MY DEL.ICIO.US BOOKMARKS

If you're curious to see what my interests are, go and visit my bookmarks on delicious.com. Since I think they are more or less common to yours maybe you find something pleasant!
I found an interesting site with practice of pronunciation, quizzes, grammatical exercises and other intellectual plays that are always useful to improve our language skills. (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/).
If you want to have a break and relax, go and visit www.tv.com! It's really great. You can watch series, cartoons, such as That's 70's show, the simpsons or the griffins (I love them!!) and other funny videos. If you love animals and documentay films, visit the nationalgeographic site. It's gorgeous!
I look forward to seeing what you propose and suggest.
See you soon! Take care!

WHAT'S SOCIAL BOOKMARKING?

Hi everybody!
During our last lesson we spoke about "Social Bookmarking" and tried to understand what this new system is by using "del.icio.us" as model.
If you're an expert on the subject, all the better; if instead, like me you're not really familiar with that concept, I'm glad to "share" with you a brief elucidation. First of all, SHARE is a keyword in social bookmarking: it is through sharing that this system becomes "social". Basically, it is a method for Internet users to save, store, organize, search and manage bookmarks of web pages with the help of informal TAGS. And what's new in comparison with the old system? Well, these bookmarks are public and that allows you to share your favourite bookmarks with other people and they can share theirs with you. In the old way you could bookmark a web page you find interesting in a web browser in one computer. The problem is when you have to use different computers. Here comes the new way into action: it doesn't use a browser, but a website called "social bookmarking site", an example is Del.icio.us. I find it very useful in that it is a way to narrow the field of your research; everyone knows how vast is the Web and this is a method to filter information. Furthermore, using this system you realize that you don't start from scratch, but from a point that others have already reached: when you search on del.icio.us you find the URLs which have been saved by someone as bookmarks in that they have been considered interesting or rich of precious information about a particolar topic. Actually, you take advantage of the work or research other people have already done. You can also see who saved it in order to have an idea of what this person is interested in. It is useful to start saving bookmarks on del.icio.us because it makes it easier to remember sites thanks to tags. You can add keywords (tags) to describe the site and to find your bookmarks later. That's why tags are so important. Since it is a public system everyone can benefit from your bookmarks and they can use your tags like you. So, sharing knowledge into networks allows everyone to discover new and relevant information.

FEED AGGREGATORS

Hi guys!
Since I've been down with flu this week, I couldn't attend the last lesson,in which you spoke about Feeds and Feed Aggregator.. Sincerely, I had no idea of what they are, and still have a vague idea of them.
I tried and searched on the Internet and I found out that: “a feed aggregator, also known as a feed reader, news reader or simply aggregator, is client software or a Web application which aggregates syndicated web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, and blogs in a single location for easy viewing. Aggregators reduce the time and effort needed to regularly check websites for updates”( from Wikipedia).
I hope to make this concept clearer next Wednesday.
See you soon, Have a nice day!!

MY REFLECTIVE BLOGGING POST

Hi!
This second semester I'm going to work hard in order to improve my English language skills: listening and writing skills, but above all, I would like to better develop my speaking skills, to enrich my vocabulary, to be able to use the appropriate term according to the context and to the topic.

One of the aims I would like to achieve is the acquiring of fluency and mastery in speaking language, and I know that I will have to strive and to apply myself constantly, during the lessons but also at home. I think that speaking and listening abilities are closely linked together, because the one affects and determines the other. Spoken production primarily depends on understanding, and so listening.

I decided to set a target I will try to meet every week (or month, if I have few time), such as for example: watching at least one film in English per week. I think it will be interesting to watch different genres, in order to concentrate on the different languages used, to focus on slangs or idiomatic expressions that are always difficult to understand if you don't know the context. Images and the plot itself help and speed up the understanding.

I'm sure that the activities done in class and the group works we are to do will help me to interact actively and thus practising my language skills.
Moreover, I will devote some time on the Internet and watch some videos using formal language, e.g. BBC and CNN news.
I promise I will apply myself to better my computer skills.. I'm really a disaster with computers.. so please, be patient=)
I really hope to manage to achieve my targets.. But, I know,if you do want something, you 'll have it and you'll be gratified.

COMMENT ON THE BLOGSPHERE

Hi! It's me again!
In this post I'd like to share with you my first experience with blogging and my feelings in surfing the net.
I needed a lot of time before I found a nice blog that was interesting, pleasant, relaxing and very readable also for you. I didn't imagine that the blogsphere could be so vast! And obviously, I got lost many times! I really have no sense of direction also in my everyday life. "Alas!" this characteristic of mine has confirmed itself also in surfing the net! Anyway, I did it!
If you are creative, imaginative and you're good with you're hands, here is the blog for you: http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/.
On reading this blog you realize that the language used is very clear and simple, in opposition to other blogs I read, which are more, let's say, "élitist": in fact, in dealing with specific matters, they use a terminology that can be very difficult to understand to a person who doesn't know those topics.
If you read the blogger's personal profile you'll find out that the girl is Swedish and a journalist who has published many books in these years. She writes about her passions in life, including creativity in general, photography and art. It has been interesting to discover how to use the Web to share passions, dreams, knowedge and also to make money! If you see, indeed, on the blog there are many links connected to, for example, Amazon, which give you the possibility of buying some of her hand-made creations.
I think this blog has a well-organized structure that makes its reading easier and more pleasant. There are many pictures and photos followed by descriptions of the immortalized moments, or simple instructions of how to create something similar to her creations.
What I like most of this blog is that it is interrupted here and there by keywords, phrases, expressions from various sources, which give voice to the blogger's particular philosophy of life, and she wants to share it with us!

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH BLOGGING

Today is a great day! I started creating my personal blog!
I'm very unfamiliar with computers and technology, but I will do my best to better myself in this field! I think that working with blogs will be a great opportunity to express your own personal style and creativity but also to learn more. Despite the fact that by now I don't know much about how to use blogs, I find them a very useful and effective instrument.