EDITORIAL MANAGER Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Linh
DEPUTY EDITORIAL MANAGER Chu Thị Như Trang
WRITERS Đặng Phương Thảo (L1) Quách Minh Minh Trần Nguyệt Minh Phạm Ngọc Tuyết Phan Thị Kiều Trinh Đoàn Phương Hạnh Nguyễn Thị Huỳnh Nhi Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Vân Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Bích Nguyễn Thiện Phước Nguyễn Quốc Vũ Lê Thống
MEDIA – MARKETING Trần Phú Cường (L) Lê Lập Đức Nguyễn Nhật Phụng Văn Xuân Hiền Lê Thùy Dung FINANCING Lê Thị Kim Nhi (L) Bùi Thị Phương
HUMAN RESOURCES Nguyễn Trúc Phương (L) Trần Thị Thảo Trâm
Source of cover: Designer: All replies, collaborations – please send to: theffljournal@gmail.com Or www.facebook.com/theffljournal Contact: 0164 541 8952 (Như Trang)
DISC OVER Y RTU OPPO
NITY OPEN VOICE
ORLD LEARNING W PUBL IC
ADDR ESS L IS T
AS BEAUTIFUL AS FLOWER CL
EV ER
Q&A DO
HA ND S
BOOKAHOLIC
YO U
KN
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HORRORSCOPE
EVENT Lâm Hoàng Thiên (L) Phan Thị Huyền Trâm Ngô Thị An
COFFEE TALK
PRESS PLAY
CONSULTANTS Lecturer Nguyễn Thúy Nga Lecturer Lê Phương Thảo Lecturer Trần Thiên Sơn Board of lecturers of Faculty of Foreign Languages Ms. Tôn Nữ Tường Vy
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COFFEE TALK
PEACEFUL SAIGON, FORTUNE-TELLER AND MISERABLE WOMAN… “That’s the problem, we do get used to things.” - Paulo Coelho
This quote recalls a funny story I read years ago as I was a child.
A woman came to see a fortune-teller. She, unfortunately, would have to suffer the death of her husband at the end of that year, as the fortune-teller prophesied. Also, she would have to sell her house as a legacy from her parents to pay off her debt and then shelter in a thatched cottage instead. Working as a door-to-door peddler wouldn't seem to be worse than her only son’s accident which would happen the year following. “Everything was disposed by fate,” said the fortune-teller while the woman was about to cry, “But don’t worry, after two years, things will get better for sure”.
“Really? What will happen to me? Will I win lottery? Or I’ll meet and marry a rich man?” the woman asked hopefully. “All wrong. Everything stays in this status quo. You just get used to it.” How funny the story is!
So, sometimes, adaption comes to us so naturally and silently that even we cannot recognize. My life now is an example. Sometimes, it’s good because you can practice your patience and withstand in a severe environment. But sometimes it’s a holdback instead as it creates the easy-to-accept attitude, which kills dreams and hopes for the better.
“Sống trong cái khổ, Mỵ quen khổ rồi” – Tô Hoài (Vợ chồng A Phủ) Picture: Vietgle.com 03 - Our voice - Our reflection
DISCOVERY
IETLS and TOEFL iBT IETLS International English Language Testing System and TOEFT iBT stands for Test Of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test. IETLS and TOEFL iBT are tests used to demonstrate your English proficiency as a non-native speaker. Both tests examine all four language skills that are important for effective communication – listening, speaking, reading and writing. However, there are some crucial differences between these tests. The table below provides you with some useful information.
IELTS
Test format
Fee Places to register
2 formats: Academic or General Training, but those who want to study in an English-speaking should take the Academic one. > 3.200.000 VND
British Council 25 Le Duan Street, District 1, HCMC Tel: +84 8 3823 2862 Email: ielts.hcmc@britishcouncil.org.vn Website : www.britishcouncil.org/vietnam
You can register IELTS through British Council IELTS partners which can be found at http://www.britishcouncil.org/vietnamexams-ielts-partner-list.htm
TOEFL
TOEFT iBT is one of the two formats of the TOEFT test beside the Paperbased Test (PBT). > 160 USD (you register with your credit card online) > 180 USD (you ask an English center to register for you) > http://www.ets.org
> IIG No 538, Cach Mang Thang 8, District 3, HCM City
> ELS American Educator Center, 29/5C Thach Thi Thanh Street, Dist. 1 > ola 115 Tran Ä?inhXu, District.1 Phone: (08) 3838 9178
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DISCOVERY IELTS
Places to take the test Structure of
the test
Windsor Plaza hotel Saigon 1 Sư Van Hanh Street, District 5, HCMC
IIG or some IIG’s university partners. No 538, Cach Mang Thang 8, District 3, HCM City
Reading: Academic or General Training: 60 minutes
Reading: 60 – 100 minutes (3 – 5 passages, 12 – 14 multiple choice questions each) Task types: Details, Topic and Paraphrasing, Coherence, Referent and Vocabulary, Inference, and Summary or Table. Texts: The texts will be similar to which the candidate might read on university courses.
Task Types: There are 10 basic task types: Multiple choices, Short-answer Questions, Sentence Completion, Summary or Table/Flow-chart Completion, Labeling a Diagram, Choosing headings for Paragraphs or Sections of a Text, Identification of Writer’s Views/Claims or of Information in a Text, Classification, Matching. Texts: Academic: The texts are similar to which they might read on a university courses. General Training: The texts are similar to which the candidate might read every day.
Listening: 40 minutes; one – timed listening; from easy to difficult (but you have time to read the questions) Texts: * The first two sections are concerned with social needs. * The final two sections are concerned with educational or training contexts. Task types: The principal task types are: Forms/ Notes/ Table/ Flow-chart/ Summary Completion, Multiple Choice, Short-answer Questions, Sentence Completion, Labeling a Diagram/ Plan/ Map, Classification, and Matching. Speaking: Talking with interviewers Writing: Academic or General Training: 60 minutes total Part 1: explaining essays (charts or diagrams) Part 2: opinion essays
For more details
TOEFL
http://www.ourfutureplanet.org/ideas-globe/wheel http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/ielts/ http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ielts-mockpapers http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/choose-ielts/meetielts-candidates http://www.britishcouncil.org/vietnam-exams-roadto-ielts.htm
Listening: 60 – 90 minutes and, one – timed listening, questions will be on the screen after finishing conversations or lectures. Texts: 2- 3 conversations (about campus life, school policy, etc): 5 multiple questions choice each. 4 – 6 lecture (lectures): 6 multiple choice questions each. Break time: 5 minutes
Speaking: 20 minutes, your answers will be recorded. Questions 1 & 2: background and opinion Questions 3, 5 and 6: reporting mainly Questions 4: reporting and giving opinion. Writing: Part 1: 20 minutes (integrated essay) Part 2: 30 minutes (opinion essay)
Ngọc Bích – Thiện Phước
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Ms. Hồ Ngọc Thanh Phương, AV09A1, who got an iBT TOEFL score of 109, will “reveal” some tips to gain such a very impressive result.
DISCOVERY
TOEFL iBT, get it, why not!
II. LISTENING Listen to academic lectures as often as you can and practice the note-taking skill. On iTunes, there is a category named iTunes U that enables you to listen to lectures from many prestigious universities all over the world. I. READING Just subscribe to the university which Read online newspapers: ny- you want to listen to, the lectures will times.com, cnn.com, etc. – try to get be automatically downloaded. the main point and write down unfa- Listen on a regular basis, prior to miliar expressions and terms. your sleep or on the bus, etc. Read academic topics such as astronomy, biology, etc. which can help • On the test: you widen your vocabulary. During the listening section, note down all the things you can hear as • On the test: the questions usually ask about the Skim through the entire passage very specific and minor details. to get the gist first. Then, look at the Pay attention to the tone of the questions and find the information in speakers which may give a clue to the the text. “What does the speaker imply?” quesFor the question that asks you to tion. choose the best paraphrase for the highlighted sentence, break down the highlighted sentence into minor ideas first. Then select the choice that covers all the ideas of the highlighted sentence.
• As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”. During your preparation time, try to practice under test-like conditions so that you do not get shocked when entering the real test. I hope you guys will get a better score than I did.
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DISCOVERY III. SPEAKING The most talked about yet the easiest section. It is quite stressful though since you willhave to prepare the answer in only 15s or 20s (depending on the type of question). Ask yourself some familiar questions such as “What is my favorite movie?” Time yourself to make it more like the actual test. Record your answer and listen to it again so that you can identify your mistakes. Templates for the speaking section can be found here: www.notefull.com
• On the test: Speak clearly, loudly and confidently into the microphone, pace yourself and avoid fillers like: uh, um, etc. If you cannot finish your answer within the time allotted and get cut off, just let it go and move on to the next questions.
IV. WRITING ¬ For the integrated: go online and search for some useful writing templates and write accordingly. ¬ For the independent: write extensively about various topics (roughly 350 words). Time yourself(30 mins) to make it more like the actual test.
•
On the test:
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Upon seeing the topic, jot down the main points and make sure they are kept to. As you progress through the essay, write anything that springs to your mind, do not waste too much time thinking if this is the best supporting idea or not. Remember that time flies! Use advanced vocabulary if you can but do not try to use them if they hamper your speed; the way you connect the sentences and warm raters up to your ideasare even more crucial. Always include at least an example in your essay. RESOURCES: Barron’s, Delta’s Key, Longman, Kaplan, Cambridge Buy CD-ROMswhich simulate the real test screen to familiarize yourself with the interface of the test. HỒ NGỌC THANH PHƯƠNG
DISCOVERY ERY DISCOV
"WITH THEM, BUT NOT DEPENDENT ON THEM ..."
I will tell you a person who took in speaking and writing 26 separate languages. The genius I am praising is Truong Vinh Ky (18371898).
now massive, rich, and diverse, including lots of essential fields such as Philosophy, Literature, History, and Geography... These “capitals” are complete enough to demonstrate he is an “old-fashHis "capital" of talents ioned” but rarely wise man in the That he grasped 15 Western lan- hometown and all over the world. guages and 11 Eastern ones, in fact, is partly because of the cir- His "scandals" cumstances at the time, and Do you know Truong Vinh Ky is a partly because of his innate ge- Catholic? “Thanks to” this reason, nius. He was acquainted with he was “expected” to be a pious kanji and Latin letters when he student preaching pagan to our was 5 years old only. Then under country in his time. In addition, the reign of King Minh Mang, he catching quite a few foreign lanattended the school for Catholi- guages, he became France’s intercism in Cambodia. Here he preter for our country whenever learned to speak and write the two countries negotiated the war, languages of Southeast Asian which “helped” him be France’s countries fluently, as well as hav- spy in old people’s mind. All the ing the opportunity to learn more scandals were accompanied him French, English, Greek, Indian to the end of his life. Until now, and Japanese. Truong Vinh Ky is when people have a prosperous not only a pioneer of the national life, they calm down and think language literature, but also a about his uprightness and virtue. very prominent scholar with a The biggest “crime” of this tallarge quantity of various rep- ented person is that he was born utable honors. During 1873-1874, in an ironical situation- the counhe was listed in the world’s 18 try bore feudalism, the society celebrities. His literary career is and politics were harsh, and 08 - Our voice - Our reflection
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DISCOVERY - DANH NGÔN thoughts were conservative as well. No one knew he hoped there would have sympathy between the Vietnamese and the French in great conflicts of political, economic and cultural ties many times; or though being a Catholic, he maintained the Eastern culture and was imbued Confucius and Mengzi thoughts. Besides, his replying to King Dong Khanh’s question with the statement, "With them, but not dependent on them ..." proved his loyalty to Vietnam very clearly. Nguyen Trai said, "Hero always appears all times". It means that to be a hero, you do not need to take a gun and fight tangibly to the enemy. Truong Vinh Ky is a typical example.
Pictures: http://vietsciences.free.fr
Quach Minh Minh
DANH NGÔN “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”
(Mother Teresa)
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LEARNING WORLD MULTIPLE CHOICE
Find the meaning of the bold idioms :
1. -Hey Tom, do you want to enjoy some music? - Oh, so sorry! I’ve got a bee in my bonnet. I can’t pay attention to something else. A, a headache B. a fly in head C. a problem on mind D. a difficulty with hair
2. -Susan! You look unhappy. What’s going on? - I have got into some trouble with my family. - Could you share with me? I’m all ears. A. listening carefully B. listening quietly C. listening quickly D. listening completely
3. I told him so much, but he didn’t understand what I mean! He’s a bird brain. A. a fool
Try answering these multiple choice queStions Below to test how much master you are in English Idioms !
B. a criminal C. a conman D. a devil
The answer: 1. C A bee in one’s bonnet: refers to something on your mind that worries you and at every opportunity you want to talk about it. 2. A Be all ears: to be very eager to hear what someone is going to say. 3. A A bird brain: refers to a stupid person. Picture 1: http://www.futurity.org Picture 2: http://www.pearldrummersforum.com Picture 3: http://www.hellokids.com
Huỳnh Nhi
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Brain Exercise Corner
This is our new section of our Magazine. Each volume issued, we will introduce you some tasks to “exercise” your brain to provide you with many tips about how to be “flexible” and “creative” on your thinking. Enjoy it and if you have any feedback or advice, feel free to contact us via our email: theffljournal@gmail.com This is our first exercises!
Below are four simple questions. Try to answer all of them before looking at the answers. • #1: How do you put a giraffe into a fridge? • #2: How do you put an elephant into a fridge? • #3: The King of the Jungle is holding a meeting for all of the animals. One of them is not there. Which one? • #4: You are standing on the bank of an alligator infested river and have to get to the other side. What do you do? A survey by Accenture found that approximately 90% of managers are likely to incorrectly answer all of the questions. Many school children under the age of six will actually get these questions right. What does this say about management thinking? And now for the answers to the four questions: • #1: Open the fridge, put the giraffe inside, and then closes the fridge. • #2: Open the fridge, remove the giraffe, put the elephant inside, and close the fridge. • #3: The elephant. The elephant is in the fridge. 11 - Our voice - Our reflection
• #4: You swim across the river because all the alligators are attending the meeting.
This is what the questions are trying to find out: • #1 checks to see if you try to make simple things complicated and make assumptions about problem boundaries. Nobody actually said that the fridge was not big enough to put a giraffe inside! • #2 tests your ability to consider previous actions. Who says that they are four separate questions? • #3 simply tests your memory. • #4 checks to see how quickly you learn. After all, you must have answered question 4 correctly if you are a successful Senior Manager. Source: Michael Michalko, creative thinking expert, writer. Picture : https://plus.google.com CHU THI NHU TRANG (collected and edited)
DO YOU KNOW?
DO YOU KNOW?
1) The origin of the word “woman” is thought to be “wyfman”, a term from Middle English which means “wife of man”. The female sex sign is represented by a small cross with a circle on top. And this sign actually is the same one which represents the planet Venus. There are many moons and stars with female names, but from our solar system’s planets only Venus is named after a goddess. Almost everywhere in the world, women have a higher life expectancy than men do. Thanks to the fact that women live longer than men, they are two times more likely to be either visually impaired or blind.
2) If you exclude the words North and South, each of the 7 continents begins with the same letter it ends with (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia, and Europe) and besides Europe, they would all begin and end with the letter “A”. .
The only animal that cannot jump with all legs off the ground is the elephant. At 8,000 to 27,000 pounds, no wonder.
It was a dentist who invented the electric chair. That’s more scary than funny. If you squeeze your nose together where no air goes in or out, you can’t hum. Try it!
Source: http://www.interestingfacts.net Picture 2: http://continents.mrdonn.org/
NGUYỄN THỊ HUỲNH NHI
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HORROSCOPE
HORROSCOPE AND YOU
WHO ARE YOU???????? The Capricorn DEC 23 - JAN 20: Few people are as practical and ambitious as Capricorn. You are ambitious and go for your dreams and usually end up successful. You like money but not if it involves risk. You prefer to know exactly where your dollars and cents are going. You like to work quietly and effectively without creating too much bother or attention to yourself. Capricorn stands for courage and achievement after a long and tedious effort.
able to embrace anything new including music and fashion. This is why you’ll always be young at heart.
Lucky days: Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
The Pisces FEB 20 - MARCH 20
You truly are a compassionate and unconditionally loving person. Your friends know you to be a person upon whose shoulders they can rest their weary and heavy heads inn times of stress. However, you always try to hide just how sensitive you are, and you mustn’t be afraid to speak up even if you do upset or anger someone by doing so. If you’re able to do so you’ll become more comLucky days: Wednesdays, Fridays and fortable. Saturdays Lucky days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday The Aquarius JAN 21 - FEB 19
Source: http://www.astrology.com.au You just don’t want to be like others and take pride in the fact that you’re so unique. Even if you’re occasionally criticized for your cheeky attitude, you’d far prefer to be self-sufficient rather than being a sheep in society who follows everyone else’s lead. Your life will almost certainly never be drab. You are 13 - Our voice - Our reflection
16
! u o y r o f S I E LT
On the sunny afternoon, we had an interesting interview with Mr. Lê Xuân Bình – IELTS Business Development Manager of British Council in Vietnam where he has been working since 2003. 1. In which skill among 4 skills do Vietnamese candidates achieve the highest score? And in which the lowest?
According to the recent report of IELTS headquarters, in Vietnam, among four language skills, reading and speaking have the highest points in the band score; whereas, in general, writing’s score is quite low. 2. What are the average IELTS scores of other Asian countries?
Comparing with other countries in Asia such as China, Thailand and South Korea, Vietnamese candidates achieve higher grades in the total score of IELTS. Generally, the average score Picture 1: http://uniroute.net of Vietnamese candidates is 6.0. 14 - Our voice - Our reflection
TALKSHOW
3. What can we learn from that?
This result indicates that we mainly focus on learning vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Moreover, it shows that many people do not follow the academic writing so they cannot achieve the score as they wish. Furthermore, as a habit, while writing, we translate Vietnamese words into English; therefore, thinking in the target language – English – is recommended. Here are some words that Mr. Lê would like to share with us:
PLAN YOUR STUDY
Decide when you want to take the IELTS test and which score band you want to achieve to plan your study efficiently. You should try to improve your English by improving your vocabulary, grammar and your writing skill, practice listening and speaking English with your friends. When you’re confident about your English, do the practice tests for IELTS under timed conditions to check your ability and also get accustomed to the test format. About a week before the REAL test, do not force yourself to study and try to relax instead. Our voice - Our reflection
TALKSHOW
TALK SHOW - OU SPOTHIGHLIGHT
NOTE: LISTENING • If you can’t answer a question, skip it and move on. • Fill in all the blanks before submitting your exam paper. • Be careful with spelling and numbers to avoid silly mistakes. • READ THE WHOLE TEST AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.
READING • Do not waste your time on unknown words. • Apply the skimming and scanning skills thoroughly. • Do not make spelling and grammar mistakes in the answer sheet. • Use the information provided in the passages to do the True-False task, do not use your general knowledge. • Don’t translate into Vietnamese because you have a time limit.
WRITING • Fulfill the tasks given. • Remember to have 3 parts in your writing - introduction, body and conclusion. • Make an outline before writing is recommended. • Put someone else’s quotations in quotation marks to avoid plagiarizing. • Do not follow samples; creative writing is essential. DON’T ASK ANY QUESTIONS IN THE ESSAY
http://www.goodluckielts.com
but you can ask rhetoric questions. • DON’T USE “YOU”. • ALWAYS BE ACADEMIC. SPEAKING • Be aware of usage and grammar. • Do not just answer Yes or No. Expand your answers and develop your ideas as much as possible. • Ask the examiners if you do not understand any questions. Be confident and calm to control your speaking. • Try to use some academic words and many different grammatical structures. • Use phrases to express your thoughts or to give comparison, etc. • Use redundant words like Well; You know; I suppose. • Use connectors like Moreover, nevertheless, besides, etc. DO NOT • Force yourself to tell the truth because your honesty won’t be checked. • Use clichés • Repeat exactly every word in the questions you don’t understand when you want some clarification from the examiner. Use paraphrases instead. Interviewed by Đoàn Phương Hạnh & Lê Thống Some useful resources: http://www.ourfutureplanet.org/ideasglobe/wheel http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/ielts/ http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ie lts-mock-papers http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/chooseielts/meet-ielts-candidates http://www.britishcouncil.org/vietnamexams-road-to-ielts.htm
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A little peace
NICOLE Just like a flower when winter begins Just like a candle blown out in the wind Just like a bird that can no longer fly I'm feeling that way some times
S POEM
OPEN VOICE
But then as I'm falling, weighed down by the load I picture a light at the end of the road And closing my eyes I can see through the dark The dream that is in my heart A little lovin', a little givin' To build a dream for the world we live in A little patience and understandin' For our tomorrow, a little peace A little sunshine, a sea of gladness To wash away all the tears of sadness A little hopin', a little prayin, For our tomorrow, a little peace I feel I'm a leaf in the mound on the snow I fell to the ground, there was no-one below So now I am helpless alone with my song Just wishing the storm was done A little lovin', a little givin' To build a dream for the world we live in A little patience and understandin' For our tomorrow, a little peace A little sunshine, a sea of gladness To wash away all the tears of sadness A little hopin', a little prayin, For our tomorrow, a little peace We are feathers on the breeze Sing with me my song of peace We are feathers on the breeze Sing with me my song of peace Pictures: http://beeskneesbooks.blogspot.com voice - Our reflection 16 - Our voice -Our Our reflection
AS BEAUTIFUL AS FLOWER Facemask for all skin Ingredients: - 2 egg whites, separated from the yolk and placed in a bowl. - 2 table spoons of plain yogurt.
Egg Whites and Yogurt Mask
Preparation: Separate the egg whites from a couple eggs and place them in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt (do not use flavored yogurt!). Mix them up and apply to face. Leave on face for a collects on the surface of skin, it's few minutes then rinse face in important to slough it away. This warm water, followed by a warm helps clear up clogged pores. When washcloth. skin isn't exfoliated, it can appear ashy. White Sugar Scrub for All Skin Ingredients: 2 tbsp (tablespoon) Types: Sugar is a preferred exfosugar, 3 tbsp warm water. liant to salt because it tends not to tear at the skin. When dead skin Preparation: Stir sugar into warm water so that it melts. Make sure granules are dissolved, otherwise they could tear your skin. Apply to the face. Gently massage around the skin. Rinse with warm water or take a warm washcloth that's steamed in the microwave. Make sure the washcloth is not too hot. Source: http://beauty.about.com HUYᝀN TRÂM 17 - Our voice - Our reflection
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ICE O V N E P O
OPEN VOICE: VIETNAMESE TEAMWORK – A TOUGH PATHWAY TO SUCCESS
On Wednesday 28th, we had a very exciting class meeting in Listening Speaking 6 with Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai Minh as we conducted a debate about Vietnamese teamwork spirit. People often say that: 1Vietnamese > 1Japanese
1Vietnamese +1Vietnamese+1Vietnamese < 1Japanese
What do you think about this? In the class, students discussed whether Vietnamese can work in groups effectively or not. Here come the details of the debate from the representatives of 2 groups. Group1’s Representatives: Ngan (AV10A3), Ly (AV10A7), Phuong (AV10A7)
Group2’s Representatives: Thien (AV10A1), Lan (AV10A4), Hoang (AV10A1)
GROUP 2
GROUP 1
So, as you say, the Vietnamese seem to be so selfish, don’t they? Sorry but I don’t think so. In fact, we do work with one another and get good results. Moreover, “In union there is strength” is not a new finding.
Let me give you an example. You know in the annual scientific research in our university, the first, the second, even the third prizes always come to a team, not an individual. That means our group work is not that bad. We can manage well and release good results.
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We think Vietnamese people cannot work together effectively. Everybody feels so proud of themselves. They stand high above and never want to condescend to talk to them, as I often observe it. In other words, their rights must be considered as a priority. Isn’t that just too bad? One more thing is that in teamwork, we need 2way interaction among members, but I’m afraid it’s still a far away for the Vietnamese. You can think about it this way. In group work, they do not really listen to their partners. They try to impose their subjective viewpoints on their team members. And the others, so tired of debating, will soon accept without taking time to think about it. How can we get success in that way?
OP E N
VOICE
Why don’t you ask the teacher to delete their names in the name list of your group? You suffered it by yourself. But we don’t do it that way.
I also have an experience in working as a team with the Youth Union in our Faculty. It was one of my best memories until now. Our job is to bring gifts, food and clothes to the poor and the children for Tet Holiday. We made a good trip as we had such a dynamic and excellent leader, Mr Nhan, as I remember. He managed and divided work to other team members equally and reasonably. Therefore, we succeeded.
Your example sounds pretty good. However, talking about real example, it’s a bitter experience though. In Translation 2, the lecturer asked us to finish a lot of tasks and he required us to work in groups of four. But you know what, I did it all. It was extremely unfair. They said “I’m busy” or “I don’t know”, and then they left all of the tasks for me. Your example sounds pretty good. However, talking about real example, it’s a bitter experience though. In Translation 2, the lecturer asked us to finish a lot of tasks and he required us to work in groups of four. But you know what, I did it all. It was extremely unfair. They said “I’m busy” or “I don’t know”, and then they left all of the tasks for me.
How do you feel after reading the details of our debate? Some of you may belong We cannot even work it out in this deto group 1, others group 2. However, bate right now as in my group some this is the truth: Up to 40 students out people didn’t pay attention to the team of 47 students agreed that the Vietwork but their businesses including namese can do best individually, while chatting with each other. Examples are only 7 students supported the opposite right in front of your eyes. Don’t you side. Also, during the debate, group 2 see it? seemed to gain the upper hand as their perspectives are from the majority’s voice. This shows not only how students practice teamwork, but also their attitude about that, which leads to many other problems about productivity and effectiveness.
However, it’s on the way of changing. More and more teams, groups and clubs are well on their tracks and get many successes. And simultaneously, more and more people have realized the truth that: “Individually we are one drop. Together we are an ocean” - Ryunosuke Satora Pictures: www.photobucket.com
CHU THI NHU TRANG
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20
ART GALLERY
The holiday season is coming, and so is 2013. This time, we would like to introduce two movies to you, one for the DOOMSDAY on Dec 21st and the other for Christmas.
DOOMSDAY It really makes some people worried because the ancient Mayan calendar ends on Dec 21st this year. People believe in this event because some prediction of the ancient Mayan actually happened. However, scientists have proven that we will still be alive to say goodbye to 2012 and welcome 2013. Everything is going to be just fine. To prove that, let’s watch Armageddon – the 1998 science fiction disaster film directed by Michael Bay. Armageddon is about a group of blue-collar deepcore drillers sent by NASA to stop the collision between a massive asteroid and the Earth. The film features some big movie stars like Bruce Willis, Ben Afflleck and Owen Wilson. Also, Armageddon is an international box-office success when its gross revenues were more than 553 million US dollars. Watch the movie and you will understand why everything will be fine!
Picture 1: http://photobucket.com Picture 2: http://www.uthtime.in
Love Actually
Christmas is coming and you can feel it in the atmosphere right now. If you have not had any plan for Christmas’s Eve, try Love Actually – the 2003 British romantic and comedy film for Christmas written and directed by Richard Curtis. The movie goes around many different aspects of love through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are linked as the stories progress. Love is also a box-office success and received generally positive reviews from Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. This Christmas, spare your time for this Love and enjoy the warmth, the laughs and the love the movie brings to you. I am sure that the movie will not waste your time. Picture 1: http://movieboozer.com Picture 2: http://www.impawards.com LÊ THỐNG
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ASK & ANSWER 1. What are the requirements students need to be allowed to defend the B.A Thesis before graduation? If you meet the following requirements, you are able to do the Thesis instead of getting enough credits as usual: Your average score is 7.0 and above (from the end of the 3rd semester 2011-2012). You failed no subject in the first three years. You have sent an application to the Faculty’s Office. Note: Students of the course 2010 who have met these requirements can do the Thesis at the same time with students of the course 2009.
2. Can Ask & Answer supply students with more information about the coming TOEFL examination? TOEFL ITP accurately measures how well you can listen and read Academic English within 2 hours. It will take place at 97 Vo Van Tan campus on December 29, 2012. Fee: 680.000 VND. Deadline of registration is December 15, 2012. Note: Students of the course 2011 can take the exam. If you get the score of 550 or higher, you do not have to retake it as a graduation requirement. Students who are not majoring in any foreign language can also take the exam to measure their English level. Remember to be present early before the exam takes place 30 minutes.
3. What are the requirements to be able to go on-the-job training? And when? First, there are three criteria: 1. The total number of credits is less than 10 credits compared with the total number of required credits, which are 129. 2. Having studied all of the specialized subjects. 3. Having submitted the transcript to the Faculty Second, the expected days for students to go on-the-job training are from February 18th, 2013 to April 15th, 2013. 21 - Our voice - Our reflection
PHAN THỊ KIỀU TRINH
MEKONG PEACE JOURNEY WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS
I have never dreamt that one day, I can take a seat on a boat, forking the swift-flowing Mekong river in Thailand; taste traditional alcohol in Laos and try wearing skirts for male in Myanmar. Over-expectedly, the 3-week training Mekong Peace Journey realized them, marking an unforgettable summer of my life.
Life along the Mekong River
We spent the in-house training in Chiang Khong district in the northern Thailand. The guest house we stayed was located on the Mekong river bank, which is also the border between Thailand and Laos.
In Ban Hoai Luek village, Thailand, located along the Mekong river side was the community that Lao ethnic people immigrated to Thailand during the war long time ago. We found that the local people suffered from various problems such as lacking fresh water, limiting advanced education and vocational training or implementing dam construction in northern Laos. Diversity in culture
In the second field trip in Houysai district, Laos, it was bitter for us to listen to peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sharing about their gradual loss of the lifestyle. In markets, Lao people are in harsh situation to compete with low-price products and large-scale business from the Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese. 22 - Our voice - Our reflection
The most impressive community visit to me was the KengTung trip, Myanmar. Everything was traditional: men and women wore Longyi (the traditional skirt), even they were tour guides, retailers, drivers, or students. At the cultural exchange evening, we also went to the market and together prepared some dishes of traditional food from Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. There were full of “ooh” (so hot!), “ahh” (OMG, I cut my finger), “hmm” (delicious), “ack” (what the @#$%*), laughing, singing and dancing while preparing the food. Everyone or every circumstance is a beautiful decoration in a kaleidoscope of life. “We are human beings” In the lesson of Identity, one of my friends wrote “HUMAN BEING”. It made me think a lot. You can be a Cambodian, a Muslim, a student, or a homosexual, but at the root, you are human being; so do I, and so do other people. Why do we discriminate, prejudice, kill, or hurt each other? Dialogue is the most memorable lesson to me. We practiced dialogue about the prejudice among people in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. Many facts, feeling, opinions and solutions were expressed. We knew that “dialogue is not anything perfect or can solve the problem” (Prof. Parichart), but it at least can build empathy and mutual comprehension about the feeling of each other. Thence it can foster later sustainable solutions. Tracing back to the essence, dialogue with ourselves should be the beginning. “Your both eyes are able to see very far things, but cannot even see your nose” (Prof. Parichart). When we can step back and listen to the voice from our heart, our feet will be ready to go ahead. In short, let’s respect the differences, have cooperation and use non-violence methods to have conflict transformation. Let people feel they are treated as human beings. In this lonely planet, we are all human beings. TÔN NỮ TƯỜNG VY 23 - Our voice - Our reflection
OPPORTYNITY PLANET 1. Student Exchange Day 2012 Time: Sunday, December 16 2012, 14:00 – 20:30 Venue: The Students’ Cultural House of Ho Chi Minh City – 643 Dien Bien Phu Street, Ward 1, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City Registration Time: 21/11/2012 – 12/12/2012 Visit http://goexchange.info/vi/2012/11/ 25/student-exchange-day-2012/ for more information.
2.
New Ocean: “Studying Abroad Dream” Writing Contest
3.
UNIQLO: Career Seminar
Write an essay about your dream of studying abroad and send it to tuyendn@seotop.vn from 15/11/2011 to 20/01/2012 to win a lot of prizes. Visit http://www.facebook.com/uocmoduhoc for more information.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology Time:Friday, December 7 2012, 10:00 – 11:30 Venue: TBA University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City Time: Saturday, December 8 2012, 10:00 – 11:30 Venue: a103 Register at http://www.topcareer.jp/inter2/uniqlo/vietnam/local/. Additional information of career seminar will be notified after your registration. 24 - Our voice - Our reflection
A planet is full of opportunities for you. Try and take chance!
4. Yola Speaking Contest 2012 Round 1: Essay Writing (17/11/2011 – 17/12/2012) Round 2: Public Speaking (22/12/2012) Round 3: Debate (29/12/2012)
For more information, visit http://www.yola.vn/tin-tuc/hoatdong-cua-yola/222-yola-speakingcontest-2012.html.
TS H I L T O SP
THE WINGS OF DAEDALUS
NGUYỄN QUỐC VŨ
Last Saturday afternoon, at the hall 601, Vo Van Tan campus, The FFL Journal organized an event named The Wings of Daedalus. There are three young presenters invited to the event: Ms. Nguyễn Trần Phi Yến, the lecturer at University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Ms. Trần Xuân Diễm Phương, the student at Hoa Sen University; and Ms. Tôn Nữ Tường Vy, the outstanding students at HCMC Open University, being representative of many prestigious international programs. They brought real stories, real experiences, and precious information of reputable volunteer programs to us. The event succeeded in helping the youth know how to connect to international volunteer activities and make them spread their wings and fly confidently. Huỳnh Nhi
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BOOKAHOLIC Let’s congratulate our 12 next lucky readers who will receive the interesting and valuable books from the FFL Journal vol.7
1. TỚ LÀ DÂU Phạm Thị Thanh Phương ( DH11AV05) Nguyễn Minh Hoàng (AV10A1) Trần Anh Thư (AV10A7)
2. KHÔN NGOAN KHÔNG LẠI VỚI GIỜI Nguyễn Phạm Thanh Bình (AV10A1) Trần Thị Diệu Long Nguyễn Lê Phương Thảo (TN9A5) Nguyễn Thị Thái (AV08B1)
3. -
NGÀY TRÔI VỀ PHÍA CŨ Nguyễn Thị Yên Thúy ( AV10A6) Nguyễn Thị Huỳnh Nhi (AV10A7) Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Linh (AV09A2) Nguyễn Thị Bích Phương (AV09A3)
4. CON TRAI CON GÁI VUI SỐNG CÙNG NHAU Đỗ Kiều Nhật Phương ( DH11AV05)
ĐỂ TRỞ THÀNH SAMURAI TIẾNG NHẬT Author: Abe Masayuki Publisher: Labor society Price: 69.000 VND “I wrote this book in an attempt to help you recognize that Japan is truly an interesting country where you can make your dreams come true”. These words belong to the author of this book – Abe Masayuki, an expert in the field of training and recruitment for Japanese companies that has a long time living and working in Vietnam. His book will introduce to you a Japanese image with beauty, charm and warm welcome for those who have skills, knowledge, enthusiasm and hard-working spirits. Especially, the book also provides you specific instructions in the process of learning Japanese, enhancing skills and preparing the necessaries before the interview recruitment of Japanese companies.
This book is available at Alpha books - a bookshop with main product line as: Alpha Biz (management), Alpha Edu (education and thinking), Alpha Omega (classics), Alpha Kid (for children), IMONE (literature). Website: www.alphabooks.vn
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Oscar Wilde’s Night
SPOTLIHTS
On Friday’s night (Nov 23rd, 2012) at Ho Chi Minh Movie Theatre, Faculty of Foreign Languages organized the biggest show ever with the title “Oscar Wilde’s Night”. With the enthusiastic guidance of Mr. Lê Quang Trực, together with the effort of the actors and actresses who are students of the Faculty, the show was successful, and left an unforgettable memory in the audience’s mind. According to Mr. Lê, this show was organized to help students get on well with literature generally and the author Oscar Wilde particularly through two plays The Nightingale and The Rose, and The Happy Princess (adapted from The Happy Prince). This show also helped the students to raise their confidence when they performed in a big theatre. NGUYỄN THỊ NGỌC VÂN
News from the faculty’s office New Year Holiday: January 1st, 2013 Lunar New Year Holiday: February 4th, 2013 – February 17th, 2013 Course registration can start from January 7th, 2013 to the end of the month for all students, except for freshmen.
News from the Faculty’s Student Union From 8.00 am to 11:30 am, on November 25, 2012 at Room 305 in Đào Duy Anh campus, the Congress Committee of Inter-branches Student Union of the Faculty of Foreign Languages was taken place. The Congress had a discussion to review the achievements of the old Committee, declared the accomplishments of the mission, as well as voting for the new Committee and outlining the orientation for the new term. NGUYỄN THỊ HUỲNH NHI
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Now we move to the exciting part- the coming books for this volume ^^. The unlucky readers, who could not receive the books last term, please try your lucks once again and remember to cut and send your vouchers as soon as possible to be the next lucky readers.
RỪNG NA UY GIÁO DỤC: XIN CHO TÔI NÓI Author: Murakami Haruki THẲNG Publisher: Group of Writer and Nha Author: Hoàng Tụy Nam Publisher: Tri Thuc Price: 72.000 VND Price: 68.000 VND
“RỪNG NA UY” - is it pure sex or true art? In the story, all the characteristics are described as if everything in their eyes is sex only. They, like Nawasaga, a sophomore who couldn’t remember that he had slept with 80 or 100 girls; or like Kiruki, who touched his girlfriend and asked her to help him making self-abuse when he was 13 years old are symbolic characters that love sex and live with it. The question will be set up for those who read this book because sex presents throughout the story. This book is available at Nha Nam Culture and Communications Incorporated Company – a young book trade name aspiration to create new differences for publishing a series of literature books in Vietnam. Website: www.nhanam.vn
“When I saw the title of this book and the author's preface, I knew this was the book I need. Not only me, but also for all the parents pinched could not speak, or the students from primary schools to high schools wrapped up in the school overtime, those who really want to develop our country”- a reader shared about the book “ GIÁO DỤC: XIN CHO TÔI NÓI THẲNG” of the author Hoang Tuy. Let’s read the book to learn more and share the author’s enthusiastic concerns, wisdom and responsibility for the country's educational problems that he has raised. This is a book that we can’t miss out in the age that we want to grow our country. This book is available at Publisher of Tri Thuc – where scholars, researchers and students can trust to their quality, focus on spreading great trends of thoughts in both classic and modern. Website: www.nxbtrithuc.com.vn