Creativity and Literacy

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch

It takes an awakening of mind to comprehend the intricacies of the world we live in. Just like a fire that needs to keep burning, a mind needs to be enkindled and search newer ideas. A child's mind is always in quest for answers as if things have not been resolved in the past. In his thinking, his social milieu is a never ending fun for discoveries.

I conducted Summer English lessons for children in the past. For me, it was one of the most productive summers I had because I was able to help them squeeze creativity and brilliance that are intricate to them. I always believe that whatever their hands come across with, expect to see surprising learning and results.

Here are some photos of our tactile activities to promote love for English.

We call it Read my Hand.

It's Pizza Word Overload.

This activity is called Can I have fries, please?

They are young learners of English but reading has never been a yoke to them. Learning through play has been tested in the course of time and I cannot contest to it. Creativity is as important as Literacy.

Sponge my name! 

Our mini wheel of fortune

Show me your emotion game

Paint me but don't hate me

The future lies among the young people so we need to prepare them in a learning environment where the best is yet to come. When their time comes, raising up the next generation would be a success. The good cycle should not stop. It must be upgraded to keep the world running with understanding.

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Using the telephone

Great news to all business learners! Here's the right way to communicate over the phone especially when dealing with clients and colleagues.

Follow this telephone conversation and you will never go wrong. State your name and company + the person you are calling + reason of your call. 

Try rehearsing this on your own with a relaxed tone.

The next picture shows the tips for a smooth and clear telephone conversation.

Now, practice this dialogue and learn to use these sentences for an effective communication with your coworkers or clients. Try to replace your company or the person you are calling, for example then proceed with the dialogue. This applies to basic greetings and short conversation over the phone.

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Enrich your speech

Have you ever wonder why some people are born with an impressive art of communication while others are silent at the cost of their untapped skill? The truth is we all share the same gift of speech but of varying degrees of greatness. One of my life principles is that improvement is for everyone who desires and acts on it. It is not enough to say, "I want to improve" without really doing things that will cause him to rise higher. I challenge you to renew the attitudes of your mind and begin simple steps on how to revive your gift of speech.

Let me begin with a story of a boy who was so shy and did not even dare to speak for more than ten sentences to his friends. Despite of this, his little confidence did not become a hindrance; instead he worked hard, persevered, and stretched to achieve something. Today, he turned out to be a motivational speaker to masses and a global entrepreneur in the name of Jet Toh.  Isn't it inspiring?

On the right is Jet Toh, A Rags to Riches Story.

Are you motivated to stretch and live out that gift? Here are some practical ways to enrich your speech:

1. Develop good speech habits.

Your success to form a good speech habit depends on why you do it, what you have to say, and how you are to say it. You need to understand that speech is designed for a purpose. Will you share an information or entertain people? Second, a popular saying goes, "You can't give what you don't have". The same applies in speaking.  To cite an example, devote time reading a topic and be knowledgeable on it. When you have it in your brain, it is easier to speak because you know what to say. Now, you can focus on the how. Read the text aloud and be conscious with your pronunciation. Have an honest assessment on which speech sounds are you struggling with. Pay attention if you are sounding flat or monotonous when reading. Use a mirror and take note of your voice, eye contact, and body language.

Another way is the use of technology. There are many informative sites that are free and all you have to do is include a speech time in your schedule. You can learn through English songs, daily news, and movies. It only takes 25 minutes from your busy schedule.

I had a student who loves to cook and she took that interest as an opportunity to learn English. She watched youtube videos and learned English terms in cooking. Not only did she learn English but she also enjoyed her new discoveries in cooking. What are your passions? Why not incorporate it in developing your speech routines?

2. Share your new speech habits.

Once you develop those habits, it is time to model them to others. If you have a younger sibling,volunteer to teach him/her English. You learn best when teaching. Another alternative is to have a friend whom you can speak English with. Both ways, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses. It is best done in a conversational manner wherein you are free to talk about anything. You will just realize how natural it is for you to use the English language. Consistency is the key!

3. Speak up to show your speech habits.

It is time to showcase what you have learned in any given speaking situations. If you are a student, try to involve yourself in a recitation. You can start with simple and concrete answers until you are confident to speak a sentence or two. If you are an employee, start engaging with people as conversation becomes light and spontaneous. On meetings, voice out if you agree or disagree on something until you can explain your side. Apply what you have learned from what you read and if you can say it confidently, the more chances you are to persuade them. Be sensitive to where you can harness this gift and do not hold back speaking. It won't hurt when you try!

Enrich your speech with good daily habits!

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The Sound of English

The art of speaking is all about mastering the language spirit. When a person speaks, most of the time we draw our ears to the music of his words rather than the structure of his sentence. The role of accent is undeniably important for us to communicate effectively. All accents are not bad; it is simply nonstandard to an average American. Do you want to sound more natural and relaxed like them? Take this as an adventure and let your mouth do the magic for you!

First let us learn that there are three components of accent: intonation, liaisons, and pronunciation.

Intonation is the high and low of speech music. It produces symphony in words and shows the mood in sentences. For example, "It looks like smoke" can mean introducing a new information or merely an opinion. When the word smoke is stressed, it gives a new knowledge to the listener; thus you can substitute any words prior to it and put emphasis on having smoke in a given situation. On the other hand, when the word looks is stressed it gives rise to an opinion or judgment. It's like saying, "It looks like smoke, but I'm not sure about it." See how everything changes as we raise the pitch in words.

Next is liaisons. It is simply the connection of words without necessarily saying every single word or letter. When articulating a word, it is the sound that matters and not how it is spelled. For instance, the phrases "work on and turn off" are pronounced as [wor kon] and [tur noff]. We say "Wouldn't you? and "Don't you know?" as [wooden chew] and [dont chew know]. Now try it yourself. Did you see the distinction?

And last is pronunciation. Sounds are produced in different locations of the mouth which could be forward or backward depending on the letters or diphthongs involved. The consonant "L" for example requires the tip of the tongue to touch the roof the mouth behind the teeth. The tongue should look very tensed and air comes out on its sides. Letter "R" on one hand, makes a distinctive sound in the throat. After saying "ah", that's the time the tongue curls up to produce "err" sound. Try to look at the mirror and exaggerate l and r first to make a better sound. But in order to enunciate words with clarity, warm up exercises are directed first to the facial muscles. They aid in alternating contraction and relaxation of the mouth. Some of the most common exercises are smiling, clenching of teeth, rolling of tongue, lip pursing, making "O", dropping of jaw and raising of eyebrows.

After knowing these 3 relevant concepts, it is never too late to repair your "fractured" speech or "decrepit" accent. Be thoroughly guided by the techniques that I'll be posting here and be very much willing to practice your speech on a regular basis. Claim for your new-found faith in English and start to act on it now!

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