Page 64 - BB_Textbook

The Blind Men and the Elephant
Step One. Even if your Grade 12 class completed “The Blind Men and the Elephant” baseline exercise in Grade 10 or Grade 11, do so again now.
Step Two. In addition to “The Blind Men and
the Elephant,” answer these questions about the communicative and integrative approach of Bending Bamboo.
1. Are you comfortable using your English to address topics that occur in daily life, inform your teen-to-adult thinking, challenge your perspective, and pose challenges and opportunities?
2. Would you prefer to practice “standard” phrases for “everyday speech?”
3. Of the four basic language skills (reading, listening, writing, and speaking), rank them according to your competence in using them:
#1 (most competent, confident, and comfortable using)
___________________________________________________ #2 (next most able)
___________________________________________________ #3 (next most able)
___________________________________________________ #4 (least competent, confident, and comfortable using)
4. Circle your capacity to read inter-cultural literature or to watch/discuss a foreign film:
1 (very able) 2 (able but challenged) 3 (somewhat able) 4 (quite challenged)
5 (unable)
5. Circle your capacity to learn about sustainability through an English Language classroom:
1 (very able) 2 (able but challenged) 3 (somewhat able) 4 (quite challenged)
5 (unable)
6. Circle your capacity to exchange with student peers through a global classroom:
1 (very able) 2 (able but challenged) 3 (somewhat able) 4 (quite challenged)
5 (unable)
7. Circle your capacity to learn from native English-speaking and Vietnamese teachers of English at the same time:
8. Did you accept the challenge to listen and read along the recording of Caught in the Storm?
Yes ___ No ___
9. If yes, circle your capacity to follow the main points and character development in this story:
1 (very able)...2 (able but challenged)...3 (somewhat able)...4 (quite challenged)...5 (unable)
Step Three. In particular, answer these questions about the relevance of your finding happiness, flow, perspective, and way for growing knowledge in the course of your country’s sustainable development.
1. How important is knowing one’s place? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
2. Is knowing your place necessary before pursuing knowledge? Explain your answer.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3. How critical are your knowledge and behavior to the sustainable development of Vietnam?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
4. In the transition from teenage years to young adulthood, why do happiness, flow, self-understanding of intelligence, and perspective matter?
a. Happiness: ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
1 (very able)
3 (somewhat able) 5 (unable)
2 (able but challenged) 4 (quite challenged)
64 CHAPTER 1 | IDENTITY
BENDING BAMBOO