conversation

SpokenInteraction

oufeelabouttheelderlytakingpartintheactivityinthepicture?

Iamoftheopinionthatthisisameaningfulandufulactivityfortheelderly.

y,thisactivitygivestheelderlyachanceto

derlyareleftontheirownforone

,inturn,canleadto

oupactivity

notonlyallowsthemtohavefunbutalsoachancetotalktoothersabout

themlves,theirfamilyandeventheirproblems.

Secondly,activitiesliketheabovearegoodforthementalwellbeingofthe

chershavediscoveredthat‘mahjong’andcardgameskeep

themindsoftheelderlyactiveandflexibletostaveoffdiaslikedementia,

anddelaythelossofthementalfacultyoftheelderly.

Finally,indoorgamesliketheabovearethemostappropriateactivitiestoget

linedtothinkthattheelderlyshy

awayfromanormalactivelifethinkingthattheirlifeis‘over’becauthey

tiesliketheabovearenotphysicallytaxing

tion,thereisthilementof

SpokenInteraction

competitionintheaboveactivity–gspurs

someonetolifemorethantheideaofwinning.

Toconclude,theaboveisperhapstheperfectactivityfortheelderlyifthey

wanttohaveahappy,upled

withsomemoreactiveandphysicalactivitieslikewalksandcalisthenicswill

ensurethattheyhaveamoreinteresting,excitingandhealthylifeintheir

twilightyears.

ndofactivitieswouldappealtotheelderlyinyourcommunity?

Frommyobrvation,thereareveralactivitiestheelderlyinmycommunity

findappealing.

nbeanoveratour,ora

day/nighttourtosomeplacesofinterestinSingapore,orafamily

sports/ibleexplanationfortheirpopularityamongthe

elderlyisthattheactivitiesallowthemtimetodosomethingactiveandto

reattimeforfamilybonding

andtodosomethinginterestingasanextendedfamilyunit.

Next,n

gcoursarealways

eprobablypopularwiththe

elderlybecautheyareusuallytheoneswhocookthefamilymealsand

s,also,the

elderlywanttodebunkthemisconceptionthatolddogscannotlearnnew

rly,onecanemanyniorcitizenstakingpartincooking

rytopopularopinionthattheelderlyareinactiveand

uninterestedinlife,thecompetingniorcitizensare,perhaps,outtoshow

tterwaytoshowthatthan

inacookingcompetition!

Finally,lessphysicallydemandingphysicalactivitieslikemasswalk,‘taichi’

nwith,the

activitiesofferthemachancetodosomethingphysicaltoimprovetheir

ly,theyarecarriedoutwithmanyparticipantsgiving

SpokenInteraction

themtheopportunitytobondwitholdfriends,makenewfriendsandleadan

portantly,theactivitiesareeitherfreeofchargeor

theparticipantsarechargedanominalfee,makingthemaffordabletothe

elderly.

Toconclude,moresuchandotheractivitiesshouldbeconductedat

he

majority’sinterestistakencareof,

elderlyshouldbedeprivedofamoreactivelife.

oplesay,“Lifeiswhatyoumakeittobeandshouldnotdependon

yourage.”Doyouagree?

snorightorperfectageforachieving

ventionalassumptionsarethatweshouldbe

successfulstudentsinouryoungage,successfulcareerpeopleandparentsin

ourmiddleage,anddocileandcontentedgrandparentsinouroldage.

Theviewsaresooutdated.

[firstexample]Throughouthistoryandevenprenttime,therearemanychild

2007,TianBoedihardjo,attheageofnine,wasadmittedtotheUniversityof

ofWikipediawillthrowup

thousandsofnamesofprodigieswhohaveachievedimmensuccessway

,thearejustthechildren.

[condexample]MarkZuckerberg,thefounderofFaceBook,becamea

,heisnottheonlyyoungmanorwoman

remanylf-

madebillionairesandmillionaireswhohaveearnedtheirfirstbillionormillion

dollarsbeforetheyturn30wheninthepastweonlyheardofpeopleearning

theirfirstbillionormilliononlywhentheyreachedmiddleage.

SpokenInteraction

[thirdexample]Inthemedia,wehearofniorcitizenmbarkingondegree

mindsmeofacaintheUnitedKingdom

apore,aswellas

otherpartsoftheworld,workingpeople-manyareteachers-intheir40’s

and50’saregoingbacktoschoolandearningtheirfirstdegreeorpost-

barkontheircondcareerandachieve

immensuccesslateorlaterinlife.

Toconclude,agedoesnotdetermineaperson’eperson’s

desire,determinationanddoggedhardworkthatdecide.

Note:theconversationstartersarebelow.

SpokenInteraction

ConversationStarters

Words/phrasassociatedwithopinionsorattitudeonatopic

heopinionthat/Iamoftheviewthat

/Myopinionisthat

hat/Iagreewith/Iconcurwithyourviewthat

oagree/concurwith…/Itendtothinkthat

ly…Quitepossibly,…theycouldhave…perhaps

kelythat

ssible/Itisquiteplausible/probablethat

rtainly,mostassuredly

ethecathat…

_________(person)looksasifhe…

s/appearsthatthe___________(person)is…/itemsthat

sobvioustomethat…

sly/Apparently…

stingly/Surprising/Significantly/Admittedly/Predictably/Understandably

Words/phrasassociatedwithnegativefeelings/attitude

notappealtome

’tgowiththeideathat…

’snotanacceptableaction…

ersmetoe…tothinkthat

/Ifrownon/donotcondonesuchbehaviour

itisdistasteful/impolite/discourteousto…

that’sanutterlyinconsiderate/irresponsibleacttodo…

therinconsiderate/irresponsibleofhim/her/themto…

’sanundesirablebehaviour…/sociallyunacceptablebehaviour

thinkable/inconceivablethat…

Words/phrastoexpressfeelings

s/saddensmetoethe…

olutelyenragedby…

herannoyedwith

thiwiththeoldwoman…

olutelyappalledbysuchdisgustingbehaviour

obe/Feelsashamed/embarrasd/uncomfortable/looks

guilty/sheepish,looksshocked/alarmed/panicky/startled/taken

aback/nervous/anxious/worried

/delighted/pleasantlysurprid/cheerful(avoidhappyorsad)

Words/phrastoelaborate,explainandillustrate

tance/forexample/takeforexample

llustrate/LetmeshowyouwhatImean

ingthe…/Withregardto…

eantosayisthat…

loneoccasionwhen…

identthat…

tersofthisviewfocusprimarilyon…

SpokenInteraction

Words/phrastochangetoanewtopic

mindsmeofanotherincident…

ingstomindanincidentwhichisquitesimilartothis…

inkofsomething/anotherincidentquitesimilartothisone…

lanothertime/occasionwhen…

rexampleanotheroccasion/asimilarincident…

rwayoflookingatthisis…

Differentwaysofexpressingtentativecomments

ly,possibly,perhaps

ibleexplanationis…

bleexplanationwouldbe

linedtothinkthat…

othinkthat…

f.I’moftheopinionthat…

RefutingtheOtherView

rytopopularopinion/conventionalassumptions

reasonabletosuggestthat…

ortanceof(Topic/Issue)hasbeenoverstated

iewsarespeculative…/opentodoubt

iewcannotbeupheld/cannothold

ntsofthisviewoverlookavitalaspectof…

slikeitisabiadviewpoint

ularmisconceptionisthat…

ticopinion…

gumentisbadoninvalidlogic

umptionemsquestionable/dubious/biad/unjustifiable

slikeacareless/dismissivegeneralisation

sdoubtscanberaidagainstthis…

TakingaBalancedStand

etheargumentsontheotherside?

hisviewemscompelling,thereisaneedtoconsidertheotherview

too.

eacknowledgethatthisviewpointisconvincing/credible,wewould

notdojusticetothisissueifweignoreotherviews

sanotherpossibilitythathasreceivedtoolittleattention

People

softhisview…

cs/Cynicswhodecry/denounce/dismissthisview…

ents/Advocates/Supportersofthisargument/view…

hofallintothiscampare…

hoagree/disagreewiththisviewinclude…

SpokenInteraction

PossibleQuestions:

Commentonpicture:

youropinionofyoungchildrentakingpartintheactivityinthis

picture?

oufeelabouttheinteractiongoingonbetweentheadultsandthe

childreninthepicture?

oufeelabouttheactivitythatistakingplaceinthepicture?

Experience/GeneralKnowledge:

pesofactivitiesappealtotheyoungchildreninyourcommunity?

nbedonetoencouragechildrentobemoreexpressive?

Opinion:

enshouldbeallowedtoenjoytheirchildhood.”Doyouagree?

heractivitiesinschoolallowyoungchildrentoexpressthemlves?

oplefeelthatonlythowhoareartisticallyinclinedshouldbe

gree?

OpinionQuestions:

astand–Idefinitelyagree/dependsonthesituation/criteriaetc/Ido

notagree.

twithelaborationgivingsupportingexamplestofurtherexplain.

least2examplestosupport.

gstatement

Illustration:

1.Q1|gree?

[stand]Idefinitelyagree.

[reiteratesstand]Ourchildhoodonlyhappensonce.

[elaboration]Ifwemissit,wewillnotbeabletoturnbacktheclock

[explaining]Actually,theideaofenjoyingone’schildhoodwouldhavebeentaken

forgranteddecadesagowhenchildrenwereallowedagreatdealoftimetosimply

playwhetheritisalone,withfriends,,Ithink

societyhaschangedsodrasticallythatmanypeopleforgetwhatitmeanstohave

anenjoyablechildhood.

[explainbyexample1]Whetheritistuitionclass,enrichmentlessonssuchasviolin,

piano,danceorswimmingclass,childrenareconstantlykeptbusynotbecau

n

classareprobablyabaneinachild’slife.

SpokenInteraction

Havingtositdownforanhour,listentotheteacheranddoanendlessnumberof

wor

spendtheirchildhoodstuckinoneclassafteranother,theywouldlothefreedom

thenrichmentclass,the

studentsareexpectedtoengageinregularpractices.

[example2]Eveniftheclasssuchasadanceclassoranartclasswillnolongerbe

enareexpectedtoexceloncethey

attendaclass.

[opposingview]Someparentsmaybegtodifferandwouldsaythattheclassare

fortheirchildren’mple,manychildren,ifgiventhe

freedomtodrawjustbecauhefeelslikedrawingandnotbecauhehasto

attendaclass,willcertainlyenjoydrawingbetter.

[conclusion]Toconclude,tobeabletoenjoyone’schildhoodistobeabletohave

fundoingwhateveronewants,aslongasitissafeofcour.

Elderly:

herjobsareavailableforolderworkersinyourcommunity?

youropinionoftheelderlymancyclinginthepicture?

wayscantheelderlybenefitfromknowinghowtouthe

computer?

pesofskillswouldolderadultswanttopickup?

gree?

wayscantheelderlyleadanactivelife?

agree?

Sports

eopletakepartinmarathons?

youropinion?

mpetitiontakethefunoutofanactivity?

hinkthatbeingabletoparticipateinacompetitionismoreimportant

thanachievingvictory?

Education

oplesay,“Educationisalifelongprocess.”Doyouagee?

ortantisaschoolspiritintheeducationsystemtoday?

oplesaythatwhenlearningsomething,itisimportanttoenjoythe

gree?

hinkthatitispossibletogainknowledgebynottravellingandstaying

injustonecountry?

teachersbetterengagestudentsduringalesson?

your

opinion?

youagree?

SpokenInteraction

Youth

pesofschoolorientationactivitiesappealtoteenagers?

pesoflessonsinschoolappealtoteenagers?

pesofschooleventsdoteenagersparticularlylookforwardto?

Peoplewhoaredisadvantaged

ethebestwaystocreateawheelchairfriendlysociety?

oplefeelthatweshouldtakepityonthowhoarephysically

gree?

hinkadisabledpersonhastoleadadifferentlifefromanabled

person?

staclespreventthowhoarephysicallydisabledfromleading

independentlives?