Week 2 and 3: Activity#2_1

You were not able to prepare for your graded report in Oral Communication. Mr. Reyes, then calls you to go to the front and start your presentation. How are you going to explain your situation to your teacher?

It would be unusual for me to be unprepared on a task that I had sufficient time to accomplish. If this were to happen, it would either be because of the lack of time for preparation or some other valid reason such as health related issues. Either way, I would just be honest and apologize about it. I would tell them calmly and politely the reason why I was not able to prepare for the presentation and just hope for a favorable response. Depending on the validity of my reason, I would then ask for more time to prepare and make sure to finally finish this presentation.

Your cousin, Karl calls you over the phone and tells you that he cannot help you in your errand because he needs to do something for his school project. What will you tell him to convince him to spare you a bit of his time and that you need him to buy the surprise birthday gift for your father?

If I were to be honest, I would just respect Karl’s decision and just ask someone else. I do not want to be a bother or a burden to anyone specially if I were affecting their studies. However, to answer the question, I need to realize that I am the one in need in this situation. I would first use a calm and persuasive tone while talking to him about helping me out. I would then offer my help him with his matter so he can also help as soon as he can.

You are about to start with your report which you have failed to prepare for when your mother calls you on your mobile phone. How are you going to respond to your mother? What will you tell her?

As my phone started to ring, I would immediately and politely ask for permission to answer my phone. I would then determine if the matter my mother is about to discuss is that urgent so I could completely excuse myself to the class. If it is not, then I would also politely tell her if I could just handle this matter after my classes. After settling the phone call, I would then apologize for being unprepared for the said report and tell the reason for being failing to do so. Depending on my reason, I would then ask for more time to finish my report or just accept the consequences for my irresponsibility.

You are in the middle of your discussion about the Tree-Planting Initiative of your school, but you notice that the District Supervisor is not really paying attention to what you are saying. How will you address the Supervisor respectfully?

First off, I would make sure that my discussion is worthy of giving attention to. However, it is still rude to just bluntly ignore someone who is talking or discussing in front of you. Although, it would also be rude to call them out and humiliate them in front of others. To address this, I would first check the tone and volume of my voice and make sure to maintain eye-contact with my audience. If the way I speak is not the issue, I would then proceed on asking the supervisor’s thoughts about my discussion to assess their understanding about it and discreetly regain their attention to the discussion.

You are already on your way home when your best friend, Diego, approaches you and asks for your help with his graded report tomorrow. You know that you need to go home early because of the surprise birthday party for your father but you also see the concerned look on your best friend. What will you do and what are you going to tell Diego?

First, I will tell Diego that I would not be able to be available for the time being as the party is ongoing. Although, I will offer my time to help him with his report if I have time before and after the party. Assuming he has a smartphone, I will provide all the help that I am able to give by messaging and communicating with through the phone. If ever we are both not available today, I will still offer my help tomorrow, early in the morning, before classes start. This time, I will make sure that I am able to help him finish his report.