violence on stage

Concerned viewers demand that television and movies should censor the amount and nature of violence they feature as it greatly affects or influence the minds of young viewers. Acts of killing or brutally hurting others should not be served "raw" to the audience. Moviemakers are challenged to present scenes in the most realistic fashion without hurting the sensibilities of people or without distorting the facts or without showing the "act" itself,sparing the audience from seeing gory details of spilled guts and smashed skulls. Gory details of killings or massacres should be done so artistically that the scene shouldn't look like an abattoir.

However, who censors what students present on stage? Teachers of course should be the first ones to check that student presentations onstage should not break the above rule regarding violence. Otherwise, the school will become another breeding ground for hardened and violence-tolerant individuals. When outside trainers are hired to train students in their stage presentations, the teacher usually adopts a hands-up attitude, entrusting the whole thing to the hired trainer who, at times, does not have an eye for such concern. Result? The whole student population watches an array of killings, as in a character stabbing with a knife another character right before the very eyes of student audiences. A depiction of war among gun-bearing characters on stage becomes a common sight. Rape on stage, physical fights which involve kicking, pushing, boxing, slapping are all commonly shown on stage as part of student presentations. Of course we know that some of these happen in real life but shouldn't there be a more creative way of presenting these horrid details without presenting them in an exaggerated fashion or in a way that gives more emphasis on the violence of the situation?

I think educators should teach students how to think creatively, how to transform the raw facts of life into an art form in their stage presentations. There is no real art in presenting life as it is. Education should include the teaching and learning to recognize values in what students present in the classroom or onstage.

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on bookish teachers..

Teachers who are slaves to their textbooks fail to bring in real-world lessons into the classroom and are thus seldom effective. Every word they say and every example they give is from the book. They cannot live without the book as their only source of information. This habit is not really bad but students only get to see one side of the lesson. A good teacher should be able to use book information as springboard for real discussion in the classroom. A good teacher should be able to merge theory with her own experience outside of the book. Even in subjects like Math. In teaching the intricacies of formulas, the teacher should be able to connect the lessons with the students' lives. How and where can they use these complex formulations?

Always remember that books had been written by people too, some in fact by new writers who had been teachers themselves but this does not make them the sole authority on the subject. You can use their work as reference but never as the Word of God in the classroom. A good teacher does her best to have more than one reference book on any subject. She gets the ideas and opinions of as many authors or writers, say, 3 to 6 books.

Any teacher with a good many years of experience can author a book on his subject. His wide classroom experience could offer valuable information to new teachers. With a dash of information from other authors to back his own, he will be able to come up with a book that not only teaches theory but also provides practice for students.

can sing, but can't speak...

Huh? How can these kids sing beautifully and not know how to answer simple questions properly? The same is true with some old people. They go up the stage to give a song number and when asked to answer a simple question in English, they could not answer it.

Are people now giving more importance to singing than to speaking? Will people admire a singer if he could not even explain his music or say anything about himself? I don't know what you think, but if you ask me, I just think any talent is useless if you could not "sell" it well. You have a product, then be ready to sell it and when we say "sell it" we mean talk about it or explain it using words or language.

No real singer succeeds if he does not know how to promote himself or his music. So I think it is not right to just focus on a single talent. What I mean is, if you have a talent, okay, polish it but along with perfecting it, you should also learn basic communication skills for you to be able to promote yourself and your product.

the difficulty of training old teachers

The saying, "It is hard to teach old dogs new tricks" can be said of teachers who had been in the trade for a number of years. They are the most difficult to train for they have already gotten used to their old ways that oftentimes the government or any sponsoring school is only wasting a lot of its time and money teaching these "hard-to-teach" mentors.

For one, their time. Training them long term, say one semester, eats up a lot of their precious free time. What happens is you have a case of always absent teachers.

Second, teachers are no better than their students. They too are afraid of being called to do a task in front of the class. They too come in unprepared, very late, or absent for that activity.

Now if this is the kind of teachers a school has, I pity the students who are under their tutelage. Obviously, such teachers are exhibiting a "hard to train attitude" and so the students are left with no choice but to learn from these teachers with their "old bag of tricks".

It is sad that even our very own mentors cannot even be properly trained because of their own personal resistance to be trained.

Oh, well, it's their life.

more theory or more practice?

One English teacher has this dilemma on whether to teach her students more theory or give them more practice on the language.

I know that some teachers still follow the traditional approach of monopolizing class time with their talk or lectures. Not any more.

Today, modern-day language teachers only spend 10% of class time in presenting a lesson and giving feedback to her students. The rest of the time is spent in making the students use the language in various situations.

Usage is more important than theory. Knowledge of theory does not necessarily lead to effective communication. A good language teacher should spend more time in creating opportunities for her students to use the language in different situations.

speech without humor

Listening to a speech without humor is like eating food without any flavor. After one bite, that's it, you don't want anymore of it.

So what constitutes humor? How does one inject humor into his speech? Is humor just a matter of telling a joke related to the topic?Someone who wants to establish a career in public speaking expressed his concern over his inability to deliver a joke well. I mean, he feels very bad when the audience does not seem to get the joke. This happens to many speakers that when a joke or supposed to be the humorous part of the speech does not turn out as expected, it affects their entire presentation----which should not be the case.

When the audience just stares at you like that like they did not understand you, or maybe like they did not hear you when you expect them to react with a laugh or maybe smile a little, just move on and never let your own emotion show. The worst thing is for you to repeat the joke for them to understand it and at least laugh. No. Do not repeat it if they failed to get it the first time and do not point out the fact that it is supposed to be a joke and that they are supposed to laugh for they will surely find that pathetic.

The rule in not being able to effectively deliver a joke is this: Never force the issue. Just move on with your speech like nothing happened. Just be spontaneous and cool.

ideas, content, subject

Reading regularly increases or builds your wealth of ideas which are the very stuff that your speech will be made of. Trust me, people who read regularly will have less to worry when it comes to making a speech with or without preparation. Words and ideas will just tumble out of her mouth efforlessly, flawlessly while those who never read nor do research will be at a loss for words and will need to grapple for ideas that do not come.

One can't hide the presence or absence of ideas especially in making a speech. It will always have a way of showing itself in the blunders made, long gaps or dead air, and in stuttering. Beautiful words delivered in perfect diction and good voice can never hide the emptiness of a speech. A speech without substance or content falls flat or hollow. It does not deliver nor persuade nor convince. It just falls flat.

Content, content, content-----what we're looking for in a speech, the meat, the substance, the what. Without it, it's just sounds, a voice, and words. A speech is meaningless without meat.

choosing a proposition for debate

Some topics may be too broad or too narrow for a debate. It is important that the proposition or resolution should be timely and controversial enough to allow the debaters to put into maximum use their argumentation skills. No topic is too elementary for debaters so long as the issues are debatable. If it is for academic exercise tackling issues that are of direct concern to the audience will naturally attract a bigger crowd of listeners.

Issues related to health, work, family, communication, education etc. are never too small for any debater. One wrong notion debaters have in choosing the topic is to only choose issues related to law and politics, such as political dynasties and republic acts that only concern a few and which majority of the audience cannot relate.

A word of advise: if you have not tried debating on what to you are small topics meant only for "grade schoolers" or "high schoolers", then, don't attempt to jump into big topics that do not directly affect you lest the debate will turn out to be one big bluff.

the worst things that could happen on stage

There are events that are beyond anyone's control and they could happen at times when they should not. I am talking about problems and inconveniences that occur during a major program or show. What can be done?

1. power failure or blackout ---- if there is a generator, no problem, but when you only depend on the city's power supply, then I think the show has to wait or if the brownout will take the whole day, it has to be postponed to another date which sucks

2. natural calamities --- strong rains, wind, thunder, lightning, earthquake, fire or what-have-you----if you're safe inside a sturdy building maybe you can go ahead with the show after you have consoled the audience that everything is all right and under control

3. stampede --- which leads to people getting hurt or killed----should you go on with the show?

4. bomb scare----a bomb scare is suddenly announced in the middle of the show, should you go ahead?

5. performers collapsing on stage --- I've seen one dancer falling to the floor in the middle of a dance number and the other members just went on with their gig unmindful of what happened.

6. no audience----a singer appeared to a concert where he was supposed to perform only to be told that the show is cancelled because only 5 people bought tickets. Did the performer cancel the show? You bet he didn't. He went ahead and performed in front of these 5 people.

when you have nothing to say..

They call it "mental block" or "mental black-out". Whatever. It happens when you stand in front of many people and you just don't know what to say to them. Eeeekk! This can be truly embarrassing! What do you do when it happens?

Hard question. When you are right there in front of a big crowd and you don't know what to say, do the following:
1. Smile, wave at the audience, and say something. Say "Hi" "How are you?". This will slowly flush out the jitters that are making your mind go blank.
2. Start talking about why you are there. What are you supposed to do there in front of them? Talk about it. Are you supposed to sing? Deliver a speech? Tell them.
3. By this time you should already be able to warm your mind so that your thinking juices will start flowing.
4. Let go of all inhibitions. The audience won't bite you. Just let your mind go and try to focus it on the topic of the moment.

Never, never allow mental block to rule you and cause you undue humiliation. Pick up yourself and simply focus.

when there are two hosts

In a show or program with two hosts the organizers should make sure that these two people who will take charge of the show can very well work together or have beautiful chemistry together. Otherwise, they could turn the show into a disaster.

This is what happened to a show we watched last night. The two hosts weren't in synch with each other, they were working their own separate ways, and they merely followed the flow of the script in their most lifeless style.

The show had a lot of waiting or gaps. In cases like this the hosts, especially if there are two of them, should come in and fill in the gaps. One of the two hosts tried to do this by doing some adlibs but his co-host just killed him each time and was very poor in responding to his attempts to save the show.

The emcee makes or unmakes a show. In this case, the show failed dismally for getting the wrong hosts.

The master of ceremonies is key to the success of a show. Poor or lousy hosting equals flop. The two hosts last night obviously failed in these areas:

1. They had no teamwork, they did not know what they were doing.
2. Poor audience contact. They were not there.

With that I say, when you can hire one good host, do it. But make sure he is a good one. Never sacrifice the quality of your show for unprofessional or amateur hosts.

scheduled for an interview?

Expecting an interview can be like awaiting a bomb to explode----scary. How do you prepare yourself for it? Here are simple tips:

1.Consider what you will wear. You have to look your best in order to make a good first impression. But keep everything simple, neat, and appropriate.

2. Know what the interviewer or company is like and what it wants. Be ready to answer questions related to its product or service.

3. Review your own credentials or qualifications. Be ready to sell yourself using your qualifications.

4. Practice your walk and your talk. Face the mirror and flash your most sincere and intelligent smile and look.

5. Be confident and positive that you will be able to pass this interview.

There you go my basic tips for you to remember when appearing for any life-changing interview.

the read speech

A speaker, especially a beginner, may opt to read his speech before the audience. This is all right provided he knows how to read it effectively. Reading a speech effectively means being able to deliver the message in an effortless and spontaneous manner. The audience does not notice that you are actually reading the entire speech because you have done it with maximum audience contact.

Reading a speech is not just plain reading a speech. The speaker has to engage his whole being in conveying the message in the most effective way. He stops at the right time and looks at the audience much of the time. He uses gestures and lots of eye contact. He sees to it that everything is understood from start to finish.

A read speech is not at all that simple because it requires that the speaker who uses this method knows how to really read well.

speaking is a bit like driving

Speaking or communicating, whether publicly or privately, is much like driving. You need FOCUS or full undivided attention while doing the task in order for you to achieve a unified and well-substantiated speech.

A speaker shouldn't stray from the main topic. He should be able to stir every line of his speech into a unified piece by staying focused. There are, however, speakers with very little concentration span. They flutter from one idea to another without connection or repeat one idea over and over again for obviously lack of what to say. It takes practice and the ability to listen to the advise of professional speakers to make one become a very focused speaker.

Only two things should occupy the mind of the speaker while giving a speech:

1. the message

2. the audience

So you have a message to deliver----- do it sincerely from the bottom of your heart and mind. Look at your audience and give them the message.

flaws in extemporaneous speaking contests

Extemporaneous speaking is one of the best methods of speech delivery. The speaker here is given enough time to do research and read exhaustively about the topic. However, there are flaws to this when this method is used in inter-school contests. One, the student might not understand that preparation is not memorization. Extemporaneous speaking is not oratorical because the latter is memorized. While it is true that speakers are given ample time to prepare for an extemporaneous speaking activity, it should not result to the memorization of any piece based on the given theme. The general theme is where the sub-topics will be based and not the topic itself. The contestant should talk about the sub-topic that she picks and not about the general theme which serves only as guide while preparing for the said activity. Failure to work on the picked sub-topic will make the contestant off-topic.

Organizers of extemporaneous speaking contests should have concrete rules and guidelines that the contestants will follow. For instance, part of the rule should be the contestant's reading of the topic picked. This can even be tricky you know because there could be some unscrupulous contestants who might pretend to read out a topic that wasn't given by the committee. To prevent this kind of fraudulence from happening, a member of the committee should, after the 3-minute preparation, get the piece of paper and read the topic to the audience before the contestant starts his speech.

In a recent extempo contest a few constestants "forgot" (?) or missed to read their topics so that the judges while listening to their beautiful speeches weren't guided as to the relevance of the speeches. In order to avoid this, a member of the organizing committee should do the reading of the topic itself when their 3-minutes' preparation is up.

stage jitters

We all have them whenever we face a big crowd. The knees shake, the hands tremble, our brows sweat even if the aircon is high, and the tongue is tied------stage fright! What better way to end the ordeal than to die or melt right in the very piercing eyes of those people in front of you. But no, you have a grade at stake, or a job, or a speaking career that could crash before it even took off. How do you deal with stage jitters?

I have actually discussed this in one of my blogs (now in archive) but I would like to do it again for the benefit of those who feel that their life is about to end because of a scheduled contest or speech which involves speaking in front of many people, as in a crowd in a gymnasium that could hold 2,000 people! This could really blow you off!

First, settle down. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Repeat this several times while awaiting for the moment when the emcee or host will now call you on stage.

How do you deal with stage fright? In order to minimize the impact of nervousness, prepare for the event. If it is a speech contest or any speaking engagement, make sure that you thoroughly prepare for this long before and not just at the last minute. Little or no preparation will always give us maximum jitters so avoid that. Prepare by reading, reading, reading about the subject that you will be discussing like a pro. Yes, good preparation will give you authority and will make you more or less an expert on the area. You should be the only person stocked up with much information on the topic. There is nothing more nerve-wracking than to know that there is someone in the audience who knows the subject far better than you do. No way should you let this happen. Be overly prepared and by this I mean researching and reading.

After doing the first part, the most gruelling part in public speaking, write out an outline or a speech draft. Follow an order in your speech like how do you want to start it or end it? Make sure that your outline is exhaustive enough to cover all the areas you need and that there is unity in it. Then PRACTICE. Using your outline, deliver your speech in front of the mirror and try to be your own critic. Do this thrice. When you feel you are doing well, you are now ready to face your audience. One thing to bear in mind always is to relax and not to forget to give your message to your audience. Feel nervous? Relax. That's normal. It will go away after the first few lines.

You and only you can conquer your own stage jitters. Amazingly, the best antidote for this is not a secret----preparation.

answering the phone

Companies usually have their own spiel, especially call centers, in receiving phone calls. However, they revolve around one and the same formula. Usually, the catch is to sound pleasant and accommodating. You are the company's emissary and therefore are expected to make a good impression. So what do you do when the phone rings? Pick it up of course after the 2nd or 3rd ring and say the company ID, your ID, greet and offer help. This happens quite fast you are not even aware that you have given four steps in doing it. Let us have a real phone call. The phone rings. You pick it up and say:

Pinoy Bodies, this is Joan, good morning. How may I help you?

Glitter World, this is Anne, good morning. Is there anything I can help you with today?

Dozen Roses, good morning. This is Jane, may I help you?

You could concoct your own combination but the items are basically the same---ID, greeting, offer help. If it is a residence the formula could change a bit like this:

Hill's residence, this is Jill, good morning.

Wayne's residence, good morning, this is Shanti.

The phone is still one of the most reliable methods of communicating with someone. If we know how to use it properly in business, it could bring in huge revenues for your company.

Communication

Communication is a very powerful tool. It can make or unmake mankind. Wtihout it, all the inventions and advancements in technology wouldn't be here and we wouldn't be enjoying the phenomenal success of the virtual world in making nations just a click away from each other. Had the likes of Bill Gates kept their discoveries to themselves, we would not be enjoying all these comfortable advancements in communicating with people in other countries the fastest possible way.

People who have the power to communicate with others effectively will go a long way. They will have the best jobs and the best positions because people who can communicate well will be able to sell themselves effectively.

Companies and even individuals spend much in training their new hire the proper ways of interacting or connecting with people aside from the traditional newspaper or television style.
People are now getting online as an interactive way of marketing products and services. The internet is the most amazing communication tool to date. It has changed many areas of people's lives. It has changed the traditional concept of advertising. Advertising today using the internet is less costly and more targetted. Advertisers can now access the homes of people who need their products or services.

Topics for Extemporaneous speaking (Part 1)

Topics for any extemporaneous activity vary depending on the theme or occasion. If it's for a class use, there could be plenty of issues that you may want to include in this activity like the advantages of disavantages of the internet, the risks of child abuse, globalization issues, divorce, gay marriage, animal rights, saving the environment or global warming, junk food and so on and so forth. When I used this method in my classes I was able to come up with 62 different topics which I individually wrote on small pieces of paper which I rolled for my students to pick. It is so easy to think up of topics for this activity. It's anything goes from garbage to religion to reincarnation.

It is different when there is an occasion like English Week, or Accountancy Day, or Nutrition Month and you have extemporaneous speaking contest as one of the highlights of the celebration because you need topics that revolve around the theme of the affair. This is what I am going to start here-----a series of suggestions on possible themes to be used on certain occasions especially done in school.

If you have any occasion in which you might want suggestions as to theme and topics, you may leave your comment here or use the message box for your concerns.

Here are some suggestions. I would like to work on one occasion at a time. Around this time schools have just celebrated Nutrition Month and are now preparing for the celebration of Linggo Ng Wika (Pilipino Week). My suggestions will be in English of course.

Theme # 1: How do we make the Pilipino language more relevant to the fast-changing time?

a) How can the Pilipino language adapt to the language used in the internet?

b) With the sudden influx of call centers requiring good English from our graduates, do you think our national language should support and give way to the schools' efforts to respond to the demands outside?

c) More and more Filipinos are becoming exceptionally good in the Universal language but very poor in their own native tongue. What do you think of this? Is this good or bad for the individual and for the country?

d) Our very own telenovelas and TV shows are the best places to learn Pilipino. React to this. What happens to the classroom?

e) There is a need to revamp the Pilipino language in order to make it more responsive to the demands of the time. Discuss.

f) One of the best ways to improve our economy is making Filipino as our medium of instruction. Discuss.

g) Let us be more nationalistic. Instead of encouraging our students to speak a foreign language or English, schools should encourage students to speak our very own language on campus and off.