Chapter 4. Comment on comments.
Hello there.
As I've already recieved some comments I'd like to make some reply. First of all I want to thank Diema from Bulgaria to be most active commentator of my blog. Thank You, Diema. It's really important to have some feedback and to know is my writing interesting or not. Communication at all is meanless without a feedback. And while learning such a feedback is as twice as more significant. So, thanks BBC Learning English again for this useful oppotrunity. And thanks all the rest commentators as well.
Thi Hien from Vietnam asked me about my work. Well, unfortunately there is no much I can tell about it. Beside the fact that I'm not supposed to unveil details of my job, I'm just afraid it might be boring for those who has no deal with computers inside. Ok, here is an example of computer fun stories: "There are 10 types of people. Those who's aware of binary counting and those who's not." Have you got it? :) Speaking in general, writing a computer program is akin to building even not a house but a city or a world! And it requires significantly less resourses in comparison to real building. Haven't you ever thought of being God? There is an opportunity. Everything is up to you. :)) It's extremely exciting.
There is one more point mentioned by Thi Hien which seemed interesting for me. Which software I use for learning English. You know what - I don't use any! I tried several programs and they disappointed me. Most of the programs are created by mean of testing. And it's no use because instead of learning some words or rules I learn to deal with the program. As a result there is no difference between learning with or without the program. There were programs which used some vague technics, like '25th frame effect'. I didn't mention the result from them either. So, the only program I use is a computer dictionary as a complement to an ordinary dictionary. Maybe I just haven't find appropriate program yet? Can you advise me some?
Tricia, it's very interesting thought about fast reading. You know, I spend lots of time bumping into an unknown word and picking up its meaning from a dictionary. For instance, I've been reading the first part of "Harry Potter" for a half of a year because I meet up to half-dozen new words on each page. Now I'll try to follow the way You propose for getting impression of such words from the track.
That's all for today. See you tomorrow.
Comments
Alex, if you can't find a good program for learning English you should write one yourself! It's a nice blog - keep up the good work. :)
I have just read all your entries today so I will comment on this now. Janapot! as Hungarians say or Dobradeň! as Slovak people greet each other. Nice to meet you, Alex! In my childhood I used to learn Russian, so I have to make up leeway and I am learning English now as well. What is more I took final exams from Russian at high school. So, I think that we could understand each other in Russian, too. But now we should focus on English. We have had a beautiful autumn this year. Up to the present every day was sunny and the temperatures were appropriate for autumn. Today was the first day that it was chilly outside. In the morning everything was frozen. Fortunately, I carried all my plants indoors yesterday. I like all seasons because every season brings something new. To be honest, my favourite one is spring. Despite the fact that we have articles in Hungarian, I also have problems with using articles in English. My daughter said to me: 'Mum, use them like in Hungarian.' Unfortunately, this is not very helpful to you, I know. We do not celebrate Halloween. The only one thing that we do is the pumpkin carving. We celebrate All Saint's Day on 1st November and All Soul’s Day on 2nd November. We go to the cemeteries to remember our relatives and friends who passed away. We take flowers and light candles on the grave. My son also has autumn holiday these days so we can spend a little more time together. Bye for now.
I like programing too. But I have a very difficult relation to the matter. Or maybe to the programmers. I guess they don't like me. When I was 13, 14, or 15 I read a little bit about programming. (BASIC) I had no computer. Too expensive. But it was very intersting. Then, a couple of years later I got the possibility to hack at the keyboard. I had comuter lessons at a school. It was for the 2nd or 3rd hour/lesson and the teacher allowed us to switch on the machine. And what was my thirst thought? I wanted to test the error-messages and wrote a overflow-endless-loop. It worked for the first try!!!! The machine crashed, the teacher saw that and sent me off of the room, at the corridor. He said I would never have to come back. That was the beginning and the end of my programming-career. Well, later I became a member of a computer-club. But I had always trouble with the boys. Because there were only 10 computers and 20 people. And a girl has there no chance if you have to fight for the keybaord. And now? LOL there are so many jobless programmers. And so many useless programs. By the way, what kind of programs do you write?
Salut(hello)and welcome, Alex! I think you'll become a popular blogger. Hello, Anita! Glad to see you again. I like so much to read your writing, so please keep it going.:)
you wrote: "Speaking in general, writing a computer program is akin to building even not a house but a city or a world! And it requires significantly less resourses in comparison to real building. Haven't you ever thought of being God? There is an opportunity. Everything is up to you. :)) It's extremely exciting." Stop, my dear! If I switch off my computer then are all your worlds lost. The exist nothing any longer. All the power of the programmers ends if I switch it off. :-) And by the way: How many programs are free of errors? Not many! Wrong declared variables, wrong funktions, wrong procedures. Logical mistakes, scribal errors. All programs are only a approach to describe the reality. They are never perfect. Many people are believing in computer-technique. And yes, computer can very fast calculate. But not more. And if the programmer writes nonsense, then is the whole program nonsense. Even if it is made by a computer.
Dear Alex, Many thanks to yr reply and yr questions and yr ideas. Actually, it's very consider of u, Alex. Sounds like that u're a very "industrious" at writing blog. It really shows 'cos I and others have known many things interesting from u. Thanks one more! About the software that u said u found nothing useful, I agree with u in some ways. U know, I don't know what the programers thought of their own softwares: some things we can easily find and read in books are written in the softwares, with a very confusing way to read it. I myself have been searching for a very useful and good one but have failed. In the end, Internet is always the best source to learn English and its pronunciation. Do u think so? Also, why didn't u mention problem of speaking in yr last blog? That's my biggest one! And the so-called useful softwares turn out to be the ones which can not improve learners' pronunciation in my opinion. I love to be good at speaking rather than excellent at grammar and then I can do nothing! U know, I have been keeping a dream of a software that can improve users' English pronunciation. My ideas are that software insists little on grammar but programmers have to make sure that learners satisfy wiht their improvement of English Speaking. I have thought of it over and over but...Even, from time to time I really wanna write details of it and... wait for someone who can make it come true. Thanks much for your writing about your place and its pictures. Really interesting. Thi Hien.
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