The dip is a result of the events on September 11th. Statistics can help explain the importance of historical events showing if something changed dramatically. An important statistic that we went over was the sudden drop in number of wealthy Americans during the depression that would be shown in statistics.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Interview with Joachim Hipalito
Konnor Drewen
1/8/011
Interview – Joachim Hipalito
Q: What was it like to learn how to speak English?
A: It was very hard. It was hard to learn the different things like two, to, and too because they all sound the same but they mean different things.
Q: What did you have trouble with the most while learning English?
A: Well, I came to America when I was seven so it was all hard to adjust to speaking English but the hardest was when I first started school in America and I had English tests. I would never get a good grade because I could not figure out the different parts of speech.
Q: In what ways have you benefited from learning English?
A: Well, since I have learned English I have able to live here. Other than that I can’t think of any other great benefit. Actually, it did help with fitting in at school. If I didn’t know English that well I might have gotten made fun of.
Q: Do you still speak your primary language at home or with family and friends?
A: Yes and no. I speak Filipino at home with my parents but I don’t have friends from the Philippines that are in America so I speak English to all of my friends.
Q: Why do you still speak Filipino at home with your parents?
A: Well, my parents do speak English and speak it very well but speaking Filipino at home just comes naturally. Also when I visit my grand-parents in the Philippines and since they never lived in America they never had to learn English. So I guess I still speak Filipino at home because if I don’t my parents are afraid I might forget how to speak the language but I don’t think that would happen I think once you learn a language especially if it is your first language you most likely won’t forget it.
Q: How did you come to go to school in the United States?
A: Well, my parents wanted to move from the Philippines to America so when I got here my parents enrolled me into a school near where I lived and then a catholic middle school.
Q: What are some of the differences between an American school and a school in your home country?
A: There are not too many differences really. I think that school is just school no matter where you go. The only real difference is that in the Philippines the school days were a little longer at the school I went to but that could have just been my school.
Q: How long did it take for you to be able to speak English fluently?
A: I started to learn English in first grade when I came to America but I did not learn it completely in school I had a special tutor to help me lessen my accent and to learn English fluently it probably took four years.
Q: Do you still have trouble with parts of the English language?
A: No, not so much anymore. I have no problem with speaking the language but if someone gave me a test on the parts of speech I would probably fail it.
Q: Do you think that English is harder to learn then other languages?
A: Oh, yes! It is much harder. There are so many different things you have to learn and after that there are words that sound the same as others but mean something completely different. Then there are words in a sentence that have to go in a certain order like you can’t say me and a name you have to say a name and I. It is really confusing. I am learning Spanish right now and is half as hard as English.
Q: Was there ever a point in time when you were learning English that you just wanted to give up because it was too hard?
A: Yes, definitely. Sometimes I would just get so angry because I could not pronounce a word or could not say a sentence or a group of words correctly. Sometimes I would say them in the wrong order and I just didn’t want to do it anymore. But in the beginning when I really didn’t know it well the kids in class would make fun of me but I think that was just because they were young and they had not heard different accents before and they were not use to hearing one.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
My Stay in Burma - Journal
Journal 10/11/09
I have arrived in Burma and started my time here. I came here to learn more about the country and see what it looks like. You may know the country by the name Myanmar but it will always be Burma to me. The natives still call this country Burma but in America they call it Myanmar. I must get going to my motel its getting dark and I don’t want to be outside at night.Journal 11/18/09
It has been a month since I arrived in Burma. The people are friendly and today I went out to the town with some of the locals. They have since showed me where to get the best food for I have run out of rations from America. They is a huge change from here to America. For one Burma has 99.34% less electricity then in America. My motel is almost shack with some reeds on the top. Many of the people have to live in the caves in the cliff face. They make 97.63% less money so they cant afford many things.They have it pretty bad here.
Journal 1/26/010
A new year has come in Burma. Since the last I wrote I have become more acquainted with the land. Burma is mostly thick jungle with many predators. One of my Burmese friends was attacked by a Burmese Python. The days in the jungle are hot but the nights are freezing. There is no way to keep warm other than some blankets. Burma has 98.78% less oil than America so there is no oil to use in heaters or cars or anything it is required. There are a lot of people here in this village because the birth rate in Burma is 40.93% higher than in America. But they are friendly so it is O.K.Journal 9/24/010
Well my year here is drawing to a close. I have made friends and lost some along the way for you see HIV is a much more common occurrence in Burma about 16.67% higher and infancy death is 7.3 times greater. Coupled with the fact that people in this country die almost 14 years sooner than in the states. But I am coming home tomorrow and this will be my last entry. The last thing I will say is that although I liked my stay here because of the huge difference from here to America I don’t think I could live here.time.com
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
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