Long or Short? It's a queistion

http://www.travelblog.org/Oceans-and-Seas/Indian/blog-344059.html

This is one blog I get in travelblog.com. The blog has been on the top featured blogs for many days from I've found this website. The author doesn't write many words about his own experience. He just maks a short article but posts on a lot of pictures below it. And he also posts the video on the top of his article. The readers can not only read from words but also the film. It makes the whole article more interesting! No wonder he has been the top for so long.

But to a language learner, is it good to watch short articles all the time? I mean, does short article help learners a lot? Or, maybe it does sometimes but not always. That's the question I want to discuss. For myself, I am a quick-reader. I don't spend too much time on reading a long article. I have no patience, exactly. So, reading a long article is a torture for me. And it keeps me from going on. Therefore, the advancement of my English skill is not very good. (In English department, teachers always ask me to read long long long article or even a book!) I know I have to do it. But I can't reach the level now. Maybe it's too guick for me to get it. So, should an article be long or short when I build a website for language learning? Hum...

First Play on SL

Wow, it's my first tme get on the SL to play with others. Look at the picture, it our meeting with TA in Reuters.

It's fun to chat online after I getting a little bit familiar with the controller. At first , I really didn't want to chat in SL because of the latest news about it. It's so terrible!!! However, when I reached my partners, it's much comfortable. Haha. Maybe it's what teacher said "culture shock", right? Because everybody is talking and the words dismisses quickly, I've to read it quickly for fear that I would miss something. And it helps me developing my skill of reading. Though that some words others used were a little bit confusing for me, for I've to response, I need to figure it out anyway. SL is just like a foreign place! If I get in often, maybe my English skill will advance soon. Haha.

By the way, even though it is in a virtual world, it's still easy to be lost. In fact, teacher told me where the place is but I am still confused about the environment. And my group spends much time to gether in; therefore, TA has to answer us quickly. XD And, because the members in my group are familiar with each other, it's very easy for us to go off topic!!! I think it's really a disaster for TA. She has to lead four children. No wonder she is worn out at last.

The "disaster", however, shows us that in a virtual world, it's really free for people to speak but it really reduces the so-called esteem. People would more possibly feel unesteemed in it.

DancingMojoSpieluhr Sideshow: it does not matter to me

Dori Sporg: no

showmei Burnstein: sometimes it does

TA Putzo: i mean what do you feel when you notice that someone is reading your blog?

Dori Sporg: song

DancingMojoSpieluhr Sideshow: my first feeling is... whoa someone is actually reading this piece of shit

Jackowacko Juliesse: i feel some might have interest in my blog

Dori Sporg: yes

showmei Burnstein: i think it can communicate ur thinking with others

Dori Sporg: it's good to share

TA Putzo: then, do you think your blog is in connection with the world?

showmei Burnstein: yap

Dori Sporg: of course

TA Putzo: i mean the whole world would probably see your assignment or diaries

Dori Sporg: oh

Dori Sporg: no

Another Traveling Heaven!

http://www.travelblog.org/

This is another website for traveling blogs. For me, it's better than the previous one.

Firtst, in its homepage, you can find out a small map. Just follow your favorites, click on any spot on the map, and then you will enter another page in which there is information of the places you are most interesting in. The content includes blogs, pictures and forums. I don't like to spend too much time to surf in the whole website just for searching for the things I want. "Time is gold." Haha. Secondly, travelblog.com shows its every function clearly in its homepage. I can get familiar with it quickly. It has built up almost every useful tags that I need in its homepage. I feel it's easier to use the website so that I would become more interested in digging the website.

---

The arrange of the English website is very important. Especially for the EFL readers, it's more important!! It's because to EFL readers, there has alreaby been an obstacle between the readers and the website which gives the readers first difficulty to get in the content. So, if the arrange is confusing and not clear, it would build up another, one another ......difficulties betweem the two.

So, if I'm going to set up a English learning website, I must take the arrangement into great consideration.

Action!!

Usually, the bloggers of the blogs about traveling post words and pictures or even words only. It's seldom to find out videos with them. You can still find out someones but there isn't much. However, travelpod.com overturns this "tradition". In travelpod.com, you will find out a lot of videos showing different countries. It's not rare any more here.

Posting videos makes the website more fun. Viewers won't read articles and pictures only anymore. They can watch exacter images and enjoy in the world's actions!!

However, till now, I've never found out some videos with voice-over. It's pity. I am a person who really loves to watch traveling programs. It's joyful about watching moving images with a host's words introducing more about the image.

Therefore, I think, if I am going to set up a website about learning English with traveling, it's to have videos with voice-over! This way makes the learning funner. And for some learners who do not like to read too many words, voicing videos will give them a better way to learn language.

Taiwan, In World's Eyes

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/naysay/1/1200924180/tpod.html

When I was looking for some interesting traveling blogs about other countries in the world, I found a small title reading "Travelers from Taiwan." It's so cool to find out traveling article about Taiwan. I can re-see my own country through foreign eyes.

In this one, the author introduces a lot of detailed things about Taipei, such as traffics, famous landscapes and so on. And she posts not only words but also some photos she takes. Posting pictures asides the words is not a new thing. You can find out that many bloggers write their articles with it. But to an EFL reader, it makes articles more easily understood and interesting.

Travel Around World!

Though I don't have enough money and time to make my traveling dream come true now, I hope one day that I can make it! Recently, I found an cool traveling blog site. There are a lot of travelers from different places around the world. And this is the website link: http://www.travelpod.com/

In this website, people can choose the blog of their favorite themes to read. And besides the blogs, there are many traveling forums built for everyone to discuss traveling things. If people have any questions about traveling, such as hotel, traffic and so on, the professional travelers can give the answers soon and precisely.

Though the bloggers come from different countries, the main language they use is still English, and the english articles they write are not difficult to read except of some special traveling terms which you have to look up for. So, the range of target audience can be very wide.