If you woke up in the middle in the night and you saw Batman in the corner of your room,what would you do?
What are the hardest languages to learn? What do think about this?
Goleman and Senge (in "The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education") argue that the response lies in developing three crucial skill sets: focusing on ourselves (self awareness), tuning into other people (empathy and caring), and understanding the larger world (systems thinking). This is the triple focus: inner, other and outer. Evidence tells us that these skills work in sync: stimulating one will also develop the others. Together they are a powerful predictor of academic success and personal wellbeing.
Here are some general tips I’d like to share with you:
1. Subject Line
Always have a subject line that summarises briefly and clearly the contents of the message. for example, Re: Summary of Our Meeting with ABC Suppliers
2. Short and Simple Sentences
Use short and easy sentences. Long sentences can often be difficult to read and understand. The most common mistake that I see my students making is to translate directly from their own language. This can often lead to confusing sentences. I always tell my students to use the KISS Test – Keep It Short and Simple
3. Think of who your reader is going to be
Is it a colleague, a client or your boss? Should the email be informal or formal? Most Business Emails these days have a neutral tone. Note the difference between Informal and Formal:
Informal – <em>Thanks for the email of 15 February</em>
Formal – <em>Thank you for your email received 15 February</em>
Informal – <em>Sorry, I can’t make it.</em>
Formal – <em>I am afraid I will not be able to attend</em>
Informal – <em>Could you…?</em>
Formal – <em>I was wondering if you could….?</em>
Some emails to colleagues can be informal if they are friends. This is the style that is closest to speech, so there are often everyday words and conversational expressions that can be used. For instance, <em>‘Don’t forget’</em>, <em>‘Catch you later’</em>, <em>‘Cheers’</em>.
The reader will also accept bad grammar in informal emails.
However, if the email is going to a client or senior colleague, bad grammar and an over-friendly style will not be acceptable.
4. Be very careful of capital letters, punctuation, spelling and basic grammar
While these can be tolerated in informal emails, they are very important in business emails as they are an important part of the image you create. Give yourself time to edit what you’ve written before you push that Send button. In today’s busy world, it’s very easy to send out many emails without checking them so make a conscious effort to edit.
5. Think about how direct or indirect you want to be
In some cultures it is common practice to be very direct in email correspondence. However, this can cause a problem if you’re writing to someone in another country and in a language that is not yours. They might find your directness rude and sometimes offensive.
Consider these:
Direct – <em>I need this in half an hour.
</em>Indirect and polite – <em>Would it be possible to have this in half an hour?</em>
Direct – <em>There will be a delay</em>
Indirect – <em>I’m afraid there will be a slight delay.</em>
Direct – <em>It’s a bad idea</em>
Indirect – <em>To be honest, I’m not sure it would be a good idea.</em>
By adjusting your tone, you are more likely to get a more positive response from your reader.
6. Be positive!
Look at these words: <em>helpful, good question, agreed, together, useful, I’d be delighted, mutual, opportunity.</em>
Now look at these: <em>busy, crisis, failure, forget it, I can’t, it’s impossible, waste, hard</em>
The words you use show your attitude to life so choose your words wisely.
7. Get feedback
Try and get some feedback on the emails that you write in real life. This could be from your English Teacher or someone you know whose English is better than yours.
Study the English in the emails you receive. If it is a well-written email, look carefully at some of the language used. Start your own phrase book and build a bank of phrases from the ones you receive and think would be useful in the future.
(Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat)
Passenger - Let Her Go.
"Let Her Go" [Lyrics]
Well you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go
Staring at the bottom of your glass
Hoping one day you'll make a dream last
But dreams come slow and they go so fast
You see her when you close your eyes
Maybe one day you'll understand why
Everything you touch surely dies
But you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
Staring at the ceiling in the dark
Same old empty feeling in your heart
'Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast
Well you see her when you fall asleep
But never to touch and never to keep
'Cause you loved her too much
And you dived too deep
Well you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go
And you let her go
Well you let her go
'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missin' home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go...
"Team building activities are important for all groups, but devising team building activities appropriate for virtual teams can be difficult. Fortunately, you can adapt some in-person team building activities for the online world in a way that keeps them fun and interesting and that helps to build the sense of community among team members." By Carrie Perles
In order to help teammates become more familiar with each other, which activity is the perfect way to help online teammates feel more comfortable with each other? What do you think?
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As a teacher I am always looking for ways to make my classroom more hands-on and dramatic, I would love to hear about your experiences!
This is part of the philosophy behind the Deep English method:
1. Active Listening
2. Active Listening Slow Speed
3. Active Speaking
4. Fluency Booster
5. Looking Forward Looking Back: Future
6. Looking Forward Looking Back: Present Continuous
7. Looking Forward Looking Back: Past Continuous
8. Looking Forward Looking Back: Present Perfect
Remember to speak out loud and answer quickly.
Keep going! :)
