20140621, Article, Taichung

[Jasmine0316]

網站 http://www.happyforum.org/ 歡迎超連結並轉寄網址
論壇 http://www.happyforum.org/happy/ 歡迎至論壇討論

歡迎加入Taichung Happy English Club粉絲團



Time：第 273會，2014年6月21日（週六）下午2:30~5:30點
Place：
viewtopic.php?t=15

Agenda
14:30~15:30 Session One
15:30~15:50 Speech Session
15:50~16:00 Change Group and then Break Time
16:00~17:15 Session Two
17:15~17:30 Happy Time

Host: Kevin
Assistant Host:

Topic:
Guide To English Grammar and Effective Writing
Source:
http://www.learnstuff.com/guide-to-english-grammar-and-effective-writing/

Please Note:
Venue:台中市南屯區大業路182號 Mos Burger
Thanks a lot for your attention.

Questions:
1. Each year, over 15% of university entrance examinees choice to give up English composition. It is not easy to master English grammar and composition at the early stage of English learning. How do you sharpen your grammar and writing skills when you were a student? What is the most difficult part to master those two skills?

2. Do you like to write? Some say daily writing has numerous advantages like logical thinking and organization capability. Can you share with us what you benefit from writing? What is your expectation of your writing skills?

3. Others say you will have no problems with these two techniques once you have made 5000 mistakes in grammar and writing. Do you agree or disagree with the statement like that? Or how many grammar and writing mistakes have you made?

4. Chinese tend to unconsciously produce the same English grammar mistakes because of the usage patterns in Chinese. Do you agree or disagree with the statement like that? How to put away our mother tongue for a while when we learn English? And how do you think in English?


例會須知
時間地點須知：
http://www.happyforum.org/happy/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15
協會章程：
http://www.happyforum.org/Association_Principle.htm
各分會章程：
http://www.happyforum.org/Club_Principle.htm
協會會員會費及各分會會員會費及入場費：
http://www.happyforum.org/15.htm
參與例會，請自行列印當週的討論文章，並帶至現場
http://www.happyforum.org/happy/viewforum.php?f=33
參與例會，請勿討論政治/種族/宗教/性，經勸導無效者，不得參加本會任何活動
http://www.happyforum.org/happy/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1766
週六晚餐(Saturday Dinner)
http://www.happyforum.org/happy/viewforum.php?f=76
戶外活動(Club Outing)
http://www.happyforum.org/happy/viewforum.php?f=72
所有行程(All Schedule)
http://www.happyforum.org/happy/viewtopic.php?t=883

[Jasmine0316]

Dear Taichung Happiers,

The Half-Finished Heaven
(From Tomas Tranströmer, New Collected Poems, translated by Robin Fulton)

Despondency breaks off its course.
Anguish breaks off its course.
The vulture breaks off its flight.
The eager light streams out,
even the ghosts take a draught.
And our paintings see daylight,
our red beasts of the ice-age studios.
Everything begins to look around.
We walk in the sun in hundreds.
Each man is a half-open door
leading to a room for everyone.
The endless ground under us.
The water is shining among the trees.
The lake is a window into the earth.

How do you feel about the artistic performance of this poem? Do you usually express your feelings by talking or writing? What role does writing play in your life? For this weekend, our host Kevin is so excited to introduce the essential qualities of good writing to Happiers-- Guide To English Grammar and Effective Writing.

How to write? When I was first learning English writing, the British teacher always drew a topic on the white board and announced:” Give me a good essay, or find your paper in the garbage can tomorrow.” Then? Then, I kept peeking at the can, and the invisible clock automatically locked my brain. Nevertheless, had I never appreciated this extreme training, I would not have a long-lasting love for reading and writing. Now, the enduring advice from Nobel Prize laureate William Faulkner (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) sounds fairly friendly. "Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it.
Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window."

Another English teacher of mine was American, who was proud of his Asian Philosophy degree. The two most unforgettable requests from this teacher were: “Think further” and “Illustrate a Zen story in English”. Well, it was the time like my life had not actually started. So. However, I was deeply inspired by some writers’ biographies. Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 - June 1, 1968) was the first deaf/blind person to graduate from college; Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) took little formal education--he was compelled to leave school and work in a factory due to his family’s financial difficulties. They were classic examples of what Franz Kafka meant: "Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly."

Who are your favorite writers? Why? The reason for Tomas Tranströmer to win 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature is:”Through his condensed translucent images, he gave us fresh access to reality.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Uo61rvUms&app=desktop Roger Ebert (June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. What was the biggest twist of his life? Why was writing his lifesaver? Ladies and gentleman, this is a must-see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNXOVpN8Wgg

I don’t know why my favorite teachers didn’t ask me why I enjoyed writing. I miss them. By the way, if you are still here, I would like to thank you for reading this. And my expectation of Happiers’ English writing is: Write, no matter what happens; write, no matter why you enjoy it; write, no matter where it leads. Let the writing process help us find out who we are and lead us to a higher state of being. However huge our suffering of the language learning shadow has been, light is over there, and it is our time to add two more chromosomes to carry the writing/creativity genes. Yes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYKLvYGqaC0





Best Wishes,
Jasmine

[longbow]

20140621, Gathering, Taichung