IEC: March 31st Class

Next class, April 6th: PREPARATIION FOR THE MID-TERM WRITTEN EXAM.
CONTINUE WORKING ON ORAL PRESENTATIONS (1 hour)
Day Class Only, please, bring the 'sicknesses crossword puzzle' to class. Night Class, I will bring them for you.

HOMEWORK for April 6th: : Workbook, Unit 4 (all of it, pages 21, 22, 23). Page 23 is related to listening; use the CD that comes with the textbook.


Don't forget important dates:

Mid-term written exam , April13th, 2 hours
Mid-term oral exam (your "Personal Experience" presentations in front of the whole class) April 20th.


The highlights of today's (March 31st) class: unit 4

Expressions: allergy, to be allergic to, to have an allergic reaction to, symptoms of an allergy; sicknesses (backache, cold, earache, headache, rash, sore thorat, stomachache, etc.)

Examples: I am allergic to peanuts. .
My mother is allergic to cats. She has a violent allergic reaction to cats.
Some symptoms of an allergy to pollen include red itchy eyes, sore throat and sneezing.
A doctor may ask youL: Do you have any allergies? / Are you allergic to anything? / Any allergies?

grammar: Adjectives ending in -ed ajdectives vs. adj. ending in -ing.

"I am boring," I hear my students say all the time. What you want to say ( I believe!) is: "I am bored." You don't like the class, your teacher puts you to sleep; in this situation, the teacher and her class are BORING, you are BORED.
The rule:
use adjectives ending in -ed to describe how A PERSON feels ( e.g. I was embarassed because I couldn't remember her name.)
use adjectives ending in -ing to describe what ( a situation, an event) or who makes a person feel a certain way. (e.g. It was so embarassing not to be able to remember her name; My teacher is boring.)
Other examples:

You see a snake. The snake is terrifying. You're terrified. Seeing the snake is terrifying.
You get different information about the same event. The information is confusing. You're confused.
etc.
If you want to practice, click on the following links:
http://gocsm.net/sevas/esl/reviewlesson/passive3a.html
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/dg-eding.html
http://www.1-language.com/englishcoursenew/unit33_grammar_exs.htm

PRS: Stress Handout, March 29

DISCUSSION ABOUT STRESS, unit 10
PART 1


1. a. To have a good open relationship with somebody means to be close (adj.) to somebody.
b. I have many friends but no (adj) close friends.
2.A LONER is someone who (what?) doesn’t like to hang out with people. He’s a loner; he hates being around people.
3. To move someone from one department to another (another expressions. V).
They will transfer (another expression, V) shift Bianca from the English Department to the Cleaning Department. She hates dirt!

3. Result or influence ( effect)
a. Smoking has a bad (what? N) effect on health.
b. Poor diet has a bad (what?N) effect on people’ health.

4. stay
You can check out the books, but journals and magazine must stay (another expression? V) remain in the library. 5.
5. the worst
Professors are usually very sick people. Among them, Bianca’s health is the poorest.
5. a small amount of something used for testing or analysis s is a sample.

a. When you have a yearly general medical exam you usually give to the doctor a urine and blood (what?) sample.
b. You buy something at the Body Shop and they give you a sample of their new whitening cream.

6. way of resolving difficulty, finding an answer to a problem

If you have solved your problem, (e.g. you were looking for an apartment and now you’ve found it), you have found a (what? Noun) solution to your problem.

7. body’s ability to fight sickness is called immunity.
a. People who eat healthy diet and exercise regularly have a better immune system.
b. Kimchi will increase your immunity to the flu/influenza,/chicken flu.

8. Few VS. a Few

a. I was so disappointed. Not too many people showed up at my party.
OR. Only (few/a few) few people showed up at my party.

b. Why are you so upset? I didn’t eat all the cookies. There are still (few?a few) a few left.

9. the (comparative) ___________ the (_ ___________)comparative

The happier I am the better my health.
a. When should I come to your office, Mr. Clarke?
b. The sooner the better. (as soon as you can)
The more money you make the more friends you have (ha?true?)
(the number of friends you have is directly related to the amount of ‘won’ you have)
The more bacon you eat the more clogged your arteries.
10. More likely (more probable)
a. A woman in her 30’s is 10 times more likely to be struck by the lightning than to find a husband (“Bridget Jones’s Diary).
b. I am more likely to forgive your absence if you bring me a doctor’s note. (You have better chances of me forgiving your absence).
11. twice/ three times as likely
Obese people are twice as likely to die of heart attack.
(Their chances are two times greater).
For every 10 slim people who die of heart attack, there are 20 obese people who die of heart attack
Three times as likely:
For every 10 people who die of heart attack, 30 obese ones do.

PRS, IEC, BEC, All Classes: How to relieve stress

Hello All,
while preparing for the Presentation Class tonight's 'stress' topic, I've found a very interesting web site that tells all about stress, and even more importantly, about how to deal with stress. We all can learn a thing or two about it.
Enjoy.
Magistra
http://sln.fi.edu/brain/relieve.htm

PRS:Syllabus, Course Outline, Asignment Sheet

PRESENTATION: The General Course Description
Hansung University English Department
Spring 2006
Textbook: Discussion Strategies. Beyond Everyday Conversations. David and Peggy Kehe. Pro-Lingua Associates, 1998.

Contact Details: pleae, obtain them in class. Email: 110558@hansung.ac.kr

This course is designed for advanced learners of English who possess excellent passive knowledge of grammar and vocabulary but find it difficult to communicate orally in formal or informal discussions and lack confidence in any form of public speaking.

There are two aspects to the course: one concentrates on discussion strategies with partner(s) or in larger groups; the other focuses on developing skills necessary in effective public presentations, i.e. speeches and debates.

Discussion Strategies:
A part of our 3-hour weekly sessions focuses on developing the art of discussion. The textbook activities force students to learn and apply the following discussion strategies: using rejoinders, asking follow-up questions, seeking and giving clarifications, using comprehension checks, answering with details or demanding more details, interrupting others, giving opinions, agreeing or disagreeing, offering explanations, summarizing what someone else said, leading a discussion themselves, etc. Each of these strategies comes with specific vocabulary, e.g. when disagreeing with the speaker the listener usually starts with one of the following expressions: I don't think that..., Don't you think it would be better..., I don't agree, I'd prefer..., Shouldn't we consider..., But what about..., I'm afraid I don't agree..., Frankly, I doubt if..., Let's face it, The truth of the matter is..., The problem with your point of view is that...Mastering these expressions will greatly contribute to your discussion and presentation abilities and make you sound more nativelike. Students work with a partner, in a smaller group or participate in a whole-class activity.
Effective public presentations
Most people find speaking in public very uncomfortable and in case of having to do it in a foreign language downright terrifying. My aim is to disperse some of those fears and help you achieve a level of comfort necessary in a good public speaker. A part of our weekly sessions will be devoted to learning about the basics of good public speaking (body language, speech/presentation structure, visual aids, etc.). We will start gently with easy presentations that concern your favourite object or your most memorable experience. Then we’ll move onto the fine art of debating and finally crown the class with persuasive speeches. You will be taken through the ‘how to do’ process step by step, and I will prepare a number of handouts and helpful websites for you to look at.

What about Power-Point?
Since I am not a computer software instructor I will not teach the technical aspects of a Power Point presentation - most of you are better at the “PP gimmicks” than me, anyway. I will, however, give you a lowdown on some of the dos and don’ts of Power Point presentations. Power Point is sometimes used as a crutch; presenters create a poorly organized jumble of words, spice it up with some fancy visuals, mumble their way to the end – and, naturally, bore their audience to tears. Rest assured that a presentation of this kind will not be graded highly. What matters is the content, the quality of your research and organization of your ideas. Power Point should only enhance your presentation not be its focal point. What you need to learn is how to modify your Power Point Presentation and make it understandable to English speakers. You must know how to create effective bullets, what font colour and size to choose, how many slides per minute, how many lines per slide, how many words per line, what should your posture be when presenting, etc. Ultimately, what matters to me is the content and organization of your speech, not the ‘visual effect’ with Power Point. You may opt out of using Power Point altogether and replace it with other visuals (board, posters, props, overhead projectors, slides).
What do you need for this class?

Students are required to purchase the relevant textbook and workbook Discussion Strategies. Beyond Everyday Conversation and a blank notebook. It is very important for you to take notes in class! If you don’t, you forget what you learn much faster.
What do I expect from you?

I expect you to attend classes regularly and participate in class activities with enthusiasm. Also, all homework is to be submitted on time. Do not be shy to ask questions or demand further explanations. Visit my office or call if you need assistance in your studies. Speak in English only – the class time is your chance to practice and improve your oral communication skills. Last but not least: Switch the cell phones off!

How are you graded?

GRADING POLICY
Hansung University follows the ‘bell curve’ grading system. Simply put, you are competing against one another. Please, remember that when it comes to grading what you give is what you get. If you are not putting in the maximum effort, you cannot expect to get the highest grade.

Official university policy dictates that each class be graded accordingly:

A= 30% of the class
B= 40% of the class
C,D,F, = 30% of the class

In class grading will be as follows:

Attendance: 10 %
Participation = 20%
1st Oral Presentation: A.) Show ‘n’ Tell or B.) Personal Experience 20 % (April 12/14)
2nd Oral Presentation: Debate, 20% (May 17/19)
3rd Oral Presentation: Persuasive Speech, 30% (June 14/16)

ATTANDANCE POLICY:

The rule is very simple: your regular and on-time attendance is a must. Two lates count for one absent; five absents will land you the final grade D, regardless of your performance in any other aspect of this course; more than 5 absents will result in an automatic failing grade F. You will be excused for illness or family emergency in which case you need to call me in advance and later submit a written proof (a doctor’s note or a signed letter from a parent or guardian). Bear in mind that attendance and participation go hand-in-hand and combined they count for 30% of your final grade.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


THE COURSE OUTLINE

March 8th Class only : General Introduction to the course.
Unit 1: Rejoinders and Follow-up Questions (both classes)
Theoretical Introduction to Presentations and Public Speaking in English.
Practice: “Show and Tell”
Week 2 , March 15/17

Unit 2: Clarification Expressions
Important aspects of preparing a presentation.
Practice: Personal Experience

Week 3 , March 22/23

Unit 6 : Discussion – Your high school days
Presentation Language
Practice: Show and Tell

Week 4 , March 29/31

Unit 10: Discussion - Stress
Presentation Equipment
Practice: Personal Experience
Week 5, /April 5/7

Unit 13: Description Expressions
Presentation Structure
Practice: Personal Experience

Week 6 , April 12/14

1st Public Oral Presentation:
Show ‘n’ Tell
Personal Experience (as child or adult)
(Simple Visuals allowed: No Power-point!)

Week 7 , April 19/21

Unit 14: Discussion – Superstitions
The art of Debate

Week 8, April 26/28

Unit 15: Telling what you’ve heard
The art of Debate

Week 9 , May 3/5
May 5th Class: Holiday

May 3rd Class: More on Presentations, Debating, Public Speaking. Friday class students are welcome to attend

Week 10, May 10/12

Unit 18: Clarifying by summarizing – Getting Fat
Preparation for the Debate Assignment

Week 11, May 17/19

2nd Public Oral Presentation: Debate
(no visual aid)
Week 12
May 24/26
Unit 25: Expressing Opinions I
Introduction to Effective Speeches
On Power-Point Presentations

Week 13, May 31/June 2

Mock Job Interview
Speech Structure/Practice
Dos and don’ts of PP presentation

Week 14 , June 7/9

Mock Job Interview
Speech Practice


Week 15. June 14/16

3rd Public Oral Presentation: Speech
The use of visuals (board, flipchart, posters, handouts, Power-Point is expected)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hansung University, English Department, Presentation

Assignments

Each student in the Presentation Class has three public presentation assignments worth 20% respectively amounting to a total of 60% (20% x 3 = 60%) of your final grade. They are public presentations which means that you will be presenting in front of the whole class in your regular classroom not in my office.

Assignment Dates:

1st Presentation: Week 6, April 12 (Wed. Class) - April 14 (Friday Class):
A.) Show ‘n’ Tell or B.) Personal Experience (individual)
2nd Presentation: Week 10, May 17th (Wed. Class) - May 19th (Friday Class)
Debate (groups of four)
3rd Presentation: Week 15, June 14 (Wed. Class) – June 16 (Friday Class)
Persuasive Speech (individual)

1st Oral Assignment: Individual Presentation (5 minutes)
You can choose between the two oral assignments: a) Show ‘n’ Tell or b) Personal Experience. You will prepare the assignments writing notes but present speaking naturally, not reading .

a) Show ‘n’ Tell

It’s a simple assignment that entails your choosing an object that has a very special meaning to you and preparing a brief presentation about it. You must describe the object (regardless of the audience actually looking at it), saying what the object is, how old it is, where you got it, how you got it, what its size is, shape, weight, what it’s made of, why it is special to you, why you feel strongly about it, why you chose it among all other things. Also, try to incorporate an anecdote connected with that object. Examples of objects you may choose: a gift from a dear person (jewelry, watch, picture frame), a special pillow/blanket, a piece of clothing, shoes or backpack that took you all over the world (why not?), souvenirs from places you visited, etc. The object must be very precious and meaningful to you. By the end of your presentation the audience should understand why it means so much to you and hopefully would want to know more about it. Choose your ‘show ‘n’ tell’ item wisely. Look at the attached “Meaningful Object Presentation Worksheet.” Use it as a guideline only, don’t simply answer the questions. Give a lot of details and make it interesting.

b) A Personal Experience

You may choose to talk about a personal experience as an adult or a child. Everyone, for sure, has some experiences that are unforgettable. These make great speech topics. Your challenge is to make the audience relieve this experience with you. If it was a happy experience, your audience should feel happy; if it was a sad experience, your audience should feel sad, etc. For example, if you choose an experience as a child, you may speak about the time you got lost, your most memorable birthday, your first day at school, a terrible lie you told, your first pet, your first childhood sweetheart, the saddest experience in your childhood, etc. If you choose an experience as an adult, I am sure you can decide which one would be good to share with your classmates.
Your goal is to speak naturally and maintain eye contact with your audience. You have to prepare your speech in writing but you are not allowed to read it. To help you prepare, look at the “Speech Preparation Worksheet” attached. Keep in mind that the worksheet is merely a guideline, not the ‘formula’ for making the speech.

2nd Oral Assignment: Group of Four Presentation – Debate ( 10 minutes)
Students work in groups of four. Within each group there are two ‘sub-groups’ with opposite views on the controversial subject or motion. The ‘sub-groups’ will be arguing the correctness of their position and proving the falsity of their opponents position. Possible motions: gender-altering surgery/plastic surgery; human cloning; abortion; corporal punishment at school or home; Unification of the two Koreas, etc. Certainly, there’s no shortage of controversial issues in the world. You must get approval of your topic from me. You will conquer the art of good debating step-by-step and have plenty of time and guidance to prepare this assignment. You will learn terms such as motion (proposition), opposition, rebuttal, as well as the proper structure of a debate: who talks, what is to be said, when and for how long, etc.
You are required to hand in your preparation sheet (evidence of research you’ve done, notes, ideas, etc.)

3rd Oral Assignment: Persuasive Speech (Individual – 10 minutes)

A persuasive speech acts to convince others to change their feelings or behaviour and make them see and understand the validity of your point of view. A sales person trying to convince someone to buy a product, a political leader trying to get a vote are examples of persuasive speaking. You will be practicing the art of persuasive speaking in your groups. For example, you will be asked to convince: your parents to go traveling with your friends/partners, your friend that watching TV is not a waste of time, me that spending hours on computer games (Starcraft) is not a waste of time (J), a friend to stop smoking, someone to marry you, etc. Persuasive speech is very similar to debate since you have to come up with a list of good arguments to support your point of view. A speech is also very similar to a good essay in that it has an introduction, body and conclusion and that it has to be ordered logically. In our weekly sessions you will learn how to ‘brainstorm’ pros and cons (“fors and againsts”), how to organize your speech, and how to look confident during your presentation (the appropriate posture, body language, eye contact, tone and volume of voice, how to dress, etc.)
The speech has to be written and handed in before your presentation. You will not be allowed to read You are allowed to use visual aid such as handouts, posters, board, slides, Power Point. However, visual aids are to be used as presentation enhancers, not to be made into its focal point.
You are required to hand in your preparation sheet (evidence of research you’ve done, notes, ideas, etc.).

“Show ‘n’ Tell”/Personal Experience Evaluation Rubric

Choice of object/topic (interest level)
V. poor 1
Poor 2
Good 3
V. Good 4
Excellent 5
Total
Evidence of Preparation
V. poor 1
Poor 2
Good 3
V. Good 4
Excellent 5

Organization
V. poor 1
Poor 2
Good 3
V. Good 4
Excellent 5

Sufficient Use of Details
V. poor 1
Poor 2
Good 3
V. Good 4
Excellent 5

Quality of Language (grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary)
V. poor 1
Poor 2
Good 3
V. Good 4
Excellent 5

Level of Comfort (posture, eye contact)
V. poor 1
Poor 2
Good 3
V. good 4
Excellent 5

Grand Total (max. 30)


Debate Evaluation Rubric

Opening Statements
Very Poorly Defined 1
Poorly Defined 2
Defined 3
Well-defined 4
Excellent 5
Total
Arguments
V. Poorly Formulated 1
Poorly Formulated 2
Formulated 3
Well-formulated 4
Excellent 5

Participation of Team members
Very poorly distributed 1
Poorly Distributed 2
Satisfactory 3
Well-distributed 4
Excellent 5

Quality of Language (grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary)
Very Poor 1
Poor 2
Mediocre 3
Very good 4
Excellent 5

Physical aspect of Debate
(body language, voice volume, eye contact with audience)
Very poor 1
Poor 2
Mediocre 3
Very Good 4
Excellent 5

Evidence of Preparation (notes, research evidence – websites and other external sources)
Non-existent 1
Insufficient 2
Acceptable 3
Remarkable 4
Excellent 5

Grand Total (max. 30 points)


Persuasive Speech Evaluation Grid

Logical structure and flow of ideas

Very Poor 1
Poor 2
Satisfactory 3
Very logical and fluent 4
Superbly organized 5
Total
Persuasiveness
Not persuasive at all 1
Some persuasiveness 2
Satisfactory 3
Persuasive 4
Very persuasive 5

Body Language (posture, smile, eye contact)
Very poor 1
Poor 2
Satisfactory 3
Very good 4
Excellent 5

Speaking manner (tone, expression, speed)
Not suitable 1
Somewhat suitable 2
Satisfactory 3
Very good 4
Excellent 5

Evidence of Preparation
Non-existent 1
Insufficient 2
Acceptable 3
Remarkable 4
Excellent 5

Visual Aids (used as presentation enhancers, not its focal point

No visual aids 1
Not adequate 2
Adequate 3
Very good 4
Excellent 5

Grand Total (max. 30)

PRS: Natural Conversation

A NATURAL CONVERSATION
(with rejoinders, follow-up questions and clarification requests)

Person A. The Korean baseball team is doing great right now. (statement)
Person B. Yeah, amazing, isn’t it? (rejoinder). Have you been following all the games? (follow up question).
Person A. No, unfortunately not. I don’t have a @#$@%^&*.
Person B. Excuse me, what did you say you don’t have? (clarification request)
Person A. I said I don’t have a TV set.
Person B. Oh, that’s too bad (rejoinder). Would you like to come over to my house and watch some games? (follow up question.)
Person A. Oh, really? (rejoinder). That’d be great. I can bring some snacks and &*%^$.
Person B. Pardon? You can bring some snacks and some pillows? Is that what you said? (clarification request).
Person A. No, silly. Not pillows, beer. What’s wrong with you ears today, anyway? (follow up question)
Person B. Tears? What tears? (clarification request). I don’t understand….
Person A. Oh, for crying out loud! (rejoinder) I said “what’s wrong with your ears.” You don’t seem to understand me at all.
Person B. Oh, sorry, man. (rejoinder) I went swimming yesterday and now I have water in both of my ears. I can barely hear anything.
Person A. Are you serious? (rejoinder). Why don’t you go and see a doctor? (follow up question). You may get a serious infection.
Person B. Injection? No way. I hate needles.
Person A. Oh, lord. You’re deaf, indeed. I said: INFECTION!!!! not injection.
Person B. Oh, I got it, infection. Of course, you’re right. (rejoinder). I’ll go to see a doctor tomorrow; it’s a promise.
Person B. Good, the sooner the better, or you’ll drive me crazy. (rejoinder) Do you want me to go with you? (follow up question) etc.

PRS: Show n Tell (Russian Dolls)

Show and Tell

OBJECTIVE INFORMATION

What is it: It’s a set of Russian Matryoska dolls.
How old is it? It’s about 10 years old.
Where is it from? It’s from Russia.
When did you get it? I got it last year.
How did you get it? It was a parting gift from a friend.
Why did you get it? My friend wanted to give me something to remember her by?
What size is it? It’s very small. It can almost fit into the palm of my hand.
What shape is it? It’s in the shape of a matronly woman – doll.
How much does it weigh? It is very light.
What is it made of/from? It’s made from wood.
What features does it have? It has features of a human figure, 4 dolls that fit into each other.

SUBJECTIVE INFORMATION

1. Why does it have a special meaning for you?
It is a gift from a special friend and it reminds me of a similar set of matryoshkas my mother brought from her trip in Russia about 20 years ago.
2. Why do you feel strongly about it? Each time I look at the dolls and each time I hold them in my hand I am reminded of my friend who’s not here anymore. It reminds me of all the special times we had together.
3. Why do you want to share it with the class? I wanted to show these dolls because they are interesting and because I think they’d like the story behind it: a token of friendship to cherish forever. It’s an important message.

***answering the above questions is like having a brainstorming session. Now you have to organize the information about your object into a presentation that would have those components we talked about (Start, Middle, End).
PRESENTATION: My Russian Nesting Dolls – Matryoskas or Babushkas

START

Hello, everyone. I am happy to be standing here in front of you, and I thank you for being here. (greeting the audience)
I am sure that everyone present here has an object they cherish, something that is special and meaningful to you. Do you still have that first love letter you got? Or, the first tennis trophy in high school? Or perhaps a lock of hair? We all have some things that are meaningless to anyone but us. (hook).

I’d like to tell you about my precious object. (show the object): a simple set of very commercialized Russian “nesting dolls”, Matryoshkas or Babushkas in Russian). You can buy them anywhere in the world, not only in Russia (introduction).

I’ll tell you more about my set. I’ll describe it to you in detail; I’ll tell you its history and explain why it is so meaningful and special to me. (presentation structure).

At the end of the presentation, I will welcome your questions and comments, should you have any. Also, if during the presentation you don’t quite catch what I’m saying, please feel to raise your hand and ask for more clarification. (explain rules for questioning).

MIDDLE
(objective information)

As I said before, what I have here in my hand is a set of Russian Matryoshkas or Babushkas, nesting dolls. They are called nesting because they nest within each other: you open the biggest one, only to find a smaller one inside, and then a smaller one, and so on, all the way to the last tiny one that is in one piece and does not open. They originate from the 19th century Russia and are probably the most famous Russian souvenir. There are many different styles of nesting dolls, representing animals, Santa Clauses, political figures. Once, in Hungary, I saw a nesting doll that featured all the nasty politicians of the world: you open the big Saddam Houssein, to find a smaller George Bush inside, then Kim, Jung-il, Khommeini, etc. My favourites, however, are simple Matryoshkas/ Babushka that represent Russian mothers and grandmothers in their headscarves and serene faces.

My set’s predominant colour is pink with flower patterns. I especially like their cute faces that feature big eyes, long eyelashes, pink cheeks and red lips. They look very cute and funny. The set has 5 pieces made from wood, but it’s very light. It’s also very small - it can fit in the palm of my hand. I can keep it on my desk in one piece or I can take them all out and have a whole army smiling at me.

(subjective information)



1, 2, 3.

I got it last year from my friend Jiwon who had bought it in Russia a few years ago on a short visit to this exotic country. I cherish these dolls because they are a parting gift from a dear friend. Jiwon and I were close; we shared a lot of good times and bad times in Korea, helping and supporting each other. She is an avid hiker, just like me, and she is an aficionado of dong-dong ju, just like me. We spent every Saturday together for about 2,5 years. When she decided to go back to New York, I was very saddened, and I knew I’d miss her a lot. At her farewell party, she gave me these dolls that she herself loves very much and told me: “these should cheer you up. Each time you look at them, you should smile, and imagine me smiling back at you.”
They are also special because they remind me of my mother’s babushka nesting set. As a young girl she traveled to Russia and bought a set when they were still very exotic and rare. Although I don’t know what happened to them, I remember them well. My mother would allow me to play with them. I thought they were the prettiest toy any little girl could wish for. I mentioned these dolls to Jiwon once, telling her how sad I was not to know what happened to them. She remembered and she gave me her own. How generous.

I wanted to show you these dolls because they are a testament to the importance of friends and memories. Every once in a while we need to remind ourselves what is really important in our lives. Money and success are great but if there’s no one there to love you and care for you, it’s all meaningless. My dolls remind me of my true friend and my wonderful mother.
CONCLUSION
I hope that you enjoyed my little presentation about my precious set of Russian dolls. Although they are a cheap wooden souvenir, they are made special because they were given to me by a special person and they also carry a message of caring and friendship.

Now, I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.

PRS: Party time in Hongdae

Party time at Hongdae

Hello everyone, I am vary happy to have this opportunity to stand here in front of you and introduce you one of my favourite places in Korea. I hope you will enjoy this presentation. (welcome the audience)

Remember the best time out you have ever had? A night that included great food, great drinks, dancing…. I am sure you do. Who doesn’t?

You can relive such a great night every night if you visit Hongdae, an area around Hongik University in the City of Seoul, South Korea, a place where people go to have a great night out (introducing the subject). I will tell you what kinds of fun you can have in this happening place. I will tell you about food, drinks, a specifically Korean way of having fun in a ‘norae bang’ and a place where you can just relax and run away from the area’s craziness (structure). At the end, we will have about 5 minutes for q-q in which you will have a chance to ask me for more details about Hongdae.

A night out in Hongdae starts with a good hefty dinner of songyapsal which is Korean pork barbecue. There are numerous barbecue places in Hongdae. You eat delicious meat wrapped in lettuce leaves with garlic and samjang, a special sauce.

After dinner, you generally go to a traditional Korean drinking establishment where you can have makoli, dongdong ju, soju, mekju (beer.) Koreans usually eat some side dishes. A delicious one is a Korean pancake. You can have some rice wine served in a bamboo shell. It’s all delicious.

After drinking you can go to a norae-bang, a singing room, or a dance club. There are many different bangs in Korea, dvd, pc, etc. You sing there to your heart’s content.

To escape from the madness you can go to a quite lounge where you can enjoy great views from the balcony. They even give you a blanket. You can just curl up and chill out.

I hope that you enjoyed this presentation and that you can’t wait to go to Hongdae. Whether you want great Korean barbecue with great service, or traditional drinks with delicious side dishes; whether you want to sing your favourite song or dance the night away, or if you simply want to relax at a nice quite place off the main drag – Hongdae has it all. So, if you are in Seoul, put your drinking cap and hit the road.

I would be happy to answer any specific questions you may have about fun times in Hongdae. Thank you.

PRS Personal Experience; the time I got lost

PRESENTATION
Personal experience: The time when I got lost
By Bianca Turalija, Hansung University, March 2006

Questions to help you remember your experience.

What type of experience was it? It was a scary experience.
Where were you? I was at a farmers’ fair in a small town.
When were you there? I was there when I was 4 years old.
Who was with you? I was there with my father.
What were you doing? We were just browsing and having fun.
Why were you there? To buy some fresh vegetables and home-made products.
How were you feeling? I was feeling scared.
Why did you feel that way? I felt that way because I was very small and I was afraid of strangers. I though I had been lost to my family forever.
What was your goal? I was thirsty. I jut wanted to have a drink of water.
How did you react? I was shouting my father’s name.
How did the story end? A kind woman calmed me down, asked for my name and my father’s name. She paged them through loudspeakers and he came to me running.
Why will you never forget the experience? It was a very scary and sad experience.

The answers to your questions are like brainstorming. They help you remember the experience. Based on these memories you will create a speech that is well organized into:
Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

The following is the basic structure of any presentation:

START: Introduction

Welcome the audience
Grab audience’s attention (hooks) **
Introduce the subject


MIDDLE: The speech

END: Conclusion

Summarize the highlights
Thank the Audience

The time I got lost
(GREETING THE AUDIENCE): Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am glad that you are here to listen to my presentation about the time I got lost. (HOOK):Do you remember any scary experience when you were a child? Perhaps, you were beaten by a dog? Or stung by a bee? Or you were beaten because you stole some money from your grandmother’s wallet? I am sure all of us have such an experience. (INTRODUCTION): I will tell you one of my most memorable childhood experiences, the time when I got lost.

MIDDLE: (well-organized and divided into sections that deal with time, place, event, your feeling).
Many, many years ago, when I was only 4 years old (time), my father took me to a farmers’ fair in a small town in the country not far away from my home town.(DETAILS: It was a beautiful summer day; the sun was shining; the flowers blossomed, the birds were chirping. The market was crowded with people and animals. You could buy anything there, from delicious juicy fruit to home-made pies, cookies, jams, pickles. There were also some used clothes and shoes, toys, furniture, everything. I was wearing my favourite red dress with white polka dots. My mother had put my hair in one cute curly pony tail and put a red hat on my head to protect me against the sun. (WHY THERE): My father and I were sent there on a Saturday to buy some of those goodies. She wanted to have an empty house to do the cleaning.

(WHAT AND HOW IT HAPPENED): I was very happy because my father bought me everything I wanted. At one point, I spotted a long line of people in front of an ice-cream truck. I pulled my father’s hand and pointed at it. He knew what I wanted, so he smiled and we joined the line. We waited for a long time. He saw a friend of his and waved him over. Soon they were talking not paying attention to me who clang to my father’s shirt.
I got really thirsty. About a 100 meters away, I spotted through the great crowd of human legs ( I was very short!) a group of children playing with a sprinkler. I was so thirsty, I wanted to drink some water so desperately that I just let go off my father’s shirt and started running over to the children. Unfortunately, I was swept away by the crowds and I could see neither the lawn with the sprinkler nor the ice-cream truck and my father. I looked around, ran here and there, still not panicking. I thought my father was playing a game of hide-and-seek with me.

(HOW IT ENDED) After a while, I noticed people staring at me worriedly, and that’s what scared me. “Dad,” I cried, first feebly and than more and more loudly. “Dad, dad, where are you?” Now, people were gathering around me, asking: “Whose child is this? Where are the parents?” I was crying now, scared and desperate. My parents had taught me not to talk to strangers, so I wouldn’t answer what my name was, nor the names of my parents, although I knew them.
Finally, an elderly lady who looked a lot like my grandmother approached me and spoke to me gently. I decided that I could trust her, so I told her who I was. Someone got a loudspeaker and yelled my father’s name. Five minutes later he appeared, sweaty and dusty, his hair a mess, out of breath. He was running all over the place asking about a little girl in a red dress with white polka dots. When he saw me, lifted me high up to his cheeks, buried his head in my hair and he started crying. “Dad, you got lost”, I told him, which made him laugh.


(CONCLUSION). I will never forget this experience because this was the first time I ever got lost and this was also the first time I remember experiencing fear and sadness and being overjoyed to be back in my father’s arms. Later, whenever we went to any crowded public places, I would be holding onto my parents’ hands or clothe till my knuckles turned white. Even today, when I am in big crowds, I feel a bit disoriented and scared. I almost turn back to that scared little girl looking for her father. I also became very careful: I never got lost in crowds again.

PRS: Style and Language

PRESENTATIONS: Style and Language

Your audience is more likely to pay attention to and believe what you say if you are confident. Even if you’re not confident, you can practice how to appear confident.

1. Standing

Stand straight, without leaning over, on both feet. Don’t shift your weight from one foot to another.

2. Voice

Project your voice in such a way so that you can be heard clearly from the back of the room. Do not shout! Don’t speak in a monotone. Practice varying the pitch and intensity of your voice so that people are not put to sleep when you speak.

3. Gestures

You can use your hands to emphasize your point. However, too much waving is distracting. Don’t fidget.

If you are standing you can let your arms hang loosely to the side of your body, or clasp them in front of you. If standing behind a lectern, rest your hands on the side of the lectern.

4. Disclaimers and apologies

Western audiences do not generally respond favourably to humbleness. Do not weaken and diminish what you are saying by apologizing for your English, or the lack of research. It merely draws attention to your flaws.

5. Vocal fillers (saying ‘um’, ‘er’, ‘you know’, giggling, etc.)

Don’t be afraid of silence. A pause usually seems much longer to you than to the audience.

6. Write to be heard

When writing your speech, use short sentences, preferably ones that can be said in one breath. Don’t use long or unnecessarily complicated words. They don’t make you seem clever; they’ll just bore or confuse the audience. E.g. “At the end of the day I feel extremely fatigued” is too long and complicated. Simpler: “At the end of the day I am very tired.”
7. Language

a) You should speak with simplicity and clarity. Use short words and short sentences.

b) Do not use jargon unless you are sure your audience can understand you.

c) Use active words instead of passive voice. Instead of: “2 million cars were sold by KIA last year,” it’s better to say: “KIA sold two million cars last year

d) Use the ‘signposting’ language (see the attached chart) as much as possible.

PRS: Presentations and Public Speeches

PRESENTATIONS (SPEECHES) AND PUBLIC SPEAKING IN ENGLISH
Putting your speech together

Formal public speaking is very different from casual conversation. When giving presentations you should pay special attention to such things as grammar, pronunciation, body language, etc.
Every speech has three parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.
The principal rules of presenting:
tell your audience what you are going to tell them (introduction)
give your speech
tell you audience what you have told them (conclusion)
All presentations should be brief, concise, direct and to the point.
The Structure should be sufficiently simple and clear so that the message is clearly remembered.

The following is the basic structure of any presentation:

START: Introduction

Welcome the audience
Grab audience’s attention (hooks) **
Introduce the subject
Explain presentation structure
Explain rules for questioning
MIDDLE: The message

END: Conclusion

Summarize the highlights
Thank the Audience
Invite Questions


***A hook is an opening statement that is related to your topic that grabs audience’s attention before you introduce your subject. Three major types of hooks are: questions, provocative facts or statistics, “think- back” requests. E.g., if your topic is plastic surgery, you may choose the following hooks: (questions) How many of you have ever considered going under the knife? Raise your hand! Don’t be shy!”; (provocative facts): It’s shocking to think that 80% of people surveyed said they would consider undergoing many or more plastic surgery procedures; (think back): Remember that time in high-school when you thought you must be the ugliest person alive? You felt your eyes were to small, your nose too big, your teeth too crooked. You would have done anything to have those corrected. Well, today, all of this is corrected by plastic surgery.” Other great hooks you can use: a summary of a newspaper article, related riddles, proverbs, myths and stories, personal experiences, etc.