2011高中组特别金奖获得者-傅澧楠 我的澳洲学习之旅

傅澧楠（香港）

特别奖励:
赴澳大利亚进行为期4周的文化交流与英语进修

组委会按：

    你勇于接受挑战吗？

    也许你能用英语对答如流，但在英语国家的大学课堂上，你自信可以游刃有余吗？
    也许你曾出国旅游，但你是否可以住进当地人家一个月，以体验他们的生活与文化吗？
    也许你拜访过海外某个大学，但你有没有坐进课堂和其他学生一起上课、下课、PARTY、完成团队作业和测试．．．？
    也许你是中国某个中学的尖子生，但你是否可以在国外的大学课堂里与来自世界各地的国际学生“同堂竞技”？

    也许你觉得那只是美好的憧憬，但这份幸运却给了“ＡＣＴ全国青少年英语技能交流展示活动”高中组特别金奖选手：傅澧楠！

    2011年8月6日，傅澧楠同学踏上了飞往澳洲的飞机，开始了她为期一个月的澳大利亚Kingston College海外大学生活研学体验之旅。继前4届ACT活动“特金”选手赴澳交流学习之后，傅澧楠是第五个因获特别金奖而远赴海外大学学习访问的选手。此行的国际往返机票和学费全额由ACT活动全国组委会提供作为奖励，学费全免并为她专门安排了homestay（住宿澳洲当地人家）。

    这是傅澧楠同学第一次赴澳、第一次接受海外大学学习的挑战、第一次和澳洲本土和来自世界各地国际学生一同学习共同进步、第一次住homestay、．．．．

    Kingston College指派了学校专人作为傅澧楠的监护人和联系人，ACT活动全国组委会也指派专人定期联系傅澧楠，关心她的学习和生活状况。

    你也想了解傅澧楠在澳洲的学习挑战吗？她独自赴澳挑战大学学习会遇到怎样的惊喜与困惑？她能否适应澳洲的学习生活？想一同体验她的澳洲学习之旅，更多详情请关注傅澧楠博客
http://franz-fu.xanga.com

• FINALLY SAW KANGAROOS AND KOALAS!!!!!
I visited the Caversham Wildlife Park with Iris.
The kangaroos were so CUTE!!!
They were all around and people could feed them for free.
Here are some observations about kangaroos:
1. They were smaller than I'd thought.
2. They were really lazy that day.
3. But when they jumped, they were agile and quick.
4. Some of them were white.
5. They were kind of dirty, but I didn't mind :D
6. They were really friendly and they let me hug them :)
-------- Saturday, 13 August 2011

• The teacher is an Australian lady called Rita. It turned out that the class had 2 teachers. Rita for Mondays and Tuesdays, and Catalina for Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Yep. No school on Friday!
As for the lesson, the stuff taught was not all that different from what they're teaching back in Hong Kong.
Reported speech and direct speech, etc.
But I have to say, the lesson was a lot more interesting than my own English lessons.
For one thing, we had a lot of discussions. And there was great interaction between Rita and the students.
Everyone answered Rita's questions, so the atmosphere was not awkward like lessons in Hong Kong, where all the students remain so silent after the teacher's asked a question that you can practically hear a pin drop.
All in all, the lesson was a lot more interesting than I had expected.
I guess I'll have a wonderful time here, after all.
------- Monday, 08 August 2011
Wedn esday, 17 August
These 2 days Catalina wouldn't be with us.
We have Fred instead.
I noticed his faint accent though I couldn't really tell what kind of accent it was.
It turned out he's from Brazil. (Yep, he's white too)
He was an incredible teacher.
He taught us about fluency today.
It was something I've never learnt.
I've always thought fluency meant being able to speak spontaneously without making grammatical mistakes and sound as native as possible.
I wasn't entirely wrong, but there's more to fluency than that.
The way I learn how to speak English (or any other language) is not exactly suitable for everyone.
My mum says it's a kind of talent. I suppose she's right coz it has always come naturally to me. (I'm not boasting. Please understand this is a statement of fact)
I listen to the sound and the pronunciation and I can simply replicate it.
Back when I was only 4, I could sing an entire Chinese song without even understanding any of the lyrics.
Now I can sing Russian and Japanese songs without understanding the lyrics as well.
So in the case of English, though I have an impeccable British accent, I don't really know the pronunciation rules.
What Fred did today was to explain English pronunciation in the most basic sense:
• the linking of sounds
• stressed and unstressed sounds
• the rhythm
His lesson was really interesting. He even demonstrated by playing a video from 'The Simpsons' and asking us to pay attention to the way the character spoke.
He gave us an assignment. We were to find a short scene in movies or tv shows we've watched and studied the way the characters pronounced their lines and mimick it tomorrow.
This is the first time I've ever thought that homework is fun.
  
  
  
Here are some observations:
1. They have this funny button for people to press before they cross the road. Iris told me it was for making the traffic light turn quicker, though I'm not sure it really works since I didn't feel any difference.
2. They don't have double-deck buses here in Perth.
3. Their Smartride Card is equivalent to our Octopus Card.
4. The buses here are never on time unless you get on at one of the central stations.
5. The public library closes on Sundays (UNFORGIVABLE)
6. Many people here have grusome body piercings that make me feel sick just looking.
7. People can check themselves out in supermarkets using these extremely fascinating machines
 
       Today was my last day at school...
…
I missed my classmates already.
 I missed the school too.
My English has improved.
I've met and made friends with people from different countries.
I've understood Australian culture through watching local movies.
I've got used to the Australian accent (though I still like my own British accent better )
All in all, I had a wonderful time at Kingston.