Final reflection on learning

Firstly, I must thank each and every one of my classmates for making es2007s such an enjoyable module!  Special thanks to Brad, who has taught me the essential skills in communicating, writing, presenting, which are applicable for both school and work.

Before this module, I never had the confidence to speak up during tutorial sessions, as I find it embarrassing to raise questions or to voice out any opinions during tutorial discussion. During one of our tutorial session earlier on, Sofie shared her views towards this issue, and that totally change my mindset towards speaking up in class. She said that she was once bothered by this issue, but her classmates gave feedback and said that the questions she asked were very helpful, as those questions coincided with their questions. After this sharing, I no longer feel uncomfortable speaking up in our tutorial class, THANKYOU SOFIE.

In the course of the module, each of us has a fair chance to work with almost every one of our classmates. We are randomly divided into different groups for peer teaching and research proposal. From there, we worked together as a team, and everyone has a role to play. Each of us has specific strength and weakness, and one’s strength will complement other’s weakness, hence teamwork will yield an excellence outcome. On the other hand, delegation of the task was simple but execution was a challenge. Along the way, we have identified limitations and rectified problems. However, none of those was conflicting and we have learnt a lot from those issues.

Blogging made writing less intimidating. Being an extrovert, I naturally prefer speaking to writing. In addition, I was intimidated by the mandatory essays for my previous modules, and I fear to be mocked for my “broken” English. These are reasons for not having a blog prior to this module.

 At first, blogging really brought me out of my comfort zone, as I seriously feared that my blog post will not be understood by my readers due to the grammatical errors and limited vocabulary. The fear was lifted when people start to give positive comments. Gradually, I begin to like blogging as I find it really interactive and fun to give and receive comments. (Even though signals might be attenuated (by my bad English), I hope the main idea remains intact.) In the future, I will definitely continue to use blogging as a platform to practice writing.

Lastly, I really want to thank Brad again for being such an awesome teacher. You are a teacher who taught us the real meaning behind effective communication. Thank you for sharing your life stories with us. I would say, this is the best module I have ever taken in my 3 years of undergraduate studies!!! THANKYOUJ

Reflections on oral presentation

First of all, I must thank Gail and Baowen for the awesome research project experience, and I am really glad that everything when on smoothly. Even though I blank out after speaking for two minutes, I really gained a lot from this experience. Not only have I obtained essential tips for speech preparation, but also gained beneficial insights to oral presentation.

For speech preparation, I must confess that this is the first time I scripted out my whole speech. In the past, I will usually write down the main points, and put the points together using my “broken” English. This time round, since I am taking a language module, I thought that should draft it out to ensure the fluency.  I did manage to “swallow” down my script and managed to regurgitate the facts during the pre-presentation trails. However, I was too nervous and the words choked me during the presentation. After the presentation and Brad’s debrief, I realized that I focused too much on my language and neglected the key points for oral presentation. In fact, I should have presented with my passion and understanding for the project, instead of harping over the “language fluency”. 

In addition, like Dalai Lama, he may not speak proper English, but he is able to fluently advocate "a secular approach to compassion" at Standford University.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=20MnLcOL7Ks

From both the presentation experience and Dalai Lama, I learnt that presentation fluency is based on our understanding of the project, while articulation of thoughts is just an add-on feature which prefects the oral presentation. 

As for oral presentation, presentation slides are important visual-aid which act like a double-edged sword. Good slides help in the delivery of thoughts, while bad slides turn audience off. I started off drafting my speech without slides, as I tend to over-rely on the slides. Like what Brad has previously said “It will be good if everyone’s attention is on you “. And so, I practiced my speech without the slides. After several practices, I realized that a summary slide might help to summarize my main points. Then, I incorporated a slide, but I really regretted having a summary slide, as it was too content-heavy and everyone feedback that it turns audience off. Nonetheless, my group mates and I have other slides and figures which are clear and effective. In future, I will minimize words on the slides and add on more demonstrative figures which will aid, instead of hinder, the delivery of my speech.

Furthermore, confidence is crucial for all persuasive presentation. For both school and work, it is inevitable for us to deliver persuasive presentations. After the two sessions of oral presentation, I noticed that confident speakers tend to be more persuasive.  Additionally, I thought everyone had done a very good job in “selling” their ideas.Therefore, in the future, I aim to become a convincing speaker who can present my results/project confidently and fluently to my audience.

Even though I sobbed after the presentation, I am neither traumatized nor intimidated. Instead, I will learn from my mistakes, absorb the essence and eventually become a confident speaker who is able to deliver a fluent and persuasive speech. 

Thankyou for reading my blogpost J

Evaluating Intercultural Behavior (Post #04)

Travelling around the world might be one of the best ways to experience foreign cultures. Food can be a channel which facilitates better understanding of a local culture.  Hence, being a food-lover, I enjoy tasting local delicacies in each country. Consequently, I have also observed food cultures which are unique for certain countries. By far, Hong Kong has one of the most distinct food cultures.

About three years ago, my best friend, Vivian and I went on our graduation trip to Hong Kong. I learnt their distinctive food culture from several embarrassing events.

On the first day, I had my first food cultural lesson through a visit to the small eatery near to my hotel. After a four hours flight on Jetstar (which does not provide any food or beverage on board) from Singapore to Hong Kong, Vivian and I were famished. Hence, after checking into our hotel room, we rushed out to the nearest eatery in our vicinity. We were welcomed by a friendly lady who ushered us to our table. Soon after we have placed our order, she served us two cups of tea. Due to the extreme thirst, I hastily finished my cup of tea. However, after I put down my cup, I realized that my surrounding tables were staring at me. I was puzzled and so I returned a blank stare. Vivian tapped me and discreetly pointed to the table on our left. I turned and I saw cups loaded with utensils.  I was embarrassed as I drank the the tea which was meant for utensil-washing and not for drinking. After the silly act, we quickly finish our supper and head back to our hotel.

 For the following day, Vivian and I had decided to try their famous dim sum for breakfast. We walked into a famous dim sum restaurant, and a lady led us to a nicely-set table. After we have placed our order, the lady served two pots of drinks and a big metal bowl. Not knowing their culture, I stared at the bowl and thought for awhile. After which, I have decided observe the surrounding before I do anything silly again. I turned and saw an old-lady pouring the hot water over the bowl filled with cups, bowls, plates and utensils. We followed her action. At that point of time, I was really amazed by their high hygiene standard for dining. This shows how particular Hong Kong citizens can be with regards to food and hygiene.

After whole day of shopping on the third day, we were famished again. This time round, we have decided to try the egg tarts in KFC before our proper dinner. To our surprise, people are eating KFC’s chicken drumstick with gloves on.  I have never see anyone using gloves in KFC, not even in those countries, like Malaysia or India, where people commonly use their hands to eat. I was truly impressed by their food culture consistency in all food places, which includes their fast food restaurants.

After my Hong Kong trip, there is no doubt that Hong Kong has the highest demands for quality dining. These fine qualities can only be observed in person and not publicized by media. In fact, through dining experiences, I have gained a deeper understanding of a local culture. Hence, in time to come, I will really like to travel to more places to explore culture from more aspects.

Application letter (Post #03)

Phyllis Chen Zixuan

Blk 35 Bedok North Street 4

#08-374

S(460035)

(+65) 9151 8982 (m)

phyllischenzx@gmail.com

February 18, 2013

Dr. Esther Clews

Tropical Marine Science Institute

National University of Singapore

S2S 18 Kent Ridge Road

Singapore 119227

Dear Dr. Clews:

Application for research assistant inland waters EMID

As a graduate from National University of Singapore (NUS) in life sciences, I would like to apply for the research assistant position in Ecological Monitoring, Dynamics and Informatics (EMID) group which was advertised on Tropical Marine Science Institute of Singapore (TMSI) official website.In line with the goal of EMID, I have always been passionate about sustaining the aquatic environment. Hence, Dr. Sandric Leong, my internship supervisor from the marine biology lab of TMSI recommended this job position. Moreover, having the relevant aquatic research skills and being a versatile team player make me a suitable candidate for this job vacancy.

Through the two years of internship, I have gained vast knowledge on scientific equipment and acquired analytical skills for research purposes. In scientific laboratory, I am responsible for microalgae culture maintenance and sample nutrient analysis by using analytical equipment  During field trip expeditions, I am accountable for water sample preservation for nutrients analysis, as well as, on-site data handling to determine the target destination for water quality parameter sampling. For both scenarios, the ecological data obtained was processed, analysed and interpreted using specific software. Hence, my internship opportunity honed my proficiency in equipment handling and on data analysis which will facilitate an efficient research process.

I have always believed that teamwork is essential for both work and social setting. As an intern in marine biology lab, I have successfully collaborated with different laboratory personnel to accomplish research projects on harmful algal bloom. From these projects, I have gained important teamwork skills which are mandatory to yield desired results. As an orientation house leader, I have effectively worked with 4 group leaders and led a house of 150 freshmen through their orientation camp. With excellent teamwork between the leaders and the freshmen, my house was awarded the ‘best house’ for science orientation week 2011. In essence, the teamwork skill I have attained prepares me for research team.

I believe that the relevant aquatic research skills and knowledge will help EMID research group to sustain the aquatic ecology in Singapore, and I look forward to meeting with you to further explain how I can contribute to EMID research group. If you have any questions, please contact me at 91518982, or by e-mail at phyllischenzx@gmail.com. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Phyllis Chen Zixuan

 Job advertisement: http://www.tmsi.nus.edu.sg/research-assistants-research-associates-emid-inland-waters-cluster

* thankyou in advance for your valuable feedbacks and critiques.

*Revised on 27/2/2013. [Thank you Sharlene, Sofie, Mikaela and Xiaowei for your critiques.]

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict (Post #02)

Interpersonal conflict between individuals is often inevitable. This type of conflict not only happens between project mates, friends but also closest kin. As I am an extrovert, I enjoy holding conversations with people. Personally, I see the importance of active listening in every conversation. Hence, it really gets on my nerves when the one whom I am conversing with had their attention on something else.

For instance, there is once when I blew my top and scolded my best friend for ignoring me when I was speaking to him. Let’s call him A. I have known A since the start of my university life, and he has been my lecture buddy for almost every module. Therefore, I spent most of my time in school with him and we became very good friends. However, as time goes by, I realized that his non-verbal actions were showing that he was not interested in the “stories” I am telling. I felt ignored as he preferred to play with phone and to look elsewhere than to listen to my woes. After being ignored for several times, I snapped and raised my voice to gather his drifted attention. At that point of time, he gave me a shocked expression and asked what he had done wrong. I paused for awhile to gather my thoughts, and frankly told him how I felt towards his actions. To my surprise, A told me that he was not aware of his actions and was listening to me all the while. He also explained that he might seemed to be ignoring me as he has very short attention span on long conversations and he finds eye contact very awkward.

Upon understanding the reason behind his fidgety behavior, I tried to engage him in shorter talks and I asked for his opinion from time to time. Whereas for eye contact, I tried not to position myself in front of him, but at an angle which he is comfortable with. After all these adjustments, I no longer feel that I am ignored but there were still instances where his attention would drift off to this phone. Are there other ways to keep him focus on the conversations?

Effective communication

By definition, communication is to impart or exchange thoughts, opinions, or information among people via verbal or non-verbal platforms. Therefore, effective communication will be the accurate transmission of the original message from the sender to the receiver. Today, communication is inevitable in all social settings. For instance, chatting with your family members at home, discussing projects with your schoolmates in school, holding a meeting with your colleagues at work or even asking strangers for directions require good communication skills. For this reason, effective communication can bring people together but miscommunication keeps people apart. Hence, it is crucial to understand that bidirectional listening and speech organisation is necessary for smooth delivery of message.

Listening plays an important role in the communication. From the cartoon above, the idle bird (receiver) failed to focus when the hippopotamus (sender) was speaking and conveyed the wrong message to the zebra. This cartoon demonstrated that listening is essential for the right message to propagate. Likewise in real-life context, one who listens attentively to the speaker is more likely convey an accurate message. Conversely, one who fails to listen is more likely to convey the incomplete or wrong message. Therefore, in the real-life situation, one should always listen before speaking to avoid unnecessary problems caused by the inaccurately perceived message.

Speech organisation allows clearer articulation and facilitates better understanding of the message. Personally, I have always found presentations to be intimidating and I tend to let my nerves get the best of me. Through experience, an organised speech will help people to understand and to bring the message across effectively. There upon, I believe that speech organisation can aid the presenter in giving a comprehensible presentation.

In conclusion, I believe that communication is not as simple as it seems, it is something which could not be taught by lectures but to be learnt through experience. Like academic presentations, daily communication requires both attentive listening and thoughts organisation to facilitate fast and precise communication. Hence, everyone should learn how to listen and to speak for communicate effectively.

The beginning

Hello all!!