Reading academic articles

31th January at 8am to 1pm

I was very studious today and i read several academic articles and books for my bachelor work. I spend first 5 hours for reading and then i wrote 2 hours and I get 5 pages ready. I write it in Finnish so that didn´t count in here. I used google dictionary if there was some words I didn´t knew. I have noticed that I need to look same words many times before I will remember them. But it is nice to notice that more I read them, more easier it is every time.
I am very proud of my self.

Time: 5 hours
Time in total: 23 hours 40 minutes

Study group with Laura

30th January at 5pm. to 8pm.

We met with Laura in library. We wrote our final project in bioinformatic course. And also spoked in english about bioinformatics. Four hours of hard work and we get almost finish of our project. I learned new word cleavage site of protein, it means place where protein is cut after it has managed it´s target in cell.

Time: 4h
Time in total: 18 hours 40 minutes

Second ALMS group session

25th January at 2-3.30 pm

We meet second and last time today with ALMS group. We discussed about our SILL-forms in small groups and looked different way to report about  learning. It was of cause obvious that i was already decided that i will use this blog.

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Time in total: 14 hours 40 minutes

Study group with Laura

24th January at 10.20am to 14.45pm

Today I used several databases and read articles in english in my bioinfomatics course. It is a web course, witch is totally in english, now I am already making my final project in there. In final project we are given a protein, mine is delta 6 desaturase. I made this project today with my study friend Laura. We also discussed in english, because I asked for this english course.

I put here something i wrote today about that enzyme;

Human Delta 6 desaturase

Using: NCBI databace

Gene: FADS2 fatty acid desaturase 2 [ Homo sapiens ]

Gene ID: 9415, updated on 8-Jan-2012

Intruduction for delta  6 desaturase:

Linolenic acid witch is the main dietary essential fatty acid is metalized by the body to important sustances. First step is to make it gammalinolenic acid, this step is slow, rate limiting step, particulary in humans. Delta 6 desaturase is katalyzing enzyme in this reaction. If delta 6 desaturase doesn’t work normally or doesn’t exisist in enough, it causes problems. Deseas linked to this are at least atopic eczema and diametes, witch are exempes of inadequate delta 6 desaturation. 

(David F Horrobin, Fatty acid metabolism in health and disease: the role of delta-6-desaturase, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1993): http://www.ajcn.org/content/57/5/732S.short)

Atopic eczema

Atopic eczema is an inherited form of dermatitis, patients are more susceptible than normal to viral infectins and to allergic reactions of various types. Patiens have high consentrations of immunoglobin E and an elevated rotio of lymphocytes (T-helper to T-suppressor).

(David F Horrobin, Fatty acid metabolism in health and disease: the role of delta-6-desaturase, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1993):http://www.ajcn.org/content/57/5/732S.short)

Diabetes mellitus

Diabets is a cronic disease, where pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood, hyperglycaemia.

(WHO, health topics: http://www.who.int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/)

Time:  4 hours 25 minutes
Time in total: 13 hours 10 minutes

Assessmentig my English skills using the CEFR self-assenssment grid

23 January 2012 at 8.00-8.45 pm

I assessment that my understanding would be level B2 in both listening and reading. Speking skills i would assessment to level B1 or B2 in spoken interactions, spoken production to B1.
In Writing i am also uncertain if i am B1 or B2, i am not sure if i can "write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to my interests".

Time: 45 minutes
Time in total: 8 hours 45 minutes

ALMS plans

23th January 2012 at 7 pm.


I make my plan about how to manage this course:


I will attend to English Book Club.
I copy this text in library's page:

You can join our English Book Club on the 1st floor in Sello Library at 2 pm:

On January 25th  we will talk about: Hanif Kureishi: Something to tell you
You can pick up the books at the Fiction & Non-fiction information desk on the 1st floor a month in advance, and ask for us if you have any further questions
Next:
On February 22nd: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Half of a yellow sun
On March 21st: J. M. Coetzee: Disgrace
On April 25th: Paul Auster: Sunset Park

This will give me at least 4 hours of speaking in group and reading thous books will take probably 15 hours per book. So if i will attend 3 times, i will get 45 reading hours. But i am very slow reader so it can take even more.


Then i am planning to watch english movies with my husband and then discussing about them whit him. Three movies would take maybe 5 hours and discussions 1 hour.

Reading articles will be something i will do several hours because i am doing my Bachelor work at same time. I will get rest hours there, because i will certainly read english articles more than 108 hours.

If i will have in english lessons i will take them with, but i am not sure yet if i am attending any.

Time: 1 hour
Time in total: 8 hours

Creating this blog

23th January 15.00 pm

I decided to do this course using blog. I think it is easy to follow and which the best, can't lose it :)

Time: 30 minutes
Time in total: 7 hours

Writing my language history using kaleidoscope

23th January at 5.30-7.00 pm

I decided to do this task using kaleidoscope. It was good choose because it was nice to use. I wrote there so i won't repeat all here. It took surprisingly long time to do it, when i read all texts there and then typed my own text. I can see, that i haven't wrote english for a while.

Time: 1,5 hours
Time in total: 6,5 hours

Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)

23th January 2012 at 4-5 pm.

I filled the SILL form and find out that my strength is compensation strategies and my weakness is metacognitive strategies. Compensation is very familiar to me, i usually don't worry for making mistakes and speak out even I'm not sure if i speak correct. Someone could think that it's weakness, because i don't learn if i don't try to be precise all the time. I don't anyway think so, i think it is my way to learn. If i would have to be right every time i open my mouth i would be quite quiet.
Metacognitive, i had to check that word in dictionary. It was defined "cognition about cognition" or "knowing about knowing".  Even that word metacognitive makes me a headache, so i am sure it is my weakness.

Time: 1 hours
Time in total: 5 hours

Firs ALMS group session

The 18th of January 2012 at 2-6 pm.

We had first group meeting in kielikeskus, where i had never visited before. We explored what we need to do in our course and we filled few forms to find out what kind of learners we are. We also read texts and discussed them in groups. I had nice group and we had good conversation about stammering, witch was our topic. 

It was nice to speak english for long time in small groups. I had courage to open my mouth in small group, but i didn't felt anyway comfortable to speak english for hole class.

I find out that i am a mixture of analytic and informal learner. I think it  is true. 

Time: 4 hours

Time in total: 4 hours