Language Project: Sample of Giving Directions Dialogue (Blog Entry 2)

Hi gangs! As promised earlier, below is the sample of giving directions dialogue taken from http://esl.about.com/od/intermediateconversation/a/Asking-Directions.htm

Feel free to visit the blog. There are so much things to learn inside it!



Giving Directions


Bob: Excuse me, I'm afraid I can't find a bank. Do you know where one is?

Frank: Well, there are a few banks near here. Do you have a particular bank in mind?

Bob: I'm afraid I don't. I just need to withdraw some money from either a teller, or an ATM.

Frank: OK, that's easy.

Bob: I'm going by car.

Frank: Well, in that case, go straight ahead on this street until the third traffic light. Take a left there, and continue on until you come to a stop sign.

Bob: Do you know what the name of the street is?

Frank: Yes, I think it's Jennings Lane. Now, when you come to the stop sign, take the street on the left. You'll be on 8th Avenue.

Bob: OK, I go straight ahead on this street to the third traffic light. That's Jennings lane.

Frank: Yes, that's right.

Bob: Then I continue on to the stop sign and take a right on 8th Avenue.

Frank: No, take a left at the stop sign onto 8th Avenue.

Bob: Oh, thanks. What's next?

Frank: Well, continue on 8th Avenue for about 100 yards, past a supermarket until you come to another traffic light. Take a left and continue on for another 200 yards. You'll see the bank on the right.

Bob: Let me repeat that: I go about 100 yards, past a supermarket to the traffic light. I take a left and continue for another 200 yards. The bank is on the right.

Frank: Yes, that's it!

Bob: OK. Can I repeat this to see if I've understood everything?

Frank: Certainly.

Bob: Go straight ahead until the third traffic light. Take a left, and continue on to the stop sign. Turn left onto 8th Avenue.

Frank: Yes, that's right.

Bob: Go past the supermarket, to another traffic light, take the first left and I'll see the bank on the left.

Frank: Almost, you'll see the bank on the right, after 200 yards or so.

Bob: Well, thank you very much for taking the time to explain this to me!

Frank: Not at all. Enjoy your visit!

Bob: Thank you.

Language Project : Blog Review 1

Dear All,

I have already viewed all of the blogs . These are my comments. Please take appropriate actions:

1. There are some blogs which do not follow the requirements that I have outlined for your blog settings. For example the blog does not have logos (KPTM & MARA), Songs (KPTM & MARA), blog links and even title of the blog!

2. Some students do not write the first entry (About myself/Profile) - remember, marks for this particular entry is given individually! Late submission of the entry will result to deduction of 1 mark per day starting from today. Therefore, there are some students whose mark have been deducted by me.


p/s: Nur Hafizatul Imani : which group are you in?

Language Project: Sample of Self Introduction Essay (Entry 1)

  Below is a good sample of profile essay/self introduction essay for your first entry. The sample is taken from http://dilairlyna.blogspot.com/2012/10/self-introduction-essay.html

 Feel free to learn from her writings!

My complete name is Adila Rokhmaniar Irlyna but people call me Dila. I was born on first August, 18 years ago. I spent 17 years in my hometown Lumajang with my beloved parents. I have just one brother. He is four year older than me. My father work at Education Departments and my mother besides taking care of household, she is a teacher in junior high school. My brother was studying at Law Faculty in Jember University since 3 years ago. I’m studying at there too, but I chose Public Health Faculty. When I’m in tenth grade, word “Public Health” is heard fascinating for me. It learns about society, health and something which called Epidemiology.  Public health is preventing, protecting and promoting health. It suggests people to keep health because preventing is better than treating. So it will decrease some diseases. I think it is honorable act. That’s why I chose Public Health. Moreover, I want to be a chief manager at hospital or work at Health Departments or may be a Ministry of Health.

          My whole world becomes different since I have graduated from High School. I’m doing all the things by myself. No parent, my life is completely mine. Managing me is the hardest thing that I ever known. It’s been a month I stayed in Jember. My everyday activities included going to campus, doing assignments, studying, available on social network, and hanging out. I want to join UKM again to waste my spare time. I ever join PSM, one of UKM but I was kicked by cause I couldn't survive at there. Other words, I'm not pass the second vocal test. I intend to expand my ability, dance.  I was growing up in art family. My aunties are dancer so do with my dad and my brother’s good in music.

            I have some interests. I’m totally enjoyed reading novels, I waste my pocket just to buy some novels. My favorite is novel by Danielle Steel. It gives me such great inspiration to knowing life, love and people. I also like to writing but I’m bad in mathematics. My brain is just getting slow when I demand it to count something. I’m a lazy, lounge, and moody person. My best is smile as always.

            My goals are pass each semester with the best result so that can make my parent proud, become helpful person for my family, friends, people and this country. I also want to get better in every subject, active in UKM, throw away my lazy time and be a professional. :)

Language Project : Blog Entries

Hai guys and girls!

Sorry for the late update on the language project tasks in this blog. However, I have already explained it to you during our class meetings on what to write for your blog entries.

Nevertheless, in this entry I will still proceed to write those tasks for the blog entries that I have explained in the class.

The followings are the 3 entries that you should have already written or in progress (at least until 9/2/2014) in your blogs.

1. Entry 1 : Your personal profiles/ Essay about Myself (each members have to write his/her own profile entry)

2. Entry 2: Show me the way (write a dialogue between you and a stranger who asks for a direction)

3. Entry 3: Descriptive writing (write a story of your school; primary or secondary by using PAST TENSE)


In my next entry I will provide samples for each tasks (entries).

Enjoy blogging!

Language Project : Fundamental items in your blog

Below are the list of fundamental items that you should include in your blogs:

1. Title : Language Project 2013 HPE1013 (banner) - place it either on the right/left side of your blog or on the upper side of your blog.

2. Logo : KPTM & MARA logo.

3. Songs : maximum of 5 songs including KPTM and MARA songs.

4. Clock - display Malaysian time.

5. Blog List - display a list of your friends' blog address.

6. Followers

7. Your may include Nuffnang advertisement if you like. Please visit http://www.nuffnang.com.my/ for further information on how to place advertisements in your blog.

p/s: You may also include other items in your blog.

* In my next entry I will provide you with your first 'subject' for your blog post.

Language Project for HPE1013

Hai girls and boys!

For this semester we are going to conduct a language project as one of our coursework assessment. Therefore as a start I will give the general ideas of what the language project will be about. Please read on!

Description of skill to be demonstrated in Language project

1. Identify appropriate ideas and topic for graphic diary project (blog writing)/College bulletin/book review.

2. Planning and organize contents  based on suitable ideas to capture readers' interest.

3. Outlining the writing contents appropriately.

4. Develop and write creatively the language project.

5. Use internet technology to produce creative and interesting language project.

6. Complete self-assessment by using reflective viewing response.

7. Present the progress and reflection of the project.

Your tasks:

1. After reading this, you are required to form a group of 4-5 people and start to set/establish a blog page. 

2. When you have established a blog page, you are required send your blog address to me via the comment form below this entry.

*In my next blog post I will outline the features/items that you should include in your blog.

Good Luck & Have a Good Time Blogging!

Error Correction from the perception of Corder

It is to S.P. Corder that Error Analysis owes its place as a scientific method in linguistics. As Rod Ellis cites , "it was not until the 1970s that EA became a recognized part of applied linguistics, a development that owed much to the work of Corder". Before Corder, linguists observed learners' errors, divided them into categories, tried to see which ones were common and which were not, but not much attention was drawn to their role in second language acquisition. It was Corder who showed to whom information about errors would be helpful (teachers, researchers, and students) and how. 

There are many major concepts introduced by S. P. Corder in his article "The significance of learners' errors", among which we encounter the following: 

1) It is the learner who determines what the input is. The teacher can present a linguistic form, but this is not necessarily the input, but simply what is available to be learned. 

2) Keeping the above point in mind, learners' needs should be considered when teachers/linguists plan their syllabuses. Before Corder's work, syllabuses were based on theories and not so much on learners’ needs.

3) Mager (1962) points out that the learners' built-in syllabus is more efficient than the teacher's syllabus. Corder adds that if such a built-in syllabus exists, then learners’ errors would confirm its existence and would be systematic.

4) Corder introduced the distinction between systematic and non-systematic errors. Unsystematic errors occur in one’s native language; Corder calls these "mistakes" and states that they are not significant to the process of language learning. He keeps the term "errors" for the systematic ones, which occur in a second language. 

5) Errors are significant in three ways:

- to the teacher: they show a student’s progress

- to the researcher: they show how a language is acquired, what strategies the learner uses.

- to the learner: he can learn from these errors. 

6) When a learner has made an error, the most efficient way to teach him the correct form is not by simply giving it to him, but by letting him discover it and test different hypotheses. (This is derived from Carroll's proposal (Carroll 1955, cited in Corder), who suggested that the learner should find the correct linguistic form by searching for it. 

7) Many errors are due to that the learner uses structures from his native language. Corder claims that possession of one’s native language is facilitative. Errors in this case are not inhibitory, but rather evidence of one’s learning strategies. 

Adapted from :
http://www.proz.com/translation-articles/articles/633/