13 Kind of English Text

NARRATIVE

Social function: to amuse, to entertain the readers.
Generic structure :
* Orientation : who was involved, when and where was it happened
* Evaluation : a stepping back to evaluate the plight
* Complication : a problem arises and followed by other problems
* Resolution : provide solution the problem
* Reorientation (optional)
Language features :
* Use of noun phrases, such as : a beautiful princess, a huge temple
* Use of adverbial phrases of time and place, such as : in the garden, two day ago
* Use of simple past tense, such as : he walked away from the village
* Use of action verbs, such as : walked, slept
* Use of adjectives phrases, such as : long black hair
Example:

The Smartest Parrot

Once upon time, a man had a wonderful parrot. There was no other parrot like it. The parrot could say every word, except one word. The parrot would not say the name of the place where it was born. The name of the place was Catano.
The man felt excited having the smartest parrot but he could not understand why the parrot would not say Catano. The man tried to teach the bird to say Catano however the bird kept not saying the word.
At the first, the man was very nice to the bird but then he got very angry. “You stupid bird!” pointed the man to the parrot. “Why can’t you say the word? Say Catano! Or I will kill you” the man said angrily. Although he tried hard to teach, the parrot would not say it. Then the man got so angry and shouted to the bird over and over; “Say Catano or I’ll kill you”. The bird kept not to say the word of Catano.
One day, after he had been trying so many times to make the bird say Catano, the man really got very angry. He could not bear it. He picked the parrot and threw it into the chicken house. There were four old chickens for next dinner “You are as stupid as the chickens. Just stay with them” Said the man angrily. Then he continued to humble; “You know, I will cut the chicken for my meal. Next it will be your turn, I will eat you too, stupid parrot”. After that he left the chicken house.
The next day, the man came back to the chicken house. He opened the door and was very surprised. He could not believe what he saw at the chicken house. There were three death chickens on the floor. At the moment, the parrot was standing proudly and screaming at the last old chicken; “Say Catano or I’ll kill you”.

RECOUNT TEXT

Social function : to retell event for the purpose of informing or entertaining.
Generic structure :
* Orientation : who were involved, when and where was it happened
* Events : tell what happened in a chronological order
* Re-orientation : optional-closure of events
Language features :
* Use of material processes
* Use of action verbs in past, such as : when,studied
* Use of past tense, such as : we went for a trip to the zoo
* Use of adverbial phrases
* Use of adjectives
Example :

My Rush Time as a Journalist

I usually woke up at eight o’clock a.m. and went to the Press Center to check the daily schedule of briefings and press conferences. It was usually held by the United Nation officials or disaster mitigation team.
It was challenging to visit different refugee camps to find soft stories, human interest stories. After that I went back to the Press Center to cover the press conferences of the day.
It was heart breaking when I saw these survivors fight for food and secondhand clothing. Unfortunately as they said, the food and clothing were limited and inadequate. Emerging to glaring, fool noon, it was time to go back to Press Center to write stories and race against time. I was always fearing that the internet would come crushing down.
After everything was done, only then I remembered to eat. Most times, I only ate once a day because I always had to rush and again it was difficult to find food. I had to travel quite far. I needed to spend a 30 to 45 minutes by car just to find fresh food.

REPORT TEXT

Social function : to describe the way things are (for example : a man – made thing, animals, plants). The things must be a representative of their class
Generic structure :
* General classification : introduces the topic of the reports/tells what phenomenon under discussing it
* Description : tell the details of topic such as physical appearance parts, qualities, habits/behavior
Language features :
* Emotive words, such as : alarmed, worried
* Words that qualify statements, such as : usual probably
* Words that link argument, such as : snakes often sunbathe in the sun
* Use of technical terms, such as : water contains oxygen and hydrogen
* Use of relating verbs, such as : is, are, has
Example :

Birds

Birds are interesting flying animals. They are vertebrates and warm blooded animals. They belong to aves class and they can be found all over the world.
Birds breath with their air pocket. Beside as respiration organ, air pocket also can enlarge or reduce their weight when flying or swimming.
There are many kinds of birds. Earth bird has special characteristic. They have different morphology according to their food and their habitat. Some of them eat seeds, pollen, fish or meat. There are some species that live in land and the others live in water. Land birds live on their nest.
Female birds have specific tasks. they lay eggs and feed their baby, Beside that they look for foods for their baby.

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

Social function : to describe a particular person, place or thing
Generic structure:
ü Identification : identify phenomenon to be described
ü Description : describe parts, qualities, characteristics
Language features:
* Focus on specific participants
* Use of attributive and identifying processes
* Frequent use classifiers in nominal groups
* Use of the simple present tense

Example:

THE AMAZING TAJ MAHAL IN INDIA

Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world. It was built by a Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his dear wife at Agra.
Taj Mahal is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque (to the left), a guest house (to the right), and several other palatial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex, with the river Jamuna behind it.
The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.
Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in diameter and rises to a height of 213 feet. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed chambers. The four graceful, slender minarets are 162.5 feet each. The central domed chamber and four adjoining chambers include many walls and panels of Islamic decoration.
Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.

REVIEW TEXT

Social function  : to critique an art work or event for a public audience

Generic structure:

*    Orientation : background information on the text

*    Evaluation : concluding statement/judgement/opinion

*    Interpretative recount : summary of an art work including characters and plot

*    Evaluative summation : the last opinion consisting the appraisal or the punch line of the art work being criticized

Language features  :

*    Focus on specific participants

*    Use of adjective

*    Use of long and complex clauses

*    Use of metaphore

*    Reviews are used to summarize, analyze, and respond to art works. They may include : movie, books, play, concerts, etc

Example :

2012 Film Review

2012 is Roland Emmerich's film which uses the Mayan calendar and other end-of-days prophecies for their doomsday scenario. It imagines the world coming to an end in 2012.

2012 film brings off a series of wonders. The movie hits its peak early on. It starts when Cusack drives a limo through the streets of Los Angeles as freeways and skyscrapers crumble all around him from the shock of a 10.5 earthquake. The preposterous flying sequence is equally thrilling. The climax occurs aboard the giant ark, when an equipment malfunction almost threatens the entire mission.

Unfortunately, the crucial sequence is not filmed or edited with the requisite clarity. In 2012 film, Emmerich leaves us befuddled as to exactly what is happening to whom. However, Emmerich' 2012 deserves credit for offbeat casting. Cusack supplies his trademark hangdog charm. McCarthy has perhaps his best role ever as Peet's cocky. Danny Glover lends dignity to the role of the tormented president. Chiwetel Ejiofor, as the chief scientist, brings a moving sense of anguish to a stock role. Platt has fun playing the villain of the piece, and Woody Harrelson also chews the scenery as a bug-eyed radio prophet trying to warn his listeners about Armageddon.

All in one, 2012's cinematography, production design and visual effects are awards-worthy. Music also propels the movie. It presents American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert, who provides a rousing anthem over the end credits.

NEWS ITEM

Social function  : to inform the readers, listeners or viewers about an event of the day which are considered news-worthy or important

Generic structure  :

*    News worthy event : tells the event in a summary from

*    Background events : elaborate what happened, tell what caused the incident

*    Sources : comments by participant, witnesses, authorities and experts involved in the event

Language features  :

*    Information on the use of headlines

*    Use of action verbs, such as : hit, attack

*    Use of saying verbs, such as : said, added, claimed

*    Use of passive sentences, such as : aceh was hit by Tsunami in 2004

*    Use of a verbs in passive sentences, such as : the victims were badly injured

Example :

Mini-tornado, hail strikes South Bandung

A “mini-tornado” coupled with a hail storm hit some areas in South Bandung on Wednesday afternoon for approximately 30 minutes.

The weather panicked residents as hail stones penetrated corrugated iron rooftops. The wind swirled things around while hail stones made thudding sounds on our roof. Residents reported that the authorities had shut down the electricity in the area to prevent short circuits

“There was no sign of rain. All of a sudden, we saw dark clouds above followed by strong winds. Afterwards, it rained hard with hail stones,” said a resident.

ANECDOTE

Definition and Social Function of Anecdote

Anecdote is a text which retells funny and unusual incidents in fact or imagination.

Its purpose is to entertain the readers.

Generic structure  :

*    Abstract : signals the retelling of an unusual incident

*    Orientation : sets the scene

*    Cisis : provides details of the unusual incident

*    Reaction : reaction of crisis

*    Moral option – reflection on or evaluation of the incident

Language features  :

*    Use of exclamation, rethoriquestions and intensifies to poin up the significance of the events

*    Use of material processes to tell what happened

*    Use of temporal conjunction

Example :

A Plumber

Al Brown was very good at fixing things around the housewhen they broke. One day he went to another city to do some works there, and his wife was alone in the house.

While Mr. Brown was away, one of the faucets on the bathtub broke. Mrs. Brown didn’t know much about fixing broken faucets, so she telephoned a plumber.

The plumber came to the house that afternoon and fixed the faucet in a few minutes. When he finished, he gave Mrs. Brown his bill for the work.

She looked at it for several seconds and then said, “Your prices are very high, aren’t they? Do you know, the doctor costs less than this when he comes to the house?”

“Yes, I know,” answered the plumber. “I know that very well, because I was a doctor until I was lucky enough to find this job a few months ago.”

SPOOF

Social function  : to tell an event with a humorous twist.

Generic structure  :

*    Orientation : who were involved, when and where was happened

*    Events : tell what happened in a chronological order

*    Twist : provide the funniest part of the story

Language features  :

*    Use of connectives, such as : first, then, finally

*    Use of adverbial phrases of time and places, such as : in the garden, two days ago

*    Use of simple past tense, such as : he walked away from the village

Example :

The Zoo Job Story

One day a clown was visiting the zoo and attempted to earn some money by making a street performance. He acted and mimed perfectly some animal acts. As soon as he started to drive a crowd, a zoo keeper grabbed him and dragged him into his office. The zoo keeper explained to the clown that the zoo's most popular gorilla had died suddenly and the keeper was fear that attendance at the zoo would fall off. So he offered the clown a job to dress up as the gorilla until the zoo could get another one.

The clown accepted this great opportunity. So the next morning the clown put on the gorilla suit and entered the cage before the crowd came. He felt that it was a great job. He could sleep all he wanted, played and made fun of people and he drove bigger crowds than he ever did as a clown. He pretended the gorilla successfully.

However, eventually the crowds were tired of him for just swinging on tires. He began to notice that the people were paying more attention to the lion in the next cage. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he decided to make a spectacular performance. He climbed to the top of his cage, crawled across a partition, and dangled from the top to the lion's cage. Of course, this made the lion furious, but the crowd people loved it.

At the end of the day the zoo keeper came and gave him a raise for being such a good attraction. Well, this went on for some time, he kept taunting the lion, the audience crowd grew a larger, and his salary kept going up. Then one terrible day happened. When he was dangling over the furious lion, he slipped and fell into the lion cage. The clown was really in big terrible situation. He was terrified.
Sooner the lion gathered itself and prepared to pounce. The clown was so scared. He could do nothing and he began to run round and round the cage with the lion close and closer behind. Finally, the lion could catch him. The clown started screaming and yelling, "Help me, help me!", but the lion was quick and pounces. The clown soon found himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and suddenly he heard a voice from the lion’s mouth;"Shut up you idiot! Do you want to get us both fired?".

HORTATORY EXPOSITION

Social function  : to persuade the readers or the listeners that something should or should not be the case.

Generic structure  :

*    Thesis : stating an issue of concern

*    Arguments : giving reasons for concern, leading recommendation

*    Recommendation : stating what ought or ought not to happen

Language features  :

*    Emotive words, such as : alarmed, worried

*    Words that qualify statements, such as : usual, probably

*    Words that link arguments, such as : firstly, however, on the other hand, therefore

*    Usually present tense

*    Compound and complex sentences

*    Modal auxiliary, such as : can, may, must, should

Example :

Learning English through music and songs is Fun

Learning English through music and songs can be very enjoyable. You can mix pleasure with learning when you listen to a song and exploit the song as a means to your English progress. Some underlying reason can be drawn to support the idea why we use songs in language learning.

Firstly, “the song stuck in my head” Phenomenon (the echoing in our minds of the last song we heard after leaving a restaurant, shopping malls, etc) can be both enjoyable and sometimes unnerving. This phenomenon also seems to reinforce the idea that songs work on our short-and-long term memory.

Secondly, songs in general also use simple conversational language, with a lot of repetition, which is just what many learners look for sample text. The fact that they are effective makes them many times more motivating than other text. Although usually simple, some songs can be quite complex syntactically, lexically and poetically, and can be analyzed in the same way as any other literary sample.

Furthermore, song can be appropriated by listener for their own purpose. Most pop songs and probably many other types don’t have precise people, place or time reference.

In addition, songs are relaxing. They provide variety and fun, and encourage harmony within oneself and within one group. Little wonder they are important tools in sustaining culture, religion, patriotism and yeas, even revolution.

Last but not least, there are many learning activities we can do with songs such as studying grammar, practicing selective listening comprehension, translating songs, learning vocabulary, spelling and culture.

From the elaboration above, it can be concluded that learning through music and songs, learning English can be enjoyable and fun.

ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION

Social function  : to persuade the readers or the listeners that something in the case, to analyze or to explain.

Generic structure  :

*    Thesis : usually includes a preview argument. It introduce topics and indicates the writer’s position

*    Argument : consists of a point and elaboration sequence. The number of points may vary, but each must be supported by discussion and evidence

*    Reiteration : restates the position more forcefully in the light of the arguments presented

Language features :

*    Emotive words, such as : alarmed, worried

*    Words that qualify statements, such as : usual probably

*    Words that link arguments, such as : firstly, however, on the other hand, therefore

*    Usually present tense

*    Compound and complex sentences

Example :

Is Smoking Good for Us?

Before we are going to smoke, it is better to look at the fact. About 50 thousands people die every year in Britain as direct result of smoking. This is seven times as many as die in road accidents. Nearly a quarter of smokers die because of diseases caused by smoking.

Ninety percent of lung cancers are caused by smoking. If we smoke five cigarettes a day, we are six times more likely to die of lung cancer than a non smoker. If we smoke twenty cigarettes a day, the risk is nineteen greater. Ninety five percent of people who suffer of bronchitis are people who are smoking. Smokers are two and half times more likely to die of heart disease than non smokers.

Additionally, children of smoker are more likely to develop bronchitis and pneumonia. In one hour in smoky room, non smoker breathes as much as substance causing cancer as if he had smoked fifteen cigarettes.

Smoking is really good for tobacco companies because they do make much money from smoking habit. Smoking however is not good for every body else.

DISCUSSION

Social function  : to present information and opinions about more than one side of an issue (“for” point  and “against” point)

Generic structure  :

*    Issue : statement and preview

*    Argument for and against or statement of different points of view

*    Concluci or recommendation

Language features  :

*    Use of general nouns, such as : alcohol, abortion, smoking, etc

*    Use of realiting verbs, such as : is, are, etc

*    Use of thinking verbs, such as : think, feel, hope, believe, etc

*    Use of additive connective, such as : addition, furthermore, besides, etc

*    Use of contrastives, such as : although, even, if nevertheless

*    Use of causal connectives, such as : because, because of, etc

*    Use of modal auxiliary, such as : must, should, etc

*    Use of adverbial manner, such as : hopefully

Example :

Adventages and Disadventages of Internet

Computer, tablet, mobile phone, and other devices connected to Internet have been the most outstanding innovation in the history of mankind. As with every single innovation, internet has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The target of internet has always been the communication. By the advent of computer's Internet, our earth has reduced and has attained the form of a global village. Now we can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other parts of the world. Today for better communication, we can avail the facilities of e-mail; we can chat for hours with our loved ones. There are plenty messenger services in offering. With help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship.

However, Internet also has disadvantageous sides. One of them is the wide spread of unsuitable content for kids. It is a very serious issue and related to children's healthy mental life. There are thousands of such inappropriate contents on the Internet which can be easily found.

Though, internet can also create havoc, destruction and its misuse can be very fatal, the advantages of it outweigh its disadvantages.

PROCEDURE

Social function descriptive : to help us do tasks or make something. They can be a set of instruction or directions.

Generic structure :

*    Goals : the final purpose of doing the instruction

*    Materials : ingredients, utensils, equipment, to do the instruction

*    Steps : a set of instruction to achieve the final purpose

Language features descriptive :

*    Use of imperative, such as : cut…., don’t mix….

*    Use of action verbs, such as : turn, put

*    Use of connectives, such as : first, then, finally

Example :

How To Make a Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients :
• 1/4 cup Process Cocoa
• 2-1/4 cups Cake Flour
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 3 Egg Whites
• 1 tsp Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 8 Ounces Low-Fat Yogurt
• 1/4 cup Margarine
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Prune Puree

How to make Chocolate Pound Cake :
• Grease the sides and bottom of a loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle one teaspoon flour and leave aside.
• Blend prunes puree with margarine in a bowl. Add sugar and beat properly.
• Add egg whites in the above and beat again for 5 minutes until blended. Now add vanilla.
• Mix together the remaining flour, soda, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl.
• Add it to the prune puree blend alternatively with yoghurt.
• Pour this mixture into the greased loaf pan.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F.
• Allow to cool and chocolate pound cake is ready.

EXPLANATION TEXT

Social function : to explain the process involved in the formation or working of natural or socio cultural phenomena

Generic structure :

*    A general statement : to position the reader

*    A sequence explanation of why or how something occurs

Language features :

*    Focus of generic, non-human participant

*    Use mainly of general and abstract nouns, action verbs, simple present tense, passive voice, conjunction of time and cause, noun phrases, complex sentences, and technical language.

Example :

How does Rain Happen?

Rain is the primary source of fresh water for most areas of the world, providing suitable conditions for diverse ecosystems, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation.

The phenomenon of rain is actually a water circle. The concept of the water cycle involves the sun heating the Earth's surface water and causing the surface water to evaporate. The water vapor rises into the Earth's atmosphere. The water in the atmosphere cools and condenses into liquid droplets. The droplets grow until they are heavy and fall to the earth as precipitation which can be in the form of rain or snow.

However, not all rain reaches the surface. Some evaporates while falling through dry air. This is called virga, a phenomenon which is often seen in hot, dry desert regions.

Source : http://satwikasaktaremidi.blogspot.com/2012/03/explanation-text.html

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Tenses

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Future Of English

http://downloads.ziddu.com/download/23726794/future-of-english.mp3.html

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Group discussion skills

Group discussions occur in many different formats – from very informal ones between friends to highly structured and challenging discussions included as part of a selection process.

In both cases, there are a number of specific skills that we can help our students develop to become better able to contribute effectively to group discussions.

• Why teach group discussion skills?

• Types of discussion

• Useful sub-skills for students

• Setting up group discussions

• Giving and encouraging feedback

• Conclusion

Why teach group discussion skills?
Developing group discussion skills is useful for everyday life as we regularly find ourselves having discussions amongst friends, family and colleagues. These may vary from very informal chats about day-to-day things, to more serious topics, for example a discussion about a recent news story or a problem that needs to be solved.

• Additionally, group discussions are increasingly being used in the job market during interviews and selection procedures. These can take a variety of formats, but the key skills remain very similar.

• Last but not least, group discussions offer an opportunity for extended speaking (and listening!) practice by all of the contributors. Group discussion practice and skill development is therefore useful for all students.

Types of discussion
There are a variety of different types of discussions that occur naturally and which we can recreate in the classroom. These include discussions where the participants have to:

• Make decisions (e.g. decide who to invite to a party and where to seat them)

• Give and / or share their opinions on a given topic (e.g. discussing beliefs about the effectiveness of capital punishment)

• Create something (e.g. plan and make a poster as a medium for feedback on a language course)

• Solve a problem (e.g. discussing the situations behind a series of logic problems)

Some discussion topics may fall into more than one of these categories, but it is useful to consider a variety of formats to which the students can apply the skills they are learning.

Useful sub-skills for students
There are a number of different sub-skills which students will need to be able to successfully and effectively participate in a group discussion. Students need to develop the ability to:

Analyse
This skill can be developed by giving students the topic individually and asking them to brainstorm or mind-map all of the possible sub-topics they could speak about. The students can then swap their notes and assess or analyse the relevance of each of the sub-topics their partner has included. Together, the students then draw up a fresh list or mind-map and discuss how the sub-topics might be linked together, along with examples or reasons for any arguments they might have.

PersuadeThis skill comes in useful when students need to make decisions on how to do something (e.g. which candidate should get a job). A fun activity to develop this skill is to give groups of students this topic and ask them to decide on the profile of the perfect candidate, creating a list of 7 adjectives. The students are then re-grouped and asked to persuade the other members of the group that their selection is the best while compiling a second, negotiated list. The group members who retain the most from their original lists are the winners. Note down useful phrases that you hear the students using while doing this task and discuss these at the end for future reference.

Control emotionsThis can be practised by giving the students a fairly controversial topic, such as ‘Friends are more important than family’ and asking the students to decide whether they agree, disagree or have no opinion, making notes on their main arguments to support their viewpoint. Divide the students into groups ensuring that there is a mix of views within each group. Explain that for this discussion, the aim is to keep their voices low and try to control their emotions as far as possible. Monitor and give feedback on these areas.

Support
One of the most important things for this skill is for students to learn when it is and isn’t appropriate to interrupt and how to do it. Very often students will talk over each other in an effort to get their point across and forget to listen.

To practise this, you can get your students to make a list in small groups of when it is and isn’t appropriate to interrupt other speakers. They should include things like ‘not appropriate during the middle of a point, if the speaker has not said very much previously, or when you are feeling angry and liable to say something you’ll regret’. It is appropriate when the speaker has been dominating the discussion for too long, what the speaker is saying is completely irrelevant to the topic, or you don’t understand the point he / she has made’.

You can then give them or elicit a list of phrases which they might use to interrupt politely (e.g. ‘Can i just add something here?’, ‘Sorry I’d just like to clarify something,’ etc.) The students then write five of these on slips of paper (one per slip) and have a group discussion on a given topic. The aim is to use all of the language on their slips. When they have used a phrase, they put the slip in the middle of the table. The other students in the group judge whether the interruption was appropriate / polite. If not, they take the slip back and try again.

Use functional language
Depending on the types of group discussions that you plan to do with your class, it is useful to draw up a list of useful functional language for the students to refer to. This could include phrases for functions such as ‘Giving reasons’, ‘Giving your opinion’, ‘Agreeing and disagreeing’, etc. You can either make up the list yourself and distribute it or get the students to do this. For each group discussion, you can then refer them to the appropriate section of the list and give them a few moments to consider the language before beginning the discussion.

Setting up group discussions
There are several key things to consider when setting up group discussions in the classroom to ensure that they run successfully.

• Give the students some planning time either individually or in small groups. Don’t just give them the topic and say ‘go’! It is often useful to discuss some associated vocabulary or functional language that they might find useful

• Choose topics which you are confident your students will find interesting.

• Get them to brainstorm some ideas for discussions they would like to do and use this as a starting point

• Ensure a balance between input and practice

• Use a variety of styles / types

• Vary group size and procedure
  Some companies do selection group discussions with very large groups of people – over ten in some cases. If your students will be facing these types of group discussions in the future make sure they get some practice doing them. It can also be useful to mix classes of students so they have practice doing discussions with people they don’t already know.

• Encourage group discussions outside class time
  Give students some extra feedback forms to use to give each other input on how they perform in group discussions outside of class.

Giving and encouraging feedback
Feedback can take several forms and it is a good idea to vary the way it is given. Students can observe each other doing group discussions and give each other feedback on the specific areas of input that you have covered (ideally using a feedback form that you have created).

• Additionally, students can do a ‘Reflective group feedback exercise’ where at the end of the group discussion they discuss how effective each of the participants was during the discussion. Again, giving them some focused questions to guide this stage will help them.

• You could also try video-taping the group discussions and playing sections of these back to the class to analyse. Some students find this extremely useful.

• Finally, monitor the groups yourself and make notes for feedback on whole groups or individual performances. Keeping a record of these will help you and the students to see where they have improved.

Conclusion
As we have seen, group discussions can take a variety of formats and are useful for all types of students. They can be done in preparation for job interviews or as extended speaking practice simply to increase fluency.
It is important to consider the different sub-skills that are involved in participating in a group discussion and ensure that you do activities that address each of these. Additionally, structuring and varying the way that feedback is given will help the students to identify areas for improvement.

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What is Storytelling?

It’s a way of transmitting a message in an entertaining and memorable manner. Stories allow us to capture our listeners’ attention, but they also make it more likely that they will remember what we are telling them.
The world of Communications has changed. People are facing an increasing shortage of time and an increasing range of choices. Technology has enabled us to control what we see, hear and do more than ever before. Today people won´t spend time with messages that interrupt. Instead they spend time with ideas that engage.
We believe that today Storytelling is both a powerful and necessary way of communicating.  Stories are illustrative, easily memorable, and allow any firm to create stronger emotional bonds with the customers.
A good story facilitates and encourages people to pass along a message. It stimulates word-of-mouth.
It’s not about what you want to say. It’s about what you want your audience to remember and share.
We do Third Party Storytelling, which means that we tell a story about a brand or person instead of this brand or person talking about themselves. Third party endorsement makes a story more credible, more objective and more likely to be shared and commented upon.
Elements of a good story:
Wow-factor
You have to catch your audience’s attention. The content, context or tone and way you tell the story have to make people go “Wow”.
Stickiness
Tell the story in such a way that people can easily remember it. Don’t use too many complicated words, don’t give too much information. Make your audience curious to learn more. Make sure your story sticks.
Personal
Don’t ever tell a story about “our company” or “the brand”, but make it personal. The story’s content also has to be personal. You can’t talk about the founder of the company and all the things he did without playing a part in this story yourself. Somehow the story has to be about you, in relation to the company.
Authentic
The story has to be true. You can’t make it up. Of course you can add elements to the story to make it more interesting for people to listen to and easier to remember, but it has to be true.
Relevant
Adjust your story according to the audience. If you are talking to students about a brand that is targeted at mothers for example, don’t expect them to feel the same way a mother would. So appeal to other emotions.

Source :  http://coolbrandsblog.wordpress.com/what-is-storytelling/

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Giving Instruction

Giving Instruction is an expression that is used in order that other person does what we  instruct or request. Instruction ( also called imperatives)

 

Instruction require the person receiving them to do something, or to do stop doing it.

Instruction are directly addressed to the person who has to do them. Therefore,

 

instruction are 

one of the few types of English sentences that do not need a subject !

the subject is usually “ you “ ( understood ). If there is any doubt who should do the

instruction, the “ naming “ form the vocative is used.

 Asking for Instructions (Meminta

instruksi)                

     

• How do you (do this)?How do I…?
• What is the best way to…?
• How do I go about it?
• What do you suggest?
• How do you suggest I proceed?
• What is the first step?

Giving Instructions (Memberikan instruksi)

• First, (you)…         
• Then, (you)…
• Next, (you)…
• Lastly, (you)…

Starting out (Instruksi untuk melakukan tahap pertama)

• Before you begin, (you should…)       
• The first thing you do is…
• I would start by…
• The best place to begin is…
• to begin with,

Continuing (Instruksi untuk melanjutkan)

• After that,
• The next step is to…
• The next thing you do is…
• Once you’ve done that, then…
• When you finish that, then…

Finishing (Instruksi untuk menyelesaikan)

• The last step is…
• The last thing you do is…
• In the end,
• When you’ve finished,
• When you’ve completed all the steps

Note : The tense used in giving instruction is “simple present”
When the commanding word is a verb, you can use the infinitive without to.

Example :
• Write the sentences ! If you do not use a verb as a commanding word, you use be + adjective.

Example :

•  Be quiet !
• Be diligent!
• Be strong!

When you forbid someone to do something, you use don’t + verb infinitive without to.

Example :
• Don’t touch me !
• Don’t cry !
• Don’t close the web page !

You often put the word ‘ please ‘ at the beginning or at the end of an instruction. You use it to make the instruction sounds more polite.
Example :
• Please, sit down / sit down, please. Language

 

Language

Sequence

Sequence, or order, is important in giving instructions.

Firstly become the first step is

First of all become the first stage is

To begin with become begins with

Initially become commences with

Beforehand become before this

Previously become  prior to this

At the same time become during

Simultaneously become  when this happens and  whille

Secondly,thirdly etc become after this

Next become the next step is

Then become  the in the next step
Subsequently become in the following  stage
later become following this and as soon as the committe has finished its work
eventually become until
lastly become finishes with
finally become concludes

Instructions can be given in many ways. A list with the imperative form of the verb and words such as "first, "then, "next" is one common way. Continuous text using the present tense form of  the verb with you and should is another common way. Make sure you distinguish between giving instructions - that is, telling someone how to do something - and describing a process - that is describing how something happens. Look at the following examples of different ways of giving instructions. Notice the highlighted language items:

 

Calculating the standard deviation

First, put the scores in order down the page.
Then, work out the mean.
Now calculate how much each deviates from the mean.
Next, square each of these deviations.
Add them all up.
Now divide by the number of scores.
Lastly find the square root.
This is the standard deviation.

Conversation

 Kevin : Would you mind helping me for a minute.Justin ?
Justin : I’d be glad to, Kevin. What do you want  me to do ?
Kevin : Help me hang up this picture. Hold it
             straight while I put in the nail.
justin : Yes, it’s straight, but it’s upside down.

 

The example expressions of giving instruction

•      Open your book!

•      Close the door, please!

•      Be quiet, please!

•      Move the chair!

•      Open the window!

•      Pass me the sugar, please!

•      Stand up, please!

Source :  http://anjarwaty.blogspot.com/2012/11/giving-instruction.html

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What Is Scanning?

Scanning is another useful tool for speeding up your reading. Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact or piece of information without reading everything. You scan when you look for your favorite show listed in the cable guide, for your friend’s phone number in a telephone book, and for the sports scores in the newspaper. For scanning to be successful, you need to understand how your material is structured as well as comprehend what you read so you can locate the specific information you need. Scanning also allows you to find details and other information in a hurry. How to scan.  Because you already scan many different types of material in your daily life, learning more details about scanning will be easy. Establishing your purpose, locating the appropriate material, and knowing how the information is structured before you start scanning is essential.
The material you scan is typically arranged in the following ways: alphabetically, chronologically, non-alphabetically, by category, or textually. Alphabetical information is arranged in order from A to Z, while chronological information is arranged in time or numerical order.
Information can be also be arranged in non- alphabetical order, such as a television listing, or by category, listings of like items such as an auto parts catalog. Sometimes information is located within the written paragraphs of text, also known as a textual sense, as in an encyclopedia entry.
Learning to use your hands while scanning is very helpful in locating specific information. Do you do anything with your hands to locate a word in a dictionary? To find a meeting time on your calendar? To read a train or bus schedule? Using your hand or finger is extremely helpful in focusing your attention and keeping your place while scanning a column of material.
    Your peripheral vision can also help you scan effectively. When your hand moves down a list of names, you see not only the name your finger is pointing to, but also the names above and below. Let your eyes work for you when searching for information.
    Keep the concept of key words in mind while scanning. Your purpose will determine the key words. Suppose you are looking for the time a train leaves from New York City for Washington, D.C.The key words to keep in mind are “from New York City” and “to Washington,D.C.” If you are looking for the cost of a computer printer with the code number PX-710, the key word to locate in a list of many printers is “PX-710.”
When to scan. You scan when your aim is to find specific pieces of information. If you were doing the research for an oral presentation, you could scan the index of books, web sites, and reference materials. You would discover whether they contain any information you want and the pages where the information can be found.
In the past, you probably scanned without knowing you were doing it. Now with the information provided in this section, you can use scanning more intentionally and frequently. The more you practice, the more effective scanning will become. Finally, the most important benefit of scanning is its ability to help you become a more flexible reader. Scanning adds another high gear to your reading.
Permission to not read everything. Because you may be used to reading every word and may be uncomfortable leaving some words out, you need to give yourself permission to overlook some words by skimming, scanning, and skipping material according to your reading purpose. I give you permission to NOT read everything!

Source : http://www.howtolearn.com/2013/02/skimming-and-scanning-two-important-strategies-for-speeding-up-your-reading/

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What Is Skimming?

Skimming is one of the tools you can use to read more in less time. Skimming refers to looking only for the general or main ideas, and works best with non-fiction (or factual) material. With skimming, your overall understanding is reduced because you don’t read everything. You read only what is important to your purpose. Skimming takes place while reading and allows you to look for details in addition to the main ideas.
How to skim. Many people think that skimming is a haphazard process placing the eyes where ever they fall. However, to skim effectively, there has to be a structure but you don’t read everything. What you read is more important than what you leave out. So what material do you read and what material do you leave out?
Let’s say you are doing research on a long chapter or a web site. By reading the first few paragraphs in detail, you will get a good idea of what information will be discussed. Once you know where the reading is headed, you can begin to read only the first sentence of each paragraph. Also called topic sentences, they give you the main idea of the paragraph. If you do not get the main idea in the topic sentence or if the paragraph greatly interests you, then you may want to skim more.
At the end of each topic sentence, your eyes should drop down through the rest of the paragraph, looking for important pieces of information, such as names, dates, or events. Continue to read only topic sentences, dropping down through the rest of the paragraphs, until you are near the end. Since the last few paragraphs may contain a conclusion or summary, you should stop skimming there and read in detail. Remember that your overall comprehension will be lower than if you read in detail. If while skimming, you feel you are grasping the main ideas, then you are skimming correctly.
When to skim.Because skimming is done at a fast speed with less-than-normal comprehension, you shouldn’t skim all the time. There are many times, however, when skimming is very useful.
Suppose you are taking a presentation skills class and have to deliver an oral report in a few days about the first computers ever made. You locate six books and four newspaper articles about this topic. Because you must be ready soon, you do not have time to read each word, but you need a large quantity of solid information.
Skimming will help you locate the information quickly while making sure you use your time wisely. It will also increase the amount of usable material you obtain for your research.
Suppose you have an exam in a few days. You need to review the material you learned, but you don’t want to reread everything. By skimming, you can quickly locate the information you haven’t mastered yet and study only that material.
While reading, ask yourself the following questions to help you decide whether or not to skim. If you answer yes to any of these, then skimming is a useful tool.
■    Is this material non-fiction?
■    Do I have a lot to read and only a small amount of time?
■    Do I already know something about this?
■    Can any of the material be skipped?
If you have sufficient background knowledge or believe you don’t need the information, then skip it! That’s right—don’t read it at all! Believe it or not, skipping material may sometimes be the best use of your time. Just because someone wrote something doesn’t mean you have to read it.  If you pick and choose carefully what you skim and skip, you will be pleasantly surprised at the large amount of information you can get through in a short period of time.

Source : http://www.howtolearn.com/2013/02/skimming-and-scanning-two-important-strategies-for-speeding-up-your-reading/

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