English for Academic and

Professional Purposes
QUARTER 1– MODULE 4:
Thesis Statement and Reading Outline
English for Academic and Professional Purposes
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1-Module 4: Thesis Statement and Reading Outline
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Ma. Ragie P. Tabotabo Editor: Desiree T. Roberts

Reviewers: Marivic Yballe (Moderator)
Dr. Clavel D. Salinas Illustrator: Ma. Ragie P. Tabotabo Layout
Artist: Ma. Ragie P. Tabotabo

Management Team

Schools Division Superintendent: Dr. Marilyn S. Andales, CESO V

Assistant Schools Division Superintendents:Dr. Cartesa M. Perico
Dr. Ester A. Futalan Dr. Leah B. Apao
Chief, CID:Dr. Mary Ann P. Flores
Chief, SGOD:Dr. Novie O. Mangubat
EPS—LRMDS:Mr. Isaiash T. Wagas
SHS Division Coordinator:Dr. Clavel D. Salinas

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 English for
Academic and
Professional
Purposes
QUARTER 1– MODULE 4:
Thesis Statement and
Reading Outline
 Key Message

For the Facilitator:

Learning is a constant process. Amidst inevitable circumstances, Department of

Education extends their resources and looks for varied ways to cater your needs and to
adapt to the new system of Education as a fortress of Learning Continuity Plan. One of the
probable solutions is the use of Teacher-made Educational Modules in teaching.

You are reading the English for Academic and Professional Purposes—Senior High
School First Quarter Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on “States the thesis
statement of an academic text (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-6), and Outlines reading
texts in various disciplines (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-8)” as written and found in the K-
12 Most Essential Learning Competencies.

The creation of this module is a combined effort of competent educators from

different levels and various schools of Department of Education-Cebu Province. In addition,
this module is meticulously planned, organized, checked and verified by knowledgeable
educators to assist you in imparting the lessons to the learners while considering the
physical, social and economical restraints in teaching process.

The use of Teacher-made Educational Module aims to surpass the challenges of

teaching in a new normal education set-up. Through this module, the students are given
independent learning activities, which embodies in the Most Essential Learning
Competencies based from the K-12 Curriculum Competencies, to work on in accordance to
their capability, efficiency and time. Thus, helping the learners acquire the prerequisite 21 st
Century skills needed with emphasis on utmost effort in considering the whole well being of
the learners.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of the
module:

Notes to the Teacher!

This part of the module gives you helpful tips, suggestions or strategies
that will make the learning process easy and efficient to the learners.

As the main source of learning, it is your top priority to explain clearly on how to use
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should be recorded verbatim to assess their strengths and weaknesses while doing the
activities presented independently in safety of their homes. Moreover, you are anticipated
to persuade learners to comply and to finish the modules on or before the scheduled time.

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For the Learner:

As a significant stakeholder of learning, Department of Education

researched and explored on innovative ways to address your needs with high
consideration on social, economic, physical and emotional aspects of your well being. To
continue the learning process, DepEd comes up with an Alternative Delivery mode of
teaching using Teacher-Made Educational Modules.

You are reading the English for Academic and Professional Purposes—Senior
High School First Quarter Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on “States the
thesis statement of an academic text (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-6), and Outlines
reading texts in various disciplines (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-8)” as written and
found in the K-12 Most Essential Learning Competencies.

This module is especially crafted for you to grasp the opportunity to

continue learning even at home. Using guided and independent learning
activities, rest assured that you will be able to take pleasure as well as to deeply
understand the contents of the lesson presented; recognizing your own capacity and
capability in acquiring knowledge.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

v
At the end of this module you will also find:

References Printed in this part is a list of all reliable and valid

resources used in crafting and designing this module.

In using this module, keep note of the fundamental reminders below.

1. The module is government owned. Handle it with care.
Unnecessary marks are prohibited. Use a separate sheet
of paper in answering all the given exercises.
2. This module is organized according to the level of
understanding. Skipping one part of this module may lead
you to confusion and misinterpretation.
3. The instructions are carefully laden for you to understand
the given lessons. Read each items cautiously.
4. This is a Home-Based class, your reliability and honor in
doing the tasks and checking your answers are a must.
5. This module helps you attain and learn lessons at home.
Make sure to clearly comprehend the first activity before
 proceeding to the next one.
6. This module should be returned in good condition to your
teacher/facilitator once you completed it.
7. Answers should be written on a separate sheet of paper or
notebook especially prepared for this subject.

If you wish to talk to your teacher/educator, do not hesitate to keep in touch

with him/her for further discussion. Know that even if this is a home-based class,
your teacher is only a call away. Good communication between the teacher and
the student is our priority to flourish your understanding on the given lessons.

We do hope that in using this material, you will gain ample knowledge and
skills for you to be fully equipped and ready to answer the demands of the
globally competitive world. We are confident in you! Keep soaring high!
 WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Good day, dear learner!

This module is solely prepared for you to access and to acquire lessons
befitted in your grade level. The exercises, drills and assessments are carefully
made to suit your level of understanding. Indeed, this learning resource is for
you to fully comprehend the Thesis Statement and Outlining Reading Texts.
Independently, you are going to go through this module following its proper
sequence. Although you are going to do it alone, this is a guided lesson and
instructions/directions on how to do every activity is plotted for your
convenience.

Using this learning resource, you are ought to state the thesis statement of
an academic text (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-6), and Outline reading texts in
various disciplines (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-8), as inculcated in the K-12
Most Essential Learning Competencies.

At the end of this module, you are expected to achieve the following
objectives:

A. Distinguish a strong thesis statement from weak ones;

B. Identify thesis statements from academic texts; and
C. Create an outline of the text being read;

I. Directions: Read each question carefully and choose your

answer from the given choices. Write only the letter that
WHAT I KNOW
corresponds to your answer.

1. What is a thesis statement?

A.It is a declarative sentence which states the focus or argument of the
essay.
B.It is a sentence that elaborates the topic sentence.
C.It is a sentence that tells the reader the main idea of the paragraph.
2. Which among the following is the best thesis statement?
A.Some athletes take steroids.
B.Athletes should not take steroids.
C.Steroids should be banned from athletic competitions because they not
only endanger the health of the athletes, but also give athletes an unfair

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 advantage.
3. Which among the following is a better thesis statement?
A.The censoring of movies shown on television is an invasive practice since
it violates the producer’s right to freedom of artistic expression and the
viewer’s right to freedom of choice.
B.I am opposed to the censoring of movies shown on television. Movies
made for theatres should not be censored before being shown on
television.
C.The censoring of movies shown on television is a controversial topic.
4. Which among the following is NOT true about a thesis statement?
A.It is a claim or stand that needs to be developed in an essay.
B.It acts as an adequate support to expound the main idea.
C. It must be debatable and supported with evidence.
5. What is an outline?
A.A technique that uses free flow of ideas by listing down everything that
comes to mind.
B.A technique that shows how the parts of the text are related to one
another as parts or sections that are subordinate to a main idea.
C.A technique that links a word or phrase to different related topics or ideas.
6. What is the difference between reading outline from a writing outline?
A.A reading outline is used as a guide to organize ideas for an essay, while a
writing outline is used to get the main ideas of the text.
B.A reading outline is used to before writing the first draft of an essay, while a
writing outline is used to understand the connection of ideas in a reading
text.
C.A reading outline is used to better comprehend a text’s structure while a
writing outline is used to organize ideas for a cohesive and coherent text.
7. What are the two types of outlines?
A. Topic and Sentence outlines
B. Letter and Number outlines
C. Heading and Subheading outlines

II. Directions: Write a 3-paragraph essay on “ The Characteristics of an Effective Thesis

Statement” .
 Directions: Summarize the following text below using any of
the summarizing techniques.

Imagine being told you could not be an engineer or a truck driver, or even
an airline pilot because 'girls don't do those jobs'. Imagine being told not to
listen to that radio station because 'Bad Boy Elvis' and rock and roll music
encouraged indecent behavior. Imagine putting on a tie or a hat and gloves to
go out. These values and social conventions were generally accepted as
'correct' by parents of teenagers in the 1950s, and teenagers were not
expected to question them. Before we complain about life in the 21st century
we should look at how fortunate we are.

Career choices for girls in the 1950s were mostly limited to becoming a
hairdresser, nurse, or teacher, until they married. This would be unthinkable
today. Women are having children in their late 30s not early 20s, and often
their families are planned around their careers. In-co-educational schools girls
often top the classes in Physics, Chemistry Technology, or Mathematics -
traditionally seen as boys' subjects. When the army recruitment officer visits,
as many girls as boys are in the audience. Achieving your potential is no
longer limited by your gender, and this must be a good thing.

Another aspect of modern teenage life that reflects these immense

social changes is in what is acceptable to wear. You might say that 'anything
goes'. If you look at any group of teenagers wearing mufti you will see many
different personal styles. One person has four or five body piercings, another
has dreadlocked hair, the third shows off his boxers above his low-slung jeans;
and the casual T-shirt and shorts outfit is worn everywhere. Tomorrow, why
not choose a different look and reinvent your image? Express your
individuality! These are some of the freedoms that teenagers enjoy today.

As for music - well a lot of our parents are into heavy metal so
what’s left for us? It's hard to be a rebel when your parents haven't stopped!
Obviously the media has an influence on teenagers but feel we have the right
to choose for ourselves - especially when many of us are taller than our
parents by the age of 15, have our own „wheels', our own money, and our own
telephones.

Teenagers clearly need and want to be independent today –

because the range of careers and the pace of technological change require
fast and flexible thinkers. Surely this is better preparation life than when our
grandparents grew up being told what to wear, do and think. Making the right
choices is not always easy, but it is better than having your choices made for
you! This is the most exciting, challenging and fun time to be a teenager ever.
Summary:
 Directions: Identify the best thesis statements from the
following set of sentences. Tick the box that corresponds to
your answer.

Men and women are born to perform specific roles. Stereotypical roles assigned to
women and men
Although there seems to be specific roles assigned to women and men,
those roles should never dictate them on what they can and cannot do.

The officers of the Reserve Officers Training Corps should exercise sensitivity on how they
lead their fellow students.
In this essay, I will discuss the benefits of joining the Reserve Officers
Training Corps.
The Reserve Officers Training Corps is a program that prepares students to serve in the
military.

Basketball is one of the famous team sports in the Philippines.

The number of contests that sports fans can watch is almost endless, but nothing can
beat the enjoyment of a good basketball game.
Basketball game is a very entertaining game for me.
Directions: Below is a group of jumbled main ideas and subordinate ideas. Create a
comprehensive five-leveled outline using the given information.

TOPIC: The Writing Process

PREWRITING Generate Ideas

WRITING THE FINAL DRAFT Review and evaluate

WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT Define topic

Proofread
EDITING AND REVISING
Organize Ideas
Publish or Share
Develop supporting details

Write conclusion
PUBLISHING
Write Topic Sentences

Thesis Statement

Definition

A thesis statement is the claim or stand that you will develop in your
paper. It is the controlling idea of your essay.

A strong thesis statement usually contains an element of uncertainty,

risk or challenge (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 2006:34). This means that
your thesis should offer a debatable claim that you can prove or disprove in
your essay. The claim should be debatable enough to let your readers agree
or disagree with you. Also, you will have to gather evidence in order for you to
back up your thesis statement.
Guidelines on writing an effective thesis statement

1. Avoid making overly-opinionated stands

While a thesis statement needs to reveal your attitude toward the topic, be
careful not to go to the extremes and write a thesis statement with an
exaggerated claim. This is because you need to prove your thesis first, and avoid
imposing your opinion on the reader, lest you affect their disposition
toward you.

Example: The officers of the ROTC are merciless slave drivers who abuse
their fellow students.

2. Avoid making announcements

Sometimes, it is easier to tell your reader what you intend to write about.
However, sometimes it makes a weak thesis statement for it lacks your
attitude or stand in a particular topic.

Example: In this essay, I will talk about the benefits of having a healthy
lifestyle.

3. Avoid stating facts alone

If you rely only on facts in your thesis statements, you will not have much
room for discussion, because facts are generally not as debatable as opinions.

Example: Coronavirus is an unseen threat to mankind.

Outline

Definition

An outline is a summary that gies the essential features of a text. It shows

how the parts of a text are related to one another as parts that are of equal
importance, or sections that are subordinate to a main idea.

The are two kinds of outlines: the reading outline and writing outline. A
reading outline is used to get the main ideas of a text that is already
written. It helps you understand the text’s structure more critically because you will
have to find the text’s thesis statement and supporting details. You will
better understand how a writer connects and sequences the information in the
reading text.

Meanwhile, a writing outline is a skeletal version of your essay. It is

used as a guide to organize your ideas. It is usually done before you write the first
draft of your essay.

Steps in creating a reading outline

1. Read the entire text first. Skim the text afterward. Having an overview of the
reading’s content will help you follow its structure better.

2. Locate the thesis statement.

3. Look for the key ideas in each paragraph of the essay.

4. Look at the topic sentence and group related ideas together.

5. Arrange the contents according to chronological order, spatial order, and

general to specific order.

6. Go back to the text and make sure you have not miss any important
information.

Rules for outlining

1. Subdivide topics by a system of numbers and letters, followed by a period. In

a formal outline, Roman numerals can be used to represent paragraphs.
Capital letters can be used to represent supporting details for the
paragraphs.

2. Each heading and subheading must have at least two parts.

3. Use either brief phrases or complete sentences. Do not use both in one
essay.

Types of Outlines:

1. Topic outline—the headings are given in sing words or brief phrases

2. Sentence outline– all headings are expressed in complete sentences

Sample format
TITLE
Thesis Statement:
I.
A.
1.
a
b
 B.
1.
2.
a
b
II.
A.
B.
1.
a.
2.
a.
b.

Note: The use of roman numerals, capital letters , numbers and lower
case letters will vary depending on the length of the section or paragraph.

I. Directions: Identify the thesis statement in each of the

following passages.

1. It is commonplace to say that nationalism is one of the most potent factors

in the cultural development of a people. Love of one’s own is essential in
the equipment of all truly civilized human beings; it is only safe and
sensible basis for the appreciation of things that pertain to others. Only
those who truly love their own country and people—their tradition, history,
and destiny—can develop a sincere interest in, and admiration for, the
tradition, history, and destiny of other countries and peoples. Only they can
become genuine and cosmopolites, or “citizens of the world.”
-S.P. Lopez, “Return of the Primitive”
Thesis statement:

2. The K12 program has allowed for more students to learn new language,
apart from English and Filipino. There are many benefits of learning a
language, that is, why you should see learning a new language as a
welcome challenge instead of a burden. There is the fact that it boosts a
 student’s brain power because your reading, memory, and problem solving
skills are sharpened. It also allows us to be exposed to new cultures and
thus increases our cultural sensitivity. There are a lot of people who are
more confident because they can express themselves in different
languages. Many career opportunities await those who know another
language. And these are just some of the reasons why you should learn a
new language.
Thesis statement:

3. Tailgating another vehicle is unsafe and illegal. Many rear-end collisions

are caused by drivers following too close to the vehicle in front of them. The
rule states that the driver must keep sufficient distance from the vehicle in
front in order to stop safely and avoid a collision. Drivers should allow a
minimum two second’s gap between their vehicle and the one ahead. At
sixty kilometers an hour, this equates to thirty-three meters; at a hundred it
equates to fifty-five meters. More distance is needed to safely stop in rain
or poor visibility.
Thesis statement:

Directions: Create a reading outline for each of the texts.

Text A

STRESS AND STRAIN

In engineering, stress and strain describe the conditions of a material under

varying circumstances. Stress is the material’s resistance to external forces,
measured in terms of the force exerted per unit of area, and strain is the
material’s change resulting from those external forces. Every force that acts on a
material creates a type of stress, and each stress has an accompanying type of
strain. The three basic types of stress are tensile, compressive, and shearing.

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 Tensile stress occurs when a pair of forces act on opposite ends of the
material and attempt to pull it apart. The resistance the material offers to this
action is known as the tensile stress in the material. Tensile stress is most easily

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demonstrated by puling on the ends of a rubber band. The type of stretching
(strain) taking place in the rubber band occurs to some degree in all other
materials which are this type of force.

Compressive stress results from forces pushing in on the ends of a material.

A simple example of a compressive force is pressure exerted to push an
accordion together. An accordion has only a small compressive stress because the
accordion bag offers little resistance to being forced together. Reduction is the
length of the material (strain) accompanies a compressive stress.

Shearing stress occurs when a force acts downward on a material, causing a

piece of it to bend or break off. This type of force, known as shearing force, is
resisted by shearing stress. Shearing force and stress can be
demonstrated by slicing a loaf of bread. Although amplified by the knife’s cutting
edge, the force can still be considered a shearing force. Like all other materials,
the bread offers resistance (stress) but tends to break (strain) under such force.

Text B

AUDIO– VISUAL SYNAESTHESIA

Audio-visual synaethesia is a perceptual effect which simultaneously

stimulates the senses of vision and hearing. Each sound is perceived as
harmoniously interdependent with a visual sensation.

Synaethesia is an art form which stems directly from technological roots. The
advances in electronics have made possible the simulation more than one sense
at a time, and future technological advances may allow the creation of a total
perceptual environment.

One of the simplest deices for demonstrating the effect of audio-visual

synaethesia is the color organ. A color organ is an electronic circuit which
converts the varying beats and intensities of recorded music to a corresponding
light display. The lights flash with the beat of the music, and their brightness
varies with the volume. Some color organs have circuitry which displays the high
tones of a musical passages one color, the medium tones as another color, and
the low tones as yet another. The overall effect of watching the display while
simultaneously listening to the music is that one can sense that he is “seeing” the
music, or “hearing” the visual display.

In audio-visual synaesthesia, two usually separate sensations are fused into

one harmonious perceptual effect. Synaesthesia may be art form of the future.

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 What is a strong thesis statement?
How does outlining help you understand a reading
text better?

Directions: Read the essay below and pay careful

attention to how it is organized. Identify the thesis
statement and make an outline for this essay. You may
modify the sample outline format

LEARNING TO LISTEN IN ENGLISH

Have you ever had a difficult time understanding normal spoken English on
TV, at work, or in school? If you have, you are not alone. Many beginning
students of English have a difficult time learning to listen in English. Listening can
actually be one of the more difficult language skills to master, but there are a
number of strategies that can help you comprehend spoken English better. These
strategies could be broken down into pre-, while– and post-listening strategies.

The process of preparing yourself to listen to a tv program or classroom

lecture is sometimes just as important as the actual practice of listening. If you
know that a lecture or TV program is going to be on a particular subject, you can
practice the strategy of predicting. Predicting is when you try to guess what you will
hear before you actually hear it. If you think about a subject before you listen and
predict what is going to be said, you will understand more if the lecture or TV
program as you listen. Try asking yourself these questions before listening: What is
the topic? What do I already know about the topic? What do I need to know
before I listen? What can I predict will be said.

An excellent while-listening strategy is the practice of making guesses about

what your hear. Oftentimes, people do not need to understand or hear
every word of a lecture, conversation, or TV show to understand the main idea of
what is being said. Some ways of making good guesses in listening is to first pay
attention to the speakers’ gestures and facial expressions. These things can often
communicate more than the words people say. To practice this strategy, try
listening to a video without a sound. Pay careful attention to the speakers’
gestures and facial expression. As you watch, try guessing what the speakers are
saying. When you are finished watching, rewind the tape to see if your guesses are
correct. You will probably be surprised at how much you were able to
understand just by guessing!

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 An important post-listening strategy that will help you become a better
listener is evaluating. You need to check to see if what you understood from the
TV program, lecture, or conversation is correct. To do this, you can ask a
classmate or a co-worker to summarize what you just heard. By doing this, you
will be able to determine whether or not you are making progress in your listening
skills or if you need to adjust your goals and expectations.

Learning to comprehend normal spoken English can sometimes be a

difficult and frustrating experience for many beginning English language learners.
However, the strategies of predicting, guessing, and evaluating can help lessen
some of the frustration. Try these strategies today and see if you notice an
improvement in your listening skills.

I. Directions: Read critically the texts below.

Identify the thesis statement and make an outline for
this essay. You may modify the sample outline format
presented before.

TEXT A

COLLEGE UNEDUCATION (Jorge Bocobo)

I wish to speak on “College Uneducation.” Is it possible that our

college education may “uneducate” rather than educate? I answer “Yes.” It is a
paradox but nonetheless the truth—the grim, unmerciful truth. We all believe in
higher education; else we should not be in the University. At the same time,
college education—like all other human devices for human betterment—may build
or destroy, lead, or mislead.

My ten years’ humble service in the University of the Philippines has

afforded me an opportunity to watch the current of ideals and practices of our
student body. In some aspects of higher education, most of our students have
measured up to their high responsibilities. But in other features—alas, vital ones!
—the thoughts and actions of many of them tend to stunt the mind, dry up the
heart, and quench the soul. These students are being uneducated in college. I
shall briefly discuss three ways in which many of our students are getting college
uneducation, for which they pay tuition fees and make unnumbered sacrifices.

Book Worship

In the first place, there is the all but delirious worship of the printed page.
“What does the book say?” is, by all odds, the most important question in the
student’s mind whenever he is faced with any problem calling for his own
reasoning. By the same token, may students feel a sort of frenzy for facts till these
become as huge as the mountains and the mind is crushed under them. Those
students think of nothing but how to accumulate data; hence, their capacity for
clear and powerful thinking is paralyzed. How pathetic to hear them argue and
discuss! Because they lack the native vitality of unhampered reason, their
discourse smacks of cant and sophistry rather than of healthy reasoning and
straight thinking.

It is thus that many of our students surrender their individuality to the

textbook and lose their birthright—which is to think for themselves. And when
they attempt to form their own judgment, they become pedantic. Unless a student
develops the habit of independent and sound reasoning, his college education is
a solemn sham.

Compare these hair-splitting college students with Juan de la Cruz in

the barrios. Now, Juan de la Cruz has read very little: no undigested mass of
learning dulls the edge of his inborn logic, his mind is free from the overwhelming,
stultifying weight of unassimilated book knowledge. How penetrating his
perception, how unerring his judgment, how solid his common sense! He
contemptuously refers to the learned sophists, thus: ”Lumabis ang karunungan
mo,” which means, “Your learning is too much.”

Professional Philistinism

The second manner of college uneducation that I want to speak of is this:

most students make professional efficiency the be-all and end-all of college
education. They have set their hearts upon becoming highly trained lawyers,
doctors, engineers, teachers, and agriculturists. I shall not stop to inquire into the
question of how much blame should be laid at the door of the faculties of the
University for this pernicious drift toward undue and excessive specialization.
That such a tendency exists is undeniable, but we never pause to count, the cost!
We are all of one mind: I believe that college education is nothing unless it
widens a man’s vision, broadens his sympathies, and leads him to higher thinking
and deep feeling. Yet how can we expect a; this result from a state of affairs
which reduces a law student to a code, a prospective doctor to a prescription, and
a would-be engineer to a mathematical formula? How many students in our
professional colleges are doing any systematic reading in literature? May we not,
indeed, seriously ask whether this fetish of specialization does not smother the
inspiring sense of beauty and the ennobling love of finer things that our students
have it in them to unfold into full-blown magnificence.

The Jading Dullness of Modern Life

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever,””says Keats. But we know that beauty us

a matter of taste; and, unless we develop in us a proper appreciation of what is
beautiful and sublime, everything around us is tedious and commonplace. We
rise early and go out into, but our spirit is responsive to the hopeful quietude and
the dew-chastened sweetness of dawn. At night we behold the myriad stars, but
they are just so many bright specks—their soft fires do not soothe our troubled
hearts, and we do not experience that awesome, soul stirring fascination of the
immense ties of God’s universe. We are bathed in the silver sheen of the moon
and yet feel not the beatitude of the moment. We gaze upon a vista of high
mountains, but their silent strength has no appeal for us. We read some undying
verses; still, their vibrant cadence does not thrill us, and their transcendent
though is to us like a vision that vanishes. We look at a masterpiece of the chisel
with its eternal gracefulness of lines and properties, yet to us it is no more than a
mere human likeness. Tell me, is such a life worth coming to college for? Yet, my
friends, the overspecialization which many students pursue with zeal and
devotion is bound to result in such an unfeeling, dry-as-dust existence.

I may say in passing that the education of the older generation is in this
respect far superior to ours. Our older countrymen say, with reason, that the new
education does not lawfully cultivate the heart as the old education did.

Misguided Zeal

Lastly, this selfsame rage for highly specialized training, with a view to
distinguished professional success, beclouds our vision of the broader
perspectives of life. Our philosophy of life is in danger of becoming narrow and
mean because we are habituated to think almost wholly in terms of material
wellbeing. Of course we must be practical. We cannot adequately answer this
tremendous question unless we thoughtfully develop a proper sense of values
and thus learn to separate the dross from the gold, the chaff from the grain of life.
The time to do this task is not after but before college graduation; for, when all is
said and done, the sum and substance of higher education is the individual
formulation of what life is for, with special training in some advanced line of
human learning in order that such a life formula may be executed with the
utmost effectiveness. But how can we lay down the terms of our philosophy of life
if every one of our thoughts is absorbed by the daily assignment, the outside
reading, and the laboratory experiment, and when we continuously devour
lectures and notes?

“Uneducated” Juan de la Cruz as Teacher

Here, again, many of our students should sit at the feet of meagerly
educated Juan de la Cruz and learn wisdom. Ah! He is often called ignorant, but
he is the wisest of the wise, for he has unraveled the mysteries of life. His is the
happiness of the man who knows the whys of human existence. Unassuming
Juan de la Cruz cherishes no “Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself.” His
simple and hardy virtues put to shame the studied and complex rules of conduct
of highly educated men and women. In adversity, his stoicism is beyond
encomium. His love of home, so guilelessly faithful, is the firm foundation of our
social structure. And his patriotism has been tested and found true. Can our
students learn from Juan de la Cruz, or does their college education unfit them
to become his pupils?

In conclusion, I shall say that I have observed among many of our

students certain alarming signs of college uneducation, and some of these are:
(1) lack of independent judgment as well as love of pedantry, because of the
worship of the printed page and the feverish accumulation of undigested data;
(2) the deadening of the delicate sense of the beautiful and the sublime, on
account of overspecialization; and (3) neglect of the formulation of a sound
philosophy of life as a result of excessive emphasis on professional training.

TEXT B

DIVERSITY: HELP OR HINDRANCE TO GROUP PERFORMANCE?

In an increasingly complex and competitive business world, how is a

company to generate the creative ideas needed for ongoing success? Many
managers believe that forming teams with cross-functional diversity is the
answer (Sethi et al., 2002), and this is becoming increasingly common (Mu &
Gnyawali, 2003). However, while diversity in group membership may lead to the
diversity of ideas needed for innovative problem solving, it is argued here that
that managers need to be aware that there are many ways that diversity can in
fact hinder team performance, though there are strategies that both teams and
their managers can use to reduce the potential negatives and enhance the
potential positives.

Aside from the cross-functional diversity, many other types of diversity can
have effects on team performance and some of these types of diversity can have
inherently negative effects. For example, any negative stereotyping by group
members resulting from diversity in terms of gender, age or ethnicity will reduce
team social cohesion and hence group performance (Fiske & Neuberg, 1990, as
cited in Harrison et al., 2002) because a certain amount of social cohesion has
been found to be correlated with effective group performance (Harrison et al.,
2002). Other aspects of diversity, such as in attitudes towards the group’s tasks,
in values, and in time management styles, can also negatively affect group
social cohesion and hence group performance (Fiske & Neuberg, 1990, as cited
in Harrison et al., 2002).

The sorts of diversity that are most likely to be beneficial to group

performance, such as diversity in relevant knowledge, experience and skills
(Harrison et al., 2002), can unfortunately also cause problems for group
performance. Having too many diverse views and opinions to coordinate can, for
example, cause cognitive overload amongst group members and so impede its
decision making processes (Mu & Gnyawali, 2003; Sethi et al., 2002). This is
especially likely to be a problem when the team has a limited amount of time to
complete its tasks (Mu & Gnyawali, 2003). The cross-functional diversity
mentioned above can also cause problems if group members have difficulty
understanding and coordinating the differing world views and values of group
members from different functional areas (Colbeck et al., 2000 and Gallos, 1989,
as cited in Mu & Gnyawali, 2003).

Given all the above-mentioned problems associated with diversity, are there
strategies that a team and its managers can implement to reduce the potential
negatives and enhance the potential positives? Regard-ng cognitive overload,
evidently a team needs to be given an adequate amount of time to complete its
task. Scheduling frequent collaboration can also be used to build social cohesion
and overcome the potential negative impacts of stereotypes (Harrison et al., 2002)
provided “team psychological safety” is fostered in the group (Mu & Gnyawali,
2003). And since too much social cohesion can cause teams to avoid the robust
debate needed to generate the best thinking in order to protect social
relationships, management encouragement of the group to be “venturesome” in
its work can also be helpful (Sethi et al., 2002).

In conclusion, it appears that if managers wish to create especially

effective teams, they should seek to minimize diversity in terms of task and time
management values, while looking to maximize differences in relevant knowledge
and skills. They should further aim to foster as much collaboration as possible so
as to develop team social cohesion, have rules about interactions which foster
team psychological safety, and encourage the team to be venturesome. Unless
these things are done, managers will likely find diversity more a hindrance than a
help for group performance.

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References:
Electronic Files
Department of Education. Curriculum and Instruction Strand. K to 12 Most Essen-
tial Learning Competencies with Corresponding CG Codes.

Books
Corbeta, G, et.al. 2010. Writing in the Discipline. Cebu City: Dayon Enterprises.
Cuerda, F, et.al. 2012. Technical Writing.
GED Skill Book. The Essay. United States of America: Steck-Vaugn Company
Pre-GED Writing. United States of America: Steck-Vaugn Company
Rodriguez, M.R., and Tiongson, M.T.2016. Reading and Writing Skills. Quezon
City: Rex Printing Company, Inc.
Saqueton, G. and Uychoco, M.T. 2016. English for Academic and Professional
Purposes. Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, Inc.

Online resources
Compilation of Philippine Literature. College Uneducation by Jorge Bocobo. Re-
trieved from compilationofphilippineliterature.blogspot.com Retrieved date August
6, 2020
Roland, D.R. Exploring the Typical Features and Structure of an Argumentative
Essay with a Simple Sample. Retrieved from my.uq.edu.au. Retrieved date August
6, 2020

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education– Region VII, Division of Cebu Province Office

Address: IPHO Bldg. Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City
Telefax: (032) 255-6405
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