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PREFACE

Synergy for Success in English is a series intended for teaching and learning English at the secondary level. The series uses the six Principles of English Language Teaching and Learning, which are adapted from the English Language Syllabus of the Singapore Ministry of Education. These six principles are contextualization, learner-centeredness, learning-focused interaction, integration, process orientation, and spiral progression or CLLIPS.

The textbook is divided into four units with six lessons each. It defines the specific teaching of skills, learning techniques, attitudes, and behavior that are arranged according to the following areas of language learning and teaching:

• Listening and Viewing;• Reading and Viewing;• Speaking and Presenting; and • Writing and Presenting.

Each lesson features Learning Goals, which is an overview of skills and competencies within the lesson, and Life Skills, which are values and virtues aimed at improving the students’ character and self-identity. These are defined to give a distinct purpose for learning. There are also Grammar and Vocabulary topics that are explicitly taught in context to show the connection between the language learned in class and real-life world situations. A variety of texts in the forms of short stories, poems, speeches, and others are used to enhance the appreciation of the English language. Each lesson also uses Exercises to master the thinking and language use processes involved in Listening, Viewing, Reading, Speaking, Writing, and Presenting.

Overall, the goal of the textbook is for students to achieve a valuable and self-fulfilled experience and to use these English language skills in doing their part as well-rounded individuals of the community and the world.

Contents

Unit 1 Listening for Understanding

Lesson 1 Evaluating a Speaker’s Effectiveness ..........................................................................2

Lesson 2 Structuring Information ...................................................................................................18

Lesson 3 Approaches to Persuasive Texts .................................................................................29

Lesson 4 Identifying Intentions ........................................................................................................38

Lesson 5 Spotting Unsupported Assertions .............................................................................48

Lesson 6 Taking Action .........................................................................................................................59

Unit 2 Reading for Discernment

Lesson 1 Developing Comprehension ..........................................................................................68

Lesson 2 Literary Works .......................................................................................................................83

Lesson 3 Nonliterary Texts .............................................................................................................. 123

Lesson 4 Building Character........................................................................................................... 137

Unit 3 Writing with Might

Lesson 1 Structuring Compositions ........................................................................................... 150

Lesson 2 Expository Writing ............................................................................................................ 163

Lesson 3 Critical Reviews ................................................................................................................. 178

Lesson 4 Résumé and Cover Letter Writing .......................................................................... 194

Lesson 5 Business Letters ...............................................................................................................209

Lesson 6 Editing and Proofreading .............................................................................................231

Unit 4 Speaking with Intensity

Lesson 1 Accuracy in Meaning .....................................................................................................248

Lesson 2 Power of Pronunciation ...............................................................................................271

Lesson 3 Brilliance of Vision .........................................................................................................288

Lesson 4 Strength in Advocacy....................................................................................................303

Lesson 5 Spontaneity of the Spoken Word ...........................................................................315

Lesson 6 Innovations in Communication ...............................................................................328

Unit

Listening for Understanding

If elections were to be held today, who would you vote for? The very ‘promising’ (pun intended) candidate on the left, or the other candidate who takes time to meet with the people and takes notice of or pays attention to their problems and concerns?

As they say during election time, always vote wisely.

Show a political candidate making lots of promises without any concrete plans to

show

Show another political candidate attentively listening to his constituents

and taking note of their concerns

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Unit 1 • Listening for Understanding

9 Gauge speaker-audience rapport • Attentiveness

Learning GoalLife Skil l

Frame 1

Frame 2

Evaluating a Speaker’s Effectiveness

Look at the following pictures.

Illus. of a very nervous person approaching the podium – sweating profusely and with hands in his pockets

Illus. going to the microphone and shyly saying to the unruly crowd, “Excuse me, will you please vote for me as your Student Council President?”

Meanwhile, the audience pays no attention.

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Lesson 1 • Evaluating a Speaker’s Effectiveness

We all know how this is going to turn out. It will take a miracle of major proportions for this poor fellow to garner enough votes. In fact, he will be lucky if the student body will even remember who he is as soon as he leaves the stage.

Time and again, it has been stressed that a speaker’s effectiveness is measured mainly on his/her ability to connect with the audience. A speaker’s voice qualities and nonverbal actions are the key ingredients to getting his/her message across.

A Listening Checklist

On your next opportunity to listen to a speaker, it would do well to have a checklist ready. This will enable you to determine the presence and efficient use of both verbal and nonverbal cues in the speaker’s presentation. Such checklist can contain this simple format: A Body language

1 Is the speaker relaxed or tense? 2 Is the speaker alert or distracted? 3 What tone does the speaker use?4 Does the speaker’s tone effectively convey his /her message to the audience?5 Does the speaker maintain eye contact or is he/she always looking at

notes or slides?

B Voice qualities1 Is the speaker expressive or dull? 2 Does the speaker sound confident or unsure? 3 Are there any changes made in the voice tone or is a monotone

maintained?

C Choice of words1 Are there any particular words used to show passion and/or concern?2 Does the speaker energize the audience or induce boredom?3 Does the speaker incite the audience to action or cause indifference? 4 Is the speaker’s choice of words appropriate for his/her audience?

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D Facial expressions1 Does the speaker manifest any expressions when talking or is he/she

blank-faced?2 Do the expressions match the words being said?3 Does the speaker display a positive or negative disposition?

As may be gathered from the checklist, indicators of effective body language are a relaxed countenance, an alert appearance, and steady eye contact with the audience. Likewise, a speaker’s utilization of a rising tone, a fast pace and a loud volume denote eagerness as well as confidence and gives the impression that he/she is speaking from a position of authority.

It is also worth knowing that science itself supports the principle that our mirror neurons (also known as premotor cortex) are capable of processing verbal images. This means that direct action statements using action verbs cause a listener to visualize the action in his/her brain. Hence, as the experts say, action originates from imagination. An effective speaker can therefore motivate, convince and persuade the audience using live action verbs like ‘grasp’, ‘grab’, or ‘push’.

Last but certainly not the least on the checklist is facial expressions. Contrary to popular belief, facial expressions are not limited to a person’s appearance nor his/her mannerisms, which can actually serve to distract (rather than enliven) an audience. It is necessary for a speaker to express himself/herself not merely through words, but more so via actions. In addition, a speaker’s facial expressions and gestures must be in consonance with the words and the message he/she is conveying. Imagine how bewildered soldiers would be to see their military commander exhorting them to give up their lives for their country while grinning widely. Furthermore, a speaker’s facial expression can easily set off positive (or negative) vibrations. Using the earlier example of the smiling general, the soldiers will probably be more inclined to surrender even before the first shot is fired. After all, they have every reason to doubt their leader’s sincerity.

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Interpersonal Communication

The equation below best describes what interpersonal communication is:

[Show the following illustration in equation form: Interpersonal Communication = Explicit Messages (Words) +

Implicit Messages (Non-Verbals)]

The fact is, interpersonal communication is not limited to just spoken information (explicit), but also covers non-verbal behavior (implicit). Non-verbal behavior provides feedback to other persons in addition to verbal communication. It serves to reinforce what is being said in words. It is a complete package of expressions, gestures, movements and postures that go hand in hand with spoken words. The various forms of non-verbal communication include:

1 Body Movements (Kinesics) Gestures, head and hand movements, and posture comprise body

movements. Whatever a person is saying should be supported by the body movements. However, if the body movements do not match the speaker’s words, perhaps that person is not telling the truth.

There are various types of body movements as follows:

(show illus.)

A Emblems – these are gestures that are commonly understood to stand for a particular word. Everyone knows, for example, how the ‘thumbs up’ sign looks like and that it stands for approval.

B Illustrators – these are gestures which are made together with a spoken word. For instance, a speaker may choose to point upward while saying ‘far away’.

(show illus.)

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(show illus.)

C Affect Displays – these are facial expressions which may show how a speaker feels. A smirk may be a sarcastic reaction to a sentence just said. A heavy pout may indirectly express disagreement with what is being discussed.

(show illus.)

D Regulators - these are head and hand movements or short sounds which are usually made to encourage a person to continue speaking. Regulators are frequently used during interviews. A nodding of the head or a hand with an open palm is seen as a signal to continue talking. So, too, are short sounds such as ‘mm-mmm’ or ‘uh-huh’. Without regulators, a person may stop talking for fear that the listener has lost interest.

(show illus.)

E Adaptors – these are body movements made to address either a physical and/or psychological need. For instance, a company executive who is seen rubbing his eyebrows together during a meeting may be tired from sitting there the whole day, so he is probably trying to ease his physical discomfort and prevent the onset of a headache. It is also possible, though, that he may be exasperated with his colleagues and is just trying his best to keep his temper in check. Thus, rubbing his eyebrows vigorously is his way of coping psychologically. Studies have shown that adaptive behaviours manifest feelings of hostility or anxiety.

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2 Posture A person’s posture can show how he/she reacts, thinks and feels.

Here are the following posturing signals and their interpretations:

(show illus.)

A Open posture – a speaker who sees someone directly facing him/her with hands apart and whose body is in a comfortable position will correctly presume that this person is willing to listen to what he/she has to say.

(show illus.)

B Closed Posture – if a speaker sees a person with arms folded or legs crossed and whose body is a bit too stiff, then this implies that this person is not too interested or comfortable being there.

(show illus.)

C Mirroring – this indicates interest and approval between two parties, notably the speaker and the audience. For instance, a speaker who projects a cheerful disposition is sure to elicit smiles and a positive reaction from his/her listeners.

3 Eye contact When you look at someone, it means that you are concentrating on

his/her message. This works both ways for the speaker as well as the listeners. If eye contact is not maintained, it is construed as a sign of disinterest. A speaker who does not wish to be questioned, for instance, will probably avoid eye contact with members of the audience who are raising their hands. Likewise, a listener who does not want to actively participate in the discussions will purposely not make eye contact to avoid being called.

(show illus.)

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(show illus.)

4 Paralanguage In essence, all other aspects of a

speaker’s voice above and beyond the spoken words are what make up paralanguage. The tone, pitch, volume, speed, stress and pauses are all indications of how the speaker feels. Try to imagine someone delivering a very fast speech and you will get the impression that this person is insincere and just wants to get his talk over and done with.

In truth, speaking well is not just about ‘what’ you say but ‘how’ you say it. Utilizing the four voice qualities – pace, tone, stress and volume – to speak fluently and express your ideas clearly will ensure successful communication with those you interact with.

HOW VOICE QUALITIES WORK TOGETHER

Pausing at the right time allows you to adjust the pace of your talk and provides the desired effect.

Stressed words are spoken more loudly (higher volume), more slowly (pace) using a higher pitch (tone).

You will be interested to learn / how the voice qualities combine / to deliver our message properly.

Unstressed words are spoken less loudly, more quickly and with a lower pitch.

(a) PaceWhenever you speak or read aloud, you like your message to be understood. However, if you talk too fast, others might not hear or know what you are saying. Conversely, if you talk too slow, you may sound boring. Pausing at certain points in your speech and adjusting the speed of your talk can enable you to communicate effectively.

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i PausingPause for effect, as all brilliant orators would advise. A pause is made so that the main idea of the talk is clear to everyone. A pause is likewise made to keep the audience excited and eager to hear more about what you have to say.

When you read a written passage aloud, you can pause where there are punctuation marks. You can likewise pause at the end of phrases, clauses or sentences. See the guide below:

Make a short pause -> after a comma, semi-colon, colon, dash, at the end of a phrase or in between clauses Make a medium pause -> at the end of a sentence or question Make a long pause -> after the end of a paragraph or at the end of an idea

ii Adjusting SpeedAside from knowing when to pause, one must also know when to adjust the speed of the talk to create the desired impact on the listeners. If you wish to make an important point and want the audience to absorb your message, it would be good to slow down and allow them to understand each word you are saying. See the example below:‘Despite my medical condition, I travelled more than a hundred miles, crossed three rivers on horseback, and hiked up two mountain trails just to be with you today. I have reached my goal. I have nothing more to wish for. The promise I made to you ten years ago has been kept.’Note that the underlined phrases are the points wherein the speaker deliberately slows down in order to convey his/her message clearly.

(b) Tone It must be remembered that your tone will make you either an interesting speaker or a boring one, and we all know how difficult it is to listen to someone who cannot share his/her feelings well or relay his/her ideas logically.

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Some may say that it is not that easy to change your tone while speaking. On the contrary, the pitch of your voice simply moves along with the words or phrases you want to stress. A stressed syllable is naturally going to be said with a higher pitch. Try it for yourself by stressing the bold-faced syllables/words in this sentence:

SituationPerson/s being Addressed

Setting Recommended Tone of Voice

Seeking directions Stranger

New/unfamiliar place

Polite

Making a presentation

Class, group, organization Formal Confident,

enthusiastic

Telling a funny story Friends Informal Humorous

Knowing that someone died or is gravely ill

Close friend or family

In public or over the telephone

Respectful, reverent, sincere

Giving a campaign speech

People of all ages, mostly from poor communities

In public Confident, loud, cheerful

(c) Stress Stressing a particular word can lend new meaning to what you say. Is it therefore possible for one sentence to have as many as three different meanings? If you said ‘Yes’, then you are correct. But if you replied ‘No’, refer to the example below.

Sentence: I believe Simon should not become Team Captain.

Stress the pronoun I: “I believe Simon should not become team captain.” What does this mean? It implies that the speaker himself strongly objects to Simon’s being Team Captain.

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This time try stressing the proper noun Simon: “I believe Simon should not become team captain.” What does this mean? It implies that as far as the speaker is concerned, someone else, not Simon, is better fit to be Team Captain.Now stress the helping verb “should not”: I believe Simon should not become team captain. What does this mean? The speaker thinks that it will be a mistake to make Simon team captain.

In order to vividly emphasize what you want to say, you must be able to stress the specific parts of the sentence which will make your message known and understood.

(d) VolumeStressed words and syllables are spoken at a higher pitch with a lot more force. Due to amount of force exerted, these same words and syllables are said more loudly. In fact, even phrases and complete sentences can at times be spoken more loudly to incite the audience to action.

5 Closeness and Personal Space Different cultures across the globe have their respective versions of

appropriate distances governing physical closeness and personal space. It is important to observe the norms especially when dealing with people of other countries so as to prevent untoward reactions. Western society follows the standards of personal space called ‘proxemics’ as defined by anthropologist Edward Twitchell Hall. Proxemics sets four distances in conjunction with the level of relationship among the people involved. Each of these distances is further divided into the close and far phase, thereby amounting to eight divisions in total.

A Intimate Distance (close=touching; far=15 to 45 cm)

(show illus.)

This distance is generally regarded as inappropriate in public places. Entering the intimate distance of someone whom you have not established a close relationship with can be regarded as a violation of personal space.

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B Personal Distance (close=45 cm; far=1.2 m)

(show illus.)

For people in a regular conversation, 1.2 meters is the most appropriate personal distance. This enables one to see the other person’s movements, eyes and expression. A handshake can easily take place within this distance.

C Social Distance (close=1.2 m; far=3.6 m)

(show illus.)

This is the prescribed distance for business purposes, such as a committee meeting or group discussion. At this distance, speech needs to be louder and eye contact should be maintained.

D Public Distance (close=3.7 m; far=4.5m)

(show illus.)

Presentations to bigger audiences take place at a public distance. A teacher handling a class and a speaker delivering a presentation are two such examples. Given this distance, speakers should exert added effort to convey non-verbal communication through more noticeable body movements and gestures.

Being cognizant of closeness and personal space enables us to act appropriately. We are made aware of our behavior in relation to other people and cultures. This aids us in our interaction with others and allows us to adapt accordingly whenever the situation warrants.

Indeed, interpersonal communication is enhanced by the words we say as well as the non-verbal behavior we display.

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Exercise 1

1 Provide at least three other examples of these body movements:A Emblems ______________, ______________, ______________, B Illustrators ______________, ______________, ______________,C Affect Displays ______________, ______________, ______________,D Regulators ______________, ______________, ______________,E Adaptors ______________, ______________, ______________,

2 Name three situations wherein a closed posture can be considered proper behavior.A _______________________________________________________________________B _______________________________________________________________________C _______________________________________________________________________

3 How will listeners most probably react in the succeeding scenarios?A The speaker’s presentation is too slow. _______________________________________________________________________.B The speaker talks excitedly about the product he is endorsing. _______________________________________________________________________.

Exercise 2

You are at the session hall of Congress listening live to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). Briefly describe how you would react at certain portions of the speech.

1 After enumerating the accomplishments of his administration, the President pauses for a moment.2 The President’s voice rises and becomes stronger as he mentions his continuing crusade against corrupt government officials and employees.3 The President slows down and his voice softens as he talks about his Cabinet secretary who recently perished in an ill-fated plane crash.4 The President pauses for a long while after making reference to his deceased parents.

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Grammar

Action verbs are used to explicitly describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. When found in a sentence, these verbs contain a lot of information that can express emotion that goes beyond the words’ literal meanings. The purpose of action verbs is to make a sentence more emphatic, thereby drawing attention to it. Action verbs make people take notice and listen, resulting in highly effective communication.

Action verbs are easily recognizable in a sentence because they express a specific action – something that a person, animal, or thing can do. Compare the sentences below: A The alarm clock sounded at 5 o’clock.B The alarm clock shattered our sleep at 5’o clock.

Without a doubt, the action verb ‘shattered’ sounds more forceful than ‘sounded’ and transmits a more powerful image.

Exercise 3

Identify the action verbs in the following sentences.

1 We assumed that you would wear rubber shoes because the activity was in the gym.

2 Francine suspected that the bulky package atop the trash bin contained something sinister.

3 Nowadays, skim milk is marketed as ‘fat-free’ milk for greater buyer acceptance.

4 The office will undergo a major renovation in August.5 Let’s rush out during the lunch break, grab a quick bite and sprint to the

mall.6 Nadine could not download the new applications on her cellphone.7 You can either steam or grill fish for a sumptuous and ‘oil-free’ dinner.

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Exercise 4

Replace the following verbs with at least three (3) action verbs and form a complete sentence for each. Use different verb tenses for increased comprehension.

1 lookA _______________________________________________________________________B _______________________________________________________________________C _______________________________________________________________________

2 sayA _______________________________________________________________________B _______________________________________________________________________C _______________________________________________________________________

3 giveA _______________________________________________________________________B _______________________________________________________________________C _______________________________________________________________________

4 eatA _______________________________________________________________________B _______________________________________________________________________C _______________________________________________________________________

5 touchA _______________________________________________________________________B _______________________________________________________________________C _______________________________________________________________________

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Unit 1 • Listening for UnderstandingUnit 1 • Listening for Understanding

Exercise 5

Listen to people talking about their weekend activities then complete the table with the correct information. Write “no information” if information is not mentioned.

Situation Morning Afternoon Evening

1

2

3

4

5

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T R I V I A

By means of Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI) researchers have compared the human brain’s rection whenA Doing an actual raction.B Observing a real action, andC Hearing words describing the same action.

Is there any difference among the three scenarios? None. How is this explained from a scientific context?Our eyes, memory, and medial temporal and medial frontal cortices contain mirror neurons. They are stimulated when we undertake an action or activity. They are also triggered when we observe these behaviors being done by others. Even more significantly, they are aroused when we hear or read about the actions as described through action verbs.

[show picture of Will Rogers]

Imagination is the ability to form a concept solely within the human mind in the absence of any physical interaction.

Vocabulary

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