| Case Study Of A Japanese Learner
Darren Elliott (MA ELT, DELTA)
APPENDIX D
Appendix D – Personal Emails from N
(Extracts)
22 April 2006
You are so busy now,.. I raelly had a wonderful time there.
I went to Albania too. but the country itself seemed to very
exhausting, but the people there were very nice, though no
traveller could be seen except me...
I have a question I seriously want to ask you about what
to do. I totally do not know what I can do towards the present
situation I am facing at this moment.
So could you please the best action I will have to take?
I have been so frustrating.
My story goes like this. Before I start travelling this
time, I ordered the book at Amazon, which costs about 15 pound,
which was supposed to arrive at my house. But the day on 17th
March,nobody was there in my house. While I was travelling,
I got a mail from the company person, Paul who dispatched
the book saying that the book has returned to my company,
but what you would like us to do..
So I replied them saying that could you send it to DICe
building.
When I came back from my journey, I noticed that no book
has arrived anywhere. So I mailed Paul again to tell the present
situation. This time he insists that we have already sent
it to you, so you must definitely have got it. I was so disgusted
and shocked to read that. So this time I mailed the main Amazon
company to tell the truth. But what they mailed me back is
totally THE SAME. Incredible! But I strongly remember Gill
saying that one of the best way of English learning is complaining.
So I mailed Paul again and again and again, three consecutive
days.
HOWEVER he just keeps IGNORING me.
Please tell me what I can do for the next means. I do not
want to give up and be beaten by Paul!!
28 November 2006
(my questions in italics)
Hello, I am also too busy. The principle who treated me so
nicely passed away...Thats way I was busy. I wanted to attend
the ceremony BUt I am still writing it. I heard that Keiko
did a wonderful job. Right? I just want to get more than 50.
> How is life? Still enjoying your terrible students?!
While lessons, they finally ceased to stand up, but problem
is that they did not study while I was away, so they are beginning
to realise that they really do not understand my lesson!!
For them, English is too difficult. YOU know the reason. For
me also, it is hard. Now I feel that they are cute. Just because
they are tamed.
There are a lot of changes in Japanese education these days,
I keep reading about....Yes. Especially IJIME. Bullying Commit
suicide problem.
> What was the first TOEFL score you got in the UK, and
what was the second (most recent)? The score I got before
coming to the UK was 200, recent one is 240.
> What was your motivation for studying English? What
is it now?
I wanted to know the theory of SLA
and I was thinking this way: If I Experience the difficulty
in being able to speak English, I can manage to incorporate
that into actual teaching.
> Are you finding it to maintain your English while you
are away from the UK?
How are you studying? Yes, of course. I always attempt to
listening to English news on TV in English and have been keep
listening NHK's English program on radio.
Have your study techniques changed?
Yes, especially pronunciation. I get to put a lot of emphasis
on it and comparing to the teaching before coming to UK, I
geto emphasize reading, extensive reading and have students
get more involved in speaking. (But the reality is really
severe, hard. I mean, their motivation.
Most of students are suffering low academic score, I think.)
Keep in touch! I am sometimes exhausted to discipline them.
But their attitude towarad me has been changing. Of course, what they need is still discipline...
14 September 2006
Studying here in the UK was one of
my biggest dreams in my life. I had been dreaming for 13 years.
So I have been happy all the time even though I had a number
of difficulties.
Appendix A
B C
D E
F G
H I
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