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On this shelf sit tasks that you could do to improve your writing.
Required: refer to a previous essay you have written.

Purple tasks - about FORM

Yellow tasks - about CONTENT

Blue tasks - about CRAFT

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On this shelf sit resources that illuminate the idea of 'in service of nation and community'

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On this shelf sits

1. Resources to go to for a reminder of prior learning.

2. Information on consultations with your teacher (may be posted in Google Classroom instead / as well)

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1. This ArgueGoWhere menu is the library from which you draw resources for your learning. This will mostly take place during HBL though some resources might be used during lesson time / as homework.

2. Click on the image below for information on how this library is organised, and how to use it.

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Inspired by the Goddess of wisdom and intelligent warfare...

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Inspired by the Goddess of wisdom and intelligent warfare...

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On this shelf sit resources that discuss gender, sexism, and feminism.

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Struggle 1: reader cannot trace your argument

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Struggle 1: reader cannot trace your argument

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1. Identify (use a highlighter) your thesis statement, claims, counter claim, rebuttal.

2. If you cannot find any one of these, write it down.

3. If you think you have identified all, do this: study the highlighted parts. Do they connect to make an argument? Which one would you rewrite so that your argument can be traced?

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31 Oct 2019, by Amelia TENG. Task: read; look up meaning of words and phrases that you wonder about. Your EL teacher will give you further instructions in class.

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A quick reference for the concepts in this unit:

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In rhetoric, an argument is a course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood. In composition, argument is one of the traditional modes of discourse. Adjective: argumentative.

The Use of Argument in Rhetoric

Daniel J. O'Keefe, a professor of communication and persuasion theory, has distinguished two senses of argument. Put simply, "Argument₁, the first sense, is a thing people make, as when an editorialist argues that some public policy is wrong. Argument₂ is a kind of interaction people have, as when two friends argue about where to have lunch. So argument₁ comes close to the ancient rhetorical notion of argument, while argument₂ legitimates the modern interactional research" (quoted by Dale Hample in "A Third Perspective on Argument." Philosophy and Rhetoric, 1985).

Rhetorical Argument and Context

An argument field is a subdivision of rhetorical argument as determined by context or subject matter. (See Toulmin Model.) (For the specialized use of this term in language studies, see Argument [Linguistics].)

Robert Benchley on Arguments

"Most of the arguments to which I am party fall somewhat short of being impressive, owing to the fact that neither I nor my opponent knows what we are talking about." (Robert Benchley)

Kinds of Arguments

"Argument, in its most basic form, can be described as a claim (the arguer's position on a controversial issue) which is supported by reasons and evidence to make the claim convincing to an audience. All of the forms of argument described below include these components.

1. Debate, with participants on both sides trying to win.

2. Courtroom argument, with lawyers pleading before a judge and jury.

3. Dialectic, with people taking opposing views and finally resolving the conflict.

4. Single-perspective argument, with one person arguing to convince a mass audience.

5. One-on-one everyday argument, with one person trying to convince another.

6. Academic inquiry, with one or more people examining a complicated issue.

7. Negotiation, with two or more people working to reach consensus.

8. Internal argument, or working to convince yourself. (Nancy C. Wood, Perspectives on Argument. Pearson, 2004)

General Rules for Composing a Short Argument

1. Distinguish premises and conclusion
2. Present your ideas in natural order
3. Start from reliable premises
4. Be concrete and concise
5. Avoid loaded language
6. Use consistent terms
7. Stick to one meaning for each term​ (Adapted from A Rulebook for Arguments, 3rd ed., by Anthony Weston. Hackett, 2000)

Adapting Arguments to an Audience

"The goals of clarity, propriety, and persuasiveness dictate that we adapt our arguments, as well as the language in which they are cast, to an audience. Even a well-constructed argument may fail to convince if it is not adapted to your actual audience."(James A. Herrick, Argumentation: Understanding and Shaping Arguments, 3rd ed. Strata, 2007)

The Lighter Side of Argument: The Argument Clinic

Patron: I came here for a good argument.
Sparring Partner: No, you didn't. You came here for an argument.
Patron: Well, an argument is not the same as contradiction.
Sparring Partner: Can be . . .
Patron: No, it can't. An argument is a connected series of statements to establish a definite proposition.
Sparring Partner: No it isn't.
Patron: Yes it is. It isn't just contradiction.
Sparring Partner: Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position.
Patron: But it isn't just saying "no it isn't."
Sparring Partner: Yes it is.
Patron: No it isn't! An argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gain-saying of anything the other person says.
Sparring Partner: No it isn't. (Michael Palin and John Cleese in "The Argument Clinic." Monty Python's Flying Circus, 1972)

Etymology
From the Latin, "to make clear"

Pronunciation: ARE-gyu-ment

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In rhetoric, an argument is a course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood and is considered a traditional mode of discourse.

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Each resource is colour-coded to indicate its difficulty level. Click on the image below for details.

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16 Aug 2019, by Charlize TAN
Task: Trace Tan's argument

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The sirens sounded for the final showdown. My eyes scanned the play area for my opponent, my finger glued to the trigger of my gun. Out of the blue, a head popped out from the side. My heart skipped a beat before I fired away. It was a clear headshot.

The words: "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" flashed before me in gold followed by a #1/100 to show my ranking. I was the champion of this round of PlayerUnknown Battleground, a popular multiplayer game amongst teenagers.

"Hey, not bad for a girl."

"Wow, lucky kill."

"Haha, that guy really messed up."

Hearing all these comments from my male teammates in the game session, my zeal and pride quickly plunged, replaced by a burning feeling of indignation.

They might have said so in jest, but their words were demeaning to me and my gaming ability. So what if I am a female player? I had won the game fair and square.

In the heat of the moment, I logged out of the game without even bidding my friends goodbye.

How dare they look down on me? Being a female player does not make me any lesser or weaker than any of them. If I had been a guy, would they have said the same about my victory?

According to a yearly Entertainment Software Association report released in 2019, 46 per cent of gamers in the United States are women, and 22 per cent of female baby boomers have been playing for more than 25 years.

Despite the apparent gender parity, gender bias in game design and the community persists. Even in Singapore, my friends always express awe and shock by the fact that I, a female, have been an avid gamer since I was 10.

Thus, it is unsurprising that I, too, have encountered sexist comments countless times, ranging from doubts about my ability, concerns about a female player being a liability to the team to outright hitting on me, asking for my phone number.

It's funny how I can't recall any example of sexism outside my gaming circle. Why is sexism so prevalent in the gaming community when we are in a seemingly more equal society, especially with last year's #metoo movement?

Female characters in video games are often objectified and sexualised. They are often seen in scandalous outfits showing off their large breasts with slim figures, to make the game more attractive and interesting for male gamers.

Other than their beautiful and sexy appearance, there's really nothing praiseworthy of these characters, especially in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. They are often cast aside as side or supporting characters, or used as rewards and potential capture flags.

Furthermore, if you Google "career in video games, videogame designer or videogame developer" you get an overwhelming majority of images of men at a multi-screen desk setup.

One reason for this is that Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in educational institutions are still seen as male-dominated realms.

In her 2016 book Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level-Cap, 3D environmental artist Jane Ng illustrated her years of experience were often overlooked by the management compared with the male peers when it comes to salary and job advancements.

She also noticed how "well-meaning professionals could still perpetuate a sexist culture where women were continuously put through trials to prove their worth ..."

Due to this widespread sexism, girls who game prefer to hide their gender because of the fact that they will just get discriminated against and degraded by their male counterparts, and that is just upsetting to see. I am no exception.

There is no point in dealing with the unnecessary prejudice, and I could just get on with the game, the beauty of being in an online game where I could hide behind the cloak of the Internet.

Women face roughly three times more harassment than men when playing online, according to researchers at Ohio University.

This phenomenon is worsened by an app called "Twitch", which is used to stream gaming sessions. In a case of self-sabotage, many female gamers expose themselves on camera, dressed up in exposing outfits, showing off their cleavage and engaging in inappropriate acts to entice male players.

These female gamers do this as a form of living, but the practice does not help legitimate female gamers and streamers.

"A lot of people try to make flirty conversation whenever they find out I'm a female gamer, and ask for my personal details, like Facebook or Skype," says Hayley W, an avid gamer.

Hence, I hope all gamers, both male or female, to please do away with all these gender stereotypes and stop their rude, degrading comments.

The next time I win a game, please don't attribute it to "good luck" or the fact that the male counterpart had "messed up." Such a condescending tone is uncalled for and unwelcome.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Charlize Tan is a junior college student who has been beating guys at computer games since the age of 10.

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Gen Y Speaks: There's no place for sexism in gaming

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Gender bias in game design and the gaming community persists. Even in Singapore, my friends always express awe and shock by the fact that I, a female, have been an avid gamer since I was 10.

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Struggle 2: You did not write a  thesis statement OR you 'implied' one somewhere

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Struggle 2: You did not write a  thesis statement OR you 'implied' one somewhere

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Rewrite the parts of your essay where you were implicit (thesis AND all parts that were vague or implicit). Now be explicit. Your goal: idiot-proof your writing for the overworked assessor who is trying to give you some marks wherever he / she can.

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29 Dec 2019, by Stephanie YEAP. Task: see Task under 'GenY at work 2'.

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By this time, I had done a few hospital attachments and read multiple books (mostly by American surgeon Atul Gawande) about the medical field.

With fresh eyes I saw Medicine as a delicate balance of science and the arts - the objective anatomy versus subjective humanity of patients, and was intrigued by a doctor's role of healing both the physical and metaphorical heart.

LOVE

Medical school taught us the science of disease, how to wield scalpel and suture, but caring for patients was not something that could be technically learned.

Music then showed me a profound way of reaching out to others and showing love.

These came in the form of teaching ukulele to underprivileged children; or sharing my story with a boy in the Institute of Mental Health, who had attempted suicide because his parents didn't believe in him or his music, among many other instances.

In my second year of medical school, I joined a band formed by the National University Centre for Organ Transplant.

Here, music brought people from all ages and backgrounds together - we had a taxi driver (and kidney transplant recipient) as a vocalist, a liver transplant surgeon as a keyboardist, and other patients, administrative staff, nurses and medical students as instrumentalists.

At one of our shows in the National University Hospital, a frail man showed up out of nowhere armed with a bevy of percussion instruments. He had bongo drums, tambourines, a Malay kompang, a metal bell rattle and more, and he sat in the centre of this circle of drums next to our instruments.

He tapped away contentedly at his multitude of instruments as we played, despite never having been to a single practice. When the show ended, most of us hardly acknowledged him.

His son approached us and thanked us for allowing him to join our performance, saying that his father (also a kidney transplant recipient) used to play percussion for prominent orchestras and bands, and hadn't been able to make much music recently due to his ailing health.

A few months later, we received news that the man had passed on. His son contacted us to tell us that that performance was one of the happiest moments in his last days, which his family could rejoice with him in.

Despite not knowing any of the songs we played that day, the music filled his soul and gave him joy, and reached out to him in an inexplicable way.

Among the throngs of audiences we've played for, and the different patients and individuals I've met through the band, I could never forget the wide smile on that man's wrinkled face.

IDENTITY

Though there were many times I had considered giving up playing music to focus on my studies, I've come to realise that grades alone don't make someone a good doctor, but who you are as a person - a human being relating to another human being in need.

As a person, music has helped me tell stories about the world around me, in work and in life.

What started as a love for literature and a shy foray into poetry has grown into an album of songs about medicine, love, life and death - this Extended Play (EP) of my original songs was released on Spotify in mid-2019.

For instance, "Emergency Room" was about my grandfather, and how closely his life and death were intertwined with my experience as a medical student.

When people hear it, they tell me it reminds them of their late grandparents, or remembering grief in goodbyes.

Journeying with music and medicine has shown me that you are not defined by your day job.

You may be a singer-songwriter who's also an entrepreneur for social causes, or an accountant who's an ardent filmmaker; or even like the taxi driver in our band who's also a passionate singer.

As Singaporeans we're beginning to shed the chrysalis of traditional expectations (and limitations) of our jobs, and emerge as unique individuals with original talents.

Moving forward, I want to continue working with music and medicine intertwined, be it as therapy for patients, or simply as a creative outlet to portray the individual lives I meet as a doctor.

I count myself incredibly blessed to be where I am today, and wish to see others' lives touched by the concurrent healing of song and medicine.

More importantly, I hope to inspire you to dream big, so you can be who you want to be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stephanie Yeap is a junior doctor in Singapore, currently working as a house officer in a public hospital. She is also a singer-songwriter who has been highlighted as one of "Singapore's Top Acts" on Spotify, and recognised on official Apple Music playlist's "The A-List: Singapore Music" with music from her debut album "Most of All".

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Gen Y Speaks: I am a doctor. I am also an artiste on Spotify

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I am a junior doctor in Singapore, currently working as a house officer in a public hospital.

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SLS Lesson: Claim, Counter Claim, Rebuttal

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SLS Lesson: Claim, Counter Claim, Rebuttal

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Log in to SLS for the lesson where the above concepts are explained and illustrated

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Learn with goals in mind. Click on the image below for details.
After which, make use of the Learning Goal Log (link in Google Classroom) to track your journey, as well as to allow your teacher to monitor your progress:

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25 Aug 2019, WONG An Jie responds to Charlize Tan
Task:

1. What expressions does Wong use to refer to a claim(s) by Tan?

2. What expressions does Wong use to communicate that he is giving a rebuttal?

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Charlize Tan's short and incisive commentary laments sexism in video gaming culture. From her gaming experience of receiving sexist comments, she makes two main accusations towards the gaming community and industry as a whole.

She first claims that video games tend to be sexist since female characters are often sexually objectified and relegated to supporting roles. Next, she argues that despite making up almost half of all gamers, women face overwhelming discrimination within the gaming community.

Let us start with the more egregious claim, that video games are guilty of promoting, or at the very least, condoning misogynist beliefs through their representation of female characters.

"Female characters in video games are often objectified and sexualised. They are often seen in scandalous outfits showing off their large breasts with slim figures," Charlize wrote.

"Other than their beautiful and sexy appearance, there's really nothing praiseworthy of these characters...They are often cast aside as side or supporting characters or used as rewards and potential capture flags."

This is a gross misrepresentation of video gaming in general. Many critically acclaimed and best-selling video games feature female characters that are neither objectified nor sexualised while maintaining a healthy male fanbase; the Super Mario and Pokemon franchises are prominent examples.

What about games aimed at a more mature audience, where violence and sexual imagery are commonplace? Recent top grossing and award-winning games like The Last of Us, the Bioshock trilogy and the Halo saga not only do not sexualise their female characters but also place them in active roles alongside their male counterparts.

One stark omission in Charlize's commentary is her failure to point out that male characters are just as likely to be sexualised and objectified. This is often the case in fighting games such as the Street Fighter series, where the character designs have exaggerated features and physiques to emphasise their strength and skill.

While much has been said about Chun-Li's thighs, or Cammy being dressed in a green leotard, most people would hardly bat an eyelid towards the inhumanly muscular physiques of Zangief, Gill and Urien, dressed in mere undergarments to highlight their imposing figures.

Finally, sexualisation should not be assumed to be inherently derogatory, as it can promote empowerment rather than humiliation.

Bayonetta, the titular protagonist of the fast-paced Sega action series, was designed by Mari Shimazaki, a female employee at Platinum Games.

Although Bayonetta is a hypersexualised character, with her provocative poses and skin-tight outfit which vanishes whenever she casts a particularly powerful spell, Shimazaki has openly stated that she sees the character as a personal power fantasy and that these explicit expressions of sexuality are a creative choice on her part and not a stipulation made by her superiors.

The fact that thousands of women willingly dress up as these sexualised characters during cosplay conventions further proves this point. Surely all of them can't be in it for the money?

Charlize's second point is guilty of omitting a key nugget of information. While it is true that women do make up almost half of the gaming population, many of them are more likely to be casual gamers who prefer social or puzzle games.

According to a study done by Quantic Foundry, women make up the majority of gamers who play "Match-3" and "Family/Farm Simulation" games.

However, in the case of shooting games such as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, the very game mentioned by Charlize, women make up only about 4 to 7 per cent of gamers. This distinction is important as the female-dominated genres are less likely to be competition-driven, while the male-dominated genres often include games you would see being considered for E-Sports competitions.

It is not hard to see how the more competitive a game's community is, the more likely it is for one to be the victim of harassment or bullying, as each gamer would be focused on winning and proving their skill, and losses are perceived as a sign of inferiority.

The advantage of being anonymous during an online gaming session only exacerbates the situation, as the lack of repercussions gives certain individuals the audacity to behave in uncouth or abusive ways.

A quick search on YouTube would reveal years of video footage of gamers engaging in cyberbullying or harassment after losing a game, from accusing the other player of cheating to throwing racial epithets and making death threats.

Most of these bullies are male, but so are most of their victims. In comparison, the comments Charlize received were backhanded compliments at worst.

Of course, bullying and harassment should never be condoned, but this is not a gender-related issue. This is an unfortunate side-effect of the anonymity that is granted by the Internet. Regardless of one's gender, sexuality or race, one is seldom exempt from receiving a rant - sometimes profanity-laden - by the player you just defeated.

Sexism in gaming is no different from experiencing sexism in other aspects of life. It can never be fully eradicated, but it is mercifully uncommon.

Perhaps, instead of being angry at her teammates and seeing this as proof of systemic discrimination, Charlize could simply move on to the next game, where the attitudes of teammates may be more to her liking.

After all, as the common adage goes, it really is just a game.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wong An Jie, 25, has been an avid gamer since he was 7. He recently graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in English Literature.

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Gen Y Speaks: Who says sexism is prevalent in gaming?

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Charlize Tan's short and incisive commentary laments sexism in video gaming culture. From her gaming experience of receiving sexist comments, she makes two main accusations towards the gaming community and industry as a whole.

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Struggle 3: Counter claim tends to be very thin

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Struggle 3: Counter claim tends to be very thin

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As thin as one line: 'Some people would disagree.'
Rewrite by making conscious rhetorical moves, ie.

1. Concede

2. Write one to two sentences to explain why your concession has basis

3. Move to rebuttal

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28 Apr 2019, by Perry KWAN. Task:

1. Read GenY at work 1 and 2

2. You are given the claim, 'Young people can act in service of the community'. Develop this claim, complete with reason and evidence using these two essays. Use your own words as far as possible, and write to illustrate the given claim unambiguously.

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It has almost been two weeks since I last retrieved my wallet from my backpack. Even when I head out with family and friends, I have been increasingly paying for my various expenses with a quick and convenient tap of my mobile phone.

I am proud of the progress that we have made as a community towards e-payments.

Truth be told, I had my initial reservations about cashless payments. I was concerned about the potential security compromises that may arise from integrating my debit card with my phone, or granting different mobile applications access to my bank account.

It was not until I wanted to pay my friends for my share of dinner without having to dig for coins that I decided to give cashless payments a try. Since then, I have grown to appreciate the ease, convenience and security that e-payments bring.

Having said that, my user experience with cashless payments has not always been smooth-sailing. It took me some time and some reading up before I understood the various terminologies within the e-payment landscape.

There were also occasions where I had to source for alternatives after realising that I had no cash on hand and the store that I patronised did not accept cashless payments.

Hence, I believe that there are still areas that Singapore can work on to establish cashless payments as a mainstream and widely-accepted form of payment.
First, make cashless payments more accessible.
During the weekends, I often accompany my parents to different wet markets, where cash remains the sole means of payment.

However, I believe that wet markets are one of the key areas where cashless payments should be implemented - particularly due to hygiene and convenience factors. Money that passes through wet markets have large amount of bacteria that may cause minor ailments as they are passed from one person to another.

From a convenience perspective, we often carry a lot of groceries as we make our way through the stalls in the wet market. This makes it cumbersome to retrieve notes from our wallets to make payment.

Aside from wet markets, I think that we should expand cashless payments to small-value shops. These include the sundry or mamak shops located at the void decks of our Housing and Development Board flats and the small bakeries found in the heartlands and shopping malls, amongst others.

Many of us probably take the opportunity of visiting these small-value shops to clear our wallets of coins, sometimes at the expense of the queue behind us. Therefore, I believe that we may further encourage adoption of e-payments amongst consumers by implementing it in areas where its benefits will be more keenly felt.
Second, make cashless payments more understandable.
A few months back, I was out shopping with my mother on a Friday evening. She was intrigued by the fact that I could make payment with a tap of my phone.

When I offered to set up her credit card on her phone, she was apprehensive because she lacked an understanding of cashless payments.

I recall that my father had similar initial reservations as he tried but failed to make payment using PayNow. It was only later that he realised that the payment mobile application that he has supports digital wallets but not PayNow.

The interactions with my parents made me realise the importance of educating consumers on the basic framework of e-payments - which I would summarise into two key learning points.

1. We should raise consumer awareness about the different payment systems available - namely PayNow, digital wallets and contactless credit cards. The former two deserve more attention as they are new modes of payment amongst consumers.

2. We should inform consumers of the distinction between payment systems such as PayNow, digital wallets and the various payment mobile applications like Grabpay, Favepay. This is important in order to cultivate a culture where retailers and consumers can converse using these terms seamlessly to facilitate e-payment transactions.

A recent positive development is the launch in September of the SGQR which consolidates various payment methods to facilitate transactions between retailers and consumers.

Nonetheless, it is still critical for consumers to gain an understanding of various e-payment systems in order to become adept and confident users of such systems.
Third, make cashless payments more experiential
Fast forward to today, my mother now enjoys the convenience of paying with her mobile phone. Whilst the knowledge was important, she would not have embarked on using e-payments if my siblings and I were not there to guide her on her first hands-on experience.

With this in mind, I think that youths play an important role to share their know-hows about e-payments with the older generation both at home and within their communities.

At the same time, we should transform the traditional format of our roadshows where we educate consumers primarily based on verbal explanations.

Instead, we should launch more roadshows that enable consumers to experience cashless payments through activities and games within a safe environment.

For cashless payments to take off in Singapore, I believe that we require the concerted effort of all stakeholders.

We need the merchants to offer e-payments as a mode of transaction, the regulators to educate consumers on the know-hows of e-payments, and consumers to take that first step towards being e-payment users.

As we make further collective strides towards being a cashless society, it is important nonetheless to be mindful of our spending - particularly since we "skip" the step of physically exchanging money during transactions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Perry Kwan Kin Hoh is a third-year student at Singapore Management University's School of Accountancy and a student trainer in the Citi-SMU Financial Literacy Programme for Young Adults. Launched in 2012, the programme aims to equip those aged 17 to 30 with essential personal finance knowledge and skills to give them a firm foundation in managing their finances.

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Gen Y Speaks: 3 suggestions for S'pore's push towards a cashless society

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It has almost been two weeks since I last retrieved my wallet from my backpack. Even when I head out with family and friends, I have been increasingly paying for my various expenses with a quick and convenient tap of my mobile phone.

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Log in to SLS for the lesson on what is expected of an introduction

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Download the attached template when you respond to a task.

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8 Mar 2020, by Raquel CARVALHO
Tasks:

1. Learn from the experience of women whose life may be different from yours or perhaps similar.

2. Apply learning 1. You are given the claim, 'This may be the twenty-first century, but women continue to be bullied.' Develop this claim,  using at least two women's experience as evidence. Do not just copy from this resource. Use your own words as far as possible, and write to illustrate the given claim unambiguously.

3. Apply learning 2. Given another claim: 'Things are beginning to change. Women have started to act for themselves.' Develop this claim, using at least two women's experience as evidence. Use your own words as far as possible, and write to illustrate the given claim unambiguously.

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Struggle 4: Evidence used is outdated, or non-existent

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Struggle 4: Evidence used is outdated, or non-existent

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Your crimes: (i) your main idea is explained, but much of the discussion is in the air, seeming to lack real world relevance. (ii) e.g. you, and thousands before you, insist the light bulb is the best example of advancement in science and technology. FYI: the light bulb is as old as RGS; it has by now dimmed from overuse by S'pore candidates!

1. Rewrite a content paragraph where there was no example, or perhaps the use of a cliche example. Use examples you have come across in the ArgueGoWhere library.

2. Does your newly chosen piece of evidence fulfil the criterion of relevance? Or scope?

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30 Sep 2018, by WONG Wing Lum
Task: see Task description under 'Love SG 2'.

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Before I left for my exchange programme in Germany earlier this year, my mother said to me: "I hope you find it in your heart to return home."

Intended as a joke, she hinted that I would love it so much in Europe that I wouldn't want to come back home.

There might have been some truth to her words.

Back then, to me, Europe had everything that Singapore lacked. In particular, it had a less stressful learning environment and a slower pace of life.

I rarely express any discontent with living in Singapore. Like most Singaporeans, I know how far this country has come in the last five decades.

But as I watch Singapore reach greater heights, I have felt this home slowly growing distant. While pursuing progress and pragmatism, we seem to have created a competitive society focused on results and bottom lines. Other passions and dreams, especially those that might not reward economically, are often put aside.

Growing up here, I often wonder if my worth to society is determined solely by a few grades on a certificate. Home should not feel like this, I thought.

I wonder if other Singaporeans are becoming less rooted, physically and emotionally, to our country.

According to population statistics, the number of Singaporeans living overseas has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past decade. The 2017 World Economic Forum survey also found that seven in 10 Singaporean millennials were willing to leave Singapore for job opportunities overseas.

An example is 25-year-old Gladys Seah. What started out as a journey to complete her undergraduate degree with RMIT University led to an extended stay and decision to work in Melbourne.

"Many Singaporeans work for most of their lives just to pay off debt," she said. It has been two years since Ms Seah relocated, and she has no intention of returning home.

The associate private client advisor also said that a good work-life balance is difficult to achieve because of the city state's fast-paced lifestyle. Furthermore, the high costs of owning a car and housing contributed to her worries.

Over in Munich, my Singaporean friends always responded with negative comments when foreigners asked about Singapore. My friends lamented that Singapore was boring, the cost of living was high and life was stressful because of the high education standards.

Some even thought that quiet racism was lurking just under the surface, despite the country's efforts to forge multiracialism over the years.

While I did not agree with them, I never rebutted them because I have never identified myself as being patriotic or seen the need to defend my country's name.

Yet, clearly, their condemnations of Singapore sit uneasily with me.

Most of my peers think that Singapore's security and good food are the only aspects worth bragging about to foreigners. Apart from that, they say, there is little reason to praise home.

A module on nationalism that I took while on exchange in Munich got me thinking hard about patriotism.

I learnt that being patriotic is more than hanging flags during National Day or watching the National Day Parade.

To me, patriotism is about being proud of a country's traditions and cultures, as well as having a desire to act in the interest of your country.

In good times, it creates a sense of solidarity. In bad times, it glues people together to overcome obstacles.

While exploring the Baltic states earlier this year, I was moved by the sacrifices made by the partisans who had fought for their countries' independence from the Soviet Union since 1944.

They gained independence only five decades later, and almost half of the resistance movement died in their quest for freedom. To them, their country was worth them fighting and dying for.

Maybe this power can only be tested in great adversity, which Singaporeans have had the fortune of largely avoiding since independence.

Despite this, continued peace is not guaranteed. If war ever breaks out in Singapore, I wonder how many of us would be willing to do the same for our country.

Social studies, a mandatory subject taught in our primary and secondary schools, teaches students about our national heritage and multicultural society, and helps them better understand local policies.

While education is a great place to nurture this appreciation, more can be done at a national level to cultivate national pride in Singapore.

A good example is this year's National Day Parade, which, compared to previous years, adopted a more genuine approach in re-telling Singapore's narrative.

The performance featured stories of everyday Singaporeans and their struggles with high societal standards and expectations. Despite the hardships, they chose to embrace the imperfections of the Singapore identity.

This honesty spoke to the hearts of citizens, including myself, igniting a sense of rapport that I had not felt in a long time.

I came to the realisation that ultimately, change must begin with me.

For a start, I can make a conscious effort to look at my country more positively. For example, instead of harping on the fact that the education system is too stressful, I can focus on how it better prepares me for the pressures that I will inevitably face in the workplace.

I can also be a good ambassador of my homeland the next time I am abroad, ready to highlight the many things about my country that I am proud of and grateful for.

These include the peaceful co- existence of people from different races and religions, a strong education system, and Singlish.

We need to learn to embrace our nation as it is. After all, this is the place that our forefathers built.

One day, if I have the privilege of meeting those friends in Munich again, I will proudly tell them how wrong our descriptions of Singapore were.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wong Wing Lum is a third-year student at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University. This is adapted from a piece which first appeared in Nanyang Chronicle, the university newspaper.

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Gen Y Speaks: Learning to love Singapore again

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Before I left for my exchange programme in Germany earlier this year, my mother said to me: "I hope you find it in your heart to return home." Intended as a joke, she hinted that I would love it so much in Europe that I wouldn't want to come back home.

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15 July 2019, by Carmine GALLO
Read for

1. Reminders of Y2 EL learning: ethos, logos, pathos

2. New learning: metaphor, brevity

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Ideas are the currency of the twenty-first century. The ability to persuade, to change hearts and minds, is perhaps the single greatest skill that will give you a competitive edge in the knowledge economy - an age where ideas matter more than ever.

Some economists believe that persuasion is responsible for generating one-quarter or more of America's total national income. As our economy has evolved from an agrarian to an industrial to a knowledge-based one, successful people in nearly every profession have become those capable of convincing others to take action on their ideas. Think about the role of persuasion in our daily lives:

Entrepreneurs persuade investors to back their startups.

Job candidates persuade recruiters to hire them.

Politicians persuade people to vote for them.

Leaders persuade employees to take specific plans of action.

CEOs persuade analysts to write favorable reports about their companies.

Salespeople persuade customers to choose their product over a competitor's offering.

In short, persuasion is no longer a "soft skill"- it is a fundamental skill that can help you attract investors, sell products, build brands, inspire teams, and trigger movements. Persuasion is so important to billionaire Warren Buffett that the only diploma he proudly displays in his office is a public-speaking certificate from a Dale Carnegie course. He once told business students that improving their communication skills would boost their professional value by 50% - instantly.

Words and ideas created the modern world, and words and ideas have the potential to make you a star in your field, as long as you can persuade someone else to act on them. Following the tactics of one ancient Greek philosopher can help.

More than 2,000 years ago Aristotle outlined a formula on how to master the art of persuasion in his work . Many great communicators have used it throughout the ages to deliver some of the most influential speeches, presentations, and share their ideas with the world.

To become a master of persuasion yourself and successfully sell your own ideas, try using these five rhetorical devices that Aristotle identified in your next speech or presentation:

1) Ethos or "Character"

To me, ethos represents the part of a speech or presentation when your audience gains some insight into your credibility. Aristotle believed that if a speaker's actions didn't back their words, they would lose credibility, and ultimately, weaken their argument.

For example, in a now famous TED Talk on reforming the criminal justice system, Human Rights Attorney Bryan Stevenson begins, "I spend most of my time in jails, in prisons, on death row. I spend most of my time in very low-income communities in the projects and places where there's a great deal of hopelessness." You'll notice that Stevenson does not list his degrees, accomplishments, and awards like he might on a résumé. Instead, he establishes his character for those in the audience who don't know him. By doing so, he is building a sense of trust between himself and his listeners.

As humans, we are hardwired to search for reasons to trust another person, and we do so quickly. After all, our ancestors had an instant to determine whether a stranger was friend or foe. A simple reminder that you are committed to the welfare of others will build your credibility before you lay out your argument.

2) Logos or "Reason"

Once ethos is established, it's time to make a logical appeal to reason. Why should your audience care about your idea? If it will save your audience money, for example, they'll want to know how much it will save them and how the savings will be accomplished. The same reasoning applies to making money. How will your idea help your listeners earn a profit? What steps do they have to take next? These are all logical appeals that will help you gain support. Use data, evidence, and facts to form a rational argument.

3) Pathos or "Emotion"

According to Aristotle, persuasion cannot occur in the absence of emotion. People are moved to action by how a speaker makes them feel. Aristotle believed the best way to transfer emotion from one person to another is through the rhetorical device of storytelling. More than 2,000 years later, neuroscientists have found his thesis accurate. Studies have found that narratives trigger a rush of neurochemicals in the brain, notably oxytocin, the " moral molecule " that connects people on a deeper, emotional level.

In my analysis of 500 of the most popular TED Talks of all time, I found that stories made up 65% of the average speaker's talk, wheres 25% went to logos, and 10% went to ethos. In other words, the winning formula for a popular TED talk is to wrap the big idea in a story.

What kind of story? TED curator, Chris Anderson, explains, "The stories that can generate the best connection are stories about you personally or about people close to you. Tales of failure, awkwardness, misfortune, danger or disaster, told authentically, hastens deep engagement." The most personal content is the most relatable.

4) Metaphor

Aristotle believed that metaphor gives language its verbal beauty. "To be a master of metaphor is the greatest thing by far," he wrote. When you use a metaphor or analogy to compare a new idea to something that is familiar to your audience, it clarifies your idea by turning the abstract into something concrete.

Let's return to the example of Warren Buffett, one of the savviest practitioners of persuasion. Buffett rarely gives an interview without using metaphor to make his point. When you hear investors say they look for companies surrounded by a moat, for example, it's a reference to a popular metaphor he established. Buffett has said repeatedly that he looks for companies that are "economic castles" surrounded by moats that make it hard for competitors to enter the industry.

More recently, Buffett gave a speech at the 2017 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting, stating that the growth in healthcare spending is the "tapeworm" of the American economy. Through this visceral metaphor, Warren accurately described a serious problem eating away at the foundation of our economic system. Buffett didn't have to explain what happens when the tapeworm grows bigger. Newspapers and blogs covering the event used "tapeworm" in their headlines.

Those who master the metaphor have the ability to turn words into images that help others gain a clearer understanding of their ideas - but more importantly, remember and share them. It is a powerful tool to have.

5) Brevity

Here again, Aristotle was ahead of his time. "Aristotle had discovered that there are fairly universal limits to the amount of information which any human can absorb and retain," writes Kings College professor Edith Hall in Aristotle's Way. "When it comes to persuasion, less is always more."

Brevity is a crucial element in making a persuasive speech. An argument, Aristotle said, should be expressed "as compactly and in as few words as possible." He also observed that the opening of a person's speech is the most important since "attention slackens everywhere else rather than at the beginning." The lesson here is: start with your strongest point.

The good news for communicators is that Aristotle believed that persuasion can be learned. In fact, according to Hall, he was viewed as "quite threatening" to the political class in ancient Greece when he made the tools of rhetoric available to the masses. They wanted to keep the formula a closely held secret. But Aristotle wanted everyone to have access to it. He championed the idea that a person's ability to speak and write well, and to use rhetorical devices to change another's perspective, could unleash human potential and maximize happiness. While the tools we use to communicate ideas have changed in the past two thousand years, the human brain has not. The same formula that worked then will work now.

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The Art of Persuasion Hasn't Changed in 2,000 Years

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More than 2,000 years ago Aristotle outlined a formula on how to become a master of persuasion in his work Rhetoric. To successfully sell your next idea, try using these five rhetorical devices that he identified in your next speech or presentation: The first is egos or "character."

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Says Malaysia's women's affairs ministry, March 2020
Task: Read for information

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Struggle 5: A single example dominates a content para

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Struggle 5: A single example dominates a content para

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Your crime: you have mistaken an example for an idea.
Task: Rewrite the paragraph. Start with the main idea and explain it before you bring in an example. Limit your writing about this example to two sentences.

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07 Oct 2018, by NG Qi Siang responds to WONG Wing Lum.
Tasks:

1. Read the discourse between Wong and Ng.

2. In what way(s) does Ng agree with Wong?

3. In what way(s) does Ng disagree with Wong?

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What does it mean to love Singapore?

Nanyang Technological University undergraduate Wong Wing Lum argued in a commentary that it is to embrace the country as it is, and to try to look at it positively instead of complaining about its flaws and deficiencies to foreigners.

To do so would be unpatriotic, she argued, for it not only would represent a lack of gratefulness for the privileged lives we live as Singaporeans, but also would risk damaging the reputation of our nation overseas.

Miss Wong's sentiments troubled me greatly. On the one hand, I agree with her that we should appreciate the fact that we live in a wealthy, developed country like Singapore.

We have made significant progress in our 50 years of independence to become an important global city - a miraculous achievement that we should rightly be proud of.

On the other hand, patriotic feelings should not be mutually exclusive with acknowledging and critiquing Singapore's flaws.

While there is some truth to our late former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's claim that Singaporeans are "champion grumblers", it is undeniable that Singapore, for all its success, is far from a perfect country.

Development has brought its own set of challenges that our country must urgently grapple with in the years to come.

Singapore's socio-economic inequality, with a high Gini coefficient of 0.459 before taking into account Government transfers and taxes, is an example.

While policies such as the Workfare Income Supplement and Medishield Life have gone some way towards making our economy more redistributive, more needs to be done to arrest this problem.

Associate Professor Teo You Yenn's book, This is What Inequality Looks Like, viscerally highlights the insecurity and despair that some poor Singaporeans face on a daily basis, forcing us to confront the significant social costs that inequality places on Singapore society.

Singapore boasts a quality education system that regularly tops the Pisa rankings.

Yet (as Ms Wong acknowledges) the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development which conducts the Pisa tests also found that 86 per cent of students grapple with anxiety over their grades in school.

Many policies have been tried over the past decade to ameliorate this problem, yet none has proven completely effective in overcoming negative societal attitudes that encourage a toxic "kiasu" mentality towards education.

Loving one's country means to desire its continual improvement over time, necessitating that we never rest on our laurels in building a more inclusive and prosperous Singapore.

To ensure our continual progress as a nation, we must never become too smug about our achievements and congratulate ourselves that we inhabit the best of all possible worlds.

Progress requires a frank acknowledgement of weaknesses and continual innovation to find new ways to overcome these challenges.

If, on the other hand, we believe that Singapore has "arrived" as a country with little to learn from the world, we risk falling into complacency and overconfidence.

We should take care not to become so obsessed with protecting past achievements that we stop believing in future possibilities.

Such an attitude risks closing our minds to technological innovations and global best practices, potentially leading to socio-economic stagnation.

I experienced this first hand while in London on exchange earlier this year.

Visiting a street market, I found that every stall had installed portable e-payment devices to allow cashless payment.

A stall owner I spoke to expressed surprise that a top global financial centre like Singapore had not yet surpassed the United Kingdom in terms of this technology despite investing heavily in its IT sector.

The moral of the story is this: Singapore cannot take its success for granted.

The world is catching up with us and contentment with the status-quo will eventually cause us to fall behind in an increasingly competitive and disrupted global economy.

Singaporeans must adopt what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong calls an attitude of "divine discontent", to "always not be satisfied with what we have, always driven to do better", engaging in a never-ending process of self-critique to work towards overcoming our deficiencies to become better as a country.

Refusing to admit the imperfections of one's country is arguably a sign of weakness.

Such an attitude betrays a lack of confidence in the body politic and a sense of insecurity in Singapore's future.

To frankly acknowledge one's deficiencies, on the other hand, is a sign of confidence in our country and its people: it signals a conviction that no matter the challenges that we may face in future, Singapore is strong enough to survive.

Singaporeans need not then restrict ourselves to only singing praises about our country. We should instead be objective in celebrating our achievements and acknowledging our weaknesses.

Only by adopting a spirit of humility and openness can Singapore hope to enjoy another half century of progress and prosperity in an increasingly uncertain future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ng Qi Siang is a fourth-year History major at Yale-NUS College.

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Gen Y Speaks: What does it mean to love Singapore?

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Singaporeans need not restrict ourselves to only singing praises about our country. We should instead be objective in celebrating our achievements and acknowledging our weaknesses.

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An activity where every class member can contribute....
1. Form a team of 4/5 and identify words associated with the key themes for this column using the resources.
2. Create 5 word challenges in reference to EU2, ranking them by difficulty (use and/or function).
3. Share your challenge with 2 other teams and complete the ones sent to you.
4. Rate the responses and give feedback.
5. Write a short reflection on what you have learnt in regard to how words expand and limit perspectives.

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Struggle 6: Content para has distracting details 

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Struggle 6: Content para has distracting details 

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Your crime: you leave the reader confused, OR thinking you have strayed from answering the Q. Tasks:

1. Read each sentence in your paragraph carefully. Highlight the sentences that detract from the focus of your topic sentence.

2. Rewrite the content para by deleting distracting details. Keep your eye on the question you have to answer, the stand you have chosen. Delete any detail that does not contribute to your stand.

3. After rewriting this para, check if it flows from the para before, and into the para after. If it does not, what adjustment would you make?

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13 Apr 2020.
Task: Think of an essay question for which you would use this lovely story as evidence.

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Coronavirus: 'Rice ATM' feeds Vietnam's poor amid lockdown

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HO CHI MINH CITY (REUTERS) - A Vietnamese entrepreneur in Ho Chi Minh City has invented a 24/7 automatic dispensing machine providing free rice for people out of work following an ongoing nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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25 Aug 2018, by Gemma ABBOTT. What has menstruation got to do with poverty? Tasks:

1. Trace Abbott's argument.

2. Make connection: which essay on this shelf does Abbott's  argument remind you of? Why?

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" I wrapped a sock around my underwear just to stop the bleeding, because I didn't want to get shouted at. And I wrapped a whole tissue roll around my underwear, just to keep my underwear dry until I got home. I once Sellotaped tissue to my underwear. I didn't know what else to do."

This was the quote, from a schoolgirl in Leeds, that stunned me into realising that young women in the UK were experiencing the trauma of period poverty. All women have faced the mess of an unexpectedly early period, but the idea that, for some, this was the bloody reality of every day of every period was profoundly upsetting; and galvanising.

I began donating period products to my local food bank and then, keen to have a greater impact, I became involved as a volunteer coordinator for the Red Box Project, whose aim is to ensure that no young woman goes without access to menstrual protection. The project uses donations from local communities to provide red boxes filled with period products and spare underwear to more than 750 schools across the UK and, before the holidays, this number was increasing by more than 100 each month.

Period poverty is prevalent. The latest research from children's charity Plan International UK reports that one in 10 young women (aged 14-21) have been unable to afford period products. In London, this number is closer to one in seven. Despite these statistics, and these miserable personal testaments, I have often been challenged on the need for our project. Most objections relate to cost; as it was put to me on a recent broadcast of the BBC's Sunday Politics London show: "Surely families can afford [a box of tampons for a pound or two]?". And it is true that some products are available cheaply. However, it is also true that not all products are suitable or accessible to everyone. Moreover, for many families, even the cheapest of products can be an expense too far. In Hackney, where I live and volunteer, more than 40% of children live in poverty. Food bank dependency increased by 24% last year. It is quite simple, really: if you can't afford food, you can't afford menstrual products.

And poverty is just one issue that may affect a person's access to period products. There are myriad social and cultural reasons why products might not be available at home, many of which are linked with the stifling stigma that persists around menstruation. At the Red Box Project, we don't ask why people need to use our boxes; we believe everyone deserves equal access to period products, whatever their situation.

In Scotland, vital steps are being taken to address these issues. In addition to its current pilot scheme to offer access to free period products to low-income families, the Scottish government announced last week it was becoming the first national government ever to provide free access to products in all schools, colleges and universities.

Progress is also being made in Wales, where the government allocated £1m earlier this year to address period poverty in communities and improve facilities in schools.

In England, we are being left behind. Yes, £1.5m from the "tampon tax fund" was pledged to the Brook project to address period poverty in England. But I cannot celebrate an allocation of pre-committed funds (raised from the injustice of VAT on menstrual products) to enable a charity simply to carry out its work. The government has said that period poverty is an issue for schools to tackle themselves, but at most schools I have visited to deliver red boxes, I have met staff who have been buying pupils period products with their own money. The responsibility to ensure that everyone can participate in their education lies with the government, not individual schools or teachers. The right to an education is a fundamental human right, which should be unencumbered by biology.

Almost 40 years have passed since Gloria Steinem contemplated what the world would look like if men menstruated. I'm willing to bet we wouldn't be having this conversation if they did. Because period poverty is not simply another facet of poverty: it is a reflection of a society ridden with gendered inequalities. And it is an insidious issue. It disenfranchises and disempowers, affecting access to education and to opportunity. So I call for our government to fund free, universal access to menstrual products, in schools and in our wider communities. Because, as it stands, its inaction on period poverty is a bloody disgrace.
Gemma Abbott is a volunteer coordinator for the Red Box project, a community-led initiative that aims to ensure that no young woman misses their education because of their period

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Many young women miss school because they cannot afford sanitary products. We need free, universal access to them

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Struggle 7: your thinking does not flow from one para to the next

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Struggle 7: your thinking does not flow from one para to the next

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Tasks:

1. Rewrite the opening of a para by using the words of the Q.

2. Rewrite the opening of a para by using the words of your thesis statement. Fear that you will sound repetitive? Never mind; do as instructed first. Then read your revised work to see if ‘flow’ has improved

3. Use appropriate connectors, although you need more than connectors to make thinking flow from one paragraph to the next.

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23 Mar 2020, by CHUA Mui Hoong
Tasks:

1. Does Chua begin with a hook? If yes, which hook strategy has she used?

2. Identify the thesis statement.

3. Chua offers three hard truths about S'pore. Pick ONE hard truth and analyse it for CLAIM, REASON, EVIDENCE

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Hard truths about Singapore made evident in pandemic

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It has been about two months since Singapore detected its first case of the coronavirus on Jan 23. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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2018, World Economic Forum discusses feminism
Tasks:

1. Read for vocabulary, eg. 'brutalisation'

2. Make connections: watch the clips of (a) Malala YOUSAFZAI, (b) Justin TRUDEAU. Identify the ideas they offer. Then find examples from resources on this shelf to illustrate Yousafzai's or Trudeau's ideas.

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Women&#x27;s role in both society and the workplace were one of the key themes in Davos this week. Nobel Prize winner Malala spoke about the importance of education for girls, Oxfam&#x27;s WinnieByanyima explained the need for women to acquire power whilst Justin Trudeau was empassioned about equality.

A panel, not a &#x27;manel&#x27;

In their introductory session, Chetna Sinha, Founder and Chair of the Mann Deshi Foundation said she is a voice for the fractured world, and called on financial access for everyone. She announced an alternative investment fund for female entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, called for action on gender equality. Education is the first step, making sure that girls take a full part in education.

The education of young men on the subject of women's rights is a crucial step to ending gender inequality, Malala said during her session in Davos.

"When we talk about feminism and women's rights, we're actually addressing men," she said.

" Men have a big role to play ... We have to teach young boys how to be men. In order to be a man you have to recognize that all women and all those around you have equal rights and that you are part of this movement for equality."
Inequality hits women hardest
According to a new Oxfam report released during the Annual Meeting, eighty two percent of the world&#x27;s wealth generated last year went to the richest 1% of the global population. That inequality, says Oxfam&#x27;s Winnie Byanyima, hits women harder than men

Across the world, women consistently earn less than men and are usually in the lowest paid and least secure forms of work. By comparison, 9 out of 10 billionaires are men.

In the Big Tech, Big Impact session, Ursula Burns, chairwoman of telecoms operator VEON, says that men must step up to solve the inequality problem.

Pulling no punches was Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who told Davos in his special address: It's time to put women first.

"I'm talking about hiring, promoting and retaining more women," he said. "Not because it's the right thing to do, or the nice thing to do, but because it's the smart thing to do."

He told company leaders to review leave policies, review benefits, promote women to senior positions, consider quotas and to be transparent on their numbers - to get the best from women in the workforce.

Alibaba founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma says he is trying to support women in his organisation, and believes women must have a meaningful place in the workplace. "Women balance-wise they're the best," he said during a Meet the Leader session. "If you want your company to be successful; if you want your company to operate with wisdom, with care, then women are the best.

"37% of senior management in Alibaba are women. Part of the &#x27;secret sauce&#x27; of our success is because we have so many women colleagues."

Bollywood mega-star Shah Rukh Khan started his participation at this year's Annual Meeting by receiving a Crystal Award for his work in championing women's and children's rights in India.

In a one on one session at the meeting he spoke powerfully about the need for change in the way women are treated in society: "A women is not allowed in a society to assert her choice... there are different ways and methods and levels of brutalization that men go to so that women don't assert their choice and this is the most brutal."

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'A panel not a manel', and other top gender quotes from Davos 2018

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Educating girls, pro-women policies, equality in the workplace - in Davos this week, world leaders and campaigners sought new ideas to solve gender equality.

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Write an essay plan in 10 mins. Choose one question.

1. Hashtag Activism such as (but not limited to) #MeToo and #OscarsSoWhite has little impact on real life. Do you agree?

2. Making skirts and pinafores a part of the school uniform perpetuates gendered expectations. Do you agree?

3. The movie 'Crazy Rich Asians' has harmed Singapore’s image on the global stage. Do you agree?

4. In Singapore, slippers should be an acceptable form of footwear for any occasion. Do you agree?

5. Teenagers should be stopped from using profanity. Do you agree?

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21 Jan 2020 by Bilahari KAUSIKAN
[Coming soon: Task]

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A ‘happy mistake’: Bilahari Kausikan on Singapore’s biggest foreign policy blunder

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The most important foreign policy decision we have ever taken was to join Malaysia. It was also the most serious foreign policy miscalculation we have ever made. In that apparent paradox lies the genesis of independent Singapore politics. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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31 Mar 2020, by Stefania GIANNINI.
Task: This essay is about you - the 16-year-old RGS student - and not about you. Do you agree? Write two paragraphs (maximum 300 words total) to support your stand.

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As COVID-19 forces school closures in 185 countries, Plan International and UNESCO warn of the potential for increased drop-out rates which will disproportionately affect adolescent girls, further entrench gender gaps in education and lead to increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy and early and forced marriage.
Out of the total population of students enrolled in education globally, UNESCO estimates that over 89% are currently out of school because of COVID-19 closures. This represents 1.54 billion children and youth enrolled in school or university, including nearly 743 million girls.

Over 111 million of these girls are living in the world's least developed countries where getting an education is already a struggle. These are contexts of extreme poverty, economic vulnerability and crisis where gender disparities in education are highest. In Mali, Niger and South Sudan - 3 countries with some of the lowest enrolment and completion rates for girls - closures have forced over 4 million girls out of school.

For girls living in refugee camps or who are internally displaced, school closures will be most devastating as they are already at a disadvantage. Refugee girls at secondary level are only half as likely to enrol as their male peers.

We are only beginning to understand the economic impacts of COVID-19, but they are expected to be widespread and devastating, particularly for women and girls. In the Global South, where limited social protection measures are in place, economic hardships caused by the crisis will have spill-over effects as families consider the financial and opportunity costs of educating their daughters.

While many girls will continue with their education once the school gates reopen, others will never return to school. Education responses must prioritize the needs of adolescent girls' at the risk of reversing 20 years of gains made for girls' education.
Lessons from the Ebola crisis "Schools are left empty as an abandoned nest. I am so sad. Being at school can help to protect girls from pregnancy and marriage. Many of my friends are getting pregnant and I realised some have been forced into early marriage." Christiana, 17, Sierra Leone (during the Ebola Crisis of 2014)
While the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented, we can look to the lessons learnt from the Ebola epidemic in Africa. At the height of the epidemic, 5 million children were affected by school closures across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, countries hardest hit by the outbreak. And poverty levels rose significantly as education was interrupted.

In many cases, school drop-outs were caused by an increase in domestic and caring responsibilities and a shift towards income generation. This means that girls' learning at home was limited, as shown by Plan International's analysis. In villages with established "girls' clubs" and existing sensitization efforts to promote girls' education, fewer girls experienced adverse effects and were more likely to continue their learning.

Several st udies found that the closure of schools increased girls vulnerability to physical and sexual abuse both by their peers and by older men, as girls were often are at home alone and unsupervised. Transactional sex was also widely reported as vulnerable girls and their families struggled to cover basic needs. As family breadwinners perished from Ebola and livelihoods were destroyed, many families chose to marry their daughters off, falsely hoping this would offer them protection.

In Sierra Leone, adolescent pregnancy increased by up to 65% in some communities during the Ebola crisis. In one study, most girls reported this increase was a direct result of being outside the protective environment provided by schools. Many of these girls never returned to the classroom, largely due to a recently revoked policy preventing pregnant girls from attending school.
Applying lessons learnt from Ebola to COVID-19
For girls like Christiana, who have lived or are living through a crisis, education is a lifeline, offering protection from violence and exploitation and providing them with skills and hope for a brighter future.

As governments prepare for indefinite school closures, policy makers and practitioners can look to lessons from past crises to address the specific challenges faced by girls. We therefore call on governments to protect progress made in favour of girls' education through these six gender-responsive, evidence-based and context-specific actions:

Leverage teachers and communities: Work closely with teachers, school staff and communities to ensure inclusive methods of distance learning are adopted and communicated to call for continued investments in girls' learning. Community sensitization on the importance of girls' education should continue as part of any distance learning programme.

Adopt appropriate distance learning practices: In contexts where digital solutions are less accessible, consider low-tech and gender-responsive approaches. Send reading and writing materials home and use radio and television broadcasts to reach the most marginalised. Ensure programme scheduling and learning structures are flexible and allow self-paced learning so as not to deter girls who often disproportionately shoulder the burden of care.

Consider the gender digital divide: In contexts where digital solutions to distance learning and internet is accessible, ensure that girls are trained with the necessary digital skills, including the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe online.

Safeguard vital services: Girls and the most vulnerable children and youth miss out on vital services when schools are closed, specifically school meals and social protection. Make schools access points for psychosocial support and food distribution, work across sectors to ensure alternative social services and deliver support over the phone, text or other forms of media.

Engage young people: Give space to youth, particularly girls, to shape the decisions made about their education. Include them in the development of strategies and policies around school closures and distance learning based on their experiences and needs.

Ensure return to school: Provide flexible learning approaches so that girls are not deterred from returning to school when they re-open. This includes pregnant girls and young mothers who often face stigma and discriminatory school re-entry laws that prevent them from accessing education. Allow automatic promotion and appropriate opportunities in admissions processes that recognise the particular challenges faced by girls. Catch-up courses and accelerated learning may be necessary for girls who return to school.

More information on UNESCO's response to the COVID-19 crisis.

More information on Plan International's response to the COVID-19 crisis
For UNESCO media enquiries please contact:
Cynthia Guttman
Email: &#67;&#46;&#71;&#117;&#116;&#116;&#109;&#97;&#110;&#64;&#117;&#110;&#101;&#115;&#99;&#111;&#46;&#111;&#114;&#103;
Phone: +33 1 45 68 08 56
For Plan International media enquiries please contact:
Miranda Atty, Global Press Officer
Email: &#109;&#105;&#114;&#97;&#110;&#100;&#97;&#46;&#97;&#116;&#116;&#121;&#64;&#112;&#108;&#97;&#110;&#45;&#105;&#110;&#116;&#101;&#114;&#110;&#97;&#116;&#105;&#111;&#110;&#97;&#108;&#46;&#111;&#114;&#103;
Phone: +44 (0) 7989065738

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Covid-19 school closures around the world will hit girls hardest

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As COVID-19 forces school closures in 185 countries, Plan International and UNESCO warn of the potential for increased drop-out rates which will disproportionately affect adolescent girls, further entrench gender gaps in education and lead to increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy and early and forced marriage.

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Struggle 8: sentences are grammatical and language accurate. How do I show more flair in the command of EL?

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Struggle 8: sentences are grammatical and language accurate. How do I show more flair in the command of EL?

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1. Work at word level. Do you keep using the words of the question because you need to make sure you are answering the Q? Find synonyms for these words.

2. Work at phrase level. Use another expression while keeping the same meaning

3. Work at sentence level. Revisit essays in ArgueGoWhere Library. This time read for flair, read for

Firm and polite expressions of disapproval or criticism

Unambiguous expressions of approval or appreciation

Balanced sentences

4. Apply learning to your re-write

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1729, by Jonathan SWIFT.
290 years ago, a writer proposed a solution to the problem of starving beggars on the streets of Ireland.
Tasks:

1. First, get over the shock

2. Then read the essay again to trace Swift's argument.

3. Decide if you want to work with ONE other classmate on this and invite her to join you. If you do, answer (2) and (4) together.

4. How can a writer act in service of nation and community?

5. You can both turn in the same product - indicate who your partner is..

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6 Apr 2020, by Amanda TAUB.
Task: Taub argues that another public health crisis is brewing because of the covid-19 pandemic: the rise of violence at home. What reasons (not evidence) explain this rise? Make a complete list of the reasons; check that you do not repeat yourself.

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Struggle 9: sentences are grammatical but reader cannot make meaning of your strings of words

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Struggle 9: sentences are grammatical but reader cannot make meaning of your strings of words

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Task: work at the word level. In the offending para, did you use a word or a phrase that distorts the meaning you intended? Did you do this frequently (eg. three wrong words in two sentences)? Look up meaning and usage of a verb, a noun you have used. Did you use each correctly?  Once you see how your use of EL has been inaccurate, rewrite the offending sentences. Example of inaccurate language: you write, ‘sexual advancement’ when you mean ‘sexual advances’.

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From To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, 1960. While we may find  the courtroom context unfamiliar, the fundamentals of an argument stay, ie. claim, supported by reason(s) and evidence.
Tasks:

1. Trace Atticus' argument.

2. Can a courtroom argument be in service of nation or community? How?

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Women and girls disproportionately affected

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Women and girls disproportionately affected

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16 September 2020, by UN Women.
Tasks:

1. An abstract concept called 'gender inequality' is used in this article. Make a list of evidence of gender inequality offered in this article.

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COVID-19 and its economic toll on women: The story behind the numbers

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While everyone is facing unprecedented challenges, women are bearing the brunt of the economic and social fallout of COVID-19. Here’s how COVID-19 is rolling back on women’s economic gains of past decades, unless we act now, and act deliberately.

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Struggle 10: tone and register  not sufficiently formal

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Struggle 10: tone and register  not sufficiently formal

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1. Weed out 2nd person pronouns, eg. ‘Have you ever wondered what would happen if…’ or ‘Don’t you agree that this is a good idea?’ This ‘talking-to-audience’ style may be suitable for oral communication, but is too informal in argument writing.

2. Revisit essays in ArgueGoWhere Library. This time read for expressions of thesis, claim, counter claim, rebuttal. Apply to your re-write

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13 Apr 2020, a community in Vietnam.
Four posts below share the same title 'A community 1/2/3/4'. Tasks:

1. Think of a topic for which you would use each story as evidence to illustrate an idea.

2. Your EL Teacher may give you instruction about an FA that uses one or all four posts.

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Coronavirus: 'Rice ATM' feeds Vietnam's poor amid lockdown

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HO CHI MINH CITY (REUTERS) - A Vietnamese entrepreneur in Ho Chi Minh City has invented a 24/7 automatic dispensing machine providing free rice for people out of work following an ongoing nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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2018, by Joan WILLIAMS and Suzanne LEBSOCK; on harassment culture at the work place.
Tasks: Make notes on

1. What does harassment look like? What does it sound like?

2. Refer to two women named in the essay. What choice(s) do they have?

3. Does the essay end on a hopeful or pessimistic note? Quote the strongest piece of evidence from the essay to support your opinion.

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Farewell to the world where men can treat the workplace like a frat house or a pornography shoot. Since Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual misconduct in early October, similar allegations have been made about nearly 100 other powerful people. They all are names you probably recognize, in fields including media, technology, hospitality, politics, and entertainment. It's a watershed moment for workplace equality and safety; 87% of Americans now favor zero tolerance of sexual harassment.

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Social media has created a remarkable moment for women, but is this really the end of the harassment culture?

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5 Dec 2019, a community in India. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/12/female-comic-superhero-fights-indias-sex-traffickers-challenges-stigma/

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1681, by Andrew MARVELL
Tasks:

1. Is this an argument? If it is, trace the argument.

2. Using the form of the original poem, write the 21st century woman’s reply to Marvell.

3. Using the form of the original poem, write about the covid-19 crisis.

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Had we but world enough and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down, and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love's day.

Thou by the Indian Ganges' side

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide

Of Humber would complain. I would

Love you ten years before the flood,

And you should, if you please, refuse

Till the conversion of the Jews.

My vegetable love should grow

Vaster than empires and more slow;

An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;

Two hundred to adore each breast,

But thirty thousand to the rest;

An age at least to every part,

And the last age should show your heart.

For, lady, you deserve this state,

Nor would I love at lower rate.

But at my back I always hear

Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Thy beauty shall no more be found;

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound

My echoing song; then worms shall try

That long-preserved virginity,

And your quaint honour turn to dust,

And into ashes all my lust;

The grave's a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,

And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,

Now let us sport us while we may,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,

Rather at once our time devour

Than languish in his slow-chapped power.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Through the iron gates of life:

Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

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To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell | Poetry Foundation

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31 Jan 2020, a community in Myanmar. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/myanmar-public-space/

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17 Apr 2020. What an ex-RGS student did.