"My Wonderful Days" by BIA

The school of BNHS is my dear alma mater. Wher I started to enjoy mylife, during the time my funnyt classmates.In my first year high school days, sometimnes we're not so serious in our study, we always visited from place to place and did everything we had been enjoyed, bonding everywhere, we shared those laughter stories, jokes rather than to study our lessons, mostly everyone of us was not intended to read books. I thought if how's my condition when it comes a fourth year student? Because during our T.L.E subject, i saw those fourth student year make a delicious cake for their project and I'm insecured them in those activity. I thought that the time will comes that i might experience that kind of activity they had made.

When i reached my second year, third and fourth year, I tried to stand on my own, for my family have no time for me in attending whatever school activity, so I my own did it for me. Like when the enrollment comes, I myself tried to talk to a person who is attended in that particular arrangement of my papers to comply my needs and when my school days comes whatever the school administration calls for parents to attend meetings. I myself pretended that my parents is on my side but in truth my purpose is just to listen for what must my parents will contribute on what will be the result of a particular school assembly for Parents and Teachers together for school organization.

Now and then, I've experience a lot, with my schoolmates, classmates, teachers and more teachers loves me during my high school life, sometimes one of my teacher wants me to live in their house, but more I love my grandma, I can't leave her whatever happen.

Tpo my every subject, I wished to have a good grades in every grading periods that I liked to see in my report cards, but in what way i can get a good grades? Then, I realized that I can't reached those grades I had dreamed if i did not study hard and try to become intended in this hobby. Through my faith and hardwork I overcome it. Then I started to shared my knowledge to my classmates and I started to become serious and responsible student. Especially in my fourth year high school for we are still graduating , we must aware in evrything for what is happening. Currently, maybe we are in critical situation for choosing the careerfor our future. Even there are times that we're in a difficulty in life living, we had been enjoyed our days while we're being solved the problems.

I still remember my happiest moments that we had been together with my classmates when my classmate invited us to their fiesta. We walked together to their far place where they had been celebrate their fiestas. We're so much excited & enjoyed on that occassion, there's a lot of people are happy, there is a closeness of friends, relatives, and togetherness for the whole barangay. Then, we enjoyed eating delicious different kinds of foods, then go to different beautiful places, chuch, gymnasium, where we saw different games, carnabals, the beautiful beaches, I heard and saw the wonderful sound of sea waves on sea shores.

Suddenly, when the graduation came, most of us didn't like to far apart each other, 'coz we missed each others in those days that we'd been together during our laughters and fears the emotions that we had. Some of my classmates saying "Hope it will back to the future".

Thus, mosat of us are not ready to enter college life. High school is different to college life., it is facing a challenges and careern and excitement, sometimes fear. But in high school full of enjoyment and laughters. Then, I relaized that there is no way to progress in dicontinous studying. And now, i accept that improvement is needed. No matter how difficult it is to face challenges in this profession. Therefore, now and then following my destiny and my wonderful days of life wiht my faith and love to God.

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BIA is a first year college student in Rizal Technological University and was enrolled in College of Nursing.She is a trying hard person to all things that she would like to do. She had a blue eye. She is a simple girl but beautiful, brave and humble. She likes a person who are thruth not fake. She like a color pink that symbolize joy. Her hobby is writing and reading English Novels and Bible.

My Writing Escapade by Mademoizelle

I’m running out of words… to scrawl in this empty sheet of paper. I’m running out of neurons… on my head just to think, imagine and think again to write like a genuine writer. I’m running out of time… since there seems no room for concentration. Still, silence is around. A few seconds, minutes and hours passed by and I had written words, phrases, titles, sentences without certain direction. Then suddenly on my head, it’s like I am digging a very deep soil, perhaps on a quicksand I felt I was about to sink on it. Good Lord! What an oblivion mind I have tonight! Do I really have the guts for this kind of endeavor?

Asking myself what writing is all about I guess is as fussy and imperious as what life is all about. Figurative, idiomatic, poetic, melodic, scientific and biblical- we live for many reasons, missions, choices and pathways. It’s like being a writer of your own story. And for me, writing is like a Death March! I have to walk a thousand miles, a lonely road, cross a river, climb hills and mountains just to enter the kingdom where pen and mind are mightier than the sword.

Perhaps, I have to flashback now when I first fell in love and befriended a pen. Playful and innocent is the kind of child I used to be. The time has come to change and I was about to enter a new playground where pen and paper is my only toys. It was during my fifth and sixth grade in school. On my English and Filipino subject, a formal theme was a prerequisite every grading period. Still fresh on my memory, the topic and title of it (My Autobiography, My Most Unforgettable Experience and My Dreams for the Future). I won’t deny that I owe my elder sister greatly for sharing her skills of writing with me. For that, I thank my gratitude to my one and only sister, my first writing guru. I also thank my two advisers in grade school that appreciated my works and encourage me for writing though I only did this because of grades and requirements. It never occurred to me as a habit especially during vacation. Other than that, on my first experience to write a journal was during high schools as English requirement. It was good and my teacher also appreciated my works. AS of now, I wonder if I really have the gift to write effectively-as in a future career to be a writer. Many times, I felt that I’m frustrated and trying hard writer especially if I know someone my age or classmates who have this skill.

For this reason, if I could write a thousand words with different colors such as red for love, orange for fun, yellow for hopes, green for nature, blue for peace, indigo for courage and strength, and violet for passion and grace, truly my life will be as majestic and chaste as the rainbow of God’s embrace.


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Mademoizelle is simply unpredictable, introvert, music and nature lover. She is a Christ’s child, born with imperfection and discontentment. Indeed, she is a sinner who seeks for God’s forgiveness and wisdom, who aspire for more spiritual happiness and pray for my salvation with my loved ones.

Explorers of the English World

Let us make wave for the team who is bravely taking a voyage in a world of language and literature -- the Explorers!

Gothic Rules!

In pursuit to motivate our class to have some fun while learning the English language, an Olympics is launched.

The first event was banner making contest.

Hurray for the Gothic team, the first group of language athletes who sent their banner’s picture.

We are the so-called goths of the new generation. We've got a gothic language. We've got a gothic style. Like the old goths who overpowered the the Roman Empire in the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., we will overun our enemies. We're no easy. We're always game. We're here to play fair. Remember us for we'll be on top! We're goths... And we are called The Gothics. Gothics for all!

Interesting Find 1: English in high cchool

I found this interesting article about the recent update on English teaching in high school.

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English in high school

by Isagani Cruz

Starting June 2010, the approach to the teaching of English in high school will be very different from what it is now. This is an attempt by the Department of Education to make the teaching of the English language more effective.

Right now, literature is usually taught only once a week in English classes. The rest of the week, English is taught as a language, with hardly any reference to literature. What English teachers use now are texts written by non-literary writers. Non-literary writers, needless to say, do not win Nobels, Bookers, Pulitzers, nor National Book Awards for the correctness and elegance of their writing. Students right now are not exposed to the best writing done in the English language, since the best writing is done by literary writers. They do not really have an accurate idea of what good English looks like.

(Full Article Here)

Stylistic Analyses of Pres. Obama’s Speeches

I found two interesting stylistic analyses about the speeches of US President Barack Obama. The first one was written by David Crystal and the other one was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

On Obama’s victory style by Prof. David Crystal

(Transcript of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address)

Muslim world listens as Obama speaks by the Associated Press

(Full text of President Barack Obama’s address at Cairo University)

I took a closer look at the remarks of the language authorities about the English speeches delivered by President Obama. Their commentaries are valid and fascinating, teaching us not only the political meanings and implications of the speeches but also the value of stylistics in making a language powerful and moving.

Related Reading on the Importance of Studying English

I found this recently posted entry by benign0 on Filipino Voices. It’s entitled English opens doors. May this essay help us motivate ourselves to learn more about the English language.

On the Importance of Studying English

I can still vividly recall the first question my English Communication Skill (ECS) teacher asked our class nearly a decade ago: Is it really necessary to study the English language? The question would have been simple if not followed by a bigger inquiry in the form of “why?”

During that time, I was contemplating on choosing no as a kind of making a difference from those who have previously answered yes. And yes, I did. With seemingly no remorse and reservation, I answered no in an emphatic voice.

“No?” my teacher inquired, “Why?” sounding as if everything was scripted.

“Because English is just a status symbol? People are studying it just so they may be called sosyal, elite – and be part of the alta sociedad?” (Yes, there was hyphenation in speaking.)

My professor gave out a tiny little smile with her eyebrows almost getting out of shape and turning into a straight vertical line. Upon seeing her reaction, or more aptly her transformation, I almost immediately wanted to repeat the last words of my sentences -- symbol? Alta sociedad? – and say to may professor: “Mam, have you noticed my intonation – my statements were questions.” But I was not able to say the words anymore. The universe had conspired to my advantage and sent a bell to save me. And thus, I was saved by the bell indeed – literally. Our school bell rang signifying the end of the class session. “Whoa, that was pretty close,” I told myself.

The next day, we were unable to get back to the topic, either because we needed to discuss another more sensible topic (more significant than our reasons why we were studying it), or because our teacher had forgotten it, or our teacher had forgotten it because we needed to discuss another more sensible topic that is more significant than our reasons why we were studying it. Yeah, right. Whatever the reason was, I never knew what it was. But the question remained in my mind: Why do we really need to study the language?

David Crystal (1994), in his book The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, gave out six relevant reasons to study the language: It is fascinating, important, fun, beautiful, and useful – and because it is there. I actually feel that these reasons are weak though and, thus, may still be insufficient to motivate Filipino students to study English.

English has been part of our identity as Filipinos since it reached our shores over a hundred years ago. It is our second language, a medium of teaching instruction, and the language of communication media. Not to mention that textbooks, standardized board exams, interviews, and computer instructions are most often expressed in English.

No wonder why students’ performance in other academic subjects are directly proportional and highly related to their English communication skills. Students taking up any collegiate courses (e.g. Education, Nursing, Accountancy, and Engineering) would have difficulty excelling in their field in the absence of competitive English skills. And worst, their future duties as the country’s professionals might be compromised due to inadequate English proficiency.

However, having the awareness that studying English is not enough. Getting motivated by it is more important. The knowledge may have been well impressed long before into the students’ minds, but not the enthusiasm, the conviction, and the determination to study the language independently.

That, I think, is the bigger challenge for all us: Find in ourselves the will to excel in English in preparation for a more challenging academic life in the future.

Why do you think is the mastery of English skills necessary in your current course, studies, or job?

Reference:

Crystal, D. (1994). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.