Learn To Motivate Yourself To Study New Language

Are you looking for ways on how you can motivate yourself so you can study new language? This is because just like with anything else that we try to achieve in our lives, learning another language can be quite hard. So we tend to look for short cuts which often do not work. We just need to have that right mindset to help us with our goal.

It has been said that 9 out of 10 people who get started in trying to learn a new language gets frustrated with it and drops everything and went on their merry ways. That means only one percent will continue with their studies and actually get to master the language. Well, master maybe too big a word, but at least they will be able to become fluent in it. So what is the point in telling you about this percentage? That you do not want to belong to that 9 people, instead you certainly would like to be able to actually speak and understand that language.

And motivation is the key to everything about studying another language. Just think about it, when was the last time you feel highly motivated to accomplish anything? Any specific task or goal for that matter? If you have a hobby then for sure you would do everything in your power to succeed in that hobby. And why is that? It is because you are motivated to do it, because you love doing it. The same goes when you study new language. You need to have that desire to learn it, to be able to hold your head high and let people know you have accomplished something great.

So where can you find such motivation? Let us discuss some of the tips that you may try to achieve it.

Look for a like-minded group of people and join them. Where else can you find them but in language tutorial schools or centers. People who would like to learn a new language often can learn best when they are in the company of others who have the same desire. So join a study group and the great thing about it is that you can compare your notes and your progress with other people, especially if you all started at the same time.

Try to have fun doing it. This is because when you are having fun working on something, you tend to get it finished faster and more efficiently. Again, one reason is that you simply love doing it so you are always excited to get started and even more excited to get it done. So make a passion out of learning a new language especially if you know you can greatly benefit when you finally master it.

Hire a tutor or a trainer. This is probably the best thing that you can do particularly if you are trying to learn on your own and by not joining a program or a group. If you find yourself getting easily distracted from doing your studies, then get someone who would look after your studies and who would make sure you are on the right track all of the time.

We all know it is not easy to study new language, but if you are really motivated to do it you can definitely make it work for you. Just follow the tips here and you can get off on the right foot with achieving your goal.

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Learning Spanish With The Help Of Learning Spanish Like Crazy

No matter if you have to learn Spanish quickly for a family vacation or a crucial job in your life, here is a great tip that will help you out and make sure that you come out of all this with the greatest results possible. If you'd like to know how to learn Spanish for Latin America, for personal development or for a second language Learning Spanish Like Crazy is a great product to start your learning journey.

Learning to speak Spanish is essential nowadays. Learning to speak Spanish online is excellent option for those who have less time. Instead of going to classes few times a week you simply gain access to the whole software package on your computer and learn any time you want to. Learning Spanish Like Crazy is a program that will help you learn to speak quickly and effectively, even if you have no prior knowledge of the language. Learning online is like having your own personal book where ever you go. The Learning Spanish Like Crazy software gives you the full benefits of learning a second language in the comforts of your own home and in your own preferred time. It is a wonderful option for anyone who likes to learn by hearing and saying. Step-by-step audio lessons build on one another for progressive learning. Interactive games and tests are added to ensure you have a lively experience.

Learning Like Crazy is available as a download or as a complete 4-cd package, providing you with a complete program in mastering the Spanish language. The main part of this product are the 30 interactive audio lessons that are 30 minutes long on average. All you need to do is start this audio course on your computer or mp3 player and enjoy it. With the help of this program you will learn practical and useful words and phrases that you can use in real life situations too. The biggest benefit of this Spanish language software is that it is interactive, combining audio techniques with workbooks, games, puzzles, and quizzes.

If you find yourself in a situation trying to learn Spanish as a foreign language without having the option to travel to a Spanish speaking country, Learning Spanish Like Crazy is an absolutely great buy for you to learn a second language in a short amount of time. When looking for Spanish language software you need to know that it is only one of the many tools that you can use to learn Spanish. Learning Like Crazy is an absolutely great buy for those who enjoy learning through video, and want to watch an engaging woman who knows how to teach you quickly and easily.

Visit LanguageCourseReview.com for a complete review on Rocket Spanish and make sure you read about Learning Spanish Like Crazy too.

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UDN台灣人物: 秦日新女兒 是台大13妹‎「外文秦」？

UDN台灣人物 台灣人物：收羅名人與妻兒的相處之道，台灣聞人的生平、趣聞，小人物的奮鬥故事，分為「名人相對論」、「政治名人堂」、「綜合聞人榜」、「小人物大故事」等單元。 秦日新女兒 是台大13妹‎「外文秦」？ 29 Jun 2011, 8:41 am 【聯合新聞網╱綜合報導】 秦姿宇與母親同遊斐濟合照。 擷取自秦姿宇部落格 駐斐代表秦日新傳出不倫戀，立委還爆料秦的太太小孩都在台灣，居然還申請領眷屬及就學補助，根據蘋果日報報導，台大十三妹中的「外文秦」秦姿宇，就是秦日新的女兒。 秦姿宇就讀台大外文系四年級，臉蛋看起來有藤井LENA的fu，去年被PTT列為台大十三妹之一。秦姿宇在無名的部落格（http://www.wretch.cc/blog/likeThat09）中，看起來與母親感情深厚，分享著與母親在北京與斐濟旅遊時的合照。 網誌中，曾經提過在紐西蘭的求學生活，秦日新就曾經擔任過駐紐西蘭代表，高中畢業後，秦姿宇回到台灣就讀，考上台大，結束國外的生活。在網誌中也發現，去年1月，秦姿宇曾經偕同母親再遊斐濟，分享著四篇遊記與照片。 秦日新小檔案： 美國TUFTS大學佛萊契法律暨外交學院國際碩士，歷任北美司司長、溫哥華辦事處處長、駐紐西蘭代表、駐斐濟代表處顧問、駐斐濟代表處代表。 ※延伸閱讀》 ‧「台大十三妹」正妹照 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

UDN台灣人物: 強勢秦日新 曾栽在紅酒假帳案

UDN台灣人物 台灣人物：收羅名人與妻兒的相處之道，台灣聞人的生平、趣聞，小人物的奮鬥故事，分為「名人相對論」、「政治名人堂」、「綜合聞人榜」、「小人物大故事」等單元。 強勢秦日新 曾栽在紅酒假帳案 29 Jun 2011, 8:39 am 【聯合晚報╱記者高凌雲/特稿】 中華民國駐斐濟代表秦日新捲入一連串爭議，秦日新早年駐美，主管美國國會聯繫工作，因為績效不錯，一路當上北美司司長，仕途一帆風順，也因此性格上比較強勢，他捲入紅酒案時竟與會計人員相左，案發後，秦的科長甚至與秦發生齟齬。 曾是外交系統當紅炸子雞 秦日新長年主管北美事務，是外交系統的當紅炸子雞，民進黨執政後依然需要他的北美事務專長，才會由駐溫哥華處長調回台北，升任北美司司長。這個職位原本是在外交系統飛黃騰達的開始，卻為秦帶來了官場的噩夢。 民進黨當時在外交部吸收外交人員菁英入黨，或是派到凱達格蘭學校受訓，但是秦日新沒有往民進黨靠攏，；北美司司長任滿外放，派去了紐西蘭擔任代表，只能算是次等的安排，但還有很多人舉報他某些問題。 秦日新為了公事上送禮需要，用餐費報帳買紅酒，在行政程序上當然是不合，但這也是外交部行之多年的常態，只要沒有徇私舞弊，會計單位都會睜隻眼閉隻眼，不會認真追究。偏偏秦日新報帳時，超過可支用上限，被退回重報後，不僅沒有減少，又加碼金額。惹得會計人員舉發爆假帳，檢舉案又交給外交部政風單位。 秦太強勢，政風官員說，秦在北美司工作多年，不肯讓步求全。當時政府要求肅貪防弊，新任外交部長黃志芳只好重辦昔日北美司同事，秦日新面對檢方不肯認罪。 得罪僑胞 埋下爆料危機 秦日新堅持走完司法程序，也是因為自信清白，不願妥協。雖然爭取到無罪判決，可是外交生涯大受影響，只能到斐濟擔任代表。但是他的強勢個性沒有改變，斐濟當地不過百來位僑胞，得罪某些僑胞，館內也有人不滿秦的強勢領導，平日蒐集資料，等待時機爆料。不論這次事件，在立委連日的運作下，秦日新能否脫身，仍在未定之天，可以確定的是，秦日新滿身傷痕，對於外交部而言，絕對是個傷害。 【2011/06/29 聯合晚報】 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

UDN台灣人物: 廈門回台 葉家姐妹走了62年

UDN台灣人物 台灣人物：收羅名人與妻兒的相處之道，台灣聞人的生平、趣聞，小人物的奮鬥故事，分為「名人相對論」、「政治名人堂」、「綜合聞人榜」、「小人物大故事」等單元。 廈門回台 葉家姐妹走了62年 29 Jun 2011, 6:57 am 【聯合報╱記者陳秋雲、蔡佳妤、李奕昕／台中報導】 來自廈門的葉素枝與葉素貞姊妹，她們年幼時離開台灣，一別六十二年，下機時百感交集。 記者陳秋雲／攝影 首批自由行的陸客葉素枝與葉素貞姊妹昨天抵台中，兩人哽咽說：「阮是台灣人」，當年隨父母到廈門探親，誰知一別至今；這次回台主要是掃阿嬤的墓，姊妹倆感嘆，廈門離台灣好近，「卻要花六十二年才回得了家呀！」 69歲葉素枝說，當年離台時，她七歲、妹妹五歲，依稀記得台南老家是日式建築，住在「二目町」，「希望親戚帶路，回老家再看一眼」。 1949年，姊妹隨著父母到福建同安探望外婆，卻因國共戰爭留在廈門，一留就是六十二年。姊妹說，父親直到臨終前還掛念著老家，「我們一直等著可回台灣的一天」。 但等待卻是如此漫長，葉素枝說台灣開放老兵到大陸探親，葉家人就盼著有一朝回鄉，後來開放陸客來台觀光，「我和家人問遍了旅行社，就是沒團會到台南鄉下，只得作罷」。 「一開放自由行，我們就趕著回來」，67歲葉素貞說，陸客自由行說了好幾年，終於敲定，回台前，姊妹特別到父親靈前上香告知，「爸爸我們要回台灣了」。 來自廈門的葉素枝、葉素貞姊妹，在逢甲夜市品嘗香酥臭豆腐，直誇好吃。 記者廖國隆／攝影 下機的一刻，葉素貞微微呼了口氣，訴說著「心情真的好複雜」、「說不上來」的糾結情緒。葉素枝紅了眼眶重複地說「好激動、好高興」，一再強調「我們是住在大陸的台灣人」。 姐妹倆說，老家現只有堂兄弟姊妹，明天先到阿嬤的墳前掃墓祭祖，告訴阿嬤「我們回來看您老人家了」，也是完成父母的心願。 「在廈門，我們的內孫、外孫都有十來個囉！」葉素枝說，在大陸過得不錯，還是牽掛台灣，「已是祖母了，但逾一甲子還是想著自己的阿嬤」。 對於在大陸的生活，葉家姊妹沒有多談。同團人員透露，妹妹是醫生，兩人生活過得不錯，從她穿戴名牌來看，生活水平應高於一般大陸人民。 【2011/06/29 聯合報】 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

...: Harry Potter AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS:PART2

<<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 <<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 Harry Potter AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS:PART2 28 Jun 2011, 10:59 pm ●閱讀英文 The long wait is finally over. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : Part 2, the stunning conclusion of the Harry Potter 1)saga, hits theaters worldwide on July 15th. Since the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone back in 2001, Potter fans young and old have watched Hogwarts' favorite students, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) 2)blossom into 3)full-fledged wizards. At last, in Deathly Hallows : Part 2, the final showdown everyone has been 4)anticipating - Harry Potter vs. the biggest baddie of them all, Lord Voldemort - is here! When we last saw Voldemort, he was breaking into the 5)tomb of Professor Dumbledore to steal the Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows that will make him5)immortal. ●中譯 漫長的等待終於結束了。《哈利波特：死神的聖物2》，哈利波特系列的驚人完結篇，將在七月十五日席捲全球電影院。自二○○一年《哈利波特：神祕的魔法石》上映以來，不分男女老少的波特迷一路看著霍格華茲的得意門生哈利（丹尼爾雷德克里夫飾）、榮恩（魯柏特格林特飾）和妙麗（艾瑪華生飾）蛻變為成熟的巫師。終於，在《哈利波特：死神的聖物2》中，眾所期盼的最後大對決──哈利波特對上最大壞蛋佛地魔──就要登場！ 我們上一次見到佛地魔時，他正闖進鄧不利多教授的墳墓盜取接骨木魔杖──能使他永生不死的三件死神聖物之一。 線上收聽請按 英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank 1) saga (n.) 冒險故事，英雄傳說 Journey to the West is one of China's most famous sagas. 2) blossom (into) (v.) 成長，發展，興旺 Cynthia is blossoming into a beautiful young woman. 3) full-fledged (a.) 訓練有素的，有資格的，成熟的 Sarah passed the bar and became a full-fledged lawyer. 4) anticipate (v.) 期待，預料 Fo otball fans are eagerly anticipating the Super Bowl. 5) tomb (n.) 陵墓，墳墓 In ancient Egypt, the rich were buried in tombs. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Advanced French - How To Approach Informal Spoken French

When they are first exposed to spontaneous conversations, learners of French often express surprise and frustration. "It's so fast", "It's not the French I was taught" and "I don't understand the accent" are typical comments.The problem comes from the fact that most people learn formal French through written materials in classrooms, books and software. The recordings associated with most teaching materials are made in studios from written materials and with professional voices. Although the language used on television, radio and in movies can be quite realistic, it is still not what you will hear on the streets.

If you aim to speak at an advanced level with native speakers, it's important to be aware of how spoken French differs from the written form. Here are some key things to watch for:

The sounds of the voice

The sounds of the language tell a lot about the speaker. You can usually tell the approximate age, level of education and gender of the speaker. Older voices are often more difficult to decipher than younger ones. Female voices are usually easier to understand than male voices.

There is of course the accent. Is it a sort of neutral broadcast accent that one hears in the media or a strong regional accent? Is the speaker from a certain region of France, Belgium, Africa, Quebec or Acadia?

One of the biggest differences between spoken and written language is how meaning is communicated by the sound of the voice. By articulating in certain ways, speakers can convey surprise, scorn, irony, anger, questioning, doubt, affection and all sorts of emotions that cannot be easily communicated in written form. Often we can detect if someone is lying just by the tone of voice. Or we might even say something like "Don't speak to me with that tone of voice."

Linguistic features of informal spoken French

Informal spoken language includes small talk or chitchat, casual conversations, telephone dialogues, pep talks, question and answer sessions and interviews. On the other hand, formal language is found in prepared speeches, lectures and conferences, movie and theater dialogs and radio and television announcements.

Let's say that you are overhearing a spontaneous conversation of friends sitting around a dinner table, what are you likely to notice from a linguistic viewpoint?

1. Slang, non-standard forms and colloquial expressions, many of which are rarely found in print. This can include coarse or extreme language.

2. Lots of body language with gestures, head movements and facial expressions.

3. Constant interactivity between participants in a question and answer format.

4. Simplified question forms. A very common pattern is to put the interrogative pronoun at the end, as in:

C'est quoi? vs Qu'est-ce que c'est? (What is it?)

C'est qui? vs Qui est-ce? (Who is it?)

Il arrive quand? vs Quand est-ce qu'il arrive? (When does he arrive?)

4 Short sentences with simple structures, often subject verb object. Simple tenses. No fancy subjunctives or literary tenses.

5. Plenty of repetition and rephrasing to ensure the other person understands, often starting with Autrement dit (otherwise said)

6. Interjections like: zut, merde, flute, hein, ho, c'est pas vrai, dis-donc

7. Abbreviations and clipped vocabulary. This may be professional jargon or shared terminology

8. Repeated forms: oui, oui,oui, non non non, absolument absolument

9. Systematic usage of pronoun ON instead of NOUS for "we"

10. Systematic usage of TU instead of VOUS for "you".

11. Incomplete sentences. Users may switch subject or change sentence structure in midstream. This is a big difference between ordinary users and professional speakers such as broadcasters, actors and teachers.

12. Fillers ("eh") and pauses marking time after words like "de...", "que...","je pense que..."

Often users will search for the right word, as in: Comment dire?, Qu'est-ce que je veux dire? disons...

13.Verbal tics: "si vous voulez", "si vous permettez", "vous savez", "tu sais" "voyez-vous", "permettez-moi", "comme on dit". This is similar to "you know" or "if I may" in English.

14. Uncorrected speech. Mistakes, confusion of similar forms, as in:

solidaire / solitaire

audition / addition

15. Usually a very limited vocabulary using the most common words in the language.

Stanley Aleong specializes in teaching foreign languages and believes that an effective strategy for achieving advanced proficiency in French or Spanish is to work with many carefully selected authentic examples. To learn more about some very effective learning tools based on this principle, visit Advanced French / Spanish.

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...: Jennifer Lopez 珍妮佛羅培茲

<<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 <<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 Jennifer Lopez 珍妮佛羅培茲 27 Jun 2011, 10:28 pm And since receiving a Golden Globe 1)nomination for her leading role in the biopic Selena, Jennifer has starred in a string of Hollywood hits, including Out of Sight, The Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan. Not 2)content to be one of Hollywood's most successful actresses, Jennifer decided to try her hand at singing. Her 3)debut album, On the 6 - named after the subway train that took her from the Bronx to dance auditions in Manhattan - produced five hit singles, including"If You Want My Love," and went triple platinum. Jennifer's second album, J.Lo, 3)debuted at no. 1, although subsequent albums haven't been as successful. Don't feel sorry for her, though. She's recently become a judge on American Idol, and been named the World's Most Beautiful Woman by People magazine. 線上收聽請按 中譯 自領銜演出傳記片《哭泣的玫瑰》贏得金球獎提名後，珍妮佛陸續主演一系列好萊塢賣座片，包括《戰略高手》、《愛上新郎》和《女傭變鳳凰》。 珍妮佛沒有以成為好萊塢數一數二的女演員為滿足，決定一闖歌壇。她的首張專輯《六號地下鐵》──以將她從布朗克斯載到曼哈頓參加舞蹈遴選的地下鐵為名──產出了五首暢銷的單曲，包括〈如果你要我的愛〉，還獲得三白金。珍妮佛的第二張專輯《J.Lo》一出片就攻上排行榜冠軍，但她接下來幾張專輯就沒那麼成功。不過，別為她難過。最近她應邀擔任《美國偶像》的評審，也被《人物》雜誌評選為「全球最漂亮的女性」。 英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank 1)nomination (n.) 提名 The actress has received many Oscar nominations. 2)content (a.) 滿意的 If you're not content with your marriage, you should get a divorce. 3)debut (n./v.) 首度演出，處女秀 The singer's debut television performance was a huge success. 英語通 Language Guide biopic 傳記電影 biopic 也可稱之為 biographical film，是以戲劇的方式演繹一個真實人物的一生，與 autobiopic（自傳電影）不同之處在於自傳電影是由本人親自在片中飾演自己，如 Muhammad Ali主演的《拳王阿里》The Greatest 就是一例。 另有兩種演繹真實人物的電影類型：historical film（歷史電影）及註明 based on a true story（改編自真實故事）的電影。biopic 與這兩者不同之處在於 biopic刻畫的是一個人的一生，或是此人對歷史影響至深的關鍵年代裡發生的事，及此人的轉變。 蘋果派生活美語 Apple Pie Everyday English 本版文內容由 EZ Talk 美語會話誌提供，並可同步在蘋果日報網站線上收聽 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Taking Online English Lessons - What All Courses Should Teach You

Taking an online class can sometimes leave you wondering if you are going to learn anything. Especially when you are learning to speak a new language, you wonder if you are learning anything from the class. There are certain things that every language class should teach you when you are taking online English lessons. People who speak English do so with an intricate understanding of what the rules are and what rules have exceptions. To be taught all the rules and guidelines of the English language one must first be taught vocabulary, how to pronounce words like English speakers do, and how to understand what someone is saying.

The first step when learning a new language is to learn words that are commonly spoken. Every word you learn adds another step to your learning process. English words can cause trouble because of all the synonyms, homonyms, and words that have only slightly different meanings. Learning more vocabulary terms you can find new ways to say things in English, and you will grow surer of your ability to communicate effectively. Many courses will have special tricks and acronyms to help you remember rules and vocabulary. Certainly, taking online English lessons is not easy, and it takes a lot of study and practice to recall vocabulary words.

Being able to sound like you belong with great English tone and pronunciation will be important as you learn. Often you can say a word with a foreign accent and it will still sound like a foreign word because of the way you pronounce it. Only speaking with someone that is a native speaker will get you to pronounce words correctly. There are natural differences between how people from different areas of the same country pronounce certain words. Accents can be extremely difficult even with speakers of the same language. A good course of taking online English lessons should instruct you on the proper way to pronounce things without accents.

Comprehending is a key skill when learning to communicate effectively. Taking online English lessons with a teacher by way of video chat should open you up to hearing and communicating English. One cannot communicate without first understanding what is being said. When learning how to communicate in English always have something to say otherwise there can be no feedback. These three things should be taught in every English language course and especially online. For improvement try an online English language course where speaking to a live person and getting their guides and helps is the primary focus of the instruction.

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UDN聯合書報攤-地方采風: 崇倫社區的綠色奇蹟巧手‧熱心打造左岸花園

UDN聯合書報攤-地方采風 聯合書報攤-地方采風：收羅臺北畫刊、閃亮台中等雜誌精選內容，讓您更親近在地生活。 崇倫社區的綠色奇蹟 巧手‧熱心打造左岸花園 27 Jun 2011, 3:46 am 【撰文／葉佳慧；攝影／游家桓】 由於人口不斷的增加，原本隸屬在西川里內的崇倫社區，於民國91年重新規劃，獨立為崇倫里，但對地方事務關心的里民卻發現，雖然有了自己的行政區，但由於資源不足，加上管理資金的短缺，使得社區內即使想要推動新的建設，實在是心有餘而力不足。 歡迎大家，一起到崇倫社區來。 遇困境 開啟新契機 當時，也是現任里長的曾素貞，面對這樣的困境卻找不出適切的解決方法時，正好遇上附近鄰居想要參與文化局所舉辦的「規劃師人才培育計畫」而來找曾素貞討論，希望能以他們本身居住的崇倫社區，實際進行社區的改造。這樣的訊息讓曾素貞彷彿看到希望，於是便開始家家戶戶走訪，希望能挖掘出對社區事務關心的隱形份子，一同為社區的未來努力。 民國93年，崇倫社區發展協會成立。透過協會的組織運作與動員能力，他們立即推動了「左岸花園」計畫，把西川二路上一處荒廢許久、早已雜草叢生，以及被民眾亂丟的廢棄物所掩蓋的水利地進行整理，第一步先把垃圾雜物清運走，讓路面淨空出來，就在此時，曾素貞打聽到市府正在附近整建自行車道，刨出來的路面磚塊即將廢棄。於是曾素貞立即與市政單位聯繫，將這些沒用的磚塊運回社區重新利用，成為左岸花園裡的石磚步道。 用傻勁 打造新家園 花園裡有了空間、有了硬體，但軟體的部分要怎麼配合呢？社區發展協會的志工們靈機一動，把花園分隔成好幾個區域，召集來了環保志工大隊、水牛大隊、福德祠廟隊、槌球隊等社區的團體，1個團隊負責1個區域，進行種花比賽。這下可炒熱了社區內的話題，因為每個人都希望自己團隊的花圃是最漂亮、最欣欣向榮的，於是有錢的出錢，有力的出力，大家還攜手合作，用人龍接力的方式，從麻園頭溪撿來石塊，不但清理了河床，更順便取得了天然的花園造景石材，可說是一舉兩得。 短短3、4個月間，社區角落原本最混亂骯髒的一塊，頓時成了乾淨美麗的左岸公園，證明了社區發展協會的努力與成果，而這樣的經驗也讓當地居民發現，原來自己所居住的社區其實很美，缺乏的就是有傻勁、有熱情的人，唯有不計較付出與獲得，才能營造出更美好的生活家園。因此，現在崇倫社區約有2,100多戶居民，除了環保志工隊45人、水牛志工大隊68人之外，更有固定參與社區活動的熱心居民多達170位以上，社區活動的動員能力更強，居民的向心力也凝結得更穩固。 崇倫社區裡，處處可發現運用回收資源做成的藝術小物。 靠巧思 工寮變小棧 而協會所進行的社區改造，範圍也不斷擴大，除了民國93年的左岸花園之外，民國94、95年建國北路景觀大道、民國96年建國南路微笑花園、民國97年建國南路碉堡公園、民國98年水牛公園(現改為長青藝術公園)，以及去年完成的西川一路變形金剛環保藝術創作與綠圍牆等，幾乎年年都有新進展，總計共完成了植栽面積11,400坪、植株8,300株的綠色造景，7年間完成8處景觀改造的驚人效率，讓崇倫里從過去被認為是邊陲地帶的老舊社區，變身為讓附近鄰里都欣羨不已的城市綠洲，更獲得「優等全國環境保護模範社區」的殊榮。 「其實我們身邊到處都是寶，只是以前大家不知道，都把這些當垃圾了。」曾素貞搖搖頭，笑了笑。因為自從協會成立之後，才發現社區待改造的地方實在很多，但有限的經費逼得他們得想更多辦法，取代「用錢解決事情」的思維。 就像位於左岸花園旁的「崇倫小棧」，當初也是因為社區亟需1個開會的場所，但卻找不到適合的地點，而蓋1座活動中心又所費不貲，錢要從哪裡來呢？於是曾素貞轉念一想，附近正好有大樓建案工程在進行，而建商在工地旁都會搭蓋臨時的工寮，工程結束後，這些工寮就面臨拆除的命運，反而是製造垃圾。因此她積極與建商溝通，成功將工寮保留下來，並免費提供給社區使用，之後經過稍加修整改造，原本的工寮搖身一變成為「崇倫小棧」，不但能當作社區活動中心、環保研習場地以及社區關懷據點之外，連社區居民組成的環保樂團，每週三也會在這裡進行「團練」，簡直就成了萬用的社區場地。 生活中 隨處是藝術 從美化環境出發，漸漸走向環保之路，現在，崇倫社區更要把「藝術」融入生活環境裡。因為社區裡有許多居民對藝術都頗有修習，但過去大家只把藝術活動當作生活的陶冶與興趣，而沒有發揮出來的空間，現在社區希望這些對藝術有想法、對創作有熱情的居民，能一起將社區妝點得更具特色。 利用汽車廢棄零件打造的「變形金剛」，肩上加裝的太陽能板還能發光，既環保又省電。 於是，在多雙巧手創造下，社區裡多了1座利用廢棄汽車零件重新組裝成比人還高的社區地標—變形金剛，每當遊客經過，都會忍不住發出讚賞的驚嘆聲；而左岸花園旁的「環保藝術工作坊」裡，社區居民利用颱風過後的殘斷樹枝，雕刻成一隻隻的木馬、野兔，而附近土地公廟改建時所留下的廢磚棄土，竟然也能被堆砌成巨型烏龜，朱紅的磚塊和灰樸的水泥，將龜殼的紋路表現得栩栩如生。社區志工盧正賢忍不住豎起大拇指，直讚說：「誰說老人的想法很呆板?我們社區裡的老人家們，個個都很有童心，充滿創造力，他們是社區最寶貝的素人藝術家。」 下午4點多，天氣漸漸不再這麼燠熱，社區裡開始有居民出來散步、遛狗。「看！那是住在對面大樓的陳媽媽，她和先生每天都來左岸花園裡澆水、整理，沒有1天缺席喔！」曾素貞揮揮手，和陳媽媽打了聲招呼。在崇倫里住了30多年，從1個「外來媳婦」變成「在地里長」，曾素貞看著崇倫社區的轉變，她坦言實在既感動又開心，因為家園變得更美、人情變得更暖，這種被幸福包圍的踏實，她每天都感受到了。 【完整內容請見《悅讀大臺中》2011年6月號】 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

UDN聯合書報攤-地方采風: 林信成手工醬油 父子婆媳同心撐起好口碑

UDN聯合書報攤-地方采風 聯合書報攤-地方采風：收羅臺北畫刊、閃亮台中等雜誌精選內容，讓您更親近在地生活。 林信成手工醬油 父子婆媳同心撐起好口碑 27 Jun 2011, 3:47 am 【撰文／鍾文萍；攝影／楊智仁；採訪協助／林信成醬油工廠】 好醬油哪裡找？離開長年陰雨潮溼的北臺灣，往南走就對了。臺中溫暖、乾燥、穩定的氣候加上充足強烈的陽光，釀作出來的醬油色澤飽滿，香味濃郁，堪稱醬中極品。民國37年，林信成醬油工廠第一代創辦人林錫灶以「公園牌」為名，在梅川東街開立釀造醬油廠，歷經3代傳承，至今超過半個世紀，是少數仍採傳統陶缸釀造方式的小型製醬工廠。第二代老闆林聰賢笑說，他家煮醬油的時候，方圓數十公尺內都聞得到濃郁甘醇的豆香；家傳的手工醬油、辣椒醬、豆豉、醃樹子，無一不是道地的臺中好滋味。 林金德、周妙貞、林施淑妙、林聰賢（左起）父子婆媳4人，撐起林信成醬油半個世紀的好口碑。 堅持純釀 走過半世紀 70年代初期，政府頒訂「醬油品質分級」國家政策，將醬油分為甲、乙、丙3個等級，只要廠房設備未達丙級標準以上便吊銷執照，全台1,300多家醬油工廠，將近一半因此歇業。當時醬油供貨一度青黃不接，速釀的化學醬油打著低價策略趁勢崛起，傳統醬廠更加難以招架，加上年輕一代多不願接手，臺中市原有將近60家醬油工廠，至今僅存林信成醬油屹立不搖。 醬油原料分為黃豆、黑豆兩種，依照製作方法又分為純釀、化學與混合醬油。純釀醬油以酵母菌、乳酸菌等天然麴菌酵素，將豆中的豆類蛋白質分解游離出來，溶於水中，製程長達4至6個月；混合醬油以胺基酸分解蛋白質，再添加純釀醬油而成，純度與風味都遠不及純釀醬油；至於一般大廠的化學醬油為求速成，以鹽酸煮豆快速分解，再加入蘇打水中和酸鹼值，添加少許純釀醬油調味，24小時便可裝箱出貨，量大質則不精，不難想見。 林家以生產黑豆醬油為主，僅兩成產量為黃豆醬油。第三代的林金德表示，1瓶好的醬油，是豆、麴菌與時間的完美結合，整個手工生產過程將近半年，繁瑣又耗時。製程上，首先須精選進口豆洗淨，浸泡後高壓蒸煮，冷卻後接著進行影響品質至鉅的「入麴」，也就是加入麴菌，置於透氣竹篩，再移入室內靜待7天發酵。豆一發酵，溫度便逐漸上升， 隨時得注意溫度控制，保持通風，「30～37℃是最好的溫度，萬一過了頭，整鍋都得倒掉。」 周妙貞從婆婆林施淑妙手中接過發酵工作重擔20多年，依然戰戰兢兢。 周妙貞說，黑豆、黃豆特性不同，發酵方式也各異。黑豆具厭氣性，不須翻動攪拌，而黃豆具好氣性，得視發酵程度隨時進行「翻麴」，讓每一顆豆子發酵均勻。室內沒有空調、沒有風扇，甚至沒有溫度計，全憑人工經驗和手感監測，溫度太高就打開門窗通風，溫度不足就鋪上麻袋保溫。她笑說豆子發酵頭兩天是成敗關鍵時刻，全家只能輪流睡，隨時得有人看顧著才行。「像照顧小嬰兒一樣，就算是半夜也要起床探一探才能放心。」 黃豆具好氣性，適度的翻動，可以讓每一顆豆子發酵均勻。 原汁生油 行家眼中極品 發酵後接著是洗麴、出麴，林聰賢說以前得半蹲著用手洗，洗完後腰痠腿麻，連站都站不直，還好現在已有洗麴機代勞。洗好後再進行第二次發酵，放入傳統大陶缸內，覆鹽封存。為了讓麴菌擁有最好的生存條件，保持活絡的特性，須在陽光下靜置至少4個月，接受陽光曝曬滋潤及自然發酵，這時打開醬缸，可以聞得到濃郁的豆香撲鼻，「是那種聞了會肚子餓的香。」林聰賢形容。然後小心將熟成的黑豆取出，第一道壓榨萃取濃純原汁，即俗稱的「生油」或「生抽」，再經過調煮殺菌、加糖調味、沉澱過濾，最後裝瓶密封。以時間換取而來甘美原味的黑豆醬油，醬香細膩綿密，豆汁呈現澄清淡褐的天然琥珀原色，如紅酒般美麗。 嗅覺靈敏的饕客，可以分辨醬油從清香到陳香的差異；從細微的氣味變化，能知道黑豆發酵的程度。100公斤的黑豆，大約可生產25公斤的生油。根據《本草綱目》記載，黑豆具「調中下氣、滋陰補腎、補血明目」的功效，尚未調煮、加工的黑豆生油，如初榨橄欖油般的百分百質地純淨，氣味渾厚、豆香素樸，是早期農家常用來補身健脾的祕方。雖然現在懂吃的人漸次少了，但林家仍習慣為老顧客留下少量生油，是行家才知尋味的隱藏版好油。 林聰賢表示，生油質精味醇，但極鹹，適合加水稀釋用來燉雞、燉鴨、蒸魚或作為火鍋高湯，能開脾健胃、改善氣喘，也能讓青春期的男孩快速「轉大人」，中南部有名的火雞肉飯名店最愛用這種油加上高湯，作成淋在白飯上的醬汁，風味無人能及。而調味後的黑豆醬油耐煮耐滷、越煮越甘醇，臺中諸多著名小吃，如第五市場的魷魚羹、蒸肉圓、味香湯圓，公園路的大麵羹，民生路的蘿蔔絲餅，都是公園牌醬油的愛用者。瀝去油汁的原粒豆豉則顆顆飽滿完整、色澤漆黑，口感鬆軟細密，用來配稀飯或清蒸魚，入口悠揚回甘，樸實的鹹香，正是令人懷念的古早滋味。 仔細翻動半發酵中的豆汁，濃香撲鼻而來。 職人精神 監控完美品質 梅川東街寧靜的午後，醬香襲人，常有經過的路人抵不住香氣吸引跑進來買醬油。現代人講求飲食養生，總擔心加工食品添加過度，對人體健康產生不良影響，當親眼看見製醬工坊裡的製程繁瑣，自是安心不少。林金德認為老字號也得跟上潮流，因此每年都將產品送SGS 檢驗，包括防腐劑、重金屬（砷、鎘、銅、鉛、汞）、黃麴毒素等多項殘留檢測，全部安全過關。「醬油雖是手工製作，卻必須有嚴格的科學管理與數據才能監控完美品質。」 由於臺中氣候偏暖，林家的黑豆醬油只在4至6月、9至11月兩個時期入麴，就像稻米1年兩作一樣，1年兩獲，產量不大，僅能供應臺中地區所需，但林家仍堅持以「品質決勝負」、「夠一家溫飽就好」，未曾想過要擴充產量。就像法國東部阿爾薩斯的小型釀酒坊，不走五大酒莊的主流路線，執意走出手製、精緻的個體戶風格一樣，在這個講求量產、速釀醬油充斥的時代，點點滴滴辛苦釀就的手工醬油，正是對職人精神的最高禮讚！ 【完整內容請見《悅讀大臺中》2011年6月號】 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

...: Jennifer Lopez 珍妮佛羅培茲

<<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 <<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 Jennifer Lopez 珍妮佛羅培茲 26 Jun 2011, 10:02 pm Born in 1969 to Puerto Rican parents, Jennifer Lopez grew up in a small apartment in the Bronx with her sisters Leslie and Lynda. To keep the girls off the streets, her mother encouraged them to perform 1)skits in the living room. This, along with West Side Story - Jennifer says she watched it over 100 times - 2)ignited in her a passion for performing. She took singing and dancing lessons all through grade school and high school, which didn't leave much time for studying. When later asked what she got on her SATs, Jennifer replied "Nail polish." Jennifer started her career as a dancer, joining the popular comedy show In Living Color as a "Fly Girl" in 1990. 線上收聽請按 中譯 生於一九六九年，雙親皆為波多黎各人的珍妮佛羅培茲，和姊妹萊絲莉和琳達生長在布朗克斯區的一間小公寓。為避免女孩們跑到街上，她的母親鼓勵她們在客廳表演短劇。這些演出和《西城故事》──珍妮佛說她看了一百多次──點燃了她對表演的熱情。她就讀中小學期間一直有上歌唱及舞蹈課，這使她沒剩多少時間念書，後來被問到她在 SAT 的表現時，珍妮佛回答：「沾到指甲油。」(編註：雙關語，原本是問在SAT 考了幾分。 got on 有「得分」和「沾到」兩種意思) 珍妮佛以舞者身分開啟演藝生涯，在一九九○年加入高人氣喜劇節目《活色生香》擔任「飛舞女孩」。 英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank 1)skit (n.)（幽默）短劇、短文 Did you think our skit at the talent show was funny? 2)ignite (v.) 引發（情緒） Steven's English teacher ignited his interest in literature. 英語通 Language Guide West Side Story《西城故事》 這部電影改拍自一九五九年首演的百老匯歌舞劇，故事堪稱紐約版的《羅蜜歐與茱麗葉》Romeo & Juliet，故事背景為五○年代，描述青少年幫派 Jets 幫（白人勞工階級）與Sharks 幫（波多黎各移民）的恩怨，以及分屬兩幫的兩小無猜之間的愛情故事，也難怪波多黎各裔的 J.Lo 少女時期會如此著迷。 SAT學術評估測試 SAT（Scholastic Aptitude Test）的成績是美國各大學申請入學的重要參考，目的在於評估一個人是否已具備大學生應有的學術能力，並非智力測驗或英語能力測驗。SAT 分為SAT Reasoning Test（理解測驗，考英文程度、數學推論能力及英文寫作能力）和SAT Subject Test（學科測驗，測量考生在某一特定學科的知識，以及運用相關知識的能力）。 蘋果派生活美語 Apple Pie Everyday English 本版文內容由 EZ Talk 美語會話誌提供，並可同步在蘋果日報網站線上收聽 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

Simple Tricks for Learning Spanish for Beginners

In this short article we will talk about a few simple ideas that will make it easier for you to learn beginners Spanish. By using this simple tricks and taking advantage of modern digital technology available everywhere you will be able to be much more productive while learning Spanish. The most important thing to remember along the process is: make sure to remain focused and have fun.

How to Learn Spanish Vocabulary Quickly

Although there are hundreds of different theories when it comes to learning Spanish vocabulary words, one that has proven to be highly productive is the one that most of us used to learn our native language, and that is paying attention to the words occurs most commonly used during conversations. Focusing on the most commonly used vocabulary words while learning a language is an excellent way to gain command of a language in a shorter period of time with less effort. If you spend some time thinking about it, why should you bother learning works that are not used frequently? It is much better to use your mental energy and time in learning the vocabulary and grammar that is used most of the time. Let's think of learning Spanish for beginners for a moment, a good way to get a good idea about the words most commonly used in spoken Spanish, is to pay close attention to the kind of words we use while speaking in English. Just sit down and write down an imaginary dialogue that you might have upon arriving to a Spanish-speaking country (you can write this in English, don't worry too much about it, one or two pages should be enough) and then begin by circling a specific word such as "want", "going" or "like"; make a list of the amount of times each word is repeated, and this will give you a hint of the kind of words that should be a priority as you continue to study Spanish vocabulary and grammar.

Listen to songs in Spanish (and print the lyrics)

Listening to music is another excellent way to practice your Spanish listening skills. Although this technique is often under-appreciated, it is one of the most effective ways to improve your listening and comprehension skills while acquiring useful vocabulary. All you need to do is find a song that is relatively slow and easy to understand (phonetically, something along the lines of Frank Sinatra or any other song in which the words are clearly spoken), then go online and find the lyrics and read them a few times while you listen to the song. After that you will realize that a song in Spanish that used to seem apparently undecipherable, now it's much easier to understand.

In the end, making sure you learn useful vocabulary and grammar is one of the best ways to learn Spanish productively while having fun as you continue to develop your Spanish speaking skills.

Keep learning Spanish with our free online Spanish lessons and videos learn Spanish free online.

View the original article here

...: 前些時候閱讀澳洲水災的英文相關報導，其中，它有時用flood，有時用 flooding，這二者是否有差別？

<<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 <<蘋果日報>>蘋果派生活美語 前些時候閱讀澳洲水災的英文相關報導，其中，它有時用flood，有時用 flooding，這二者是否有差別？ 25 Jun 2011, 10:24 pm Q:前些時候閱讀澳洲水災的英文相關報導，其中，它有時用flood，有時用 flooding，這二者是否有差別？而救災人員站在水中救災，是否只能用 floodwater 比較合適？麻煩您幫忙解惑，謝謝！Vanessa 線上收聽請按 A: 以下為 flood「水災」的用法整理，附上例句希望讓你更瞭解同異之處。 flood (n.) 水災，前面要加冠詞 the、a Hundreds of people lost their homes in the flood. 數百人在水災中失去家園。 flood (v.) 遭遇水災，被水淹沒 Many homes were flooded during the storm. 許多房屋在暴風雨中被洪水淹沒。 flooding (n.) 表示「水災」時與 flood 意思相同，但不必加冠詞 Typhoon Morakot caused severe flooding in southern Taiwan. 莫拉克颱風在南台灣造成嚴重水災。 floodwater (n.) 是指水災發生時的那些水（經常用複數形 floodwaters 表示） Villagers climbed onto their roofs to escape the floodwaters. 村民爬上屋頂躲避洪水。 本版文內容由 EZ Talk 美語會話誌提供 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

SuperBillion 的創立契機

SuperBillion自動化網路創業系統™是香港億萬國際企業有限公司開發的網路創業平台。億萬國際也是數位媒體產業的佼佼者，近10年來也陸續提供不少引以為傲的線上數位學習教材。包括線上中文數位學習系統、線上英文數位學習系統，以及包括數學、自然科學、語文的全方位兒童數位教學系統。 

香港億萬國際企業有限公司感於網路是一般人翻身的最大機會，但是一般人想要在網路創業卻並不容易，於是有了成立一個網路創業平台的構想。在億萬國際創辦人的精心規畫下，終於有了SuperBillion自動化網路創業系統™的誕生。
此一平台的成立，也獲得來自各地許許多多網路創業家與在家工作者等所有好友的熱烈支持與肯定，造就了另一股網路創業的風潮。
在團隊中，我們擁有頂尖的網際網路行銷專家和在家創業人士。在此我們樂意運用SuperBillion自動化網路創業系統™來幫助成千上萬的網路創業者遠 離貧窮，並獲得財富與時間的自由。所以我們非常建議您跟我們一起，加入我們的團隊，讓您可以立即擁有穩定的收入。