Oral Presentations, Accent Discrimination, and Linguistic Privilege
The school's programs emphasize the acquisition of learning skills as well as academic content. Technology is successfully integrated into the curriculum of the school, through the use of networked computer systems. As a result, students demonstrate sophisticated research and presentation skills.
[Northside School Profile, 1996-1997]
And the presentation, right? Because we don't have such a thing in Hong Kong ... I cannot adapt to it. I'm really embarrassed. I mean I am really shy. I'm really, I don't have the confidence to speak in front of such a big class.
[Victor Yu, Interview, October 9, 1996]
The two quotes point to the importance that was placed on the display of strong English oral presentation skills at Northside and the difficulty some students had in developing these skills. While many of the students who used English as a primary language were creating imaginative and sophisticated classroom presentations, using television game and talk show formats as well as computer technology, others were struggling with strong feelings of embarrassment at having to speak English in front of a large group of people. We will later begin with a short play written by Northside student Timothy Chiu (not a pseudonym), entitled No Pain, No Gain. The play dramatizes the difficulty of preparing an oral presentation in a second language and the disappointment of a giving a performance that does not live up to the presenter and his family's expectations of excellence. No Pain, No Gain was written and performed as a final activity during a 12-session student play writing workshop held in July, 1998. As mentioned in the Preface, the goal of the play writing project was to provide 15 students from Anne Yee's English class with an opportunity to develop their English language skills by writing and performing their own ethnographies through the genre of play writing. The workshop was created as a way of responding to the student dilemma of not having enough opportunities to practice English. It also provided a small group of Northside students with a chance to represent their own experience as paid student researchers on the project.
The commentary uses Timothy Chiu's play to look at some of the issues that arise when students speak in different accents and teachers must evaluate students working in a second or other language. The Pedagogical Discussion explores ways teachers might respond to these issues. The data from the summer playwriting workshop is supplemented by data from an interview with Timothy Chiu and field notes from the playwriting workshop. The play, No Pain, No Gain, the Commentary, and Pedagogical Discussion has been member checked by Timothy Chiu.
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
by Timothy Chili
Characters (in order of appearance)
Timothy: A Canadian student born in Hong Kong
Mike: Timothy's Canadian-born friend
Mom: Timothy's mother
TV: the television
Millie: Timothy's sister
Mr. Kendall: Timothy's English teacher
Setting
At school, Timothy's bedroom at home, the family living room at home, at the dinner table, English class. Timothy, Mom, and Millie speak English with a Cantonese accent.
SCENE 1
______________________________________________________________________________
(At school)
TIMOTHY Oh, no! The presentation is tomorrow and I HAVE to get at least 80%. But I am so nervous! Oh, my God, my hands are shaking.
MIKE You are kidding me, Tim. You got your speech ready and all you have to do is say it in class tomorrow. I am not even half done.
TIMOTHY So what? Even though I am finished my speech, I am nervous about delivering it! I don't know why, but I always have problems speaking in public and especially in class.
MIKE Stop saying you are nervous. It's no big deal! Besides, you are doing much better than me in English class.
TIMOTHY I got my marks from studying and all that, but when it comes to participating in class, well …
MIKE Don't worry. Just speak as you would normally and things will work as planned. You know what? I think your speech is really good!
TIMOTHY Really?
MIKE Yeah, of course. But meanwhile, help me do my speech 'cause I am really dead.
TIMOTHY Sure, man.
MIKE You're the best!
SCENE 2
______________________________________________________________________________
(At home, Timothy's bedroom)
TIMOTHY Okay. No pain, no gain! If I have to get a decent mark, I gotta practice and practice until I feel comfortable an confident. (Coughs) Good afternoon, fellow students. No! That's not good enough. It should be (Brightly, with much enthusiasm) Good afternoon, fellow students! 1997 marks an important date to the people in Hong Kong. It's a transition of 156 years of British administration to Chinese sovereignty, a transition from a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom to a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
(Timothy goes on and on and on in a lowered voice, walks around and looks at himself in the mirror. He then walks around again and again.)
Ha! I got it all in my head! Right now, it's just a matter of time before it is finally finished. Done. Finito. Woo, hoo! (He jumps up and down.)
(Mom enters the living room and calls out to Tim.)
MOM Tim? Are you all right in there? You locked yourself in the room for nearly 4 hours now. It's time for supper!
TIMOTHY Okay, Mom. I'm just rehearsing my speech for tomorrow's class. You can eat first, Mom. I still have to fix something in the speech.
MOM That's weird, he's usually hungry at this time of day. I'll watch the news then.
(She sits down and turns on the TV.)
TV A new study suggests that teenagers should not study more than 2½hours each day. A new found mental dis ease called "Nerdkazophobia" is proven to be fatal and parents should be aware if their children stay in their room for over 2½ hours. Symptoms include murmuring, loss of appetite, and extreme hyperness. If your children have the above symptoms, please contact your local health and mental authorities immediately.
MOM Could this be my son? Oh, I really have to pray to the Buddha!1
SCENE 3
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(At the dinner table)
TIMOTHY Okay, let's eat.
MILLIE Hey, Tim, what's got into you? You were locked in your room for near
TIMOTHY Just rehearsing a speech for a presentation.
MILLIE Four hours to rehearse? Come on, it's a piece of cake.
MOM What cake? I didn't buy a cake!
TIMOTHY Ha, ha, ha. Mom, it's just a figure of speech.
MOM What? What?
MILLIE Anyway, I think you shouldn't worry too much. You'll be fine. Have a good night's sleep!
TIMOTHY (Eating) Okay.
MOM By the way, what is your speech about?
TIMOTHY Mom, it's about my research on the handover of Hong Kong.
MOM Ha! That's my boy. You gotta tell all your students that we Chinese people are no longer enslaved by Whites!
TIMOTHY Well, I didn't plan to be cocky, but I am telling the class about the significance of this major event as well as my well-planned analysis.
MOM You better get a good mark on English or you will never get allowance. You got me?
TIMOTHY Yes, Mom. Let's eat.
SCENE 4
______________________________________________________________________________
(The next morning at school)
TIMOTHY (To himself) Okay, everything is set for the presentation. All I got to do is say it.
(Mike approaches)
MIKE Hi, Tim. Ready for the presentation?
TIMOTHY Uh, huh. How 'bout you?
MIKE Same here. I notice that you were answering most of the questions in Biology class today.
TIMOTHY Yeah, it is the stuff that I know most of all and feel comfortable in answering.
MIKE I thought you had problems in class, but all of a sudden you are so articulate.
TIMOTHY Am I? Maybe, you are right. Our Bio teacher is a funny guy and he makes the class environment much mel lower for me so I can speak up in class. But in English class, our teacher doesn't talk much and he doesn't say funny stuff to us. Even though I know something, I just can't say it. And the people in the class made gestures to me the last time I spoke, as if they didn't understand what I am trying to tell them.
MIKE I see. It's the environment of the class that's bugging you, right?
TIMOTHY Sort of. And sometimes I just don't feel comfortable speaking when there's lots of people staring at me.
MIKE It's time to go. I'll see you at lunch.
TIMOTHY See ya.
SCENE 5
______________________________________________________________________________
(English class, before the presentation)
TIMOTHY (To himself) I am going to do it and everything is gonna be fine. Come on, you can do it, man! Just do it!
MR. KENDALL (In a low voice) Okay class, today we begin the ISP presentations. Next up is Timothy. Timothy, anytime when you are ready.
TIMOTHY (To himself) Okay, right now it's show time! Come on, it's only 5 minutes. (Reading from a script) Good after noon, fellow students. 1997 marks an important date to the people in Hong Kong. It is a transition of 156 years of British administration to Chinese sovereignty, a transition from a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom to a Special Administrative Region of the People's Re public of China.
(Students are staring at Tim and as he goes on and on, he gradually gets more and more nervous. His hands and body begin shaking. He speaks more softly, covers his face with the presentation script and begins to mumble.)
TIMOTHY (Talking to himself and the audience) How can this be? It went well yesterday at home and now it's totally different.
(Timothy finishes his speech.)
MR. KENDALL Good analysis. Your reading was good, but you were a bit nervous and sometimes your words didn't come through. But it's good for an 85%.
TIMOTHY (Sadly) Thank you, Sir!
SCENE 6
______________________________________________________________________________
(English class, after the class has ended)
MR. KENDALL You did well today, Timothy. Why are you still disappointed?
TIMOTHY I don't know, Sir. But I have problems speaking in public.
MR. KENDALL I think you only have this problem while speaking in class,
TIMOTHY That's right, Sir. But in other classes, I do fine.
MR. KENDALL It's okay, Timothy. Just speak more in public when you have opportunities and you will improve, trust me.
TIMOTHY Thanks for the advice, Sir!
MR. KENDALL Not at all, Timothy. I appreciate your effort.
SCENE 7
______________________________________________________________________________
(Center stage)
TIMOTHY After this incident, Timothy began to practice English wherever he could, and in the process, he met a lot of new friends and his ability to speak in public improved.
(The End)
1 In a post-workshop interview, after he had seen a videotape of his play being performed, Timothy Chiu explained that Mom's line "Oh, I really have to pray to the Buddha!" means, "Son, don't become crazy!" Chiu also told us, "When I was performing the dinner scene in the play, I wanted to accentuate what traditional Chinese families are like ... [Praying to the Buddha] is a very traditional, Chinese characteristic, something that a family would do. I wanted to show this in the play. I feel that the effect is pretty good; I like it."
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