Critical Reflection

One word to sum up my ES1102 learning journey - awesome!

This module has been enriching and constructive so far, providing me with valuable lessons that I otherwise would not have learnt if I had not taken it.

When I found out that I had to take ES1102 to fulfil my graduation requirements, I was somewhat frustrated that I had to take an extra module. The absence of modular credits and grading, in particular, tempted me to put it at the bottom of my priority list.

However, all my skepticism was lifted after attending the first lesson. Brad started off the course with a bang, sharing with us his teaching adventures all around the world, including Japan. Brad's charisma and eloquence made me enjoy and look forward to all his lessons! By the end of the first few lessons, I no longer labelled ES1102 as just a "remedial module".

"Fake it till you become it."

A presentation by Amy Cuddy on TED on how to appear confident when giving presentations

This is an important lesson I have taken away from ES1102. There are many excellent presenters around the world. Some are inherently talented, but some are not! To achieve the desired level confidence and charisma on stage, these people "pretend" to be confident, until they literally become it. In real-life situations, there are bound to be times where we are required to give presentations. During these times, appearing confident (even if you're not) for a few minutes or so wouldn't hurt, would it?

"Learning never stops."

Overall, the module has far exceeded my expectations. The structure has been designed well, tapping on various areas to improve our English language. Keeping a blog, in particular, is a useful and fun way of learning and practicing English. Moreover, it allows you to track your learning progress thus far, as you revisit posts you have posted in the past.

While ES1102 has to come to an end, my English language learning journey does not. I will continue to brush up on English by constantly reading articles, finding chances to present to others, and conversing in English. In addition, I will be keeping my own blog. This will be a diary of my life and at the same time, serve as a real-time progress of my English language learning journey.


I hereby bid farewell to ES1102 and welcome a brand new chapter of English language learning into my life!

Giving presentations in ES1102

Should presenting be added as an official grading component in ES1102? Definitely!

The following shows the weighting of the continuous review components for ES1102.

In Brad's class, however, we had something extra. Other than coming up with a problem-solution essay, we were tasked to give a presentation about our essay. To prepare us for our presentations, Brad gave us several tips and examples of good presenters.

The following is one example, featuring Hyeonseo Lee, the first North Korean on the TED stage.

We were also given plenty of opportunities to speak up in class. There was once we were given 5 minutes to come up with an elevator pitch and present it right afterwards. Although this pushed me out of my comfort zone, I find it really interesting and a good depiction of what I might face when I enter the workforce.

I rarely give presentations. I came from junior college, and unlike in polytechnics where giving presentations are more common, junior colleges place more focus on reading and writing. In fact, the only time I gave a presentation was for Project Work in year 1. I regret to say that I have a lack of experience in presenting, and I still get the jitters whenever I'm asked to speak. 

At the university level, however, presentations form part of the grading component in many modules. Since I can no longer escape from presenting, the only alternative is to face it! ES1102 gave me the chance to face the problem, and I really appreciate Brad's effort in making learning an interactive one, instead of just doing boring worksheets and grammar exercises in class.

Presentations should definitely be part of the grading component in ES1102 in future!

Essay Draft 3 - How can Food Wastage be Reduced in Singapore?

Research Question: How can food wastage be reduced in Singapore?

In Goldin's TED talk (2002), he discusses about the "collapse in biodiversity, climate change" and other related issues as a result of rapid globalisation. Indeed, excessive food consumption in rich countries has resulted in food wastage. The excessive killing of animals for human consumption has contributed to the collapse in biodiversity. The carbon footprint from the food wasted also occupies almost 30 percent of the world’s agricultural land area, indirectly leading to global warming (Kirby, 2013). 

In the case of Singapore, rapid globalisation has opened up the country to a door of opportunities, propelling it towards economic success. As a result, Singapore has become one of the richest countries in the world. However, beneath this beautiful exterior lies the dark world of food wastage. In 2013, Singapore set a record high of 703,200 tonnes of food wastage generated. This is a steep 26 percent increase from that in 2007 (Eco-Business, 2013).

Why is that so?

Essay Draft 2 - How can Food Wastage Be Reduced in Singapore?

Research Question: How can food wastage be reduced in Singapore?

In Goldin's TED talk, he discusses about the "collapse in biodiversity, climate change" due to rapid globalisation. Indeed, excessive food consumption in rich countries has resulted in food wastage. The excessive killing of animals for human consumption has contributed to the collapse in biodiversity. The carbon footprint from the food wasted also occupies almost 30 percent of the world’s agricultural land area, indirectly leading to global warming (Kirby, 2013). 

In the case of Singapore, rapid globalisation has opened up the country to a door of opportunities, propelling it towards economic success and becoming one of the richest countries in the world. However, beneath this beautiful exterior lies the dark world of food wastage. In 2013, Singapore set a record high of 703,200 tonnes of food wastage generated. This is a steep 26 percent increase from that in 2007 (Eco-Business, 2013).

Why is that so?

Essay Draft 1 - How can Food Wastage Be Reduced in Singapore?

Research Question: How can food wastage be reduced in Singapore?

Introduction
In Goldin's TED talk, he discusses about the "collapse in biodiversity, climate change" due to rapid globalisation. Food wastage is tightly linked to these factors as excessive consumption in rich countries results in the excessive killing of wildlife. Further more, it indirectly contributes to the production of greenhouse gases and therefore global warming. In the case of Singapore, rapid globalisation has opened up the country to a door of opportunities, propelling it towards economic success and becoming one of the richest countries in the world. However, beneath this beautiful exterior lies the dark world of food wastage.

Background
Briefly state the problem and solutions: Despite the introduction of various anti food-waste campaigns, efforts have largely been unsuccessful. This is evident from statistics in 2013, where Singapore set a record high of 703,200 tonnes of food wastage generated (The Straits Times, 2013) - a steep 26% increase from that in 2007. From factories to the dining table, food is being wasted excessively.

Why is that so?

Features of Academic Writing

Structure
- sense of direction
- 3 main parts; intro, body, conclusion
- group similar points together
- each paragraph should have a main point which is discussed at the beginning
- link to a subsequent paragraph

Idea Development
- central idea
- implicit to suggest something / ask questions
- identify points to support your idea, make sure its a smooth progression
- may not be a definite

Analytic writing

• analyse concepts and arguments
• synthesise ideas and evidence drawn from different sources
• construct consistent and well-supported arguments
• discuss an issue in a balanced way
• evaluate the ideas and arguments of others
• make judgements and express informed opinion

Important:
- take a stand
- look at various viewpoints; unbiased
- investigate and challenge existing assumptions
- explore future possibilities
- support with credible evidence
- suggest improvements to the issue at hand
- come to a conclusion and reiterate your stand

Use of Sources
- qualifications regarding the subject you're doing on
- is the author biased?
- date of the article

Explicitness
- make your work explicit; clear and ambiguous
- clear stand
- every claim mentioned should be mentioned + evidence

Language
- in academic writing, the language is more objective, non-emotional, based on logic
- fair, unbiased, avoids exaggeration
- balanced, respect the views of others
- don't use definite words if you're not sure
- formal; don't use slangs
- fair, accurate and measured
- hedging "will", "probably", "would", may"
- precise and stable to that you can express your ideas properly

"In this study, the aim is to..." - formal

Reader Response (Draft 2)

In Kraidy's (2002) article, "Globalisation of Culture through the Media", he discusses about the debate between the contribution of mass media on the globalisation of culture and the idea of cultural imperialism. While some believe that the free flow of information across borders is beneficial, others argue that Western culture has overpowered other cultures. Kraidy then introduces the idea of cultural hybridisation, whereby new cultures are created by adapting foreign cultures into existing ones. According to him, this is pre-existing and through mass media, there is an analytical shift from cultural imperialism to globalisation.

When Kraidy wrote about the role of transnational mass media in impacting cultures all around the world, he made a point of emphasising that this role is a substantial one, and that hybridity already exists among cultures. I find myself agreeing with his point as indeed, the advancements in technology in the modern era has aided the exchange of information without the restriction of geographical boundaries. 

Examples of hybridity among cultures are aplenty. McDonald's, the biggest fast food chain in the world, serves different foods in different countries according to their tastes and preferences. To gain a foothold in the respective local markets, vegetarian burgers are sold in India's franchises, and betel nuts are a common side dish in Taiwan's McDonald's outlets (Furze, Savy, Brym and Lie, 2008). This is a brilliant form of adaptation which has enabled McDonald's to successfully expand its brand worldwide while preserving its brand simultaneously.

In my opinion, the infiltration of American culture into that of other countries does not equate to cultural imperialism. It is important to note that while external cultures are being embraced, local cultures are usually being retained at the same time. Therefore, it is an inherent fallacy to claim that the mere spread of foreign ideas into a local culture is considered an act of "taking over" it.

In conclusion, cultural hybridisation is taking the world by storm. While it is important to preserve one's culture, I believe there is no harm embracing external cultures as well. Moreover, with the absence of geographical barriers between almost every country in the world, it is an inexorable truth that the spreading of ideas is never going to stop. Instead of shunning away from globalisation, why not embrace it?

References:
Furze, B., Savy, P., Brym, R. J., & Lie, J. (2008). Globalisation and development. Sociology in today's world (p. 465). South Melbourne, Vic.: Cengage Learning Australia.

(378 words)

Reader Response (Draft 1)

In Kraidy's article, "Globalisation of Culture through the Media", he discusses about the debate between the contribution of mass media on the globalisation of culture and the idea of cultural imperialism. While some believe that the free flow of information across borders is beneficial, others argue that Western culture has overpowered other cultures. Kraidy then introduces the idea of cultural hybridisation, whereby new cultures are created by adapting foreign cultures into existing ones. According to him, this is pre-existing and through mass media, there is an analytical shift from cultural imperialism to globalisation.

When Kraidy wrote about the role of transnational mass media in impacting cultures all around the world, he made a point of emphasising that this role is a substantial one, and that hybridity already exists among cultures. I find myself agreeing with his point as indeed, the advancements in technology in the modern era has aided the exchange of information without the restriction of geographical boundaries. 

Examples of hybridity among cultures are aplenty. McDonald's, the biggest fast food chain in the world, has successfully established itself by adapting its menus to suit the taste and preferences of the locals. To gain a foothold in India where Hindus do not consume beef and Muslims, pork, McDonalds has introduced a mutton-based Maharaja Mac and Vegetable McNuggets to its menu. Its advertising campaign "I'm Lovin' It" has also been advertised internationally but adapted according to the cultures involved.

Globalisation of Culture through the Media (Summary)

Summary
In Kraidy's article, "Globalisation of Culture through the Media", he discusses about the debate between the contribution of mass media on the globalisation of culture and the idea of cultural imperialism. While some believe that the free flow of information across borders is beneficial, others argue that Western culture has overpowered other cultures. Kraidy then introduces the idea of cultural hybridisation, whereby new cultures are created by adapting foreign cultures into existing ones. According to him, this is pre-existing and through mass media, there is an analytical shift from cultural imperialism to globalisation.

An Event That Has Shaped My Life

Photo credits: http://ispsquash.com/default/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/sq10.jpg

Squash - not the drink you make out of concentrated food syrup, but the high-speed racket sport you play in a four-walled court.

I first heard of this sport 3 years ago, having just entered junior college. I decided to join this CCA as I wanted to try something new and at the same time, build up my stamina.

My English Language Learning Journey

My English language learning journey has been one of ups and downs.

Being born in a Chinese-speaking family, along with the fact that my first primary school was a SAP school (SAP schools are basically schools that promote the learning of Chinese Language and culture), the English language was considered irrelevant to me. The only times I wrote, read or spoke in English was during English lessons (for obvious reasons).

Update:

*The word "Being" modifies the subject; thus it should have been "Being born in a Chinese-speaking family..., I felt that English was irrelevant."

*The preposition "along with" is not structurally parallel to "being"; it should have been "being born...and having studied in an SAP school/and attending an SAP school..."

When I was in primary 3, my family relocated to another part of Singapore and so I transferred to a nearby school. This was when my deplorable English results started to change for the better. I got to know an Indian friend (who later became my best friend) in class and since English was our only mutual language, I found myself speaking more English and improving over time.

Despite this improvement, I guess it is (*was; it already happened) insufficient since I still failed the QET and end up having to take ES1102 anyway...

While I cannot deny my disheartenment at the need to take this module, Brad's ability to engage us and inject vitality to the the first tutorial has made me look forward to the subsequent ones. I certainly hope to gain invaluable knowledge by the end of this 12-week course!