By Dr. Linh Phung
August 15, 2024
Every living creature thinks that they are human, the center of the universe, and in a way it's true because you can only see from you. Ever since I heard this from a Jason Mraz's performance, the line keeps being stuck in my mind. This post will be from my rambling mind.
I can only see from me: When a career change may be a milestone to some, I call it a swerve as it just feels like a big, abrupt change that feels exciting and a little dangerous. I use words sometimes because I feel they feel right. In my speech to the whole Chatham University's campus during the Global Focus Year of Vietnam when I first started my job there in 2011, I used the word ferocious to describe the fight against what was seen as foreign occupation. I was told that it's a really aggressive word, but I used it anyway. I could now feel that negative connotation considering the cost of war.
Storytelling in IELTS Speaking Part 2 and other situations: I'm writing some more lessons to teach students how to describe an event and tell a story in IELTS Speaking Part 2 to include in the Eduling Speak app. Note our book IELTS Speaking Part 2 by Linh Phung, Lara Hauer, and Phuong-Anh Nguyen has already covered this quite well. Here's a video where I mention the most important elements of a story.
Using Self as Source: Telling stories or recounting events is something we do all the time in every day life, but is there a way to teach language students to do it effectively for these 2-minute speeches in the IELTS exam? How can the lesson capitalize on what students can probably do well with friends, classmates, and family in their primary language? Telling a story well is a combination of describing, reflecting, and connecting the story to a bigger theme, isn't it? I also believe in using the self and our experiences as a way to learn a language. That is: talk and write about yourself and experiences as a starting point and expand from there.
Ducky Duck Likes to Moo: I bought this book together with Monster Monster Wants to Roar and some pictures that go with them at an Art Festival. They are great books, playful and funny. I still like to read them out loud, but Hallie has mostly outgrown them. Ducky Duck, moo away, you be you!
About the author: Dr. Linh Phung is a dedicated international educator, innovator, and leader with a proven track record of directing successful educational programs, fostering academic excellence, and driving innovation in language learning. With Eduling, she leads a cross-functional team of IT developers, content developers, and designers in the development of Eduling Speak, an app that offers courses in the mobile format consisting of communicative tasks and games. She's also a published author with 10+ language learning and bilingual picture books as well as an expert in language education with publications in high impact journals. She has served as an English Language Specialist with the U.S. Department of State.
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