AP2 LET’S GET PERSONAL (6-8 minutes)
ROAD TO RECOVERY
I’m sure many of us have read news stories about babies or young children going under the knife such as those born with a hole in the heart or conjoined twins having to be separated. Whenever I read or hear of such stories, I feel for the mothers. Because I myself have been through it.
It began in January 2007 when my younger son Jayden who was nine months old then came down with fever. I brought him to see the neighbourhood doctor Dr Leong who prescribed the usual fever syrup. His fever subsided after a few days but came back on and off a week later.
“Hmmm… this is not right,” my sister mused. “Something might be wrong. Better bring him for another check up,” she advised. My sister is four years my senior and a mother of two, so I definitely trusted her experience and instincts.
The next day I brought Jayden to see his paediatrician at Mount Alvernia Hospital. Dr Lee, a lady doctor and mother of three, suggested that we perform a urine test as fever could be a symptom of urinary tract infection, or UTI for short. The urine test results confirmed Jayden had UTI so he was put on antibiotics. Dr Lee mentioned that children with UTI can sometimes have other complications and recommended that further tests be done. I was not keen as firstly the tests are very expensive, secondly it can be rather invasive and thirdly, I was thinking, what only like 0.01 percent of children with UTI develop complications, how can we possibly be that unlucky?
A few weeks later I brought Jayden to see Dr Leong for an eye infection and mentioned his UTI problem. Dr Leong advised me to do further testing as every instance of UTI must be taken seriously.
That’s when I decided to do the test recommended by Dr Lee. It was called the micturating cysto-urethrogram test or MCUG for short. Jayden went for his first MCUG at MAH on 2 March 2007. First he was given sedation syrup as the test can only be carried out when the child is asleep. The procedure involves inserting a catheter through his penis into the bladder and then injecting a dye. X-rays are then taken to see if the dye moves up towards the kidney.
To our great horror, the MCUG test revealed that Jayden has vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR). This is a condition that causes urine to move backwards from the bladder, through one or both of the ureters up to the kidneys. Reflux is graded from 1 to 5 representing mild to moderate to severe cases. Unfortunately, Jayden had Grade V reflux and would need surgery to correct the problem causing the reflux, otherwise he would suffer kidney damage eventually.
When Dr Lee broke the news to us, I was devastated. What? My 9-month-old baby has to go under the knife? The thought was more than I could bear. Questions flooded my mind. Why? Why did this have to happen to Jayden? Was it something I had done wrong? Tears flowed down my cheeks as I grappled with the bad news.
My husband, the calm and rational one, meanwhile asked Dr Lee what we had to do next. She recommended a paediatric surgeon Dr Cheah from Gleneagles hospital who was experienced with urology cases. We met up with him and after viewing the x-rays and reports, Dr Cheah told us this was a congenital problem and had nothing to do with what we had or had not done. This assuaged my guilt somewhat. Then he went on to explain how the surgery for ureteral reimplantation would be carried out. It all sounded so complex to me! The most reassuring thing was that the surgery has a 95% chance of success.
With that, we arranged a date for surgery the following week and Jayden was admitted into MAH on 27 March 2007. It was the longest wait of our lives as my husband and I paced outside the operating theatre waiting for the operation to be over (like in the movies, you know). I believed I have never prayed more fervently than that moment in my life. When Jayden was wheeled out, his head was covered with a scarf and he looked completely dazed. I almost could not recognize him!
My poor baby had to be put on a drip and have a catheter attached to his wound to drain out the unwanted blood. It was a draining week staying in hospital with Jayden but each day when we saw progress in his health and well-being, our hearts rejoiced. Our family members and friends, even our church pastor came to visit us every day of the week. Many also expressed their concern and prayer support through SMSes. This show of love really uplifted us and kept us through the entire ordeal.
After the surgery, Jayden has to take antibiotics daily to prevent further urinary tract infection. He was scheduled for a post-op MCUG test 6 months later to determine if the reflux problem has been corrected. His second MCUG test again revealed Grade V reflux. We were stunned! Does that mean something went wrong during surgery? Even our paediatrician Dr Lee was puzzled.
We immediately made an appointment to see Jayden’s surgeon Dr Cheah. He explained that the muscles of the ureters needed time to become strong and given time, the reflux problem should resolve. Jayden was to continue with his antibiotics and go for another MCUG review in 4 months' time.
In February this year, Jayden was scheduled for his third MCUG test at Mount Alvernia Hospital (MAH). An anxious morning and $395 later, we received the good news - Jayden has no more reflux! Finally Jayden's problem of reflux has been resolved! We are so relieved and thankful. No more antibiotics, no more urine cultures, no more expensive MCUG tests! We have come to the end of the road of recovery.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
AP3 THE MORAL OF THE STORY
AP3 THE MORAL OF THE STORY (4-6 minutes)
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Adapted from ‘Encouraging Kelly’ by Seema Renee Gersten from Chicken Soup for the Soul
Shirley loved children and she taught a group of five-year-olds at a kindergarten. One morning during circle time, while Shirley and the children were in the middle of a rousing rendition of ‘Old MacDonald’, the door suddenly opened. A woman walked in and stood by the door to observe the children and Shirley. Shirley’s voice and smile never faltered, but she was feeling nervous. Who is this woman? Why is she here? Shirley wondered. When she looked up again, she was gone.
The rest of the day went well, but by the time the last child was gone, Shirley felt physically and emotionally drained. There was nothing she wanted more than to get home and soak in a bath. Then her principal came in and asked to see her at the office before she left.
All kinds of negative thoughts raced through her mind. Have I done something wrong? Did it have something to do with the woman in my classroom earlier? By the time Shirley reached the office, she was a nervous wreck. She sat perched at the edge of her seat, her heart pounding furiously. The principal told her that the woman was a potential parent of the school and wanted to find out if her daughter would be able to fit into a regular classroom. Her little daughter was born with a birth defect that required her to wear leg braces from the knees. Her balance was poor and she was prone to topple so she would need the teacher to carry her to the playground. The other children would have to be careful when walking near her so as not to cause her to fall accidentally.
The principal then asked how Shirley felt about the girl joining her class. She was stunned. Here she was wondering how she could possibly survive one school year with 12 active five-year-olds and now she was being asked to take on a child with special needs. Not having the heart to say no, Shirley said she would accept the child on a trial basis.
The next morning, while Shirley and the children were having circle time, the door opened and the woman came in carrying her child. She introduced herself as Grace’s mother and gingerly placed her girl at the edge of the carpet. Shirley looked at Grace and said, “Welcome to our class. We are very happy to have you.” Grace smiled back shyly.
The first day went really well. Grace only fell over twice. After several days of carrying Grace to and from the playground, Shirley thought, ‘Why not encourage her to try walking along the hallway for just a bit?’ She asked Grace if she would like to try it and Grace said yes eagerly.
The next day, Shirley sent the children out to the playground with two assistants, and Grace began her first journey down the hallway. She walked all the way to the next classroom, a total of ten feet. Shirley and Grace were both thrilled. But Shirley’s assistants were shocked that she was making the poor girl walk. They thought it was better off to carry Grace to the playground where she could see the other children run and play. But Grace was persistent and keen to try.
And so Shirley and Grace began the strenuous task of walking daily down the hall. On a few occasions, Grace would teeter precariously to her right but each time Shirley reached out for help her regain her balance, she would giggle and say not to worry, she’s perfectly alright. As the days passed, Grace made good progress. Soon her classmates noticed what they were doing and began to cheer Grace as she plodded along. After two months of practice, Grace finally walked all the way to the playground by herself. She broke into a big smile as her classmates came to congratulate her with pats on the back and warm hugs.
Weeks passed and Grace continued to walk to the playground by herself every single day. She became more independent and did not have to be carried that much any more. However, one week in mid-December, Grace was absent for a few days. Shirley called her home and found out that Grace was getting her annual check-up with her doctors. On Monday morning, when Grace’s mother brought her back to school, she asked Shirley if she had been doing anything different with Grace. Shirley wasn’t quite sure what she meant. Then came the dreaded question: “Have you been forcing Grace to walk?”
Shirley was dumbfounded. Maybe she shouldn’t have encouraged Grace to walk to the playground every day. Maybe she had caused permanent damage to her weakened legs. She very softly told Grace’s mom that she had encouraged Grace to walk outside to the playground by herself as Grace was keen to try it. The mother gently lifted Grace’s dress to show Shirley that Grace’s knee braces had been replaced with ankle braces.
“Her legs have gotten more exercise in the past few months than in the past five years of her life.” Grace’s mother said with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you have done for my daughter.”
Grace’s story has taught me that no obstacle in life is too big to overcome. Sometimes we just need a little encouragement and help, and most times, you just have to work at it – one step at a time.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Adapted from ‘Encouraging Kelly’ by Seema Renee Gersten from Chicken Soup for the Soul
Shirley loved children and she taught a group of five-year-olds at a kindergarten. One morning during circle time, while Shirley and the children were in the middle of a rousing rendition of ‘Old MacDonald’, the door suddenly opened. A woman walked in and stood by the door to observe the children and Shirley. Shirley’s voice and smile never faltered, but she was feeling nervous. Who is this woman? Why is she here? Shirley wondered. When she looked up again, she was gone.
The rest of the day went well, but by the time the last child was gone, Shirley felt physically and emotionally drained. There was nothing she wanted more than to get home and soak in a bath. Then her principal came in and asked to see her at the office before she left.
All kinds of negative thoughts raced through her mind. Have I done something wrong? Did it have something to do with the woman in my classroom earlier? By the time Shirley reached the office, she was a nervous wreck. She sat perched at the edge of her seat, her heart pounding furiously. The principal told her that the woman was a potential parent of the school and wanted to find out if her daughter would be able to fit into a regular classroom. Her little daughter was born with a birth defect that required her to wear leg braces from the knees. Her balance was poor and she was prone to topple so she would need the teacher to carry her to the playground. The other children would have to be careful when walking near her so as not to cause her to fall accidentally.
The principal then asked how Shirley felt about the girl joining her class. She was stunned. Here she was wondering how she could possibly survive one school year with 12 active five-year-olds and now she was being asked to take on a child with special needs. Not having the heart to say no, Shirley said she would accept the child on a trial basis.
The next morning, while Shirley and the children were having circle time, the door opened and the woman came in carrying her child. She introduced herself as Grace’s mother and gingerly placed her girl at the edge of the carpet. Shirley looked at Grace and said, “Welcome to our class. We are very happy to have you.” Grace smiled back shyly.
The first day went really well. Grace only fell over twice. After several days of carrying Grace to and from the playground, Shirley thought, ‘Why not encourage her to try walking along the hallway for just a bit?’ She asked Grace if she would like to try it and Grace said yes eagerly.
The next day, Shirley sent the children out to the playground with two assistants, and Grace began her first journey down the hallway. She walked all the way to the next classroom, a total of ten feet. Shirley and Grace were both thrilled. But Shirley’s assistants were shocked that she was making the poor girl walk. They thought it was better off to carry Grace to the playground where she could see the other children run and play. But Grace was persistent and keen to try.
And so Shirley and Grace began the strenuous task of walking daily down the hall. On a few occasions, Grace would teeter precariously to her right but each time Shirley reached out for help her regain her balance, she would giggle and say not to worry, she’s perfectly alright. As the days passed, Grace made good progress. Soon her classmates noticed what they were doing and began to cheer Grace as she plodded along. After two months of practice, Grace finally walked all the way to the playground by herself. She broke into a big smile as her classmates came to congratulate her with pats on the back and warm hugs.
Weeks passed and Grace continued to walk to the playground by herself every single day. She became more independent and did not have to be carried that much any more. However, one week in mid-December, Grace was absent for a few days. Shirley called her home and found out that Grace was getting her annual check-up with her doctors. On Monday morning, when Grace’s mother brought her back to school, she asked Shirley if she had been doing anything different with Grace. Shirley wasn’t quite sure what she meant. Then came the dreaded question: “Have you been forcing Grace to walk?”
Shirley was dumbfounded. Maybe she shouldn’t have encouraged Grace to walk to the playground every day. Maybe she had caused permanent damage to her weakened legs. She very softly told Grace’s mom that she had encouraged Grace to walk outside to the playground by herself as Grace was keen to try it. The mother gently lifted Grace’s dress to show Shirley that Grace’s knee braces had been replaced with ankle braces.
“Her legs have gotten more exercise in the past few months than in the past five years of her life.” Grace’s mother said with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you have done for my daughter.”
Grace’s story has taught me that no obstacle in life is too big to overcome. Sometimes we just need a little encouragement and help, and most times, you just have to work at it – one step at a time.
AP4 THE TOUCHING STORY
The Touching Story (6-8 minutes)
Objectives:
(1) To understand the techniques available to arouse emotion.
(2) To become skilled in arousing emotions while telling a story.
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THE BABY THAT NEVER WAS
“Ahhhhh!” I let out a cry that sent my husband scurrying to the toilet to find out what the commotion was about. I thrust the test stick at him and glared accusingly, “Look, positive. That means I’m pregnant! It’s all your fault!” With that, I broke into hysterical sobs.
We had not planned for another baby. It was an accident. How could I possibly cope with 3 kids? The thought of having another baby was simply overwhelming. I would have to buy or borrow maternity clothes, baby apparel, baby cot and all kinds of baby accessories again – things which I had readily and happily given away after the birth of my second child.
Then I also realized, to my great dismay and distress, that I wouldn’t be able to attend the toastmasters convention in Hong Kong in May as I would be 5 months pregnant by then. I would not be able to attend toastmaster meetings for at least a year, nor can I become the next President of Katong Toastmasters Club.
All these worries, big and small, real and imagined, flitted through my mind, sending me spiraling into the deep, dark abyss of depression. A forbidden thought crossed my mind – maybe I should abort the baby. Maybe I could use Traditional Chinese Medicinal methods like Chinese herbal concoctions or acupuncture to abort the baby.
Just as quickly as the thought crossed my mind, my conscience squashed it. How could I murder my own child? How could I even entertain such a thought?
Even if this pregnancy was unplanned for, God must have allowed it to happen for a purpose. No, I must respect the seed of life in my womb. I must nurture it, care for it, and love it. It’s my own flesh and blood! I recalled a saying a friend once shared with me: “Pray not that things will be easier, pray that you will be stronger!” With that, I determined that I would keep the baby and learn to cope somehow.
At my first prenatal check-up, my gynaecologist Dr Esther Ng cheerfully congratulated us and explained the mysterious sightings on the ultrasound screen: “This is the baby’s head, this is the baby’s body and look here, this is the baby’s heart beating away!” This tiny black blot of mass was actually my baby! I was so overwhelmed with emotions that tears just started flowing down my cheeks. Dr Ng was startled. “Oh dear, are you alright? Was it something I said?” I could only shake my head as I was too choked up to speak.
The days that followed were filled with fatigue as I had to work every day, care for my 2 hyperactive 3 and 6 year old boys, and attend lessons 4 nights a week for a part-time course. And for some strange reason, my younger boy Jayden was suddenly sticking to me like glue and insisting that I carry him wherever we went. That really put a strain on me.
One Sunday evening, while I was out shopping with my 16-year-old niece, we chanced upon an OSIM machine called the u robic which was supposed to help you slim your bottom and thighs. My niece was very excited and told me to ask for the price. It was one of those vibrating seats that you sit on and hang on for dear life hoping you don’t get thrown off. Out of curiosity, I sat on the machine to try it out.
That very night, I had spotting. Blood! An unwelcome sight in pregnancy. It wasn’t bright red blood, only a faint, pinkish smear. Nevertheless, it sent a shiver of fear down my spine. The very next day, I went to see Dr Ng for a checkup. I told her about the spotting and the slimming machine adventure. She chided me for using the machine as the vibrations could affect the baby. By now I was getting very worried.
As Dr Ng scanned my uterus, I could see her brows knitted together in concentration. Something seemed amiss. Finally, she said, “I can’t find baby’s heartbeat.” I almost stopped breathing. “Does that mean baby is dead?” I whispered, fearing the worse. Dr Ng did not reply, instead, she suggested that I go for another round of ultrasound examination at the hospital’s x-ray department. So for the next few hours, I waited, did the scan, and went back to Dr Ng’s clinic for the verdict. There was no escaping the truth: the baby had miscarried.
Dr Ng was quick to reassure me that it was NOT because of anything I had done or had not done that caused the miscarriage. Sometimes miscarriages happen because the sperm or egg that made the foetus was not of good quality to begin with. She told me to make an appointment for an evacuation of the uterus at the hospital on either Tuesday or Wednesday. I just nodded dumbly.
That very night, I had the worst stomach cramps in my life. How come no one warned me it would be this painful? I called Dr Ng’s emergency number and asked her if I should be warded immediately. She told me it would cost more to be warded at night and sometimes, patients wait out and miscarry naturally before going to the clinic for clean up. The extra cost of hospitalization deterred me from going into the hospital immediately. I stoically decided to bear the pain through the night before going to hospital the next day.
Clutching a pillow to my tummy, I sat on the toilet bowl and let myself bleed. The profuse bleeding did not let up til 3 hours later. I wondered if I was flushing my dead baby down the toilet bowl. It was a disconcerting thought.
The next day on 17 February, I went to Mt Alvernia Hospital for evacuation of the uterus. It was a procedure carried out under general anaesthesia. The anaesthetician inflicted more pain in my hand than my baby did trying to get out. When it was all over, I woke up in a daze. All that was left was a hollow feeling inside me.
When the women in my family got together to discuss why the miscarriage had happened, my mother blamed it on the fengshui in the house. Why did we go and buy new furniture? My sister said I was carrying my 3-yr-old son too much. But in my heart of hearts, I knew the answer. The baby did not want me, because I did not want it in the first place.
Objectives:
(1) To understand the techniques available to arouse emotion.
(2) To become skilled in arousing emotions while telling a story.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BABY THAT NEVER WAS
“Ahhhhh!” I let out a cry that sent my husband scurrying to the toilet to find out what the commotion was about. I thrust the test stick at him and glared accusingly, “Look, positive. That means I’m pregnant! It’s all your fault!” With that, I broke into hysterical sobs.
We had not planned for another baby. It was an accident. How could I possibly cope with 3 kids? The thought of having another baby was simply overwhelming. I would have to buy or borrow maternity clothes, baby apparel, baby cot and all kinds of baby accessories again – things which I had readily and happily given away after the birth of my second child.
Then I also realized, to my great dismay and distress, that I wouldn’t be able to attend the toastmasters convention in Hong Kong in May as I would be 5 months pregnant by then. I would not be able to attend toastmaster meetings for at least a year, nor can I become the next President of Katong Toastmasters Club.
All these worries, big and small, real and imagined, flitted through my mind, sending me spiraling into the deep, dark abyss of depression. A forbidden thought crossed my mind – maybe I should abort the baby. Maybe I could use Traditional Chinese Medicinal methods like Chinese herbal concoctions or acupuncture to abort the baby.
Just as quickly as the thought crossed my mind, my conscience squashed it. How could I murder my own child? How could I even entertain such a thought?
Even if this pregnancy was unplanned for, God must have allowed it to happen for a purpose. No, I must respect the seed of life in my womb. I must nurture it, care for it, and love it. It’s my own flesh and blood! I recalled a saying a friend once shared with me: “Pray not that things will be easier, pray that you will be stronger!” With that, I determined that I would keep the baby and learn to cope somehow.
At my first prenatal check-up, my gynaecologist Dr Esther Ng cheerfully congratulated us and explained the mysterious sightings on the ultrasound screen: “This is the baby’s head, this is the baby’s body and look here, this is the baby’s heart beating away!” This tiny black blot of mass was actually my baby! I was so overwhelmed with emotions that tears just started flowing down my cheeks. Dr Ng was startled. “Oh dear, are you alright? Was it something I said?” I could only shake my head as I was too choked up to speak.
The days that followed were filled with fatigue as I had to work every day, care for my 2 hyperactive 3 and 6 year old boys, and attend lessons 4 nights a week for a part-time course. And for some strange reason, my younger boy Jayden was suddenly sticking to me like glue and insisting that I carry him wherever we went. That really put a strain on me.
One Sunday evening, while I was out shopping with my 16-year-old niece, we chanced upon an OSIM machine called the u robic which was supposed to help you slim your bottom and thighs. My niece was very excited and told me to ask for the price. It was one of those vibrating seats that you sit on and hang on for dear life hoping you don’t get thrown off. Out of curiosity, I sat on the machine to try it out.
That very night, I had spotting. Blood! An unwelcome sight in pregnancy. It wasn’t bright red blood, only a faint, pinkish smear. Nevertheless, it sent a shiver of fear down my spine. The very next day, I went to see Dr Ng for a checkup. I told her about the spotting and the slimming machine adventure. She chided me for using the machine as the vibrations could affect the baby. By now I was getting very worried.
As Dr Ng scanned my uterus, I could see her brows knitted together in concentration. Something seemed amiss. Finally, she said, “I can’t find baby’s heartbeat.” I almost stopped breathing. “Does that mean baby is dead?” I whispered, fearing the worse. Dr Ng did not reply, instead, she suggested that I go for another round of ultrasound examination at the hospital’s x-ray department. So for the next few hours, I waited, did the scan, and went back to Dr Ng’s clinic for the verdict. There was no escaping the truth: the baby had miscarried.
Dr Ng was quick to reassure me that it was NOT because of anything I had done or had not done that caused the miscarriage. Sometimes miscarriages happen because the sperm or egg that made the foetus was not of good quality to begin with. She told me to make an appointment for an evacuation of the uterus at the hospital on either Tuesday or Wednesday. I just nodded dumbly.
That very night, I had the worst stomach cramps in my life. How come no one warned me it would be this painful? I called Dr Ng’s emergency number and asked her if I should be warded immediately. She told me it would cost more to be warded at night and sometimes, patients wait out and miscarry naturally before going to the clinic for clean up. The extra cost of hospitalization deterred me from going into the hospital immediately. I stoically decided to bear the pain through the night before going to hospital the next day.
Clutching a pillow to my tummy, I sat on the toilet bowl and let myself bleed. The profuse bleeding did not let up til 3 hours later. I wondered if I was flushing my dead baby down the toilet bowl. It was a disconcerting thought.
The next day on 17 February, I went to Mt Alvernia Hospital for evacuation of the uterus. It was a procedure carried out under general anaesthesia. The anaesthetician inflicted more pain in my hand than my baby did trying to get out. When it was all over, I woke up in a daze. All that was left was a hollow feeling inside me.
When the women in my family got together to discuss why the miscarriage had happened, my mother blamed it on the fengshui in the house. Why did we go and buy new furniture? My sister said I was carrying my 3-yr-old son too much. But in my heart of hearts, I knew the answer. The baby did not want me, because I did not want it in the first place.
Opening Address Feb 2010
ALWAYS GROW GOOD CORN
I once read this story shared by DTM Aziz Mustajab.
"A Nebraska farmer grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and discovered to his great surprise that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why, sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of the corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour's corn also improves.
So it is in Toastmasters. Those who choose to be successful must help their fellow Toastmasters to succeed. Those who choose to grow and develop must help others to grow and develop. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all."
May we always help each other grow, develop and succeed in our quest for self-actualization. Here's wishing all of you a roaring year of the Tiger.
I once read this story shared by DTM Aziz Mustajab.
"A Nebraska farmer grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and discovered to his great surprise that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why, sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of the corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour's corn also improves.
So it is in Toastmasters. Those who choose to be successful must help their fellow Toastmasters to succeed. Those who choose to grow and develop must help others to grow and develop. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all."
May we always help each other grow, develop and succeed in our quest for self-actualization. Here's wishing all of you a roaring year of the Tiger.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Art of Language Evaluation
"Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides." Rita Mae Brown
Most Toastmasters I know react with fear and trepidation when called upon to perform the role of Language Evaluator (LE). Why? They deem themselves inadequate to evaluate others' use of language. But as with everything else, practice makes better. The more you practice the art of language evaluation, the better you will become.
Why become an LE?
As a language evaluator, you will learn the invaluable skills of listening (Project 1), critical thinking (Project 2), giving feedback (Project 3) and time management (Project 4), as outlined in the Competent Leader (CL) Manual. Those embarking on the CL program will be required to take on the role of LE at least once.
What is the purpose of LE? The purpose of LE is threefold: to
expand - members' vocabulary through "Word of the Day";
commend - good usage of the English language; and
recommend - alternatives to incorrect usage of the English language.
Page 72 in the CL manual gives a good guide to the role of a language evaluator. What I would like to share are the dos and don'ts based on my experiences as an LE.
Dos
1. Listen carefully while taking notes. If you miss out something, leave it instead of fretting over it.
2. Instead of using an A4 sheet of paper for taking notes, I prefer to use smaller pieces of paper (notepad size), one or more for each category. This way I can organise my points easily and present more efficiently with palm-sized notes.
3. Point out impressive or impeccable use of the language. Highlight rhetorical devices such as alliteration, metaphors and triads that other speakers can incorporate in their speeches.
4. Only comment on what you are confident about. If, let's say, pronunciation is not your forte, then don't comment on mispronounced words. If you're not sure about a certain word, check the dictionary or leave it. Check it up for next time.
5. Explain how you will categorise your evaluation (e.g. First, I will comment on the use of the "word of the day", then present some recommendations followed by commendations.) That makes it easier for the audience to follow your presentation.
6. Remind the timer to give you the timing sequence (typically it's green at 8 min, amber at 9 min and red at 10 min). Many beginning LEs make the mistake of going overtime.
Donts
1. Don't read out a whole long list of examples for a category. For example, if you had noted 10 examples of alliteration, choose only 3-4 of the more outstanding ones to highlight. Incidental examples of alliteration such as 'sixty-six' are best left out.
2. Don't assume your audience knows what terms like 'alliteration', 'metaphors' and 'triads' mean. Explain their meaning and significance before giving the examples.
3. Don't focus so much on recommendations that you have no time left for commendations, or vice versa. A language evaluation should be balanced and provide learning points from both the correct and incorrect use of the language by speakers.
4. Don't name names for negative examples (e.g. Mary mispronounced the word 'rendezvous''.) unless you know the speaker well. Some speakers may take offence.
There are probably more dos and don'ts other experienced LEs will add to this list. You will too, as you gain more experience. To leave a good impression, always end off your LE on a positive note, either with a quotation you have prepared beforehand or with a statement gleaned from one of the speakers.
My favourite closing: "May we all learn to live well and live to learn well."
Most Toastmasters I know react with fear and trepidation when called upon to perform the role of Language Evaluator (LE). Why? They deem themselves inadequate to evaluate others' use of language. But as with everything else, practice makes better. The more you practice the art of language evaluation, the better you will become.
Why become an LE?
As a language evaluator, you will learn the invaluable skills of listening (Project 1), critical thinking (Project 2), giving feedback (Project 3) and time management (Project 4), as outlined in the Competent Leader (CL) Manual. Those embarking on the CL program will be required to take on the role of LE at least once.
What is the purpose of LE? The purpose of LE is threefold: to
expand - members' vocabulary through "Word of the Day";
commend - good usage of the English language; and
recommend - alternatives to incorrect usage of the English language.
Page 72 in the CL manual gives a good guide to the role of a language evaluator. What I would like to share are the dos and don'ts based on my experiences as an LE.
Dos
1. Listen carefully while taking notes. If you miss out something, leave it instead of fretting over it.
2. Instead of using an A4 sheet of paper for taking notes, I prefer to use smaller pieces of paper (notepad size), one or more for each category. This way I can organise my points easily and present more efficiently with palm-sized notes.
3. Point out impressive or impeccable use of the language. Highlight rhetorical devices such as alliteration, metaphors and triads that other speakers can incorporate in their speeches.
4. Only comment on what you are confident about. If, let's say, pronunciation is not your forte, then don't comment on mispronounced words. If you're not sure about a certain word, check the dictionary or leave it. Check it up for next time.
5. Explain how you will categorise your evaluation (e.g. First, I will comment on the use of the "word of the day", then present some recommendations followed by commendations.) That makes it easier for the audience to follow your presentation.
6. Remind the timer to give you the timing sequence (typically it's green at 8 min, amber at 9 min and red at 10 min). Many beginning LEs make the mistake of going overtime.
Donts
1. Don't read out a whole long list of examples for a category. For example, if you had noted 10 examples of alliteration, choose only 3-4 of the more outstanding ones to highlight. Incidental examples of alliteration such as 'sixty-six' are best left out.
2. Don't assume your audience knows what terms like 'alliteration', 'metaphors' and 'triads' mean. Explain their meaning and significance before giving the examples.
3. Don't focus so much on recommendations that you have no time left for commendations, or vice versa. A language evaluation should be balanced and provide learning points from both the correct and incorrect use of the language by speakers.
4. Don't name names for negative examples (e.g. Mary mispronounced the word 'rendezvous''.) unless you know the speaker well. Some speakers may take offence.
There are probably more dos and don'ts other experienced LEs will add to this list. You will too, as you gain more experience. To leave a good impression, always end off your LE on a positive note, either with a quotation you have prepared beforehand or with a statement gleaned from one of the speakers.
My favourite closing: "May we all learn to live well and live to learn well."
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