Sunday, May 31, 2015

Week#14 - Speaker's Corner and Final Prep



ENG250 Spring 2015 - Heading into the Homestretch

SHELF Projects
Value: 20 points
finish-line.gif Minimum of two (but quality and quantity count)

Criteria
  • Are you learning and/or practicing English in a meaningful way?
    Are you pushing yourself?  Stretching your skills?
  • Each SHELF project should have a post on each participant’s blog. This should include related materials AND Reflection/language learning points  (does not necessarily need to include recorded media).
  • Effort - how much time and energy you spend (don’t be shy about documenting your effort)
  • Fun, interesting, engaging, creative, experimental

Final Exam Quadrathalon   All work due by Thursday, June 18


Part#1 - at least one Dubsmash
Android   Itunes
(posted to your blog or shared on the class Band)
Note: For some reason, Band often cuts short Dubsmash videos. If that is the case, please post it to your blog or post to your Google Drive and share the link in the Band. -----------------------------------------

Part#2 - Shadow Reading Audio or Video (How to do a Shadow Reading)
Choose from selected scenes (not one you’ve done before) or choose your own (at least one minute) and send (or post) a before and after recording.
From English Central
TV/Movie Scenes
Video links and transcripts -----------------------------------------

Part#3 - Update your Quizlet with at least 20 additional words from the second half of the semester (class discussions, Shadow readings, and/or SHELF projects). Study, take a Quizlet test (computer required). ----------------------------------------- Part#4  Participate in a Hangout-on-air Segment (Lebow's classes only)
               or
            Job Interview with Jeff (in person or via Hangout, resume required)

              or
            Panel Discussion (2-4 people - discussion NOT presentation) and

Feel free to choose more than one option. Whichever you choose, you’ll need to watch the recording and post an analysis/reflection on your blog.  We will schedule Part#4 during Hour#3 this week.

Lebow's Make-up Week Schedule. (Final prep, attendance optional) All times open to all students

Monday, June 8:  11am~1pm Virtual Office Hours (Jeff will be available via Hangout)
Tuesday, June 9: 10am~11am D204
Wednesday, June 10: Virtual Office Hours noon~2pm
Thursday, June 11: noon~2pm (location: TBD)          

Week#14
Speaker’s Corner (You Are Here Style)
How has Korea changed (in the last five or ten years)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8e6d3DtKCk


What are the biggest Misconceptions about Korea?

Who are your heroes?

What do you think of plastic surgery?
Do you think it’s too common?
Why do you think it’s so common in Korea?

What are the benefits and challenges of cross-cultural dating?
Would you be open to dating someone from a different culture or prefer to date someone from your culture?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQtcgt_uLOQ

What do you think of Korean Education?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF1jC5_4fqY


What’s your dream job?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqHJP8hmjWE



Monday, May 25, 2015

SHELF Project Exhibition




Below are SHELF Project segments that have been published so far.
  Stayed tuned for more English Learning Fun!


ENG250-01



Les Miserables - ENG250 SHELF Project

Bin & Jiho Cooking Show

Saturday Night Summit
김지선, 박성지 w/  Cobzaru, Murali, Rma, Saba, & 酒井舞子


Controversial Group - 2nd SHELF Project

오승진, 최선형, 유현정
김지훈, 조연지, 박성권, Kateryna, 김관훈, 최선형
김지선 & 이혜경
김은혜, 양보라, 류가애, 김지훈
김은혜, 양보라, 류가애

Travel Talk- ENG250 Hangout
조효정 & 권정현


문희석, 김정수 



ENG250-02
김찬우  우동률   손효습  추민형
Apple vs. Samsung
김도훈   풍정정   김준태 (w/  김찬우  정준    록령 )


ENG250-03

김 관우, 변승준

ENG250-04


[Korean Culture] What is Jjimjilbang?
한국 문화 체험 - 찜질방

Reaction and Discussion of SHELF Projects

장지윤  박성지  정현주   강혜원


김재산
Draw My Life
김지현

Let's speak English like a native speaker !영어 말하기 연습 - 원어민처럼 말하자 !
이은혜

이재희, 권경아, 전지은

김다랑, 서예진, 박슬기, 천효환
박은현


Monday, May 18, 2015

Week#12 - Job Interview Practice

Job Interview Practice
Hours #1 & #2

  • Go over the list of interview questions.  Number them as you go.
    Choose (check) at least five that you’d like to practice.
  • Write down any additional questions you’d like to answer.
  • Briefly think about how you will answer them.
  • In groups of three or four, take turns choosing a question to practice.  Discuss how you might answer it. Each of you then answer it in 90 seconds or less. Partners can ask follow-up questions (e.g. Can you give us an example?, Why do you think so? What do you mean by….?).
  • Record your answers on your phone.


Reminders:

  • Be prepared with examples for anything you say about your character and experiences.
    STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result
  • Speak slowly and clearly to avoid ums and other hesitation words.
  • Have personality. Be likable and remember you’re speaking to a person.  Make eye contact
  • Don’t ramble.  If you’re not sure what else to say, finish your sentence or story.
  • When in doubt...Smile, Pause, & Think, but don’t suffer in silence too long. If you're not sure you understand a question, try rephrasing it... "Are you asking....?". If you definitely don't understand a question, ask for what the unknown word means or ask them to rephrase the question.

Mid-week Assignment

  • Have a basic resume prepared for Hour#3. You can use the form on the back on the job interview question list or make your own.
Hour#3 - Mock Job Interviews
  • We will record 15 minute practice job interviews. Prepare you basic resume and three questions from the Megalist of Job Interview Questions you would like your interviewers to ask you. The interviewers will ask you these and other questions. People who are absent are required to record a 10-minute mock interview at home. Posted Example: Grace
Assignment
  • Watch the recording of your mock interview. Upload the video to your Google Drive and share it with your professor. On your blog, post a reflection on the experience along with any specific learning points (e.g. I said X, but should have say Y. or How can I better express this phrase?)


Job Interview Playlist: http://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLapQ3wHatAaulUe9frSA-MadOZsTZYMCA

Specific Recommendations
  5 Tips to Ace an Interview
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDrj0_bMQ0
  Behavior Based Questions
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKBubKO-798
  Why Should We Hire You?
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NVYg2HNAdA

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Week#11 - SHELF#2 Planing & Job Hunting Part#1


Lebow's students: 

Materials
Assignments
  • Look over job interview questions, add your own to the Megalist (if desired), prepare a basic resume for next week

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Job Hunting Materials


Video Playlist Job Hunting



Video Channels


Job Interview Questions (add questions to our Megalist here)
  • Tell me about yourself.
  • What five adjectives best describe you?
  • How would friends and professors who know you well describe you?
  • What makes you stand out among your peers?
  • What are your strengths?  Best skills?  What are your major weaknesses?
  • Who is your personal and/or professional role model?  Why?
  • What are your career goals? Future plans?
  • What accomplishment or experience are you most proud of?
  • What were the best and worst parts of your university experience?
  • What do you know about this company? Why are you seeking a position with our company?
  • Why should we hire you for this job? What can you offer us that others cannot?
  • What things are most important to you in a work situation?
  • I see from your resume that you (studied, worked, went to...).  Can you tell me more about your experience there?
  • Give me an example from past experiences or a previous job where you have shown initiative.
  • If you had a choice, would you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?  Why?
  • What salary are you expecting?  What do you expect to earn in this position?
  • Give me an example of an important goal that you set in the past and how you achieved it.
  • What motivates you to do a good job?
  • Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and employees?
  • What are your most satisfying accomplishments?
  • How have your educational experiences prepared you for for this position?
  • Which university classes did you enjoy the most?  The least?
  • What extracurricular activities were you involved in?
  • Tell me about the last time you made a mistake and how you corrected it.
  • What would you say are the major technical skills needed for this position?
  • Which pieces of software do you have experience with? How would you describe your skill level?
  • How would you grade your ability to communicate with management, customers, and peers?
  • I'm interested in hearing about the last time you took a risk. What was it and in retrospect, was it the right decision?
  • What has been the most challenging experience of your life? How did you confront that challenge?
  • What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
  • Your supervisor tells you to do something that is ethically wrong.  What do you do?
  • In general, how do you handle conflict?
  • How would you define a good working atmosphere?
  • Would you be willing to work late hours and/or on the weekend?
  • Would you prefer to work of a Korean company or an international company? Why?
  • Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about why you’d be a good fit for our company?
  • Do you have any questions for us?

More Lists



Job Interview Video Tips
  • Prepare examples for anything you say about your character and experiences
  • STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result
  • Read the job ad carefully and prepare answers related to what they are looking for

5 Tips to Ace an Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDrj0_bMQ0 Behavior Based Questions


Why Should We Hire You?

Job Interview Advice


Be Concise
Interviewees rambling on is one of the most common blunders Fogarty sees. "You really have to listen to the question, and answer the question, and answer it concisely," he says. "So many people can't get this basic thing down. You ask them a question, and they go off on a tangent. They might think you want to hear what they're saying, but they didn't answer your question."

Provide Examples
It's one thing to say you can do something; it's another to give examples of things you have done. "Come with a toolbox of examples of the work you've done," advises Fogarty. "You should come and anticipate the questions a recruiter's going to ask based on the requirement of the role. Think of recent strong strategic examples of work you've done, then when the question is asked, answer with specifics, not in generalities. You should say, ‘Yes, I've done that before. Here's an example of a time I did that…,' and then come back and ask the recruiter, ‘Did that answer your question?'"


Ask Great Questions
Another of Fogarty's interview tips is to come ready with good questions. He says nothing impresses him more than a really good question that not only shows you've researched the company in general, but also the specific job you're hoping to land in particular. "That makes me go, ‘Wow, this person has really done their homework. They not only know the company, but they know the role.'"

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail: Ask a hundred recruiters what disappoints them most about the people they interview and I can safely predict the top answer - lack of knowledge of their organisation. And for lack of knowledge, they read lack of interest. Interview over.
Any degree develops research skills, so apply them to your job hunting and don't forget the social networks that provide so much inside information. Find out how the organisation you are applying for has developed in recent years, how its products or services and markets have changed, who its competitors are, what its ethos is and what the future holds. Then use that information intelligently. Interviews are not like Mastermind – regurgitating facts won't win any prizes. Instead, you need to demonstrate an understanding of what it all means for you as a prospective employee, what the challenges would be and the skills and attributes you'll need to make a positive contribution.
Be prepared to convince the employer you're perfect for them:Preparation for the big day is essential and key to this is knowing yourself and knowing the company. Before the interview, take the time to re-read your application and CV and identify what it is about you that makes you a great potential employee. Convince the employer that you are not just another job seeker by pinpointing the gems in your experience and creating a clear match between your goals and the employers goals.


First impressions are very important: Three-quarters of interviews are failed within three minutes of entering the room. Interviewers are put off by weak handshakes, a lack of eye contact, poor body language, poor posture (slumped shoulders suggest a lack of confidence) and a grim demeanour. You should shake hands firmly and warmly, but wait to be invited to sit down. Handshakes originated as a way for knights to show that they didn't have concealed weapons. They communicate sociability and friendliness: normally desirable qualities in candidates whereas weak handshakes may communicate introversion and shyness. At the start of the interview you should smile at and maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. Try to relax without perching on the edge of your chair, but don't slouch either. Speak clearly and not too fast. Give yourself a moment to think about your replies. Avoid fidgeting and using phrases like "you know" and "I mean".
Go one step further in your company research and you'll really impress: Inevitably, you will be asked at some stage during the interview why you want to work for the organisation you are applying to. This is a great chance to demonstrate your commercial awareness - an area lots of students struggle with at interview - but it will take a bit of preparation. Prior to the interview, contact one of the organisation's customers - you can most likely identify some through a simple internet search - and ask them questions such as: "What it's like to do business with company X?", "What makes them stand out?", "What do you think it would be like to work for them?", "What makes them successful (or not)?". And then at interview, by explaining the research that you've done and including their customer's responses in your answer, you're almost guaranteed to stand out from the crowd; not only will you be able to give evidence of your personal enterprise, your research skills and your genuine interest in the organisation, but also a strong sense of business acumen.

Be prepared to tackle competency-based interview questions:Most employers are looking for applicants to demonstrate a specific set of skills and competencies which they believe are essential to the job role, for example team work, communication, problem solving and time management. At interview, you are likely to be asked to give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated those competencies. Employers recognise that you might not have lots of directly relevant work experience, so when they ask these questions they will usually be happy for you to provide examples from any aspect of your life, such as your studies, part-time work, volunteering, interests or extra-curricular activities. So, before you go to an interview, check the job description for the skills and competencies required, then reflect on your experiences and think about examples that you could use as evidence.
A good answer will give a specific example, rather than vague generalisations, and will emphasise your role and actions. A tip to help you structure your answer is to use STAR, which stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result: briefly outline the situation and your task or objective, then provide details of what you actually did - your role and input. Finally, tell them what the result was - did you achieve your goal or deadline ? Be prepared for follow-up questions, which might ask for more details of what you did, or require you to reflect on the way that you approached the task.

Never leave an employer feeling the company is just one of many you are applying to: With competition for jobs at a premium, interviewees should ensure their answers to interview questions stand out. Avoid poorly-targeted and bland replies. Each organisation sees itself as unique and wishes to project its own identity, so never leave an employer feeling it is just one of many companies to which you are applying. Having made it clear what you admire about the company, explain how you meet its requirements and could contribute wholeheartedly to meeting its goals. Tailoring your replies in this way injects a personal touch that is convincing and brings results.

What you're really doing in an interview is living up to your promise: When it comes to interview advice, "just be yourself" is a popular cliché that sometimes makes students roll their eyes. For once, though, the cliché is true. It's natural to be nervous about interviews and waste energy worrying about what you don't know. However, the fact of being invited to an interview is definitive proof that the employer already believes you can do the job. If they thought you weren't good enough, they simply wouldn't waste their energy (or time and money) and on getting to know you. What an interviewer aims to do is find out whether what's written in your CV or application is genuine and how well you'll fit in. Are you as charming, intelligent and helpful in person as you seem on paper? Of course, they'll also be testing your understanding, motivation and ability, most often by asking you to talk them through examples of your experiences that showcase the attributes the job requires. You'll probably need to expand on what you've written and it's a good idea to have some new examples ready, too. But as long as you've been truthful, what you're really doing in an interview is living up to your promise.


How to answer the question 'Tell me about yourself'.
More Job Interview Advice http://esl.about.com/od/jobinterviewing/a/Job-Interviewing-Listening-Comprehension.htm


Resume & Cover Letter Writing Advice
Useful words for Resumes and Job Interviews
Job skill collocations (words that go together)

Verbs  that can be used to express responsibilities and tasks performed:

acted
accomplished
adapted
administered
advanced
advised
allocated
analyzed
applied
approved
arbitrated
arranged
assisted
attained
blended
brought
built
carried out
catalogued
changed
classified
collaborated
compared
completed
computed
conceived
conducted
constructed
consulted
contracted
controlled
cooperated
coordinated
corrected
counseled
created
dealt
decided
decreased
defined
delegated
derived
designated
detected
developed
devised
directed
discovered
distributed
documented
doubled
edited
encouraged
engineered
enlarged
escalated
established
estimated
evaluated
examined
expanded
experienced
explored
facilitated
finalized
formulated
founded
functioned
governed
grouped
guided
handled
harmonized
harnessed
headed
identified
implemented
improved
increased
indexed
initiated
inspected
installed
instituted
interpreted
introduced
invented
investigated
justified
led
localized
located
made
managed
maintained
mechanized
merged
moderated
motivated
negotiated
opened
operated
organized
originated
overcame
perceived
performed
pioneered
planned
prepared
presented
presided
processed
programmed
promoted
provided
purchased
raised
recommended
recorded
recruited
rectified
redesigned
repaired
replaced
restored
reversed
reviewed
revised
saved
screened
selected
serviced
set up
solved
sorted
sparked
specified
started
stimulated
strengthened
summarized
supervised
supported
systematized
tested
trained
transacted
transcribed
transformed
tripled
upgraded
validated
varied
verified
vitalized
won
wrote
Words to describe your qualities and skills



accurate
active
adaptable
adept
analytical
broad-minded
competent
conscientious
creative
curious
dependable
detail-oriented
determined
diplomatic
disciplined
discreet
efficient
energetic
enterprising
enthusiastic
experienced
fair
fast learner
firm
genuine
hard-working
honest
innovative
logical
loyal
mature
methodical
motivated
objective
outgoing
passionate
personable
pleasant
positive
practical
problem solver
productive
proficient
punctual
reliable
resourceful
self disciplined
self-starter
sense of humor
sensitive
sincere
studious
successful
tactful
team-player
trustworthy
versatile