BONUS TASK

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Word Crimes

a) I chose this video because I love music and I believe its power of teaching people things easier than other methods. While watching the video, I learnt some new things about grammar and punctuation.

b) Firstly, this video is a parody of "Blurred Lines", which is very funny to me. I enjoyed listening and watching the video, lyrics and melody are very catchy. The only thing I didn't like much was the fact that lines went too fast and I had to rewatch some of them.

c) Exercises:

a)After watching the video...

1. Did you like it?
2. Was it hard to catch the lyrics?
3. Did animations make you understand the lyrics better?


b)

 Part 1: Find the mistakes and write/select the correct versions.


Every dog has it's day. (               )

Expresso  (                )

Did you see that flash of lightning/lightening?

To who/whom did you give it?



Part 2: Is there any difference between the two sentences below in terms of meaning? If yes, explain.

"They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid, and a cook." 
"They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid and a cook."



d)

1. Do you make the same mistakes indicated in the video in your daily life?

2. Find some other misused words in the video.


e) I enjoyed creating this exercise in that it made me feel as if I was a real teacher. Despite my fears, it was very easy to do. I just watched the video and thought some questions.


f) Seda Demirel: http://sedademirel.blogspot.com.tr/2016/01/blog-post.html?showComment=1454006764492#c461338859853334799

  Emel Nur Er: http://emelnurer.blogspot.com.tr/2016/01/bonus-work.html?showComment=1454006974788#c8127019765734880941

Peer Evaluations

Emel:

http://emelnurer.blogspot.com.tr/2016/01/reflection-task-3.html?showComment=1453910771666#c6141972836241227446

Gözde:

http://gozdenurcetin1.blogspot.com.tr/2016/01/reflection-task-1-i-want-to-join-agt.html?showComment=1453574340178#c1776523928583203227

Tuğçe:

http://tugceeryilmaz.blogspot.com.tr/2015/11/free-reflection-task-today-i-am-gonna.html?showComment=1453911828007#c2523501924856852292

Parallelism

1. My friends are neither anxious to see the items in the museum nor happy about the admission price.

2. At my training session, I learnt not only how to work the register, but also treat customers courteously.

3. The doctor promised that he neither cause pain during the procedure nor leave a scar.

4. Bert will meet us either at the restaurant or at the taxi stand.

1.  The understudy had bright green eyes, a great mass of blonde hair, and a red face.

2.  When winter comes the Joneses, they will have to find either a warmer house or a wood stove.

3.  When Moe was in high school, his parents spent a good deal of time not only helping him with his homework assignments but also participating with him in schoolactivities.

4.  It is better to be happy than sad.

5.  The word left means "deceitful" in Italian, "awkward " in German, "malicious" in Spanish, and "sneaky" in Russian.

6.The contract was illegible, lengthy, awkward.

7. Thinking that you can do everything is deceiving yourself.

8.  Aspiring actors go to Hollywood to become stars because they want to make money.

9.  The tourists amused themselves by playing shuffleboard, watching plays, going to trendy restaurants in the center of the city.

10.Before you order anything, you should not only check the purchasing agent but also the controller.

11.  The radiologist examined the MRI both carefully and competently.

12.  Please return the medical records either Dr. Jones or Dr. MacIntyre.

13. This sofa is good for beauty, appearance, and comfort.

14.  Succeeding something is not necessarily the same as getting what you need.

15.  The process seemed both boring and annoying to Beth.

Reflection Task 3

Aziz Sancar (born 8 September 1946) is a Turkish-American biochemist and molecular biologist specializing in DNA repair, cell cycle checkpoints, and the circadian clock. In 2015, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Tomas Lindahl and Paul L. Modrich for their mechanistic studies of DNA repair.
He is the co-founder of the Aziz and Gwen Sancar Foundation, which is a non-profit organization to promote Turkish culture and to support Turkish students in the United States. Sancar is the second Turkish Nobel laureate after Orhan Pamuk, who is also an alumnus of Istanbul University. Dr. Sancar, the first Turkish-born scientist to win the prize, said it would prompt big celebrations his native land. “I’m glad for my country,” he said. Dr. Modrich showed how cellular machinery fixes errors that arise during DNA replication, reducing the frequency of mistakes by roughly a thousand. Defects in this system cause a hereditary variant of colon cancer. Experts say the insights are likely to aid the development of new treatments for cancer as well as illnesses related to aging. He told the Nobel Foundation he was stunned by his win.
"I have just gotten a call half an hour ago. My wife took it and woke me up. I wasn't expecting it at all. I was very surprised," he said, adding: "I tried my best to be coherent." 

Sancar was born in 1946 in Turkey's southeastern province of Mardin. After he completed his M.D. at Istanbul University and completed his Ph.D. on the photo reactivating enzyme of E. coli in 1977 at the University of Texas. Currently a professor at the University of North Carolina, Sancar is an honorary member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.Aziz Sancar is 7th of the 8 brothers in an illiterate family. His elder brother Tahir Sancar says that in brothers there are ones who are technician, soldier but Aziz Sancar was something else. He mentions that Aziz Sancar would always study when the other kids were playing games. He would also rank first in all his schools. Even though he didn't have a chance to study in private schools, he did his best and managed to achieve great things. This is a proof that people who want to achieve something don't always have to be in rich places, they will find their way in some day. This is the information which I think is definitely enough to justify my reasons to candidate Aziz Sancar.

Reflection Task 2b

  Summertime Sadness

"Summertime Sadness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her second studio album, Born to Die, released on June 22, 2012, by Interscope Records as the fourth single of the album. The reason of my choice is that I love Lana Del Rey, I think she's doing real art.

 After just hearing the song, my initial reaction was that it was about some sort of summer romance that for some reason had to end at the end of the summer. The main reason for having this impression is the line "kiss me hard before you go, summertime sadness." After doing some research, I found most people who only heard the song seemed to get the same impression. However people who had seen the video had a different impression. How I interpreted it also changed after seeing it. It turns out, Lana del Rey had a best friend who committed suicide, and this song was dedicated to her. However, some people believe that she and her best friend were in love. But, the mood of the video really seems to follow the best friend dying theme. The bad quality and dull colours give it a sort of dark and kind of creepy vibe. The whole video is basically composed of very short clips, which also makes it sort of creepy in a way. The dull expression on Lana's face throughout the whole video adds to mood as well. The sound of the music, and Lana's voice itself all create a very melancholy sound. This, of course, fits the lyrics, video, and theme. The sort of numb sound makes it very relaxing song to listen to. 

The song "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey teaches us that we can always move on, no matter how sad we may feel at the time. Even if it takes awhile, "later's better than never." Overall, the song's tone is clearly melancholy, somber, sad, etc. And, although many would disagree, my opinion is that it is definitely dedicated to her best friend who died and not someone whom she used to be in a relationship with.

Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
I just wanted you to know
That, baby, you're the best

I got my red dress on tonight
Dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight
Done my hair up real big beauty queen style
High heels off, I'm feeling alive

Oh, my God, I feel it in the air
Telephone wires above are sizzling like a snare
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere
Nothing scares me anymore

(1, 2, 3, 4)

Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
I just wanted you to know
That, baby, you're the best

I got that summertime, summertime sadness
S-s-summertime, summertime sadness
Got that summertime, summertime sadness
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

I'm feelin' electric tonight
Cruising down the coast goin' 'bout 99
Got my bad baby by my heavenly side
I know if I go, I'll die happy tonight

Oh, my God, I feel it in the air
Telephone wires above are sizzling like a snare
Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere
Nothing scares me anymore

(1, 2, 3, 4)

Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
I just wanted you to know
That, baby, you're the best

I got that summertime, summertime sadness
S-s-summertime, summertime sadness
Got that summertime, summertime sadness
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Think I'll miss you forever
Like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky
Later's better than never
Even if you're gone I'm gonna drive (drive, drive)

I got that summertime, summertime sadness
S-s-summertime, summertime sadness
Got that summertime, summertime sadness
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
I just wanted you to know
That, baby, you're the best

I got that summertime, summertime sadness
S-s-summertime, summertime sadness
Got that summertime, summertime sadness
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Reflection Task 1a

Dear Jazzberry,


I am Esin Çelik, a first-year student from ELT department. This is my first year at METU and I want to spend my time in a useful way so I directly thought that it would be fantastic to sing with you! I've always wanted to become a part of a REAL choir, I sing a lot when I am alone at home, school etc. I've been singing since I started speaking. I give myself little concerts at home and yes I literally rock! My friends always told me that I should receive some training about singing. My music teacher at primary school wouldn't care about my voice, she would always pick someone else to sing special parts in the choir and I'd think that it was unfair (it really was). This is one of the reasons about my desire to be a member of a real choir. The whole different voices' gathering together and making a harmony is the most mesmerizing part of the choir. Me and my group joined in a song contest in Bursa when I was in high school and became 1st by performing the song "Yalnız" by Şebnem Ferah. I feel very comfortable while I am singing, it refreshes my soul. I was a part of some choirs during my school time but they were not the real kind of choirs. I want something serious, real concerts and formality, that's why I am writing to you. I hope that I can work with you because you guys look to have so much fun together while creating a beautiful arts. I think I can contribute your group with my voice. All in all, I want to be a part of your muse. 

Reflection Task 2A

Title: Why It Makes More Sense Than You Know To Learn a Second Language

Author: Dan Roitman

 As I am a “Foreign Language” student myself, I’m also a bilingual person. The points Dan Roitman mentioned were quite useful for me in some ways. Above all I enjoy learning new languages very much. It was nice to learn that a second language has so much utilities. I got happy when I read the article because I’ve been learning another languages as well. The idea on which I most agree is that it makes people have a broader global perspective. The other benefits of the second language he mentioned  were its making you improve your communication skills, sharpen your mind, boost your creavity, make smarter decisions and become a better listener. The only thing I don’t totally agree with is that thinking in our own language is not better than thinking in a foreign one because of the emotional feelings effecting us. To some extent he might be right when considered the slowness -thus thinking analytically- that a foreign language brings but to me as a whole, making important decisions does not only requires logic. I like the way the author separated advantages via numbers, it made the article easier to read. It wasn’t hard to follow the sentences because they were also funny. While he was being funny and spesific he was also giving examples and scientific proves about the topic. All in all, you’ll get  mentally healthier and also psychologically more sufficient if you acquire second language.

Free Reflection 2

5 Things Great Teachers Are Not (and 5 Things They Are) Deborah Chang

In 5 Things Great Teachers Are Not, Deborah Chang talks about the things what great teachers are not and what they actually are so as to debunk the teacher myths.

There are three points that I agree with the author of this article. The first point is the fact that great teachers are not heroes, they are everyday heroes. Inasmuch as they are human beings like us, we should not expect them to put their outside-of-their-job lives completely on hold and help us continually. It is because of the heavy duties they already have. For instance, one of my teachers had an interview with another school, so she couldn’t do extra activities with us that week. Secondly, great teachers are not saviors; they are inspirers. Instead of giving students the right answers all the time, great teachers inspire them to accomplish great things by finding out their characteristics. Thus, students will be able to answer their questions themselves. To exemplify, being taught by my teachers, I can easily keep up with the duties I am responsible for. Lastly, I agree the fact that great teachers are not lone rangers, they are team builders. Great teachers do not work alone. They do anything to create a better learning atmosphere so they team up with people who have an impact on students’ lives. By this mean, they extend their influence. All in all, being normal people, practitioners and team builders are the qualities I have consensus on with the author of the article.

Free Reflection 1

TITLE: IF YOU CAN’T MASTER ENGLISH, TRY GLOBISH

AUTHOR: MARY BLUME

This article was mainly about a new language which is called ‘Globish’  defined as a language which has achieved universal language statutes due to its striving for neutrality by means of using English words and phrases gererally understood throughout the English-speaking world. and it also gives the readers some ideas about how it helps people with communicating.

There are some points that prove that “globish” has many benefits over people. Firstly, ‘globish’ has such a structure that anyone who has a basic command of the language can use it. As the author said, ‘globish’ doesn’t include any localism so that we’re able to communicate over certain words. Secondly, words not stated in the list can be transformed into stated ones. For instance, the word ‘nephew’ can be said as “child of my brother/sister”, and it makes communicating easier. There is just one point that I do not agree with the author of the article. She mentioned only the advantages of this language. I think there is a drawback of it. Inasmuch as ‘globish’ is a simplified version of English, it may bother native English people because of the corruption of the language structure.  All in all, ‘globish’ is very useful on these terms except for one drawback