JMJ Marist Brothers

Notre Dame of Marbel University

College of Arts and Sciences
LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

TELL ME ABOUT IT

In this activity, you will recall and share about your experiences by answering
ANY one or two of the following questions – especially those that apply to
you.

You may be asked to share such experiences during our synchronous

session.

1. When was the last time you had a conversation with someone,
and you were proud of yourself because you informed him/her
about something he/she didn’t know about? What happened, and
what did you talk about?
The last time I told anyone about the Qualifying Exam outcome, I was so
proud of myself. I knew there were mixed feelings at the time, but I was proud
to inform my mother of the unexpected news. We discussed how, during the
qualifying exam preparation, I was sure to switch to the new course because
I doubted my ability to pass the exam, but the outcome surprised both of us,
and we were both pleased and proud at the same time.

2. What is the funniest story you’ve heard of?

It was a story a friend told me while waiting in line about his little sister.
She was at the age of4. Her teacher asks them to name an animal that
begins with a "D" the sister said "DOG!" joyfully during her class. Then the
teacher asked again for an animal that starts with a "C." The little sister also
said, "Cute Dog." The teacher smiled, holding her laugh as the cute little girl
told her answer innocently. But the parents who watch their child learning in
the four corners of their sweet child's classroom did not hold any laugh as it
was a cute and funny scenario to witness. It was funny because it made it
right with a joyful and innocent face despite being a wrong answer. I find the
innocence of young children cute, funny, and sometimes I feel nostalgic
because as we grow, the carefree innocence also fades away
 3. Tell us about the most recent debate you had with anyone.
What happened?
The most recent debate with some of my friends was whether that
instrument was easiest to start with for newbies since during that time, we
had fresh recruits for our symphonic band. I was debating that playing the
flute was the easiest since the instrument is light and it was already a well-
known instrument for most people, unlike the music instrument, my friend
insisted which was the alto. He said that his instrument was easy since it has
no complicated mechanism and keys to play various notes, and he said that
the sound produced by the alto instrument was more flexible on different
songs when played. Our debate ended with laughs since learning and
exploring new instruments and identifying their pros, cons, and difficulty was
dependent on the person's understanding. Everybody has its own opinion
and skills for everything, as well as learning to play an instrument.

4. What food do you know how to prepare? List down the steps.
Food: Spaghetti
Step 1: In a pot over medium heat, cook spaghetti in salted boiling water
according to the package's direction. Drain well afterwards.
Step 2: In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add sliced hot dogs and cook,
occasionally stirring, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 3: Add onions, garlic, and bell peppers to the pan. Cook until softened.
Next, add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small
pieces until lightly browned. Drain any excess fat. Afterward, add tomato
sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, and beef broth. Stir in sugar.
Step 6: Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer, covered, for about one
hour or until meat is fully cooked and sauce is thickened.
Step 7: When almost done, add the cooked hotdogs. Season with salt and
pepper to taste.
Step 8: To serve, spoon spaghetti sauce over noodles and top with shredded
cheese.

5. Give an instance when you speak in-the-moment. What

happened?
I remembered various business events and when the emcee suddenly
approaches me and ask simple questions as a brain teaser and to pass the
time. At first, I was literally out of words since I am not fluent in public
speaking, especially with many audiences. But in the end, I mustered
enough courage to speak up confidently and efficiently.
 6. Give an instance when you have somehow prepared for what you
have to say to someone or to people. What happened?
There are instances that we need to think carefully about what we say,
for example, apologizing to a person, especially when you are at fault. I
remembered that I committed a fault to a friend. He was agitated, I was guilty
of what I have done, and I have carefully thought about what to say to him.
Still, not everything I said to him was according to plan because at the heat
of the moment, my emotions got the best of me, and my thoughts were
clouded with heavy emotions. Both of us were emotional at that time, but we
reconciled afterward because we did not let our pride and emotions get the
best of us altogether.

7. Give an instance when you were asked to read something to a

number of people. What happened?
Reading alone is not a problem, but reading to several people is a
different scenario because I have little confidence in speaking or reading to
other people aside from myself. Despite a decent reader, I found myself
stuttering on other words and even miss pronouncing a few due to my
nervousness. Still, the longer I continue reading, my worry feeling receded
slightly, and my stuttering was reduced to a bare minimum until I finished
reading in front of several people.

8. Give an instance when you had to memorize a speech, and had to

deliver it in front of a number of people. What happened?
Practice makes perfect. Skill is nothing without training. So, despite
being a fluent speaker without preparation, it is all for nothing. I am no fluent
speaker because I have little confidence in the way I speak, especially with
my minor speech deficiency. I practice so that I can deliver speech smoothly
and also boost my confidence. Despite all the efforts and practice, mistakes
and errors cannot be avoided because that what makes us all human. I had
plenty of errors, especially not following the actual work from my speech
transcripts. I sometimes unknowingly add a few words and ideas as I deliver
my speech “adlib moments” sometimes, it’s not noticeable like the audience
thinks it is still all part of my speech. But sometimes, it leads me into a dead
air situation wherein my brain suddenly ran out of ideas, and I stop for a
moment during my speech.

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