My first Car

It was two years ago in the summer. I was working in McDonald's and I was thinking about buying a car, but I did not the whole amount of money for the car. I wanted to buy Honda Civic or Acura Integra. One day I told my dad about that, to see what he will advise me. Next day he came up to me and told me that he will help to buy a car, and also he said that he already found a car for me. I was really excited when he told me that. Three days after on Saturday we went to Federal Way to take a look at the car that he was talking about. I thought that it would be Honda or Acura, but it was not any of those cars. It was a car of my dreams for that time Mercedes-Benz. I was eighteen years and I had a Mercedes. I did not even think about that my dad would find, and will help me to buy that car. I was really excited to have it as my first car. It was really nice inside and out.

What I have learned from EAP 98 CLASS? What I still want to learn?

It is almost the end of the quarter, one week left. This quarter I have learned a lot of things. I have learned how to write essays, which was really hard for me before. I have learned how to find a main idea, significant details, new vocabulary words, and how to understand organization, all of these I have learned from reading lab. The next things that I have learned were: what is thesis and how find a thesis, what is topic sentence and how to find a topic sentence, what is hook and how to find a hook, what is an outline and how to write an outline, what is organization of an essay and how to organize an essay, all of these I have learned in EAP 98 class which was really helpful for me. Also, I have learned how to avoid run-on sentences and how to fix them, where we should put comma, what is dependent and independent clause, where we should use quotations, semicolons, hyphens, dashes and other. I learned what is peer review and how to do it. The things I still want to learn are: how to correct the essays, and how to write an argumentative essay. In conclusion I would like to say that EAP 98 class was really helpful for me, and I want to say thank you to Monica Monk(our teacher) because she taught us all of these things, she explained everything clearly, she is the best teacher I ever had.

My country

The name of my country is Moldova. It is a small and really beautiful country that is located between Russia and Ukraine. Moldova has many lakes, forests and other things. There are many villages and cities. People that live in the village have fields with grapes. That is why Moldova is popular; from grapes people that live in the village make good quality and tasty wines. The capital of Moldova is Kishinev. It is a big and tourists- attractive city. Kishinev has many attractions, parks and it also has my favorite candy factory called “BUCURIA” which means happiness. Candies and chocolates from that factory taste yummy; I missed that a lot. People that moved here, in the United States, always ask their relatives from Moldova to send those chocolates and candies because it is the best for them. I wish that sometime people would open this factory here in Tacoma.

What is most difficult for you about reading in English?

I am not a Native speaker. English writing is different from reading. Writers use difficult words when they write a book. Sometimes I do not even know how to pronounce those words. At first I would just give up on reading, I hated reading, but when I came to English For Academic Purposes 98 class I started to like it, and now I try to read every day. I read newspapers, magazines and some articles and news on the internet. I started reading a book called " Rich dad Poor dad". The most difficult thing for me is reading books for English classes. Because when I read I do not understand everything, but I try to use dictionary and find out the meaning of the words. Also, lately I try to watch movies in English and watch television. So I would know how to pronounce or say some words that I do not know.

Week 8 summary SPEED READING

This week I read couple of blogs. First I read Anatolie's blog. He said that he is not a Native Speaker and his reading is slow because some words are hard to pronounce. He does not understand some words when he is reading. Also he wrote that we should read every day to improve our reading. Second blog that I read was Khoa's blog he said that his reading is slow because when he reads he tries to remember what he read. He said that when he came to senate room he was a poor reader. Then he wrote the important steps of how to improve your speed reading, and rules that you should not follow when we read, which are vocalizing, word-by-word reading ,finger and pencil pointing, word blocking, moving your head( he said that when we read nothing needs to move except our eyes), numbers, one rate reading, regressing and lack of concentration. The last blog that I read was Tuugii's. He wrote that his speed reading is fast about 500 words in a minute. He also said that after speed reading class he came home and practiced it many times. He said that it was fun, and it can help him to become a good reader.

How to improve speed reading?

Yesterday, in building 11 senate room we had a speed reading class. I am not a native speaker, so my reading in English is slow, but yesterday I found out how to improve my speed when I am reading. The man that talked about speed reading was an English teacher his last name is Sandin. First he told us to do time reading for one minute and then count how many lines and approximately how many words in each line, and then multiply number of lines to number of words my result was twenty four lines and eleven words in each line, so my reading was two hundred sixty four words per minute. Then he told taught how to do a push drill. It means that you have to push your reading and try to read as fast as you can. He showed us how to read a page in ten seconds and then tell your partner what you remembered from reading. I thought it was crazy, but then I realized that it really works and helps you a lot. After push drill my score was three hundred seventy four words per minute. Thanks to him for showing us how to improve our speed when we read. I think that was helpful for all that came there.

Advising day and Future life

We had an advising day this Tuesday May 11, 2010. I went to my advisor and she helped to choose classes that I will take next quarter. She gave me recommendations and advises for my future education. I am taking EAP classes this quarter. I am trying to get good grades in those two classes. I really like those classes they help me a lot, especially my reading class. I did not like to read, before I took this class. The only thing that I don’t like about this class is, that we have to write essays. I know that teacher wants to teach us how to write essays, but it is really hard for me. I am trying my best to learn how to write a good essay. The classes that I will take next quarter are EAP classes, but higher level. In future I want to finish all my English classes and prerequisites for Radiology program. I want to be a Radiologist, but it is going to take so much time, energy and money before I become one. Another field that I would like to study is computer programmer. I always wanted to be a computer programmer. After I finish TCC, I want to go to University to get my Bachelor’s degree. After University I am going to be working as a Radiologist or Computer Programmer.