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?