The+World+at+Our+Laptop


 * THE WORLD AT OUR LAPTOP**

Let's use as our first case study the //New York Times// Topics Country Page for China. []

Since the //Times// seems to use this same format for each of their country pages, it will be worth our time going through the China page in some detail.

A. Left Column has links to articles in the //New York Times// about China, in this case with the newest article listed first.

B. Right Column Top of the Page has links to "Related Topics"

C. Middle Column [here are some of the main headings]

1. Series: Various topics

2. China Navigator has links that the //New York Times// employs on all of its Country pages.

CIA World Factbook []

State Department []

BBC Country profiles []

//The Economist// topics index http://www.economist.com/topics

News and Online Media (Kidon Media link) [] We will refer below to this same website.

//National Geographic// World Music Guide [] Go to Regions Use Egypt as an example []

3. Documents

4. Related Sites

This section leads to valuable links, all of them in English.

5. Chinese-language sites for those who read Chinese

6. Books on China, connecting to the //New York Times Book Review// section of the paper

7. Multimedia

Other //Times// Topics country pages regularly seem to have the following links. I am not sure why they are not included on the China page.

Use the page for Mexico as an example []

Scroll down the page to "Other Resources":

1. Government section: Online Constitutions [] Use Albania as an example.

2. Maps: Google Earth

3. Maps (Perry-Castaneda Library at the University of Texas) [] Use China as an example to show the wealth of map choices available on this premier website.


 * APU LIBRARY**

I would be remiss if I did not highlight the excellent LibGuides which have been prepared by APU librarians.


 * Sue Aspley**

Home - Country Information Brazil - LibGuides at Azusa Pacific University [] Home - Country Information Germany - LibGuides at Azusa Pacific University [] Home - International Business Resources - LibGuides at Azusa Pacific University []
 * Evelyn Yee**

Home - Internet Resources for Global Studies - LibGuides at Azusa Pacific University [] Evelyn has a great section on "Missionary Websites" [As we could expect, this kind of material is not provided on the //New York Times// country pages.] Her "Online Publications" section has links to the //Economist//, //Foreign Affairs//, and //Foreign Policy.//


 * Library of Congress Global Gateway**

One important item, the Library of Congress Global Gateway, which you will find on these APU LibGuides is not included within the //New York Times// country pages.

Library of Congress Global Gateway []

Several items on the Global Gateway are especially useful.

1. Portals to the World (taken down on September 16 for a review) []

2. Research Guides and Databases: Country Studies []

3. Research Guides and Databases: Handbook of Latin American Studies []


 * RSS (REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION)**

Finding country data by merely going directly to a website is perfectly acceptable.

But let's move to an even more efficient method: having the information come to us.

If some of this RSS business sounds new and strange, look at what is available already through APU web materials.

Go to the bottom of the APU HOME webpage. []

Notice at the bottom left: RSS Click on that.

You get the following page: [] We will work with one of these feeds in a few minutes.

Click on "Learn more about RSS readers and subscriptions" []


 * GOOGLE READER**

Let's watch together this Google Reader help video: [|http://www.youtube.com/GoogleReaderHelp#p/u/1/o1d-b8wzzMY]

Set up our Google Reader account: [|www.google.com/reader]

Practice adding two subscriptions:

1. APU Athletics—All Sports [] a. Put in the subscription Copy the URL at the top of this web page. Paste into your Google Reader. b. Take it off. Here is how to "unsubscribe" c. Put it back on for keeps

2. //New York Times// Topic page for China Let's go back briefly to our //New York Times// Topics Country Page for China []

Scroll down the page until you reach the "RSS Feeds for China" in the right-hand column Click on the RSS icon. Here is the page you get. [] Copy the URL at the top of this web page. Paste it into your Google Reader.

APU librarian Kimberley Stephenson has put together a terrific LibGuide: How to Use RSS Feeds from Library Databases: Home; Topical Feeds; Content Feeds []
 * RSS for Research**


 * LANGUAGE STUDY**

What we have discussed up until now has involved using our laptop to accomplish international goals using //English-language// websites.

The remainder of my material will focus on ways to use our laptop to improve our //foreign-language// capability.

Digression: **Rosetta Stone**

(It is not useful to my own style of language acquisition. But many people benefit greatly from Rosetta Stone. Give it a look.) []

Digression: **Google Translate** (In a pinch this can be very useful.) [|es]|


 * Our Bible**

We can read the Bible in the language we are studying (online, if you wish.)

Online foreign language bibles:

Bible Gateway []

Ethnic Harvest []


 * Websites we use regularly in English are available in other languages**.

Think of it this way: What websites would a native speaker in another country go to in his/her own language? We can access those same websites from right here in Azusa.

1. **Catalogs**

One example: Dutch La Redoute []

Digression: Notice the flags. Often European websites will be available in several other languages with a simple click on the flag of that respective country.

Look at the flags at bottom of this Dutch version of La Redoute.

Check out the Korean one. John 3:16 at the top

2. **Wikipedia** [] Italian Wikipedia will have more complete material on Italian politicians, for instance, than will the English Wikipedia.


 * Foreign-language newspapers and magazines**


 * A. Access them online**: Go to the website directly (similar to going to //New York Times// or //Economist//)

Here is a way to find them:

Kidon Media link [] Use Mexico as an example

MIT Libraries [] Here is a Spanish-language example from the MIT site []

1. Go first to your regular Google search screen []
 * Google News**—available in various languages

2. Click on "News" at top left []

3. How to switch in Google News to a different language On left top, see "U.S. edition" and the down triangle. That will take you to Google News in a different language.

Notice these language variations: a. Since Belgium is multi-lingual, there are two different ones for Belgium b. Canada English and Canada French c. Spain and Mexico and Estados Unidos d. Switzerland French and Switzerland German e. India has four different versions f. Versions in Chinese, Japanese, etc.


 * B. Access them through Google Reader**

Dutch example De Volkskrant--binnenland []


 * Foreign-language radio/television programs**

Use a Dutch TV program as an example []
 * A. Access them online**: Go to the website directly


 * B. Subscribe to audio/video podcasts through iTunes**

A podcast is an efficient way to listen to a news program. [no commercials, can fast forward through material that is of no interest to you]

APU uses iTunes University []

Subscribe to audio/video podcasts through iTunes. We won't have time to work our way through this procedure.

Here is a SNAGIT screen capture of my iTunes library of audio and video podcasts:

You can listen to/watch these podcasts directly on your laptop or download them to your iPod.


 * Foreign-Language Audio Books: Librivox**

[]

Scroll down the page to "Language" Most of the audiobooks on this site are in English. But notice what else is available--a particularly large number are in French, German, and Chinese.

Digression: Good instruction page on how to use Librivox []

Follow one example. [] Notice two items: 1. Zip file of the entire book 2. RSS feed—subscribe in iTunes


 * Neat variation in the use of Librivox**:

Check out how you can read the text while you listen.

I will use the one paragraph from Max Havelaar Chapter 6 as a quick example.

We will need to have two browser windows open. We will listen to the reader in iTunes (or on an iPod). We will open the Word document (in which I have previously downloaded the complete text from which the person is reading) in another browser window. (Or having previously printed it out, I can hold it in my hand while I follow the reader.)


 * Extra neat variation in the use of Librivox**:

You can reverse this procedure (learning Dutch) and help others learn English (and, in this example, use a devotional book in the process)

Author search for John Bunyan [] Pilgrim's Progress []