Learning Journal Week 5

1. How do people learn best?

In my opinion, the best way to learn something is that learners relate a subject with what they like to do. If learners are motivated to study, learning will get more efficient. In my case, I combine my English learning with my interests, video games, comics, and animation works. They are really good opportunities to improve vocabulary since I can see a lot of words when I play, read, or watch them. Moreover, I can train my listening skill with animations dubbed in English. Learners are able to study without feeling tiresome, carrying out this way of learning. However, there are some faults in this measure. When learners use their interests for studying, they will get limited information. For example, I can learn scientific words, technical terms, and slang using my interests, but there are few academic words in them. In other words, I have to learn some words without this way. Using learners’ interests indeed motivates them and makes their study more efficient; however, it cannot cover all fields of English learning. When people use this means for their studying, they have to apply it as assistance. If they do so, they will be able to strive to study without annoyance.

2. Strategy and Skill

I think Strategy and Skill are totally different things. At first, Strategy means “plan”. We make it before doing something to carry out effectively. We are careful about a thesis, supporting sentence, and conclusion in essay writing because we are sure that we can write good one following this method. Thus, Strategy helps us practice something smoothy. On the other hand, Skill means “ability”. When we do something, we usually use some skills to complete it. For example, we infer meanings from grammatical matters and familiar words when we read a complicated sentence. It is the skill of inferring. In this class, the topic about importance of Strategy and Skill was taken up, and we are asked which is more important. I think that Skill is more important since we could not do anything if it were not for Skill. No matter how great Strategy we have, it will be worthless without abilities to make use of it. We should not neglect Strategy just because Skill is more important. We can carry out something with Skill, but it is never good quality. To progress our English, we have to focus on both Strategy and Skill.

3. Ideas for my final presentation

・Learning associated with one’s interest

・How to create GO for a novel