GSIAS English II Fall 2019
2019.12.11
Final projects completed.
Thanks for a great semester and good luck on your exams!
JBH
2019.11.20
As we continue our daily routine, it's time now to move on to another major project to wrap up the semester.
For next week (11-28), please bring in a one-page proposal (typed, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font) with your most interesting idea for a brief paper presentation to be shared Week 15. I would strongly suggest that it be a controversial topic related to your field of studies or major interest, and of course, that it be connected to contemporary International Affairs in some way. It can be a deeper analysis of the problem you explored in your last presentation. But please don't just repeat yourself; add something new.
While I will again ask you to present your topics to the class, and I don’t want spend our time simply reading papers, the evaluation focus will be on the written version this time. Let's talk about ideas next week and get a solid idea where we are headed.
Of course, this will come after our regular news briefing.
Thanks!
JBH
2019.11.06
In class today we did our usual Word, Quote, and Joke of the Day, along with presenting some News Briefings.
Then we watched an interesting talk on Six Minutes presentation website by a Korean-American writer who spent six months undercover, teaching the elite youth of North Korea at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.
We also took a few minutes to write in our journals
Please hang onto the "Terms of Address" pages I handed out a few weeks ago. We will take another look at them in the next week or two.
Thanks!
JBH
2019.10.16
Today, after our news briefing and before writing in our journals, we began thinking about topics for our next presentation. We will be sharing information on a problem or topic related to our specialization and or area of interest that is worthy of a 10- to 20-minute presentation to the rest of the class.
Much like the other assignments in this class, this one should focus more on clear communication and drawing audience interest rather than aiming at elevated academic discourse. Since members of this class are specialists in different areas, the topics we share should include enough background information to be clearly understandable by everyone, without going too deep into specialized knowledge that we do not all share. If you go into areas in depth, please try to make sure your information is clear enough for all of us to understand.
As always, interesting counts. Not just in this class, but in every class.
And to help with our presentation technique, take a look at
10 bad habits Students must Un-learn from the Six Minutes presentation website.
Next week, in lieu of an exam in this class, please take time to put together a copy of a brief research proposal to class with you for us to discuss. Please email it to me before class Week 9. We will talk about your proposals in class that day. I want everyone to be set on a topic and thinking and working on it as we go through the next month or so toward presentation day, Nov. 13th.
Also, please take a quick look at the Six Minutes presentation website for an interesting talk by a Korean-American writer who spent six months undercover, teaching the elite youth of North Korea at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. We will talk about the presentation and an analysis of it when we meet next, along with our Word, Quote, and Joke of the Day, the daily news briefing, our presentation proposals, and journal writing.
See you in class!
JBH
2019.09.04
At our first class meeting, we got to know each other a bit. This class has varying interests and needs, and the instructor will endeavor to meet as many of them as possible within our limited time frame.
The general routine each week will consist of:
1. A Word, Quote and Joke of the Day to start things off right. Instructions are linked here.
2. Reflective Writing: Although the focus of this course is on presentations and spoken communication, we will also be working with written language to a limited extent. Writing in this class will include written documents related to your presentations and personal reflections on issues and topics of the day. We will be doing personal, reflective writing about a variety of topics on a regular basis. These short writings may be combined for a larger project later in the semester.
3. News briefings: Each student will bring in one news item weekly, to be presented (not read word-for-word) along with commentary on issues or language, questions or discussion ideas on items. Students should coordinate together to ensure that there are no duplicated efforts on the same stories.
3. The instructor or a student will occasionally bring in material for a class discussion. Be ready to digest and discuss a controversial topic of international interest and share opinions that may be different from those of other students (and the instructor).
4. Because I am an English teacher (and a word person), I can't stray too far away from the basics. I will continue to bring in items (hopefully) of interest and utility on language matters. Students are also encouraged to bring in any language/presentation/current affairs topics that are interesting and useful. Stay tuned for more. While members of the class may have different levels of speaking/writing proficiency, there is always something more that can be learned.
5. The first major assignment, A "Bull in a China Shop" Experience, will be presented Oct. 2nd. Please read the assignment and be thinking about your topic. We will talk about it more in class Week 2. I want you to email or bring a hard copy to class of a detailed, one-page proposal of your presentation by class time Sept. 18th. (Double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font).
On the day you present, before you give your presentation, please give me a copy of your written version. I must have a written copy of your script, notes, and/or PowerPoint in my hand to follow along and make notes on as you present.
Thanks!
JBH
