這幾週下來,每天都在寫東西,寫自己挖掘的新聞、寫改寫的新聞、當然還有上課時模擬的記者會;其實寫東西的感覺很好,特別是老師在修改完之後,通常給的意見都非常的實用,只是現在的我沒有太多批判的空間,大部分都還像是塊海綿不斷地在吸收,不過在看到老師的範例之後,不但佩服更是服氣,而且我發現大多數的老師給我的評語都有個共通處:
那就是一開始他們都會說,Good Effort, Sherwin.- 幹的好、世耀,但接下來就是建議我要加強語言能力了,但他們都很含蓄的說:Sherwin, your English is good, but you need to turn into the way of the language on spoken.。接著大家都會建議我說,每天要看兩份報紙、不斷聽廣播及至少看一節新聞,當然有空就要上網看新聞 這樣才會有進步喔!
我打從心裡認同也謝謝他們的建議,但是如果我每天有那麼多時間做這些事情的話,那麼我想課程大概也沒時間上了;不過,我還是會盡力做到老師的建議,不但每週繼續固定找英語教授報到改作業外,一回到房間就打開BBC的廣播來收聽,希望我的大腦與耳朵能在自然且強迫吸收的環境中,早日熟悉這環境,也能達到老師的要求,畢竟不能老以英語不是我的第一語言當作學習遲緩的藉口,
而且我也不是這種混日子的人,因為我知道這是我的選擇,我就要做好它!
附註一篇教授的建議信:
Sherwin,
An interesting story. Most people use supermarket trolleys at some time, and have views about them: often frustration because they can't control them, or anger at seeing them dumped around the town.
I would prefer to use the quote from Chris Woodcock nearer to the top of the story - maybe after your second paragraph. At that point, we're still introducing the techno trolley, and it would be good to hear him explain the advantage of the new trolley.
A point about your intro. You are quite right to make your story relate to ordinary people, but in fact most customers won't have to change their habits - it's only a few who take the trolleys away. However, most people probably do get annoyed by dumped trolleys.
So I would be inclined to say something like:
"Shoppers who dump supermarket trolleys around Bournemouth will soon be halted by the trolley that really does have a mind of its own."
(It's a long-running joke in England that - unlike some people - trolleys have a mind of their own; in other words, they make their own decisions about which way go).
Then I would introduce the Techno-trolley, with a quote from Woodcock, and talk about the 100 cost, the radio waves etc.
Really, you were supposed to do one interview and write it up. But you have managed to get three good quotes, and an interesting story - so I'm not complaining.
Your English is coming on well. Here are some ideas for you:
Try to listen to as much radio and TV news as possible. You will hear the most correct (though not the most colloquial) English on BBC Radio 4 (try to listen to the news bulletins on the hour - the fullest ones are at 0700, 0800, 1300, 1800, 2200 and midnight); also BBC Radio 2 on the hour. Local news is on 2CR (independent), or BBC Radio Solent. For more colloquial, less formal news writing, try Radio 1 or 2CR.
If you can, try to watch at least one national and one regional TV news programme every day - the main regional programmes are at 1800 on ITV and 1830 on BBC.
For written English, try to read at least part of one broadsheet and one tabloid paper every day. And, any time you have a spare moment, look at a news website. I think the BBC and Guardian Unlimited are the best - they' re generally clearly written in simple but correct English.
(And all of this applies just as much to British students).
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