Introduction
Essay is a kind of prose composition which closely resembles conversation.
The essay below was written in 1927 by T. Kalaw, when the country was
under the Americans and when the concept of Americanization was being
pushed by Pardo de Tavera. Find out in this essay what the author believes in.
Literary Appreciation
Americanization
by Teodoro Kalaw
When Senator Bingham, only a few days ago, broached the idea of the
Americanization of the island, all Filipinos, great and small, but especially the
great, let out a cry of protest. Impossible! – they cried, one after the other, filled
with real national pride.
Americanization, as an ideology, has in effect been dead in the Philippines
for some time now, and if I am to investigate further, I have to say that it had
already died when two deaths of Pardo de Tavera: his political death in 1907,
when nationalism surged up, and his natural death twenty years after, which
came to him in his house in Sta. Mesa. Pardo de Tavera was among us, the
greatest, the most avid, and the most respected champion of Americanism, a
healthy Americanism which was nothing more than the importation of what was
good in American civilization. We need American ideas – Pardo used to say
when he was still in power – American customs, American institutions, and
especially, the American language. He incarnated these ideas in one political
party which, with its failure among the people killed in turn the ideology for
which it stood: annexation.
Thus from that time to this day, but especially today, in these days of fervid
Asianism, we cannot hear talk of Americanization without an immediate protest
from some lips, as through this issue would take away something from us which
would rob us of heart and soul. This is what I say, nevertheless, that in spite of the
triumphs of nationalism in the level of our political parties, we are Americanizing
ourselves faster that it looks and with the worst kind of Americanization which we
could ever hope for, because it is the Americanization of material needs, of the
needs which form the individual’s habits and which now cannot be shaken off.
A Filipino of great intelligence and perceptiveness used to tell me that the
living together with a nation with a much higher standard of living, is forcing us
to adopt the material aspects of that civilization which our condition as a poor
country still not allow us to use. The Americanization, therefore, which is rearing
its head, is not only the Americanization of the schools, textbooks, and political
institutions but the Americanization of our material needs from automobiles, ties,
hats, and shirts to the last sheet and instrument for writing.
To create needs in all levels! Such is the cry in the advance of a capitalistic
invader, a cry which is, in turn, the vae victis for the oppressed people who do
not have their own industrial life.
Many think that foreignization is manifested only in the bad and ridiculous
which importations bring us, like balloon pants, short skirts, and bobbed hair, and
that if we condemn these pants and ridicule these hair and shirts and force our
sons and daughters not to imitate these bad examples, we shall have
eliminated all danger forever. Simpleness, nothing more than simpleness! There is
another foreignization or Americanization which comes, or which has already
arrived, which is propagating itself much stronger now than yesterday, and
tomorrow more terrible than today, and it is the foreignization or
Americanization of our wants and needs: because of which we find ourselves
unnecessarily forced to use foreign objects, or to prefer the foreign to our own,
on account of the future of our ways.
This is the danger which all Filipinos, be they great or small, have to avoid for
the sake of our country.
Unlocking of Difficulties
Give the meaning of the underlined word in the sentence. Choose your answer
inside the box by encircling it.





The leader broached the idea of unity among nations.
Introduced removed
Pardo de Tavera was the most avid and the most respected champion of
a healthy Americanism. admirable eager
In those days of fervid Asianism, people protested and disagreed about it.
filing spreading
A Filipino with great intelligence and perceptiveness used to tell the
people the effects of Americanization. understanding opinion
Many people say that foreignization is manifested only in the bad and
ridiculous situations. foolish pleasant
Grammar Awareness
A. Read and understand the selection below.
Globalization is undeniably one of the social issues. Year 2000 marks the
beginning of great changes in one’s country, particularly in terms of
globalization.
Are you an agent of globalization? Globalization encourages
competitiveness among nations or countries when it comes to production and
exchange of goods and products. The global market opened up for most
Filipinos when some best neighboring countries flourish to be the world
economic powers. Today, many countries are filled with international goods
such as branded clothes and bags, chocolates and biscuits, among others. It is
no longer surprising to travel to other countries to find out the best fashion, best
food and the like because of all these are available in many different countries
like the Philippines. Globalization is indeed one of the world’s social concerns.
B.
1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions:
What is globalization?
Why do you consider globalization as a social concern?
What does the following group of encircled words found in the
selection refer to you?
- of globalization
- among nations or countries
- of goods and products
- for most Filipinos
- with international goods
- in many different countries
- of the world’s social concerns.
Notes to Review
1. A phrase is a group of words without a subject or a predicate.
2. (The Prepositional Phrase):
a. The prepositional phrase is a modifier. It is used either as an adjective or
as an adverb.
 A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or a pronoun is an
adjective phrase.
Examples:
(noun)
(prepositional phrase)
They become an agent for world’s globalization.
(The prepositional phrase for world’s globalization modifies the noun
agent.)
(noun)
(prepositional phrase)
The earth used to be a paradise of beautiful and colorful nature.
(The prepositional phrase of beautiful and colorful nature modifies the
noun paradise.)
(noun) (prepositional phrase)
The world is a place with love and unity.
(The prepositional phrase of with love and unity modifies the noun
place.)

A prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective or
another adverb is an adverb phrase.
Examples:
(verb)
The Thomasites’ work is carried with spirit of love, faith and knowledge.
(The prepositional phrase of with spirit of love, faith and knowledge
modifies verb carried.)
(adjective)
The ship is thick with foreign goods.
(The prepositional phrase of with foreign goods modifies the adjective
thick.)
(adverb)
The American traveled safely by sailing the transport Thomas.
(The prepositional phrase of by sailing the transport Thomas modifies the
adverb safely.)
Activities
A. Put an asterisk (*) if the following group of words is a phrase and a cross (x)
if it is not.
_______ 1. for the human beings
_______ 2. Stop!
_______ 3. without houses
_______ 4. In Quezon City
_______ 5. by traveling around
_______ 6. Look and listen.
_______ 7. with understanding
_______ 8. fertile land
_______ 9. The Philippines considers globalization.
_______ 10. Many are attracted with foreign products.
B. Underline the prepositional phrase in the given sentence.
1. The colorful flowers in the garden add beauty to the surrounding.
2. The woman with dimples is my friend.
3. She is a model of simplicity.
4. The man behind the door is my brother.
5. The city is covered with air pollution.
6. I keep my breath to keep from inhaling the smoke belched by passing
vehicles.
7. The children long a home with love and understanding.
8. He saw a beggar as he walked in Quezon City.
9. The child slipped along the wet corridor.
10. The tree with strong and sturdy trunk is a century old.
C. Underline the adjective phrase in each sentence and encircle the word it
modifies.
1. The choir in the church sang beautifully.
2. My friend sent me a note of sympathy.
3. The sofa in the sala is newly covered.
4. The house with bamboo fence is already sold.
5. The time in our country is not the same as that in the United States.
D. Study the following sentences. Be sure to determine:
- The prepositional phrase used as an adverb phrase
- The word that is modifies by the prepositional phrase
- The part of the speech of the modified word
Write your answer on the corresponding column in the chart below.
1. The box is heavy with raw materials.
2. The students studied effectively by following the SQR method.
3. The school’s affair is alive with distinguished guests and famous
personalities
4. The class is obeyed wholeheartedly by performing their tasks and
other activities.
5. The basket is filled with fresh fruits.
No.
Prepositional phrase used as an
adverb phrase
Word that
it modifies
The part of
speech of the
modified word
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
E. Add adjective phrase on the following words:
1. The artist ______________________________________________________________
2. The child ______________________________________________________________
3. My pet ________________________________________________________________
4. A beggar ______________________________________________________________
5. The palace ____________________________________________________________
F. Add adverb phrase on the following words:
1. A butterfly _____________________________________________________________
2. The school _____________________________________________________________
3. Lights __________________________________________________________________
4. A time _________________________________________________________________
5. A leader _______________________________________________________________
G. Construct five (5) sentences using adjective phrase.
1. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
H. Make five (5) sentences using adverb phrase.
1. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
I. Use the following prepositional phrase in your own sentence.
1. for a rainy day
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. with red ribbon
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. across the miles
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. behind the door
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. beneath its wings
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Skills Enrichment
Listening Comprehension
Extracting Meanings and Purpose
Listening is a very important skill. If a person has a good listening skill, then it
will be helpful for him/her to grasp and get ideas easily. Listening requires
understanding. The sounds that pass your ears need to be interpreted for you to
extract and decipher their meanings.
Activities
A. Listen as your teacher reads the selection
To the Teacher,
“Glimpses Into the Past.”
Listen intently and purposively to the details
The listening text is on page
and events. You will be able to identify the
126 of the Teacher’s Manual.
purpose for such event.
Source: Flores, Magelende,
Recall my situation of the listed events below
M., et al. Proficiency 2007.
and try to identify its purpose.
1. The journey or voyage to the Philippines of
the U.S. Army Transport, the “U.S.S. Thomas”
2. Remarkable events happened in the Spanish – American war
B. Listen to the poem “To a Traveler” by Dr. Jose
To the Teacher,
Rizal. Try to extract the message of the song.
Write your answer in the box below.
The listening text is on pages
126-127 of the Teacher’s
Manual.
The message of the poem is - _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Development
Determining Literal and Figurative Language
In expressing feelings, thoughts and ideas, one can use either literal
or figurative language depending on the situation.
Literal language refers to words or groups that give exact meaning
and denote what they mean according to dictionary usage. Figurative
language, on the other hand involves analogy and exaggerations.
Activity
Write L if the statement is expressed in literal language and F it it is
figurative language.
_________ 1. Love is defined in many ways.
_________ 2. Love is flowerlike.
_________ 3. “Life is a string of many-colored beads.”
_________ 4. We can have true understanding of Filipino writings
through their life and works.
_________ 5. All literary types focus on variety of life’s experiences.
_________ 6. “Life is an empty cup.”
_________ 7. “Man is a pilgrim on earth.”
_________ 8. “A poem is musical as a seagull.”
_________ 9. My soul is an enchanted boat.
_________ 10. Your patience calmed my anger and so did a cold bottle
of coke after a lousy game.
Literary Appreciation
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) was an English
dramatist and father of English tragedy. He is
especially noted for his establishment of dramatic
blank verse and overreaching protagonists. His first
dramatic work “Dido, Queen of Carthage,” was
performed by a company of boy actors between
1587 and 1593. His first English play in blank verse,
“Tamburlane, The Great,” is considered the
beginning of mature phase of the Elizabethan
theatre. Its success was followed by “Tamburlane, The
Great, Part II.”
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
by Christopher Marlowe
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the Rocks,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing Madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of Roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.
The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and
sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.
A. Unlocking of Difficulties
B. Study the following words and their meanings:
 steepy – high face or rock
 wool – soft and durable fiber from sheep
 kirtle – a garment with a skirt, a mantle
 myrtle – an evergreen shrub
 buckles – metal clasps for fastening with strap
 ivy – woody climbing plants
 amber – a translucent yellowish or brownish color
 stud – collection of horses and mares for breeding
C. Exercises
A. Put a check inside the box that carries the correct meaning of the
underlined vocabulary word.
1. Leaves of myrtle
evergreen hub
growing trees
2. a cap of flowers of kirtle
mat
mantle
3. with coral and studs
collection of horses and mares for breeding
group of messes
4. a gown made of wood
fiber from plants
fiber from sheep
5. slippers with buckles
ribbon used as a tie
a metal for fastening with straps
B. Construct sentences using the following vocabulary words:
1. steepy
__________________________________________________________________
2. kirtle
__________________________________________________________________
3. wood
__________________________________________________________________
4. amber
__________________________________________________________________
5. myrtle
_________________________________________________________________
B. Understanding the text
1. Who is the speaker in the poem and to whom is he speaking to?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What was the poet’s plea?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. How did he convince his lady?
______________________________________________________________________________
C. Literary Analysis
Identifying the Tone and Mood of the Speaker

Tone

It is a manner of expression in speech and writing. Tone gives
different meaning among words of similar form by variation in pitch and
tone.
Examples:
angry tone of voice
convincing tone of voice
caring tone of voice
happy tone of voice
Mood
Mood refers to variability of emotions. It is permeated or spread
throughout the mind and feelings of an observer. In the process of
observation, mood is a temporary state of mind or feeling as evidenced
by the tendency of one’s thoughts.
Examples:
a sad mood
a gloomy mood
an enthusiastic mood
Grammar Awareness
Understanding Terms and Techniques
1. Alliteration
It is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of two or
more words that are next to each other or near each other.
Example:
The gold sold to them brings good luck.
2. Allusion
It is an indirect reference or mention. It explains through hints often
made to people, places, and things that are already well-known.
Example:
He’s no Dr. Jose Rizal.
(Dr. Jose Rial stands for a national hero.)
3. Assonance
It is used often in poetry in which there is existence of vowel rhyme
or words that have the same vowel sound.
Example:
Slowly, mighty, plenty, lovely
4. Cacophony
Example:
Bang, zip, smash, ring, grrrrr
Identifying Punctuation Marks
1. Parenthesis ()
It is used to enclose explanatory elements that are not
structurally part of the sentence.
Example:
He is a topnotcher (an intelligent person) in the Bar Examination
1990.
It is used to enclose a numerical equivalent to preceeding spelledout numbers.
Example:
As down payment, he paid five hundred pesos (Php500).
2. Hyphen (-)
It connects two-part words.
Examples:
Air-conditioning, twenty-two, thirty-one
It separates words into syllables.
Examples:
ap-ple
a-cronym
ap-plaud
It connects compound nouns and adjectives.
Examples:
teacher-in-charge
well-known politician
It separates some prefixes.
Examples:
ex-champion
re-create
It divides words at the end of a line of writing.
Examples:
diction
ary
nota
tion
Recognizing More Capitalization
1. It is used in all the words in the greeting of a business letter.
Example:
Dear Sir
Dear President
Everdearest Madam
2. It is used in school subjects when they are names of languages or specific
courses listed in the school catalogue.
Examples:
Spanish
Science 10
3. It is used in a geographic location when they refer to specific areas or the
map.
Examples:
North
West
Far East (but only direction)
We had lived in the East for eight years.
They went to the North last year.
Oral Language and Fluency
Discovering Debate Skills
Debate is a formal contest of argumentation between two teams or
individuals. More broadly, and more importantly, debate is an essential
tool in developing and maintaining democracy and open societies. More
than a mere verbal or performance skill, debate embodies the ideals of
reasoned argument, tolerance for divergent points of view, and rigorous
self-examination. Debate is, above all, a way for those who hold opposing
views to discuss controversial issues without descending to insult,
emotional appeal, or personal bias. A key trademark of debate is that it
rarely ends in agreement, but rather allows for a robust analysis of the
question at hand. Perhaps this is what French philosopher Joseph Joubert
meant when he said: “It is better to debate a question without settling it,
than to settle a question without debating it.”
Basic Debating Skills
a. Style
Style is the manner in which you communicate your arguments. This is
the most basic part of debating. Content and strategy are worth little
unless you deliver your material in a confident and persuasive way.
b. Speed
It is vital that you talk at a pace which is fast enough to found
intelligent and allow you time to say what you want, but slow enough
to be easily understood.
c. Tone
Varying tone is what makes you sound interesting. Listening to only one
tone for an entire presentation is boring.
d. Volume
Speaking quite loudly is sometimes a necessity, but it is by no means
necessary to shout through every debate regardless of context. There is
absolutely no need speak any more loudly than the volume at which
everyone in the room can comfortably hear you. Shouting does not
win debates. Speaking too quietly is also disastrous since no one will be
able to hear your point of view.
e. Charity
The ability to concisely and clearly express complex issues is what
debating is all about. The main reason people begin to sound unclear
is usually because they lose the “stream of thought” which should keep
them going. It is also important to keep it simple. While long words
make you sound clever, they may also make you incomprehensible.
f. Use of notes and eye contact
Notes are essential but they must be brief and well organized to be
effective. There is absolutely no point in trying to speak without notes.
Of course, notes should never become obtrusive and damage your
contact with the audience, nor should they ever be read verbatim.
Most people sketch out the main headings of their speech, with brief
notes under each.
When writing notes for rebuttal during a debate, it is usually better to
use a separate sheet of paper so you can take down the details of
what the other speakers have said and then transfer a rough outline
onto the actual notes you will be using
Eye contact with the audience is very important but keep shifting your
gaze. It is always impolite to stare.
g. Content
Content is what you actually say in a debate. These are the arguments
used to develop your own side’s case and rebut the opposite side’s.
The information on content provided below is a general overview f
what will be expected when you debate.
Case (argument) – the whole
a. Introduction – The case your group is making must be outlined in the
introduction. This involves stating your main arguments and
explaining the general trust of your case. This must be done briefly
since the most important thing is to get on and actually argue it. It is
also a good idea to indicate the aspects of the subject to be
discussed by each of the team members.
b. Conclusion – At the end, once everyone has spoken, it is useful to
briefly summarize what your group has said and why.
Case (argument) – the parts
Having outlined the whole of your argument, you must then begin to
build a case (the parts). The best way to do this is to divide your case
between two and four arguments (or divide your case based on the
number of people in your group). You must justify your arguments with
basic logic, worked examples, statistics, and quotes. Debating is all
about the strategy of “proof”. Proof, or evidence, supporting your
assertion is what makes it an argument. There are a number of ways of
dividing up cases according to groups of arguments (e.g.
political/economic/social, moral/practical, or international/regional,
etc.) or just according to individual arguments if you can’t group any
together. Under each of these basic headings you should then explain
the reasoning behind the argument and justify it using the methods
outlined above. It is usually best to put the most important arguments
first. Here is an example of a case outline:
”The media exerts more influence over what people think than the
government does. This is true for three reasons. Firstly, most people
base their votes on what they see and hear in the media. Secondly,
the media can set the political agenda between elections by
deciding what issues to report and in how much detail. Thirdly, the
media have successfully demonized politicians over the last ten years
so that now people are more likely to believe journalists than
politicians.”
All of the arguments in this case outline are debatable (almost
immediately you can see the counter-arguments), but they give the
case a wide range which covers all kinds of issues. The trick is not t
come up with a watertight case, but a well-argued one. Think: “Can I
argue that?”
Rebuttal – the parts
Arguments can be factually, morally, or logically flawed, They may
be misinterpretations or they may also be unimportant or irrelevant. A
team may also contradict one another to fail to complete the tasks
they set themselves. These are the basics of rebuttal and almost every
argument can be found wanting in a least one of these respects. Here
are a few examples:
1. “Compulsory euthanasia at age 70 would save the country money
in pension and healthcare.” This is true, but is morally flawed.
2. “Banning cigarette product placement in films will cause more
young people to smoke because it will make smoking more
mysterious and taboo.” This is logically flawed. The ban would more
likely stop the steady steam of images which makes smoking
attractive and glamorous and actually reduce the number of
young people smoking.
3. “My partner will then look at the economic issues…”
“Blah..blah..blah… (5 minutes later and still no mention of the
economic issues)” This is a clear failure to explain a major part of the
case where attention should be drawn to it. Even better is when a
speaker starts with, “to win this debate there are three things I must
do…”. If the speaker fails to do any of those things you can then
hang her or him by the noose by repeating their exact words-by his
or her own admission.
Rebuttal – the parts
It is very important to have a good perspective of the debate and
identify what the key arguments are. It is not enough to rebut a few
random arguments here and there. Of course the techniques used
above are invaluable but they must be used appropriately. There
are a number of things you should do to systematically break down
a team’s case:
1) Ask yourself how the other side has approached the case. It their
methodology flawed?
2) Consider what tasks were set by the other side (if any) and
whether they have in fact addressed these.
3) Consider what the general emphasis of the case is and what
assumptions it makes. Try to refute these.
4) Take the main arguments and do the same thing. It is not worth
repeating a point of rebuttal that has been used by someone
else already, but you can refer to it to show that the argument
has not stood up. It is not necessary to correct every example
used. You won’t have time and your aim is to show the other
side’s case to be flawed in the key areas.
Exercises
A. Explain what the French philosopher, Joseph Joubert meant
when he said: “It is better to debate a question without settling it,
than to settle a question without debating it.”
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
B. Study the sample debate script below. Divide the class into two
groups and try to apply the lessons you have learned in
debating. You may choose any topic wished by majority of the
class.
Academic Debate – Script
This House will come to order. I am pleased to welcome you all
to the ______________ round of the ______________ Debating
Tournament.
The topic being debated today is: (Read resolution)
Seated on my RIGHT representing the Affirmative Side are the
First Affirmative Speaker (read name) and the Second
Affirmative Speaker (read name).
On behalf of the House, I extend a special welcome to our
Judges (read their names)
The clerk of the house is (read name)
And I (your name), am your Moderator.
The debaters will have 4 minutes in which to deliver their remarks.
There will be a break of 2 minutes after which the debaters will
have 2 minutes each for Rebuttal.
The Clerk will indicate how much speaking time is remaining by
raising the time cards. Will the timer please explain the method in
timing? (Timer explains) After each debater sits down, I will
immediately call on the next debater to begin his or her address.
Heckling and Formal Questions will be permitted, though Judges
are to penalize any debater who interrupts another thoughtlessly
or excessively or who lowers the level of debate. Judges should
not confer with one another until after they have scored the
debate.
Are there any questions regarding the rules?
I call upon the Affirmative Speaker to deliver the resolution,
define its terms, and outline the Affirmative’s case.
(After the First Affirmative’s speech, say):
I thank the First Affirmative Speaker for his/her remarks and
remind the judges that they should not finalize any debater’s
score until they have heard all the speeches. We shall now hear
the First Negative’s speech.
(After the First Negative’s speech, say):
Thank you for the remarks. I now call upon the Second
Affirmative Speaker to deliver the final constructive speech in
support of the resolution.
(After the Second Affirmative’s speech, say):
Thank you. The Second Negative will now deliver the speech
opposing the resolution. It is his/her responsibility to complete the
attack on the Affirmative’s case and to defend and summarize
the position of the Negative.
(After the Second Negative’s speech, say):
I thank the Second Negative and now declare a 2-minute recess
during which the debaters are to prepare their rebuttals.
(After recess, say):
I now call upon the First Negative to present the Negative Side’s
Official Rebuttal.
(After the First Negative’s Rebuttal, say):
I thank the First Negative and now call upon the First Affirmative
to present the Affirmative Side’s Official Rebuttal.
(After the First Affirmative’s Rebuttal, say):
I thank the First Affirmative and now call upon the Second
Negative to present the Negative Side’s Final Rebuttal.
(After the Second Negative’s Rebuttal, say):
I thank the Second Negative and now call upon the Second
Affirmative to present the Affirmative Side’s Final Rebuttal
(After the Second Affirmative’s Rebuttal, say):
I thank the Second Affirmative for concluding the debate.
Would the judges please give me the score sheets as soon as
they have completed them. Debaters are asked to remain until
that time after which the judges may address comments to
them.
On behalf of the House, I thank the Judges and the Clerk for
their assistance; I congratulate all the debaters on their
performance; and, I thank the members of the Gallery for their
attentiveness. This debate is now concluded.
*Remember to choose only one side of the argument – “For” or
“Against”. Do not mix the two up. Also, make your arguments as
forceful as possible, persuasive, and logical, but never ridicule or
abuse your opponents in any way.
Reading Comprehension
Reading an Editorial Writing
A. Read the sample editorial writing below and answer the questions that
follow.
A True Follower
“It is hard to have leadership when you have a divided followership”.
Gloria Resign! Oust Gloria! Impeach GMA! These statements have been
avid visual flicks in our streets nowadays. The day our President made a public
statement and apologized to the Filipino people has been a political and social
turmoil. It did not only affect our economy but it also made us Filipinos barbaric
in such a way that justice seems a far-fetched ignorance. Protests here, political
rallies there, and social activism everywhere. In effect of this social unrest cause
by idealistic militants, the President humbled herself by quoting the second letter
of St. Paul to the Corinthians to the Filipino people, “I cannot boast about myself
except about my weaknesses.” But for the ordinary Filipino who seemed pushed
by political opportunists and economic saboteurs, this humbleness seemed not
enough.
What has come to us? Have we not learned the lessons from the two
previous mass-revolts we have launched? Are our streets the new place we can
seek justice? Or we are just bleak and hopeless followers in the verge of social
downfall? The answer to this candid questions lies beneath the essence of a true
follower. What is a true follower? What makes a good follower? Followership
according to the pessimist’s point of view signifies subjection and execution of
an order a leader makes. These characteristics beleaguer an attention that one
must fully conceptualize and understand. A proactive follower should also
demonstrate great respect and thinks a win-win solution, and at the same time
gaining the trust and confidence of his leader. An abled follower thinks and
works within a system; which in our present social case is our legalized Philippine
constitution; based on a set of values that a society dictates for our common
good.
The most important characteristic of a follower is a willingness to tell the
truth. A truth that speaks the voice of the majority. A truth that coincides with fair
justice. A truth that leads to the upliftment of a unified nation under the
guidance of the moral values we have. But be reminded that the truth works. It’s
a complex world full of power and pain. It can shatter one’s mind and aura to
the extent of one’s downfall and seizure. However, followers who tell the truth
and leaders who listen to it are an unbeatable combination. But this does not
include the “extra-constitutional means” of forcing down a duly elected public
official to resign against, not only her will, but also the mandate of the Filipino
majority.
However, there is one thing that totally confuses my young and arable
mind. In the principle of ideal followership, one must recognize the authority a
leader possesses. A recognition that requires great respect given to the leader
itself. Now then, we can be both an upbeat follower at the same time tailoring
our actions and beliefs to accord with the leader’s position? Or we can be just
like the bamboo tree, able to change its side to the strung of the winds?
Whatever is your answer, one thing is for sure, leaders need their followers;
followers too need their leaders. It’s a symbiotic process that is proven and
tested since time immemorial.
The present social and political crisis we Filipinos currently face needs
constant attention both from our leaders and we, as their followers, in order to
attain our vision. A vision to bring moral enrichment to our ailing nation! A vision
to achieve an end to political bickering that is causing us much harm!
We are not experiencing a leadership crisis but a follower’s predicament.
Indeed, in order for us to step forward, we must be true followers first!
Questions
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What does the author with to convey?
What type of conflict does the author emphasize?
Does the author tell his or her ideas clearly? How?
What details are used by the editor to support his/her opinion?
Are you in favor or not in favor of the author’s notions? Why? Why not?
Writing Composition
Writing a Prepared Debate
1. Understand how debates work. You will be given a debate topic called
“resolution.” Your team must take an affirmative or negative stance to the
resolution. Sometimes you will be given the stance, and sometimes you will
be asked to take a position.
2. Research the topic thoroughly with credible information. Because you will
be asked to counter the arguments of the other side, in addition to giving
a speech of your own, you must spend time to thoroughly understand all
aspects of the resolution.
3. Write an outline of your speech. If you create a basic outline of the
speech your writing organization will probably be better when you
actually sit down to write the speech in full. It’s a good idea to memorize
the ultimate speech or just rely on the outline you made as notes when
giving it.
Your basic debate outline should contain four parts: An introduction,
your thesis argument, your key points to back your stance up, and a
conclusion. Be prepared to define any key words for the judges.
You can break each of those four part into subcategories. It’s often a
good idea to write the introduction and conclusion last, focusing on the
thesis argument and evidence to back it up first.
4. Write an introduction that is catchy and interesting. You want to introduce
your topic very clearly and concisely right at the beginning of the debate
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speech. However, you should open with a colorful flourish that
foreshadows the topic.
Outline where you stand very clearly. The audience and judges should
not have to puzzle over where you stand on this topic. Are you affirmative
or negative to the resolution? Say it clearly, concisely and firmly.
Make key points to back up your stance. You want to highlight your key
points very strongly early on in the speech. You could provide rapid-fire
examples, basically piling up as evidence to support your stance.
Develop your key points. You want to back up the key arguments you are
using to justify your position. Back every single one of your key points up
with examples, statistics, and other pieces of evidence.
Understand the art of persuasion. Ancient philosophers studied the art of
persuasion, and understanding their techniques will help your debate
speech.
Aristotle believed that speakers were more persuasive if they combined
elements of logos (persuasion by reasoning) with pathos (having an element of
emotional appeal) and ethos (an appeal based on the character of the
speaker). For example, that they seem intelligent or of good will.
There are two ways to use logic---inductive (which makes the case with
measurable evidence like statistics or a specific anecdote or example); and
deductive (which makes the case by outlining a general principle that is related
to the specific topic to infer a conclusion from it. For example, I oppose all wars
except those involving imminent self defense; thus, I must oppose this one
because it’s a war that was not in imminent self defense, and here’s why). Or
the reverse.
You should use pathos sparingly. Emotional appeal on its own can be
dangerous. Logos – the appeal to reason---should be at the core. However,
logical appeal without any pathos at all can render a speech dry and dull.
Consider what you are trying to make your audience “feel”. Explaining how a
topic affects real people is one way to use pathos well.
9. Write a strong conclusion. At the end, you should reiterate your overall
stance on the topic to reinforce your position. It’s a good idea to
conclude your intention to do something with a strong appeal for action
as well.
One strong war way to conclude a debate speech is to bookend the
conclusion with the opening, by referring back to the introduction and tying the
conclusion into the same theme.
Quotations can be a good way to end a speech. You can also end with a
brief summation of the key arguments of the speech to ensure they remain fresh
in the judges’ minds.
10. Work on your delivery from beginning to end. An advanced speaker
carefully hones his or her delivery. The speaker understands the power if
carefully timed rhetorical pauses and pays careful attention to the desired
tone (firm. moderate, etc.)
You do not want to read a debate speech verbatim. Although you want to
memorize the speech, and may use notes or your outline when giving it, it needs
to sound natural and not too rehearsed. The key to giving a good debate
speech is research. You need to think on your feet to counter opposing
arguments.
Use a clear, loud voice, and watch your pacing. You do not want to speak
too loud or too slowly. Remember that confidence goes a long way toward
persuasion.
Activities
A. Choose a partner then write a short sample debate script on any of the
following topics guided by the lessons you have learned.
1. Homework should be banned
2. Grades should be abolished
3. Exclusive schools are better for students
B. Write a short debate script about the topic.
Same-sex marriage in the Philippines should be legalized
Viewing Comprehension
Watching an Election Debate
Last May 2016, our country held its national election and some television
networks conducted an election debate for all the presidential candidates to
participate in.
Now, watch any of the episodes of the election debate again and answer
the following questions.
1. What are the common arguments or issues given by the debaters?
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2. Are all of them clear with their positions regarding the issue? Why?
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3. Quote some sentences that you made an impact.
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Now, watch a debate on any topic and analyze how the conflict was
developed by the debaters? List down the arguments that you favored.
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