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First of all, let me welcome back all of you to Kyungwon University. The university has undergone many changes over the past couple of years and all these are for the benefit of everyone alike. For instance, the addition of the Global Zone, as well as the continual hiring of instructors from a multitude of cultural and academic backgrounds should serve to enrich everyone’s experience with English at Kyungwon - no matter our role in the university.
So, it is my pleasure to inform and encourage all of you to not only take full advantage of the new facilities available, but also attempt to assist and provide what I hope will prove to be sound advice in order to achieve success in your pursuit of English. I would like to now invite you to consider and explore but a few of the many options available to you when studying English as a second language in Kyungwon.
No matter our ability there is always room for improvement, and as we strive to better ourselves, we all inevitably make mistakes. Were we to continuously succeed in our academic endeavors without encountering any challenges or experiencing errors, we surely would never reach our full potential. With this in mind I would like to provide a few tips to assist you with improving upon your academic success in Kyungwon.
First of all, never be afraid to ask questions when you do not fully understand or feel you need help. I guarantee you are not alone, and therefore should not hesitate to seek out the answers. Also, it is part of an instructor’s job to assist you, so do not be intimidated and be sure to ask for help when you need it. Your instructor was at one time in the exact same position as you are now. You may ask them a question or for help at anytime. This may be before, during or after class, as well as while the instructor has office hours, or even by email. Choose whatever time and place seems most appropriate and comfortable for you.
Secondly, you should take advantage of any available time you might have no matter how short it may seem. For example, let’s say you have just a 15 minute commute to Kyungwon; this could perhaps give you an extra 30 minutes a day or roughly 5 hours a week towards your studies. There are many ways you could use this seemingly little amount time to your advantage. For instance, a great deal of reading could be done. On that note, let’s look at how you might improve upon your reading skills.
While reading you may encounter a number of words or phrases which are unfamiliar to you, and I ask you do not be discouraged by this, as we all face this situation - even in our own language! Also, it is important you do not stop reading, but instead quickly highlight any problems and continue to read as normal. This is because as you read, you are likely to find surrounding words and phrases which will put those more difficult to grasp into context. Only after you have finished reading should you attempt to examine what you did not understand in more detail. It may not seem to be the case, but this is more time effective and allows you to take in the overall meaning of the text which might otherwise be lost due to frequent pauses.
When you feel you have figured out the text you should read it once again, and perhaps make more detailed notes in the margins. This will help you to recall any difficulties you had with the text quickly, and serve to remind you of the meaning should you need to look at the reading again in the future. Next, think about how you would write about the topic or how you would discuss it with a friend. What kinds of information did the reading give to you? Are there any details or ideas which seem to appear more often than others in the reading? What kinds of questions might you ask if you did not understand the topic, or ideas presented in the text? By examining the reading in a careful and productive manner it will likely remain fresh in your mind and readily available to you in the future.
Finally, I wish you all the best of luck, and hope what you have read here today will help you in your future studies. I ask you to consider the article provided here, and apply what I have told you above to it. Remember, there are always little moments of time for you to take advantage of, and people who are willing to assist you should you need the help.
Weldon Caverhill  < Copyright © The Gachon Herald All rights reserved > |
