English classes of Mr. M

UMS students Sections 104 & 113, START HERE!

2011-01-01T10:14:00.005+08:00

Photo taken from Digital Tools

Hello UMS students of Sections 104 and 113!

Click on the dates to browse the out-of-class materials and related websites

English for Academic Reading and Writing UB00402
Section 104 / Podium 1A
7.00-10.00 PM (Tuesdays)

16 March 2010
23 March 2010
30 March 2010 coming soon!
6 April 2010 coming soon!
Assignment marks coming soon!

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Oral Communication in English UB00202
Section 113 / Podium C
7.00-10.00 PM (Wednesdays)

17 March 2010
24 March 2010
31 March 2010
07 April 2010
Presentation marks coming soon!

7 Apr - Final Exam (Oral Presentation)

2010-04-07T15:52:00.004+08:00

Greetings!

I have decided that the most fair and smoothest format is the MUET-based speaking format. There will be two tasks; Task A and Task B.

Here is the standard instruction sample:

This is how the test will run tonight:

Students will draw lots and be assigned to a new group of 4
Groups will take turn to be assessed similar to MUET format
The group can stay in class and watch their peers perform
Tasks will take up 30 minutes
Students may leave once they are assessed

Please come on time (7 PM) since there are 6 groups to be assessed in 3 hours. NO postponement is allowed. If you miss this test, you will NOT pass the course.

Remember that the most important thing in this test is this. Language is secondary. Use mind-map, QIQS, structure in your presentation and you will definitely earn decent point.

See you!

31 Mar - Tips, The Apprentice, Analysis of Best Speakers, Polish & Practice

2010-04-01T22:16:00.025+08:00

Hello girls and boys,

No. 3 (Analysis of Best Speakers) and 4 (Polish and Practice) are the continuation of our class on 31 March. Follow the sequence of this virtual class and its simple instructions.

1. Concise Tips and Tricks

Study the slides
Summary (click image to enlarge)

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2. Communicative Game (The Apprentice)

Study the slides

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3. Analysis of Best Speakers

Study these slides Part A, Part B, Part C
or in JPG below:

Watch Jamie Oliver's TED Prize Presentation at TED.com.
Use slides 9-21 above to guide your analysis.
Click the image below to enlarge instruction for TED.com video presentations.
Alternatively, you can also watch his presentation at YouTube.

Next, watch an excerpt of Steve Jobs' MacBook Air in MacWorld 2008 presentation.
The analyses of Steve Job's presentation can be found here; one by Forbes and the other by BNET.
Lastly, learn some tips in Powerful Speaking The Obama Way by Forbes at YouTube.

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4. Polish and Practice

Study the slides (GIF)
Read this entry: Received Pronunciation
Related links:
View how would a British accent be spoken by an American: Beyoncé tries British accent
Next, study and follow the Received Pronunciations (RP) by Alison Pitman:

24 Mar - Forum Presentations

2010-03-24T23:45:00.000+08:00

Click image to enlarge

23 Mar - APA Citation Format + Paraphrasing + Persuasive Essay

2010-03-23T22:35:00.074+08:00

APA Citation Format

Long Island University: APA Citation Style
Mr. M's Progressive Lesson Plan blog: APA References Style

Paraphrasing

OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab: Paraphrase Exercises

Writing Persuasive Paragraph

Analyse a persuasive essay in College Reading 4 (pp. 128-132). Look at the margin of the essay and highlight the structure of persuasiveness of the essay
Watch this video: Messages From Water (YouTube)
Based on the persuasive essay that you have read and based the Message from Water video, write a persuasive body paragraph on the relationship of water molecules and power of human mind.
You may include in-text citation or otherwise, you may write a long paragraph or otherwise. It is up to you. But please write a complete body paragraph
Email your paragraph to: azzad.works(at)gmail(dot)com
Please include your NAME in your email.
Here are some slides to guide you:

17 Mar - How to Present in groups, via Forum & Press Conference

2010-03-17T23:55:00.001+08:00

Presenting Academic Papers in groups, via Forum & Press Conference PDF slides on Scribd
25 Years of Oprah Screaming Celebrities Names on Youtube
MTV’s Chat The Planet teasers on Archive.org:

Family Values

Group Presentation Guideline handout on Scribd

Since we did not arrange presentation sequence (which group presents first or last), I will need you to leave a comment in this entry. Write your name and what number your group would like to be. For example: I am Jane Wong from Group 1 and we would like to be the 3rd presenter. If no one says anything, I decide on Group 1 being the 1st, Group 2 the 2nd, etc.

Thank you.

16 Mar - Argumentative Essay + Plagiarism

2010-03-16T11:01:00.000+08:00

The Fish Bone (skeletal diagram)
Argumentative essay structure coming soon!
Links on plagiarism

Natasha "McGough" Hudson by Cikgu Jannah on Natasha Hudson
Natasha Hudson and Plagiarism by Chech Eccentric on Natasha Hudson
Student’s Novel Faces Plagiarism Controversy by The Harvard Crimson on Kaavya Viswanathan
How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life on Wikipedia
Viva la Vida Plagiarism? on Youtube
Madonna's credit to ABBA for 'Hung Up' on Wikipedia
Madonna in plagiarism case defeat on BBC News
Famous Plagiarists

Photo taken from Cikgu Jannah

Research Writing Guideline

2009-11-02T01:30:00.004+08:00

Complete guide and downloads at Progressive Lesson Plan.

Writing assignments datelines

2009-10-11T02:10:00.001+08:00

Assignment 1: 13 Oct 2009

Assignment 2: 15 Oct 2009

Assignment 3: 20 Oct 2009

Books: Good Grammar + Briefest + Grammar Practice + For Everyone

2009-10-06T09:53:00.018+08:00

Good Grammar for Students (2005) by Howard Jackson

Download preview copy here. (PDF, 1.18 MB)
This is a preview version only. Buy original.

The Briefest English Grammar Ever (2005)
For English speakers who didn't learn English at school. by Ruth Colman

Download preview copy here. (PDF, 221 KB)
This is a preview version only. Buy original.

Practice Makes Perfect:

English Grammar for ESL Learners (2005) by Ed Swick

Download preview copy here. (PDF, 2.15 MB)

This is a preview version only. Buy original.

Grammar for Everybody:
Practical Tools for Learning and Teaching Grammar (2007) by Barbara Dykes

Download preview copy here. (PDF, 3.55 MB)
This is a preview version only. Buy original.

Chapter 1 – Getting Ready to Write

2009-09-08T16:48:00.007+08:00

All the best ideas come from this source.

Prewriting

1. Mind Mapping is admittedly the best brainstorming method.

2. Journal writing is personal & could be used to inspire the writer

Blogging: the most popular method of journal writing
"Collecting Stories by Jonathan Harris"

Chartbook - A Reference Grammar

2009-09-08T15:46:00.018+08:00

Chartbook-A Reference Grammar (2000)

by Betty Schrampfer Azar

Chapter 1 - Overview of Verb Tenses
Chapter 2 - Present & Past, Simple & Progressive
Chapter 3 - Perfect & Perfect Progressive Tenses
Chapter 4 - Future Time
Chapter 5 - Adverb Clauses of Time & Review of Verb Tenses
Chapter 6 - Subj-Verb Agreement
Chapter 7 - Nouns
Chapter 8 - Pronouns
Chapter 9 - Modals (Part 1)
Chapter 10 - Modals (Part 2)
Chapter 11 - The Passive
Chapter 12 - Noun Clauses
Chapter 13 - Adjective Clauses
Chapter 14 - Gerunds and Infinitives (Part 1)
Chapter 15 - Gerunds and Infinitives (Part 2)
Chapter 16 - Coordinating Conjunctions
Chapter 17 - Adverb Clauses
Chapter 18 - Reduction of Adverb Clauses to Modifying Adverbial Phrases
Chapter 19 - Connectives That Expresses Cause and Effect, Contrast, And Condition
Chapter 20 - Conditional Sentences and Wishes

Or download and review the whole book. (PDF, 4.9 MB)

Paperback: 104 pages

Publisher: Longman Publishing Group; 3 edition (2000)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0139587039

Price (as of 2005): RM63.69

This is a preview version only. Buy original.

Ready to Write More - Chapter Summaries

2009-09-08T14:20:00.009+08:00

Part 1: The Elements of Good Writing

Chapter 1: Getting ready to write
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Part 2: Types of Essays

Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Part 3: Writing for Specific Purposes

Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12

Progressive Lesson Plan

2009-09-06T03:39:00.002+08:00

Are you protesting over a subject matter and thinking of using a cow's head in your parade?

Have you adopted Maling, Malingsial, Indon or Indonesial as terms of endearment?

You might want to think your options over.

Perhaps your parents did not bring you up well. Perhaps you are just an angry angry child post-puberty. Teachers could not play parents but we could assist.

Help the teachers who want to change this distorted picture a little bit.

This group is not playing hero. However we need lesson plan ideas big or small, on how to propagate tolerance and progressive thinking in classroom. Our agenda is to allow progressive, pluralistic views to penetrate into students' psyche.

Yes, you can debate on pluralism and blatant agenda-pushing in classroom as biased, partial or committal. Help us make it discreet and subtle, ok? Sometimes, we are not very smart also.

If teachers have failed to help, then we could target leaders. Just, they're very very busy, mind you. Consider that a warning.

Join the Progressive Lesson Plan (PLP) Facebook group & blog, and start contributing!

Ready to Read More - Chapter Summaries

2009-09-02T18:10:00.006+08:00

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Ready to Read More: Answer Key

2009-09-02T12:43:00.008+08:00

Ready to Read More - Answer Key (2006)

CHAPTER 5 – Analyse the Text

2009-09-01T13:24:00.006+08:00

One of the many Sunflowers series painting by Vincent van Gogh

Significant points from Chapter 5 include:

1. Listing

Details listed to explain main idea
Series of reasons, examples, facts (refer: details in print-ads)

2. Sequence / time order (refer: Lee Yan's Best Friend tv-ad)

3. Cause and effect

4. Compare and contrast

Note:

Refer to list of signal words to familiarize yourself with all the skills mentioned

The Fish Bone (Essay skeletal diagram)

2009-09-01T12:45:00.004+08:00

Basic diagram of an Essay

As far as I know, no reference book has labelled this diagram 'The Fish Bone' as we do in class. This has actually been derived from the diagram of an essay by Joy Reid.

Reference

Reid, J. (1988) The Process of Composition (2nd Ed.) Prentice Hall Regents: New Jersey, pp. 42-43

CHAPTER 4 – Understand *Supporting Details

2009-09-01T11:47:00.010+08:00

Philips V900 Advertisement

Significant points from Chapter 4 include:

1. SD support the main idea by telling how, when, where, why, how much, how many.

2. SD provide examples, facts, descriptions, explanations, or reasons.

3. What additional information does the author provide to help me understand the main idea?

4. Look for signal words: first, second, next, also, in addition, moreover.

5. Scan

Have a question in mind, specific kind of info
Use headings, boldfaced words, italics, numbers, charts, quotation marks
Ignore unimportant info
Move eyes rapidly across the text

*Refer to the Fish Bone

CHAPTER 3 – Use Vocabulary Strategies

2009-09-01T11:30:00.004+08:00

"Cosmetic Surgery" by Dave Parker

Significant points from Chapter 3 include:

Most of the time, we do not know the meaning of certain words. Without using thesaurus or dictionary, we can use the context to guess meaning. There are 5 strategies.

In the sentence, look for:

1. Definition of the word

2. Examples explaining the word

3. Word or phrase in another part of the sentence with similar meaning

4. Word or phrase in another part of the sentence with opposite meaning

5. Use general sense of the sentence to make conclusions

Other strategy includes breaking the word to its prefix, suffix, or circumfix to get the root word.

Note:

Dave Parker (English cartoonist)

CHAPTER 2 – Identify Main Ideas

2009-09-01T11:18:00.007+08:00

"The Flower Carrier" by Diego Rivera

Significant points from Chapter 2 include:

1. Identifying Main Idea - most important reading strategies used by good readers

2. Speed up reading, help understanding & remember what you read

Who or what is the reading about? – The topic
What does the author want me to know about the topic? – The main idea

3. *Main idea in introductory paragraph is called “Thesis Statement”

4. *Main idea in body paragraph (content) is called “Topic Sentence”

*Refer to the Fish Bone

Note:

The Flower Carrier by Diego Rivera
Frida Kahlo (Mexican artist, Rivera's ex-wife)
Frida (2002 American Movie)
Yo-Yo Ma (French-American cellist)

CHAPTER 1 – Think Before You Read

2009-09-01T11:03:00.005+08:00

"I and the Village" by Marc Chagall

Significant points from Chapter 1 include:

1. Preview

Title, subtitle, section headings, introductions
words in bold print or italics
pictures, graphics

2. Activate your background knowledge

Information you already know
Background knowledge

3. Predict

Guess what you are going to read

4. Set a purpose

Gives reason for you to read
Ask yourself questions that you would like to have answered (Wh-Question tags)
KWL Chart

Note:

Overall, reading skills presented in this chapter are meant to strengthen understanding and content memorization of the reading materials.
I and the Village by Marc Chagall

I seek your deepest apologies

2009-08-30T02:06:00.006+08:00

To all my Hindu brothers, sisters, friends and family, with great respect and love, I am as intensely outraged, enraged and humiliated. I seek your deepest apologies.

Humanity of all walks of life should condemn the act of hatred and intolerance against nature.

Classes on both Tues & Thurs

2009-08-24T12:15:00.003+08:00

Welcome back everyone!

I'm all well and healthy... I hope so do you! From now on, classes will be on full gear, god-willing.

Please be informed that both groups 103 & 115 need to attend this week Tuesday & Thursday classes:

Tuesday & Thursday | 24 & 26 Aug 2009 | *7.30PM | Podium F

Ramadan Mubarak to all!

Mr. M

*Only for Ramadan

KML Quarantined

2009-08-10T23:53:00.007+08:00

Hello Group 103 & 115,

Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan has been quarantined due to the A(H1N1) influenza for a week (10-16 Aug).

It is highly unlikely that I could go to UMS campus for classes. All KML students and staff are NOT allowed to get out of the compound. Coincidentally you will have a mid-term break (17-23 Aug). This means we will only be able to see each other on the next 25 & 27 Aug.

Watch this space to keep yourself updated on reading and writing assignments.

Mr. M

Pronunciation Lesson

2009-07-27T15:48:00.015+08:00

Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to

be aware of RP
attempt RP in daily communication
neutralize accent

Personal accents are beautiful as it reflects speaker's culture and background. Hence, all of us must be aware that the teaching of RP/Queen's English is not to eliminate that originality and beauty altogether. Rather, through practice it is to reduce heavy accents to increase effective communication in English. - Mr M

Pronunciation Lessons of Received Pronunciation (RP). More on RP in:

Video links to , narrated by Alison Pitman

Photo taken from Aspen Baker's Blog

Classes will start on these dates

2009-07-21T17:39:00.002+08:00

Dear UMS students,

For some health reasons, I have not been well lately.
Please be notified that classes will definitely start as usual for

Group 115 on 23 July (Thursday)
Group 103 on 28 July (Tuesday)

It could be the haze? You take care too.
Thank you.

Mr. M

MUET Workshop

2009-04-11T18:36:00.007+08:00

Quite a number of students have been asking about the new MUET format as well as the tips and advice on how to prepare for the exams. To be honest I cannot answer all of that in one email or two.

The best is to buy a book on MUET new format or attend a briefing or a workshop for it. You can refer here and here for the new format.

I am also considering, if the number is sizable, to organize a workshop. Let me know if you are interested by emailing me your name and your contact no.

The best is to have 8 to 12 students so we could have a good number for the Speaking Exam practice. I don't need a big class. Minimal number of students for this workshop to run is 8.

You could also suggest the best time to do this. Ideally it will be carried out in 4 classes, less than 2 hours each, depending on how much help you need. Fees will be minimal.

UPDATE:
Mr M's MUET Workshop
Minimum no. of participant: 8
Maximum no. of participant: 16
Fee: RM80 per person (About RM10 per hour, including workshop materials)

Workshop synopsis
This workshop will be carried out in four 2-hour sessions. Materials of the workshop will be provided to participants which contain all tips and tricks in answering all four newly-formatted papers: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking. All participants will have a chance to not only grasp the theories but will also put what they have learned into practice in the workshop.

Skills objectives
By the end of the workshop, students will . . .
Reading*: be aware of the new nature of reading questions and the best way to answer them
Writing*: be writing according to the MUET marking scheme
Listening*: be aware of the new nature of listening questions and the best way to answer them
Speaking: definitely be able to prepare in 2 minutes & speak in the 2-minute allocated time.

(*) indicates new format

Stunted Growth - Visual Aids in Classroom

2009-03-30T10:56:00.010+08:00

Upcoming action research: Stunted Growth - Visual Aids in Classroom

Synopsis
With or without motivation, students would typically give cold shoulders to any kind of presentation tasks thrown at their feet. Forum is one of the most effective forms of presentation. However at most times, teachers and audience would mostly be uninspired, jaded and occasionally snubbed listening to daunting presentations, one after another.

Poor preparation is definitely the main cause. Through an action research using excerpts from The Oprah Winfrey Show and MTV’s Chat The Planet, students are introduced to analyse the mechanics of forum presentation in both TV shows. This expectantly helps students to prepare and present a better forum presentation, consequently motivates them to explore it further. This action research also investigates the perception of students on these selected visual aid materials and its relevance to their task.

Video excerpts of Chat The Planet is gathered from archive.org

Zero tolerance for Plagiarism

2009-03-26T00:24:00.000+08:00

We have learnt what Natasha Hudson have been accused of doing, locally. On the other side of the world, we have Kaavya Viswanathan.

If you have not noticed, I have a ZERO tolerance policy for plagiarism.

Zero/kosong/zilch. One tiny bit of plagiarism is enough to pursue zero/kosong/zilch.

Am I serious? Try me.

Graphic taken from KK.org

Report Writing Guide for KML Students

2009-03-22T04:18:00.000+08:00

Chapter 1 - Introduction
Report Writing Guide - Chapter 1 (Introduction) Report Writing Guide - Chapter 1 (Introduction) Azzad Report Writing Guide for Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan students Chapter 1 of 6

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-To Guides & DIY writing report

More chapters coming soon.

Best-Practices Workshop

2009-03-16T22:45:00.000+08:00

Event: Bengkel Kerja Dokumentasi Amalan Terbaik dalam P&P dengan Rakaman Video
Venue: Hotel Impiana Casuarina, Ipoh
Dates: 11-13 March 2009

To participants of the workshop, watch this space for some editable softcopy handouts of my presentation.

As promised, Matriculation Report Writing Kit will also be available soon. And oh, nice meeting you!