EC E-BOOK

This blog supported regularly updated and interactive e-book (at vkwrldctzn.blogspot.in) begins with a letter ......... and ends with a poem!

So first a letter.....here you are:)

From 

Vinod Kaliyath

A student of English Communication(EC)
Kozhikode
Kerala
India

email:cyberjosh123@yahoo.com

To

Students of EC like me:)

Dear friends,

SUB: To discuss the purpose of this e-book: to study EC in a new and interesting way

The purpose of this e-book is LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH CREATIVELY.

English is today a language of the people, for the people and by the people. So it's very important that we find our voice in English at the earliest and empower ourselves. English is a life skill and so it has to be given more importance in our life. We need to learn and use English by creating our own sentences, our own paragraphs, our own stories, our own speeches, our own conversations and finally our own poems. In short, we need to be active and creative users of English.

So let's share our knowledge, skills and learning experiences for the benefit of all. Let's help ourselves in rediscovering  happiness and success in these changing times.

Thanking you all,

Yours faithfully,  

Vinod Kaliyath

EC BASICS COVERED IN

      7 +1   easy STEPS

1.Ten questions to get a basic idea of EC

2. Five - Questions more...

 3.Learning to think in English in 7 easy steps...

4.QUESTIONS FOR INTERACTION

5.MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS

6.SPEECH TECHNIQUES

7."WRITING" STEPS

8. Conversations
(Also included EC plus)

But first of all the story of EC...No, it doesn't begin with A,B or C but...

..in fact it begins with the letter "I". This letter "I" is also the most commonly used word in English. So naturally our learning of EC starts with making some statements(Speech) about our own self ie., I.

I am Rajesh Kumar.
I am from Delhi.
I have a job in a bank.
I have a four member family.
I stay with my parents and a sister.
I work in SBI from 9 am to 4 pm. Now let's see a few questions (Interaction) about the speaker ie., I:
Am I Rajesh? (Yes/No Questions)
Are you from Delhi?
Where do you work? (Wh-Questions)
How many members are there in your family?
With whom do you stay?
What's your working time? This method of learning English Communication(EC) is called "Bio-data based Speech-Interaction method". This method can be effectively used when the participants are ready to share their bio-data based information with one another like in job interviews. So this method is very useful for job seekers as they can gain a lot of confidence to attend interviews by practicing EC in this way. So keep practising EC using this method if you are looking for jobs. To give you a clear focus of EC let's now go to the first step...

1.Ten questions to get a basic idea of EC

1. What is learning English Communication(EC)?

It means learning to give a speech(a set of statements) or doing an interaction(asking questions)

2.What is a statement?

It can be of 3 types : State, Possession or Action.

3.How do we make statements?

Using Subject, Verb and information.

4.What is a verb?

It makes a statement "State, Possession or Action" type.  It also tells us about the time of information

ie., Present, Past or Future.

5.Which verb shows "State"?

It is "be"

6.Which verb shows "Possession"?

It is "have"

7.How can we show different time zones with "be"?

I am fine.  I was not well.  I will be on time.

8.How can you show different time zones with "have"?

I have some work.  I had no time yesterday.  I will have time tomorrow.

9.What are the different types of "Actions"?

There are 10 types of Action statements:

1.I eat idlis. (Habit)

2.I like idlis. (Attitude)

3.I am eating idlis now. (Live Action)

4.I am eating dosa in the evening. (Live Action in Future)

5.I will eat Upma tomorrow. (Future Action)

6.I will be eating Upma for breakfast. (Live Action in Future)

7.I have eaten Biriyani once. (Past Action in Present)

8.I have been eating rice since childhood. (Live Action with Duration of time)

9.I ate Chappathis yesterday. (Past Action in Past)

10.I was eating Chappathis for dinner. (Live Action in Past)

10.What is a Passive Voice statement?

In passive voice we start the sentence with the "Object of action"

1.Idlis are eaten by me. (Habit)

2.Idlis are liked by me. (Attitude)

3.Idlis are being eaten by me now. (Live Action)

4.Idlis are being eaten by me in the evening. (Live Action in Future)

5.Upma will be eaten by me tomorrow. (Future Action)

6.No passive voice (Live Action in Future)

7.Biriyani has been eaten by me once. (Past Action in Present)

8.No passive voice. (Live Action with Duration of time)

9.Chappathis were eaten by me yesterday. (Past Action in Past)

10.Chappathis were being eaten by me for dinner. (Live Action in Past)

10.What are the different types of questions?

Yes/No and Wh questions.

Yes/No Q: Is he a student?

Wh Q: What is he studying?

2. Five - Questions more...

1.What is "Degrees of Politeness"?

It means saying something in a more polite manner. For eg.

Tell me the truth.

Can you tell me the truth?

Could you tell me the truth?

Could you please tell me the truth?

Will you please tell me the truth?

May I ask you to tell me the truth?

Would you mind telling me the truth?

2.What is "Degrees of Possibility"?

It means saying something more surely. For eg.

He could be a good person.

He can be a good person.

He might be a good person.

He may be a good person.

He would be a good person.

He should be good person.

He is a good person.

3.What is "Degrees of Possession"?

It means saying something in a more possessive manner. For eg.

I have a book.

It is my book.

It belongs to me.

It is mine.

I bought it myself.

4.How can we use Question Tags?

They are used for getting a confirmation. For eg.

You are coming, aren't you?

He is your son, isn't he?

She has a job, doesn't she?

5.How can we say something without a subject?

Instead of saying - I have a family of four members or I belong to a family of four members we can say - There are four members in my family. In this sentence there is no real subject. The sentence is objective not subjective.

And now a formula to "Think and Speak in English"

3. Learning to think in English in 6 easy steps...

Before learning how to think in English let's first see what is a thought.

A thought is actually a consciousness about a state, a possession or an action. For eg. I am in a conversation(State-S), I have an idea(Possession-P), I will do it(Action-A).

A state can be Present,Past or Future.

A possession can also be Present,Past or Future.

An action can also be Present,Past or Future.

Now in all these thoughts the subject is mentioned first. But we can also say in this way:

There is a meeting today. There are ten people working here. 

Here it is like an outside observation or a comment about the subject. We can say it is of the type Objective Reality(R)

So in short any thought can be expressed as S P A R ie., State,Possession,Action and Reality.

This is the formula to think in English.

Now an interaction in all different ways of State, Possession, Action and Reality to express our thoughts.

I S T A T E 

1.Are you in the office? I am in my workplace now.(Present)

2.Were you in this shop yesterday? I was not in this shop.(Past) 

3.Will you be at home by 5 in the evening today? I will be at home by 5 p.m tomorrow.(Future)

4.How long have you been here in this city? I have been here for a month now.(Present state with Time period)

II P O S S E S S I O N 

1.Does she have some work here? She has no work today.(Present)

2.Did she have any major work yesterday? She had some good work yesterday.(Past) 

3.Will she have any problems while driving on that route? She will be safe while driving.(Future)
III A C T I O N 

1.Do you wake up before sunrise? I wake up with the Sun.(Habitual Action)

2.Do you like to wake up early and jog? I like to wake up early and jog everyday. (Mind Action)

3.Are you driving now? My friend is driving the car. (Present Live Action)

4.Are you going to the wedding today? I am going there in the evening. (Future Action in Present)

5.Have you attended the programme before ? I haven't attended the programme before. (Past Action in Present)

6.Have you been waiting for a long time? I have been waiting for an hour. (Present Live Action with duration of time)

7.Did you come here by 10 a.m? I came by 9 a.m. (Past Action in Past) 

8.Were you sitting here in the first session? I was sitting on that side in the first session. (Past Live Action) 

9.Will you act in this movie? I will act in this movie. (Future Action)

10.Will you be shooting today? I will be shooting tomorrow. (Future Live Action)Two more actions:

I had written the script of the movie before the shooting began. (Past action before an event)

We will have released the movie by next Friday. (Future action before an event)

IV R E A L I T Y 

1.Is there any time left for the programme to start? There is some time left for the programme to start.

2.Was there any free time yesterday? There was some free time yesterday.

3.Will there be time tomorrow to do this work? There will be no time tomorrow to do this work.

4.Has there been any problems in the last one year with this laptop? There has been a few problems in the beginning.

V PASSIVE ACTION 

1.Is the machine used everyday? The machine is used everyday.

2.Is this TV programme liked by all? This TV programme is enjoyed by all here.

3.Are the books being read now? All these books are being read now.

4.Are the dishes being served within ten minutes? The dishes are going to be served soon.

5.Has the problem been solved? The problem hasn't been solved yet.

6.Was the work completed yesterday? The work wasn't completed yesterday.

7.Which song was being recorded just now? "Jana Na" was being recorded just now.

8.Will you be given any new duties today? I may be given some new duties today.

VI USING MODAL VERBS LIKE CAN,COULD,MAY ETC.

1.Can you be my partner on this project? I would like to be your partner on this project. (STATE)

2.Shall we have a discussion on this? We should have a discussion to decide this. (POSSESSION)

3.May I come for the seminar? You must come for the seminar. (ACTION)

4.Will there be an interview tomorrow for this post? There might be an interview tomorrow. (REALITY)

5.Can this problem be solved in this way? This could be solved like this. (PASSIVE ACTION)

Let's learn now:  4. QUESTIONS FOR INTERACTION

The power of interaction lies in questions...about State,Possession,Action and Reality(SPAR).

There are 4 types of questions: yes/no questions,wh-questions,question tags and negative questions:

About STATE(S)
Yes/No : Are you Satish?
Wh      : What is your name?
Question Tag:You are Satish, aren't you?
Negative Question: Aren't you Satish?

About POSSESSION(P)
Yes/No : Do you have free time today?
Wh      : How much free time do you have?
Question Tag:You have free time today, don't you?
Negative Question: Don't you have free time today?

About ACTION(A)
Yes/No : Do you work here?
Wh      : Where do you work?
Question Tag:You work here, don't you?
Negative Question: Don't you work here?About REALITY - OBJECTIVE(R)
Yes/No : Is there anything to eat here?
Wh      : What is there to eat here?
Question Tag:There is nothing to eat here, is there?
Negative Question: Isn't there anything to eat here?
So we have seen all four types of questions in English.

And now to : 5. MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS WITH...

Wh-words,Wh-ever and Prepositions

While communicating in English it's very easy to connect information,ideas,thoughts etc. Let's see how:
First we will use wh-words for making connections. 1.HOW: I really don't know how to thank you for this.
2.WHAT:He actually doesn't know what to do next.
3.WHEN:Of course,she knows when the train will reach Kannur.
4.WHY:They don't know clearly why he cried while speaking.
5.WHERE:We do know where you had gone.
6.WHO: It(the dog) probably doesn't know who you are.
7.WHOM:You don't know the person with whom your boss is having the meeting now?
8.WHICH:You know very well which dress to wear for the function, don't you?
9.WHOSE:Ram knows for sure whose handwriting is this. Now let's see wh-ever words for making strong connections.

WHICHEVER: I will be on time whichever be the occasion.
WHATEVER: I will do the work whatever be the problems.
WHEREVER: She will find friends wherever she goes.
WHENEVER: He will have food whenever he comes to our house.
WHOEVER:I will have to follow the rules, whoever you are.
HOWEVER:We will find a way, however difficult be the mission.

Now let's see how we can use prepositions to make connections. Jass has come...to meet you...with his father...for giving the invitation...of his sister's marriage...on 21 st of next month...at 11 am...at their house...in Beypore...near the LP school... So it is very easy in English to keep on adding  information to a sentence by using prepositions as in the given example.

6. Let's learn a few SPEECH TECHNIQUES: Are you ready?

How to prepare a speech, write and deliver with passion and compassion.

Topic: Health is wealth.

(Time allotted to write :4-5 minutes;time allotted to speak :1-2 minutes)

First let's have a  strategy for speaking on this topic:

1.Introduce the topic to the audience along with your views on it.

2.Define the topic for the audience.

3.Divide the main topic into sub-topics if any.

4.Give some interesting details related to the topic.

5.Give a message to the audience.

Now let's see how to write a speech on this topic.

1.To enjoy any form of wealth, we need to be healthy first. So definitely "Health is wealth". (Introduction and views)

2.Health means physical fitness. A healthy person is fully conscious of his world and the world outside. He performs his duties and also helps in others' duties. So he is a useful member of the society. (Defining the topic)

3.To be healthy you need to eat natural food,drink pure water and give importance to your diet. You should also give your body enough exercises so that the blood circulation is smooth. (Dividing the main topic into sub topics)

4. As the saying goes "A sound mind in a sound body" a healthy mind comes only from a healthy body. And so to succeed in life health is very important. (Interesting details like why/how etc. supported by sayings or proverbs)

5. So let's be at the peak of our health always. Create situations of good health and this in turn will create a happy you. (Message to the audience)
And finally the devices which we can use while speaking:

1.Stress:  The important words can be uttered with more force.  For eg. " To enjoy any form of WEALTH, we need to be HEALTHY first. So definitely "HEALTH is WEALTH ", here the words in capitals can be stressed.

2.Intonation: The tone can varied to make the speech sound interesting and moving. For eg. " To eNJoy any form of Wealth....", here the capital letters indicate a rising tone. So when you say "enjoy" you can slowly raise the pitch of your voice(rising tone) and when you say "wealth" you can gradually lower the pitch(falling tone) to create an impression.

3.Pausing and giving a revolving eye contact: At those points of the speech where you want the audience to think about what you have said you can pause and look around, giving equal eye contact to all sides. For eg. " To be healthy you need to eat natural food........drink pure water........and give importance to your diet.....", here the dotted lines mean pauses.

4.Slowing down and giving eye contact: While speaking when you feel that you need to have a better control over the audience attention you can slow down and look around to measure the effect of your speech. For eg. " As the saying goes "A s o u n d   mind in a s o u n d  body" a h e a l t h y mind comes only from a h e a l t h y body", here the increased spacing between the letters shows the slowing down of speech for better control.

So we have seen how to prepare and write a speech and then how to deliver it with the help of speech devices.

Now..... A speech about a movie - Lagaan  

The usual words we use for something good  are: 
Nice,Great,Fine,Cool,Superb,Terrific,Fantastic,Marvellous,Wonderful,Fabulous,Amazing,Beautiful,
Interesting etc. Describing differently
Now, let's do it differently: A speech about a movie:

Yesterday I saw a movie, Lagaan was its name.  It was spectacular. The story was engrossing. The direction was outstanding. The performance of Aamir Khan as the main character was scintillating. The heroines were pretty and graceful. The locations were ravishing. The supporting actors were vivacious. The dialogues were stimulating. The songs were refreshing. The costumes were exquisite. The choreography was dazzling. The scenes were extraordinary. The cinematography was stunning. The climax was riveting. In short it was a wholesome entertainer.

Hope you found this speech valuable......take care...care and share.....

7. What about learning a few "WRITING" STEPS? Can we start now?

THINKABLE THOUGHTS for exploring the thinker/writer in your "self"

Do you want to explore the thinker/writer in your "self"? Let 's try with the first quote.... 1.Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket.

This quote means that our happiness is our own responsibility and our own ability. Nothing outside actually makes us happy. It is how we feel and think when something happens is what makes us happy.

Life is a quest to discover and realise the beauty of inner happiness which is absolute and not the pleasure outside which is relative and thus always elusive. Our true education and wisdom is to learn the art of being happy by looking inward and not being controlled by outside events. 

A friend of mine is very fond of watching cricket on TV. But the problem with that is he is very happy when the national side wins and very unhappy when it loses. So those who know him well avoid going to him on a day of loss to his favourite team.  

2.It is not the load that breaks you down. It's the way you carry it.

This quote means that we are not defeated by the situations we face in life but the way we see those situations. Our perception, perspective and prime focus are the three things which determine our destiny. Mahatma Gandhi while facing the sufferings and hardships at the hands of British didn't think about the physical pleasures and comforts which he was sacrificing for the cause of India's freedom. He was aiming at self-discipline, self-control and thus a self transformation to make his life a great experiment with truth. Just as a coin has two sides, in every trouble or a problem or a challenge or a crisis there is also an opportunity to discover something worthwhile. What matters the most is our way of thinking; our thoughts; our vision.

Now you can think about other such quotes given below and try to write a few lines to see what they mean to you. 

3. To give love is true freedom, to demand love is pure slavery.

4.. Man minus ego is God. God plus ego is man.

5. Education is the best provision for old age. (Aristotle)

6. Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none. (Winston Churchill)

7. The price of greatness is responsibility. (Winston Churchill)

8. As we grow old, the beauty steals inward. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

9. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. (Gandhi)

10. To reach a great height a person needs to have great depth. (Confucius)

11. Education begins a gentleman, conversation completes him. (Dr. Thomas Fuller) 

And finally : CONVERSATIONS (a)EC over phone, (b)an Interview conversation and (c) a new format for conversations.....so enjoy!

a) Listen to a formal conversation on mobile phone

Caller: Is it John Mathew?

I: Yes..

Caller: Hello

I : Who is calling...may I know?

Caller: I am Mr. Varma...calling from Infonet India.

I: Yes sir...anything to tell me sir.....

Caller: Yes...the seminar on IT jobs which you have registered for has been cancelled...

I: Oh..I see...when is it going to be next...sir

Caller: I am sorry...the dates have not been fixed.

I: I hope I will be informed on phone sir...

Caller: Yes...definitely

I: Thank you sir

Caller: Bye

I : Bye sir.Please note: Never say: "Who are you?" when you receive a call and when the caller is unknown. Instead ask: May I know who is speaking?

Also while giving a valuable information use Pause-Slow-Stress-Tone method. Let's see what it is:

1.While giving an important news first PAUSE to make sure the person is listening carefully. For eg. Yes...(a small pause)....the seminar on IT....(a small pause)...

2.Also go SLOW...t h e s e m i n a r ....on I T ...

3.Then STRESS...has been CanCelled...the sounds in capitals have to be uttered with force.

4.Also while asking for something politely use a RISING TONE...Who is calliiinG ...When is it going to BEE...

(Here the capitalised sounds have to be given more richness in voice or vocal chord vibrations ie., increasing the frequency of the sound)

FALLING TONE is used while asking for important information in an urgent manner....like "Who is CALLing?"....Here the first sound has a high tone and then the tone gradually falls.

b) "AN INTERVIEW CONVERSATION"

(Interviews are formal conversations  about our Personal, Educational, Family and Career details to be shared with the interviewer.)

Here I is the interviewer and C is the Candidate.

C: May I come in sir?

I: Yes, Please do.

C: Good afternoon sir

I: A very good afternoon to you...please be seated.

C: Thank you sir...

I: So how are you young man?

C: I am fine indeed sir and ...thank you for asking.

I: Well....your name is?

C: I am Raj Mohan.

I: And you are from which place here....?

C: I am from Kozhikode....the exact place is called Balussery.

I:  Who all are there in your family, Mr. Raj?

C: I stay with my parents and a younger sister. My father runs a small grocery shop and mother is a homemaker, sister is a student in GVHSS Balussery.

I:  OK... now coming directly to this interview let me ask you this question....do you have any kind of experience in this field of Student Counselling?

C: Sir I have taken a few classes for undergraduate students and also done counselling as well as marketing for a management institute in Calicut city.

I: (looking into the resume) And your qualification is B.Com and anything else...?

C: Sir besides having a B.Com degree with 65 % marks from Calicut University I also have a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IGNOU.

I: Fine....Now listen Mr. Rajmohan ...this job requires a lot of people skills like co-ordination, motivation and training and also appraisal. Are you confident and competent in all these areas?

C: I am extremely confident and enthusiastic about this job sir...In fact I have also worked as a management trainee for an educational firm while doing my IGNOU course as mentioned in my CV sir.

 I: Yeah...I can see it here...for ABC International right?

C: Yes sir. That's right.

I(studying the CV for a minute and then deciding  on something): Now tell me Mr. Raj, are you ready to undergo a training programme in Chennai for three days starting from tomorrow? 

C:With pleasure sir.

I: OK..In that case you can take leave now and prepare yourself for tomorrow's programme. The company will take care of your journey to the programme venue but you should be here by as early as... I would say 8.30 am...Will that be alright with you?

C: Perfectly alright sir...

I: And do remember... your position in this organisation will be decided by our Director after the training sessions get over....so be there in body, mind and spirit, hundred and one percent.

C: I will sir and thank you very much for all your help and guidance. It was a real pleasure interacting with you.

I: You are welcome always Mr Raj....

C: Good Bye sir.

I: Good Bye ....see you tomorrow.

Now a simple format of a CV for Jobs

c) CONVERSATIONS IN A NEW FORMAT

1. Gold's Own Country!

Hi, What's the news in papers today?

One is that Gold is becoming dearer

That's not a news anymore, it's a usual thing

Yes, it has become a daily thing.

It can become a good news when....

Right, when the prices go down

But it may not happen unless...

I know, unless we start thinking differently

Tell me, what is more important, gold or the goodness in us?

Gold is a metal and we are thinking beings.

But it seems we have stopped thinking

Let's hope, we start thinking as humans and also feeling as humans...

Let's find the real "Gold" in us

And that Gold will never betray us.

And for that we will have to dig deep into our "selves"

Yes, and that process itself will be like bathing in gold.

2. Movies and Society

Hi, Did you see the movie yesterday?

Yes, I saw, a new generation movie, Friday.

Nowdays in Kerala, movie making has changed very much.

Yes, the themes are all new and fresh nowdays

Earlier, movies were very predictable and so boring

Today, they are thinking and looking for new ideas.

Society itself is looking for new ideas.

And movies can be the new Idea Basket.

And look at the actors nowdays - just like us.

Today's stars have no airs, simple and humble

And they are all interested in making the movies good

And for them, acting is like any other job.

Let's hope, people favour the new wave,

Not just the youth but all ages.

Let the movies be our voice, our own voice,

And they tell us our stories, our own stories.

To be continued........................

If you have got some more time to spent here then its time now for the EC plus section.  So let's start with......

1. The ENLIGHTENING PROVERBS

(The meaning of all the proverbs used is given in the answer section)

I am going to make a blog on English Communication which doesn't look like an easy job. But "Where there is a will, there is a way"(1).

I think I should do this work alone as it is said "Too many cooks spoil the broth"(2).

I understand the difficulties in this mission but remember "Every cloud has a silver lining"(3).

I never criticize others when they make mistakes because I know very well that "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others"(4).

I am not going to do this too fast, "Slow and steady wins the race"(5).

I am happy that the first part of the blog is over."Well begun is half done"(6).

I am going to correct the mistake immediately. "A stitch in time saves nine"(7)

This blog will help all those who want to learn English. "A friend in need is a friend indeed"(8).

There may be many blogs on the same subject but "All that glitters is not gold"(9).

I have done my best. Now I am leaving it to its destiny."Man proposes, God disposes".(10) ANSWERS

1. A strong belief can achieve anything.
2. Too many hands at work may not achieve the desired results.
3. There is something good in every bad situation.
4. You cannot blame somebody if you are also imperfect.
5. Real success comes to those who wait and take wise decisions.
6. A good start motivates us till the end.
7. A fault if fixed on time can save us from a lot of trouble later.
8. A true friend renders help when it is needed the most.
9.  Let's not judge something by how it looks initially.
10. No matter how hard we try, there are always some things beyond our control.

2. IDIOMATIC CONVERSATION

(The meanings of all idioms used here is given in the answer section)

May I start now?  I hope you are all very much alive and kicking(1), aren't you?
You seemed to be all ears(2) when I spoke. Thank you.
Now what's the acid test(3) to find out who is the real winner?
Without any beating around the bush(4) let me come to the main point.
The ball is in your court(5) now.
Take the bull by the horns(6). That's the best way to deal with the issue.
I am going to ask you a question. Listen to the options carefully.  Don't jump the gun(7).
I don't know the right answer. I am keeping my fingers crossed(8).
Your team is going great guns(9). Cheers.
What is getting your goat(10) when you start working in that team?
I know how to face the music(11). Leave it to me.
It's a catch 22 situation(12). But let's be positive.
ANSWERS
1.energetic
2.attentive
3.a test which reveals the truth
4.indirectly referring to something
5.the responsibility is yours to decide
6.face the situation in a direct manner
7.act in a hurry
8.hoping for the best
9.doing very well
10.making you irritated
11.deal with the demanding situation
12.a situation where one has to make some very difficult choices

3. "Animate" your talk !"

If you are an English enthusiast then you will find many such words to "animate" your conversation.  Have a look...

I was foxed(1) by the problem which started dogging(2) me for a while. 

It was the issue of how to get my work done of building a house within a year.The contractor seemed to be a bit fishy(3) at first. 

He started bullying(4) me to pay him an advance of Rs.1lac.

I decided not to be cowed(5) into any sort of agreement.

So I told him frankly that he was in a cloud cuckoo land(6) if he thinks that I would chicken out(7) of the mission and leave the work undone. 

Then he started crowing(8) about his honesty and faithfulness.

I remarked that his tall talk was like a cock and bull story(9).

He undertood that it would be a wild goose chase(10) if he apes(11) other contractors and takes me as a lame duck(12).

So like a duck to water(13) he changed his plan and agreed to do things as I wanted to.

And things changed for better.Answers

1. Confused

2. Followed

3. Dishonest 

4. Frightening

5. To do something out of fear

6. An imaginary state of mind

7. to back out being afraid

8. keep talking in a proud manner

9. hard to believe

10  a futile effort

11. imitates

12. not confident and depends on others

13. adapting quickly to a new situation

And in the end.......a small poem to keep you smiling always......enjoy!

The Wonder of Earth!

What a wonder the earth is!

Something's here for everyone

Only thing you have to find your place

And make life a thing of grace.

What a wonder the earth is!

Someone's here for everyone

Only thing when your time comes

Don't forget the ones around.

What a wonder the earth is!

Somebody said that a while ago

Only when she was about to go

To visit a paradise somewhere else...

By Vinod Kaliyath

If you have any doubts/suggestions or feedback to offer about the areas discussed here do e-mail me at cyberjosh123@yahoo.com.  I would be pleased to answer your queries or to make the right changes in order to make this e-book more useful to you.

 May I hope that you found this e-book useful..............keep in touch with EC always and get the best out of life...all the very best.....yours sincerely ...v. k 

© No Copyright - No rights reserved

EC Activities

"LIFE-STORY IN 3 MINUTES AND THEN PREDICTING THE FUTURE FIVE YEARS" EXERCISE

Tell you lifestory to your chatting partner in 3 minutes.....first about the first five years of your life, then the next five years, then the next.Afterwards your chatting partner will have to make a prediction on how will your next five years be in a two minute public speech.

(Tips: The future prediction can start like: S/He will be an accountant. He/She will be working as......  He will have completed/become............by the end of five years.)

GAME: NO I's PLEASE

In this exercise a participant will come to the front and others will ask him/her questions about his/her life and things. The only condition is that he/she cannot use the word "I" while answering the questions. If "I" appears in the responses then he/she will step back and another person will come to test his/her staying power without giving into to the urge of using "I".

(Tips: The speaker actually doesn't have to hurry while responding to questions.  S/he can start like: Well....Let me think etc.)

4 I's 

Tell your four life experiences to your chatting partner which should be: 1. A happy one 2. A sad one 3. An achiever's moments 4. Embarrassing moments. Afterwards your chatting partner will have to interpret your character based on your experiences/make a character sketch.

In short: I was sad...I was happy...I was successful...I was embarrassed.

 To be continued.....


  

© No Copyright - No rights reserved

             

EC WORKSHOP

A WORKSHOP ON "EC AS A LIFESKILL" WITH A VISION: LEARNING TO THINK IN ENGLISH...by understanding the EC pattern in an easy way!

REQUIREMENTS: A good classroom with a board and chalk/pen

TIME NEEDED: 3 hours

HOW TO TAKE.....DETAILS:

First a question to the audience: What is communication?
In a simple way we can say...it is sharing information or exchange of information.

So now a question: What is an "information"?
It is of four types: STATE, POSSESSION, ACTION and REALITY.
It is also about three time zones: PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE.
So a sentence tells us two things: Type of info and time of info.

Now what is a speech: A collection of statements.
What is an interaction: Asking questions: Yes/No and Wh-questions.

Let us first discuss STATE:
1. I am happy.
2. I was happy.    (Using humour : Ask the participants "when?")
3. I will be happy. (Sprinkling humour : Ask the participants "when?")
4. I have been happy for most of the days in 2012.
(Tell the students about the importance of the word "I")

Next : Yes/No questions and Wh-questions for eg.questions with "Who"

Now let us talk about POSSESSION:
1. You have a good smile.  (Using humour: Ask a participant to smile!)
2. You had a good smile in childhood.  (Using humour: Ask a participant to smile!)
3. You will have a good smile after using this toothpaste.  (Using humour: Ask a participant to smile!)

Next : Yes/No questions and Wh-questions for eg.questions with "Who"

Now let's face REALITY:
1. There are nine people here.
2. There were eight people here.
3. There will be more people here tomrrow as it is a holiday.

Next : Yes/No questions and Wh-questions for eg.questions with "Who"

Now it's time for ACTION:
1. I use a dictionary everyday.
2. I like DC.
3. We are watching Jeevan news tonight.
4. He is listening to cricket commentary on radio.
5. I have talked to a tourist.
6. I have been writing a diary since 2000.
7. I read an interview of Hrithik yesterday.
8. I was reading it in Fimfare.
9. I will speak in English tomorrow.
10. I will be speaking to a Customer Care Executive.

Next : Yes/No questions and Wh-questions for eg.questions with "Who"

PASSIVE VOICE
1. Many people read RD......RD is read by many people.
2. I am reading "Two States" now......Two States is being read by me.
3. We discussed politics yesterday......Politics was discussed by us yesterday.
4. They were presenting a seminar......A seminar was being presented by them.
5. He will do a workshop tomorrow.......A workshop will be done by him.
6. He has given a speech on "Good Health"......A speech on good health has been given by him.

Next : Yes/No questions and Wh-questions for eg.questions with "Who"

MODAL VERBS
Can/Shall/Could/May I sit here?
Would you mind if I sit here?

So in all we have seen a total of 10+10+6+1=27 types of sentences which are the most common in EC.

Games played during the workshop by the participants:
1. Describing the person/Yes-No question game.
2. Combination game.
3.A life story in keywords.

Hope that this article gives you a SPARK to learn/teach EC.

For classes/workshops contact me at my mobile no: 9946 197 449 or send me an sms.

All the best and Best of luck.....May our efforts bring in EC literacy everywhere...v.k

© No Copyright - No rights reserved

EC Reality - Show

Your English Voice

First segment

The participant who volunteers to be the creative speaker will be shown a picture to make a speech. After one minute of speech s/he will be shown another picture. Now after a 10 second break the speech has to continue for another one minute about the new picture with the speaker connecting his new speech with the previous speech in a logical and creative way. For a better idea, see the pictures below:

Second segment

A picture of a famous person will be shown.  The participant who volunteers to do this activity has to act as if s/he is speaking on the mobile with this famous figure for a minute.

Third segment

An proverb is shared with the audience. And it is told to them that since it's an old one, practicing it is of no purpose today. So you can argue against it or favour it.

More tasks for participants :

Plan a a small skit which ends with one of these EC expressions:

Life is beautiful

Wow! What an idea!

Sorry, I am really very sorry.

Thank you very much indeed.

Are you OK / happy now?

Please forgive me...

You have been so good / kind to me.

To be continued...

© No Copyright - No rights reserved***

15 EC TASKS FOR EC PARTICIPANTS

1.  The COMBINATION Game

(This game measures the ability of the students to ask questions according to the rules of English also called "the sentence logic")

PURPOSE OF THE GAME: English communication is all about making the right combinations ie., we need to combine the right verb with the key words to either ask a question or to talk about something.

HOW TO PLAY: 

The teacher first writes some verbs(which are used for making questions) and asks one member from one of the teams to write key words for combining with the verbs already given.  An example is given below:

Do(supporting verb written by the teacher) + book(a key word written by a team member)

Similarly:

Are + class

Is + friend

Will + food

Does + bus

Now the other team has to combine both the words ie., supporting verb and key word to make a question.  For eg.

Do you like this book?

In which class are you studying?

Who is you best friend?

Will you eat your food with me?

Does this bus go to city?

If a question has both the words(verb and key word) combined properly following the English rules then one mark can be given to the team whose member asked the right question.  Now let all members of that team ask questions using the remaining combination of "verb and key word" in the right way as given above. For every right question asked by the team members one mark can be given.

After one round the teacher can change the verbs with new ones like:

Have(supporting verb written by the teacher) + sky(a key word written by a team member) 

Was + teacher

Did + father

Were + mother

Has + brother

Now the other team has to combine both the words ie., supporting verb and key word to make a question.  For eg.

Have you a seen a clear sky this week?

Which chapter was the teacher taking?

Where did your father go yesterday?

Were you talking to your mother just now?

Has your brother got admission?

In the last round the teacher can give modal verbs to combine with the key words written by one of the team members:

May (supporting verb written by the teacher) + games(a key word written by a team member)

Would + tea

Shall + trees

Should + cycle

Can + bag

Now the other team has to combine both the words ie., supporting verb and key word to make a question.  For eg.

May I play games?

Would you like to have a cup of tea with me?

Shall we go near the trees?

Should I bring my cycle?

Can you hold this bag?

2. The "DESCRIBING A PERSON" Game 

(This game measures the ability of the students to ask questions in order to get information about a person and also to "better their describing a person" skills.)

PURPOSE OF THE GAME: Asking " yes/no questions " about a person and also learning to describe people by their physical appearance.

HOW TO PLAY:

 A member from a team comes to the front and asks the opposite team to guess a person's name (whose name will be written on a sheet of paper and shown only to the speaker) by asking only three Yes/No questions. Now this team member or speaker  will say only "Yes" or "No" to the questions asked by the other team about the mysterious person. 

For eg. Is the person male? and the answer may be "No"

             Is she tall? Ans. "Yes"

             Is she very active? Ans. "No"

After three "yes/no questions" have been asked,  the speaker will give a one line description of the mysterious person and this one line description should be about his/her physical appearance only. For eg.

            She is wearing a red dresss today.

Now the opposite team will again ask two more "yes/no" questions and then try to guess the name of the mysterious person.  If they succeed they can be given one mark. But there is one condition ie., the name of the mysterious person can be said only once.  So the team guessing the name should say it only when they are very sure of its accuracy possibly after asking all their "yes/no" questions.

3. A ROLE PLAY - A TEAM IN A CRISIS

To give an opportunity to students to learn how to explore the possibilities in a difficult situation as a team with the help of role plays/drama.

Focus of the exercise: Exploring the possibilities in a crisis/difficult situation as a team.

Manner of doing: 

First divide the batch into a few teams of five students each.

A team will perform 3 acts or scenes.

Act 1: Present a crisis or difficult situation.

Act 2: A solution being found

Act 3: Resolving the crisis.

Narration,songs and humour can also be used. 

4. A ROLE PLAY - Dependence after Independence

Name of the Role Play: Changing "dependence" after Independence

Show two situations Past and Present about how we moved over from one type of system to another (for eg. letter writing to email/sms) in India after independence.

Situation 1: We depended on...

Situation 2: We are now depending on.....

Interaction

5. A ROLE PLAY - Old meets New

Name of the Presentation: Old meets New

A Scene showing anyone of these:

             1.A way of living/lifestyle in the past

             2.A way of livelihood/earning in the past

             3.A way of leisure/enjoyment in the past.

Interaction

6. Role Play: The "Other" in us

Theme: Highlighting the existence of "different" people in our society.

Show three situations having the following content:

Situation 1

Impressions of a "different" kind.

Situation 2

Interaction with the "other" person.

Situation 3

Inspiration from the "other" person.

Interaction with the artists

7. A ROLE PLAY - Social Transformation through ideas and innovations

Name of the Role Play: Social Transformation through ideas and innovations.

Theme: How social transformation is possible through a change in social thinking.

Show three situations having the following content:

Situation 1

A state(present/past) which can be improved.

Situation 2

Introducing a new idea or thinking/technology/method/scientific practice/system as an agent of change.

Situation 3

There is a social transformation.

Interaction with the artists.

8. A ROLE PLAY - The Deciding Factor

A role play having two situations and then an interaction with the audience. 

Situation 1

What to show: In this situation the main character has to take a decision; he/she has to choose a course of action from multiple options. 

Situation 2

What to show: In this situation the main character decides; chooses a particular course of action.

Situation 3

What to show:Now the group can interact with the class on : What were the deciding factors considered while zeroing on that option.  

9. "LIFE-STORY IN 3 MINUTES AND THEN PREDICTING THE FUTURE FIVE YEARS" 

Tell you lifestory to your chatting partner in 3 minutes.....first about the first five years of your life, then the next five years, then the next.Afterwards your chatting partner will have to make a prediction on how will your next five years be in a two minute public speech.

(Tips: The future prediction can start like: S/He will be an accountant. He/She will be working as......  He will have completed/become............by the end of five years.)

10. GAME: NO I's PLEASE

In this exercise a participant will come to the front and others will ask him/her questions about his/her life and things. The only condition is that he/she cannot use the word "I" while answering the questions. If "I" appears in the responses then he/she will step back and another person will come to test his/her staying power without giving into to the urge of using "I".

(Tips: The speaker actually doesn't have to hurry while responding to questions.  S/he can start like: Well....Let me think etc.)

11. 4 I's 

Tell your four life experiences to your chatting partner which should be: 1. A happy one 2. A sad one 3. An achiever's moments 4. Embarrassing moments. Afterwards your chatting partner will have to interpret your character based on your experiences/make a character sketch.

In short: I was sad...I was happy...I was successful...I was embarrassed.

12. THE "EC EXPRESSION" SKIT

Plan a a small skit which ends with one of these EC expressions:

Life is beautiful

Wow! What an idea!

Sorry, I am really very sorry.

Thank you very much indeed. 

Are you OK / happy now?

Please forgive me...

You have been so good / kind to me.

13. SPEECH ONE TO TWO

The participant who volunteers to be the creative speaker will be shown a picture to make a speech. After one minute of speech s/he will be shown another picture. Now after a 10 second break the speech has to continue for another one minute about the new picture with the speaker connecting his new speech with the previous speech in a logical and creative way. 

14. ON THE MOBILE

A picture of a famous person will be shown.  The participant who volunteers to do this activity has to act as if s/he is speaking on the mobile with this famous figure for a minute.

15. THE PROVERBIAL TRUTH

An proverb is shared with the audience. And it is told to them that since it's an old one, practicing it is of no purpose today. So you can argue against it or favour it.

...........................TO BE CONTINUED

© No Copyright - No rights reserved