Speaking ability might the most difficult one for a student learning English as a second language.
A very useful way to improve English speaking ability is watching movie or sitcom via DVD, such as Ally McBeal.

Terms I learned from watching Ally McBeal:
That's what's eating you.
between you and me
law aside
wanna go for a walk
verdict (law terms)
-Your verdict is in
-you've reached your verdict
on the field (baseball terms)

Also, I learned some cultural stuff:
groupie
-- a young woman who follows popular musicians or other famous people around, hoping to meet them

I think Ally is a cute woman. She is not smart, but straight-forward. This sitcom is interesting.

1. How much do you know about blog reading via RSS?
A: Using Blogline to help you~

2. Find a blog you like and describe what it is?
http://www.makezine.com/blog/

Variation in English Words and Phrases
http://view.byu.edu/
This website can help you improve your English.

Example 1: The difference between "groan" and "moan"
pleasure: usually moan. ex: he moaned with pleasure
excitement: she gave a fierce moan of excitement
despair: both
pain: 60% moan, 40% groan
anguish: 40% moan, 60% groan
ecstasy or appreciation: groan
ex: it uttered a groan of ecstasy, his groan of appreciation
You can also put these two words together to emphasize the situation.
ex: they moan and groan

Example 2: reveal
for the situation: make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
there are some alternatives: disclose, bring out, expose, give away, break...
ex: he refuse to disclose information
ex: I didn't know how I was going to break the news to my mother.

Example 3: smile
a smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure: smirk
smile contemptuously: sneer
smile radiantly: beam

Sometimes when we are writing, we don't know how to express our thoughts in English. But there are some tools that can help us to make our writing more efficiently.

The first tool that I'd like to introduce is a translation website
Bable Fish Translation
http://babelfish.altavista.com/
In this website, you can translate many different language to one another. For example: English to Chinese, German to French...etc
Example: 不可或缺的 => Indispensable
Example: 從裡到外 => inside and out

Longman CD-ROM Dictionary
special function: activate
“like” : appeal to, to one's liking

OneLook Dictionary
http://www.onelook.com/
The advantage of Onelook: It has links to many different on-line dictionary.
For some difficult words or current created vocabulary, only some dictionaries include them in their word band. In the past, I have to go from one dictionary to another, it takes a lot of time. Now I can just search words in OneLook and then go the dictionaries that have the words.
For example: cover version => A recording of a song that was previously recorded or made popular by another. in The American Heritage

reverse dictionary in OneLook
http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml
OneLook's reverse dictionary lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept.
For instance, when I was writing an article about music, the reverse dictionary give me ideas that I can talk about the Melody

English idioms and slangs (http://englishcaster.com/blogs/)
ex: a leg up
ex: to give someone a boost

ESLPod (http://www.eslpod.com/)
English Cafe (with beautiful and relax music, spelling out the vocabulary, speaking slowly)
ex: re-open
ESL Podcast (with dialogue)
ex: pink slip

Cuture learning:
Getty mesume are famous in Los Angeles
There are collections of antiquities from ancient Rome and Greece, like statue and vases.

The Bob and Rob show (http://englishcaster.com/bobrob/)
intersting show...with lots of jokes and intersting learning atmosphere
ex: tooth brush
ex: to show interests to a speaker
sounds good/ great/ fun

Cuture learning:
The British are more open to make fun of themselves or their country but both British and American people can easily laugh at themselves.

1. Annie 呂延霓: http://annie.podomatic.com
3. Vanessa 葉芳吟: http://buttervan.podomatic.com/
4. Penny 黃佩萱: http://tantanja.podomatic.com/
5. Ales 王威智: http://aleswang.podomatic.com/
6. Michelle 萬貞怡: http://tsengyiwan.podomatic.com/
7. Amanda 張芳瑜: http://fangyu.podOmatic.com
8. Richard 劉展庚: http://richardliu.podomatic.com
9. Theresa 陳姿夙: http://ntusttheresachen.podomatic.com/
10. Joanna 王薇榕: http://joanna.podomatic.com/
13. Jenny 呂燕妮: http://teslinguist.podomatic.com/
14. Daisy 王希珠: http://daisywang014.podomatic.com
15. Katriona 董盈里: http://katriona0619.podomatic.com/
16. Sean 林師頌: http://bedhair.podomatic.com/
17. Neil 陳致謀: http://zhimou.podomatic.com/
18. Mary 司雅萱: http://marymay.podomatic.com/
19. Iva 楊雅惠: http://grain.podomatic.com
21. Dorothea 孫毓靈: http://sunlinger.podomatic.com/
22. Maggie 段珮珮: http://maggie.podomatic.com
23. Caren 吳姿嫺: http://tzuhsien.podomatic.com/
25. Nicole 陳宜娟: http://a9317025.podomatic.com
28. Wendy 熊婉婷: http://wendyluveve6.podomatic.com/
29. Kay 葉靜宜: http://cover8325.podomatic.com/
30. Gary 湯翼琥: http://sto215orz.podomatic.com/
31. Novia 林佩卿: http://novialin.podomatic.com/
32. 簡立雯: http://wenwenjoy.podomatic.com/

What is Podcast?
What do I think about Podcast?
What is my favorite Podcast?

haha...my first Podcast show...
weird...heehee...
just have a listen..
and leave a comment if you like~ ^^

-------------------------------------------------
My name is Katriona
I am now preparing for the entrance exam of two-year college
cause' I want to change my field from English to Electronic Engineering
I hope my dream will come true~ ^^

haha...my first Podcast show...
weird...heehee...
just have a listen..
and leave a comment if you like~ ^^

-------------------------------------------------
My name is Katriona
I am now preparing for the entrance exam of two-year college
cause' I want to change my field from English to Electronic Engineering
I hope my dream will come true~ ^^