hypertext and hypermedia

VIETNAMESE PHO

Plain rice is at the center of the Vietnamese diet. Plain rice is also used to make noodles. There are 4 main types of rice noodles used in Vietnam cooking. Bahn pho are the wide white noodles used in the quintessential Vietnamese soup, pho. Bun noodles (also called rice vermicelli) look like long white strings when cooked. Banh hoi are a thinner version of bun noodles. 

Just as essential to Vietnamese cuisine as rice and noodles is nuoc mam , a salty fish sauce that is used in most Vietnamese recipes (just as salt is used in most Western dishes). Nuoc mam is produced in factories along the coast of Vietnam. Anchovies and salt are layered in wooden barrels and then allowed to ferment for about six months. The light-colored, first-drained sauce is the most desirable. It is also the most expensive and reserved primarily for table use. Less expensive nuoc mam is used in cooking. When shopping for nuoc mam , one should look for the words ca com on the label, which indicates the highest quality. 

The most popular condiment is nuoc cham (dipping sauce), which is as common in Vietnam as ketchup is in North America. Saucers filled with nuoc cham are present at practically every meal, and diners dip everything from spring rolls to meatballs into it. The recipe that follows can be adjusted to suit individual tastes by using more or less red pepper and nuoc mam. Nuoc cham is quite simple to make and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 30 days. A few spoonfuls over a bowl of plain rice can be considered an authentic Vietnamese peasant meal.

-Article Review-

-ARTICLE REVIEW-

Web-text: Perceptions of Digital Reading Skills in the ESL Classroom

1. Citation of the article

Title: Web-text: Perceptions of Digital Reading Skills in the ESL Classroom
Journal : Prospect Journal, Volume 17, No. 1 April 2002, pp. 55-70   Author :   Dr. Wendy Sutherland-Smith;                                                        BA/LLB, Dip. Ed, M.Ed. Studies, PhD (Australia)                              Currently is a senior lecturer at                                                      Monash University,Australia                   

2. Summary of the Article

This research is aimed to compare students’ perceptions on reading skills needed to read traditional printed text with the skills needed to read and gather information on the web. It is also to discover whether the students perceive reading as different on the web and also their expectations of web-text to compare to paper-text. This research also focuses on the impact of web-text usage on the reading classroom teachers.

The methodology used in this research was a qualitative ethnographic design following Denzin and Lincoln’s work (1994). Observations were done in both traditional paper-based and networked ESL classroom. The observation in the traditional paper-based classroom was done 1 hour every day for the first week and then 1 hour a week for the next 10 week term which totaled up 14 hours of observation. For the networked class, the students were observed 2 hours per week during the computer laboratory sessions made up a total of 20 hours through out the 10 weeks of teaching period. 4 hours of computer laboratory sessions were audio-taped and transcribed. During the observation, both classes were required to do a project in which the texts were read on the web as well as on paper.

The samples were 48 grade six students from two classes with a focus on 12 ESL students’ responses. These samples came from Taiwan, China, India, Malaysia, Poland, and Bhutan.

The research found that students preferred to use the internet over books in finishing their tasks. Over half of the samples perceived web reading as different from print-text reading and they saw both ways as fulfilling different roles in their process of carrying out the project. The teachers also reflected that online reading required different skills from paper-text reading. Even though the students found that finding information on the web was different but often it was more difficult for them to compare to the paper environment because they were not familiar with the web functions. They were easily distracted with unrelated links that appear interesting to them. This led to frustration when they could not perform well in the project. They liked to use the internet because of its appealing appearance such as sound and moving graphics which they could not find on paper-based mode. Overall, students can be more interested in web-text reading if only they have knowledge about its functions.

3. Reaction

Yes, I think this research interests me because I got to learn about the students perceptions on the use of web-text in the ESL classroom which is very helpful to assist me in carrying out this kind of lesson in the future.

I think this research was well conducted because it provides all the information a reading classroom teacher needs to know about these two different reading skills. A clear comparison between web-text and paper-based mode was made for the readers to see the advantages and disadvantages of each environment. This information will be a helpful resource for the teachers to decide what is best for their students. But, there is only one flaw of this research that I would like to comment. The different roles of web and paper play in helping the students finishing up their project should be elaborated more so that teachers will have the ideas how to improve their teaching with the combination of both when necessary.

The implication of this research in the teaching and learning of ESL is that when teachers are sufficiently equipped with the information of web-text reading and the students’ perceptions on it, they can put their best efforts to make reading activity fun and interesting yet meaningful for the students. English reading materials will no longer be as linear and monotonous with the help of audio and videos the web provides. The rich discussions on the findings are helpful for English teachers to know in details about the skills involved in reading web-text and also the perceptions and expectation of students on this new approach. In Malaysian schools, using internet as a mean to teach English language is more than encouraged for it helps to initiate the students’ interests and curiosity in learning new things. But, to make sure that the learning process is smoothly done teachers play a vital role by being selective in choosing the materials to be brought into the classroom. The materials should meet their level of competency or else they will be frustrated and demotivated to learn. Before one goes for the materials, the most important thing is to make sure that both teachers and students are sufficiently equipped with the skills and knowledge about the web functions. The enforcement of using web in the ESL classroom will prepare the students to face the fast paced hi-tech world in the future.

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