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OE 2 Spring 2013:  Lesson 7

6/1/2013

18 Comments

 
Hi everyone,

We're half way through our course!  

Gestures:
In today's lesson, we learned about gestures.  Gestures help support our verbal message and also keep the listener interested in our message.  There are four types of gestures you can use:
1.  number / sequence
2.  emphasis / focus
3.  location / illustration
4.  compare / contrast

Presentations
In next week's lesson, we're going to start preparing for our presentations.  In this lesson, you will be assigned a group and your group will choose your topic.  We will also learn about presentation structure.

If you miss this class, you will be responsible to get the information from your group about the lesson in the following lesson.  

Homework:
1.  Discussion Preparation
2.  Blog Post #7

Blog Question #7:

Review the feedback on your discussion worksheet.  What three points do you need to improve for your discussions?


(If you were absent this week and didn't get your graded worksheet [or you lost your worksheet], you won't be able to answer this question.)
  • Write 8-10 sentences.
  • Use capitalization, punctuation & spelling correctly.
  • Submit by Wednesday, June 5 by 6:00pm.
18 Comments
OE2-Ayako
6/2/2013 06:52:35 pm

I talked about our body image in my first news discussion. I was able to ask for opinions from all group members. But, there are many points that I should improve for my discussion. First, i shouldn't read ma summary. I should make more eye contacts with group members. Second, I should ask group members "Are you following me?" to check member's understanding during my summary. Finally, if I had studied more about the article, I would have given much information about it. So, I should study more things which have relation to the article. By improving them, I want to do better discussion.

Reply
OE2-Yuuki
6/3/2013 12:05:51 pm

When I was a discussion leader, there were several points I should improve. First, I had to speak in a loud voice. The members who wasn't sitting next to or in front of me couldn't hear my voice clearly. I should do my effort to tell all members my summary and opinion. Second, I must take care to give members the same spaking time. If there are members who can't tell their opinions actively, encouraging them to speak is discussion leader's duty. I will try to give speaking time equally this week. Third, I should carry out the discussion more smoothly. When I was a discussion leader, thre were sometimes silence after someone tell the opinion. I must respond to it, or ask the other members' opinions in regard to it.
I will figure out a good way so that all members can participate actively and speak their opinions freely.

Reply
OE2- Kodai
6/3/2013 06:04:19 pm

I was a dicussion leader. I want to improve three points for the next opporotunity of disscussion. First of all, my worksheet's summary was very unclear. I felt what I wanted to say didn't transfer to disscussion members. Second, I couldn't reply aginst some opinions. If I had predicted a lot of opinions aginst my opinions, I could have reply against it and made more fruitful disscussion. Finally, I couldn't do gestures. It is very difficult to do non-Japanese ones. At the next time, I want to get accustomed to doing it little by little! Of course ,at the speed discussion too! I would like to improve above three points at the presentations!

Reply
OE2-Yugo
6/3/2013 11:44:12 pm

I have three points to improve my discussion. Firstly, I need to make more eye contacts with group members equally. In my last discussion, I made eye contacts, but I didn't make eye contacts to all group members. Secondly, I need to make sure my group members comments on each other's opinions. I had group membes made comments , but I didn't share each other's opinions.  Thirdly, I need to make more gestures. If I use the word difficult to understand, I can use gestures to make myself understood it easily. So, in my next discussion, I want to make eye contacts equally, make sure my group members comment on each other`s opinions and use more gestures to make myself understood my speaking easily.

Reply
OE2-Chiaki
6/4/2013 12:08:00 am

The first point is a mistake of grammar. Last time, I noticed an error after printing and correct it by a pen. I need to check my worksheet again and again before printing. The second point is a lack of examples. If I give more information, discussion members can understand my topic and opinion more. The third point is English usage. When we translate Japanese words into English, there are differences of meaning even if Japanese renderings are the same. I have to be careful about such subtle differences in nuance. I am going to improve above-mentioned three points when I write my discussion worksheet next time.

Reply
OE2-Yuki
6/4/2013 02:16:02 am

When I was a discusion leader at last section, I was suggested to improve three points: give specific examples from my personal experience at opinion,
section, keep eye contacts during my summary, and show interest more often.First, I talked about the new research which says sad musics mend our broken hearts. At my opinion section, I talked about my personal experience to my group member, but I totally forgot to write on my worksheet. I must be careful by next time. Next, the eye contact. when I try to talk in English, that's takes all of my attention to what I speak and forgot to look at the members. Thirdly, I must show more interst to what the members are speaking about to show them that I am listening. By the next time I am the discussion leader, I will do my best to improve those weak points.

Reply
OE2-Tomoyo
6/4/2013 02:58:01 am

My first discussion made me realize that my discussion skills left much room for improvement. Firstly, I need to make eye contact with all group members carefully. Next time, I am going to make sure that all the group members participate in my discussion by doing this. Secondly, I need to make my group members pronounce vocabulary 3-4 times. I will try to take enough time to teach them vocabulary. And finally, I need to use gestures as necessary. In the previous class, we learned useful gestures and I realized that they enabled us to give my opinion more effectively in either case of presentations or discussions. So I am going to make good use of them. In the next class, I am going to act as a group leader. I would like to pay attention to these points and improve my discussion skills.

Reply
OE2_ Ryutaro
6/4/2013 10:03:12 am

I have three points to improve in my discussion. First, I forgot to use summary expressions. For example, I didn't write conclusion sentence in my summery,so I will never forget to write summary expressions. Second, my opinion needs more information. I didn't write some concrete examples. Therefore my opinion has mere evidence. Finally, I need to make my group comment on each other's opinions.I couldn't be considerate of my discussion group members because I frantically spoke in English. I want to pay attention to these points for next my discussion.

Reply
OE2-Mio
6/4/2013 11:35:49 am

I have three points which I need to improve for my discussion. First, I have to write my opinion in more detail. I wrote my opinion, but I should have explained and developed the points. Second, I need to encourage my group members to make their comments on each other's opinions. I just heard their opinions to my opinion and discussion questions. Finally, I have to speak more loudly to show that I'm confident. I was very nervous beacuse it was my first discussion of this year, so I think I spoke lower than any other discussion leaders. Therefore I need to improve these three points for my next discussion. I'll do my best to do better than my first discussion!

Reply
OE2-Saki
6/4/2013 11:53:48 am

There are three points I need to improve for my discussion. First, I didn't take enough time to check whether the members were understanding. I should have taken more time to tell the points of my summary. Second, I read the summary. It is because I didn't practice hard at home. It is important to read the summary again and again before the discussion so that we can know a lot of information about the news. Third, I didn't use any body languages. In the last class, I learned that it is important to use body languages to make ourselves understood by other people. I would like to remember the importance of these three points.

Reply
OE2-Yuta
6/4/2013 02:51:42 pm

I have three points to improve for next didcussion. First, I must encourage my group members to comment on each other's opinions. When I was a discussion leader, I could ask for the opinions of all my group members. However, I only heard of it and couldn't make the discussion more active. Secound, I must use a concluding expression to end my discussion. The end of my discussion wasn't clear because of a lack of concluding expression. Third, I must practice the pronunciation of my vocabulary words. I couldn't tell my group members a correct pronunciation because I had forgeted preparing for teaching my vocabulary. I'm going to improve these three points in next discussion.

Reply
OE2-Miyuki
6/4/2013 02:52:17 pm

Ten out of ten, that’s the score I got for my way as a group leader in my discussion. I think it’s pretty good. I enjoyed discussing my article and that turned out to be the good result, but still I have some points to improve. First I need to pick up some key points from the summary and opinion so that I don’t have to check my work sheet again and again. Second how I wrote the summary wasn’t following the rule. I should have used the expressions that were taught in the class. I will be careful not to ignore the rules. This time I chose an article on a famous brand in the U.S but unfortunately, it was not familiar to my group members. So next time I want to choose a more familiar topic so that they can easily draw the image of my discussion in their mind.

Reply
Nodoka
6/4/2013 04:00:16 pm

On the discussion, I have to work on three things below. Making people speak equally, ask my group if they are following me, and use body language. I always concentrate on one person who is speaking and forget to ask others for their opinion. Therefore, I will be careful to make everyone speak eqally. I also forget to ask my group if they are following me. I was checking after I finish reading my summery. Next time, I will check few times during my presentation. Last, I think I didn't use many body languages while I was talking. By using them, it is easier for people to understand. So next time, I will be careful for those three things.

Reply
OE-2 Andrew
6/4/2013 05:34:09 pm

I was a discussion leader and I talked about bug food.I think I made a fun discussion but there are a few things I could have done better. First, I should have expanded my opinion. The summary and discussion question part was okay but the opinion part was a little short. I also could have brought some visual aids to let the group members have a clearer image how bug foods look like. And next time, I should pick a topic that everyone is familiar to and that doesn't freak anyone out.

Reply
OE2-Kanami
6/4/2013 05:49:57 pm

I have three points to improve for my discussion. First, I want to make good eye contact. When I was discussion leader, I think that it is difficult to see other people's face because I was frantic. Second, to chine in is very important, for example "Uh-han", "I see" and "Ah" and so on. Such sentences can make speaker feel good. Finally, I need use body language. It is necessary both when I am discussion leader and listner. I want to use body language which I studied last lesson. In this way, I will improve my discussion next class.

Reply
OE2-Akari
6/4/2013 06:18:41 pm

I'm sorry, I was absent the class last week. So I have not received my graded worksheet yet. But I'll write this article. I'll be glad if you mark this article.
When I was a leader, I was talking positively, however I have three points which I have to improve. First, I should make my composition more easy for understanding. I tried to use easy expression, but it was not perfect. And when listeners couldn't understand what I said perfectly, I couldn't explain very well. Second, I should be careful about the way of speaking. I have to speak more slowly and emphasize the important sentences. Third, I want to make more interesting discussion questions. I'm not good at it. I'll try to make more attractive presentation. I should be attentive to those things and I 'll never be absent the class after this.

Reply
OE2-Natsumi
6/4/2013 06:26:45 pm

Looking back my first discussion, there are three points I have to improve for my discussion.
First, I need to memorize my summary and opinion more. I think I will be able to use gestures effectively if I memorize my worksheet more. Second, I hed to check understanding 3-4 times but I couldn't. I will not to forget to make eye contact with my group members and check understanding next time. Finally, I need to study about the topic and acqire knowledge about it. I would be able to have a better opinion if I had a lot of information about "ovum bank" last time.
I'm going to improve these three points and I will do my best next discussion!

Reply
OE2-Anjyu
6/5/2013 01:18:44 am

I have two point to improve my discussion. First, I don't use Japanese. When I forget English words, I use Japanese before I know it. If I forget English words, I want to use another words which is same meaning. Second, I should encourage member to say their opinion. My last discussion topic was difficult, so the member was nor familiar with this topic. When the next discussion, I want to choice topic easier than the last one. I will do discussion tomorrow, so I should do best.

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