Category: Media

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What is the future of AI in language learning?

The four images DALLE2 created in response to the prompt, “the future of AI in language learning”. AI image generation is known to struggle with word creation (as is obvious above).

The age of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about a new era of technological advancements to the world, and the impact of AI on language learning is no exception. AI is already being used in language learning applications and programs, and the future of AI in language learning looks even brighter. In this article, we will explore the current state of AI in language learning, the potential future of AI in language learning, and the potential benefits and challenges that AI can bring to this field.

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A Semester of HTML

A screencap from a recent coding session.

Have you ever wanted to learn code? There are an abundance of languages to learn: Python, Javascript, C++, the list goes on. Two years ago as a semester project, I tried to learn Python on my own. Unsurprisingly, I was unsuccessful. Learning a coding language requires a lot of discipline, time, and intense focus. In a class taught by a professor, these factors are mostly taken care of by assignments, class time, and deadlines. It’s hard to pressure yourself to put the time in to properly learn a language. 

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France’s Dua Lipa? C’est Vrai!

French pop sensation, Angèle, poses in a bold red top (red is her color). Photograph by Manuel Obadia-Wills.

Angèle, a Belgian pop singer, and absolute sensation in France, has been releasing boppy Francophone music since 2016. After a number of hit singles, she’s become a frequent player on France’s top charts. A recent collab even featured Dua Lipa (famous worldwide). Angèle’s music has a distinct sound and clearly enunciated songs, making them great for students learning French.

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El espíritu revolucionario a través de la música

Artist Reccomendation: Silvio Rodríguez

60s/70s Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez was a household name while I was growing up. My parents used to tell me stories about the one time they went to his concert, and one of their friends kept requesting “Ojalá!” (one of his most popular songs) by yelling the title constantly from the audience. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I actually listened to his music and fell in love with it. 

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Terrace House: Your Next Binge

A classic Terrace House scene: group dinner.

Interested in improving your Japanese and watching reality tv at the same time? Terrace House has you covered. Beginning in 2012, the Terrace House series quickly gained international attention for its ‘calm and relaxed atmosphere’–uncommon on most reality tv show franchises. It’s even been described as a “reality show for people who hate reality shows”. 

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Throwback: Mandopop Song Recs

Growing up, my parents would always play music on long roadtrips. It’s been almost a decade, but we still have the many of the same CDs, and the CD player in the car works just the same. The CD I have the most vivid memories of was the one with a strange medley of miscellaneous songs and artists: Michael Jackson, Jay Chou, Spice Girls, some opera, unknown voices, and 99 piano pieces. One artist that especially caught my ear was a Taiwanese singer-songwriter named Qi Qin (齊秦). Apparently, my parents had listened to his songs in their youth in the 80s, and can still sing along to some of the lyrics. 

Songs and music that can be enjoyed by different generations at a different point in time are always special— I was surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to Qi Qin’s songs. His songs have a timeless quality, and I think, are perfect for karaoke. Here are a few of my favorites from the CD:

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Recommendation: Luis Miguel

Today’s blog post brings a music and television recommendation all in one. 

Luis Miguel: La Serie is a Netflix drama series that follows the life of legendary Mexican singer Luis Miguel throughout his early life and rise to superstardom. This show intimately explores Luis Miguel’s private life, focusing on the challenges he went through to balance his public image with his relationships with friends and family. With beautiful camerawork, fun 80s aesthetics, and a heavy dose of LuisMi’s most popular songs, this series keeps you hooked from beginning to end. It’s no surprise that it has become a favorite in the Spanish-speaking world.

Luis Miguel is currently available on Netflix. Keep an eye out for the third season, coming out today (October 28th)!

Or, if you’re just looking for something to listen to, here are some of my favorite Luis Miguel songs:

  1. Soy Como Quiero Ser
  2. Ahora te Puedes Marchar
  3. Cuando Calienta el Sol
  4. La Incondicional
  5. Tengo Todo Excepto a Tí
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Creating a Photo Archive Website Through Omeka

A photo of Reed in the 1950s, featured on the website I created. Viewable at this link.

Last year, I embarked on a semester-long project to create a website using the Omeka software. Omeka, if you are unfamiliar, is a web-publishing platform designed to showcase large archives.

I set my focus on the Reed College Archives. Although already accessible to Reed students through a searchable website, the archives themselves were very large and not sorted into accessible categories for casual viewing. My first step was securing the rights to use photographs from the Reed Archives. Since my project was internal to Reed College, the archives had no problem with me using their photographs.

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