English Assignment (Project) and Students' Mark

ENGLISH REMIDIAL'S STUDENT X4,5,6 n XI SCIENCE 7 2009/2010

2010-06-16T15:45:00.002+07:00

How to Close a Speech

2009-08-09T18:38:00.001+07:00

One of the worst mistakes you can make as a public speaker is talking too long. Not only will you send some folks to never, never land, you will make some of them downright mad. It doesn't matter if your entire speech was brilliant and the audience came away with information that will change their lives. If you talk too long, they will leave saying, "That speaker just wouldn't quit." Don't let this happen to you! Say what you have to say and sit down. Before you do, give them a well thought out closing.

The last thing you say may be the most remembered. You must put as much time into selecting and practicing your closing as you put into any other part of your presentation. Just like your opening, your closing does not have to be humorous. It could be motivational, challenging, thoughtful, respectful of the length of the presentation, or it could restate your point in a different way. This ending segment will have a strong influence on what the audience takes home with them when you are done. Please, at sometime during your talk ask the audience to do something. Many a great NO ZZZZZs talk went no further than the walls of the meeting room because the audience wasn't moved to action. If you haven't ask them to do something by now, the closing is your last chance.

If the subject is appropriate, I happen to be fond of humorous closings for several reasons. If you leave them laughing and applauding, you will exit, but an extremely positive impression about you will remain. Another good reason to leave them laughing is that the room will not be deadly silent as you are walking back to your seat. I hate when that happens. I do love laughter and feeling good; finishing a speech humorously gives me and the audience an opportunity to feel great.Speeches that are for entertainment purposes only should generally leave the audience laughing.

Finally, if the subject is not appropriate to end with laughter, you could end with a touching story or quotation that leaves the audience thoughtful and quiet. Even the most serious public speaking subjects can benefit from humor, but the humor should be sprinkled throughout the body of the presentation. Don't put it at the end because closings are powerful and the audience will think your overall attitude toward the subject is flippant.

This same technique can be very effective in ending a mostly humorous speaking engagement. Have them laughing all along while you make your points. Then finish seriously. This contrast will create a great impact. It will convey the fact that you believe in a lighthearted approach to the subject, but the results are very serious to you.

Don't be afraid to use humor when you speak in public. Just make sure you learn to do it right.

taken from: www.public-speaking.org

Tips to Speaking Assignment

2009-08-09T18:00:00.002+07:00

Presentation Tips for Public Speaking
Know the needs of your audience and match your contents to their needs. Know your material thoroughly. Put what you have to say in a logical sequence. Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention. Practice and rehearse your speech at home or where you can be at ease and comfortable, in front of a mirror, your family, friends or colleagues. Use a tape-recorder and listen to yourself. Videotape your presentation and analyze it. Know what your strong and weak points are. Emphasize your strong points during your presentation.

When you are presenting in front of an audience, you are performing as an actor is on stage. How you are being perceived is very important. Dress appropriately for the occasion. Be solemn if your topic is serious. Present the desired image to your audience. Look pleasant, enthusiastic, confident, proud, but not arrogant. Remain calm. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Speak slowly, enunciate clearly, and show appropriate emotion and feeling relating to your topic. Establish rapport with your audience. Speak to the person farthest away from you to ensure your voice is loud enough to project to the back of the room. Vary the tone of your voice and dramatize if necessary. If a microphone is available, adjust and adapt your voice accordingly.

Body language is important. Standing, walking or moving about with appropriate hand gesture or facial expression is preferred to sitting down or standing still with head down and reading from a prepared speech. Use audio-visual aids or props for enhancement if appropriate and necessary. Master the use of presentation software such as PowerPoint well before your presentation. Do not over-dazzle your audience with excessive use of animation, sound clips, or gaudy colors which are inappropriate for your topic. Do not torture your audience by putting a lengthy document in tiny print on an overhead and reading it out to them.

Speak with conviction as if you really believe in what you are saying. Persuade your audience effectively. The material you present orally should have the same ingredients as that which are required for a written research paper, i.e. a logical progression from INTRODUCTION (Thesis statement) to BODY (strong supporting arguments, accurate and up-to-date information) to CONCLUSION (re-state thesis, summary, and logical conclusion).

Do not read from notes for any extended length of time although it is quite acceptable to glance at your notes infrequently. Speak loudly and clearly. Sound confident. Do not mumble. If you made an error, correct it, and continue. No need to make excuses or apologize profusely.

Maintain sincere eye contact with your audience. Use the 3-second method, e.g. look straight into the eyes of a person in the audience for 3 seconds at a time. Have direct eye contact with a number of people in the audience, and every now and then glance at the whole audience while speaking. Use your eye contact to make everyone in your audience feel involved.

Speak to your audience, listen to their questions, respond to their reactions, adjust and adapt. If what you have prepared is obviously not getting across to your audience, change your strategy mid-stream if you are well prepared to do so. Remember that communication is the key to a successful presentation. If you are short of time, know what can be safely left out. If you have extra time, know what could be effectively added. Always be prepared for the unexpected.

Pause. Allow yourself and your audience a little time to reflect and think. Don't race through your presentation and leave your audience, as well as yourself, feeling out of breath.

Add humor whenever appropriate and possible. Keep audience interested throughout your entire presentation. Remember that an interesting speech makes time fly, but a boring speech is always too long to endure even if the presentation time is the same.

When using audio-visual aids to enhance your presentation, be sure all necessary equipment is set up and in good working order prior to the presentation. If possible, have an emergency backup system readily available. Check out the location ahead of time to ensure seating arrangements for audience, whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, location of projection screen, sound system, etc. are suitable for your presentation.

Have handouts ready and give them out at the appropriate time. Tell audience ahead of time that you will be giving out an outline of your presentation so that they will not waste time taking unnecessary notes during your presentation.

Know when to STOP talking. Use a timer or the microwave oven clock to time your presentation when preparing it at home. Just as you don't use unnecessary words in your written paper, you don't bore your audience with repetitious or unnecessary words in your oral presentation. To end your presentation, summarize your main points in the same way as you normally do in the CONCLUSION of a written paper. Remember, however, that there is a difference between spoken words appropriate for the ear and formally written words intended for reading. Terminate your presentation with an interesting remark or an appropriate punch line. Leave your listeners with a positive impression and a sense of completion. Do not belabor your closing remarks. Thank your audience and sit down.

Have the written portion of your assignment or report ready for your instructor if required.

taken from:www.aresearchguide.com

Some physiological tips for do Assignment

2009-07-29T16:51:00.000+07:00

Just think—we expect athletes to practice constantly and use everything in their abilities and situations in order to achieve success. Yet, somehow many students are convinced that one day's worth of studying, no sleep, and some well-placed compliments ("Gee, Dr. So-and-so, I really enjoyed your last lecture") are good preparation for a test. Essay exams are like any other testing situation in life: you'll do best if you are prepared for what is expected of you, have practiced doing it before, and have arrived in the best shape to do it.

You may not want to believe this, but it's true: a good night's sleep and a relaxed mind and body can do as much or more for you as any last-minute cram session. Colleges abound with tales of woe about students who slept through exams because they stayed up all night, wrote an essay on the wrong topic, forgot everything they studied, or freaked out in the exam and hyperventilated. If you are rested, breathing normally, and have brought along some healthy energy-boosting snacks (fruit juice, health bars, but not anything that crunches loudly), you are in a much better position to do a good job on the test. You aren't going to write a good essay on something you figured out at 4 a.m. that morning. If you prepare yourself well throughout the semester, you don't risk your whole grade on an overloaded, undernourished brain.

If for some reason you get yourself into this situation, take a minute every once in a while during the test to breathe deeply, stretch, and clear your brain. You need to be especially aware of the likelihood of errors, so check your essays thoroughly before you hand them in to make sure they answer the right questions and don't have big oversights or mistakes (like saying "Hitler" when you really mean "Churchill").

If you tend to go blank during exams, try studying in the same classroom in which the test will be given. Some research suggests that people attach ideas to their surroundings, so it might jog your memory to see the same things you were looking at while you studied.

Try good luck charms. Bring in something you associate with success or the support of your loved ones, and use it as a psychological boost.

Take all of the time you've been allotted. Reread, rework, and rethink your answers if you have extra time at the end, rather than giving up and handing the exam in the minute you've written your last sentence. Use every advantage you are given.

Remember that instructors do not want to see you trip up—they want to see you do well. With this in mind, try to relax and just do the best you can. The more you panic, the more mistakes you are liable to make. Put the test in perspective: will you die from a poor performance? Will you lose all of your friends? Will your entire future be destroyed? Remember: it's just a test.

taken from:www.unc.edu

Taking the exam

2009-07-29T16:47:00.001+07:00

Read the exam carefully

* If you are given the entire exam at once and can determine your approach on your own, read the entire exam before you get started.

* Look at how many points each part earns you, and find hints for how long your answers should be.

* Figure out how much time you have and how best to use it. Write down the actual clock time that you expect to take in each section, and stick to it. This will help you avoid spending all your time on only one section. One strategy is to divide the available time according to percentage worth of the question. You don't want to spend half of your time on something that is only worth one tenth of the total points.

* As you read, make tentative choices of the questions you will answer (if you have a choice). Don't just answer the first essay question you encounter. Instead, read through all of the options. Jot down really brief ideas for each question before deciding.

* Remember that the easiest-looking question is not always as easy as it looks. Focus your attention on questions for which you can explain your answer most thoroughly, rather than settle on questions where you know the answer but can't say why.

Analyze the questions

* Decide what you are being asked to do. If you immediately begin to cast about indiscriminately for ideas, you may become flustered, lose concentration, and even go blank. Try looking closely at what the question is directing you to do, and try to understand the sort of writing that will be required.

* Focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don't.

* Look at the active verbs in the assignment—they tell you what you should be doing. We've included some of these below, with some suggestions on what they might mean. (For help with this sort of detective work, see the Writing Center handout titled Reading Assignments.)

Key terms

Here are some definitions to help you translate exam terms:

Information words ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

* define —give the subject's meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject's meaning.

* explain why/how —give reasons why or examples of how something happened.

* illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject.

* summarize —briefly cover the important ideas you learned about the subject.

* trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form.

* research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you've found.

Relation words ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

* compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different).

* contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar.

* apply &mash;use details that you've been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation.

* cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen.

* relate —show or describe the connections between things.

Interpretation words ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Don't see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

* prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth.

* evaluate, respond, assess —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons (you may want to compare your subject to something else).

* support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe).

* synthesize —put two or more things together that haven't been put together before; don't just summarize one and then the other, and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together (as opposed to compare and contrast—see above).

* analyze —look closely at the components of something to figure out how it works, what it might mean, or why it is important.

* argue —take a side and defend it (with proof) against the other side.

Plan your answers

* Think about your time again. How much planning time you should take depends on how much time you have for each question and how many points each question is worth.

* For short-answer definitions and identifications, just take a few seconds. Skip over any you don't recognize fairly quickly, and come back to them when another question jogs your memory.

* For answers that require a paragraph or two, jot down several important ideas or specific examples that help to focus your thoughts.

* For longer answers, you will need to develop a much more definite strategy of organization. You only have time for one draft, so allow a reasonable amount of time—as much as a quarter of the time you've allotted for the question—for making notes, determining a thesis, and developing an outline.

* For questions with several parts (different requests or directions, a sequence of questions), make a list of the parts so that you do not miss or minimize one part. One way to be sure you answer them all is to number them in the question and in your outline.

* You may have to try two or three outlines or clusters before you hit on a workable plan. But be realistic—you want a plan you can develop within the limited time allotted for your answer. Your outline will have to be selective—not everything you know, but what you know that you can state clearly and keep to the point in the time available.

* Again, focus on what you do know about the question, not on what you don't.

Writing your answers

As with planning, your strategy for writing depends on the length of your answer:

* For short identifications and definitions, it is usually best to start with a general identifying statement and then move on to describe specific applications or explanations. Two sentences will almost always suffice, but make sure they are complete sentences. Find out whether the instructor wants definition alone, or definition and significance. Why is the identification term or object important?

* For longer answers, begin by stating your forecasting statement or thesis clearly and explicitly. Strive for focus, simplicity, and clarity. In stating your point and developing your answers, you may want to use important course vocabulary words from the question. For example, if the question is, "How does wisteria function as a representation of memory in Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom?" you may want to use the words wisteria, representation, memory, and Faulkner) in your thesis statement and answer. Use these important words or concepts throughout the answer.

* If you have devised a promising outline for your answer, then you will be able to forecast your overall plan and its subpoints in your opening sentence. Forecasting always impresses readers and has the very practical advantage of making your answer easier to read. Also, if you don't finish writing, it tells your reader what you would have said if you had finished (and may get you partial points).

* You might want to use briefer paragraphs than you ordinarily do and signal clear relations between paragraphs with transition phrases or sentences.

* As you move ahead with the writing, you may think of new subpoints or ideas to include in the essay. Stop briefly to make a note of these on your original outline. If they are most appropriately inserted in a section you've already written, write them neatly in the margin, at the top of the page, or on the last page, with arrows or marks to alert the reader to where they fit in your answer. Be as neat and clear as possible.

* Don't pad your answer with irrelevancies and repetitions just to fill up space. Within the time available, write a comprehensive, specific answer.

* Watch the clock carefully to ensure that you do not spend too much time on one answer. You must be realistic about the time constraints of an essay exam. If you write one dazzling answer on an exam with three equally-weighted required questions, you earn only 33 points—not enough to pass at most colleges. This may seem unfair, but keep in mind that instructors plan exams to be reasonably comprehensive. They want you to write about the course materials in two or three or more ways, not just one way. Hint: if you finish a half-hour essay in 10 minutes, you may need to develop some of your ideas more fully.

* If you run out of time when you are writing an answer, jot down the remaining main ideas from your outline, just to show that you know the material and with more time could have continued your exposition.

* Double-space to leave room for additions, and strike through errors or changes with one straight line (avoid erasing or scribbling over). Keep things as clean as possible. You never know what will earn you partial credit.

* Write legibly and proofread. Remember that your instructor will likely be reading a large pile of exams. The more difficult they are to read, the more exasperated the instructor might become. Your instructor also cannot give you credit for what they cannot understand. A few minutes of careful proofreading can improve your grade.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind in writing essay exams is that you have a limited amount of time and space in which to get across the knowledge you have acquired and your ability to use it. Essay exams are not the place to be subtle or vague. It's okay to have an obvious structure, even the five-paragraph essay format you may have been taught in high school. Introduce your main idea, have several paragraphs of support—each with a single point defended by specific examples, and conclude with a restatement of your main point and its significance.

taken from:www.unc.edu

What essay questions require

2009-07-29T16:45:00.000+07:00

Exam questions can reach pretty far into the course materials, so you cannot hope to do well on them if you do not keep up with the readings and assignments from the beginning of the course. The most successful essay exam takers are prepared for anything reasonable, and they probably have some intelligent guesses about the content of the exam before they take it. How can you be a prepared exam taker? Try some of the following suggestions during the semester:

* Do the reading as the syllabus dictates; keeping up with the reading while the related concepts are being discussed in class saves you double the effort later.

* Go to lectures (and put away that crossword puzzle!).

* Take careful notes that you'll understand months later. If this is not your strong suit or the conventions for a particular discipline are different from what you are used to, ask your TA or the Learning Center for advice.

* Participate in your discussion sections; this will help you absorb the material better so you don't have to study as hard.

* Organize small study groups with classmates to explore and review course materials throughout the semester. Others will catch things you might miss even when paying attention. This is not cheating. As long as what you write on the essay is your own work, formulating ideas and sharing notes is okay. In fact, it is a big part of the learning process.

* As an exam approaches, find out what you can about the form it will take. This will help you forecast the questions that will be on the exam, and prepare for them.

These suggestions will save you lots of time and misery later. Remember that you can't cram weeks of information into a single day or night of study. So why put yourself in that position?

Now let's focus on studying for the exam. You'll notice the following suggestions are all based on organizing your study materials into manageable chunks of related material. If you have a plan of attack, you'll feel more confident and your answers will be more clear.

* Don't just memorize aimlessly; clarify the important issues of the course and use these issues to focus your understanding of specific facts and particular readings.

* Try to organize and prioritize the information into a thematic pattern. Look at what you've studied and find a way to put things into related groups. Find the fundamental ideas that have been emphasized throughout the course and organize your notes into broad categories. Think about how different categories relate to each other.

* Find out what you don't know, but need to know, by making up test questions and trying to answer them. Studying in groups helps as well.

taken from:www.unc.edu

Essay Exams

2009-07-29T16:42:00.000+07:00

What this handout is about

At some time in your undergraduate career, you're going to have to write an essay exam. This thought can inspire a fair amount of fear: we struggle enough with essays when they aren't timed events based on unknown questions. The goal of this handout is to give you some easy and effective strategies that will help you take control of the situation and do your best.
Why do instructors give essay exams?

Essay exams are a useful tool for finding out if you can sort through a large body of information, figure out what is important, and explain why it is important. Essay exams challenge you to come up with key course ideas and put them in your own words and to use the interpretive or analytical skills you've practiced in the course.

Instructors want to see whether:

* You understand concepts that provide the basis for the course

* You can use those concepts to interpret specific materials

* You can make connections, see relationships, draw comparisons and contrasts

* You can synthesize diverse information in support of an original assertion

* You can justify your own evaluations based on appropriate criteria

* You can argue your own opinions with convincing evidence

* You can think critically and analytically about a subject

Application Essays

2009-07-29T16:39:00.000+07:00

What this handout is about

This handout will help you write and revise the personal statement required by many graduate programs, internships, and special academic programs.
Before you start writing

Because the application essay can have a critical effect upon your progress toward a career, you should spend significantly more time, thought, and effort on it than its typically brief length would suggest. It should reflect how you arrived at your professional goals, why the program is ideal for you, and what you bring to the program. Don’t make this a deadline task—now’s the time to write, read, rewrite, give to a reader, revise again, and on until the essay is clear, concise, and compelling. At the same time, don’t be afraid. You know most of the things you need to say already.

1. Read the instructions carefully. One of the basic tasks of the application essay is to follow the directions. If you don’t do what they ask, the reader may wonder if you will be able to follow directions in their program. Make sure you follow page and word limits exactly—err on the side of shortness, not length. The essay may take two forms:

* A one-page essay answering a general question
* Several short answers to more specific questions
2. Do some research before you start writing. Think about...

* The field. Why do you want to be a _____? No, really. Think about why you and you particularly want to enter that field. What are the benefits and what are the shortcomings? When did you become interested in the field and why? What path in that career interests you right now? Brainstorm and write these ideas out.
* The program. Why is this the program you want to be admitted to? What is special about the faculty, the courses offered, the placement record, the facilities you might be using? If you can’t think of anything particular, read the brochures they offer, go to events, or meet with a faculty member or student in the program. A word about honesty here—you may have a reason for choosing a program that wouldn’t necessarily sway your reader; for example, you want to live near the beach, or the program is the most prestigious and would look better on your resume. You don’t want to be completely straightforward in these cases and appear superficial, but skirting around them or lying can look even worse. Turn these aspects into positives. For example, you may want to go to a program in a particular location because it is a place that you know very well and have ties to, or because there is a need in your field there. Again, doing research on the program may reveal ways to legitimate even your most superficial and selfish reasons for applying.
* Yourself. What details or anecdotes would help your reader understand you? What makes you special? Is there something about your family, your education, your work/life experience, or your values that has shaped you and brought you to this career field? What motivates or interests you? Do you have special skills, like leadership, management, research, or communication? Why would the members of the program want to choose you over other applicants? Be honest with yourself and write down your ideas. If you are having trouble, ask a friend or relative to make a list of your strengths or unique qualities that you plan to read on your own (and not argue about immediately). Ask them to give you examples to back up their impressions (For example, if they say you are "caring," ask them to describe an incident they remember in which they perceived you as caring).

Now, write a draft

This is a hard essay to write. It’s probably much more personal than any of the papers you have written for class, because it’s about you, not the Crimean War or planaria. You may want to start by just getting something—anything—on paper. Try freewriting. Think about the questions we asked above and the prompt for the essay, and then write for 15 or 30 minutes without stopping. What do you want your audience to know after reading your essay? What do you want them to feel? Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, organization, or anything else. Just get out the ideas you have.

Now, look at what you’ve written. Find the most relevant, memorable, concrete statements and focus in on them. Eliminate any generalizations or platitudes ("I’m a people person", "Doctors save lives", or "Mr. Calleson’s classes changed my life"), or anything that could be cut and pasted into anyone else’s application. Find what is specific to you about the ideas that generated those platitudes and express them more directly. Eliminate irrelevant issues ("I was a track star in high school, so I think I’ll make a good veterinarian.") or issues that might be controversial for your reader ("My faith is the one true faith, and only nurses with that faith are worthwhile," or "Lawyers who only care about money are evil.").

Often, writers start out with generalizations as a way to get to the really meaningful statements, and that’s OK. Just make sure that you replace the generalizations with examples as you revise. A hint: you may find yourself writing a good, specific sentence right after a general, meaningless one. If you spot that, try to use the second sentence and delete the first.

Applications that have several short-answer essays require even more detail. Get straight to the point in every case, and address what they’ve asked you to address.
Audience

Now that you’ve generated some ideas, get a little bit pickier. It’s time to remember one of the most significant aspects of the application essay: your audience. Your readers may have thousands of essays to read, many or most of which will come from qualified applicants. This essay may be your best opportunity to communicate with the decision makers in the application process, and you don’t want to bore them, offend them, or make them feel you are wasting their time.

With this in mind:

* Don’t waste space with information you have provided in the rest of the application. Every sentence should be effective and directly related to the rest of the essay. Don’t ramble or use fifteen words to express something you could say in eight.
* Do assure your audience that you understand and look forward to the challenges of the program and the field, not just the benefits.
* Do assure your audience that you understand exactly the nature of the work in the field and that you are prepared for it, psychologically and morally as well as educationally.
* Don’t overstate your case for what you want to do, being so specific about your future goals that you come off as presumptuous or naïve ("I want to become a dentist so that I can train in wisdom tooth extraction, because I intend to focus my life’s work on taking 13 rather than 15 minutes per tooth."). Your goals may change--show that such a change won’t devastate you.
* Do assure your audience that you care about them and their time by writing a clear, organized, and concise essay.
* If you have any information about yourself and your application that needs to be explained (for example, weak grades or unusual coursework for your program) include it in your essay, and be straightforward about it. Your audience will be more impressed with your having learned from setbacks or having a unique approach than your failure to address those issues.
* And, one more time, avoid cliches at all costs. Every doctor wants to help save lives, every lawyer wants to work for justice—your reader has read these general cliches a million times.

Imagine the worst-case scenario (which may never come true—we’re talking hypothetically): the person who reads your essay has been in the field for decades. She is on the application committee because she has to be, and she's read 48 essays so far that morning. You are number 49, and your reader is tired, bored, and thinking about lunch. How are you going to catch and keep her attention?

Assure your audience that you are capable academically, willing to stick to the program’s demands, and interesting to have around.

taken from:www.unc.edu

When do these negative feelings arise?

2009-07-29T15:43:00.000+07:00

Although there is a great deal of variation among individuals, there are also some common experiences that writers in general find stressful.

For example, you may struggle when you are:

* adjusting to a new form of writing—for example, first year college writing, papers in a new field of study, or longer forms than you are used to (a long research paper, a senior thesis, a master's thesis, a dissertation) (Hjortshoj 56-76).
* writing for a reader or readers who have been overly critical or demanding in the past.
* remembering negative criticism received in the past—even if the reader who criticized your work won't be reading your writing this time.
* working with limited time or with a lot of unstructured time.
* responding to an assignment that seems unrelated to academic or life goals.
* dealing with troubling events outside of school.

Writing Anxiety

2009-07-29T15:36:00.000+07:00

What this handout is about

This handout discusses the situational nature of writer's block and other writing anxiety and suggests things you can try to feel more confident and optimistic about yourself as a writer.

What are writing anxiety and writer's block?

"Writing anxiety" and "writer's block" are informal terms for a wide variety of apprehensive and pessimistic feelings about writing. These feelings may not be pervasive in a person's writing life. For example, you might feel perfectly fine writing a biology lab report but apprehensive about writing a paper on a novel.You may confidently tackle a paper about the sociology of gender but delete and start over twenty times when composing an email to a cute classmate suggesting coffee. In other words, writing anxiety and writers' block are situational (Hjortshoj 7). These terms do NOT describe psychological attributes. People aren't born anxious writers; rather, they become anxious or blocked through negative or difficult experiences with writing.

Tricks that don't work for Assignment

2009-07-29T15:33:00.000+07:00

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

* spend more time on the cover page than the essay—graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
* use huge fonts,wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length—these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what's possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
* use a paper from another class that covered "sort of similar" material. Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material. Ask the instructor—it can't hurt.
* get all wacky and "creative" before you answer the question. Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

taken from:www.unc.edu

Interpreting the assignment

2009-07-29T15:30:00.000+07:00

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet.

1. Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?
2. Who is your audience?
3. What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?
4. What kind of writing style is acceptable?
5. What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.
1. Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren't sure of the assignment's goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on asking for feedback.

Given your instructor's efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key terms: finding those active verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

* define—give the subject's meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject's meaning
* explain—give reasons why or examples of how something happened
* illustrate—give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
* summarize—briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
* trace—outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
* research—gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

* compare—show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
* contrast—show how two or more things are dissimilar
* apply—use details that you've been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
* cause—show how one event or series of events made something else happen
* relate—show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

* assess—summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
* prove, justify—give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
* evaluate, respond—state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
* support—give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
* synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
* analyze—determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
* argue—take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More clues to your purpose

As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class.

* What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
* In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
* What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
* How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

2. Who is your audience?

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

* Tone means the "voice" of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.

* The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on the X-Files last night, you do not say, "First Mulder walked into the room. Then the purple, well-shod alien turned around. Then Mulder smiled slightly. A clock was ticking." You also do not say, "This guy found some aliens. The end." Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You'll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience.
The grim truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a "thesis" or a "claim."

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: "First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon." Instead, you could say, "Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association." Or, "From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived."

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn't have to say "argument" anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument.

3. What kind of evidence do you need?

There are lots of different types of proof or evidence. Here are several common types:

* Einstein proof—a famous (or not so famous) smart person agrees with you or says something you can use to back up your point. This kind of evidence can come from course materials or outside research. Be sure to cite these scholars as sources (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial).
* Case proof—a case in which your point works or the other person's point does not work to demonstrate your idea. These may come from your experience, hypothetical situations, or from outside sources.
* Fact proof—statistics, "objective" information. You will need lots of documentation here and probably several trips to the library.
* For example proof—examples from the subject or text you are studying to back up your focused point. For example (!), you might use Ophelia's scenes to explain Hamlet's depression.

Professors will usually tell you what kind of proof they want. If the assignment tells you to "do research," head quickly to the library.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas.

4. What kind of writing style is acceptable?

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use "I" and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style ("art historians like wacky creativity," or "political scientists are boring and just give facts") and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style.

5. Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment's parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—pronto.

taken from:www.unc.edu

Assignment formats

2009-07-29T15:29:00.000+07:00

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started:
1. An overview of some kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

"Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics" or "In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly ..."

2. The task of the assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words specify tasks. (See the section in this handout titled "Key Terms" for more information.)

"Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution," or "Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin's."

3. Additional material to think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

"You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils," or "Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry' or is it just a home-based craft?"

4. Style tips

These are the instructor's comments about writing expectations:

"Be concise," "Write effectively," or "Argue furiously."

5. Technical details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

"Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung's death."

The assignment's parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

taken from:www.unc.edu

How do Reading Assignment well

2009-07-29T15:19:00.000+07:00

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment directions and help you begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects.
Basic beginnings

Consider adopting two habits that will serve you well—regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor:

1. Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.

2. Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That's also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Why should students take English ?

2009-06-24T22:20:00.000+07:00

Poor Writing Skills: The Kiss of Death
Why should students should take English 104, Composition and Rhetoric, at Texas
A&M?
You came to A&M to get a great education, right? To learn how to be a world-class
engineer, or doctor, or business person? You wouldn’t take your primary courses for your
major at a junior college because you want to be as prepared as possible for the career
challenges in your future.
Consider this:
A 2003 survey from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
indicated that 75 percent of engineers in those fields ranked writing as either the “top
most important” or a “very important” skill required for success in their careers.
Similarly, the engineering journal Professional Issues in Engineering Education and
Practice reported that: “Within 2-3 years of graduation, engineers spend about 30 percent
of their time on the job writing; engineers in middle management spend 50-70 percent;
and engineers in senior management spend 70 percent or more—up to 95 percent” (Silyn-
Roberts, 1998).
Furthermore, a 1996 survey conducted by North Carolina State University revealed that
across all disciplines, professionals spend from 31 to 50 percent of their time writing
(Miller, Larson, & Gaitens, 1996). Likewise, a 2004 report, “Writing: A Ticket to Work,”
from the National Commission on Writing noted that “poor writing skills are the ‘kiss of
death’ for those on the job market because 51 percent of companies say they ‘frequently
or almost always take writing into consideration when hiring salaried employees’”
(Johnson-Sheehan 5).
Writing skills are important to your future success in your career. Very important.
Writing Programs at Texas A&M University wants to be a partner with you in your
pursuit of excellence. We want to see you get the quality education you paid for.

Assignment Remidial XI Social 5

2009-06-15T17:09:00.000+07:00

Remidial XI Social 5...

Daily Mark XI Social 5

2009-06-15T17:04:00.000+07:00

XI Social 5...

Assignment for Remidial X-4

2009-06-15T14:17:00.001+07:00

Remidi X 4....

Assignment for Remidial X-3

2009-06-15T14:15:00.000+07:00

Remidial X -3 ....

Assignment for Remidial X-2

2009-06-15T13:56:00.000+07:00

Remidial X 2 ....

Assignment for Remidial X-1

2009-06-15T13:53:00.000+07:00

Remidial X-1...

English Assignment

2009-06-14T12:00:00.000+07:00

There are two parts for this assignment:

1. Presentation
2. Essay Writing

Students are to work in groups of two/three and do a research on the following topic.

In your opinion, what are the “Ten Most Effective Ways To Improve Your English”.
.
Students are advised to group themselves according to their own programs.

1. PRESENTATION

Objectives:

To assess students’ capability to speak in public
To boost students’ confidence in delivering a presentation
To familiarize the students with presentation and speaking in public

Each group must present their findings in a ten to fifteen minutes presentation. Students may use pictures or handouts to aid the presentation.

2. ESSAY WRITING

To enhance students’ skills in research and writing
To develop teamwork among the students
To assess students’ students’ understanding on writing
To strengthen students’ communication skill

The essay should be approximately 1000 words in length.

ENGLISH BASIC COMPETENCE MARK--X 4

2009-06-14T09:59:00.000+07:00

X 4 ...

ENGLISH BASIC COMPETENCE MARK--- X 3

2009-06-14T09:57:00.002+07:00

X 3...

ENGLISH BASIC COMPETENCE MARK--- X 2

2009-06-14T09:55:00.000+07:00

X 2...