Students from Liceo Experimental Bilingüe de Río Jiménez

Students enjoying the Blog

They participated in the activities and forgot about the anxiety

Famous personality party!

Is a  guessing game. This is a mingle activity where students have the names of famous people on their backs and must discover who they are by walking around the classroom and talking to other students.

  

Improve your Pronunciation skills

Pronunciation!

Enter into the following link to improve your pronunciation skills, you will found a diagram that will help you pronounce in the correct way.

It has vowels, and consonants also, the stops, fricatives, affricates, nasal, liquid, and glide sounds.

Besides, it has the manner, place, and voice of sounds.

http://soundsofspeech.uiowa.edu/english/english.html

Time 2 speak ;.)

The One-Minute Game 

Procedure: You are going to form two groups to compete against one another, each group should choose one member who is going to speak for one full minute (measured by a stopwatch) talking on an impromptu topic given by one student from the other side, for this you will not have time to prepare a speech beforehand. The students who are in the opposite site must listen carefully to stop and disqualify the one of you who is speaking the moment in which there is any fault or error or hesitation, etc. then, the student who has noticed the error stands up and is given a different topic that he has never heard before, for him to speak fluently during a minute
If one of you succeed in talking fluently for one minute scores one point for your group.

Let´s play!

Simon Says ... 

Procedure: The rules are simple, all of you will stand in a big circle, and there is a leader who gives commands like: 

Simon says, “Close your eyes.” 

Simon says, “Put your fingers in your ears.” 

Simon says, “Hold your nose.” 

If the command begins with the words, “Simon says,” all of you must follow the order. Anyone who does not follow the order is disqualified and must drop out of the game.

Note: The idea is to keep tricking a few, so you´ll do the action without first hearing “Simon says,” and, then, the circle keeps getting smaller and smaller until only one person is left. The last of you who stands will be declared and applauded as the winner. If the leader orders, “Simon says, salute,” every one must salute, but if the next command is “OK now sit down” without the words “Simon says,” then anyone who sits down is out of the game, and so on. Everyone will have a good laugh and not have to take things too seriously. 

Have fun!

Believe in yourself!

Tips on learning a language

Fun Facts

- Did you know that the bilingual people live more than monolingual people?

- Also bilingual people think and react faster to different situations in life.

- At least half of the world´s population is bilingual or plurilingual.
- Bilingualism brings forth several advantages such as learning additional languages faster, enhancing cognitive processes and fostering relationships with other people.

- Being bilingual or multilingual can bring more and more job opportunities.

Homework #2

Do you like music?
Who is your favorite artist?
What kind of music do you listen to?















Description: Recorde a little video of yourself and upload it to the blog. Here you are going to talk about music (your favorite gender, musician, inspiration, etc.)

Let your imagination run wild! Sing if you want to!

Length: 3 minutes.


Send your video to the following e-mail: pafasape04@gmail.com

Ask Yourself Good Questions - Confidently Speaking #7

Stress Reduction: How to Reduce Stress & Anxiety

20 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

1. Practice. Naturally, you'll want to rehearse your presentation multiple times. While it can be difficult for those with packed schedules to spare time to practice, it's essential if you want to deliver a rousing presentation. I’m famous around the office for staying up late the night before a big presentation, practicing over and over. If you really want to sound great, write out your speech rather than taking chances winging it – if you get nervous about speaking, a script is your best friend.

Try to practice where you'll be delivering your talk. Some acting strategists suggest rehearsing lines in various positions – standing up, sitting down, with arms open wide, on one leg, while sitting on the toilet, etc. (OK, that last one may be optional.) The more you mix up your position and setting, the more comfortable you'll feel with your speech. Do a practice run for a friend or colleague, or try recording your presentation and playing it back to evaluate which areas need work? Listening to recordings of your past talks can clue you in to bad habits you may be unaware of, as well as inspiring the age-old question: "Is that what I really sound like?"

2. Transform Nervous Energy Into Enthusiasm. It may sound strange, but I'll often down an energy drink and blast hip-hop music in my earphones before presenting. Why? It pumps me up and helps me turn jitters into focused enthusiasm. Studies have shown that an enthusiastic speech can win out over an eloquent one, and since I'm not exactly the Winston Churchill of presenters, I make sure that I'm as enthusiastic and energetic as possible before going on stage. Of course, individuals respond differently to caffeine overload, so know your own body before guzzling those monster energy drinks.

3. Attend Other Presentations. If you're giving a talk as part of a conference, try to attend some of the earlier talks by other presenters. This shows respect for your fellow presenters while also giving you a chance to feel out the audience. What's the mood of the crowd? Are folks in the mood to laugh or are they a bit stiffer? Are the presentations more strategic or tactical in nature? Another speaker may also say something that you can play off of later in your own presentation.

4. Arrive Early. It's always best to allow yourself plenty of time to settle in before your talk. Extra time ensures you won't be late (even if Google Maps shuts down) and gives you plenty of time to get adapted to your presentation space.

5. Adjust to Your Surroundings. The more adjusted to your environment you are, the more comfortable you'll feel. Make sure to spend some in the room where you will be delivering your presentation. If possible, practice with the microphone and lighting, make sure you understand the seating, and be aware of any distractions potentially posed by the venue (e.g., a noisy road outside).

6. Meet and Greet. Do your best to chat with people before your presentation. Talking with audiences makes you seem more likeable and approachable. Ask event attendees questions and take in their responses. They may even give you some inspiration to weave into your talk.

7. Use Positive Visualization. Whether or not you’re a Zen master, know that plenty of studies have proven the effectiveness of positive visualization. When we imagine a positive outcome to a scenario in our mind, it's more likely to play out the way we envision.

Instead of thinking "I'm going to be terrible out there" and visualizing yourself throwing up mid-presentation, imagine yourself getting tons of laughs while presenting with the enthusiasm of Jimmy Fallon and the poise of Audrey Hepburn (the charm of George Clooney wouldn't hurt either). Positive thoughts can be incredibly effective – give them a shot.

8. Remember That Most Audiences are Sympathetic. One of the hardest fears to shake when speaking in public is that the audience is secretly waiting to laugh at your missteps or mistakes. Fortunately, this isn’t the case in the vast majority of presentations.

The audience wants to see you succeed. In fact, many people have a fear of public speaking, so even if the audience seems indifferent, the chances are pretty good that most people listening to your presentation can relate to how nerve-racking it can be. If you start to feel nervous, remind yourself that the audience gets it, and actually wants to see you nail it.

9. Take Deep Breaths. The go-to advice for jitters has truth to it. When we're nervous, our muscles tighten--you may even catch yourself holding your breath. Instead, go ahead and take those deep breaths to get oxygen to your brain and relax your body.

10. Smile. Smiling increases endorphins, replacing anxiety with calm and making you feel good about your presentation. Smiling also exhibits confidence and enthusiasm to the crowd. And this tip works even if you're doing a webinar and people can't see you. Just don't overdo it – no one enjoys the maniacal clown look.

11. Exercise. Exercise earlier in the day prior to your presentation to boost endorphins, which will help alleviate anxiety. Better pre-register for that Zumba class!

12. Work on Your Pauses. When you're nervous, it's easy to speed up your speech and end up talking too fast, which in turn causes you to run out of breath, get more nervous, and panic!

Don't be afraid to slow down and use pauses in your speech. Pausing can be used to emphasize certain points and to help your talk feel more conversational. If you feel yourself losing control of your pacing, just take a nice pause and keep cool.

13. Don’t Try to Cover Too Much Material. Yes, your presentations should be full of useful, insightful, and actionable information, but that doesn’t mean you should try to condense a vast and complex topic into a 10-minute presentation.

Knowing what to include, and what to leave out, is crucial to the success of a good presentation. I’m not suggesting you skimp when it comes to data or including useful slides (some of my webinars have featured 80+ slides), but I am advocating for a rigorous editing process. If it feels too off-topic, or is only marginally relevant to your main points, leave it out. You can always use the excess material in another presentation.

14. Actively Engage the Audience. People love to talk and make their opinions heard, but the nature of presentations can often seem like a one-sided proposition. It doesn’t have to be, though.

Asking the audience what they think, inviting questions, and other means of welcoming audience participation can boost engagement and make attendees feel like a part of a conversation. It also makes you, the presenter, seem much more relatable. Consider starting with a poll or survey. Don’t be put off by unexpected questions – instead, see them as an opportunity to give your audience what they want.

15. Be Entertaining. Even if your presentation is packed with useful information, if your delivery bombs, so will your session.

I find that including some jokes and light-hearted slides is a great way to help the audience (and myself) feel more comfortable, especially when presenting them with a great deal of information. However, it’s important to maintain a balance – after all, you’re not performing a stand-up routine, and people didn’t come to your presentation with the sole intention of being entertained. That said, don’t be afraid to inject a little humor into your talk. If you’re not sure about whether a presentation is “too much,” run through it for a couple of friends and ask them to tell it to you straight.

16. Admit You Don’t Have All the Answers. Very few presenters are willing to publicly concede that they don’t actually know everything because they feel it undermines their authority. However, since we all know that nobody can ever know everything about a given topic, admitting so in a presentation can actually improve your credibility.

If someone asks a question that stumps you, it’s okay to admit it. This can also increase your credibility with the audience, as it demonstrates that, no matter how knowledgeable a person might be, we’re all learning, all the time. Nobody expects you to be an omniscient oracle of forbidden knowledge – they just want to learn from you.

17. Use a Power Stance. Practicing confident body language is another way to boost your pre-presentation jitters. When your body is physically demonstrating confidence, your mind will follow suit. While you don't want to be jutting out your chest in an alpha gorilla pose all afternoon (somebody enjoyed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes a bit too much), studies have shown that using power stances a few minutes before giving a talk (or heading to a big interview) creates a lasting sense of confidence and assurance. Whatever you do, don't sit--sitting is passive. Standing or walking a bit will help you harness those stomach bats (isn't that more appropriate than butterflies?). Before you go on stage, strike your best Power Ranger stance and hold your head high!

18. Drink Water. Dry mouth is a common result of anxiety. Prevent cottonmouth blues by staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water before your talk (just don't forget to hit the bathroom before starting). Keep a bottle of water at arm's reach while presenting in case you get dry mouth while chatting up a storm. It also provides a solid object to hurl at potential hecklers. (That'll show them.)

19. Join Toastmasters. Toastmaster clubs are groups across the country (and the world) dedicated to helping members improve their public speaking skills. Groups get together during lunch or after work to take turns delivering short talks on a chosen topic. The more you present, the better you'll be, so consider joining a Toastmaster club to become a top-notch orator. Just don't forget, it's BYOB (Bring Your Own Bread).

20. Don't Fight the Fear. Accept your fear rather than trying to fight it. Getting yourself worked up by wondering if people will notice your nervousness will only intensify your anxiety. Remember, those jitters aren't all bad – harness that nervous energy and transform it into positive enthusiasm and you'll be golden. We salute you, O Captain! My Captain!

Homework #1

My Unique Invention



You are going to think of one or two inventions that are really unique, you will have to describe its characteristic, advantages and disadvantages. Then, you will have to video record yourself making an advertisement of your invention, you must last 10 minutes at least.

Send your video to the following e-mail: pafasape04@gmail.com

Pronunciation Mistakes

Common Pronunciation Mistakes

Correcting these mistakes can help you to improve your confidence when speaking, so watch the video and practice. 

Speaking Anxiety

Fear of the tongue!

No more Anxiety!

Tongue Twisters!

Let's Practice!

Esau Wood sawed wood. All the wood Esau Wood saw, Esau Wood would saw. All the wood he saw, Esau sought to saw. One day Esau Wood's wood-saw would saw no wood. So Esau Wood sought a new wood-saw. The new wood-saw would saw wood. Oh, the wood Esau Wood would saw. Esau sought a saw that would saw wood as no other wood-saw would saw. And Esau found a saw that would saw as no other wood-saw would saw. And Esau Wood sawed wood.

If two witches were watching two

watches, which witch would watch

which watch?

Six slippery snails, slid slowly

seaward.

Four furious friends fought for the

phone.

The great Greek grape growers

grow great Greek grapes.

You know New York. You need

New York. You know you need

unique New York. 

Idioms in Popular Songs

Bad Blood-- Taylor Swift

Bad Blood | Meaning: Anger or hostility between persons or groups.

Example: “There’s been bad blood between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry for years.” 

Wide Awake-- Katy Perry

Cloud Nine | Meaning: A state of euphoria that Perry once was in but then fell out of. Similar to a contact high.

Example: I've been on cloud nine since I met him.

Beat It-- Michael Jackson

Beat It  | Meaning: To leave immediately (usually used as an order)

Example: I told you not to come around here.  Beat it!

Figurative Language in a Popular Song

Firework-- Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag (simile: like a plastic bag)

Drifting through the wind Wanting to start again (alliteration: wind, wanting)

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin (simile: feel so paper) Like a house of cards (Simile: Like a house of cards)

Six feet under scream But no one seems to hear a thing (alliteration: Six, scream, seems)

You just gotta ignite the light (internal rhyme: ignite, light)

Like the Fourth of July (simile: you (you is implied)=Fourth of July)

Just own the night Like the Fourth of July (personification: implied that Fourth of July owns the night)

Cause baby you're a firework (metaphor: you’re a firework)

Come on show 'em what you’re worth (alliteration: work, what, worth)

Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" (onomatopoeia: oh, oh, oh)

As you shoot across the sky (hyperbole: you shoot across the sky)

Come on let your colors burst (alliteration: Come, colors)

You don't have to feel like a waste of space (simile: you=waste of space)

If you only knew what the future holds (personification: future holds)

 After a hurricane comes a rainbow (irony: hurricane/rainbow)

Tips for improving speaking skill

1)   Practice speaking every chance you get! 

2)   Read English-speaking newspapers or online articles.

3)   Read children’s books, the grammar and vocabulary are easier.

4)   Listen to English songs, google the lyrics and sing along

5)   Watch English movies and TV shows 

6)   Make friends with people from other countries (English speakers)

7)   Think in English 

8)   Join a free conversation group or language exchange.

9)   Ask for help whenever you need to

10)   DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES! 

Blind Artists!

Find a partner for this activity.

For each of you, there must be one who will draw but blindfolded. Teacher will give to the other partner an object to describe it for the one who is blindfolded That object can be pen, pencils, or crayons or picture. 

The "seeing partner" must describe to the student how to draw the object, but cannot touch the other partner. The pairs who draw the correct object gets a point

It's time to be creative! 

Hot Seat

Hot Seat

You are going two work in two teams, each group will select a leader who is going to seat in front of the group with the board behind.
Teacher will write a word on the board, and the rest of you will help your partner to guess the word without saying, miming, spelling, or drawing the word.

When your partner guess the word then, another team member will have to sit in the Hot Seat, the group with the most words guessed will win!

Enjoy!

What’s Your Secret?

What’s your secret? 

Let's get ready to speak!

In this activity, each of you will have to write a secret in a piece of paper, the secret can be something like: "I play soccer", "I have a twin", "I write poems". All papers will be placed in an envelope then, each of you will select one of the papers to read what is on it, you can ask yes/no questions—without asking directly if what’s on the piece of paper is true or not.

Then, you must guess to whom the secret belongs.

Have Fun Speaking!

Eight Steps for reducing stress before public speaking

Stage One: Managing Anxiety before you Speak

1

ADOPT RIGHT MINDSET: Re-frame a Pessimistic Attitude

• Understand how stress works. Work to accept the need for some stress to perform optimally
• Re-frame how you perceive the symptoms of stress (nervousness, butterflies etc.): stress, and its symptoms, are needed for peak performance
• Give up the belief that you have to be perfect. None of us are
• Remind yourself: when you speak in public, nothing ‘bad’ can happen
• Regulate any negative ‘self-talk’. No more ‘What if I forget what I want to say?’. Instead ask yourself ‘What if they give me a standing ovation?’. seriously.  (Source 6)

2

CREATE CONTENT: Develop your Material, Write your Speech

Some people are able to deliver great presentations by ‘winging-it’. They improvise.

A less stressful approach is to develop your content in advance. After you have spent enough time thinking about, developing, and practicing your presentation you will find you know the content of the deck in-side and out.

Some people manage to do an acceptable job just off the back of the preparation in writing the deck.

But we recommend developing a script. Practice the script, and then throw it away.

• Write your presentation. For most speeches you really only need two or three main ideas
• Develop a script

3

PRACTICE:  Rehearse and Gain Experience

Practice is important.

Some people will recommend not practicing as a way of limiting stress. As we spoke of early, avoidance is a viable strategy. But if you can’t avoid giving the speech, don’t avoid the practice. Practice, in clinical terms, is a form of exposure therapy. Exposure therapy works.

• Practice makes perfect. Presenting is a sport that needs training.
• Practice your speech delivery out loud, verbalize the complete presentation
• Practice clarity, pace of speaking, engaging with audience, making eye-contact
• Practice until you memorize your script, then use the script as a safety net
• Confidence comes with experience. Public speaking experience will reduce the stress you feel the next time around

4

PREPARE:  Attend to the details

These small little techniques can play a huge role in controlling the build up of emotions in the lead-up to your speech.

• Set the right tone in advance by sending a thoughtfully written agenda
• Exercise
• Get some rest
• Eat lightly or not at all an hour before the presentation
• Avoid too much coffee, too many cigarettes or other mood-altering substances. While they can work, in the short term - regulating the dosage is impossible.
• Look your best, dress for success
• Prepare a 'flight-check' to ensure you have everything you need 1 hour before your speech

5

RELAX:  Stay Calm and Visualize Success

In her book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, the Wall Street Journal’s science columnist Sharon Begley's walks readers through experiments showing that, contrary to conventional scientific theory, new neurons are created in the brain every day. Experiments with Buddhist monks suggest it is possible to train the brain to be better at feeling certain emotions.

One of the techniques at the center of this neuroplasticity movement is visualization. It works.

To help your performance and to establish the right mindset, visualize delivering a successful presentation (the outcome you want).

People who fear public speaking tend to fret, and spend their time visualizing the ‘worst-case’ outcomes and abysmal failures. Without realizing it, they adopt the exact opposite visualization approach needed for optimal performance!

• Quite your mind
• Breathe
• Laugh
• Warm up your voice
• Visualize your optimal outcome (a successful presentation)

Stage Two: Managing Anxiety during your Speech

6

HUMANIZE THE AUDIENCE:  Remember your Audience's Flaws

Your audience is human. They are not perfect. And they want you to succeed.

• Remind yourself that your audience has flaws just like you
• Assume your audience is friendly (they are)
• Assume your audience is there because they are interested in what you have to say (they are)
• Love your audience and assume they love you (they do)

7

SET THE RIGHT TONE:  Be Yourself

Establish the right tone and mood for your speech. Approach your audience and the presentation with an open heart.

• Adopt the right disposition
• Have conviction
• Be yourself
• Do not perform, instead think of your presentation as a private, one-on-one conversation
• Smile

Stage Three: Managing Anxiety after your Speech

8

UNWIND:  Relax and Debrief

Even very experienced public speakers and presenters can find themselves in a bit of a mental fog following their speech. It can be hard to concentrate or stay focused afterwards. Critically, what takes place after your presentation will have an important influence on the way you approach and deliver your next speech.

• Breathe deeply. This will help to reduce your heart rate.
• Minimize self-talk. You can mentally review your presentation later.
• Write down any comments, outstanding to-do’s or feedback for review later.

Summary

• Anxiety before a presentation or speech is normal. Everyone experiences it.
• This physiological response is an inheritance from our caveman ancestors. It is part of our lizard brain.
• A little stress is a good thing. It is necessary for peak performance
• We can deal with speech anxiety via avoidance or stress management
• When possible, convert ‘public speaking’ style presentations into a sit-down style presentation
• We recommend eight steps before, during and after the speech to help manage stress
• Smile