Final Reflection

1.  Write a list of listening skills that you learned about from each of the units that we studied.  Find them on - page 9, page 35, page 58, page 82, page 107.

(1)Taking notes while listening, first consider the topic, then identify main ideas, last write down details that support the main ideas.
(2)If the speaker doesn't state his or her idea clearly, listen carefully to the facts given by the speaker, and make inference about what the speaker trying to imply.
(3)Listen to the examples given by the speaker and get a clearer picture of the key concepts. Rising intonation works like a comma to let the listener know that the examples haven't come to an end yet.
(4)Appositive is a phrase that gives additional information in a sentence to help the listener understand more clearly about the scientific or specialized terms.
(5)Organize notes with a T-chart to make it easier to understand the information given by the speaker. Use T-chart to separate the ideas into two columns, for example, causes and effects, problems and solutions, etc.

2.  Which listening skill (mentioned above) did you find the most valuable?  Why?

I find the the skill that teach us to organize the notes with T-chart most valuable. Because usually I understand almost every sentence the speaker say while listening, but if the lecture is long enough, I can't really remember why the speaker give out certain information when the talk is over. So if I take notes with logic, then I can efficiently review the ideas of the speaker. 

3.  What are some ways in which your listening in English has improved this semester?

I think my English listening skill has improved in the efficiency of getting a complete idea of a speech. I often get lost in the middle of the speech once I don't understand certain words, but this semester I won't be panic if I don't know some meanings of the words, and still finish the whole structure of the speech.

4.  What are some challenges that you still face in your English listening?  How do you plan to overcome these challenges?

I still have to practice my note-taking skill while listening, the problems are the notes need to be more organized and more details are needed. I find out that the structure of a speech are similar to the writing essay, so I plan to use my writing sense of structure while listening, hope this conscious can make my notes more logical and much easier to read.

5.  Based on your experience with listening to many different types of activities in English this semester (listening to radio reports, radio interviews, TED talks, the audio book, a song, etc.), what is the most efficient way that you can train yourself to improve your English listening on your own?  Explain your answer.

I think listening to TED talks is the most efficient way for me to train myself to improve my English listening. Because the audio book, radio reports, radio interviews are somehow too organized and too perfect. But in my opinion the real life conversation and lecture are often with defects, either digression or not so well-organized.Therefore, TED talks seem to be the listening activity that could really happen in day- to -day life. In order to use listening ability in real world, I think it is best to use TED talks to train myself. 

Music Video: For Good

Why are you sharing this song?

The themes of the songs nowadays mostly revolve around the love between boys and girls, only few songs sings out other topics. And this song is one of the special songs that sing about other topics of life, which is friendship. The song is from my favorite musical “wicked”, and it’s a farewell duet sung by the two main characters, Elphaba(the wicked witch of the west) and Glinda. Every time I listen to it, I am always touched by the beautiful melody and the meaningful lyrics. True friends are the ones who we once had fights with, who makes us a better person, and who we are thankful to them for being our friends.

What is the meaning of the lyrics?

The song's lyrics concern how both Elphaba and Glinda have been changed by their friendship with each other. Glinda starts out by saying that, while she doesn't know if it is true that people come into each other's lives for a reason, "I know I'm who I am today because I knew you." Similarly, Elphaba tells Glinda that "whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend." Elphaba also asks Glinda to forgive her for anything she might have done wrong, to which Glinda replies that "there's blame to share", but both agree that "none of it seems to matter anymore." In the lyrics, there are many brilliant similes make the abstract concepts of friendship concretely and vividly, for example” You'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.” What to notice is that both the title and lyrics rely on the play of words, "for good," which are used to signify alternatively "forever" and "as an improvement."

TV Commercial in English: Chanel N°5 Perfume

What is happening in the commercial?
This commercial is the unforgettable memory told by a man about the time he and a super star spent together. A super star is surrounded by paparazzi in the middle of the street, and then she jumps up a taxi, where a man is already inside. They take the taxi to a building, where they can see the beauty of the city from the roof.  The man asks the woman who she is. She answers that she is a dancer, and she loves to dance. They had a great night together. Then an old man, who seems to be the woman's manager, appears and warn the woman that she must be "there" tomorrow. The woman says back that she doesn't care about tomorrow. At the end, the woman shows up "there", which is a ceremony with lots of paparazzi again, but while walking on the red carpet, she turns back and look at the direction of the roof where she has a wonderful night with the man. The man says in his memory that he will never forget her smile, her kiss, and her perfume.


What is the product or service?
The product is Chanel N°5  Perfume.

Who is the target audience?
This commercial seems to target fashion ladies. Especially appeals to ladies who try to be elegant,  and ultimate in femininity. The commercial sends out a message that woman can be unforgettable for a man not only by her personality, but also by the smell. So with the help of this classic perfume, woman can be even charming.

What emotions does it use to persuade the reader to buy the product or service? (fear, guilt, excitement, humor, etc.)

I think the emotion it use to persuade reader is admiration or envy because the whole commercial looks like a micro film with fantasy. Woman are usually moved by romantic plot, especially one that can never happen  in real life. Though woman understand that fairy tale story can never happen on them, but some still can't help dreaming to be fabulous as the characters in the unreachable world, which is just like the world created in this commercial.

Does it do a good job in persuading the watcher to buy the product?  Why or why not?
I don't think it can really persuade  watchers to buy the product because this whole commercial is just like a movie. So I think what makes watcher curious about is what happen next, but not the product. But still people who already like the brand or who already have the habit to use perfume may be persuaded by the commercial, since it is really a beautiful commercial.

Animal Documentary: Gray Wolf Documentary Film

Why am I sharing this documentary?

 I always admire the elegance and  beauty of the wolves. It's sad to know the amazing creature were once abundant and distributed over much of North America, Eurasia, and the Middle East, but today, for a variety of human-related reasons, including widespread habitat destruction and excessive hunting, wolves inhabit only a very limited portion of their former range. I think the video is a good material to share because it might raise people's awareness about the issue that the species is listed as endangered or threatened.

Summary of the documentary:

This is a documentary which collects interviews of  knowledgeable people involve with wolf reintroduction issue. By watching the film, audience may be enlightened to make informed judgement about the wolf issue.

Dr.Dong Smith, leader of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, said it's hard for human to live with the wolves because it's difficult for wolves to share landscape with another predator.

Hank Fischer, 'Wolf Wars' Author, said that it's surprising to know that the reproduction in Iowa and Yellowstone area is unbelievably fast.

Carter Nieweyer, Wolf Recovery Coordinator, indicated that there is really some issue about living stock being eaten.

International Recognized wolf expert said that people need more facts about wolf, so public education is desperately needed.

Creator of Yellowstone coalition said that he didn't expect wolf to expand this quickly. 

Long TED Talk: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Summary:
Amy Cuddy is a  social psychologist who research on the impact of body language toward changing other people’s perceptions.In the speech, she shared that posing for two minutes in a powerful position, with the body expansive and the limbs stretched out, can have a profound effect on how a person feels. She proved her saying by giving out scientific experiments and statistics. She emphasized on reminding people to correct the misconception that when people think of nonverbals, they think of how they judge others. They should think it in another way, what is influenced by our nonverbals is ourselves.In the end of her talk, she encouraged the audience "fake it till you become it " with her own touching life experience.

What can listeners learn from this talk?
Some people might regard this talk as brainwashing, because the speaker suggest people to fake themselves with the body language, but not who they really are. But I think this is not the point Amy tried to imply, what she truly want to say is that people should configure their brain to cope the best in the situation. People often confront with the situation of regretting  didn't show the best of themselves. Listeners who often have this kind of feeling can get benefit from the talk, because what Amy shared can help people to leave the situation feeling like, oh, I really feel like I got to say who I am and show who I am.  

Short TED Talk: Why 30 Is Not the New 20

Summary:
Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist who specializes in adult development, and in twenty somethings in particular. The main idea of talk is: Don't waste too much of your 20's time with uninteresting work, 'stupid' boyfriends, parties and so on. Prepare to your future, try to find what  you really want to do and try to get experiences in the fields which can be interesting for you in the future.The rhetoric that "30 is the new 20," trivializes what is actually the most transformative period of our adult lives.Our twenties are a time when the things we do, and the things we don’t do , will have an enormous effect across years and even generations to come.

What can listeners learn from this talk?
I think the speaker seems to be talking as if we can control everything. However,  the idea that we can completely control and shape our lives is an illusion. So what listeners can learn from this talk is that the talk can trigger 20 something people like me to  reflect on my life attitude. Am I fooling around? Am I using my time efficiently? After watching the talk, I think what we can do is work within the circumstances in which we find ourselves, do not wait until we are 30. And maybe think about placing more value and basing the happiness not on the outcome, but rather on the process, on the effort we put in toward a given goal.

Movie Clip: Tangled, I See the Light

Which movie does this clip come from?

This movie clip is from Disney's Animated movie Tangled.

What is this movie about?

Tangled is an 2010 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The story is based on the classic German fairy tale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm. Disney adapted the story with some new elements, which is slightly different from the original version. The film tells the story of a lost princess with long magical hair who yearns to leave her secluded tower. Against her mother's wishes, she accepts the aid of a handsome intruder to take her out into the world which she has never seen. During the journey, Rapunzel makes a pact with the charismatic thief and the improbable duo  find themselves tangled up in a spectacular action-packed escapade, complete with a horse, a chameleon side-kick and a rowdy gang of pub thugs. People who love Disney movies and songs should never miss this movie!

What is happening in this clip?

The king and queen, still heartbroken over their lost daughter after all these years, set out the first lantern, and then everyone in the city does the same. The lanterns float out over the water, and Rapunzel and Flynn are soon surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of beautiful glowing lights. They set off two of their own while singing, "I See the Light", a song about how they're beginning to realize their feelings for each other. Rapanzel may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but she is full of curiosity about the outside world, and she can’t help but feel that her true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower walls. With the company of Flynn, Rapanzel discovers the world for the first time, and who she really is. As Flynn, he had never imagined the unlikely alliance with the girl from the tower could send him on the adventure of a lifetime, and helps him realize that sometimes you don’t know what you want, until it hits you over the head. At last, Rapunzel finally gives Flynn the satchel with the crown, and he leans in to kiss her.