Teaching English in Korea - ESL blog

Teaching public speaking through Steve Jobs speeches (Youtube videos)

Every time I teach a public speaking class, my students bring up Steve Jobs. I'm betting that he's more famous in Korea than he is in America. So I figured why not search Youtube for some useful Steve Jobs' speech videos.

This one is a speaking coach breaking down Jobs' method. He mentions the theme (I call it the purpose) when you give your listeners a reason for listening. He mentions the outline and transitions, he mentions enthusiasm (don't be stiff - have fun - be excited about the topic) which is a huge one based on my experience.He says to make numbers meaningful, he says to use very little text on visual aids (my students love wordy Power Point slides even though I tell them no more than 6 words).

He says to give them a show but I don't want to encourage my students to play video clips. He says Steve Jobs spend lots of time rehearsing. Another one I'm not so sure about is the "one more thing" or the "added bonus" at the end - most EFL students aren't exactly in a position to introduce a band at the end of each speech!

Interestingly, Steve Jobs wasn't always so exciting. Here he shows flashes of greatness but he also spends time looking at the floor and rubbing his chin. Point out how when he makes eye contact the speech seems much better:

Following the "Think different" theme introduced in the previous video here we see an improved Jobs making better eye contact but still looking at the floor and rubbing his face. I think we can say his style here is clearly better than in the first video.

Interestingly, Steve Jobs more recent speeches show the same tenancies. He sometimes looks at the floor or his visuals or rubs his mustache or whatever. Sometimes people with charisma get to break the rules for public speaking. Some of my students probably have that charisma but they still need to follow the rules in my class so Steve Jobs will not be considered the perfect example. He can show you how to use a natural voice but his eye contact isn't where those of us with less charisma (and those of us in this class) need it to be. We want 99 to 100% eye contact when you're speaking.

Steve Jobs' audiences already love him. Most of us don't have that so we need 100% eye contact.

And here is an analysis of that same speech. Again they mention excitement in his voice "conveying emotion." They also talk about how he demonstrated while sitting in a chair - it's cool but we don't do it in class! Become rich and famous and then you can break the rules.

Convey enthusiasm
Be conversational
Show, don't lecture:

Now we have his famous Stanford commencement speech. The introduction mentions "think different" around 5:20 but really you can skip to 7:30 when Steve Jobs begins talking. He reads (most of his speeches have far better eye contact) but students are interested in his life story (like he's adopted, why he dropped out of college, how he got fired from Apple, etc.). Notice how around 15:30 he stumbles and keeps going - no apology necessary.

South Korea's Engkey, English teaching robot

Engkey is an English teacher/robot supposedly. As far as I can tell it's only good for correcting pronunciation errors (as students run through memorized conversations) and even then I find it hard to believe it knows "natural pronunciation". But the real issue is that we know Behaviorism and the ALM have severe limitations.

You have to wonder if Choi Mun-taek (the team leader working on these "intelligent" robots) knows his SLA not only because of the robots' behavioristic teaching style but also because he says a robot with a female voice is more effective for teaching than a robot with a male voice. Is that backed up by science or just common sense?

Nevertheless, the Education Ministry wants every kindergarten to have one (8,400) by 2013. They say Engkey can replace native speakers. I say if you're in Kindergarten you don't need a robot or a native English speaker.

Sense of humor or politically incorrect?

Interesting story here that could make for a good discussion topic on political correctness.

I wanted to actually see the video but I can't turn off safety mode on Youtube...

Brian Melendez called the video "sexist and offensive."

"The day when a woman was judged by her looks rather than her competence and intelligence should have passed three generations ago," Melendez said in a statement Tuesday. "But apparently Republican leaders in the year 2010 still think of that bygone era as the good old days, and want to bring it back." Melendez called for the video's removal and an apology from branch GOP chairman Joe Salmon.

Local Republican state House candidate Andrea Kieffer also requested that the video be removed, Paul Schmelzer reports for the Minnesota Independent. Kieffer called the video a "juvenile attempt at 'marketing.' "

"This is not something I would condone, and I am sending a request that the webmaster take it down immediately,"

branch GOP chairman Joe Salmon took a parting shot at what he seems to view as the humorless enforcers of political correctness. "It [is] really unfortunate to relearn that the other side is severely lacking a sense of humor."

Youtube videos: Chinese vs. American business culture

Contracts in China:

Communication in China:

List of cultural differences:

The "man code" - does it cross cultures?

Maybe an interesting discussion topic - comparing the American man code to what's expected in other cultures. This list is extensive and some things are jokes and/or too dirty for most ESL classes but pick say 10 or 15 of them and I think you have a good start. Students can then compare the American rules with expectations in their culture.

You may exaggerate any anecdote told to your friends by 50% without recrimination, beyond that anyone within earshot is allowed to yell out "bullshit!". (exception: when trying to pick up a girl, the allowable exaggeration is 400%)

Under no circumstances may two men share an umbrella.

Before dating a buddy's ex you are required to ask his permission.

The minimum amount of time you have to wait for another man is 5 minutes. The maximum is 6 minutes. For a girl, you are required to wait 10 minutes for every point of hotness she scores on the classic 1-10 scale (divided by 2).

When using a urinal in a public restroom, a buffer zone of at least one urinal will exist at all times.

A man shall never help another man apply sun tan oil.

Friends don’t let friends wear speedos. Ever. Case closed.

No man shall ever watch any of the following programs on TV: Figure skating, Men's gymnastics

No man will ever willingly watch a movie in which the main theme is dancing, and if a man shall happen to view such a movie it is only acceptable if its with a girlfriend.

If you've known a guy for more than 24 hours, his sister is off limits forever! Unless you actually marry her.

When questioned by a friend's girlfriend, you need not and should not provide any information as to his whereabouts. You are even permitted to deny his very existence.

Lying to have sex, smile like you got laid last night, and the Fit Tuckers

This article might be the basis of a future discussion class. Basically, an Israeli court found a man guilty of rape (rape by deception which is not punished as severely as rape by force as I understand) because he told a Jewish woman that he too was Jewish. In fact he was Arab.

In addition to discussing this specific case, what about all the other lies people tell each other before sex? Which ones should be punishable by law? Should you go to jail for lying about your age, income, sexual history, sex (like a man pretending to be a woman to get a straight man in bed), etc.?

And speaking of sex, today I saw a little girl, maybe 10 walking with her dad (I presume) in Yeouinaru Station. She was wearing a shirt that said "Smile lie you got laid last night." I have to guess that neither daddy nor his little girl knows what that shirt means.

Kind of like the winner of the 2nd YTN HUFS debate tournament last Sunday. One of these days YTN the news station will air this debate on TV, the bebate won by a team called the Fit Tuckers. I guess the organizers had no idea that these high school kids were playing a joke until it was too late to make them change the name.

A few US degree programs related to intercultural communication / international education

I wanted to look at degree programs related to education and TESOL but slightly different.

This Vanderbilt PhD has a strong focus on literacy but also works with oral communication and ESL.

UMBC Masters in Intercultural Communication - 2 year program with or without thesis that offers no assistance for native English speakers.

The university of Florida has one but their website offers relatively little information. You can see how the 34 credits required break down by checking out the pdf.

The University of Denver

Hawaii has an MA in Communication with specializations like global communication, organizationa & intercultural communication, etc.

UMass has a program that leads to an EdD in International Education - specifically improving it in developing countries.

I also searched for Intercultural Studies but many results were for religious things and I gave up on that one.

This George Mason PhD in cultural studies sounds interesting.