Writing Skills: Speeches and Letters:Everything - Memo, letter, fax, email, speech, Thesis, business report, essay or a novel has 3 basic sections that are the same. Introduction - Body - Conclusion. The Introduction and Conclusion are easy because you do them after you have finished writing the Body of your report / speech etc. That 'BODY' has 'BONES' - the outline that results when using a professional formula to construct the composition. The bones of the speech derives from your ability to apply word association to your topic.
This Article relates directly to the article on Word Association. In that article, we used word association to extend our thinking. In this article, we will use writing formula to put our thinking onto paper.
The Bones of the Body!
Well, that is an interesting title isn't it? What do I mean by Bones of the Body? Let me explain.
Everything you write, whether it be a Memo, or a letter, a fax, an email, a speech, a Thesis, a business report, an essay or a novel has 3 basic sections that are the same. These are:
The Introduction
The Body - and-
The conclusion
The body of your speech or letter, is that part where you actually say what you want to say.
Writing an Introduction and a Conclusion to any Speech, Report, Thesis or letter is relatively easy, because you don't do it until you have already finished writing the Body of your speech. Once you have written that, it is just a matter of saying: "Today I want to talk about this" in the introduction - and saying "This is what I talked about" in the conclusion. The hard part is the Body of your Speech or other writing.
The body of a speech is like your own body. The Body, or 'your flesh' - is what everyone sees and hears in your speech or letter, but underneath it there is a whole lot of bones that support the 'Flesh'. Without those supporting bones, your body will fall down. The same goes for any professional writing or presentation.
The Bones of a Speech or other written presentation, is the outline that results when you use a professional formula to construct your written masterpiece. The bones of the speech derives from your ability to apply word association to your topic.
Bones of a Speech
The Title: Every Oral or Written Presentation has a Title or Topic or Specific Purpose.
The Introduction: This tells everyone what you are going to talk about.
THe Body: This is what you are actually going to say.
The Conclusion: This is where you 'sum up' or 'remind' everyone what you spoke about.
Bones of The Body of the Speech
Word Association: Once you know what you are going to be speaking about, (Your Topic or Title), you then think of all the keywords that relate to this topic.
Keywords through word association: List all the keywords/key concepts on a piece of paper, and determine how many of them you think are the most important or the most interesting things (or the most relevant) to talk about.
Categorizing Keywords/Key Concepts: Once you have decided on what keywords/key concepts you wish to discuss, then put them into some sort of order.
For instance, if you are going to talk about what you did yesterday, you will put all the morning things into one category; all the afternoon things into another category; and all the evening things into another category.
If you are writing a Memo, a Report or a Thesis, you will have a title and a number to go with these categories. If you are writing an essay, a speech, or a letter, you will just categorize these things into separate paragraphs.
Fleshing out the bones: Once you have worked out the categories, then write something about each keyword or idea/concept. If you have 9 keywords, then you will end up with at least 9 sentences. Once you have written about them, then use good grammar to 'fuse' the different keypoints into one sentence or one paragraph.
Review and Edit: When you have finished putting all the ideas in each category into nice sentences or paragraphs, then review your grammar. Leave the Grammar corrections until the last thing. The most important thing is to get your ideas down on paper.
An Example of
Fleshing out the bones.
One of the topics that I will sometimes throw at a group of students for discussion, is the topic "Toilets". Oh My God!!!!! Toilets??? What can you say about Toilets??? What sort of topic is that? How can I succeed at talking for 15 minutes on that topic?
7. China has many 'open toilets' (no water flushing)
8. Tourists want clean hygienic toilets during Olympic Games
9. They built 400 new public toilets in Beijing for the Olympic Games.
Categories
a. Daily Living
b. Hygiene
c. China
Bones for Speech on Toilets
Now let's write something about the key concepts in each category.
A. Daily Living
Toilets are a necessity of life. We all need them and we use them at least once a day. Most of us have our own personal toilet at home, but in China, particularly in the poorer areas, people do not have their own toilet, and must leave their home to walk a little distance to the public toilet. Whilst most of us who have our own private toilets have modern 'flushing' toilets, traditionally, our toilets emptied directly into the ground. This is what we call an 'open toilet'.
B. Hygiene
Toilets, especially the traditional type, are breeding grounds for all types of germs which lead to sickness, and so it is necessary that after using the toilet, that we thoroughly clean our hands. For those of us with our own private toilets, we should make sure that we regularly clean and sterilize our toilet and the room it is in. We do this to avoid illness and to promote good health.
C. China
The issue of public hygiene is extremely important in China. We have the second largest number of 'open toilets' in the world, and this can have a detrimental effect on public health. It is for this reason that the Beijing Government built 400 brand new hygenic public toilets in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games. We will have a lot of foreign tourists here at that time, and they expect to be able to attend to the natural bodily functions without the risk of becoming ill.
Continue the Discussion with Key concepts - China - Olympics - Tourists: When the tourists come to China, we want them to see us at our best. We want them to know that China is a developing yet modern country that is not only a wonderful place to visit, but a great place to make business investments. In order to facilitate this interaction between Chinese and foreigners, we Chinese have for many years been studying English at school and at University so that we can take part in the English Speaking Business World. etc etc.
If you go to the article on Word Association you will see two photographs in which these topics were connected to the Title Topic - Oil.
The secret is to word associate, - and - use the basic 'Bones of a Speech' formula to organize your categories and keywords, irrespective of whether you are writing a memo, a letter, a fax, a business email, a thesis or a speech.
Key Writing Elements in Presentations.
It doesn't matter what type of writing you are going to do, the key elements are the same.
Be Organized and know what you are talking about
Be Correct in your facts. There is a big difference between Opinion & Fact
Be Complete in your presentation. Make sure the topic is covered at least in overview.
Be Relevant in presenting sections of the topic overview.
Be Clear in your presentation
Make everything relevant to the overall topic
Be concise when it comes to basic presentation. If time and space permits - then elaborate.
Be Courteous
Be Natural in your use of language, (and Non Verbal language in a speech - body language).
Be certain about the appropriate use of formal & informal language.
Be Sincere
Summary:
When it comes to writing Memos, letters, Thesis etc, you should follow the Written Methodology that has been taught by your teacher. But beyond this, you should develop your word association skills so that as you begin to write the Body of the document, you will do so with a clear objective, and a structured plan of presentation. Good writing rarely happens by 'inspiration'.
Usually a writer sets out some type of structure around which he will write. He may revise it many times. He may rewrite his draft many times, but at all times, he has a 'pre-planned' concept of what he wants to present, and how he is going to accomplish it.
Use the 'Bones of the Body' to organise all the keywords and concepts that you have connected to your topic.
Write something about each keyword or concept.
Collate all the information into paragrahps using good grammar.
Once the body is written, the introduction and conclusion will take care of themselves.
I hope that his has been of some assistance to you.
Luo Laoshi has been a successful teacher of English as second language, because he learned how to break through students educational and cultural barriers, to connect with them on a personal basis; to motivate them to be successful in English by teaching them the Skills (mechanics) of language use. If the purpose of learning English is just to pass a grammar exam, then Chinese students would be better off studying Chinese grammar. Luo Laoshi believes that the key to student success in studying English, is to learn 'the language' first, and the grammar second. Since the Education System in China puts such an emphasis on passing grammar exams, many students never learn the language.
Improving Spoken English in Chinese Classroom Just answering questions with one or two words, or a phrase, is not a real conversation. It is more like a Police interrogation. In a real conversation, people share information, expressing their thoughts, opinions and ideas. If you want to have a real conversation then you must speak in whole sentences, using keywords [for effective communication,] and you must also learn to give Informative Answers.
Conversational English for Chinese Students: It does not matter if you do or do not like foreigners; or if you do or do not believe Chinese people should speak English; or if you will or will not use English later in life; or whether you did or did not have any other Major to choose from. What is important, is that you do your best to be successful in all your studies. The purpose of language is to enable you to communicate with others. If you can do this using good grammar and perfect accent and pronunciation, then that is wonderful. But if your knowledge of grammar is perfect, and your pronunciation is perfect, and your accent is perfect, but you can't talk to people, then all your knowledge and skill is useless.
Teach English in China: Reflection: Keywords: Changing Topics - Using keywords is very important, even if they are the wrong keywords. It helps us to make sure that we are both talking about the same thing. Speaking in whole sentences, using Keywords, and giving informative answers, is very important for effective communication. The key to Changing Topics in a conversation is to use the Key words of a question or an answer, to change the direction of the conversation.
What does Effective Communication mean? Effective Conversation! Effective conversation (communication) is a conversation in which no one gets confused by the other person's MEANING. The first thing you need to do to ensure effective communication is to use reflection (key words). The second thing is to ask Clarifying Questions; questions that try to find out the other person's true meaning. An effective conversation can also mean a conversation in which something is achieved. It can be a conversation in which two people both enjoy the conversation and learn something. We should never assume anything in conversation. We should make sure.
Effective Conversation and Group Discussions in English In Group Discussions, it is not enough to KNOW language skills, you actually have to be able to USE them. In order to be successful, you have to forget that you are shy; you have to develop a strong voice; you need to learn how to 'butt in', and of course, you need a good vocabulary. In a group discussion the 'topic of conversation' will change several times, as participants use their skills to avoid topics they do not wish to discuss, or to 'force' the group to discuss specific topics that skilled speakers wish to discuss. Group discussions are not 'orchestrated role plays' that can be practiced in advance.
Answering Questions with informative answers: Informative Answers make conversation more interesting. They make Changing Topics far more easy to do through the use of reflection. They make communication far more effective. Answering specific individual questions and actually communicating, are not the same thing. Informative answers are not just about giving the answer to one question. They are about communicating with the other person, and sharing with them something that you think might interest them or which you know that they either want or need to know.
Asking good questions in English: Closed Questions: In essence, closed questions do not ask for more than one piece of information. They are conversation killera - Open Questions: Open Questions are questions that provides people with an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. - Multiple Questions: Multiple means 'more than one". "Multiple questions" ask more than one question at a time. - Informative Questions: If you ever find yourself wondering why a person is asking you certain questions, it means that the person has failed to make their question informative.
How to Think in English: Memorize means: "to learn by heart" - Understand means: To grasp the meaning of something or to have thorough acquaintance with it; to be thoroughly familiar with it. Just because you memorize something, does not mean that you understand it. When you give a presentation, make sure that you know and understand what you have written. If you do this, it is less likely that you will forget your place.
Introducing Yourself: Does an introduction require skill? In fact it does. This is so because of the nature of an introduction. An introduction is your presentation of yourself, and your skill or otherwise at doing this, will effect the other person's judgement about who and what you are. The essence of good public Speaking is first found in the Preparation. A good public speaker knows exactly what to say, because they have developed very good preparation skills.
Vowels and Consonants: They say: 'Pronunciation does not have to be exact!' and they are right! Sometimes! Exact pronunciation can make the difference between being understood and either shocking foreigners or causing them to fall on the floor laughing. You have to be careful with your vowels. Do you have 'Six' lessons or 'Sex' lessons? Blue eyes or blue arse? And do you like fighting or farting? Or do you just like eating "ships"?
Mispronouncing English: A student who reads 100 words per minute clearly and precisely, pronouncing each word correctly, is much better to listen to than students whose faster reading slurs their speech, and makes their words incomprehensible. Reading fast often gets students into trouble, because they have not learned to pronounce every syllable in each word. You should not speak at a faster speed than 160 words per minute when reading or giving an Oral Presentation. While each word on it's own has a stress or accentuation on one particular syllable, those stresses are not supposed to dominate the sentence in which the words are used. Words are Stressed in a sentence to give them prominence (an importance) so that the listener knows the true message. The emphasis or stress we give to certain words, can change the grammatical meaning of the sentence.
Some Fun with English Words Here are some oddities concerning the English Language. You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which, an alarm goes off by going on. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
Business English for Chinese Students: There are two inescapable observations when it comes to the topic of Business English. The first is that studying Business is about Learning Theoretical Knowledge and the second is that Studying English is not meant to be theoretical. It will not be until you are in the business environment that you get your hands on experience of the Business world, and at that time, you will need to recall all that you have learned at University about Business. The purpose of your studies is to give you the practical ability that you will need when you enter the English Speaking Business World. In terms of your education, If you get the top English score in China, but can't do the job you are hired to do, then it is clear that you have concentrated on quantity (exam results) instead of Quality (being successful in your learning). A quality student Understands what he has learned. A quantity Student, just gets good marks.
Foreign Trade Assignment: Many Chinese Students think that opening a business requires little more than finding suitable shop or office space. They know little about the legalities involved in starting up a business, of import / export licenses, tariffs, insurance, advertising, legal fees, demographic studies, business plans, office rentals or the initial cost of purchasing equipment. They express a desire to get rich working overseas but have no concept of overseas living costs. They have no concept of how various aspects of life are interdependent eg: how the price of oil effects life and business in general, and world trade in particular. They feel that someone should teach them rather than learning for themselves. Students need to learn how to research.
Business English Exams: The Chinese Educational System inherently leads students to believe that teaching is the process whereby students learn what the teacher says. Learning therefore, is the memorization of what the teacher teaches. Conversational English is about learning the skills of natural [business] conversation. The purpose of the test is merely to discover if the student has at least basic conversational ability. While social issues may not seem to have anything to do with business or politics, the fact is that when it comes to politics and business, one thing that is needed in every country is a stable social environment. Such environments are fostered by the benefits that result from the successful interplay between political decisions and business development.
Language Skills: Memorandum, letters, thesis, speeches: Improving Oral and Written English: A major skill lacking in most Chinese students is that of "word association", which is a thinking skill that connects words to ideas or concepts; linking one keyword with another but different keyword and topic. Word association allows us to think of more than the specific topic under discussion. The problem most students have in writing, is that they can't think of 'what to write next'. Using word association skills, the problem is not 'what to write', but what to leave out of your writing.
Writing Skills: Speeches and Letters: Everything - Memo, letter, fax, email, speech, Thesis, business report, essay or a novel has 3 basic sections that are the same. Introduction - Body - Conclusion. The Introduction and Conclusion are easy because you do them after you have finished writing the Body of your report / speech etc. That 'BODY' has 'BONES' - the outline that results when using a professional formula to construct the composition. The bones of the speech derives from your ability to apply word association to your topic.
Writing: Facts: Summararies: Reviews: Chinese Students do not know how to summarize what has been written. They know how to give their opinion on what has been written; often given through the lens of political or cultural ideology that is not related to the written work. They do not understand the difference between writing objectively and writing subjectively. Writing about an author's purpose, is not about 'offering your opinions' on the writer, or the correctness or otherwise of what he writes. It is not about your 'opinion'. 'Your opinion' is subjective. Objectively writing about 'the writer's purpose' requires understanding what he/she has actually written.
Descriptive Writing: What you do not see is just as important and relevant as what you see! What you do not say or write, is just as important and relevant as what you do say or write! Do not give your opinion, nor use your imagination. Observe and Describe! What do you think the message of the whole picture is. What story does it tell. This does not mean that you should invent a story! The message is derived from the observation of the evidence. You may speculate or draw an inference from what is evident. Learn to describe what you see - not what you imagine about what you see! Learn to write about what is written - not what you imagine about what is written!
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About the KingsCalendar Publisher
R.P.BenDedek is the owner and Editor of KingsCalendar.com which was originally set up to publicize his research results into the Chronology of Ancient Israel. Those results were published under the title: 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran'.
Whilst there have been many attempts to solve the chronological riddle of the Bible's synchronisms of reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah and their synchronism with other Ancient Near Eastern Nations, no other research is based on a simple mathematical formula which could, if it is incorrect, be disproved easily. To date, no one has been able to dismiss the mathematical results of this research.
Free to air Academic articles set forth Apologetics for and results of his discovery of an "artificial chronological scheme" running through the Bible, Josephus, the Damascus Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Seder Olam Rabbah.
During the current economic downturn, this book has been drastically reduced in price but will eventually rise as the economy improves.
Check the Chapter Precis Page to see details of each chapter and to gain access to the Four Free to Air Chapters
R.P. BenDedek writes social commentaries and photographic 'Stories from China' both at KingsCalendar, and as a contributing columnist at Magic City Morning Star News in Maine USA.
He has been teaching Conversational English in China since 2003 and currently (2013) is teaching in Suzhou City Jiangsu Province.
