By DR KOH SOO LING
Deriving meaning from contextual clues
The use of contextual clues helps to improve students’ reading skills. Checking the dictionary in order to understand each word slows down the process of reading. Realising that a text can be understood in a general sense by using contextual clues can go a long way towards helping students cope with increasingly difficult texts. The use of contextual clues can also provide a means by which students can rapidly increase their existing vocabulary base.
For example: Most eskers are argued to have formed within ice-walled tunnels by streams which flowed within and under glaciers. They tended to form around the time of the glacial maximum when the glacier was slow and sluggish.
After the retaining ice walls melted away, stream deposits remained as long winding ridges.
In order to find out what the unknown word “eskers” is, we can make use of the following reading clues.
1. Deduction — What is the paragraph about? Which words does the unknown word seem to relate to? The paragraph is about a certain kind of physical formation. The word “eskers” seems to be related to streams, glaciers, stream deposits and winding ridges.
2. Part of Speech — Which part of speech is the unknown word? Is it a verb, noun, preposition, adjective, time expression or something else? The word “eskers” is a noun.
3. Chunking — What do the words around the unknown word(s) mean? How does/do the unknown word(s) relate to those words? This is basically deduction on a more local level.
The words around “eskers” describe glacial landscape.
4. Vocabulary Activation — When quickly skimming through the text, what does the text seem to concern? Does the layout (design) of the text give any clues? Does the publication or type of book give any clues to what the text might be about? Which words can you think of that belong to this vocabulary category? The text seems to be concerned about a certain type of glacial formation. Therefore, “eskers” would probably mean long winding ridges of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions.
Practice
What do the underlined words mean? A bog is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material — often mosses, or, in Arctic climates, lichens.
Bogs occur where the water at the ground surface is acidic, either from acidic groundwater, or where water is derived entirely from precipitation, when they are termed “ombrotrophic”. Water flowing out of bogs has a character istic brown colour, from dissolved peat tannins. Bogs are very sensitive habitats, of high importance for biodiversity. There are extensive bogs in Canada and Alaska (called muskeg). There are also bogs in Patagonia and the Falkland Islands in the southern hemisphere.
a. accumulates ________________________
b. ombrotrophic _________________________
c. characteristic __________________________
d. extensive __________________________
ANSWERS: a. collects b. rain-fed c. distinct d. large
Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
MUET MOMENTS: Lesson 13: Distinguishing facts from opinions
By DR KOH SOO LING
Distinguishing facts from opinions
Opinions can be influenced by the stories that you hear, the ethics that you hold or the perceptions that you have. When you feel strongly about an issue, you form an opinion about it. You can identify an opinion when you see words such as presumably, maybe, could have been, believe and feel.
Facts, however, are true, proven and can be verified by authoritative sources or statistics.
Below are some of the ways we can express opinions or facts.
Opinions:
1. I feel that…………….
2. I think that…………….
3. It could be true that……………
4. You may argue that……………….
5. In my opinion………..
6. From your point of view………..
Example of a report based on facts:
Singer and actress Whitney Houston, winner of six Grammy Awards including record of the year for I Will Always Love You and album of the year for The Bodyguard, has died at age 48. Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her hotel room, ABC news reported, citing paramedics who had rushed to the singer’s aid but found her “lifeless”.
She died hours before she was expected to perform at record producer Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party, which is held at the Beverly Hilton. Houston became one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, winning multiple Emmy and Billboard Music awards.
Her popularity soared in the 1980s and 1990s with hits including the smash single I Will Always Love You from the soundtrack of the The Bodyguard, in which she starred.
Houston was inspired to sing as a child by soul singers in her New Jersey family, including mother Cissy and cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick. By the early 1990s, Houston reigned as the queen of pop, but her critical and commercial success on stage was accompanied by an increasingly troubled personal life. — Source: www.rte.ie/news/2012/0212/houstonw.html
Example of a response to the report based on a person’s opinion:
“It’s really, really horrible,” Simon Cowell said in an interview with Heart FM. “She was a delight to work with.” Speaking of her infamous appearance on the British X Factor in 2009, he said: “She probably wasn’t altogether there but it was still Whitney Houston and you knew you were in the presence of a legend. I’ll never forget that day.”
Next week: Deriving meanings of words from contextual clues
Practice
Below are some statements about Justin Timberlake. Identify which are facts (F) and which are opinions (O).
1. Justin Randall Timberlake is a singer who came to fame as a vocalist in the pop band N’Sync.
2. Timberlake is the most successful singer in America.
3. In 2002, Timberlake released his first solo album, Justified, to widespread critical acclaim and impressive sales.
4. Timberlake later gained attention for his relationship with Britney Spears.
5. Some people feel that Timberlake is notorious for his onstage antics.
6. He also appeared in the films Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, Richard Kelly's Southland Tales, and voiced Prince Artie Pendragon in the animated film Shrek the Third, released on May 18, 2007.
Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times
Distinguishing facts from opinions
Opinions can be influenced by the stories that you hear, the ethics that you hold or the perceptions that you have. When you feel strongly about an issue, you form an opinion about it. You can identify an opinion when you see words such as presumably, maybe, could have been, believe and feel.
Facts, however, are true, proven and can be verified by authoritative sources or statistics.
Below are some of the ways we can express opinions or facts.
Opinions:
1. I feel that…………….
2. I think that…………….
3. It could be true that……………
4. You may argue that……………….
5. In my opinion………..
6. From your point of view………..
Example of a report based on facts:
Singer and actress Whitney Houston, winner of six Grammy Awards including record of the year for I Will Always Love You and album of the year for The Bodyguard, has died at age 48. Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her hotel room, ABC news reported, citing paramedics who had rushed to the singer’s aid but found her “lifeless”.
She died hours before she was expected to perform at record producer Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party, which is held at the Beverly Hilton. Houston became one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, winning multiple Emmy and Billboard Music awards.
Her popularity soared in the 1980s and 1990s with hits including the smash single I Will Always Love You from the soundtrack of the The Bodyguard, in which she starred.
Houston was inspired to sing as a child by soul singers in her New Jersey family, including mother Cissy and cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick. By the early 1990s, Houston reigned as the queen of pop, but her critical and commercial success on stage was accompanied by an increasingly troubled personal life. — Source: www.rte.ie/news/2012/0212/houstonw.html
Example of a response to the report based on a person’s opinion:
“It’s really, really horrible,” Simon Cowell said in an interview with Heart FM. “She was a delight to work with.” Speaking of her infamous appearance on the British X Factor in 2009, he said: “She probably wasn’t altogether there but it was still Whitney Houston and you knew you were in the presence of a legend. I’ll never forget that day.”
Next week: Deriving meanings of words from contextual clues
Practice
Below are some statements about Justin Timberlake. Identify which are facts (F) and which are opinions (O).
1. Justin Randall Timberlake is a singer who came to fame as a vocalist in the pop band N’Sync.
2. Timberlake is the most successful singer in America.
3. In 2002, Timberlake released his first solo album, Justified, to widespread critical acclaim and impressive sales.
4. Timberlake later gained attention for his relationship with Britney Spears.
5. Some people feel that Timberlake is notorious for his onstage antics.
6. He also appeared in the films Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, Richard Kelly's Southland Tales, and voiced Prince Artie Pendragon in the animated film Shrek the Third, released on May 18, 2007.
Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times
Monday, June 11, 2012
MUET MOMENTS: Lesson 12: Speaking Skills II
By Dr Koh Soo Ling
SPEAKING SKILLS II
When carrying out this task, one of the students in the group can assume the role as of the leader. He is the one who spearheads the discussion, guides its flow of the discussion and concludes the discussionit. As students listen to other candidates presenting their individual speaking tasks, they can take down notes for task B. Always remember that it is necessary to come to a consensus at the end of the discussion. Decide which suggestion that has been put forward is the best.
In the course of putting forth suggestions, make use of the following skills:
1. Ask for clarification.
2. Give your reasons for suggesting an idea.
3. Reject other suggestions politely.
4. Repeat your strongest point.
5. Get everyone in the group to come to a decision.
Situation:
Many young people yearn to feel more confident in various situations in life. Suggest ways to overcome shyness and build self-confidence.
Task A
CANDIDATE A
Explain the importance of taking action and getting things done. Give reasons to support your view.
CANDIDATE B
Explain the importance of facing your fear. Give reasons to support your view.
CANDIDATE C
Explain the importance of making mistakes. Give reasons to support your view.
CANDIDATE D
Explain the importance of preparing yourself. Give reasons to support your view.
Task B
Discuss which of the following would be the best solution for overcoming shyness and gaining confidence:
i. taking action and getting it done
ii. facing your fear
iii. making mistakes is part of learning
iv. preparing yourself
Next week: Distinguishing facts from opinions
ANSWER:
Candidate A:
Taking action and getting it done.
Be present. This will help you snap out of over-thinking and just go and do whatever you want to get done. This puts you in a state where you feel little emotional resistance to the work you will do.
Lighten up. Do not take what you do too seriously. If you relax a bit and lighten up, you often realise that those problems and negative feelings are just something you are creating in your own mind. With a lighter state of mind, your tasks seem more manageable and become easier to get started with.
Candidate B:
Facing your fear.
Be curious. When you are afraid, you create barriers between you and others. You tend to. When you shift to being curious, your world just opens up. Curiosity is filled with anticipation and enthusiasm. When you are open and enthusiastic then you have more fun things to think about than focusing on your fear.
Realise that fear is often based on unhelpful interpretation. As humans, we like to look for patterns based on one or two negative experiences. Try to think of good experiences instead and take on new challenges.
Candidate C:
Making mistakes is part of learning
You learn. Instead of seeing failure as something horrible, you can start to view it more as a learning experience. Ask yourself what you could learn from that situation. Ideally, you probably want to learn from other people’s mistakes and failures. However, sometimes you just have to fail on your own to learn a lesson and to gain an experience no one can relate to you in mere words.
You become stronger. Every time you fail, you become more accustomed to it. You realise more and more that it is not the end of the world. Even though you failed, you will know that at least you took a chance.
Candidate D:
Preparing yourself.
Preparing yourself and Educating yourself is an advantage. By for example rehearsing and rewriting what you need to say, for example, over and over you can pretty much learn it by heart. By doing research, you can find breathing techniques that can you calm down. Simple visualisation techniques can make you feel more confident and positive.
Preparing yourself will help you feel more comfortable and confident. Do not just remain in the preparation phase and use it as a way to avoid taking action.
Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times
SPEAKING SKILLS II
When carrying out this task, one of the students in the group can assume the role as of the leader. He is the one who spearheads the discussion, guides its flow of the discussion and concludes the discussionit. As students listen to other candidates presenting their individual speaking tasks, they can take down notes for task B. Always remember that it is necessary to come to a consensus at the end of the discussion. Decide which suggestion that has been put forward is the best.
In the course of putting forth suggestions, make use of the following skills:
1. Ask for clarification.
2. Give your reasons for suggesting an idea.
3. Reject other suggestions politely.
4. Repeat your strongest point.
5. Get everyone in the group to come to a decision.
Situation:
Many young people yearn to feel more confident in various situations in life. Suggest ways to overcome shyness and build self-confidence.
Task A
CANDIDATE A
Explain the importance of taking action and getting things done. Give reasons to support your view.
CANDIDATE B
Explain the importance of facing your fear. Give reasons to support your view.
CANDIDATE C
Explain the importance of making mistakes. Give reasons to support your view.
CANDIDATE D
Explain the importance of preparing yourself. Give reasons to support your view.
Task B
Discuss which of the following would be the best solution for overcoming shyness and gaining confidence:
i. taking action and getting it done
ii. facing your fear
iii. making mistakes is part of learning
iv. preparing yourself
Next week: Distinguishing facts from opinions
ANSWER:
Candidate A:
Taking action and getting it done.
Be present. This will help you snap out of over-thinking and just go and do whatever you want to get done. This puts you in a state where you feel little emotional resistance to the work you will do.
Lighten up. Do not take what you do too seriously. If you relax a bit and lighten up, you often realise that those problems and negative feelings are just something you are creating in your own mind. With a lighter state of mind, your tasks seem more manageable and become easier to get started with.
Candidate B:
Facing your fear.
Be curious. When you are afraid, you create barriers between you and others. You tend to. When you shift to being curious, your world just opens up. Curiosity is filled with anticipation and enthusiasm. When you are open and enthusiastic then you have more fun things to think about than focusing on your fear.
Realise that fear is often based on unhelpful interpretation. As humans, we like to look for patterns based on one or two negative experiences. Try to think of good experiences instead and take on new challenges.
Candidate C:
Making mistakes is part of learning
You learn. Instead of seeing failure as something horrible, you can start to view it more as a learning experience. Ask yourself what you could learn from that situation. Ideally, you probably want to learn from other people’s mistakes and failures. However, sometimes you just have to fail on your own to learn a lesson and to gain an experience no one can relate to you in mere words.
You become stronger. Every time you fail, you become more accustomed to it. You realise more and more that it is not the end of the world. Even though you failed, you will know that at least you took a chance.
Candidate D:
Preparing yourself.
Preparing yourself and Educating yourself is an advantage. By for example rehearsing and rewriting what you need to say, for example, over and over you can pretty much learn it by heart. By doing research, you can find breathing techniques that can you calm down. Simple visualisation techniques can make you feel more confident and positive.
Preparing yourself will help you feel more comfortable and confident. Do not just remain in the preparation phase and use it as a way to avoid taking action.
Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times
Monday, June 04, 2012
MUET MOMENTS: Lesson 11: Speaking skills I
By Dr Koh Soo Ling
Speaking skills I
The speaking component (800/2) consists of two tasks:
Task A: Individual presentation
Task B: Group discussion
You will have approximately 30 minutes to complete both the tasks. Take a look at the table below to see how time is allocated for to each candidate.
Individual presentation
For this task you are expected to give a one-way presentation.
Stages of preparation
1. Highlight the key - words or phrases — ask yourself what you are supposed to do.
2. Make use of your prior knowledge to generate ideas — jot down all your ideas.
3. Organise your ideas — follow an appropriate order, for example, linear, cause and effect or chronological.
4. List down the appropriate expressions that you wish to use for each stage of your presentation.
Let’s say you are taking the speaking test now. You may get something like this:
Situation: Mental health is important to students. Share your opinion about organising a talk on how to prevent the deterioration of mental health.
Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times
Speaking skills I
The speaking component (800/2) consists of two tasks:
Task A: Individual presentation
Task B: Group discussion
You will have approximately 30 minutes to complete both the tasks. Take a look at the table below to see how time is allocated for to each candidate.
Individual presentation
For this task you are expected to give a one-way presentation.
Stages of preparation
1. Highlight the key - words or phrases — ask yourself what you are supposed to do.
2. Make use of your prior knowledge to generate ideas — jot down all your ideas.
3. Organise your ideas — follow an appropriate order, for example, linear, cause and effect or chronological.
4. List down the appropriate expressions that you wish to use for each stage of your presentation.
Let’s say you are taking the speaking test now. You may get something like this:
Situation: Mental health is important to students. Share your opinion about organising a talk on how to prevent the deterioration of mental health.
Source: Learning Curve - New Straits Times