# 8 Reflection Paper

I hesitated before deciding to take this class ”Computer-Assisted Language Learning, ” because I know my English is not very good. At first I afraid I cannot follow the class, but I believe that I can overcome my weakness in learn English through this course. Finally my faith bigger than my fear. I have made up my mind to take this class. I want improve my English writing and speaking skill. In this class, I learn a lot from writing my own blog and group presentation. Although the two topics is difficult challenges to me, I still enjoy it.

When the teacher said 「you have to set up you blog and write every week」, I was very worry and afraid that I cannot write a good article. Because I have not gone to English cram school since I was child, writing article is not easy to me, I always spend very much time on writing. Before I start to write my blog, I will search online article and use the online dictionaries look for ready-made phrases that I can use in my own sentences. Through writing blog I learn a lot of new vocabulary and good sentences. Writing blog not only help me review what I learn this week but also enhance my writing skill.

I am an introverted person. Group presentation mean I have to talk in front a lot of people and even worse is that presentation cannot use my native language. In order to overcome this challenge, I effort to do my best. My group presentation topic is " MIT Open Courseware. "  When I prepare this presentation, I have a deeper understanding about  MIT Open Courseware, and I have been interested in MIT Open Courseware since then.

MIT Open Courseware is very useful. Because I choose the class that really interested me. Moreover, the course have a complete set of lecture videos, problem sets and exams. When I watch the video, I feel as if taking the real lectures in the classroom. Meanwhile, I can enhance my listening skill. After lesson, there will be exams test me what I learn in this course. These courses have ignited a passion for learning.

I am very glad that I take this class. I know a lot of online language learning resources that make English learning much more interesting and easier. In the class, I use many English learning websites and freeware for the first time. After I know how to use websites and freeware, websites and freeware become useful to me. it can enhance my English skills. For example, " My ET " is a freeware which can improve my speaking skill by check my errors of English pronunciation. And Open Courseware help me study by myself in future.

# 7 OpenCourseWare

I have heard about open course ware before.
But I haven't  visited any of the open course
ware before. When I know how to use open course ware, I think open course ware is very useful. Because I can choose the class that really interested me and learning anytime 
and anywhere. I like MIT OpenCourseWare .Because the course have a complete set of lecture videos, video transcript, problem sets, and problem solving videos. After lesson, there will be Exams test me what I learn in this course. These courses have ignited a passion for learning.

# 6 TED Talk

Why 30 is not the new 20

Speaker : Meg Jay

I'm 20 years old now. I always ask myself「 Are

you living a meaningful life?」 And this TED Talk
  help me find the answer . In this speech, 

Meg Jay gives three advice to twentysomething.

First,  " Do something that's an investment in who you might want to be next. " 

Second,  " That new piece of capital, that new person to date almost always comes from outside the inner circle. "

Third,  " Picking your family is about consciously

 choosing who and what you want. "

Don't be defined by what you didn't know or didn't do. 

#5 My life stories

「 you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. 」

When I was a child, my father banned me 

from watching TV. As a child I thought 

my life is boring. But ten years later,  

now I'm a college student. I appreciate 

 that my father banned me from 

watching TV. Because now I have two 

beautiful eyes. And when I was a child, I 

read a lot of books. Now I constantly 

look at my smartphone, I don't have a time 

to read. 

# 4 Steve Jobs’ Talk

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

1. 「 you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. 」

2. 「Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. 」

3. 「 I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. 」

4. 「 Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. 」

5. 「 Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. 」

6. 「 Stay hungry, stay foolish. 」

#3 Podcast

I think podcast is an easy and portable resource to help me improve my English listening and speaking anytime.

I used to listen ICRT to practice my English listening, but now I use ESL Podcast. Because ESL Podcast talking speed is slower than ICRT, I can hear every word clearly.

ESL explain new or difficult vocabulary again to me let me understand what the word mean. Also I can learn more sample sentences, additional explanations and cultural notes.

#2 Dictionary Exercise

Walking or cycling to work 'improves well-being'

1. commuter
Major definition : a person who travels into a city to work each day, usually from quite far away
Example sentence : We need to encourage commuters not to drive into the city.

2. reinforce
Major definition : reinforce something to make a feeling, an idea, etc. stronger
Example sentence : The climate of political confusion has only reinforced the country's economic decline.

3. swap
Major definition : to replace one person or thing with another
Example sentence : I think I'll swap this sweater for one in another color.

4. correspondingly
Major definition : in a way that matches or is connected with something that you have just mentioned
Example sentence : a period of high demand and correspondingly high prices

5. disruption
Major definition : the act of stopping something from continuing in the normal way
Example sentence : The strike caused serious disruptions.

I like Oxford Learner's Dictionaries because it has a lot of sentence.

Extra examples give me ready-made phrases that I can use in my own sentences.
And learner's dictionary provides clear, simple definitions.
It's easy to understand what the word mean in common situations.
Also I can learn the pronunciation differences between British English and American English.