BBC Message Board

Dear teachers,
here is my question. When I am writing, are ''although'', ''though'' and ''even though'' interchangeable?
For example, I write,'' although she is young, she is brave. '' Than, can I replace ''although'' by ''though'' and ''even though''?
Are there any difference between them?
Thanks!!

Teacher’s answer:
There is not enough difference to worry about. Feel free to use them interchangeably.

My reflection on their reply:
I haven’t thought the answer would be so succinct; but maybe it is because that the three expressions really don’t have too many differences. However, I have one comment to say: I think when replying the learners’ questions, the BBC board would give us some effective websites which is relating to the learners’ questions; therefore, learners gain more accesses to the self-studying sources; besides, the websites that teachers suggest are usually safe and useful.

A cogent voice

This week, I watched the video of Steve Jobs’ address for the graduates of Standford because I needed to present it in the class. Frankly speaking, I had seldom paid attention to Steve Jobs before since I am not an avid lover for high-tech products. However, I was immensely inspired by the Silicon Valley magnate after listening to his speech.

Steve Jobs is plucky and self-believing to pursue what he wants; he encourages all of us to do so by his first story, which is my favorite one. Steve Jobs dropped out from Reed College and took the calligraphy class which was impertinent to the computer industry out of his personal interest. But, the calligraphy facilitated him to design the computer 10 years later. His story enlightens me to connect the dots looking backward, which means, the decisions we make will somewhat connect with our future. Standing at the intersection of life, I somewhat rejected to take the challenge of working because I was afraid of it. I had heard lots of terrible things happening in the workplace; consequently, I let myself reluctant and sluggish when being asked to search for the jobs. Nevertheless, from Steve’s story, I realized that if I keep shunning the responsibilty, I will definitely regret in the future. Because my decision to be lethargic neither helps me surmount my trepidation nor gets me the opportunities. Therefore, I am resolved to face the challenge positively.

Moreover, Steve Jobs shares another philosophic thought: stay hungry, stay foolish. A maxim we should bear in mind all the time. We know the world is large and the knowledge is infinite. Subsequently, we all need to learn, learn and learn through our lives. But, how many people can live up to this concept? Some, graduating from noted universities, might get conceited about their diplomas or what they have acquired from the colleges. However, those are not so useful in the workplace. When we enter the workplace, we are just tantamount to a newborn fledgling. As a result, we can never be complacent about ourselves, and what’more, keep our hearts eager to learn.

Thanks to Steve Jobs’ speech, I feel the weighty anxieties in my mind seemed to be swayed away; all the questions had been cleared away as well. Now, I am looking forward to starting my next trip and wishing ‘’spunky’’ for myself.

ESL Podcast 563 – Reducing Household Expenses

ESL Podcast 563 – Reducing Household Expenses

Note Taking:

1. financial plan: a plan for spending and saving future income

2. all about: be interested in something

3. bottom line: the amount of money that you have at the end of a certain period.

4. spending pattern: spending is the way how you spend your money; a pattern is something that happens repeatedly over time

5. discretionary: optional, unrestricted

6. spreadsheet: a piece of paper with rows and columns for recording financial data for use in comparative analysis 　

7. to do the math: to look at the numbers, calculate and figure out what the exact numbers are. In this dialogue, it means to do the calculation. ,

Evaluation:

The ESL Podcast is a useful source to enhance students’ English and build their confidence. The designers create lot of subjects and divide them into several parts; thus, we can choose those we are interested in to listen. Besides, the speaking speed is slow, therefore, learners won’t be deject because not catching up with the course.

The Difference between ‘’Big’’ and ‘’Large’’

Although big and large are similar, I find one obvious point to distinguish them according to the evidence from the MICASE.

The Point: In terms of the collocation, big is usually used to describe emotions or forces; however, large isn’t. For instance, we say ‘’big shock’’, not ‘’large shock’’.

Newcomer~

Hi, every one, it is Gina.
Since I am not good at introducing myself; I have been typing words, and then deleting them repeatedly. However after contemplating sometime, I decided to share a touching Taiwanese drama with you.

The drama’s name is ‘’Autumn's Concerto’’. As the name suggests, there are a great deal of romantic plots penetrate the whole story. However, the directors not only include romance, but also unfold some dark sides of the society. Such as sexual harassment, single parent, and drug misuse. When I first saw these dreads, I felt astonished and wondered why these kinds of horrified things would appear in such a loving drama. Nevertheless, as I continued to watch the play, I found those grave events were rather essential because they challenged every role, prompted them to grow maturity and cherish their lives. Though containing some negative issues, the play terminates happily and conveys positive messages as well!

All in all, I will leave my introduction of ‘’Autumn's Concerto’’ here and hope you enjoy it.
=D