Week 9 homework

When is the appropriate time to start studying English? In English Education especially in Korea, Early English Education - I setted the criterion in this matter is less than 7 years old in Korean age - is one of biggest issues. Some people go abroad with their children for their English. In Korea, even 4 years old in Korean age started to study English. I was teached them, in that time I felt guilty because they wore nappy and can’t tell their Korean name! I wondered thinking of other students about it, if their opinion is with me or not. So, I decided to investigate (1) what people think of Early English Education and (2) when is good time for start studying English they thought.

I surveyed by using various question types. Text, multiple choice, choose from a list, checkbox and grid. I used multiple choice when I asked about respondent's basic opinion about early English education. Then, I give text-box to them for that they can write their supporting opinions. I used choose from list and checkbox too. Those questions are, "When you started studying English" and "How old is appropriate to start studying English". I wondered their position of early English education.

          The responses are very interesting. 13 persons answer my survey. My greatest question is thought of people about early English education. Are they think of that positive or negative? I asked them, "Do you agree to early English education? (less than 7 years)", then 10 of 13 answer "Yes, I agree". So I asked the reason also. According to one of them, language learning is more affective as younger as the students. In the question about asking "Early English Education is necessary? (less than 7 years)", 7 of 13 disagree. Through this result we can know most people agree with early English education but it does not mean that's necessary. One of them who disagree with necessary of this said, "It can make a child confused".  About effective aspect, 9 of 13 think "That is effective".
          In conclude, most people agree with early English education and the effective of that, but disagree with that the early English education's necessary. Then they think the appropriate age to start studying English is after enter preschool. This result is similar with my expectation.

Week 6 Homework

“To a Daughter Leaving Home” is a popular poem in pm ELT class. Most students choose this poem. Why? I wondered why many people want to teach “To a Daughter Leaving Home” for high school students. There are three persons who select that poem for their essay.  According to their blogs, the message and the language in that poem are the reasons why they want to teach to the students.
Three people point out this poem’s main idea. Gahee Jang writes on her blog, “This poem deals with the theme of family, and the theme, such as family, is so familiar to student’s ordinary life. [Interruption] It will make class more interesting and help students focus more on their class” (Jang, 2015.09.29). Mijung Yoon also agree to Jang. According to her blog, she says that this poem’s topic is an easy topic which the students can easily connect their own experiences to the poem. Also, reading about family love would be a break time to students who are sick and tired of hard studying (2015.09.29). Daewoong Jung develops these opinions through his essay. He writes, “Its theme, the parent’s concern and sincere love toward his child, is something that most students forgot driven to today’s highly competitive atmosphere and something to be restored. Therefore, the message of the poem is even meaningful to those students; they are given a chance to recall how they were raised, and realize the parental love” (Jung, 2015.09.29). So, in sum, three people want to interest students and, by extension, awaken the love of parents to them.
The second common reason that they choose this poem is the easy language. Jang says that metaphor is used in most poems, so students can feel burden when they read some poems because of its ambiguity and difficulty. However, “To a Daughter Leaving Home” is written in plain language. Metaphors are also expressed, using easy words and grammar. Therefore, students don’t have any difficulties when they are reading the poem (2015.09.29). Yoon adds her opinion to Jang. Yoon says, “It is written by easy but clear words, and the grammar use fits into high school students. The students will enjoy it without disrupting” (Yoon, 2015.09.29). Jung also agree to them. He says that the poem includes a couple of essential prefabricated expressions like “I kept waiting” and “with distance.” The general level of vocabulary used is also apt for the students; it is not too difficult, but at the same time, there are several advanced vocabularies like “wobble” and “flapping” (2015.09.29). Three people are all in agreement that this poem written good language for students to learn.
We see two reasons why three preliminary teachers in our class decide “To a Daughter Leaving Home” to teach for their students. By them, in conclusion, not only using language but also message is important thing for teaching poem to students.

References:

Jung, Daewoong (2015.09.29) “ELT W5 Assignment - Defending an opinion on selecting literature” [Web Log Post] Retrieved from http://woongelt.blogspot.kr/.

Jang, Gahee (2015.09.29) “To a daughter Leaving Home” [Web Log Post] Retrieved from http://hellomiss-j.blogspot.kr/.

Yoon, Mijung (2015.09.29) “Let’s read the poem “To daughter Leaving Home”” [Web Log Post] Retrieved from http://mimimimijung.blogspot.kr/.

week 5 homework

I chose “To a Daughter Leaving Home”. This poem talks about the independence of a daughter and how the parents feel about that. All students must have to stand on their own feet. It is not only difficult but also unfamiliar to them. So, I want to tell them what independence is and how their parents feel about it. Another reason is the language using in this poem. “To a Daughter Leaving Home” is easier than other three texts in terms of the language such as vocabulary, organization and sentence’s structure.

 

First is about the message in this poem “To a Daughter Leaving Home”. As noted above, this poem talks about a separation between a daughter and the parents in life with the course of the time. The poet compares this to a separation between a bicycle daughter rides and hands of the poet. It can show us the parents feelings when the child becoming independent of them. That’s why I recommend this to high school students. The period they passing is the time becoming independent person from their parents and house. In that time, I wish they would understand and read their parent’s mind through this poem.

 

Second reason is the language the poet uses in this poem. “To a Daughter Leaving Home” uses easier words and sentence structures. Further, this uses a metaphor, it makes us think of the meaning in words and guess the willing of the poet through this poem. I see this is very important process when the high school students learn literature. Especially, metaphors make them acquires more various words and a good reasoning power. Then, I want to teach this poem for my students.

 

Thoughts of the poet and the cordiality of the parents are equal. This poem can teach students not only as literary work but also as a representative of the words parents want to tell them. It makes them more easily accept the truth that the independence isn’t choice and this is attended with something loss and more readily stand the times.




 

 

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