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 

EXERCISE 3 and 7

Identifying Simple and Compound Sentences

1. Simple sentence
2. Compound sentence
3. Compound sentence
4. Simple sentence
5. Simple sentence
6. Simple sentence
7. Simple sentence
8. Compound sentence
9. Compound sentence
10. Simple sentence

Exercise 7

1. Complex
2. Complex
3. Compound complex
4. Complex
5. Compound complex
6. Complex
7. Complex
8. Compound complex
9. Complex
10. Complex

IMAGINE PARODY

Imagine there’s no internet

It’s even harder to think

No Facebook messages around us

Around us only words that need to be said

 

Imagine there’s no Twitter

Maybe it would be so much better

Nothing to exaggerate or emulate

And also no emotional girls

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

 

You may say I can’t live without

But I’m fine on my way

I hope someday you’ll join me

And the world won’t be spoiled like that

 

Imagine no Instagram pics

I wonder if you can

No need to share what you eat or where you go

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Are not all the same

 

You may say I’m a dreamer

Though I am not

I hope someday you’ll join me

Showing what you’ve really got