Reflection Blog

For your LAST blog entry of the semester (yay!), we would like for you to write a "reflection blog." A reflection blog is your thoughts about the class. Look back over the semester and think about the projects and in-class activities you've completed and talk about them. For example, which project was your favorite? Why? What did you learn from that project? Which project was your least favorite? Why? How do you think that project could have been improved? What else do you want to say about the class?
The 296K course is going to be over. I think it is both very useful and interesting course. I learn lots of computer skill, English and other knowledge. The project about my major and the immigration project. I learned the job situation of my major and where I can seek a job. The immigration project made me learn a lot about immigration in United States, especially Italian and Irish immigration. I enjoyed the process. What is more, the teachers in the course are very kind and helpful. I learned the computer skills, English, American culture and how to write academic essays. My advice for the course is that, teachers can give a debt project to the students, and separate them in two groups against each other. Each group should search information on-line and write an article for or against the topic.

Synthesis

Do you think that writing in Chinese is more "colorful?" That is to say, when you are writing in Chinese, what images do you form in your head? Chinese characters are very beautiful - when writing with these characters, tell us what is going on in your mind. China has a long, rich, history - how does this long, rich, history affect you as a writer when you are writing in Chinese? How do you feel when you must write in American English? In ENGL 396, many of your projects have involved the use of images, photos, and/or videos. Did using these items help you to express your ideas better in English? Why or why not?
Yes, writing in Chinese is very different from writing in English. Actually we do not use idioms and poetries in academic writing neither, but we have unbelievable quantity of beautiful poetries, idioms and metaphors to choose in litterateur and political papers. Chinese people really focused on litterateur and political in the past. Writers usually politicians as well enjoy the highest position in China’s history. The ancient version Chinese were designed for litterateur, so it is extremely colorful, flexible and has a very high information density. As consequence, it is very difficult to learn and use for normal people. As we all know there were many dynasts in Chinese history, so every dynast had a specific kind of litterateur form. For instants, we had “Tong Shi” in Tong dynast, “Song Ci” in Song dynast, “Yu’an Qu” inYu’an dynast and “Han Fu” in Han dynasty. Tong Shi is the most famous one of them. Its form is much more strict than English poertries. The Chinese idioms are amazing achievements of ancient Chinese people. They mostly are constructed by four Chinese characters, and there must be a meaningful story behind every idiom. When we use this poetries and idioms, there are not only photos in our mind, but also stories, emotions and philosophy.