Speech oh speech_Part 1

As someone who is not trained in TEASL, teaching English is challenging.  Sometimes I feel like I am an impostor, pretender as if I am well-versed in English.  Well, I did write my PhD thesis in English but it does not mean that I am qualify to teach English at secondary school level.  This is my initial thought when I did my Latihan Ikhtisas.  I hate the feeling of being an impostor.  A fake English teacher.  That’s the label that I give to myself.  But, based on my training as an instructor at university level and armed with research experiences, I know how to search and research information related to whatever things that I have to teach.  So, that’s why I don’t rely too much on textbooks or whatever reference books because my sources are varied.   If I found something useful for my students, I would revise it again and make it into handouts.  For every single composition, I include tips and techniques part so students get quick review on what to expect when writing a composition.  An example of that as the following:

Tips and techniques: Opinions, talks and speeches

  1. Know the format of a talk/speech.
Greeting and introduction

 

Beginning of speech

 

Body:

–         Presents a topic/problem/issue

–         Gives information/ examples

 

Conclusion

–         Conclude a topic/problem/issue

–         Thank the audience

 

  1. Read the question carefully. Are you asked to use all the points given or some of the points?
  2. Present your points concisely.
  3. You can use the following phrases to structure your speech.
  4. Know your target audience.

List of Useful Phrases for Public Speaking

  1. When you want to start the conversation/speech
  • A very good morning I bid to all of you.
  • Good morning to the examiners [or judges] and all my fellow candidates [friends].
  1. When you want to introduce your audience with your point/view/opinion
  • The situation I have been given is…
  • According to the situation…
  • Based on the situation given…
  • I have 3 reasons to justify my point.
  • First and foremost/ Firstly,
  • I would like to tell….
  1. When you want to link your previous point(s) with the following point(s)
  • Secondly,…
  • My second point is…
  • Another reason is…
  • Furthermore/Moreover/In addition,…
  • Therefore/Hence/Thus,…
  • However/ In contrast,…
  • Other than that/ On the other hand,…
  • Conversely,…
  • Consequently/ Subsequently,…
  • For example/For instance,…
  • Take for example,…… and so on/many more/ others
  1. When you want to conclude or end your part
  • Finally/ Lastly,
  • Last but not least,…
  • In conclusion/As a conclusion/ To conclude….
  • In short/In a nutshell,…

Sample question:

Your school is organising a competition in line with the celebration of “Character Building Day”.  You decide to participate in the competition and deliver a talk about influential people that influence a person’s character or qualities. 

Use the points below to write your talk.

  • character can be influenced by person – parents are the most influential
  • parents know children – birth – spend most time with
  • children imitate parents’ behaviour – similarity of behaviour
  • parents are first educator – manners learn at home
  • children learn values from parents – values reflect on character

Sample speech: 

Hi, a very good morning to the judges and my fellow friends. As we are talking about how a person’s character can be influenced by another person, the people whom I think have the most influence in a person’s life are parents. There are three reasons why I think so.

Firstly, parents are the people whom know us since birth. We become like the person whom we spend the most time with. Parents are the people whom we see every day from the moment we are born, until the day we are adults. Hence, very naturally, they become the people whom we look up to and start imitating the way they talk, act, and even think.  There are several proverbs to illustrate the similarity of character or qualities between parents and their children.  Examples of the proverbs are “Like father, like son” or “An apple does not fall far from the tree”. 

My second reason is because parents are the first educators to their children before anybody else. Table manners and basic etiquettes are taught at home, by the parents.  It is also the parents’ responsibility to inculcate good manners and conducts of their child.  Parents leave huge impacts on us that we ourselves fail to recognize it sometimes. 

Thirdly, parents are the ones who impart values into our lives. Values are assets which we hold on to for the rest of our lives and this is the greatest influence of all. Values are what we make our decisions upon, and it is what shapes our character.  Our behaviour reflects on the values that we have.  In addition, the values that we have also reflect our parents’ personality and values that they adhere to.  Thus, it is important for the parents to impart good values because their children’s personality and values would mirror their own personality and values.

In conclusion, I think that though there may be many others who can influence a person’s character such as teachers and peers but ultimately, parents are the greatest influencers of all. With that, I conclude my speech. Thank you very much.

349 words

You want more sample of speech?   

Changes that I would like to see in Johor Bahru

Teaching reflective composition is challenging in itself because it requires the writers to be reflective in which they have to state their views either based on facts or hypothetical assumption.  I taught this type of the composition after I had taught all of the other types of composition.  Why?  It is because for reflective composition, students also can use the structure and language features of a narrative, an argumentative or a factual composition.  Of course, some students still cannot differentiate between different compositions but sooner or later, they will know the different In sha Allah.

REFLECTIVE COMPOSITION

Tips and techniques

  1. You are required to give your thoughts and opinions in this type of composition.
  2. You must use a contemplative tone in your writing.
  3. Plan the composition using the skeletal outline approach. Write down the main points of the composition.
  4. Read the question carefully.
  5. Underline the key words of the questions.

What changes would you like to see in your town or city in the next ten years?

Declared a city in 1994, Johor Bahru is a rapidly growing city.  My wish list for Johor Bahru in ten years’ time is simple – a city that is improved and developed based on the existing one.  I think Johoreans do not need a megapolis but changes that benefits the ordinary man and woman in the street.

 Firstly, priority must be given to better planned roads and drainage.  Floods occur every time there is a heavy downpour.  It has been flooding in Jalan Air Molek and Jalan Yahya Awal ever since I can remember.  Recently, housing estates like Taman Melody and Taman Sentosa were also flooded.  In fact, before the city grows more organically, there should be an improvement of the present infrastructure.

Secondly, we need a garden city.  We should make the city has more trees with flowers such as trumpet flower trees which are beautiful when they are in bloom.  This is a fine example that should be replicated elsewhere.  Local species such as the tembusu should be widely planted.  In fact, many flowering plants thrive in our climate.  For example, the bougainvillea.  Otherwise we will really become an urban jungle with more pavements and concretes.

The present parks should also be improved upon.  Set up public sports and fitness grounds and facilities for the young and elderly.  Outdoor exercise equipment should be put in all these parks for the senior citizens to exercise and enjoy the fresh air.

In addition, there should be better public transport.  I think there are enough cars on the roads.  In fact, cars should be banned from the city centre itself.  Of course, there should be more public buses that provide regular and efficient service.  There should also be underground train services that link the people from one part of the city to the other.  This will cut the massive traffic jams that plague Johor Bahru.  Furthermore, there should be pedestrian walkways and bicycle lanes all over the city.  This is one way to save the environment.

To ensure that Johor Bahru moves with the other major cities in Malaysia, we should build more facilities for the people.  An example is libraries.  The latest census figures indicate that Johor Bahru is fast becoming Malaysia’s second largest city, with a population of over one million.  How many good libraries are there in Johor Bahru?  There should be a library in every large residential area.  Let the adults, even the children, even the toddlers, make the library their second home.  There is also an urgent need to have public health centres.  Public health area supported by state-of-the-art equipment should be one of the first priorities of the city.  What is available now is sufficient.

Let’s begin the work of remaking Johor Bahru into a city where gracious living is a reality now.     [464 words]

Corporal punishment should be implemented at school

One of the continuous writing compositions that I have to teach is Argumentative composition [an essay where you defend your stand or view either agree or disagree].

ARGUMENTATIVE COMPOSITION

Tips and techniques

  1. You have to write a composition not less than 350 words. You have to write it within 45-50 minutes.
  2. You have to discuss an issue and give your opinion or take a stand.
  3. The main purpose is to persuade your reader into agreeing with your point of view.
  4. Points are based on hard facts. To take a stand on this argument, you will have to know the facts of the subject/ issue.
  5. Note the specific structure and language features of an argumentative composition.

With the current rising social issues at our society, corporal punishment should be implemented at school as deterrent to the uprising social issues among teenagers.  Write a composition to state your view about this issue in not less than 350 words.  

Corporal punishment is the act of using physical force to punish a student for wrongdoing.  It might involve a ruler across the back of the hand or a cane to the rear.  Corporal punishment has since been outlawed as a cruel and unusual punishment.  However, we often heard of the adage ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’.  Thus, I believe that corporal punishment should be incorporated back as part of punishment to deter unruly behaviors and wrongdoings at schools.

 Some experts claim that corporal punishment is a good way to prevent students from breaking rules and committing offences, especially repeat offenders.  Seeing their schoolmates getting the cane will deter others from smoking or any wrongdoing.  This is what behavioral psychologists called as vicarious learning in which people learn through observing the behaviors or consequences of behaviors of others. 

 In addition, corporal punishment is also a form of preparation for real life.  Wrongdoing has to be punished.  Students have to be taught to be responsible and accountable for their actions.  Using corporal punishment in school would serve as a clear message to all students that any wrongdoing will not be rewarded and dealt accordingly. 

Also, corporal punishment can also serve as a viable alternative to suspension.  In general, students often do not enjoy school.  A suspension from school can send out the message that it is rewarding rather than a punishment when students break school rules and regulations. 

 Even though public caning can cause injuries or trauma unnecessarily yet if it is done properly, caning can deter or decrease the probability of any wrongdoing to be carried out in the future by students.  In this regards, a caning schedule is part of the school regulation in which what warrants one stroke of cane, what offence gets two and so on are clearly spelt out and be understood by all teachers and students. 

In conclusion, corporal punishment should be brought back as part of school punishment to give power back to teachers again.  Currently, teachers struggle to chastise students because current punishments have no intimidation power.  A lack of corporal punishment leaves teachers powerless to prevent bad behavior.  I do agree that corporal punishment should be implemented again at school to keep managed students’ behavior.  [375 words]

3Rs – Reduce, recycle and reuse

Factual composition is one of the trickiest essays that I have to teach during Latihan Ikhtisas.  Why?  It is based on facts and thus, we cannot add hypothetical information or assumption.  But how to know more about facts around us?  It is through reading.  If you don’t read, there will be little chance for you to encounter the latest facts or findings.  Like the smallest planet is not Pluto.  When I learned about solar system and planets, Pluto was considered as the farthest planet from the sun (the 9th planet in fact).  But, this fact is changed.  Now, Pluto is no longer considered as one of the planets even, but rather known as Dwarf planet (a planetary mass-object that is neither a true planet nor a natural satellite).  So, teaching factual composition demands me to give the students lots of reading materials about nature and whatsnot.  The most common places to find such things are from magazines like National Geographic or Discovery.  I asked around from my colleagues in UTM.  Some of them wanted to “dispose” it from their offices so I use this opportunity to ask for donation (give me the magazines FOC).  Armed with that magazines, I asked the students to read one or two articles before giving them homework on factual composition.

FACTUAL COMPOSITION

Tips and techniques

  1. You have to inform and present facts and ideas in factual compositions. You may have to explain something to the reader.
  2. You cannot get the facts wrong in factual compositions.
  3. Each paragraph must have a distinct topic and all other sentences must factually relate directly to it.  The link words or phrases are important as they help the reader follow the flow of ideas

What can you do to save the environment?  Write your composition not less than 350 words.  

     The world around us is in danger.  The earth faces problems of global warming and massive pollution.  Our rainforests are disappearing. Animals in the rainforests and seas are in danger of extinction.  So are our natural resources.  How can one person save the environment?

    There are many things that we as individuals can do to stop the destruction of the environment.  We should take green steps, that is, change our habits and lifestyles to stop polluting and harming the world around us.  After some contemplation, I know what I can do to contribute towards saving our environment.  I will practice the 3Rs – reduce, recycle and reuse – and the 3Rs will be my dictum in life.  I will not be part of the use-and-throw society.

    First, I can reduce consumption of paper by using handkerchiefs.  This will definitely save many trees.  Every kilogram of paper I do not use can save 2.5 kg of greenhouse gases.  I will also say ‘No’ to plastic bags.  Plastic is not biodegradable.  How many times have we read from the newspapers of fish and turtles being choked to death because of plastic bags?  I will instead carry a cloth bag with me to carry all my shopping.

    As a result, there will be less littering and pollution.  Moreover, I will add to my ‘No’ list of disposables, especially styrofoam and polystyrene.  For takeaways, I will bring my own Tiffin or containers.  This will definitely reduce the amount of rubbish I throw away.  Of course, it can be quite inconvenient but ‘little drops of water make the mighty ocean’.

   Another example of what I can do is to reuse.  I will use paper on both sides, reuse any paper and cards.  I will creatively reuse wrapping paper, ribbons, birthday cards or empty boxes.  Every ton of paper I reuse will save seventeen trees.  I can also do a compost from my kitchen and garden.  Any leftover food and garden trimmings can form insulation and enrich the soil.   Old toothbrushes can be used for cleaning shoes or walls.  To do this alone is difficult, so I will get help of my siblings and the rest of the family.

   Instead of individual effort, it becomes a family or class effort.  It is more effective this way.  For example, if I can convince my fellow friends to separate paper, plastic, metal and glass for recycling, it will really help to reduce the emission of methane.  Still another example is computer recycling.  As we change our computers and other related electronic products quite quickly, we should send them to recycling companies that specialize in such work.  Just throwing them away will cause a major problem of disposal. 

    There seems a lot to be done.  However, if we can do it together, we can make a lot of differences in saving our environment.   [472 words]

Durham will always have a special place in my heart

When I taught essay writing, I always thought about how to engage my students to write essays.  One of the things that I can think of is to give them good and “interesting” examples of essays.  As I browsed various books and magazines to get some ideas before writing the essays, I found myself feeling elevated and yet disappointed at the same time.   I felt enlightened reading some good essays or articles but at the same time I felt there are something missing from the “story”.  So, I ended up to compose some of the essays on my own, based on my own experience and story.  It works!  The students love it!  And at the same time, they get to know me better (a little bit) from reading those essays.  2 in 1.  Teaching content and instill values at the same time.  Attaboy!

DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION

Tips and techniques

  1. You are usually asked to describe a person, a place or an event.
  2. There will be no points given to guide your writing unlike Directed Writing composition.
  3. You should be able to write clear and vivid descriptions to help the reader create a mental picture of what is being written.
  4. Describing is an important skill. You will need to describe people, places, scenes in many types of composition.

Write a composition of about 350 words about your favorite place.  

Durham is a small university town which situated at the northeast of England.  As a historical city, it became a centre of pilgrimage in medieval England in the 11th century.  The cathedral and adjacent castle which were built around 11th century was designated as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.  Durham is a hilly city with steep riverbanks surrounded by densely wooded vegetations.

Other than its religious landmark, Durham is also home to Durham University.  It was founded as the University of Durham in 18th century.  It is claimed to be England’s third oldest university after the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.  Regardless of its splendid reputation, it was not the reason why I chose Durham to further my study for my PhD.

I never knew the existence of Durham University when I was searching for a place to further my study.  One of my friends advised me that when selecting a university for a postgraduate study such as PhD, I should not look at the university’s reputation per se, but also the location where the university is situated.  In this case, reputation alone does not guarantee the best learning environment needed by a postgraduate student.  As a postgraduate student, what I needed most was a learning environment and culture that would help me get through the ups and downs of my PhD journey.

My friend suggested that I should consider Durham University as a place to further my study because Durham is also one of the most picturesque cities in England.  I fell in love with Durham on the very first moment I set my eyes on the university campus, especially the School of Education. I could never thank enough my friend who gave me that advice.

Durham has witnessed various manic episodes of my life especially after my father passed away when I was in my second year of study.  Had the gentleman who rode the bicycle did not stop me when I was contemplating to jump into the River Wear near the St Hilde and Bede college, I might not be alive now and be able to tell my story to my students about the hardship that I had endured as a postgraduate student.

If people ask me why I love Durham and could not help from talking about it countless times, I would just say that Durham is my favorite place and it will always have a special place in my heart as long as I live.  [412 words]

What did I do while undergoing my Latihan Ikhtisas (LI)?_Part 3

When I did my Latihan Ikhtias, I taught form 4 students Directed and Continuous Writing [English class].  For Directed Writing, there are three types of essays: Letter, Article (Report) and Speech.  For letter, there will be divided into formal and informal letters and for article, there will be divided into formal and informal articles.   Formal articles are articles that one writes to give feedback or complain which will be addressed to certain individual.  For informal articles, the articles are for wide range of audiences which one find in magazines or newspaper.  A good example is an article that you can find in school magazine.

For Continuous writing, there are five types of essays: Narrative, Argumentative, Factual, Descriptive and Reflective compositions.

Narrative composition is a story-telling kind of composition.  It has 5 plots: Exposition, Rising action, Climax, Falling action and Resolution.

Argumentative composition is a composition where you state your stance either agree or disagree about something.  A good writer can include the agreement and disagreement in one composition and able to balance both arguments well.  But for novice writers, it is better if one sticks to one side of an argument i.e. either agree or disagree.

Factual composition is based on facts and hard-core reality.  In this case, students must know facts and reality and cannot state hypothetical information or evidences.

If they want to state hypothetical assumption or views, it is when they write reflective composition.   So, the differences between factual and reflective compositions are not much.  One is based on facts and another is based on hypothetical assumptions (as long as it is logical).

Lastly, for descriptive composition, students write either to describe an event, a place or a person.  It is kind of straight forward yet many students struggle in this task.

But I gave them some tips and techniques to differentiate the different compositions and examples of compositions for each type.  Some of the compositions are based on my own experience so, they cannot find it from elsewhere.  It makes my class a bit special because I wrote the examples myself.  No duplication even though I learn the characteristics of each composition by referring to the various books.  Just to make sure my essays are in compliance with the characteristics 😀

 

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop

I wrote this essay when I was teaching form 4 student Narrative Composition [Continuous Writing] back in 2018 [this was the time when I did my Latihan Ikhtisas].  This is based on my own story.  The students were amazed that I use my own life experience to write a short narrative like this as an example that I gave them.  I still remember one of them said this “Teacher, ini cerita pasal Teacher ke?  Wah, Teacher pun tak suka sekolah ni ke dulu?”[Translated: Teacher, is this your story?  Wow, did you also dislike this school?”].  I replied by rolling eyes while saying “Yes, like some of you, I also dislike this school but my mother requested me to stay until I finished form 5.  Now, go back to read this essay again and highlight any word that you don’t understand.  Later on, find the meaning of the words that you don’t understand from the dictionary”

NARRATIVE COMPOSITION

Tips and techniques

  1. A narrative tells a story. The main purpose of a narrative is to explain in a story telling manner.
  2. Know the difference between
Question What it means
i)       Write a story based on

ii)     Write a story beginning with ….

iii)    Write a story ending with ……

 Your story is about …..

You must start your composition with the line(s) given

Your story ends with the line(s) given

 

  1. Sometimes the title of the composition is an idiom or a proverb. Be sure you know its meaning before you start on the composition.
  2. Note the specific structure and language feature of a narrative composition.

Write a story ending with a proverb by Confucius “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”

    My fists were clenched.  Hurt and angry, I glared at my mother.  She whispered softly, ‘This is the best chance for education, Dear.  Behave yourself’.  I did.  Not because of my mother or any need for studying that I might have stayed at this school.  It was the feeling that I needed to prove that I would never be the black sheep in the family that made me stayed at this school. 

   With three older siblings who were graduates from local and overseas universities and another one was studying at a local university doing Accountancy, I felt pressured to excel in my study too.  I felt hopeless when I could not change to a different school that I wanted that has science stream classes.  I hated myself for being a weakling.

  As the youngest in the family, many might assume that I was the baby in the family and pampered by my family.  It was a far cry from the truth.  I was never being pampered.  In fact, I was consistently compared with my older siblings who were high achievers.  Being a late bloomer, I was never academically high achiever during primary school.  As I started to bloom during my adolescence, I was still struggling to get the kind of excellent grades that my parents could be proud of.  Yet, deep inside my heart I knew that I could become someone that I envision myself to be, rather than someone that anyone would expect me to become. 

   The question was how could I prove to all that I was a good student, a high achiever like my older siblings?  What should I do?  These questions gave me nightmares.  I started to think to find ways to be a better student.  But, I still did not know how to become one. 

  One day, feeling especially sorry for myself, I huddled in a corner and refused to talk to anyone.  After a while, my friends started to avoid me and treat me invisibly.  A senior who saw me sulking muttered ‘Stop wallowing in self-pity’.  With that, I realized that even if I did nothing to change my current situation, I was actually made a decision.  I thought to myself that ‘Decision is not only being made if I do something, it is also being made if I do nothing’. 

   Rather than doing nothing, I decided from then on to study hard and be persistent even though I might make mistakes or fail along the way to be academically high achiever.  Finally, what Confucius once said made sense to me ‘It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop’.            [442 words]

Picking up yourself from failures

Life is full of challenges.  Sometimes, we fail to achieve what we have hoped for.  If that happens, we feel miserable because our hopes are crushed.  We think our lives are meaningless and there is nothing worth to live for.  However, failing in something does not mean that we are a failure.  

When we face failure or setback, we have two choices.  First, we can lie down and stay there in misery.  Second, we can choose to learn from our failures or setbacks and get on with life.  The choice is really ours.  But if we choose the latter, what should we do next?

We must change our attitude towards failure.  Everyone at some point faces failure in their personal life or career.  Thus, we must learn to be resilient and strong.  We must stop having self-pity, even though life is hard at that time.  But we must always remember that we are not alone in facing failures, setbacks or challenges (whatever you want to call it) in life.  Other too have face problems and sometimes they also have it really bad.  So, if we continue to feel miserable, cry or sulk over a long period of time, others will not care about us after a while.  We will lose their sympathy and concern.  So, do not wallow in our misery for a long time.  Set a time to allow ourselves to feel sad or miserable but after we reach the dateline, move forward and live on.

Remember to stay positive (even though it might be difficult at times).  Do not blame others for our failure.  Look at other ways of achieving our dreams.  Change our strategies if we have to.  Be sure to surround ourselves with cheerful, supportive and caring people.  Negative people will get us down and feeling hopeless towards ourselves.

In addition, do not work alone.  Get help and advice from others if we face with difficulty or if we need to brainstorm some ideas.  There are many people who are expert in certain fields or those who have undergone similar setbacks before.   We will lose nothing by talking with them about our difficulty.  Talking to others and getting help makes life easier or bearable.  

Lastly, when life tosses us some hard knocks, do not act as it we are the only one with problems.  Do not make a big deal about it.  Get up from our failures or setbacks and move on.  Take the first step forward.  We will be alright.  

P.S:  I found this article from one of the files that I used when I did my Latihan Ikhtisas.  I don’t remember when I wrote this or if I took it from somewhere.  But I think I used this for my form 4 class (Directed Writing).  

What did I do while undergoing my Latihan Ikhtisas (LI)?_Part 2

I had a blast when I went for my Latihan Ikhtisas last year, even though at first I was thinking about doing a post doc instead.  Why a blast?

After so many years of teaching at university i.e. more than 10 years, I can compare the challenges being a teacher and a lecturer.  Well, I find that teaching at school is not that “challenging” as compared to teaching at university.  I might be bias in this case given a fact that since I am not a real teacher, so I was exempted from doing many of the other things that teachers have to do on daily basis.  For example, I didn’t have to fill in any information at SSDM (Sistem Sahsiah Disiplin Murid).  SSDM is a system to record students good behaviour and misbehaviour.  Yup, it is expected that teachers have to do it on daily basis.  But of course, it is very rarely for them to do it unless they are the discipline teacher or school counselor.  

I was also exempted from managing the “elearning” kind of thing known as Frog VLE.  Why?  ONLY Malaysian teachers, students and parents can use it.   They can register and thus they will have username and password.  I am not a teacher, student nor parent so I can’t create an account.  On top of that, I was also exempted from fill in any information about the students on different system such as PAJSK and such.  So, what did I do at school then other than teaching?

Well, I created lots of exercise worksheets.  You name it. I have it all.  I looked at various sources such as Busyteachers and others.  On top of that I also created some cute posters using Canva (Example: Dueling Proverbs).  I shared with my English panel teachers so we could print it out and posted it on the notice board.  But, cute things don’t last long.  The moment a teacher posted it, it only lasted for few hours.  Sigh

I also wrote some essays as examples of continuous writing compositions.  Some of the essays from my own experience.  So it does make it more real to the students because they can know a little bit about me through the essays.  2 in 1.  Teaching and getting to know me better.  

To be continued….