overkilling "Madam Chair"

Every meeting as I listen and watch with amazement at my summer kids speak and debate with improved public speaking skills, I notice that while some had junked "ladies and gentlemen" and "at the end of the day" in place of "uh--uhmm.." some had sneaked in a new crutch in place of those redundancies and are now dotting their speeches with "Madam Chair" after every short phrase.

This being the case, Madam Chair, I strongly suggest Madam Chair, that using too much of this expression Madam Chair will blur the meaning or the message that you are trying to express Madam Chair.

When the overuse of this expression Madam Chair becomes too much Madam Chair we are actually "overkilling" the phrase Madam Chair and that if we do not do something about this Madam Chair to eradicate this nasty phrase Madam Chair then I am afraid Madam Chair that we might end up not saying anything Madam Chair.

Redundancies and unnecessary body movements seldom happen in the Oregon-Oxford type of debate where students get to do research, write, edit and practice delivering his or her specch a month or so before the debate.

adjusting the curriculum towards conversational English

The reason why India is the top UK market call center provider is because schools there have adjusted their curriculum towards conversational English. The Philippines is 2nd only to India when it comes to catering to the North American market's call center needs. Why? Because our English curricula in the Philippines are not adjusted to the demands of the market. Take the following facts.

In 2004, there were 40,000 seats available in call centers for graduates who could speak good English. Eighty thousand seats were available in 2005 and the Department of Trade and Industry projects a doubling of the figures every year for the next five years.

No other industry in the Philippines is generating and providing as many job openings as the call center industry with salaries that are highly competitive.

But are schools delivering products that fit the demands of the market which is the call center industry?

It is sad to hear that out of 2,000 applicants, they will be lucky to get 5 or 7 real qualified graduates to work as call center agents who will be dealing with English-speaking clients 24 hours a day.

The solution that was proposed by a representative of Bigfoot Global Solutions Inc. is skills practice or conditioning students into practising the kind of work expected by the market.

One of the ways proposed is by giving assessment through conversational English, using oral examination as the testing format for prelims, midterms, or finals. Other activities such as panel quizzes, debate, oration, panel discussion may also be used by the teacher. The point is, to make the students speak and use the target language as often as every meeting.

This may raise the eyebrows of many traditionalists, but hey, we've got to get real. Our students will not be asked to write down their answers in a job interview. No, they will be using spoken English when they will be looking for work and they better start polishing this skill now.

It is only by doing this that schools can truly claim to be relevant to the times.

Excited

I am quite excited about my new blog on this same site. I will tell you its name later. As you might remember, I used to have still another blog but I have recently given it up because it failed to deliver its promise of paying. I have finally decided to have another one on this same site and true enough, in a matter of minutes, I was able to set it up, you may even want to view it now at http://speak4money.blogspot.com.

How is it different from this blog? I tell you. It is going to be very different because that one will be entirely devoted to ways and means of utilizing personal skills and talents to make money. There will be no personal crap there. It will be pure money talk.

We all want to achieve economic freedom, right? Will that day ever come? The answer is a cliche,"It is in your hands". Please make a visit to my new blog just because.

ready to be mailed

Two winners had been picked for the "Guessing Game contest" earlier sponsored here and this is the prize of one of the winners who had already sent her forwarding address. This bag goes out to Greengal, a lady from Texas. I am awaiting for the other winner, Elk Hawk to send me his forwarding address so I can also send his prize.

Hey, guyz--new poll...

So we had resolved the issue on Britney's comeback or not. Time to take up a more serious concern which involves the entire human race---the issue on violence perpetrated or done by children as young as 9,10 to 17 killing and beating homeless people in the US and around the world. In fact over the past few months we have read news of 15-year-olds killing their own mothers. Why? Is it the lack or absence of discipline at home and in school that some of our children are behaving like monsters? Are we over-protecting our children needlessly from adult intervention that tries to correct misbehavior through discipline? Are our laws over-shielding our children so much so that we are actually encouraging violence among them who we are trying to protect by using the law against anyone who tries to intervene through punishment and discipline for misbehavior? In short are we letting our children grow up to become violent adults by abusing the law? All these questions can be answered if you join the poll where you only need to click for your answer. You are also welcome to leave your opinion if you desire.

Lucky 9

Nine kids have signed up for my summer workshop in debating, hosting, and journalism. I welcome and congratulate the following lucky stars who made it: Rio May, Bien Raphael, Michaela, Jea, Kate, Dianne, Charla, Russel, and Angel. These guys are just lucky for they will be learning the rigors of public speaking for a month, after which a debate or talk show will be put up by the same people. I would like to thank Mark for giving them a good motivational start-up.

hosting as a skill

Successful hosting does not just happen. It's a combination of talent polished into a skill. Yes, effective hosting can be learned through constant good practice. The earlier a person starts, the better. I remember my own children being assigned to host when they were in kindergarten. Of course at first they had to rely on scripts but later on as they progressed to higher levels, I have noticed marked flexibility in their hosting styles. Scripts became merely a guide and not the exact determiner of their spiels. This happened only after many years of practice.

The rule of thumb to follow if you want to improve your skill in hosting is to always accept assignments or invitations to host certain events. This will broaden your opportunities for growth in this area.

When invited to host, the first question to ask will be "Where will it be held"? The venue gives the emcee a clue into the degree of formality of the program. For instance, a show maybe held at the Luce Auditorium in which case the audience will be expected to wear something formal or decent. If the show is going to be staged at the pubic market, then you can come in more comfy attire. If the event will be held at the SU gym, then casual attire would be acceptable. Likewise the formality of the language varies according to the nature of the show.

successful hosting or emceeing

A good host or emcee (master of ceremonies) holds the key to a successful show or program. On the other hand, poor hosting or emceeing can kill what would have been a good show. While doing some research in this area, I found out that there are aren't that much materials on hosting or emceeing tips that people who feel they have the knack for it can use in order to improve their hosting techniques. I would like to start a few blogs on this area as I'd gathered many years of hosting experience and had successfully transferred the skill to my children. I know that those of you who love to learn this skill can easily do so through practice---constant practice.

Oprah Winfrey would be my idea of a good host----intelligent, witty, charming, people-oriented, and creative. If making Oprah as our standard for good hosting sounds too ambitious to you, then you might as well forget about having any serious career along that line.

Career? How can one make a career from hosting or emceeing? In case you don't know, hosts of shows, parties, or programs are paid a handsome price depending on the magnanimity of the show. If it is a beauty pageant, a host can earn from one show from Php 5,000 to 15,000 Php. Yes, people pay good money for good talent or showmanship. After all, the program can easily turn into a flop if not well handled by a professional host.

Opportunities? Events that need hosts are just too many to mention but let us name some of the most common ones where an emcee can make money: beauty pageants, weddings, debuts, anniversaries, variety shows, fashion shows, competitions, parties, etc. Just make your existence known, make yourself visible, show them and you will have your hands full. Now for the nitty-gritty of the whole thing, come back for the next blog. I have some offline work to do but I will be back for more tips on good hosting.

Summer Workshop

Debate * Journalism * Hosting

Make this a different summer for your child.......enrol him/her to a

Seminar-workshop in

A. Public Speaking (Debating & Hosting)

B. Basics in Journalism

Registration is now going on! For inquiries, call tel. no. 422-5823

Sessions start April 25-May25,2007, daily, MOnday to Friday, 3:00 pm.

Samson Hall, El Oriente Hotel, fronting Noreco II

REal St., Dumaguete City

Philippines

informative, fun reading

A fellow Mylot user has shared the link to his blog which is http://blacktom.blogspot.com

or what he calls "Tom's corner" which contains informative and helpful scientific breakthroughs that will surely be of interest to you. It is a different sort of blog because the author talks about his subjects like any pro does. His latest blog about clothes that help you dodge any untoward incidents is quite interesting. Then how about milk as substitute for cigarettes? Yes, the blogger discusses the possibilities or options a smoker may employ to quit smoking. So if it is information you want, you get it on this blog.

guessing game winner(s)

Hi! It's morning of Easter Sunday, bright and sunny! I will be back to announce the winner or winners of the guessing game I started a few blogs away. Just stay right there for the result which I will post anytime today.

new job title for teachers and housewives

I just found myself laughing at these new job titles in place of the common sounding job names. How do you find this job title VISION CLEARANCE ENGINEER for a window cleaner? A housewife will now be referred to as DOMESTIC ENGINEER or HOME EXECUTIVE. And teachers, here is your new job title---KNOWLEDGE NAVIGATOR. Your garbage collector is now a SANITARY or ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION ENGINEER. As I work full-time as knowledge navigator and parttime as domestic engineer, I have secret visions of myself wearing that famous engineer's hat while I sweep the floor. This is just my silly reaction to that list of silly job titles provided by a user at a paid forum.

we are all into it

My family and I are now actively engaged in online activities which we would like to share with you. With only two computers and three active users in the house, taking turns, which means one will have to wait when two are busy doing updates, is the best set-up. People have to rest from online activity so I find much time left for me to get updated on my three online involvements which are www.Mylot.com/?ref=funny52f , http://www.blogchex.com/everydaywear/ and of course, this blog. My son's http://markxander.blogspot.com is a very informative blog about pets, veganism, beauty, film reviews, and the likes while my daughter's www.cute-spot.com still continues to occupy the top three rank in the world's top doll sites. We are getting some earnings on these sites and if you want to know more about them, just give them a visit by clicking to the links above.

By the way, above photo shows my son (in dark blue barong) winning the highest title in the province as "Hari Ng Negros 2006" (King of Negros 2006) with other contestants. Photo on top of it is my daughter, owner of cute-spot.

protect yourself from identity theft

Identity theft is one of the problems that had come about in connection with people's use of electronic methods to transact business.

Take one online friend for instance who had been billed by a credit card company for purchases or huge withdrawals he did not make. He almost got jailed for this but upon thorough checking they found out that somebody had used his identity to get a card and transact business using this card with his name on it. Sounds impossible but it happened. A blog owned by a friend I met at Mylot gives us the information we need to prevent identity theft and such other online crimes like phishing, vishing, pharming, hacking, and the likes. http://www.blogchex.com/wendyswhimsy is worth your visit.You might not know it but you might be doing certain activities which might make you prone to any or all of these online anomalies. Get some helpful tips from a pro by clicking to the link which will directly lead you to her site.

"Michael Jackson in the house!"

That was the "battlecry" of one of the butchers in the meat section of the city's public market as Michael Jackson's "Black or White" rocked the whole fish and meat section amidst the fish and meat vendors' loud voices. Yes, it had been quite a while since I had delegated the task of food marketing to one of my helpers but today I have decided to go to the market myself. What a surprise it was to hear the song of Michael Jackson emanating from amplifiers recently installed almost everywhere in the already noisy part of the market. Wow! I felt like jumping myself. In fact, I saw one young lady butcher really jumping to the hot beat of "Black or White" while holding a huge butchering knife with one hand. I preferred to keep my distance so I edged my way into the thick of marketeers and vendors. The idea of putting some music in that area is amusing but maybe they should choose the mellow type of songs because it seems like fast beats make everyone jumpy in that place. But really, it's a nice improvement. Just a thought, do you think playing Beethoven or Mozart in there will have more positive results? Like make people more refined in their words and deeds? You see, having rock music in that area among butchers may not be a very good idea. What dya say?

did some massive clean-up at Mylot

I was itching to come to this blog of mine but I got stuck up at Mylot community doing some massive clean-up of all my unresolved discussions. Since I became an active member of this community www.Mylot.com/ref?=funny52f for over two months I have never really done anything to settle my unresolved discussions and there were pages and pages of them! In fact I wasn't able to start nor respond to many discussions because I was engrossed in rating and choosing best responses among the many that had piled up there. It was like raking tons of leaves that had accumulated on my backyard for many years. I hope I have accomplished half the task but I am resolved to clean up everything by tomorrow. For those who have not heard of Mylot yet, it is a fast- growing community with close to 84,000 members all over the world. Members get to meet people and discuss issues of specific or general concern. Members are paid according to their participation in the forum. Membership is free and if you want to be a member, just click to the link I have provided above and get the chance to interact with all sorts of people and at the same time get paid for it. On my next blog entry I will share with you the income I have earned from this site.

why I do not like insurance companies

My first bitter experience with an insurance company happened years ago when I was a fresh graduate from college. No, I did not work in one but my mother when I was a student had been religiously paying on a daily basis to this insurance company which promised her the moon and the stars. I have vivid recollections of the company's collector going to the house everyday to collect payment from my mother. The insurance money was supposed to be accessible anytime the member wants to quit. My mother must have been paying this company for over two years when a tragedy happenned to her. She slipped on the floor and broke her bones and she needed operation. Through the collector my mother expressed her desire to use her insurance for medical purposes. She was promised yes and asked to fill out a form. But months rolled by and nothing came out of that claim. The collector had stopped coming to the house and we soon found out that he had been pocketing much of what he had collected from my mother. Much of her payments were not reflected on her ledger because the collector did not remit the payment money. My poor innocent mother had been receiving fake receipts or unofficial receipts for her payments. This time I stepped into the picture and wrote a lengthy letter to the main branch in Manila while at the same time sent the same copies to major newspapers in the country for publication. It was only then when we finally got some positive action from them. My second bad experience with insurance companies happened about three years ago when this certain company tried to change their rules for whatever reasons just to avoid payment. I had to get a lawyer to write the company a letter demanding for the right amount. It was only then when we got what was right. It is no wonder then why most people have negative feelings about insurance companies because they seem to be too eager to get your money but when it's payback time, they use all sorts of delatory tactics or avoidance schemes.

have they read this blog?

I doubt it. But two blogs ago, I expressed my observation regarding the road repair these people were supposed to be doing along Daro area and which did not actually amount to anything after a long period of inconvenience. When the road blocks were removed, we saw no progress at all except for the gravel spread all over the area. Today, when I travelled to West City Elementary School ( my alma mater) to deliver a graduation speech the road was blocked again obviously for completion or start of real road work. Both outlets are barricaded so commuters and other vehicle owners will have to take a round-about turn to reach the other end. I thought, have they read the blog? I guess not but I am glad anyway that they will now do something about those rocks and gravel that are giving the taxpayers a bumpy ride each time they take that road. Hopefully, whatever they are doing will be finished before elections for the convenience of everyone.

McDonald's is here!

Another famous name in the food industry has found a good timing to open at such a time when schools and universities are busy churning out graduates to the pride and happiness of parents. Good cause for celebration and what better way to treat the family than to bring everyone after the ceremonies to the nearest fast-food restaurant. We passed by McDonald's and were amazed to see a long queue of people patiently waiting for their turn under the heat of the mid-day sun! What is this? Is it the food which they surely have not tasted yet or plain curiousity which made these people line up to wait? On the other hand, the other fast-food which is as popular is also not to be outshined. Their Jollibee mascots were put to work, as loud music and a band around the city gave everyone the impression that there is healthy competition going on around here in this small city of ours called the City of Gentle People or the University Town. the crew of Chowking, yet another food house, are extra nice and fast. With the mushrooming of these fastfood restos, we can easily conclude that people in this city are indeed eating.

flying high!!!!

the world salutes all the graduates of

2007! go and pursue your dreams!