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.

Important Event that changed my life

Victor Moraru
EAP 98
Monica Monk

It was almost five years ago. My family and I got an invitation to go to Embassy of the United States in my country, to take an interview for immigration to United States. In June, 2005 we went there, we were worried about it. We were sitting there and one of the workers called our last name we went there. Everything turned out better than I thought. We passed the interview and we got free tickets for flight. I was so happy that I am going to a new country that I never been to.
August 16, 2005 we are going to airport. My family and I were waiting for our flight. Our relatives were there too because they drove us and helped us to carry our baggage. Then the dispatcher called our flight. We started to say good bye to them my mom was crying because she was leaving her daughter and sister there.
The flight was really long and boring. It was my first time flying and was excited at first, but later I got so tired of flying for such a long time. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t because I wanted to lie down. We were flying for sixteen hours. We came to SEA-TAC airport and there my aunt her children and their husbands and wives, and also my grandma were waiting for us. I was so excited that we came and I finally saw all of them. Then we went to take our baggage and exit the airport.
When we went outside I was surprised and shocked for a moment because it is totally different from my country, the air is clean, the roads are not broken, so many cars, everybody is talking another language. The next day when I woke up I couldn’t figure out where I am, and what I am doing here. I thought that was a dream, but after a second I realized that it is not a dream. It is time to change life.
This event really changed my life a lot. I moved to another country, I learned another language and new culture. I started working, went to school, and started to drive. I found new friends, I grew up. Right now I don’t want to move back to my country, I like it here in United States, this is my home now. Life in the United States is easier and funnier than life in my country.

Victor Moraru
EAP-98
April 13,2010
Monica Monk
Descriptive Essay Draft 1

Life challenging issue

Everybody in the world has a challenge these days. My life is challenging too because I need to finish my education, get a well payable job and then get married. These days I am trying to get at least a part- time job, but I can’t find it because of the economic issue. I was trying to get a job since September. Today finally I got a call from one of the supervisors and he told me that I can come to interview tomorrow.

I think that life is a challenge because everybody wants to achieve something, but before they achieve it they should take a challenge. That could be a job, education or something else. These days the most common challenge for people is education because students are trying to get good grades in college, and they are trying to finish college and then transfer to university. When they transfer to university they are trying to get a financial aid because education in university is really expensive.

My life is challenging too because I am trying to get good grades and finish college too. I want to transfer to university, but it is matter of time. I want to get a job to collect money for wedding. These days everything is expensive, so if I want to get something I have to work hard for that. I wish that if I want to achieve something it would be easy for me, but that’s not going to happen.

In conclusion I would like to say that my life is really challenging. I try my best to get over these challenges. I hope that I will get what I want. Achieve my life goals. I wish this to everybody.