harshly. Next, keep a journal of your English language study time, so that you monitor which activities keep you focused on English, and which do not. Your success is more a matter of initiative than discipline. Last, try to find a good Indonesian translation of the word "metacognitive." Your search will take you down a path of information you should walk through at least once.
Q: What are the benefits of change program?
A: No program is perfect, and as a learner of English, it is better to be exposed to as many different methods for teaching English as possible. Where one program may be strong in speaking, but weak in writing and grammar, another may be just the opposite. Changing programs does not create the danger that you will miss something you need. Instead, it ensures that you will miss less.
Q: I wanna ask you about the way to learn English easily...maybe to learn English more, we can start with often listening the English (maybe from English dialogue) but, if we not really love listening, so how we can learn English easily???
A: Listening activities are an important part of learning English. Everyone loves listening to something. So, change to more interesting materials. Try English Listening Lesson Library Online.
Q: How to make learn English to interests?
A: Look for information on the Internet in English about things you know that you are interested in. Start with simple vocabulary at first. Discuss your interests in English with your friends who are also studying English.
Q: 1. Can I have your Skype? :)) Well, I bet you don't give out your Skype to strangers. :P That's okay. 2. How do I learn a vocabulary that is hard to pronounce? 3. I have a problems in speaking English. I'm poor of vocabularies. I like to repeat the same words like....all the time. Help me to solve this problem. 4. Why is English UK (British) is a little but hard to understand? lol 5. Last one. Do you have a son? Sorry before. XXX
A: 1. My Skype is Cary.Chappell 2. To improve your pronunciation, you must remember that there are no rules in English for how letters are pronounced, only patterns we can show you for how different combinations of letters are pronounced most of the time. Also, learn the parts of your mouth where hard sounds are supposed to be made in English. They are not the same as in Indonesian. Go to the University of Iowa pronunciation practice web site called Sounds of English. 3. You must increase the amount of reading you do in English before your vocabulary will increase as much as you want it to increase. 4. British English uses a more complex vowel system than American English. 5. No, I don't have a son :(
So here they are, one by one, as written on the slips of paper...
Q: How do you think about Indonesian culture? How [is] the education in America?
A: Indonesian culture does not place as much emphasis on individual rights and personal liberty as American culture typically does. There are both good and not-so-good things about this. As for education, America lags behind all the other Western countries and unfortunately will continue to do so in the area of primary education, because the system is too political and people do not wish to fund the education of "other" people's children, especially when the "other" people irritate them so much. In university education, the variety and quality found in the USA are both quite good, and going to university in America, even for just a year, is definitely worth the trouble and paperwork you must endure.
Q: We have to learn English and we know that English is so important. How, we have some method to learn English easier from you. But I want to know what is your opinion about Bahasa Indonesia?
A: There is no magic "method" for learning English, but there are good principles to follow. Try to listen, speak, read, and write using English at least once every day. Also, when you listen, speak, read, and write, try to find material in English that you are actually interested in.
Bahasa Indonesia is quite difficult for me, because there are sounds that do not exist in English. For example, the sound NG can only be made at the end of a word in my language, but in your language, it often occurs at the beginning of a word.
Q: How the way to learn English well but fun not bored?
A: You have to connect English with things that you like to do. Karaoke singing is a fun activity many people in your city like to do for learning English.
Q: How's the way to have so many vocabularies? Is it possible to have a free in paying the fee and free life needs if I try to get a scholarship there? Because I really want to study abroad.
A: Reading in English will be necessary to increase your vocabulary, because you are not in an environment that allows you to do this mainly by listening and speaking. Make sure you are reading something that interests you so that you learn how words are really used; do not memorize lists of words. Write to an English-speaking person, also. Higher education in the USA is high quality but very expensive, and not possible for most students without a scholarship of some kind. From high school onward, you should monitor the web site www.aminef.or.id
Q: How can to speak English well without book or have course, and can communicate well to another people with English?
A: You must find a way to practice the use of English regularly, either online or in person with an English-speaker. The best situation would be reading material in English that you find interesting, which you might discuss with someone in English as you read it.
Q: How to learn English easily? I mean how to remember all of the material or the formula about English? According to you, it is better learning by dictionary or by alfalink? My mom said that is better to enlarge your knowledge about vocabulary from the dictionary. Can you explain about this?
A: I think your mom is trying to let you know that definitions of English words for school projects should come from a reliable source of information; dictionaries are normally reliable. Alfalink will become more reliable in the future, also. But the main thing is NOT to try and increase your vocabulary by memorizing lists of words. Never read a dictionary. Read what interests you, make a note of difficult words, and look them up in the dictionary later. Make a note of what you thought the meaning of the word was when you saw it. Compare your best guess to what you find in the dictionary.
Q: How to keep me away from "dead position" when my teacher teach with a really boring way?
A: You are talking about what I called the Position of Death, I think. The Position of Death happens when we have our chin resting on our hands, looking into space without really hearing what is happening. The "proper" English word for this is daydreaming. But when I was your age, we sometimes called it being "zoned out." In order to avoid this condition, your teacher should plan activities that require you to leave your seat and move around for at least part of the time. Many teenagers, especially guys, have trouble learning when they are not able to do this.
Q: How the way to learn English for beginner old man or old woman?
A: Do you practice English with your grandfather or grandmother? If so, that's great. Learning as a family can be fun and it can motivate you in a whole new way that most young people don't stop to consider. Your grandparents can learn to speak another language best by learning to use it to talk about their experiences. Ask them to talk about their lives in their first language, then write down exactly what they tell you about how things were in the "old days." Practice writing and saying the same thing in English, as you explain the new vocabulary to them. Some people call this a Language Experience Approach. Older people have more experiences than you do, so they must use these for learning, since their experiences are their strength.
Q: First, I don't like to study English subject, because of our teacher English subject. So, how the way we love English subject and also English teacher?
A: I am not sure how to answer, since I don't know your teacher, but I think you are probably bored with school - like most teenagers, everywhere in the world. It can help to remember that your teacher has an extremely difficult job. Planning lessons is not easy, even if you are working in your first language, as most Indonesian teachers of English are not doing. But any communication has to happen in both directions. Do you know what your teacher is interested in? Have you ever heard him or her talking about interesting topics in English? If you are only using prepared materials in the form of a textbook, you might ask your teacher to share with you how these materials are different from other English teaching materials, which might use a different approach. The more interested you appear in how your teacher prepared to teach you, the more interesting your class is likely to be. But you cannot just sit and stare into space until someone less boring suddenly arrives to instruct you. Make the most of your time.
Q: How to learn English in an easy way?
A: There are no easy ways. But some ways are more effective than others. The most effective methods are those that allow you to use English in a way that is relevant for your everyday life.
Q: In USA, how to way to improve disciple?
A: I think you mean discipline. If we are talking about the USA, we must remember that we Americans like to win. We never like to lose. And whenever someone publishes education statistics that say our students are not learning as well as those in Europe and Japan, we get very upset. Those calling for stricter discipline are usually those who believe that students are mainly at fault for the USA's bad performance in education for high school and below. In your case, though, you may be asking about how to find a better way to discipline yourself. If you are like most Indonesian students, you are not as lazy as people have told you that you are. So first, don't criticize yourself so harshly. Next, keep a journal of your English language study time, so that you monitor which activities keep you focused on English, and which do not. Your success is more a matter of initiative than discipline. Last, try to find a good Indonesian translation of the word "metacognitive." Your search will take you down a path of information you should walk through at least once.
Q: What are the benefits of change program?
A: No program is perfect, and as a learner of English, it is better to be exposed to as many different methods for teaching English as possible. Where one program may be strong in speaking, but weak in writing and grammar, another may be just the opposite. Changing programs does not create the danger that you will miss something you need. Instead, it ensures that you will miss less.
Q: I wanna ask you about the way to learn English easily...maybe to learn English more, we can start with often listening the English (maybe from English dialogue) but, if we not really love listening, so how we can learn English easily???
A: Listening activities are an important part of learning English. Everyone loves listening to something. So, change to more interesting materials. Try English Listening Lesson Library Online.
Q: How to make learn English to interests?
A: Look for information on the Internet in English about things you know that you are interested in. Start with simple vocabulary at first. Discuss your interests in English with your friends who are also studying English.
Q: 1. Can I have your Skype? :)) Well, I bet you don't give out your Skype to strangers. :P That's okay. 2. How do I learn a vocabulary that is hard to pronounce? 3. I have a problems in speaking English. I'm poor of vocabularies. I like to repeat the same words like....all the time. Help me to solve this problem. 4. Why is English UK (British) is a little but hard to understand? lol 5. Last one. Do you have a son? Sorry before. XXX
A: 1. My Skype is Cary.Chappell 2. To improve your pronunciation, you must remember that there are no rules in English for how letters are pronounced, only patterns we can show you for how different combinations of letters are pronounced most of the time. Also, learn the parts of your mouth where hard sounds are supposed to be made in English. They are not the same as in Indonesian. Go to the University of Iowa pronunciation practice web site called Sounds of English. 3. You must increase the amount of reading you do in English before your vocabulary will increase as much as you want it to increase. 4. British English uses a more complex vowel system than American English. 5. No, I don't have a son :(
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Nothing to Cry About
In the past I have talked with some people about what I think they should do in reading class when the instructor has not shown up for some reason. This is never a reason to do "nothing" or "just sit." If you have an Internet connection for Facebook, you can use the same Internet connection to download short stories in English from the Internet, or from web sites like breakingnewsenglish.com. Heavy reading isn't always necessary to improve your vocabulary. You can read one or two paragraphs at a a time while your neighbor does the same thing, then do a "turn and tell." This means that you spend three minutes comparing what you understood from the paragraph with what your neighbor understood from the paragraph.
Get a set of portable laptop speakers, and download the mp3 files for a listen-and-read activity. :)
Get a set of portable laptop speakers, and download the mp3 files for a listen-and-read activity. :)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sign Up For Reading Expo!
FKIP Reading Expo is 21 May, and so far, about 10 people have signed up to compete for the prize: 50 US dollars' worth of books written in English that the winner will choose.
If you haven't located a book and signed up, there will be more this week during English Open House (Thursday at Cary's place).
Special thanks for helping get comment threads on this blog started....to Rizky Andriawan. He's reading the story of Aron Ralston, whose experiences are the story behind the movie 127 hours.
If you haven't located a book and signed up, there will be more this week during English Open House (Thursday at Cary's place).
Special thanks for helping get comment threads on this blog started....to Rizky Andriawan. He's reading the story of Aron Ralston, whose experiences are the story behind the movie 127 hours.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Things we read about together
This is a long list. I can see from our email messages to each other that we read a wide variety of stories... TANAEKA posted online with study questions We read O. Henry's The Last Leaf. It's on Voice of America's web site now... The Last Leaf
Tugas Terstruktur Academic Extensive Reading
If I have been seeing you for reading in Pak Bunau's Reguler B class this semester or last semester, this blog has been created especially for you, and I hope you will soon accept my invitation to join. We're going to talk about reading in English. What do you like to read? What don't you like to read? Which reading skills do you find the most difficult to master? (For most of us, it's being able to tell the difference between the topic and the main idea.) Each week, I will post pieces from your writing - Okke's has been especially good - and examples of how difficult vocabulary words you have sent to me should and should NOT be used in an English sentence. But mainly, I just want to get a good discussion going about books and stories you have read in English. Here's a link to what you know is one of my favorites... Kirk Coningham's The Expat and Other Stories
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