Random Quote
Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.
---- Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818)
Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.
---- Lily Tomlin
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
---- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.
---- Leonardo DaVinci (1452-1519)
Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation.
---- Author Unknown
The least of learning is done in the classrooms
---- Thomas Merton
A magician pulls rabbits out of hats. An experimental psychologist pulls habits out of rats.
---- anonymous
One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork.
---- Edward Abbey
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
---- Malcom Forbes
America believes in education: the average professor earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week.
---- Evan Esar
Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.
---- Lily Tomlin
Technology will not replace teachers...teachers who use technology will
probably replace teachers who do not.
---- Ray Clifford
There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
---- Pablo Picasso
Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.
---- Fred Allen
it's probably not a good idea to underestimate my ability to make an ass out of myself—just when I seem to have it under control, I'll turn around and surprise you.
---- Tenser said the Tensor
It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.
---- Arnold Toynbee
As soon as I buy the moose head, I have to go pick up some KY jelly.
---- Mary Roninette Kowal
"It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.'"
---- Sam Levenson
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
---- Thomas A. Edison
Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.
---- H. G. Wells
The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink.
---- George Orwell
Always be wary of any helpful item that weighs less than its operating manual.
---- Terry Pratchett
To have another language is to possess a second soul.
---- Charlemagne
A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.
---- John Ciardi
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
---- Albert Einstein
TOEIC on the way out!
Via Gord a link to Jodi who discusses her thoughts about a the Chosun article detailing The End of the Road for TOEIC. I have always stated that the TOEIC test is a fundementally useless test for indicating communicative English ability. However in Korea (and probably elsewhere) TOEIC scores are used to determine success of job applicants and the difference of 10 points or less could decide ones future career, so it is good to read the following:
Korea is the world’s last bastion of the Test of English for International Communication or TOEIC, but the compromised test may at last be on its way out. Some 12 corporations including GS Retail have dropped a TOEIC score requirement for job applicants, and three others like Doosan had lowered the minimum requirement, according to a survey of 27 major companies. SK, Industrial Bank of Korea and Pantech & Curitel also did away with test score requirements from the second half of the year, while Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics lowered the barrier.
“Until last year, we required applicants to have TOEIC scores of 830 and above, but we judged that the TOEIC isn’t an appropriate indicator of actual English skills, so we stopped asking for TOEIC scores from the second half,” says Lee Jeong, the head of personnel at Industrial Bank of Korea.
In case you didn’t read it, I highly recommend reading Jodi’s thoughts on this - I basically agree with everything she said.





Nathan B. wrote 18 words on Sunday Jan 1, 2006 at 08:34 PM
Happy New Year, to you! I hope you’ll still have time to blog in the next few months!
Sean. wrote 23 words on Monday Jan 2, 2006 at 05:42 AM
Nathan,
Of course. Though blogging will be light until I start teaching again in March. Right now I’m doing full time Korean studies.
Tim Nall wrote 34 words on Thursday Jan 12, 2006 at 02:11 AM
Hi Blinger,
Long time no surf the Net, but had no homework today.
Saw your comments about the TOEIC. There’s an article about it here:
http://www.geocities.com/twocentseltcafe/teach/toeic.html
The TOEIC Test: Discussion and analysis
Later,
Tim
Sean. wrote 22 words on Thursday Jan 12, 2006 at 05:46 AM
Tim,
Thanks for the links - I looked at your email also and fixed that. Will look at your links later today.