Blogspot and Wetpaint

Here are two websites that we can start our blogs.


Blogspot/ Blogger: https://www.blogger.com/start

(Please click the pics for large version)

The overall design of this website follows the traditional way of blog. You can edit the posting, settings and layout. If you have a Google account, you can also link it with Blogspot.

Posting

Settings

Layout

Happy New Year and Have Fun

Happy New Year!!!

I know that you are all gonna have abundant food to eat these days. Hey! Don't forget to do some sports!

Have fun!


The King of Gym and Lady Gaga's "Poker Face"



From Youtube



Tuzki and Wonder Girls' "Nobody"



From Youtube

Comments on Virtual Environment

Original article: Roed, J. (2003). Language Learner Behaviour in a Virtual Environment. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 16(2-3), 155-172.

In this paper, Roed (2003) investigates the behavior of foreign language learners’ communicating through computers and internet. 13 first and second year college students of Danish participated in this study. They all sit in the same computer lab and were given an identity of a famous person. The participants needed to interview each other and find out other students’ identities by communicating via computer and internet. Through the communication record, the researcher concludes a number of advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that in the virtual environment, there is no accent to be distracted by, no time pressure, no interruptions from classmates or teachers, no immediate reactions like giggles or raised eyebrows, and increased participation. This anonymous way of communication is a definite advantage to those introvert and shy students. To the contrary, one of the disadvantages is that exchanging the classroom for a virtual one may change the existed group dynamics. There may be also some technology problems such as limited access to computer or internet, delay of message because of internet speed problem, and a consideration of the students’ computer skills. Moreover, there may also exist a concern that the introvert students remain introvert and the extrovert students are still playing a dominant role.