Points to Ponder

Suppose we all looked alike. Would it be better? Why do you think we are created differently?

Remedial Assignment

Listed students below are to compose a Narrative Text based on their own experience, by applying :

1. Past Tenses

2. Passive Sentences

3. Noun Phrases

4. Relative Clauses

5. Conditional Sentences

XI.IPA.4

1. Daniel Christian Perangin-angin

2. David Siagian

3. Herdini Br Sitepu

4. Margaretha Yolanda Br Barus

5. Meike Florence

6. Prilianta Olivia Br Sembiring

7. Radityaanhal Reinaldy Lubis

8. Reni Kartika Br Tarigan

9. Ribka Sepatia

10. Riki Chandra Panjaitan

11. Suruhenta Tarigan

12. Trayanus Sinuhaji

13. Tuhu Edi Suranta Sembiring

14. Winda Sri Harsita Br Simbolon

15. Wismar Barus

16. Yogi Ricardo Ginting Suka

XI.IPS.1

1. Helbrima

2. Iko Tiovando

3. JJR. Haganta

4. Johannes Sikman

5. Kiki Amelia

6. Kris Adilana

7. Lona Florentina

8. Niko Damero

9. Nina Grace Ivana

10. Sunita

11. Swares

the assignment should be submitted to djoe.pipo@gmail.com on Wednesday, June 18th, 2014 before 11.59 pm

no harm, no foul

Final Semester Test Result (a remedial job note)

here is the list of the students who didn't pass the Final Semester Test of the Academic Year 2013/2014:

XI.IPA.4
1. Meike Florence (70)
2. Esra Ginting (73)
3. Lia Rolianti Br T (57)
4. Elvita Nina Br Tarigan (67)
5. Iis Indriyani Br Sitepu (66)
6. Herianto Sinaga (67)
7. David Siagian (63)
8. Prilianta Olivia Br Sembiring (70)
9. Radityaanhal Reinaldy Lubis (66)
10. Reni Kartika Br Tarigan (63)
11. Ribka Sepatia (60)
12. Riki Chandra Panjaitan (67)
13. Rissa Rani Teresia Br Sembiring (70)
14. Suruhenta Tarigan (57)
15. Tiodora Arimenda Br Surbakti (70)
16. Winda Sri Harsita Br Simbolon (57)
17. Wismar Barus (70)
18. Yogi Ricardo Ginting Suka (73)

XI.IPS.1
1. Ayidha Elvira Syam (70)
2. Jesika Silvana (60)
3. Elfani Pertiwi (70)
4. Irena Kristanti (73)
5. Gresia Bernika Br Sembiring (73)
6. Treicy Putri Hagana Ginting (70)
7. Sunita (73)
8. Kiki Amelia Br Simbolon (63)
9. Rahel Oktavia Br Ginting (60)
10. Vina Adelina Br Ginting (63)
11. Johannes Sikman Sundarto Naibaho (66)
12. Mutya Mahar Reyski Br Purba (60)
13. Sri Muliawati (63)
14. Nina Grace Ivana (56)
15. Kris Adilana Bangun (73)
16. Niko Damero Sinulingga (60)
17. Swares Cardinata Ginting (66)
18. JJR. Haganta SM (70)

the listed students are expected to do all numbers on the exercises on:

* for Conditional Sentences -> http://wikantasasmita.blogspot.com/2012/07/conditional-sentences-kalimat.html

* for Relative Pronoun -> http://englishkoplow.blogspot.com/2008/01/soal-relative-pronoun.html

you are all wished to do them by yourself regarding to the importance & usefulness of the knowledge for you.
the answer should be attached and submitted to djoe.pipo@gmail.com
deadline : Saturday, Dec 14th, 2013
no late answer will be acknowledged
thanks

a help on English Grammar

After all these years you finally consider such a great problems on applying grammar rules in your writing. Now i'm offering you, especially my friends on English Club of SMA Negeri 1 Berastagi, a good resource in order to meet your need. Purdue University maintains an online writing lab and I spent some time digging through it. Originally the goal was to grab some good tips that would help me out at work and on this site, but there is simply too much not to share.

Learn and enjoy!

Adjectives and adverbs

• A or An?: with exercise and answer key


• Adjective or Adverb?: with 2 exercises and answer keys


• Adjectives with Countable and Uncountable Nouns


• Using Articles ( A/An/The ): with 2 exercises and answer keys

Nouns

• A Little Help with Capitals


• Count and NonCount Nouns (with Plurals, Articles, and Quantity Words): with 2 exercises and answer keys


• Count and NonCount Nouns (with Articles and Adjectives): with exercise and answer key


• Writing Numbers: with exercise and answer key

Prepositions

• Prepositions of Direction: To, On(to), In(to): with exercise and answer key


• Prepositions of Location: At, In, On: with exercise and answer key


• Prepositions of Time, of Place, and to Introduce Objects


• Spatial Relationships of Prepositions

Pronouns

• Using Pronouns Clearly


• Pronoun Case

Sentence structure

• Appositives: with exercise and answer key


• Dangling Modifiers


• Independent and Dependent Clauses (definitions)


• Making Subject and Verbs Agree


• Parallel Structure


• Run-ons, Comma splices, and Fused Sentences


• Sentence Fragments: with 3 exercises and answer keys


• Sentence Punctuation Patterns


• Some Strategies for Improving Sentence Clarity

Verbs

• Active/Passive Verbs


• Irregular Verbs


• Sequence of Tenses


• Tense Consistency:w with an exercise and answer key


• Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs- (Idioms)


• Verb Tenses


• Verbs with Helpers (Perfectives and Auxiliaries)


• Verbals: Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives


• Voice and Mood

Apostrophes and Quotation Marks

• Apostrophes with exercise and answer key


• Quotation Marks: with exercise and answer key

Commas

• Commas after Introductions: with exercise and answer key


• Commas vs. Semicolons in Compound Sentences : with exercise and answer key


• Commas with Essential and Non-essential Elements: with3 exercises and answer keys


• Proofreading for Commas


• Using Commas: with 5 exercises and answer keys

Hyphens

• Using Hyphens

Other punctuation

• Brief Overview of Punctuation: Semicolons, Colons, Parentheses, Dash, Quotation Marks, and Italics: with exercise and answer key

Sentence Punctuation

• Sentence Punctuation Patterns


• Run-ons, Comma splices, and Fused Sentences

Spelling

• Spelling: Sound-Alike Words


• Spelling: Accept/Except and Affect/Effect : with 2 exercises and answer keys


• Spelling: i/e rules: with 2 exercises and answer keys


• Spelling: Noun Plurals


• Spelling: Suffixes–- ible vs. —able : with exercise and answer key

how to speak in front?

Does the thought of an oral report make you queasy? If so, you're not alone. No kidding--people of all ages and occupations feel the same way. From stage actors to college professors, many professionals feel the sudden urge to flee just before they speak. So what can you do? Just follow these steps to calm down and gear up for a super performance.

 Difficulty: Average

Time Required: No specific

Here's How:

1.    Write your report to be heard, not read. There is a difference. You'll see this once you begin to practice what you've written, as some sentences will sound choppy or too formal.

2.    Practice your report out loud.

3.    On the morning of your report, eat something but don't drink soda. Carbonated beverages will give you dry mouth.

4.    Dress appropriately, and in layers. You never know whether the room will be hot or cold. Either could give you the shakes, so prepare for both.

5.    Once you stand, take a moment to gather your thoughts or relax. Don't be afraid to give yourself a pause. Look through your paper for a moment. If your heart is beating hard, this will give it an opportunity to calm. If you do this right, it looks very professional.

6.    If you start to speak and your voice is shaky, take a pause. Clear your throat. Take a drink of water if it's available.

7.    Focus on someone in the back of the room. This has a calming effect on some speakers. It feels weird, but it doesn't look weird.

8.    If there is a microphone, talk to it. Many speakers concentrate on the microphone and pretend it's the only person in the room. This works well.

9.    Take the stage. Pretend you're a professional on TV. This gives confidence.

10. Prepare an "I don't know" answer if people will be asking questions. Don't be afraid to say you don't know. You can say something like, "That is a great question. I'll look into that."

11. Prepare a good ending line. Avoid an awkward moment at the end. Don't back away, mumbling "Well, I guess that's all."

Tips:

1.    Know your topic well.

2.    If possible, make a practice video and watch yourself to see how you sound.

3.    Don't pick the day of your report to experiment with a new style! It may give you an extra reason to feel nervous in front of a crowd.

4.    Walk up to your speaking location early, to give your nerves time to calm down.

5.    Keep a zinger line for the end.

What You Need

·         Three days to practice

·         A recording device

·         Layered clothing

·         A great report

English Debate : a brief description

Debating competitions used to be populated by nerds in white-starched shirts and ties. Those days are over! In schools across the world, and especially in urban schools, debate teams are becoming quite popular again.

What Is a Debate?

Basically, a debate is an argument with rules.

Debating rules will vary from one competition to another, and there are several formats for debates. Debates can involve single-member teams or teams that include several students.

Typically in a debate two teams are presented a resolution or topic that they will debate, and each team is given a set period of time to prepare an argument.

Students typically don't know their debate subjects ahead of time. The goal is to come up with a good argument in a short amount of time. Students are encouraged to read about current events and controversial issues to prepare for debates.

Sometimes school teams will encourage individual team members to choose special topics and focus on them. This can give a team special strengths in certain topics.

At a debate, one team will argue in favor (pro) and the other will argue in opposition (con). Sometimes each team member speaks, and sometimes the team selects one member to speak for the entire team.

A judge or a panel of judges will assign points based on the strength of the arguments and the professionalism of the teams. One team is usually declared the winner and that team will advance to a new round.

A typical debate includes:

1.    Students hear the topic and take positions (pro and con)

2.    Teams discuss their topics and come up with statements

3.    Teams deliver their statements and offer main points

4.    Students discuss the opposition's argument and come up with rebuttals

5.    Rebuttals delivered

6.    Closing statements made

Each of these sessions is timed. For instance, teams may have only 3 minutes to come up with their rebuttal.

Debate Facts

·         By participating on a debate team, students learn the art of persuasion.

·         Research has shown that participation in debates increases students' academic performance and increases their chances of earning a college degree.

·         Urban debate teams are making a strong comeback.

·         A school team will prepare to compete in local, regional, and national tournaments.

·         Many colleges offer summer programs that teach debating skills.

·         Students benefit from preparing for debates by honing their research skills.

·         Students also benefit from the experience of speaking in public.

·         Students can start a debate team in their own schools. If you are interested, you should do some research to find out how to start a club in your school.

Preparing English Speech

Aside from teaching classes at my senior high school in Berastagi, North Sumatera, Indonesia, one of my biggest roles is preparing students for English language speech contests and debate contests. I've had 5 years experience of doing this now and like to think I know one or two things about it. So I thought I'd share some ideas with you and hopefully it will help some of you teachers and your students a little further down the line. This guide is catered more towards Indonesian senior high schools, but I think a lot of the information is universal.

·     Stress the importance of these to students at the SHS level (tears and celebrations if they win, tears if they lose - tears will flow no matter how your students do!)

·     Also the importance of contests to the school cannot be underestimated (i.e. expectations placed by teachers & principal on you. Being told that you are expected to make your students succeed). I remember I was once told by an incoming principal that he expected me to give the students the knowledge and ability so they can win the forthcoming debate contest.

Writing a speech

·     Don't write your students' speeches for them. It has been known to happen and is very transparent to native speakers. Let your students compete on their own merit. This can be harder to do at less academic schools when pressure is being placed on you, but the aim of these contests is to test the students' English ability... not yours.

·     Speeches often submitted to ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) after the deadline for making changes. Bad move! You must find out when the contests are and be involved from the first step. Then you can have most influence. Get yourself involved in the preparation process early on, noting down important dates and deadlines.

·     At SHS level, a lot of speeches talk about family/friends etc. Speeches on these topics can be good and interesting to hear, but rarely win prefectural speech contests. In order to challenge for the winner's trophy, they must have strong links to something outside the students' own lives. If your students show judges that they have knowledge of life outside their own town, it makes them much more impressed. Stories about their own experiences are good, but they should be used to support the main message of the speech.

·     Linked to this is that the speech has to be interesting to the audience. While the student may be interested in their exploits at the school's tennis club and how it helped them to realise that friends are important, the audience lost interest towards the end of the introduction. The first paragraph has to grip the audience and make them want to listen to the rest of the speech.

·     Correct speeches, but positive reinforcement is the key with SHS students, as they lose confidence very easily. Always give them positive reinforcement, even if their speech is awful. Tell them what you really liked before going onto corrections. This is a process I go through in all my classes. I will always try to focus on the good points first, even if they are hard to find. Doing so gives the student confidence and makes them a little more comfortable when listening to things they can improve upon.

Preparing to give a speech

·     Preparation is the key, and lots of it. Be prepared to spend time after school with students, but as ALTs you shouldn't feel forced into working hours you don't have to, if you have other important plans. Bear in mind though that the students will be cancelling their own plans so they can receive guidance and advice from you, so try to be there when they need you.

·     Someone once said a speech is 20% what you say, and 80% how you say it. The J.F. Kennedy "Ich bin ein Berliner" is an urban legend, but it can be used to get the point across. Tell your students that they should speak with complete confidence. If they believe what they are saying, the audience will believe it too. That's not to say you should neglect the contents, but that the winner of the speech contests is usually the person who appears confident and gets their point across well; not the person with the best speech.

·     With this in mind, there is something you can do in classes to help students with their spoken English. Try to create an atmosphere where the students aren't afraid of making mistakes. In a number of my classes, I'll ask students a question and they'll talk to their friend for a good minute about whether they should say "I ride bicycle to Gongsol" or "I ride my bicycle to Gongsol". The truth is that it doesn't matter! Make corrections, but don't criticize everything the student does or they will just lose confidence and interest in English. We're trying to inspire them to use English whenever they can... not scare them into silence with a fear of not being perfect. When we get to speech contests, their grammar has to be excellent, but it all starts in the classroom.

·     Pronunciation is an important aspect of speech contests. Accent is unimportant - it doesn't matter if they speak with an English, American, Australian, Indian or Bahasa Indonesia accent - if what they say is comprehensible then that is fine. Make sure students annunciate though - the words should not be slurred together.

·     Commas, full stops etc. The students use these, but are rarely sure of when or how they should be used. You must show students how to use them (comma = 1 beat pause, full stop = 2 beat pause)

·     Body language. From the start, have students practise to you standing up. Shoulders need to be back and head held high. Sounds simple, but must be emphasized and done over and over again until they do it subconsciously. This is especially the case in Indonesia, where students are often very shy about making speeches in English (the origins of this probably go back to my previous point about being scare to make mistakes).

·     Gestures are linked with the above point. Indonesian speakers don't use gestures generally, but Westerers do, and they will be expected to use them in their speech. Promote the use of hands and arms during the speech, but movements should be subtle. Don't wave your hands around like you're trying to achieve flight.

·     The Q&A section of a speech contest (when included) is invariably the part where the contest is won and lost. A lot of this comes down to luck: some students will get seemingly simple questions about their writing; others will be asked very challenging ones. But regardless of the questions, it does mean that students need a full understanding of what they are saying. If they simply write their speech using their electronic dictionary and learn how to read it from you then they will come undone when they are asked about it. Get your student ready for this part of the test by asking them increasingly more difficult questions about their speech as the contest approaches. Again, give positive feedback and tell them where they can improve.

·     If you have time before the contest, concentrate on one particular issue each you meet with the students. Then you are not giving them too much to think about and task-loading them. If they can focus on one problem then they'll cut it out by the next session, so you can move onto the next.

·    Speed. Whether your students are taking part in a speech contest or debate contest, the speed of your speech is very important as they are working to time limits. Try to get their speech flowing, but don't have them speak too fast that you can't take everything in. In this year's debate contest, a couple of teams seemed to have the tactic of giving their speeches so quickly that the other team couldn't take it all in and had to ask them to repeat things, which consequently makes them look bad. This is a possible tactic if you have strong speakers of English, but not one I'm a fan of personally. For your speech and debate contests, try to get their speeches finishing with 15-20 seconds spare - that will give them a little extra time if they hesitate during the event.

·    When the contest is only 7 days away, your student should be almost ready. Keep praising their speech and start to emphasize taking a break from it a couple of nights before the contest. The mentality here is to work as hard as they can before the contest, which leads to stress and lower confidence. Try to get them to relax and not work late into the evenings just before the contest. You can enlist the students' classmates to help you do this too.

On contest day. If you've helped you're student prepare for the contest since the start, then do try to attend. It's very possible your school will let you go to coach your student, but if the contest is held on a weekend then you should try to make the effort to keep that day free. The students appreciate our attendance a lot more than we think. Your role during this day is just to try and keep your student(s) calm and concentrating on their speech. And to wish them luck before they go out and perform. After the speeches, it's either consoling a tearful student, or coping with a super-genki one jumping up and down around you. Hopefully you'll get to experience the latter.