11 Nov 2021 - Session 1

Check-in: One of your recent problems

Free writing (10 minutes)
14h37
14h43: add details, develop ideas, connect sentences, make it clearer for the reader

Self-correction: formality/semi formality

No contractions: don’t -> do not; I’ve -> I have; can’t -> cannot (Can not: incorrect)
You, we -> I, they, specific agents
S-V agreement/Tenses
Content:
1. Label the problem (what): bold (at the beginning of the paragraph: not in the first
sentence)
2. Cause(s) of the problem: underline (no cause/reason)

Cause (details) -> Problem

3. Effect(s): yellow (no effect)

*Feeling/emotion: italic

Cause (details) -> Problem (details) -> Effects (notion/concept)

4. Declaration of Action(s): CAPITALISATION (no declaration)

Cause (details) -> Problem (details) -> Effects (notion/concept) -> DECLARATION

5. Action(s): blue (no action)

Cause (details) -> Problem (details) -> Effects (notion/concept) -> DECLARATION -> Action

6. Effect/Impact of the action: what? (no effect of the solution)

Cause (details) -> Problem (details) -> Effects (notion/concept) -> DECLARATION -> Action ->
Effects/impact of the action

7. Concession/Consideration: font size 14 (No concession/consideration)

Cause (details) -> Problem (details) -> Effects (notion/concept) -> DECLARATION -> Action ->
Effects/impact of the action -> Concession/Consideration
Name One of your problems Comments/Notes

Quan An issue that has affected my life recently is The reason was not
myself being ill-motivated and inactive. mentioned in the
Specifically, over the last few days, my paragraph.
productivity level has been low and I have No mental effects.
procrastinated more frequently. In addition to No declaration.
that, I’ve also had difficulties in balancing my No concession.
study and my normal life. Fortunately, there still
exist occasional sparks of positivity, mostly from
hanging out with my friends and progressing
with my project. All things considered, while this
period of time

Quoc Anh The problem is not

I think my life has been quite smooth sailing mentioned in the first
since joining the National team. However I had sentence and the
a Math class 3 days ago and I was a bit elucidation of the problem
scared of the fact that I am behind the class is not concise.
in this subject. I reckon THERE IS A LOT OF The reason is not
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT after I have mentioned.
finished my National team period. Otherwise, i No measures.
am not really sure as my life has been No effect of the solution.
suspiciously plain recently and I feel like it is No concession.
foreshadowing something is going to happen. It
is like a bomb waiting to explode.

Thuy Linh My life recently has been rather smooth. The The problem is not
only problem is I am dealing with my mentioned in the first
laziness every single day. Because winter - sentence.
holiday season is setting in, I am inclined to No
lose motivation to study and get carried away concession/consideration.
with other stuff. Therefore, I think I need to find
my POSITIVITY back by getting in touch with
my friends more often, and plan my timetable
more appropriately in order not to procrastinate with
a multitude of deadlines.

Duong Bao It is the greatest burden I have to shoulder at No solution

the moment that I fell undermotivated to be No action
ready for studying in the National English
Team. It is also of this problem that my
health has been getting worse: my weight is
just around 50kgs now, I feel exhausted all the
time, I even had headaches and some other
problems with my consciousness as well, I was
overdosing on coffee and some other medicine.
My parents were telling me that if I were to to
 take a rest then I may even suffer from worse
diseases, but then I always make excuses
about all the works I have been given as well
as those I gave myself - I don’t think I can
actually bear this for any longer. Moreover, I
am occasionally distracted by gibberish and
some other minor businesses. Overall I
have seen that my capabilities for these
knowledge and experiences in the team is
virtually insufficient. I have experimented with
various methods but to no avail, since I was
too subjective about all of this. When I see
that everybody was initially much better than
me in terms of knowledge and experience
when I first got into the team I was sad, but I
couldn’t do anything. Being in a dillema of
whether to give up on this dream or not,
THE ONLY THING I CAN DO AT THE
MOMENT IS TO CONFIDE IN WITH THIS
CONFESSION TABLE WHERE EVERYONE
CAN FREELY EXPRESS THEIR DEEPEST
THOUGHTS.

Ha Linh No declaration
One of my recent problems concerns the No actions
choice of university and future career. As a No effects of the action
twelve grader, it is demoralizing and stressful to No
see other friends of mine have already set their concession/consideration
sights on their goals, preparing the needed
documents for scholarships, while I am still
inactive and uncertain about what I should
become in the future. I am still in two minds as I
do not know what I am interested in and what
my talent is..

Ngoc Linh No detail of effect

Recently I can clearly spot some No impact of action
unprecedented changes to my body, No concession
specifically I am putting on weight. At the
first place, it was my mom that realised this and
she wondered if I am cramming up for exam or
I am sleeping and filling my stomach all day
and night indeed. Personally, I think the real
reason should be my immobility as I just sit still
with my laptop everyday without exercise and
staying up late. I have PROMISED myself to be
more healthy and balanced with a proper
dietary regime and regular workout.
Bao Ngoc One of my recent problems concerns the No effect.
relationship with one person that used to be No declaration of actions.
my bosom friend. I got in touch with her 2 No solution.
months ago, despite the fact that she is the one No impact of the action.
who hurt my feelings in the past. During our No concession/
confrontation, she apologized to me for making consideration
such a horrible mistake at that time, and I
accepted that apology due to her sincerity.
Despite my belief that she had changed, a few
days ago I heard from another friend that she
continued to do what she did to me with
another friend of hers. I am in a dilemma as I
wonder whether I should continue my
relationship with such a toxic person or not.

Khanh Linh I have difficulties finding motivation lately. No emotional effect

During the past 2 months, I had been studying No declaration of actions
hard for the SAT; and I pushed myself really No
hard to achieve the target score. But now, concession/consideration
because I took the test, and there are no
exams/tests in the near future, I do not have a
specific target or a sense of purpose like I did 2
months ago. This leads to a tendency to be
lazy and also disturbs my biological clock. I am
trying different methods to stay motivated
again. Reviving that energy will help me crack the
National Competition in March 2022.
Mai Hoa My life has been full of difficulties since I The problem is not
attended high school. It can boil down to mentioned in the first
significant changes regarding my novel goals, sentence.
study, relationships, extracurricular activities, No effects mentioned.
etc. But the most influential change should be No action.
the relationship with bosom friends.A No effect of solution.
yawning gap has opened up between us since No consideration
we were allocated into different classes and
majors, but right now, this gap is worsened by
COVID-19 due to the lack of face-to-face
interactions. I find it hard to share with anyone
about this issue, but I believe that both me and
my friends LONG FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO
foster our rapport after this pandemic breakout.

Linh Giang Recently, my work piled up so much that I No details on effects

ended up overwhelmed and broke down. No declaration of action
That day, I could not stop crying. Even in No consideration
moments where I desperately needed to stop
(like when my parents went in to check on me),
my body simply could not. I tried calming down
 to no avail, and although I usually would
choose to resolve personal problems on my
own, I had to resort to texting one of my friends
for help. I am lucky, however, that I had such a
mature and understanding friend, for he
brought me out for coffee saying I needed
“companionship and fresh air”. I calmed down
after a nice talk with him.

15h36
Creative writing:
Template:
I know I (a problem)
I know it is because (a reason)
I know it can lead (me) to (an effect)
And it makes me feel (a feeling)
Yet I know I can overcome it (a declaration)
By ... ( an action)
So I can (a result)
Though I know … (a concession)

Practice
I know I
I know it is because
I know it can lead (me) to
And it makes me feel
Yet I know I can overcome it.
By
So I can
Though I know

14h55
Name Creative writing Comments/Reflections

Quan I know that I have been ill-motivated and So heart-rending but

unproductive lately inspiring
I know it is the result of an accumulation of
wrong decisions that I made in the past
I know it can make me struggle to keep up
with my study and lead a happy life
And it makes me feel pessimistic and
regretful
Yet I know I can overcome it
By staying focused and determined with my
 targets
So I can rekindle my passion for studying and
progressing in life
Though I know it would be extremely
daunting and time consuming

Khanh Linh I know my trouble with finding motivation I feel really sympathetic
I know it is because I have no challenges towards your hardships
I know it can lead to laziness as well. The way you
And it makes me uncertain about my abilities convey your message is
Yet I know I can overcome it. short but it is deep and I
By learning new ways to focus totally feel it. I am in a
So I can revive my inspiration worse position that u lol
Though I know this is an uphill battle. but I can feel it. I just
want to say that you
have to cheer up since
that will help unveiling
your abilities further. Be
positive, girl!

Duong Bao I know I am exhausted all the time and not Drink a shoey mate, it
spending enough time to study helps :D

I know it is because I am undermotivated and not No you’re not behind

having enough rest other members, and you
are actually doing great.
I know it can lead to insufficient knowledge as Everybody is specifically
well as being behind everyone in the team good at something. My
advice is probably finding
And it makes me feel guilty to my family’s pride out sth you’re good at
and worries myself and my parents and view it as something
special that you can
Yet I know I can overcome it bring to others. That will
definitely lift your mood.
By stiffening up my upper lip and try to persevere P/s: you are absolutely
more excellent at listening :)

So I can have better experience and knowledge

of getting over these obstacles

Though I know it is arduous and will even affect

my own health, my thoughts, my consciousness
and even my future

Ha Linh (deep sigh*)

I know I am lazy in my study Me too sometimes. But
you can seek motivation
 in sth else (sth you like)
I know it is because of my amotivation or watching youtube/
instagram because it is
I know it can lead to low grades my idea hub ;))

And it makes me feel disheartened

Yet I know I can overcome it

By diligently ploughing ahead

So I can revive my interest in learning

Though I know it is hard

Ngoc Linh Gaining weight is normal

I know I am putting on weight. during this time. Maybe
we can exercise together
I know it is because I constantly sit still and stay for motivation next
up late. time :>

I know it can lead to health deterioration Omg I started a workout

plan today. Do you
And it makes me feel indisposed wanna join me? - Yasss

Yet I know I can overcome it with a proper dietary I think I can share with
regime and regular workout. you some famous
Youtube channels
So I can be healthier and balanced. specializing in fitness :vv
Though I know it is demanding, I will try my best. MyFitnessPal

Rep: Oh thanks so much

for this advice, it is kinda
like my grandma’s
meditation and light
exercise every morning.

Thuy Linh I’m also trying out this

I know I have been rather inactive recently. method. Keep it up baby

I know it is due to the pleasant ambiance of the

holiday season – winter.

It can lead to my procrastination and laziness.

And it makes me feel insecure because my

friends are immensely industrious.

Yet I know I can overcome it by starting outlining

 a detailed timetable to follow.

So I can manage my time more effectively and

avoid procrastinating with a multitude of
deadlines.

Though I know it may take time to adhere to a

specific schedule

Bao Ngoc I know I have a problem with an old friend I don’t think you should
I know it is because she repeated her mistakes waste your time on such
I know it can lead me to being exhausted by her friends. Try to move on (I
toxicity know it’s difficult tho)
And it makes me wonder whether I should
continue this relationship or not People may hesitate to
Yet I know I can overcome it. break off the relationship
By asking advice from my friends with someone, especially
So I can make the most suitable decision a bosom friend. But we
Though I know I may never get to see her again. need to move on and just
think about it later as an
inevitable thing.

I think people cannot

throw trash and then
collect it again to use any
more time (except when
you recycle it). So I think
you should be true to
yourself and get out of
this vicious circle.

Actually losing a friend in

our life is COMPLETELY
normal as we grow up. I
know a quote “God
closes a door for a
reason”, and I think this
is the idea that you
should ponder. Maybe it
is meant that way, and
there must be something
great about your social
circle in store for you in
the future.

Mai Hoa I realise recently that I'm losing my hair. I can totally understand.
I know it is because of my addiction to caffeinated You can try another type
beverages and also my habit to work until 2 or 3 of shampoo or
 am. conditioner in order to fix
I know this may affect my self- confidence and your current state of hair
create discomforts in daily life when cleaning my loss. And most important
house and encountering wisps of hair, of all, stay away from
Yet I can overcome it. stress and be positive :3
By replacing coffee with herbal tea, sleeping
earlier and focusing on nutritious meals. REP: thanks sooooo
So I can improve my hair's quality much for this advice :>>
Though I know it would take a long time.

Linh Giang I know I do not exercise as frequently as I would Positive Vibes Only.
like to Lewis took my keyboard.
I know it is because I am not too fond of activities
And because I do not have much time to spare
these days
I know it can lead me to sedentism and lethargy
It makes me feel anxious
Yet I know I can overcome it
By setting aside some little time I have
So I can be fitter, physically and mentally
Though, I know implementing an exercise
routine is not as easy as one might think

Quoc Anh I know I am experiencing some difficulties in That is a mood right

Mathematics. there
I know it is due to my struggle in keeping up with
my classmates during the last lesson. That’s definitely the case
I know that it can lead me to a bleak academic for me,too.
future.
It can make me feel intimidated and demoralised. I am bad at math too, so
Yet I know I can overcome it by paying attention I can totally understand
to the class and studying more. this. But I think you can
So I can have a clue of what to do with this try to get your roots back
subject. by watching lessons on
Though I know that there are many obstacles youtube and seeking
along the way. help from your friends.

I also have the same

problems as well. One
thing you can do is to
stay halal, brother

Academic paragraph writing: An issue in today’s world

Options: poverty, social inequality, war and conflict, global warming, water shortage, the use of
plastic bags, discrimination, child abuse, domestic violence, bullying, etc.
A topic of interest
 Problem Encounter, face
Struggle
Fight (against)
dilemma/issue/problem/conundrum/situation

Reason It is due to/because of

As/Since/Because
It is down to the fact that
It can be traced back to
It results from/stems from

Effect (of the Lead to/cause/trigger/provoke

problem) Result in

Evidence For example

A case in point is
Take … as an example
… such as .../… to name but a few

Declaration* Such an issue can be addressed/tackled/handled in the following

way.
This can be solved in several ways
At a governmental level, this can be put forward by a range of
strategies.

Action An action that could be taken is …

A measure that can hardly be ignored is …

To be specific,
To illustrate,

Effect of the By doing so, …

solution As a result,
Consequently,

Consideration/ However, it may involve …

Concession Nevertheless, this can be hard to achieve in the short term ...

Practice: Choose 1 topic and brainstorm (1 problem - 1 cause - 1 solution)

16h30
Name

Quan Problem: Early exposure to smart devices

among young children
Cause: Incessantly developing technology and
poor parental guidance
Effect: Exposure to unsuitable contents &
health complications
Solution: Better education & more thorough
and responsible guidance from parents

Khanh Linh Problem: The use of plastic bag

Effect: Excessive disposal
Cause: Convenience
Solution: Production & Consumption of
environmentally-friendly materials

Duong Bao Denuclearization of the world - risky procedure Worldwide collaboration and
and low collaborativeness -> possible lethal creative measures to further
mishappenings and political conflicts help the progress

Ha Linh Problem: global warming

Cause: industrialization -> emissions of
greenhouse gases -> rising temperature
Solution: concerted efforts by individuals and
governments
- Individuals: minimalist lifestyle
(planting trees, reducing the use of
plastic bags,…)
- Governments: implementing laws,
supplying eco-friendly energy
alternatives

Ngoc Linh Problem: bullying at school

Reason: the bulliers have a distorted mindset
on other people/ want to demonstrate their
predominance
Effect of the problem: conflict + mental
damage on the victims
Action: students should be well-educated and
safeguarded from toxic impacts
Effects of the solutions: a harmonious school
environment + better relationships
Concession: it is demanding to solve, takes a
long way to go. Everyone, parents, students,
school councils, …. Joint hand

Thuy Linh The use of plastic bag - cheap and convenient

- environmental pollution - education and
 aggressive measures from government.

Bao Ngoc Child abuse - lack of parenting skill - join a

supporting program for parents.

Mai Hoa Problem: Cyberbullying at school

Cause: students are not fully oriented by

schools, teachers and parents when working
on social media --> a novel term --> double-
edged sword

Effect: Students --> both the victim and the

culprit
● Victim of cyberviolence --> metal
illness ( depression, anxiety for
schools, self-harm, commiting
suicide,etc)
Evidence: A japanese school girl --> appear
on the national TV channel (VTV) as an
example of cyberbullying's detrimental
impacts on impressionable teenagers

Solution: More emphasis on moral lessons

regarding virtual conducts

Quoc Anh Global Warming

One reason: Incessant logging for profit
Effect: Makes the Earth uninhabitable-
>extinction
Solution: Increase the awareness of future
generation via teaching

Linh Giang The wealth gap

1 Reason: The hoarding of wealth by the
upper crust.
Effect: Poverty, hunger, crimes
Solution: Government crackdowns on
unethical payment practices

Practice: Write ONE paragraph about your chosen topic (120-150 words)
Time: 16h45

Name Academic Paragraph Writing Peer check

Quoc Anh Good vocabulary
The 21st century has seen the emergence of Well-developed
global warming as one of the most ever- Perhaps the solution should
present threats to the development and be a bit more specific?
prosperity of humanity. A reason contributing
to the increase in the Earth’s temperature is
the incessant logging by humans. For the
sake of commercialization, cutting down trees
is a common practice around the world,
contributing to the increased presence of
carbon dioxide. Consequently, the extinction
of various species and ecosystems around
the world is inevitable. Therefore, it is urgent
that this problem is eradicated effectively by
raising awareness of global warming among
the younger generation. Via the activity of
teaching and studying, pupils are able to
acknowledge the severity of the problem and
seek ways to improve the situation.

120 words

Duong Bao -Military heavyweights

Nowadays, amid the trend of worldwide instead of major powers.
denuclearization, it is speculated that the -Unclear-> questionable
earth will be clear of nuclear armaments in -To “perpetuate world peace
the near future, however its effectiveness is and improve international
still unclear. Ever since the cold war, major relationships” instead of
powers have been denuclearizing their “make way… warless earth”
arsenal so as to make way for a new peaceful -What procedures? You
warless earth, which also serves to be a new should specify.
source of energy in our daily life. However, -Lack of cooperation from
risky and lowtech procedures have been a other...
burden to the whole world itself, as well as -Maybe you should suggest a
low collaborative attitudes from other more convincing solution. A
emerging nuclear powers. It is urgent for the stronger one like
whole world to reconsider the progress as “establishing policies to
well as be sympathetic to catastrophic prevent nuclear weapons
nuclear events in the past and head forward completely”.
to a better future. Otherwise,it is an interesting
piece of writing.
(121 words)

Ha Linh As a global environmental issue of concerns, - Insufficient ideas

global warming, in recent decades, has since deforestation is
triggered fears in many people and not the only reason
ecologists. The main factor lying behind this why greenhouse
issue can be traced back to industrialization. gases are emitted
Through the process of cutting down trees for - I saw a grammar
 land and factories, people have at the same mistake, you said “it is
time emitted a huge amount of carbon UNDOUBTEDLY that”
dioxide. These greenhouse gases instead of
subsequently take their toll on the ozone layer “UNDOUBTABLE
and are trapped inside the earth’s that”
atmosphere, thereby leading to rising - In conclusion, good
temperature. As a result, global warming not structure, good use of
only induces certain health issues but also world, overall pretty
causes the sea level to rise, flooding several satisfactory
nations in the world. In order to tackle this
problem, it is undoubtedly that concerted
efforts made by governments and also
individuals are imperative. On the
governmental level, law enforcements
regarding the allowed carbon footprints are
crucial. In terms of people, a minimalist
lifestyle, involving planting more trees and
utilizing more eco-friendly products is also
advisable. (157 words)

Quan Early exposure to digital devices can No cause, no solution

leave indelible marks on a child’s course Well-developed ideas
of development. The first and most Good word use
noticeable effect is the detrimental
damage on children’s physical well-being.
Specifically, overusing technological
gadgets and remaining idle can be the
root of numerous health complications
ranging from obesity, myopia to sleep
disruption or even autism. In addition,
immersion in the digital world can also
hamper the youth’s ability to socialize and
interact with surrounding people.

Khanh Linh Among nagging global issues nowadays, the Good word use
use of plastic bags is one of the most Should use more diverse
pressing problems. The prevalence of these sentence structures
products has given rise to excessive disposal More details on the effects,
of plastic litter, filling trash dumps to near maybe?
capacity. The bearing of this throw-away Typo
practice is indisputably far-reaching, as the
colossal amount of plastic waste is inflicting
severe detriments on the Earth's ocean and
land. In terms of the causes, the convenience
of plastic bags is the main driving force of this
issue. Thanks to their single-use nature,
making use of these products has become
omnipresent in today's hectic world. Given the
 seriousness of this problem, it is imperative
for both organizations and citizens to take the
following measure.
(117)

Thuy Linh Should elaborate a little bit

Plastic bags undoubtedly pose an immense
threat to the environment these days. It is due
to their convenience, people get used to
utilizing them on a daily basis for almost
every purpose. Plastic bags are lightweight,
inexpensive and waterproof; therefore, they
come in handy for daily domestic chores. For
example, when going to the market, rather
than bringing bulky glass boxes to buy food,
plastic bags are regarded as the most optimal
alternatives. However, nowadays, they act as
the main culprit of environmental pollution
because they are estimated to take 100 years
to completely decompose, which is alarmingly
detrimental to virtually every kind of
environment, from soil, water to the air.
(111 words)
more on the problem and the
solution. You only focus on
the cause of this problem.
Some grammatical mistakes
(run-on sentence,
inappropriate word use)
You mention that “However,
nowadays,...”
=> According to my
interpretation, this is the
problem of the modern world,
because using plastic bags in
the past while
shopping/domestic chores is
not harmful.
I think this has been a
problem for a long time, and
using plastic bags is harmful,
no matter when.

Ngoc Linh Only focus on solutions

Everyone in the society should join hands to
implement the most comprehensive solutions Solutions: rather specific
to school bullying. The first measure that had
to be taken is that school councils and Good grammatical structure
parents should pay closer attention to their
children, both bullies and victims, to pinpoint Good vocabulary
their exact mental problems, thus putting
forward the most proper first-step approach.
To be specific, the problems may stem from
depression, stress or suffering from negative
memories. Regarding this, it is recommended
that adults should share sympathy to the
children to soothe their emotions and
gradually ameliorate their course of actions.
Besides, as negative information on the
internet is a potential cause, information
censorship must be implemented more strictly
in an attempt to safeguard the young from
mutual misunderstanding and distorted
mindsets.
 (125 words)

Mai Hoa Boil down to → stem from

Cyberbullying is becoming a matter of (no phrasal verb)
concern for both parents and educational Placed priority → placed in
institutions nowadays. This phenomenon can priority
boil down to the exam-oriented society where
students’ academic performances are placed ---
priority in lieu of guiding them more about All included a problem + a
digital security, which is also an essential skill cause + a solution
for teenagers in this technological era. As a
result, young students are not fully oriented Diverse source of vocabs and
by experienced people when exposed to good grammatical structure.
social media and other online communication
platforms, leading to various problems as Insight into cause
observed. As a result, the number of
teenagers undergoing mental illness due to
virtual bullying is on the increase, which
means prompt actions should be taken to
deal with this problem, such as emphasis on
moral lessons and impressionable childrens’
emotion

(119 words)

Bao Ngoc Typo: prolem, incerasing

The world today is facing the prolem of Good grammar, structure and
incerasing physical, psychological and vocabulary.
sexual maltreatment towards children, or A little bit more on the effects
child abuse. Abuse of children can occur in of solution ( more
several circumstances, but a significant adjectives,...) to make it
scenario to be mentioned is the lack of clearer.
parenting skill. Specifically, while it is true that Abuse of child → should be
most parents are naturally gifted while caring replaced by a better term :>
for their children, few may not be able to Many parents would often
manage their physical and emotional needs equate disciplining children with
adequately. Many parents would often equate abusing ( replace “abusing” in
disciplining children with abusing, which may this case → more clearly)
result in mental and physical harassment
towards their child . In this particular situation,
seeking for a supporting program for parents
where they are counselled to treat their child
in a better manner is recommendable.

(114 words)
 Linh Giang Economic inequality can be attributed to Excellent grammar and
wealth-hoarding practices of the upper crust. vocabulary.
It has been revealed that many capitalist Good example.
empires pay their employees minimum wage No solution.
so that the top positions can amass riches. Underlength.
For instance, in the US, fast-food chains'
employees live on tips, for the salary they
earn is nowhere near enough to pay for
everyday necessities. That multimillion-dollar
companies can not pay their own workers is
farcical, and should be condemned.
(75 words…..)

HW: Make an outline for the following task:

Task: In some countries in the world, youths commonly commit crimes such as theft or even
violence. What are some of the causes of this phenomenon, and how does this affect the
youths themselves and society as a whole?