ON-LINE TASK 4

1. Think of at least 3 benefits of using speeches by famous figures, in the classroom.
a) Speeches by famous figures usually more easier attract audiences attention because of his name.
b) They tend to have a persuasive characteristic in their speeches.
c) Their speeches usually have a lot of information and logical statements.

2. Go to www.youtube.com and find the audio-visual on the speech.  In not less than 50 words, state would the audio-visual be of any use in helping understand the speech better?  State your reasons.

This speech by Martin Luther is very inspiring.  He able to inspire the whole nation at that time to demostrate.  His clear pronunciation attracts the listeners and enchance understanding.  Besides that, in his speech he emphasize the important points by repeating it a few times following by explanation and facts.  Repetition helps listener to fosilize the important points of the speech in their memory.  The listeners loves his speech because the contains of the speech is related to the listeners.

3. Who is Martin Luther?

He is a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in 1954.  He always a strong worker for civil rights for his race, who was a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. 

4. Based on the questions below, analyse the features of the given written speech:
 
a) What is the purpose of the speech?

The purpose of the speech is to fight oppression and unequality of the blacks.

b) What is the tone of the speech?

He is using a energetic and strong tone to persude the listeners.

c) What interesting major feature(s) can you see from the speech?

The interesting feature in his speech repetition.  He repeated the theme to emphasise the main purpose of the speech.  Besides that, he remains his voice strong and loud to prove his spirit and seriousness in his speech.

d) Any interesting facts that you can gather based on the background of the speech?

Yes.  A loud applause from the listeners and cheering to show his speech effectiveness.

5. Sugesst a while-reading activity that can be derived from this particular speech.

Play the audio-visual once.  Then, ask students to find the repeatition words in the speech. Play the audio-visual for the second time. Ask the students to list out the repeated words in the speech.  Teacher asks students to think what are the purposes of the repetition.  Teacher lists out the students answers on the board.

ON-LINE TASK 3

NELSON MENDELA

Nelson,
persistent, persevering, defiant and courages,
helping him enduring all the hardships,
loves peaceful and equality,
hates oppression and marginalization,
dreaming of ending apartheid in South Africa,
residen of Africa,
That is Mendela.

ON-LINE TASK 2

Do we have a canon for Malaysian literary works?  Let's say we do, who do you think are in it?  Consider the fact that their works are well-known and most impoartantly included as part of the school syllabus - (both in BM and Englsih).

1. Kamaluddin Muhamad (Keris Mas)
2. Dato' Shahnon Ahmad
3. Datuk Dr. Usman Awang
4. Datuk A. Samad Said
5. Muhammad Dahlan bin Abdul Biang (Arena Wati)
6. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Haji Salleh
7. Datuk Noordin Hasan
8. Datuk Abdullah Hussein
9. S. Othman Kelantan
10. Dr. Anwar Ridwan

The poem by Erica Jong raises some feminist issues.  What are they?

1. Her boldness in sexual desire
2. Gender equality

Is Hillary Tham's poem more suitable?

Hilary Tham is a local writer.  Her writings suitable for students to appreciate because the elements she is using are related to our students environment.  Such as Mrs. Wei & ancestor worship and Becoming a woman.  These poems words are easy and more suitable for students.

The short tale from the Native American group is about a girl who is unsatisfied with her life.  How is this a universal experience? Can it teach out students anything?

Yes, this is a universal experience.  Teenagers nowadays provided with the best from their parents but they still think they lack of facilities.  They always compare with others and complaint about what others have and they don't have.  This story can teach students the consequences of being ungrateful.

From your findings about his background, tell me about the dillema he conveys through the poem CROSS.

His father is a white man and his mother is a black woman.  He confuses where he should be when he died because his father died in a houe but his mother died in a shack.

I find "Dinner Guest : Me" laden with irony and sarcasm.  Brieftly state if you feel the same.

Yes.  The white folks put on a polite and happy faces through the dinner but Langston could feels the tension because his skin colour.  His skin colour has been the attention of that evening.  The irony is although the Americans have implemented democratic for a very long time but they still bias in terms of colours and races.

The experience in the poem Harlem is one that is true for many people.  Do you agree?

Yes, especially the lower-class.  His poem portraying the oppression of the marginlised and lower-class.

Langston Hughes fights for the voice of his people.  What is the movement called?

The Negritude movement

ON-LINE TASK 1

A Folktales

1. List some of the well-known folkstales from Malaysia.
    a) PaddyThat Turns To Gold
    b) The Cursed Princess
    c) The Curse of Batu gajah.

2. List some of the possible issues found in The Son of the Turtle Spirit.
    a) Women are naivety in the aspect of sex.
    b) Women are marginalised if having a baby without a husband.

3. Are those issues universal in nature or are they only relevant in the Chinese culture?
Those issues are universal and they are happening around the world but with the determination and courage of women nowadays, women are being more respected by the world.  But there are still some country still marginalised and oppressing their women.

Fables

4. What are the other morals that can be gotten from the other fables by Aesop? List at least two.
    a) Appearances often are deceiving
    b) Familiarity breeds contempts
    c) One person's meat is another's poison.


Myths

5. One well-known literary figure from the Elizabethan age used Ovid's Pyramus and Thisbe as a model to one of his famous plays.  Who is he and what is the play?
He is William Shakespeare.  The story is about two persons so much in love but their love are forbidden  by their parents.


Legends

List some of the popular legends we have in Malaysia?
    a) Hang Tuah
    b) Legends of Mahsuri

1. Who is Thomas Malory?
He is the author of Le Morte d'Arthur.  He lived at Newbold Revell in Warwickshire, England.  He served in France under the earl of Warwick and was a Lancastrian during the wars of the Roses. 

2. When was the Le Mort d'Arthur written?
Completed in 1469.

3. How many books/parts are there in LMDA?
8 books.

4. What is book 8 about?
The adventure of Tristram : his birth, coming of age and slaying of Marhaus.  King Mark's marriage to La Beala Iseult in Cornwall and Tristram's marriage to Iseult la Blanche Mains in Brittany.  His rivalry with Palomides for the love of Iseult, and his friendship with Lamorak on the Isle of Servage.

5. Who were two people having affair?
Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot were having an affair.

6. Book 6 has a strong connection to a popular modern fiction which is now a movie.  What is the title of the popular modern fiction?
The tale of the Holy Grail

7. State three well-known facts King Arthur/his time as a King.
a) The birth and rise of Arthur and the story of the Sword in the Stome called Excaliber and his teacher and mentor Merlin the magician.
b) His role as King of England and the marrige of King Arthur to Guinevere
c) The Quest of the Holy Grail.

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Think of 2 ways in which you can use folktales/fables/myths or legends in the classroom.  Explain brieftly.

1) Read the story with the students but don't show the ending.  Ask students to predict the ending.
2) Read the half of the story.  Then, give two choices to the students.  Ask them to choose one of the choices given and then reveal the ending to the students.  Let the students know what is the consequences for their choice.

Quotes from "The Andy Warhol Diaries"

From Andy Warhol's diary shows he is a man with witty character.  Although he seems to complain nearly everything, but he still manages to write in a way that makes everyone smile.

His entries showing he is not the sociable type.  He seems to complaining about how the social is behaving.  Almost every entry he critised with sarcastic tone.  For example entry on Wednesday, August 23, 1978.  He criticising how Bruce Springsteen complaint about his picture taken.  Even though Bruce Springsteen is a famous person, Andy does not put special attention towards Bruce.  For Andy, he just do whatever he wants.

Nelson Mandela

Mandela's perseverance really amazed me.  No matter how difficult his hardship, he never gives up.  Even transferring from one cell to another cell need a lot of time to make adjustment.  But he still manages to be leader to strike for unfair treatment by the authorities.

His faithfuness towards his comrades is also unbeatable.  He doesn't take his privilege teatment from the authorities as his own success.  He always remembers his comrades sacrifice with him.  Whatever he achieved, he remembers to share with his comrades.

Mendala fights for racial equality all his life.  He despises oppression.  He never learnt the word 'quit' .  Even he put into life sentence, he still fighting for equal right in the cell.

Poem by Langston Hughes - Cross

Langston Hughes is the son of a black woman and a white man.  He never accepted by his father's family because his mother is a black woman. At that period, negro is still in the lower class of the society.  They did not have any rights.

He is writing about his dilemma because he has no proper place to be buried.  His father died in a big house but his mother died in a shack house.  He wondering where will he be buried when he died because he is half black , half white.

He speaks about his emotion confusion towards his parents.  Although he hates his parents but he still loves them.  He lives in a confused world, where he lost in 'black or white world' and 'hate or love world'.

Iroquois : The Girl Who Was Not satisfied With Simple Things

In the story, the girl finds herself to good for anyone.  Her mother helps her to find many good and descent men, but she rejects.

Her pride gives her a big problem.  When a very handsome young worrior comes to propose, without further consideration and ignores her mother's advice, she accepts the worrior's proposal.

Her stubbornness pay off, when she finds out that her husband is not an human but serpent disguised in human form.  She is so regret because does not listen to her mother.

Her stubborness despite ruined her but also helped her.  She doesn't want to be defeated.  With Heno's help, she runs away as fast as she can.  Finally she manages to escape from those serpents.

Becoming A Woman by Hilary Tham

When I was twelve, my mother initiated me
into the mysteries of becoming a woman
with a pound of rice-paper, the unadvertised
kind made from stalks and leaves, the stubble
after the harvest.

She taught me the art of crumpling,
stretching, folding the sheafs into
a likeness of Modess-factory-rejects.

               "You will bleed
at a special time of the moon."
she told me.  "use these
to reserve modesty and the secret
of your femaleness."

Her mother's way she passed to me
with the few words she had received
at her initiation.

Each full moon I cursed the tides
within my body.  I abandoned
tradition's rice-paper.

I have forgiven the moon since
our children came, spores of sunrise
in their newborn hands.

This poem is suitable for seondary school especially for teenager.  Even primary school year 9 to 12 suitable to appreciate this poem.

"Becoming A Woman" by Hilary Tham depicting a girl dilemma in her journey to become a woman.  At this period girls usually feel anxious and curious about her physical change.  From this poem, girls able to experience that it happens to every girl and they should appreciate what God had created for them.

As boys, the poem able togive them opportunity ti appreciate sacrifice of a woman, especially their mother.  Without their mother 'bleed every full moon' they wouldn't exist in this world.  And they should understand that how every mother thankful to the 'bleed of each month' when they holding their own children.

Poems by Erica Jong

For My Husband

Erica Jong's poem, "For My Husband" just as her many other works, is lustful and provocative.

In her poem, "For My Husband", she potrayed herself unfaithfulness towards her husband.  Even though she married, she still thinking of other man while her husband besides her.  This showed in line 'I have taken other men into my thoughts'.

She also a men hunter.  From the poem, she thinks of men from all parts, which she attracted.  Each man has his own attractiveness.  She loves to appreciate each man uniqueness. This showed from the line 'I have taken other men into my thoughts since i met you.'

Thus, she doesn't feel bond with marriage.  She still able to do what she desire but stayed in her marriage.

Her boldness of view showed that a woman has the same ability to appreciate other gender as men always do.

Conflict in Ovid's Metamorphosis 'Pyramus and Thisbe'

The conflict of the story 'Pyramus and Thisbe' is their parents forbid their steadfast love.

This story setting is in Babylonian society.  In Babylonian society, parents have the absolute legal control of their children while they're growing up.  Parents have the right to choose spouses for their sons and daughters and even had the right to sell them.  Hence, it is very normal that parents of Pyramus and Thisbe forbid and disapprove their relationship.  For their parents, the love of Pyramus and Thisbe is threatening their superiority as their parents.

In today's society, everyone is free to choose their spouses but we still have many relationship problems, such as, divorce.  In the past, when marriage failed, parents was to be blamed because almost every marrige was an arranged marriage.  Then, starting to evolve 'laissez-faire love' where everyone should be given chance to choose their spouse.  But the rate of divorce in the world still increasing every year. Therefore, we should do serious consideration before getting into a relationship to avoid catastrophe occurred.

Fable Written by Kwan

The Naughty Boy Named Amir


Once there was a naughty boy named Amir. He liked to bully children smaller than him. He also lied to his parents that other children bullied him.

One day, Amir's teacher came to his house and visited his parents. His teacher, Miss siti, told Amir's parents what Amir did in the school. Amir's parents did not believe his teacher. But Miss Siti brought pictures that showed Amir bullied, hit and scolded other children. Actually the teacher had stalked Amir for a long time to collect these evidence.

Amir was so afraid. He apologised to his parents and promised to repent. His parents loved him so much, so they believed him.

The next day, Amir went to school and saw his friend, Damia, was eating a delicious cake. He cannot resist himself. He went towards Damia and grabbed the cake. Quickly he put the cake into his mouth and ate it. Damia cried and complaint to Miss Siti.

Miss Siti was so furious. She told Amir's parents. They were so disappointed at Amir. He was grounded for one week.

One day, Amir's mother made him a packet of delicious 'nasi lemak' with 'sambal' and fried chicken. He was so happy. Suddenly, a big boy named Ahmad, passed by and saw Amir's delicious 'nasi lemak'. He grabbed Amir's food and ate it. Amir cried and complaint to his Miss Siti. But Miss Siti laughed at Amir and said " Are you joking? Who dare to take your food? Now go to your class. Recess is over."

Amir was so upset and helpless. He told his parents what happened in school. Again his parents laughed at him and said "Are you lying again? Who dare to take your food? Now go do your homework."

Amir was so disappointed because nobody believed him. He felt so sorry to the children he bullied. He cried alone in his room.

So, the moral of the story is remember to keep your promise, if not, nobody will believe you again.

The Son Of The Turtle-Spirit

This folktale depicts an asian conservative minded of an asian woman. This folktale is suitable for students to explore the conservative and dilemma of a woman in the past.

The maiden in the folktale is a faithful wife. Even though she knows her husband is a turtle spirit, once a woman laid with a man even only for one night, she will recognised him as a husband for life. That was the principle of the conservative woman in the past.

The maiden doesn't blame the spirit turtle cheating her. She still delivered the spirit's son. She carries the responsibility of a wife even though her parents despise her husband. She collects the bones and remains of her husband. She puts it beside her bed until she delivered her baby. It is very important for the deceased to have someone taking care of its remains.

Because her parents reject her son, so she has to take care her son on her own. The maiden still do everything she can to provide the best for her husband and son. When she knows about the rich man and the grave seeker proposition to her son, she asks her son to put her husband remains in the dragon's mouth instead the richman's grandfather's remains.

Folktale

Before we explore in-depth about folktale, we better understand what is the meaning of folktale.  There are a few definitions we can use as references:

A folktale is a fictitious story told to amuse the listeners.  Usually the story taken place far-off time and place.  These stories feature kings and princesses, giants and dragons, fairies and sorcerers and magical objects and animals kingdom. (www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibition/Folklore/english/.../contesintroe.htm)

Besides that, folktale can defined as a story or legend handed down from generation to generation.  Folktale often explain something that happens in nature of convey a certain truth about life.  (www.mce.k12th.net/indians/reading/what_is_a_folk_tale.htm)

Folktales are very good teaching moral values among children.  Folktales are usually short and easy for children to read.  There are some famous Malaysia folktales,such as; The Story of the Coconut Tree, Sang Kancil and Pak Mandir.