Announcement 1: the Discussion Blog and Writing Comments

Hi guys,
I have three things I want to say:

1. Remember this blog is just for making announcements and assigments. Every week on the Discussion Blog titled "Issues in EFL in Japan" I will summarize some of the posts on blogs of ETM members. Please see the discussion blog to read about some of the hot topics. The discussion blog is also designed for people outside of ETM3 to follow in what we are doing and participate in our discussions.
2. If you have a question about an assignment please write a comment on the post. To write a comment just click on the comment link at the bottom of the post.
3. Don't forget to comment on your classmates' blogs. What makes blogging interesting is that other people read what you wrote and comment on it. In my experience, to get comments it is important to GIVE comments.

Blogging Task 2: An Analysis of my English Learning

They say that foreign language teachers' language learning experiences have a profound influence on how they teach the foreign language. So, while ETM3 is starting to begin, I would like to take some time to examine our own language learning experiences.

• Please go to the following link and save the file (it is an excel file) onto your computer. The file is a questionnaire asking you about the kind of language learning activities you did when you were a student. Answer the questions in the chart and then send me the file as an attached file.
• After you have sent me the file, please make a blog entry titled "an analysis of my language learning experience". Please answer the following questions:

1. My most enjoyable language learning experience has been….
2. My least enjoyable language learning activity has been …
3. My most valuable language learning activity has been …
4. My least valuable language learning activity has been ....
5. In general my language learning experience has been ....
6. What kind of influence do you think your language learning experience will have on your teaching?

• Please do the above by (let's negotiate a date)
• Please comment on a classmate's blog by (let's negotiate a date) and e-mail JH to say whose blog you commented on.
• (Optional) Edit your previous post, "My language learning esperience" and fix any spelling mistakes or change or add some content if you wish.

Blogging Task 1: How I learned English

Dear members of ETM 3,

Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging and all aboard! Good work today in the computer room. It seems that all of you who were present today are ready to start writing in your blogs! I asked you to do the following tasks for next week. Please have them done by 6PM on Tuesday, April 25. The reason why I would like you to finish your tasks early is so we all have time to read eachother's entries by Thursday's class.

Here are the assignments I would like you to do:

1. Please write a simple self introduction where you will introduce yourself to your readers.
2. Please write a second post that has the following theme: "The Story of how I Learned English." You do not have to write an epic story, just give us the important parts. I have written my own story and put it on my personal blog. Your story does not have to be as long as mine, I have been studying Japanese for a long time and had a lot to write!
3. Write a comment on someone else's blog. The beauty of blogs is that writers can have a dialogue with the readers.