LE @ Duxton TMC 23 Nov 2016

I used Powerpoint to present my Language Evaluation at Duxton Toastmasters Club yesterday. It is an alternative to the usual oral presentation. I believe it will greatly benefit learners who prefer the visual learning style.

The Language Evaluation is divided into three segments:

1.  Word of the Day - those who used it
2.  Brickbats - mistakes and how we can correct them
3.  Bouquets - beautiful use of the language for us to emulate

1. WORD OF THE DAY

galvanise (verb)

I hope this workshop will galvanise you to take on the LE role (Marshall)

To learn words like “galvanise” (Michelle)

Suddenly he was galvanised to share with his son’s teacher (Kelvin)

I am here to galvanise you to learn Dutch (Marcel)

He galvanised all his thoughts (Hock Seng)

(Better: He was galvanised to share his thoughts.) 

2. BRICKBATS

Grammar

•Someone that understands me (Someone who understands me)

•How did it goes? (How did it go?)

•My best friend decide to say (decided)

•I didn’t had a friend (I didn't have a friend)

•All the vulgarity came out. (vulgarities)

•Just for one mobile devices (device)

Vocabulary

•Welcome to Toastmasters (Welcome to Duxton Toastmasters Club)

•I will start the Toastmasters now (I will start the meeting now)

•He has visited more than 135 Toastmasters in Singapore (more than 135 Toastmasters clubs in Singapore)

•Because of you guys / most of you guys (Because of you / most of the members)

•They offered me smoke (They offered me a smoke/ They offered me a cigarette)

•He killed me one day (He punished me severely)

•I still kind of like help out at the club (I still help out at the club)

•Oh shucks (avoid saying this)

•He spazzed (?) (no such word) (He convulsed)

•Oh shit! (avoid saying this)

•Thank you for listening to me speech. (Thank you for listening to my speech)

•I work in Co. as a customer service (as a customer service officer/executive)

•Ponteng school (I used to play truant)

Sentence structure

•When we pass over the stage (When we hand over control of the stage)

•Green light will be 5 minutes, yellow light will be 6 minutes and red light will be 7 minutes (The green light will be shown at the 5-minute mark, the yellow light at the 6-minute mark and the red light at the 7-minute mark)

•Behind the toilet in the closed door (behind the closed door in the toilet)

•You grabbed the attention of all the audiences (You grabbed the attention of everyone in the audience)

Pronunciation

•Thing / third time (make sure 'th' is sounded with tongue between your teeth)

•Kinesthetic (can also be pronounced as [kin-uhs-thet-ik] )

•guests (watch the consonant cluster 'sts')

3. BOUQUETS

Alliteration

(the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words)

•Cut out a lot of clutter

•Exposed to many experienced speakers

•Strong, silent type

•Edwin and Edward (add on Edison)

•Was the purpose clear, concise?

•Preparation and practice

Triads

(a group of three related things or words)

•You will be energised by the movement of your tendons, joints and muscles.

•You have to pet it, clean it, charge it.

•He’s reserved, quiet and a bit of an introvert.

•He was clear, audible and well-paced.

•Good, better, best

•Smooth, fluid and spontaneous

Parallel structure

(repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage)

•Speak to your audience, speak with your audience

Contrast

(emphasis of difference by comparision of opposite things, qualities etc)

•You can buy in any language but you can only sell in the language of the customer.

Personification

(The attribution of human characteristics to something non-human)

•He had muscle spasms

•He went to sleep.

•He was locked up in jail. 

(All referring to the speaker's mobile phone)

TOP TEN TIPS OF EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE EVALUATION

I first presented this workshop at Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club in November 2015 and another time at Tampines Changkat Advanced Toastmasters Club in December 2015.

Last night, I had the privilege of presenting it again at Duxton Toastmasters Club. I was given 45 minutes for the presentation but completed it in something like 20 minutes! I must have been speaking very fast. I need to learn to slow down.

First I set some ground rules for the participants.

Ground rules:

Listen attentively 

Take notes meticulously 

Participate actively

These are my TOP TEN TIPS for effective Language Evaluation. 

#1 Prepare your LE kit

Pen / paper / highlighter

Clipboard

White board marker

Fully charged phone to access online resources

#2 Prepare WOTD

Show the word, read it and give its function

Explain the meaning (s) of the word

Give some examples 

Eg. galvanise (verb)

To cause someone to suddenly take action, especially by shocking or exciting them in some way

Western charities were galvanised by TV pictures of starving children.

The prospect of his mother coming to stay galvanised him into action and he started cleaning the house.

#3 Organise your space

Decide on format:

Chronological vs topical

Lists vs mind map

#4 Decide on language categories

Brickbats:

Grammar, vocabulary , sentence structure 

Pronunciation

Bouquets: 

Alliteration, metaphor, similes, triads

Parallel structure,  contrast, rhyme, puns

#5 Write quickly and legibly 

Use notations or different colours

Use short forms or abbreviations

#6 Check or let it go?

If you can, use these resources to check any doubts you may have:

Dictionary.com & Thesaurus 

Google 

Speaker

If all else fail, let it go. 

#7 Select examples

For each category, explain the rhetorical device

Include 2-5 examples (or more if time permits)

#8 LE speech organisation

Three sections

1. WOTD
2. Brickbats
3. Bouquets

#9  Be positive, end positively

Avoid naming and shaming

Avoid coming across as arrogant

End with an inspiring message or quote

#10 Expand your expertise

Experiment with new ways of presenting

Read widely and collect rhetorical devices

Have a love affair with words

"You don't have to be great to start,

but you have to start to be great."

- Zig Ziglar

LE @ KATONG TMC 20 Oct 2016

BRICKBATS

Grammar
1. I look forward for it. => I look forward to it.

2. All the Muslims was shouting. => All the Muslims were shouting.

3. She don't just score A... => She doesn't just score A...


Vocabulary
1. I hope I justify => I hope I will do justice to it.

2. there was shouting out of sudden => there was shouting all of a sudden

3. the ghost did not get into the body => the ghost did not possess the body

4. something wrong with their mosque => something bad had happened at the mosque

5. He has already captured us => He has already captured our attention

6. Keep us all in suspension => Keep us all in suspense.


Pronunciation (from Dictionary.com)

1. To everyone present here [prez-uh nt] 

2. atmosphere [at-muh s-feer] 

3. enthusiasm [en-thoo-zee-az-uh m] 

4. chronological [kron-l-oj-i-kuh l] 

5. presentation [prez-uh n-tey-shuh n] 

6. analogy [uh-nal-uh-jee] 

7. years [yeers] 


BOUQUETS

Alliteration
1. wonderful world of magic
2. Words win wars
3. cleverly and cunningly

Simile
old and tattered like a grandfather or grandmother

Metaphors
1.  You are code
2. There is magic in words
3. How did she nail it?

Contrast
1. not too hard, not too soft
2. Books don't die, books live on.

Rhyme
1. melodic and poetic
2. accentuate, articulate and elevate (also a triad)
3. structure, offer and deliver (also a triad)

Parallel structure
You can go anywhere, learn anything

Vocabulary
1. demystify technology (= to rid of obscurity, clarify)
2. inundate us with rhetorical devices (= to overwhelm)

P2 APPLES OF GOLD

A University of Arizona study found that most people speak around 16.000 words in a day. However, only about 500-700 words are of actual value. The bible in Proverbs tells us that "a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." ( Proverbs 25:1 ) What a beautiful description!  When we say something fitting, it is precious and beautiful to behold, like apples of gold.

Another proverb says "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24 NKJV). Isn't that amazing? Not only are pleasant words beautiful, they are good for our physical and emotional health. So this begs the question... how often do we use pleasant words? 

I would like to share with you three kinds of pleasant words that we can use in our daily lives to bring beauty and health to ourselves and others. And they all begin with the letter A.

The first kind of pleasant words are words of appreciation. We can show appreciation by saying thank you to all the things that others do for us.  You know how as parents we always make such a big deal about our children saying thank you. This is one of the first things we teach them from young. But as we get older, we seem to forget the importance of saying thank you. Do you thank your wife for cooking for you? Do you thank your husband for giving you a ride to work? Do you thank your children when they help you with chores? These are things we often take for granted. I know I did.

Once after a Toastmasters meeting, I told my fellow club member that my husband will be coming to pick me up. She exclaimed, "Wa! Your husband is so sweet!" I was like... "sweet meh?" In my mind, I was thinking, isn't that what a husband is expected to do? She corrected my erroneous thinking by saying, "Well, my husband would never pick me up cos he would be too tired." So that night, when my husband came to pick me up, I gave him a big kiss and said very sweetly, "Thank you so much for coming to pick me!" I could see that it made him very happy to be appreciated. So from then on, I always made it a point to thank him whenever he gave me a ride.

We can even extend our words of appreciation to strangers. Whenever I am at a food court or hawker centre, I would make it a point to thank the aunties or uncles who come to clear the dirty plates and wipe the table. Most people treat them like they're invisible, but when I take time to acknowledge and appreciate them, I can see that it puts a smile on their faces.

The second kind of pleasant words are words of approval.   To approve is to regard as good, to commend, to be pleased with. In a Chinese culture like the one I grew up in, you do NOT get approval for what you do right, only disapproval for what you do wrong. I grew up thinking I was stupid because I got called that a lot whenever I made a mistake.  When I joined Toastmasters, I became addicted to it because I got so much approval here, in the form of winning ribbons, speech contests, and praises from fellow members. It did wonders for my ego! In the past I struggled with inferiority complex; now I have to deal with my superiority complex. 

Once my son came home with 99 marks for a Math test. I was delighted with his performance and commended him for doing well. But his father asked him, "Why so careless? You lost 1 mark for carelessness!" That is a classic example of disapproval. Just two days ago, my son came home and happily announced that he only had 4 mistakes out of 20 MCQs for his Science test. I was very pleased with him but his father said 4 mistakes is unacceptable! You must aim for full marks for MCQs! My poor son was very upset.

When we nitpick and show disapproval constantly, it brings hurt and poisons the relationship. Words of approval are so crucial for us to appreciate others' efforts and accomplishments. The next time your spouse, child or colleague does something well, be sure to shower them with words of approval like Good job! Well done! You are totally awesome!

The third kind of pleasant words are words of affirmation. To affirm is to support or encourage.    Approval is based on what we do. Affirmation is based on who we are. Sometimes we may express doubt or insecurity about our own abilities, that is when we need affirmation the most. I remember when I first contemplated signing up for a 5km run, my friend Geri told me to go for it. You can do this! Her words of affirmation gave me the motivation to sign up and train hard for the run to prove that she is right.

Whenever club members express doubt about taking up a new role, or joining a contest, I would encourage them to just do it and share with them tips for handling the role. Once you show that you believe in them, they will believe in themselves. Words of affirmation are so crucial to build up someone's confidence and belief in themselves.

We can give out apples of gold every day in the form of words of appreciation, words of approval and words of affirmation. They don't need to be lengthy or eloquent, just sincere and from the heart. By speaking pleasant words, we bring sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Not only that, we create something precious, like apples of gold in settings of silver.

NOTE:

P2 Organise Your Speech (5-7 mins)

Objectives:

• Select an appropriate outline which allows listeners to easily follow and understand your speech
• Make your message clear, with supporting material directly contributing to that message
• Use appropriate transitions when moving from one idea to another
• Create a strong opening and conclusion

3 TIPS ON CREATING ALLITERATIVE RHYMES

Alliteration refers to the repetition of the beginning sounds of words, as in "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" and "the fickle finger of fate" (Dictionary.com).

Rhyme refers to the correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, for example, "balloon" rhymes with "moon", "light" rhymes with "right".

When you put two or more words that begin with the same sound and end with the same vowel sounds, you get an alliterative rhyme, for example, "pleasure and pressure".

To create alliterative rhyme with ease, it will be helpful to understand suffixes, which are word endings that add a certain meaning to the word. For example, the suffix "-able" means 'able to be' and can be added to form words such as "excitable", "portable", "preventable".
(For more examples, click here) 

Such suffixes can be divided into two categories, those that change the word form (eg. from nouns into verbs) and those that don't. Here is a useful list of suffixes from Wikepedia

• -ise/-ize (usually changes nouns into verbs)
• -fy (usually changes nouns into verbs)
• -ly (usually changes adjectives into adverbs)
• -ful (usually changes nouns into adjectives)
• -able/-ible (usually changes verbs into adjectives)
• -hood (usually class-maintaining, with the word class remaining a noun)
• -ess (usually class-maintaining, with the word class remaining a noun)
• -ness (usually changes adjectives into nouns)
• -less (usually changes nouns into adjectives)
• -ism (usually class-maintaining, with the word class remaining a noun)
• -ment (usually changes verbs into nouns)
• -ist (usually class-maintaining, with the word class remaining a noun)
• -al (usually changes nouns into adjectives)
• -ish (usually changes nouns into adjectives/ class-maintaining, with the word class remaining an adjective)
• -tion (usually changes verbs into noun)
• -logy/-ology (usually class-maintaining, with the word class remaining a noun)

By making use of our knowledge of suffixes, we can easily create alliterative rhymes.

Here are 3 tips to creating alliterative rhymes.

1. Verbs + verbs
Put two 'ing' verbs together that begin with the same sound. 

Here are some examples:
striving and suffering for Christ
Puffing and panting
Moaning and muttering
Singing and smiling
Twisting and twirling
Whispering, whimpering

2. Adjective + adjective
Pair two adjectives that begin with the same sound and end with the same suffix to describe a noun.

Here are some examples: 
Beautiful and bountiful blessings
Faithful and fruitful servants of God
Grumpy and grouchy
Happy and healthy
Hapless and helpless
Sickening and saddening
Steadier and stronger
Slinky and slanky
Slanky and swanky
Bigger, better, bolder
Impassive and impressive
unchangeable and unstoppable

3. Adverb + adverb
Pair two adverbs ending with 'ly' that begin with the same sound to describe a verb.

Here are some examples:
The thief crept across the room silently and steadily.
He ate hurriedly and hungrily.
Clearly and calmly
Confidently and competently
Speedily and steadily
She prayed fervently and frequently.
Silently and swiftly
Specially and specifically
stoically and silently

I hope that you have found the tips useful. Do try and use alliterative rhymes in your speeches to create impact and lyrical beauty! Share with me your examples too!

LE@ NUSA 9 Sep 2016

Brickbats 

Grammar

1. Fellow Toastmaster => Fellow Toastmasters

2. Every people can be successful like him one day => Everyone can be successful...

3. Play sports with our colleague => Play sports with our colleagues

4. Are you allowing people to drove you... => Are you allowing people to drive you...

5. Elderlies  => The elderly

Vocabulary 

1. By mentioning about a historical event => By mentioning a historical event

2. For the purpose of our guests => For the benefit of our guests

3. Based on the feedback he got from his evaluator => Based on the feedback he received..

4. Nice and elegant use of the English language =>  impressive and impactful use of the English langauge

5. Except for that, it can be used for many other tricks =>  Besides that, it can be used for many other tricks

6. So move next... => so moving on

7. I feel the environment is okay => I feel the environment is comfortable

8. I need a job for surviving matters => I need a job for survival

9. Working in Singapore is very pressurised => Working in Singapore is very pressurising

10. People are improved => People are improving

11. Everyday every persons is our teacher => Everyone can be a teacher in our everyday lives

12. I am going to bring you an important person in my life => I am going to tell you about an important person in my life.

13. So guys (gentlemen) => So gentlemen...

14. No shaking hands any more =>  No shaky hands 

Sentence structure 

1. As well as we also see that => In addition, we see that...

2. My occupation is software engineer => I work as a software engineer.

3. Although Schooling, but... => Although Schooling

4. Can I invite the evaluator to read out the objectives? => I would like to invite the evaluator to read out the objectives.

5. Any VA kind of presentation  => any kind of presentation involving VA

6. Further, you go on => In addition, you said...

7. Opinions they themselves not agreed with => Opinions that they do not agree with

8. Why you try so hard? => Why do you try so hard?

Pronunciation 

Swifter 

Golden

Yacht /yot/

Pleasure

Whether you have read /red/

Wee Ming (Meng )

Bouquets

Alliteration

1. Scope your speech

2. Money matters

3. Measured by money

4. Converse and communicate 

Metaphors 

1. Simple calling and sms machine 

2. Silence is golden

3. The whole world collapsed on her.

Parallel structure 

1. What a waste, what a shame

2. One disaster after another; one calamity after another; one horrible thing after another

Triads

1. Swifter, faster, higher 

[Note: Olympics motto should be Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger"]

2. More efficient, more organised, more enjoyable 

3. Smarter, easier to use, more intuitive 

4. New, unusual, novel

FROM FLAB TO FAB

All the women in my family are bottom heavy so having a pear-shaped figure is a genetic curse. When I was pregnant with my second child, I put on 20 hefty kilos. For once in my life, I understood the meaning of “heavyweight”. And for once in my life, I also understood how an elephant must feel, lumbering around with thunder thighs and a big bottom. It was no fun at all. I felt big, fat and flabby.

When I saw pretty mommies like Aarti and Ida, who remained slim despite having had kids, I was green with envy. I wanted to be just like them. When I witnessed Vera's speech about running a marathon and her svelte figure... I knew what I had to do. I have to run to lose weight!

The first time I ran, my thunder thighs were rubbing against each other, causing so much friction I was afraid I might catch fire! I felt unbearable itchiness. I stuck it out and after a few more runs, the itchy feeling faded. I started to enjoy the feeling of sweating it out each time I ran. I imagined the toxins and fats in my body melting away with my perspiration.

In the beginning, I started training short distances like 2.4km which means 6 rounds around the stadium track. I slowly increased to 7 rounds... 8 rounds... 9 rounds and 1 month later, I completed 10 rounds! 4km! What a milestone! I was elated. I went home and promptly shared my achievement with my mother. I ran 10 rounds today! I exclaimed proudly.  Instead of praising me, she frowned and said, Wa! You run so much for what? What if you suddenly collapse and die? You have two young kids you know!!

My friend Geri, an experienced runner, encouraged me to sign up for SHAPE 5km Run in August 2014. Since she was the instigator, she took it upon herself to be my de facto running coach. 

The first time I ran with Geri, I almost... died. She has these super long and lean legs like power kegs. Oh man, can she run. In fact she's so fast, she can run 5km in 29 mins, that's less than 6 min per km, mind you. So there she was running next to me and observing me and correcting my form... lift up your feet more, swing your arms by the side, not across your body, take 3 breaths in and 1 breath out... It was overwhelming and intimidating but of course I was grateful. I mean there are people out there who pay for a personal coach but here I was getting free coaching. I can't complain right? But when I heard Geri say let's do a 30 second sprint, my heart almost stopped. Sprint?? Seriously? Before I could say no thanks, Geri said go! And she started tearing away like the wind. I pumped my legs and swung my hands as fast as I could to catch up with her. I was gasping like a goldfish and my lungs felt close to bursting. Those were the longest 30 seconds of my life! By the end of the 30 seconds, I was gulping for air! Phew! I survived the sprint! 

Geri and I got together some other exercise buffs and formed a running group. We meet on Saturday mornings for our runs. I am so glad for the members in our running group. They are infinitely encouraging. No matter how small my progress they would say, good job, well done. I eventually completed my first 5km run in 45 minutes. I’m a terribly slow runner but when I crossed the finish line, I experienced such an incredible high… in fact it’s a scientific fact that running releases endorphins in your body which makes you feel pleasure! You won’t even need coffee, alcohol or drugs! If you wanna get high, just run.

After that, I was bitten by the running bug and never stopped running. A few months later, I completed the Great Eastern women’s 10km run with my running buddies. 2 years of running has helped me to shed 4 kilos...moving me closer to a healthy BMI. To date, I have completed 7 10km runs. This year I also completed the Shape 15km run and the Straits Times 18.45km run. And I will be attempting my first half-marathon at the end of this month.

My running journey has brought me from Flab to Fab.  Where I used to feel flabby, lethargic, anemic and bloated, I now feel fit and accepting of my body. Besides the physical benefits, running has made me so much stronger mentally. I finally understand Napolean Hill's famous quote: “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, you can achieve.”  It has been a remarkable and rewarding journey and I would like to thank all my running buddies for being part of this journey.

Someone once said: “Running is so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can’t but then you find your inner strength, and realise you’re capable of so much more than you thought.”

(860 words)

Presented @ Katong TMC's Humorous Speech Contest on 18 August 2016

LE @ NUSS TMC 28 JULY 2016 CHAPTER MEETING

BRICKBATS

Grammar

Plural

• Treasurer(s) A and B 
• NUSS Toastmaster(s) Club
• All hand (s) should go up
• The objective (s) are...
• small little thing (s)
• You're the shepherd for the sheeps => shepherd for the sheep (no 's' required)
• What your strength is => what your strengths are

Subject-verb agreement 

• Your families and your jobs takes priority => Your families and your jobs take priority
• Her left arm and left leg was weak => Her left arm and left leg were weak.
• Everyone of us have the ability to contribute to our society. => Everyone of us has the ability to contribute to our society. 

Tenses

• The mass was make up of bloody tissues.=> The mass was made up of bloody tissues.
• She has tell us a story. =>  She has told us a story. 

Vocabulary 

1) I gave an impromptu Q&A session. => I conducted an impromptu Q&A session.

2) What has Toastmasters helped me? => How has joining Toastmasters helped me?

3) We had 7 topics and we did it in less than two hours. => ... and we covered them in less than two hours 

4) What is so important with ten thousand rule? => What is so important about the 'ten thousand' rule?

5) Don't post me on Facebook. => Don't post photos of me on Facebook. / Don't tag me on Facebook. 

Pronunciation 

• Feelings / sheet / weeds (long vowel)
• Authority / thought / thrusts / thousand / together (stick out your tongue between your teeth for the 'th' sound)
• President  / confident / packed audience/ locked / gasped (words ending with 't' sound)
• guests ('sts' is a consonant cluster - make sure all three sounds are distinct)
• opportunity  [op-er-too-ni-tee, -tyoo-] 
• presentation [prez-uh n-tey-shuh n] 
• competitors [kuh m-pet-i-ters] 
• aghast [uh-gast, uh-gahst] 
• charisma [kuh-riz-muh] 
• sword [sawrd, sohrd] ('w' is silent)
• appropriate [adjective uh-proh-pree-it; verb uh-proh-pree-eyt] 

BOUQUETS 

Alliteration 

• Patient and passionate 
• Fun factor
• The kitchen was spick and span
• Dejected, depressed and distressed
• Bloom and blossom 
• Get down and dirty

Triads

• Intelligent, handsome and humble
• Clearly, accurately and vividly
• Success, suggestions and summary

Metaphors/ similes

• I invite you to come on board with me on this journey 
• This is only the tip of the iceberg
• The pen is mightier than the sword
• Success is like an orchid plant
• A leader is like a chef

Vocabulary 

• Laconic : using only a few words to say something
• Melange (french) : a mixture or variety of different things