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“Education Beyond Technology”
MODULE IN ENGLISH 10
LESSON 16
COMMUNING WITH OTHERS

Listening to decipher reductions in speech

When communicating orally in another language such as English, we have to learn how to make out the
meaning of what is said despite indistinctness in speech. Most heard speech is actually colloquial and
spontaneous in character. As such, we hear a lot of "indistinct utterances" making us wonder how we should
respond.

Speech can be very formal as used in academic and political speeches, fairly formal as used in news broadcasts
and lectures, informal as in most classroom teaching and television interviews, and very informal as used by
friends and families in ordinary situations. Much of our time is spent on listening to and using informal and very
informal language in our day-to day conversations.

Informal speech is usually spontaneous and colloquial. The level of colloquialism and spontaneity of speech
affects how a person chooses the words to say, how he/she pronounces these words, and how he/she forms the
sentences that make up his/her speech.

Reduction in words, aside from hesitations, interruptions, exclamations, emotional reactions, constant change in
tone and rhythm of speech, and redundancies, is one of the characteristics of spontaneous conversations. Below
are examples of reduced forms.

Reduced Speech

"How 'er 'ya?"

"Ye ther?"

"W'er ya?"

Long Form

"How are you?"

"Are you there?"

"Where are you?"

These utterances seem indistinct or blurred because some sounds are not fully articulated, and some words are
not completely said. They are therefore, "reduced" in the process of spontaneous and colloquial speaking.

Reductions, although a characteristic of informal language is not really similar to slang. It can come as a
contraction, an abbreviation, or any other shortcut in saying something. True slang lowers to some extent the
dignity of formal or serious speech or writing. It is considered a taboo term in ordinary discourse with people of
a higher social status or greater responsibility. In some cases, it replaces a well-known conventional synonym.
Nevertheless, some words begin as slang and later become accepted into the language. Examples are the words
fan and hot dog and the expressions "I'm out of here" meaning "I'm leaving," and "Blow it," meaning to spoil
your chances of success.

There is failure in communication when what is spoken (or written) is not understood; hence, in a conversation,
we have to understand how words are reduced in order to respond appropriately.

Using the telephone correctly and politely

Here are ways on how to begin and to end a telephone conversation especially with a stranger.
1. Asking for a person: "May/Could/Can I speak to Confirming the presence/absence of the person the caller
wants to talk to:

"Yes, he/she is here."

"May I know who is calling?"
"I am sorry. He/She is not here at the moment."
"I am sorry. Perhaps, you got a wrong number."

2. Identifying yourself as the caller:

"My name is______.” (Especially used by strangers)

"This is_______.”
"This is_______, his/her (state your relationship with the person you are asking for)."

Identifying yourself as a receiver:

"This is Lyn, speaking."

"This is_____.”

3. Giving a reason for calling:

"I am calling about/because..."

"I wonder if______ would/could.

Accepting/Declining the call:

"Thank you for making this call. Please continue."

"Yes. I am glad to hear from you."
"Could you wait a moment? I will get a pen."
"I am really sorry. I am very busy at the moment. Could/May I call you later?" (You may also give the time or
date.)
"I am so sorry. I cannot/couldn't talk on the phone right now. I am at a meeting." (You may cite other reasons.)

4. Signaling that the conversation is finished: "Thank you for accepting this call."

"I've got to go now. Thank you for your time."

"Thank you so much, madam/sir. I won't take so much of your time anymore."
"It was nice to have talked with you."

Accepting the signal that the conversation is finished:

"Thanks/Thank you for calling."
"Thank you for sharing that information."
"I am glad you called. Thank you."
"It was nice talking with you."
"Keep in touch. Thank you."
"I would be very glad to talk with you again."

5. Closing the call or accepting to close the call: "Bye."

Recalling Concepts

1. A simple sentence consists of one independent clause-a type of clause that expresses a complete thought.
Example: Ella is an actress.

2. A compound sentence is formed when two or more independent clauses are joined.

Example:
Ella is an actress and she can sing, too.

But, and, for, nor, or, so, and yet are coordinating conjunctions. They are used to connect the independent
clauses in a compound sentence.
3. A complex sentence is formed when one independent clause and one dependent clause (or more) are joined.
Example: Ella is an actress while Gab is an athlete.

Subordinating conjunctions are used to connect the independent and the dependent clauses in a complex
sentence. of the commonly used subordinating conjunctions are the following: after, although, as, because,
before, even if, even though, if, once, than, that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas,
wherever, while, and why.

Combining and expanding sentences through coordination and subordination

Coordination is the process of putting together two or more clauses that are of equal rank using coordinating
conjunctions. The idea or information given in one clause is equally important to that of the other clause.

Example:

Ella is an actress and she can sing, too.

IC conj IC

In some cases, the clauses are linked by a semicolon, colon, or dash.

Examples.

You can guess that tune in six notes; I can do it in five.

I know it – you miss me, too.
You can say that again: these students are remarkable.

On the other hand, subordination is the process of putting together clauses that are unequal in rank; one or more
clauses are dependent on or embedded in another larger clause. Subordinating conjunctions are used to connect
those clauses in a sentence. Example.
independent clause
Ella is an actress while Gab is an athlete.
dependent or subordinate clause (introduced by the subordinating conjunction while)

Here are some sentences that you can make more meaningful by coordination and subordination. Try to
combine each pair of sentences using any appropriate conjunction.

Beth was looking at the man. She was not speaking.

Ellen does not talk to anybody at all. You cannot see her now.
This is an old uniform. You can still wear it. Marie left for school. She would be taking a scholarship
examination.

You may expand sentences by elaboration, extension, or enhancement to make them more meaningful as well
as to avoid making simplistic, choppy sentences in writing.

In the process of elaboration, one clause expands another by saying the idea in a different way, using examples,
giving specifics in detail, or giving comments.

Examples

Beth was looking at the man; she was not speaking.

Beth was looking at the man who was wearing a leather jacket

There are other connectors that can explicitly show elaboration: specifically, in other words, namely, and that
is (to say) among others.

Examples

Ellen does not talk to anybody at all; in other words, you cannot see her now.
Some students joined the competition; specifically, all the seniors were there.
In the process of extension, a new element is added or an exception or an alternative is given to a clause.

Examples:
This is an old uniform, but you can still wear it.
Stop smoking now or die early.

In the process of enhancement, an adverbial clause is added to another clause. The clause may express cause,
concession, condition, place, purpose or time.

Examples:

Mariel left early for school because she would be taking a scholarship examination.
Mariel would be taking a scholarship examination, so she left early for school.

Also, the subordinate clause can be projected through the primary (main) clause through locution (via a verb of
saying) and idea.

Examples:

Wella said, "I don't know that."

Wella said that she didn't know that.
Wella thought, "I'll read that novel later."
Wella thought she would read that novel later.

Spelling words of Greek origin

Here are some examples of words with Greek origin. aesthetics from disthétikos, "of sense of perception"

phenomenon - from phainomenon, "that which appears or is seen" de

economy - from oikonomia, "household management"

Some words with Greek origin in English were used to be spelled with the ligatures a and a. In British English,
those words are often spelled with ae and oe, respectively. In American English, those same words are spelled
with only. Here are some examples.

Spelled with the ligatures æ and Spelled in British English Spelled in American English
œ
archæology archaelogy archaeology
nebulæ nebuale nebulas
supernovæ supernovae supernovas
œstrogen oestrogen estrogen
œsophagus oesophagus esophagus
manœuver manoeuver maneuver

Here are more words with Greek origin. You may look up each one in the dictionary for its meaning and origin.

 philantrophy
 hemorrhage
 diphthong
 ichthyologist
 hypothesis
 psychiatry
 pneumatic
 chrysalis
 ctenophore
 character
  pterosaur
 chaos.
 rheumatic
 xerox
 xylophone
 isthmus
 mnemonic

The words that start with ps, pn, and pt are pronounced with silent p. The words that start with x begin with the
sound /z/. The words that start with ch begins with the sound /k/.

Writing effective class and extended definitions

Writing a short definition essay

Definitions are common in scientific and academic writing.

A class definition consists of the following parts.

1. The term is the word or phrase to be defined.
2. The genus or the general class is the class of objects or concepts to which the term belongs.

3. The differentia or the particular properties are the differentiating characteristics that distinguish the term from
all others belonging to its class.

Here are the two ways by which you can define a word using a class definition.

1. term + general class + distinguishing characteristics

Example. Statistics (term) is a branch of mathematics (general class) that deals with the analysis and
interpretations of numerical data in terms of samples and populations (distinguishing characteristics).

2. general + distinguishing characteristics + the phrase "is called," "is

known as," or "is termed as" + the term

Example

The branch of mathematics (general class) that deals with the analysis and interpretations of numerical data in
terms of samples and populations (distinguishing characteristics) is called statistics (term).

An extended definition expresses the writer's opinion, attitude, or judgment about the meaning of the term. At
times, a term is defined by a short description or a synonym. However, such definition may be inadequate.

To improve the definitions above, you can do any of these.

a. Determine the general class to which the term belongs and the particular properties of the term.
b. Provide acceptable or valid evidence to support the extended definition of the term.
 LESSON 17
PRESERVING JUSTICE

Listening to detect errors made by the writer or speaker

It is the job of the writer or the speaker to make sure that there are no errors in his/her speech. An error may
happen when a detail or a piece of information given does not jibe with the real meaning of what is supposed to
be said. It may also happen when we pass on a message to someone and use the wrong word.

Participating in a debate

A debate (called debating in British English) is broader than a logical argument. It is not just a mere expression
of a stand-agreeing or disagreeing to an issue but it also includes a deliberate attempt to move people to believe
and to accept that stand. Debaters use conviction and persuasion by appealing to the intellect and emotion of the
audience.

The word debate came from the Middle English word debaten whose root word batre means "to beat." It also
came from debatum which means "to reach an agreement." Hence, while it is true that debaters show their
prowess in argumentation, what is more important is that both parties involved in the debate, including the
audience, will be educated on an issue and will eventually reach an agreement after a careful analysis of the
intricacies and complexities of the issue.

Debates are normally formal inasmuch as there is a framework (guidelines and procedure) to follow in its
conduct. Formal debates are Usually conducted to train students to be engaged in critical thinking. They enable
the students to express their thoughts and beliefs on a stand using beautiful and credible language with
confidence and ease. However, debates can be informal. In informal situations like a social gathering or a
classroom setting, people argue and defend their stand on an issue without following any rules. In other words,
an informal debate does not follow a framework in its conduct.

The quality and depth of a debate, formal or informal, improves with the knowledge and skill of the debaters. In
informal debates, the participants may lack adequate and complete knowledge on the issue at hand. In contrast,
participants in a formal debate prepare themselves. They gather data which they use as evidence to prove their
stand, and they practice delivering their speech before the actual debate.

It is very important for debaters to back up their arguments with evidence. Good debaters are judged on the
merit of the evidence they present to support their stand, their logical and careful presentation of their
contentions, and their ability to persuade people to believe and to accept their stand through their command of
language and use of facial expressions, voice (tone, pitch, volume, and speed/rate), and gestures. Thus, they
should speak clearly, logically, and fluently.

The Australasia Debate

In an Australasia style debate, two teams debate on an issue: the affirmative team whose members are in favor
of the resolution or proposition, and the negative or opposition team whose members are against or who do not
agree to the resolution or proposition. Each team has three members, and each member is named according to
his/her speaking position in the team. For example, the first speakers of both teams are called the "First
Affirmative Speaker" (or the "First Proposition Speaker") and the "First Negative Speaker."

The resolution or proposition is a statement that changes a present policy, procedure, belief, or anything that is
currently being followed as a norm in the society if it is adopted. Sometimes, however, formal debates in
schools are held only to discuss a topic elaborately for the sake of expressing logical arguments without
expecting an outcome.

The issue to be debated on is in the form of an affirmative statement, which begins with "That..." or "Resolved
that ..." Here are some examples.

a. That poverty is a state of mind

b. That ignorance is bliss
c. Resolved that nuclear technology should not be used to make weapons
d. Resolved that capital punishment be abolished (or retained) in this country
The affirmative team is expected to defend its stand that the adoption of the resolution or proposition is
necessary and that such adoption will yield beneficial results. Likewise, the negative or opposition team is
expected to support its stand that the said adoption is not necessary or beneficial to people. The arguments of
the negative should counter those of the affirmative, but the negative is not necessarily required to offer
alternative solutions.

The Lincoln-Douglas Debate

The Lincoln-Douglas format can be used for one-to-one debate. One debater argues for the affirmative side,
upholding the resolution; the other argues for the negative side, attacking the resolution. The debaters have the
opportunity to make a rebuttal and to ask their opponents about their contentions during a cross-examination.

Using conditional sentences

Conditional sentences consist of two clauses: a main clause that gives the result or outcome, and a subordinate
clause that sets up the condition. The subordinate clause is called the conditional clause or the if clause.

Conditional sentences may express possible conditions. Study the following examples and see how the verbs are
formed in the if clause and the main clause.

1. Habitual actions.

If Nanette and her husband go abroad for business, Nanette's mother looks after their children. (Present)
If our parents went out on a date, we stayed home and watched videos all night. (Past)

2. Inferences

If the car jolts, the battery is OK.

If Garry visited Granny last Sunday, why did he visit her again yesterday?

The modals must and should may also be used in the main clause of sentences to express inferences. Study
these examples.

If you leave, you must bring an umbrella.

If you enjoyed our company, you should have stayed on.

3. Future conditions that are possible and are likely to be fulfilled.

If Mary comes tomorrow, I will inform her about our plans. simple present – simple past
If the band arrives today, you will call the manager. simple present – simple past

Here are other forms that can be used.

a. Future forms in the main clause

The children are going to their grandmother's if they do not have anything to do here. present continuous
If we start the project tomorrow, the director is going to call the president. going to + verb

b. Present forms in the if clause

If you haven't written any stories for the last two years, you will struggle to get back into writing.
present perfect

It will be hard to listen to the lecturer if those speakers are not functioning well. present continuous

Modal verbs can also be used in conditional sentences expressing future conditions. However, the use of such
modals weakens the possibility of the condition taking place. Study these examples.

1. The modals may, might, and could in the main clause.

We may lose the chance of meeting the author if we do not leave now.
If Ben comes early, he might still find an available seat near the stage.
He could have signed up for the race if he had arrived before 10 AM.
2. The modal should in the if clause

If you should see Mr. Cruz at the conference tomorrow, you will tell him that the Director needs him.

Conditional sentences may express hypothetical conditions. Study the following examples.

1. "Unreal" present

If Mary were here, I would inform her about our plans.

(Mary is not here, so I cannot inform her about our plans.)

If I had more money, I would donate the extra to the poor.

(I have no extra money, so I cannot donate any.)

Notice the verb forms used in the sentences.

Conditional Clause Main Clause

were would inform
(past subjunctive form of be (past tense of can + verb in base form)
had would donate
(past tense of have) (past tense of can + verb in base form)

2. "Unreal" future

If Celia were to join us, our club would emerge as the winner in all competitions.
(Celia is not part of the club. The possibility of the club winning all the competitions then is uncertain.)

If Celia were to resign from her current job, she would not coordinate the review classes anymore.
(Celia has not yet resigned. The possibility of her not coordinating the review classes then is unknown.)

Notice the verb forms used in the sentences.

Conditional Clause Main Clause

joined would emerge
(simple past tense) (past tense of will + verb in base form)
resigned would continue
(simple past tense) (past tense of will + verb in base form)

3. "Unreal" past

If Mary had come to the office, I would have informed her about our plans.
(Mary did not come at all. So, I was not able to inform her.)

If the bank had lent me the money, I would have bought a new car last year.
(The bank did not lend me money. So, I did not buy a new car.)

Conditional Clause Main Clause

had come would have informed
(past perfect tense) (past tense of will + have + past participle of the
verb)
had lent would have bought
(past perfect tense) (past tense of will + have + past
participle of the verb)

Verbs in continuous form can also be used in conditional sentences expressing hypothetical situations. Take a
look at the following sentences.
 Mark would still be watching T.V. if he knew that his parents were at home.
If something were burning, I would try to find it.
If Jane had been walking outside, she would have seen the full moon.

The modals might and could can also be used in conditional sentences expressing hypothetical conditions.
Study the following examples.

If you saw the house, you might think about moving in there.
If my father had accepted the job offer, all of us could have left the country with him.

Besides possible and hypothetical situations, conditional sentences may also give instructions or directions.
Take a look at these examples.
If you are done with your homework, sleep now.
If you happen to talk to him, give him my regards.

Spelling words with silent letters

Many words in English have one or more silent letters. These silent letters are often the cause of misspelled
words.

1. Silent b before t

debt
doubt
subtle

2. Silent b after m

aplomb.
comb
crumb

3. Silent c in sc

discipline
science
scene

4. Silent ch

fuchsia
yacht

5. Silent k before n

knee
knack
knead

6. Silent g before n

align
sign
gnarl
gnash
deign
feign
gnome
gnaw
7. Silent g before m

phlegm
diaphragm
paradigm

8. Silent h

myrrh
my
ghetto
khaki
honest
loofah
ghost
spaghetti

9. Silent / before d, f, v, k, and m

could
half
balm
talk
should
halves
palm
folk

10. Silent n after m

autumn
column
hymn

11. Silent sin words of French origin

aisle
apropos
chassis
debris

12. Silent in the endings -sten and -stle

castle
fasten
hasten
rustle

13. Silent w before h or r

who
whose
whole
wreck
wrench
wrap
wrangle
wrestle

14. Silent x at the end of words of French origin

chateaux
grand
prix

15. Silent p before b, n, s, and t

cupboard
psychology
pneumonia
pterosaur

Remember the spelling of the words with a silent letter.

Writing a speech for debate

When we are asked to defend our opinion on an issue, we practice the art of persuasion. We persuade people to
accept our ideas and opinions. In other words, we are building an argument. With our argument, we can
influence other people to think the way we perceive things related to an issue and to take the same stand we
have.

Those who can deliver the most logical and sophisticated arguments are most likely to influence other people.
Basically, using logical and sophisticated arguments requires a lot of preparation and strategy.