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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 Logic

Lesson 1 Listening with a Purpose ....................................................................................................2

Lesson 2 Listening with Comprehension .................................................................................... 11

Lesson 3 Importance of Listening in Communication .........................................................23

Lesson 4 Listening for Information.................................................................................................31

Lesson 5 Listening with a Critical Mind .......................................................................................41

Lesson 6 Listening for Pleasure .......................................................................................................50

Unit 2 Reading Revelry

Lesson 1 Reading with a Purpose 1 ..............................................................................................70

Lesson 2 Reading with a Purpose 2 ..............................................................................................80

Lesson 3 Reading for Information 1 ..............................................................................................92

Lesson 4 Reading for Information 2 ...........................................................................................107

Lesson 5 Reading Critically ..............................................................................................................117

Lesson 6 Reading for Appreciation ............................................................................................. 132

Unit 3 Wonderful Writing

Lesson 1 Writing with a Purpose .................................................................................................. 152

Lesson 2 The Writing Process ........................................................................................................ 165

Lesson 3 Academic Writing 1......................................................................................................... 181

Lesson 4 Academic Writing 2......................................................................................................... 198

Lesson 5 Business Writing ...............................................................................................................220

Lesson 6 Creative Writing .................................................................................................................231

Unit 4 Spoken Symmetry

Lesson 1 Speaking according to Purpose..............................................................................250

Lesson 2 Oral Communication .....................................................................................................263

Lesson 3 Giving Formal Oral Presentations ..........................................................................277

Lesson 4 Speaking in a Formal Discussion ...........................................................................292

Lesson 5 Performance Reading ...................................................................................................301

Lesson 6 Communication through Media ..............................................................................316

1Unit

Listening Logic

At the ‘fast and furious’ rate the world is moving, it seems most people are just too busy doing something else that they hardly have time to listen. They either have a lot of things left undone or are easily distracted. We count on those who matter most in our lives – our family and friends – to be there for us when we need comfort and sympathy. Without a doubt, everyone needs someone who will always have time to listen.

Indeed, there is more to communication than just words.

[Illus. of two friends talking]1st Boy (looking excited): Dude, what’s the first thing we should do when we get to the mall?2nd Boy (while texting on his cell phone): Sure.1st Boy (now looking frustrated): But we haven’t agreed on anything yet.2nd Boy (still texting): Sounds good.

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Unit 1 • Listening Logic

The introductory illustration highlights precisely what needs to be known regarding the importance of listening. Just like the two lads, perhaps most people your age tend to find news broadcasts quite uninteresting, particularly if these have to do with events outside your city or country. However, you must realize that it is programs like these that enable you to connect with the rest of the world, and that what happens elsewhere should be of great concern to everyone else. Try stopping for a moment to think of what is truly more significant: viewing the latest NBA game results or comprehending the reason for the widespread famine in South Sudan. Indeed, listening can help you establish the right priorities in life.

Listening with a Purpose

9 Know what does (and does not) make sense

• Identify the purpose of the text

Learning GoalsLife Skil ls

[Illus. of 3 young boys watching TV]Boy 1: I wonder why my dad likes watching CNN. News is boring.Boy 2: Not only that. It’s about countries that are so far away. Why should we care?Boy 3: On the contrary, all of us should. That’s how we’ll know what is happening in other parts of the world.

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Lesson 1 • Listening with a Purpose

Listening is an essential part of effective communication along with speaking and writing. Whenever you listen, you need to get the main idea of what you are listening to. You also need to remember the details of what you have just heard. Likewise, it is important for you to correctly respond to and interpret what you have heard.

A Getting the Main Idea

Whenever you read a chapter in a textbook or novel, it is always possible for you to browse and/or reread to search for the main idea. On the other hand, pinpointing the main idea while listening presents much more of a challenge, as spoken material is oftentimes less rigidly organized than written material. It is necessary for a listener to be alert and do his/her best to keep track of the speaker’s thoughts.

Here are some pointers to guide you in listening for main ideas:

1 Pay careful attention to the speaker’s opening statement as this will likely serve as the premise of his/her talk.

2 Take note of the points raised by the speaker. You will know these are impor-tant when they are enumerated, repeated and continually emphasized.

3 Visualize the main idea. Then express this in your own words. 4 Check whether the main idea you have formulated matches that of the speak-

er’s through examples, data, and explanations presented during the talk.

B Remembering Details

For you to gauge which details of a presentation are the most important ones, it is necessary to analyze what you hear. Here are a few helpful tips to aid you in selecting the most important details.

1 While listening, determine what details support the main idea. 2 Try to predict details which the speaker will mention. 3 Link the supporting details to the main idea in a visual pattern.

To gauge how well you take note of details, imagine that you are listening to the following announcement on your school’s public address system:

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Later at exactly 5:00 p.m., there will be a debate between the two candidates for Student Council President. The debate will last for one and a half hours and will take place in the high school convention hall. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Based on what you just heard, what is the main idea and what are its major details?

Take your pick below:

1 Main Idea a A big event will take place later. b A debate will be held between the Student Council presidential candidates. c We have to be in the convention hall at 5:00 p.m.

2 Major Details a The debate will be held from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. b It will be held in the high school convention hall. c Attendance is mandatory.

If you chose b) as your main idea, your listening skills are very sharp. The other choices, while not entirely inaccurate, do not specifically identify what the main idea is.

As for the major details, items a) and b) are accurate. Unfortunately, if you included c) among your answers, you are probably making your own presumption since no prior mention had been made regarding mandatory attendance.

C Responding and Interpreting Correctly

The task of listening requires both mental and physical preparedness. Below are some suggestions to get you ready:1 Give the speaker your undivided attention. Avoid any distractions (electronic

gadgets, talkative seatmates, and the like).2 Have pen and paper ready to take notes or jot down important details.3 Always match your interpretation of what you hear with facts and statistics

presented by the speaker and respond accordingly. Never jump to conclu-sions or make hasty presumptions.

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Exercise 1

View “Lawrence Anthony’s Rehabilitation of Elephants” on Youtube. Then answer the following questions regarding the documentary:

1 What is the biggest challenge Lawrence Anthony faced? Explain.

2 What was his motivation for pursuing his objective? 3 In your opinion, will there be others who will follow

Lawrence Anthony’s lead? Why or why not?

Exercise 2

To broaden your perspective of current world events, submit a one-page report on a recent news item of global proportions. Your research should be sourced from a competent television news network which shall be duly acknowledged in your report.

Grammar

Nouns

The names given to people, the places where they live, and the things that surround them are called nouns.Ex. Joey, Singapore, Marina Bay

Nouns that name people, places or things that can be recognized or seen through any of the five senses are called concrete nouns.Ex. beach, motorcycle, parrot

[show pic of Lawrence Anthony with elephants]

[show illus.]

[show illus.]

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Nouns that name other things such as ideas, conditions, qualities and actions are called abstract nouns.Ex. friendship, grief, courage

A class of people, places or things is categorized as a common noun.Ex. soldier, continent, city

A specific person, place or thing is known as a proper noun. Proper nouns are always capitalized.Ex. Gen. Colin Powell, Asia, Los Angeles

Exercise 3

Identify each noun as proper, common and concrete, or common and abstract.

1 Homer’s Odyssey is an epic poem. a Homer’s

proper common, concrete common, abstract

b Odyssey proper common, concrete common, abstract

c poem proper common, concrete common, abstract

[show illus.]

[show illus.]

[show illus.]

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2 Who is the Rockets’ new point guard? a Rockets’


b point guard proper common, concrete common, abstract

3 Vince saw Mr. Rago fall and helped him up. a Vince


b Mr. Rago proper common, concrete common, abstract

4 Integrity is one of Jeremy’s best qualities. a Integrity


b Jeremy’s proper common, concrete common, abstract

c qualities proper common, concrete common, abstract

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5 One goal for good health is to drink eight glasses of water. a goal


b health proper common, concrete common, abstract

c glasses proper common, concrete common, abstract

d water proper common, concrete common, abstract

6 Barack Obama was the first African American president. a Baracl


b president proper common, concrete common, abstract

7 Like true explorers, astronauts cherish the hope of discovering a new world. a explorers


b astronauts proper common, concrete common, abstract

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c hope proper common, concrete common, abstract d world proper common, concrete common, abstract

8 Has Yoko ever written a song? a Yoko


b song proper common, concrete common, abstract

9 The vision of Chief Wilma Mankiller was to lead the Cherokee Nation to self-reliance. a vision


b Chief Wilma Mankiller proper common, concrete common, abstract c Cherokee Nation proper common, concrete common, abstract d self-reliance proper common, concrete common, abstract

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10 The language we call Old English was spoken during the Middle Ages. a language


b Old English proper common, concrete common, abstract c Middles Ages proper common, concrete common, abstract

The English language grows by way of the creation of new

words from the following sources:

New activities – ‘chatroom’ (areas on the internet where people

can exchange typed messages)

Proper nouns – ‘Sudoku’ (a number placement puzzle consisting

of nine 3-by-3 squares; each row, column and square must use

the numbers 1 to 9 only once)

Portmanteau words – ‘podcast’ (derived from iPod and

broadcast; a digital file available for downloading to a computer

or mobile device)

Clipped words – ‘hoodie’ (short for a hooded jacket or sweater)

Coined expressions – ‘hotspot’ (location where wireless internet

connection can be accessed)

[show illus.]

[show illus.]

[show illus.]

[show illus.]

[show illus.]

Portmanteau word – a combination of two or more words and their definitions to form one new word; French in origin

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Lesson 2 • Listening with Comprehension

You have probably heard the saying that goes, “You cannot please everyone.” In a very general sense, this may hold true, as one has to respect possible differences in opinion. However, when you are the only one carrying an opposing view, it might be wise to reconsider your stand and acknowledge the wishes of the majority. After all, how you treat others is also the way they will treat you. Being perceptive and courteous will certainly help you build good human relations.

Listening with Comprehension 29 Develop listening strategies• Perception

Learning GoalsLife Skil ls

[Show illus. of a girl and a boy talking]Girl: (excited) “What do you think of my idea?”Boy: (indifferent) “What difference does it make? You never listen anyway.”Girl: (embarrassed) “I was just making conversation.”Boy: (putting his hand on her shoulder) “When you make conversation, you have to listen as well.”Girl: (amazed) “Really?”Boy: (rolling his eyes)

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Listening and hearing are not the same. You hear simply because sound waves reach your ears. Hearing, in essence, is passive. Listening, on the other hand, is an active thinking skill that requires your concentration in order to understand, analyze and evaluate what you hear. In a situation that requires attentive listening (such as a formal presentation or classroom lecture), a speaker makes use of so-called verbal signals which you should be on the lookout for. These words and phrases are what you should listen to in order to gain important ideas and guide you in the manner by which the talk is organized.

The table below contains common verbal signals during specific portions of the talk:

Portion of the Talk Verbal Signals

Introduction

We will discuss…Today’s lecture covers…Open your books to …Let’s look first at…

Main Idea

A point to be made…Take note of…Let me repeat…Of major importance…Remember that…I want to stress…

Major Details

For instance,For example,Namely,The following reasons…In support of…That is to say…

Change in Direction

Next,Let us move on to…On the other hand,Turning now to…However,Even though,

Conclusion

Finally,The last point…In conclusion,In summary,All told,

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At certain points during a speech or lecture, a speaker may make certain movements and gestures to reinforce his/her verbal signals. He/she may alert you to main ideas by speaking more emphatically or raising his/her voice, by moving an arm, or by moving closer to the audience. He/she may alert you to major details by speaking more softly, by moving more slowly, or changing facial expression. The speaker’s actions are nonverbal signals which he/she is transmitting to the audience in further support of what is being said.

Several different types of nonverbal communication have been identified as follows:

1 Facial expressions used to show emotion (sadness, fear, joy, anger)

2 Gestures deliberate movements of the body, particularly the head, arms and hands

3 Paralinguisticsvocal communication in terms of loudness, tone of voice, inflection and pitch

4 Body language and posture indicative of feelings and attitudes

5 Proxemics

the personal space between the speaker and his/her audience (usually 10-12 ft.) or the person being spoken to (18 in. to 4 ft.)

6 Eye gazelooking, staring and blinking are indicative of a wide range of emotions including interest, attraction or hostility

7 Haptics touch can be used to communicate affection, sympathy and familiarity

8 Appearancechoice of clothing, hairstyles and colors can evoke different physiological reactions, judgements and impressions

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Exercise 4

Put your specific listening skills into practice by observing how your Science teacher conducts classes for one whole week. Take note of how lectures begin and end, how the teacher indicates a change of topic or activity, how the teacher stresses something of importance, and how the teacher uses the board and/or other supplementary materials (overhead projector, laptop, etc.). List ways in which your listening comprehension is enhanced by way of these techniques.

Exercise 5

Ask students to select a partner. Let them decide who will act as student A and the other one will be student B. Give each student a copy of the following script.

Dialogue:A: Have you seen my book? I can’t remember where I put it. B: Which one? A: The murder mystery. The one you borrowed. B: Is this it? A: No. It’s the one you borrowed. B. I did not! A: Maybe it’s under the chair. Can you look? B: OK--just give me a minute. A: How long are you going to be? B: Geez, why so impatient? I hate when you get bossy. A: Forget it. I’ll find it myself. B: Wait—I found it!

Student A will read his lines out loud, but student B will communicate his lines in a nonverbal way by alternately trying to act innocent, look bored, feel insulted, act disinterested, and feel irritated. After the dialogue, ask those who portrayed student A to guess what emotion was affecting their partner student B.

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Listening Strategies

As you may have realized, part of being an effective listener is knowing how to adjust your listening according to the situation you are faced with. The truth is, it takes a lot of focus and determination to be an effective listener. To guide you in your quest, the table below outlines the various types of listening, the situations suited to each type, and the appropriate behavior recommended.

Listening Type Situation How to Listen

Empathetic Dialogues with family and friends

Place yourself in the other person’s position and try to understand what he/she is thinking

Reflective Class or group discussions

Ask questions to obtain information, and reflect on the speaker’s responses to form new questions

AppreciativeOral recitations of poems, short stories and dramatic performances

Analyze aesthetic elements such as character development, rhyme, imagery and descriptive language

CriticalInformative or persuasive essays; product presentations

Dig up facts and supporting details to understand and evaluate the speaker’s purpose

Note that for purposes of discussion, only the first two listening types will be tackled in this portion. Appreciative and critical listening will be taken up in subsequent lessons of this same book.

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Empathetic Listening

As the term suggests, the listener tries to develop feelings of empathy for the speaker. Also popularly known as listening ‘between the lines’, the listener attempts to heighten his/her perception of the speaker’s entire message to understand what the latter is thinking and how he/she is feeling. A perfect example of empathetic listening is when one listen’s to a friend’s personal problems. At this stage, this friend needs comfort and solace. The last thing that he/she needs is criticism or ridicule; otherwise, this may cause him/her to stop opening up and seek support elsewhere.

Benefits of Empathetic Listening

• Builds trust and respect • Enables the person in need to express his/her emotions • Relieves tension • Encourages sharing of information • Creates a safe channel for sharing and problem solving

The Process of Empathetic Listening

1 Give your full attention. The person in front of you is your sole focus. When practicing empathetic listening, this person’s problem is in your hands, while your understanding and your time are inversely in theirs.

2 Do not speak while the other person is sharing his/her issue. It is your job to ac-tually listen to what is being said and reach full understanding of the situation by paying close attention to the issue at hand. You would not want to omit any vital part which could help resolve the problem.

3 After the speaker is done talking, offer a summary of what you have heard. This is a simple outline containing the key points raised. This affirms that you were listening, and reaffirms to yourself that what you heard is accurate.

Exercise 6

Once again, work in pairs. Inform your partner that you are about to read a news article regarding parents and their children. However, before reading the news article in full, ask your partner to first list down five (5) questions that he/she thinks will be answered by the news article. After this is done, proceed to read the article aloud, allowing your partner sufficient time to check whether he/she has the answers to the questions prepared beforehand.

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Parents should get involved in their children’ social affairs. This means that parents should make time to find out who are the people their children spend most of their time with. Studies show that one’s circle of friends is very influential in shaping a person’s outlook. When a child gets exposed to people with a negative outlook in life, there is a very big chance that this child will gradually adapt this attitude as well. Take the case of Samantha. Samantha used to be a cheerful teenage girl who was enthusiastic about her academic performance. Recently, though, her mom noticed surprising changes in how she viewed school, her teachers, and her schoolwork. Little did Samantha’s mom know that for almost a year now, Samantha had been in constant company of girls her age who considered school “uncool”, teachers “terrors” and homework “useless”. Fortunately for Samantha, her mom discovered the cause of her unusual behavior before she got into trouble. Parents, do you know where your child is now? Who is he/she hanging out with? Don’t risk your child’s future by not knowing who his/her friends are. For as long as it is in your child’s best interest, parents should get involved.

Exercise 7

In relation to the article in Exercise 6, answer the following questions:How many friends do you enjoy being with? Why do you like their company?Do your parents know all of your close friends? Have they had the chance to meet and talk with them? Why or why not?Do you agree with the ideas expressed by the author of this article? Feel free to voice out your thoughts.

Reflective Listening

Reflective listening involves listening intently to a speaker then verbally restating, in your own words, the feelings and information that you heard the speaker say to you.

Examples of ways that you can reflect back to a speaker include: • So you feel that your dad is overly strict with you. • You’re wondering if Coach will ever give you a chance. • It sounds like you feel very sad about the loss of your dog.

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Benefits of Reflective Listening

• Ensures that the listener is actively engaged in the conversation• Helps the listener and the speaker clarify their understanding of each other• Builds positive rapport and a deepening relationship• Can be used in any conversational situation• Is a skill that can be developed

The Reflective Listening Process

1 Understand and accept how the other person is feeling. What might be trivial to you (such as the loss of a pet) could be of grave importance to him/her.

2 Don’t force anyone to open up. They must trust you enough to be willing to talk, and you must show them in turn that you will not judge them harshly. Your sole goal is to be of help.

3 Let the person concerned come up with his/her own solution. Don’t convince him/her to adapt your own. Believe in the person’s ability to understand the situ-ation, identify solutions, select an appropriate solution, and implement it respon-sibly. Your role is merely to assist in appraising the problem and help evaluate possible alternatives and their consequences.

Exercise 8

Form groups of six (6). Visualize this scenario: You are all very close to one another. One day, a member of your group (choose who it will be) calls all of you and confides that he has been issued a final warning by his coach. He is in danger of being cut from the team and worse, automatically losing his athletic scholarship. He will no longer be able to remain in school since his parents cannot afford the tuition.

Use your knowledge of reflective listening to help out your friend.

The person acting out the role of the problematic friend will then fill out an evaluation form to assess your overall performance as a group.

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REFLECTIVE LISTENING EXERCISE

EVALUATION FORM

Name of Evaluator:_______________ Total Points Earned by Group: ____

I In general, did the group make effective use of their reflective listening skills?

____ No, they talked too little. [3 pts.] ____ No, they talked too much. [5 pts.] ____ Yes, they provided appropriate feedback. [10 pts.]

Check the appropriate blanks and assign the following points for every answer:

Needs work =1 pt. Appropriate = 3 pts. Excellent = 5 pts.

Needs Work Appropriate Excellent

Use of Attentiveness cues (eye gaze, head nods, minimal encouragements)

_____ _____ _____

Nonverbal empathic echoing of other’s feelings:

Facial expression (cold/warm) _____ _____ _____

Eye contact _____ _____ _____

Smiling (amount/sincerity) _____ _____ _____

Body Orientation (open/closed) _____ _____ _____

Body orientation (near/far) _____ _____ _____

Gestures (empathic/accepting) _____ _____ _____

Vocalics:

Pitch variety (monotone/varied) _____ _____ _____

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Volume (conversational) _____ _____ _____

Expressiveness (appropriateness) _____ _____ _____

Use of verbal reflective listening techniques

Amplification (minimal encouragements, appropriate

silent periods)

_____ _____ _____

Clarification (paraphrasing) _____ _____ _____

Summarizing _____ _____ _____

Asking questions of clarification _____ _____ _____

Checking of perceptions_____ _____ _____

Avoiding Non-reflective listening behaviors

Digressing to external/irrelevant issues

_____ _____ _____

Controlling (you should/ought statements or have you done

statements)

_____ _____ _____

Being dogmatic and/or evaluative

_____ _____ _____

Using closed questions _____ _____ _____

Communicating in an intellectual/detached manner

_____ _____ _____

Directing attention to self _____ _____ _____

Focusing solely on FACTS or FEELINGS

_____ _____ _____

Total Points _____ _____ _____

Grand Total = _______

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Grammar

Antecedents of Pronouns

Pronouns get their meaning from the words they stand for. These words are called antecedents. Look at the following examples:1 George, were you able to finish your course requirements on time?

• The pronouns ‘you’ and ‘your’ stand for the proper noun ‘George’.2 Preparing the ingredients for tacos is a cinch, and it can be done anytime.

• The pronoun ‘it’ stands for a group of words that takes the place of a noun, which is ‘Preparing the ingredients for tacos’.

While antecedents usually come before their pronouns, sometimes the pattern is reversed.3 This is the best milk tea I have ever tasted!

• The pronoun ‘This’ stands for the common noun ‘milk tea’.

Exercise 9

Encircle the antecedent of each underlined pronoun.

1 Julia composed the melody and wrote the lyrics herself. 2 The race organizers prepared all the materials themselves and were acknowl-

edged for their work.3 The concert was disappointing, and almost everyone left even before it was over.4 Mindy’s mom had to report for work even during her vacation.5 Many of the people in the arena rose from their seats.6 This handbag is made in France. It was especially crafted for valued clients

like you.7 Magnolias are trees that grow in the southern part of the United States. They

produce fragrant white blossoms.8 How can the driver prove that he was not at the scene of the accident?9 Jed’s daughters cooked all of the food by themselves.10 Fred planted orchids and roses, but none of these bloomed.

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Empathy is not sympathy. Whereas sympathy is “feeling for

someone,” empathy is “feeling as someone.”

(Citation: Huitt, W. (2009). Empathetic listening. Educational

Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University)

[show illus.]

Dogmatic – asserting one’s opinion in an arrogant manner.(Late Latin and Greek origin)

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