Listening blog 6 _Communication with NS: a phone message and face to face

Source: ASB Bank Ltd.
1484D Dominion Road Extn., Mt. Roskill
Ms Pradnya Rege, Customer Service Specialist
Date: 23 March, 2010 10.00am

Strategies:
*notice body language/gesture
*concentrate
*focus on overall sentences

Evaluation:
Firstly, I received a phone call from my bank-ASB last week.
The manageress wanted to do some survey to improve their customer service. After that, she invited me to go to her office and gave some more details for her.
In the phone message, I tried to concentrate and focus on overall sentences to answer all the questions, such as service, efficient, waiting time . . . to give grading from 1 to 5. Sometimes, I was not quite understood the words or sentences, I ask her to repeat and slow down. Finally, I finish that survey.
In the office, I noticed with the body language/gesture, I could understand more than before the phone call before. And try to have eye-contact and felt easier. Before we finished the conversion, I asked her business card too. She was quite happy that I took the promise to her office.

Reflection:
It is quite good strategies for me. Although sometimes I was not sure for the whole sentence, I use my own words and asked the same question to confirm the meaning. Compare with the phone message and face to face with the same person, I realized that notice body language/gesture, concentrate, and focus on overall sentences are very important and helpful for listening skill.
And I found the paragraph which I got from this class is quite useful too:
Conversations are visual too. Be aware of body language. Make good eye-contact and at appropriate points nod supportively - even if you disagree. A friendly smile and tactful humour help conversation to flow.

Listening blog 5_ TV: Movie: Diamond are forever

This is a movie to describe about James Bond from Sean Connery. I chose this movie in TV because I want to use the strategies of notice body language or gesture. Although I can' t completely understand what they said in the movie, push me to guest their meaning from their gesture. Moreover, I can' t stop to ask for repetition when it was running in TV live programme.

Source: TVNZ 1 20 March, 2010 at 8.30pm

Strategies:
* knowing vocab.
* notice body language/gesture
* keywords

Evaluation:
I did still keep on writing some new words while I was watching. I used the subtitle function on the TV set. Try to guest their meaning from their gesture first: smuggler, thrilled sake, phony diamond, scrap, bath sub, both chuckle . . . and found from dictionary when its in commercial break in the first few sections. I found out the meaning of those words. In the middle section of the movie, I gave up checking up in the dictionary, and concentrate to the movie, and didn't watch too much in the subtitle, I found more relax to watch and exactly to guest the meaning from the actors and actresses. I think that it's what the exactly guest strategies???

Reflection:
According from last listening blog, I am not good at to do two things at the same time, such as watching and listening. So I need to be more input in this area. From this listening blog, I feel much better but still need to improve as much as I can. Some conversation is too fast to follow, but try to get from their action and expression. Like in the beginning, I didn't know some words: smuggler, thrilled... until check from dictionary. I also learned some phases. It's a good preparation for the coming blog to get interview with people that I need to grasp their keywords, gesture and repetition if I do not understand.

Try to understand in the first time!

There are no second chances in life!!!
Ash to Ash! Dust to Dust! (From the movie)

Listening blog 4_ TV-News: Cyclone-hit Fiji begins clean up

Source : http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/cyclone-hit-fiji-begins-clean-up-3419532

Strategies:
* learn some vocab.
* take notes
* guest the meaning


Evaluation:
I choose this news because I think I am not always tough this kinds of vocab.
Finally, I feel hard again.
I used the strategies of learn vocab., take notes, guest the meaning. I still use take notes as one of the strategies that I feel its quite helpful for me to understand more and more. I can fill the missing words after the 1 listening time. I listen and watch the video together while I take notes on the first listening time, I feel the speaker speak too fast for me to take note. I let it go until it finish. After I have gotten the whole picture of the new in listening, I listen it again and again to fill in the blank in italic for the missing or wrong words. One stupid thing for me that I heard the sound of a word, but I am not sure, such as 'tree', I must know this easy word. In the beginning, I am not quite catch it until I watch a trunk was lying on the road, then I suddenly remember.
And I also learn the new words in on-line dictionary. Unfortunately, the script is not same ast eh video that I still miss some new words

Reflection :
According these few strategies, I think I can't do well watching and listening at the same time. On the other hand, it is quite helpful to give some more hits to understand.
Although it is the first time to watch the video as part of my listening skills, I think it is quite helpful for natural speaking in daily life that we speak with eye-contact to guess the meaning in the sentence.

Take notes:
cyclone damage hit Fiji weather better - had cleared
cleaner - clean up destroyed
damages unclear
craft fm NZ - need some more supplies areo???ssment
the disaster management
communication with pe??gy
looking for - more shelters and north division 4000 falls ???with their home
and trees creating hazal??? in Fuji
unfitted by storm ???thousands left homes
interrupt report NZ help Fiji

New words
Chainsaw: a tool used for cutting wood, consisting of a circular chain with ten which is driven by a motor.
Shovels: a tool with a rounded blade and a long handle used for moving earth, stones = spade
Gusts: sudden strong movement of wind, air, rain etc.
Cyclone: a very strong wind that moves very fast in a circle (hurricane, typhoon)
jetties: a wide wall or flat area built out into the water, used for getting on and off boa (pier)

Listening blog 3_On-line material - Clean money for New Year

Date: 18 March, 2010
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/02/100215_witn_money.shtml

Strategies: * take notes - key words
* concentrate


Evaluation:
This topic is quite related for my home town culture. I was grasp from the interesting topic.
I used the strategies of take notes and concentrate. While I was taking notes, I always stopped to write down the keywords as below. After I finished to take note, I listened it again and fill the main words which I missed (in italic) and learn new words/phase ( run-up) from on-line dictionary.

Reflection:
According these 2 strategies, I feel it is quite useful for my listening skill. Although it make me to keep on to stop for taking notes, it help me to concentrate and to take notes that to understand more and more.
Outcome of last 3 time to use difference strategies, I find this 2 strategies is the best for me up to now.

Take notes:
Chinese tradition NY- parents to children : clean, fresh bank note
- notes in high demand
- chinese man notice - gap in a market
* His family memeber like to collect anitque bank note
* red small pocket - gd luck in NY
* restriction in bank(Taiwan): how much, where, when . . . inconvenience
* alternation: special chemical to clean (secret)
- not cheap - $10 ($20 note)
a new image, term - 'money laundry"

Listering blog 2_Listening to NZ-text book: Superhighway ???

Source:Text Book- Listening to NZ (Advanced) 4C
Strategies:
* knowing vocab.
* focus on overall sentences
Evaluation:
I read the tape script before I listen to get some-more ideas for the heading.
From the headline: I think it is about some highway-motor way at first, until I read the script,I realized it was relate the World wide web not the highway : ( After listening 2 times, I read the exercise of 4C, and listen 2 times more to concentrate from the questions and to finish them. Then listen 2 times again to make sure the answer. Then check the answer with the script. Listen it 3 times more.

Reflection:
I felt that this strategies are quite helpful for me. Let me to have some concept before I listen.
Focusing in some main points-questions, it's good guide for me to understand step by step.
These strategies are quite appropriate for this kind of listening and I also use the strategy of repetition together!
Although I still made some wrong answers, I understand and can follow the speakers' speed.
Just like somebody says : Learn by errors!!!

Listening Blog 1_On-line material:BBC - Tree climbing

Source: BBC Learning English
- 6 Minutes English

http://bb.unitec.ac.nz/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2
Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_13412_1%26url%3D

Strategies:

* understand background

* ask for repetition

Evaluation:
I haven’t any experience of ‘tree climbing’ that I found it hard to concentrate without any background information. I guess that is it related somebody’s tree climbing experience or an accident?

After I listened for the first time, I have a concept about this and ask for repetition. I can listen for more details and learn about the new vocabularies (scampered, sap, resin, fragrance, foliage, cones . . .). Listen, listen, again and again, I am quite happy that I can understand more and more.

Reflection:
According these 2 strategies, I feel it is quite helpful for next time to listen.
Try to guess some words/background information relate for the topic. If I can’t catch the meaning, I will ask for repetition until I get the meaning.