NBK International Leaders Program

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5 Bước lập bảng mục tiêu tăng động lực cho năm mới Làm bảng mục tiêu là hoạt động sáng tạo thú vị, giúp bạn có thêm động lực thực hiện những dự định của mình.

College Essay, Type 1: Identity

Describing one’s identity and unique characteristics effectively to college administrators requires the use of rhetorical and literary devices. Successful essays, like the example below, often use “The Rule of Three” and metaphors to structure their personal narratives.

Writing winning college essays requires not only a demonstration of advanced English language skills but also an illustration of a student’s personal process of development.

📝 12SN1 Students are preparing to apply to college. For students hoping to study abroad, they have to write at least one college essay and show college admissions who they are as a person.

🙌 This is easier said than done, as many students need to think a lot to recognize what their strengths and passions are and how to set realistic goals for their future careers.

🔍 In Academic English, we are analyzing different types of college essays to support our students.

11SN1 Students are learning about the importance of citizenship in the ILP Subject "Global and International Issues." Today we considered how a person can get or lose citizenship in different places in the world.

Having considered cases of both inclusive and exclusive citizenship, it is your turn to share your opinion on this topic.

What do you think? Is it right for a state to deny or revoke citizenship? Click 👍 if you agree and ❤️ if you disagree with this practice. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Country, nation, and state are basic concepts necessary to live and work in an international context. But do the meanings of these words stay the same when we translate them from English to Vietnamese?

📚Country, nation, and state are often translated interchangeably as nước, nhà nước, or quốc gia in Vietnamese. But the nuance of each concept in English is significantly different.

🔎 Compare the dictionary entries below with the depiction of each concept in English and test your understanding of these foundational concepts.

✏️ Write your own sentence with each word in English in the comments below, and a teacher will check it for you.

Academic Skills Challenge: Paraphrasing

ILP students in 11SN1 and 12SN1 are both studying classics this week. Language in classics is often more confusing since vocabulary and grammar changes over time. Test your academic skills by paraphrasing the following sentences from your respective required readings.

Grade 11: “Whereas speech is heterogeneous, language as defined, is homogenous. It is a system of signs in which the only essential thing is the union of meanings and sound-images, and in which both parts of the sign are psychological.” - Ferdinand de Saussure Course in General Linguistics

Grade 12: “The abundance or scantiness of this supply too seems to depend more upon the former of those two than upon the latter.” - Adam Smith Wealth of Nations

Today ILP10 students continued exploring topics in moral philosophy to better understand how to know what is right and what is wrong. In what ways and to what extent does culture matter in determining what is moral and immoral? Consider Scenario 5 below and let us know what you think.

Can I prepare for tests and build advanced English competency at the same time?

✅ Yes!! There are many free tools available on your smart phones that will help you without adding more stress to your busy day.

➡️ Magoosh offers a free vocabulary building app for common standardized tests, including IELTS, ACT, SAT, and GRE.

✍️ Short daily quizzes include words that appear most often to help you maximize your study time so you have more time to build other skills.

🙋‍♀️ Also, if you are still struggling with English, be sure to contact ILP teachers for a copy of 1,000 bilingual flashcards that will improve your English competency fast!

Respecting cultural differences is necessary to live in an international context. But does that mean that we have to accept every practice in the name of culture or tradition? In a multicultural or international context, how can we decide what is morally acceptable?

Consider the following cultural practices from places around the world:

🔷 Keo Vo (Bride pulling), Bat Vo (bride kidnapping), and Cuop Vo (bride stealing) - Hmong and Thai people of Vietnam

🔷 Male Circumcision at Birth, widespread in the United States of America

🔷 Monolingualism, The United States of America [Note: Legally, English is NOT the official language of the United States].

🔷 Wearing Hijabs, mandatory for women in Iran

🔷 Sati (Widow burning), India

🔷 Canings, Singapore

🔷 Headhunting, Ilongots of the Phillipines

Should we accept (and follow) all of the above practices in the name of culture? If you travel to one of these countries in the future, are you prepared to follow these cultural norms? If you said yes, you are a moral relativist. Relativism is fundamentally the belief that there is no universal moral truth, so we should not judge others. If you said no, you might believe moral pluralism offers a better solution.

✍️ Share your ideas about relativism in the comment section below.

Here are some questions to get you started:

Discussion Questions

1. The video states that pluralism is preferable to relativism. Do you agree? Why or why not?

2. Have you ever felt uncomfortable making a moral judgment? If so, why do you think you felt this way?

3. Do you think tolerance is a virtue? What are its limitations? Can you think of an instance when being tolerant is not ethically ideal?

4. Do you believe there is a set of universal values important to all people? If so, what are they? If not, why?

5. How might organizations (businesses, colleges, institutions, etc.) promote a culture of pluralism? How do organizations promote relativism? Is that okay?

6. Ethnocentrism is the idea or practice of judging someone from another culture, or other cultures, only by the values of one’s own culture. What are some specific examples of ethnocentrism? What is the difference between ethnocentrism and pluralism?

7. Is it possible to make moral judgments without being ethnocentric? If so, how?

👉 For more lessons on ethics and leadership, visit “Ethics Unwrapped” at the University of Texas at Austin

All is Not Relative - Ethics Unwrapped - UT Austin Relativism is the belief that a harmful act is ‘right’ if the perpetrator claims it is ‘right,’ but what is right and what is wrong is not always relative.

Paying attention and listening actively are necessary to learn and become the foundations of lifelong success. But, what can students do if they are neurologically divergent?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, or ADHD) is one condition that makes it especially difficult for students to pay attention in class. Students with ADD/ADHD often can remember topics with incredible accuracy, leading teachers to harshly criticize them for their lack of focus in class. Teachers may think students with ADD/ADHD are disrespectful or lazy. This misunderstanding occurs because students with ADD/ADHD do not have a lack of focus as the name implies.

Harvard Psychiatrists Edward Hallowell and John Ratey argue that the real problem is that students with ADD/ADHD have a trait that makes them more sensitive to boredom and negativity than others. That is because a region of the brain activated when students are not concentrating, the Default Mode Network, also stores negative or positive emotions and thoughts. If there are too many negative emotions and thoughts stored there, students with ADD/ADHD will obsessively focus on these memories and appear to lack focus in class, thereby receiving more criticism from teachers and peers and adding more negativity to the DMN.

How can students with ADD/ADHD escape from this concentration trap?

Here are some strategies that can help students with ADD/ADHD manage their attention better so they can succeed at school and in life.

☑️ Surround yourself with positivity and encouragement.

☑️ STOP negative self talk and escape from the cycle of distraction.

☑️ Exercise daily to alter the DMN.

☑️ Practice “positive constructive daydreaming” (PCD) during breaks.

☑️ Remind yourself to “turn on the breaks” when you need to move your attention from one topic to another.

➡️ To learn more about Dr. Hallowell and Ratey’s research, listen to podcast 348 “ADHD, Clarified: New Research and Essential Strategies for Thriving with ADHD” at additudemag.com

ADDitude ADHD symptom tests, ADD medication & treatment information, behavior & discipline advice, school & learning essentials, organization help and more information for families and individua…

Concentration is the first cognitive skill in ILP. But why?

Without the ability to concentrate fully, it is impossible to learn no matter how many hours students spend with their books open. It is easy for students to say, “I just don’t have time!” The truth is many students do not finish tasks because they have not fully developed their concentration skills and do not use time effectively.

Be sure to try these tips to develop your concentration skills.

1. Eat well and exercise so your brain has enough nutrition and oxygen to work optimally

2. Limit distractions by turning off smart phones and social media during study sessions

3. Set daily study goals and make check lists

4. Focus intensively and then give yourself short “brain breaks”

5. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend concentrating on certain tasks

6. When you get frustrated take a break

7. Change subjects if you start to feel tired or distracted

8. Reward yourself for trying!

Public speaking is critical for leaders, and with practice this skill can be developed and honed by subtly changing the way we interact with the people in our lives. In Aristotle’s classic work “Rhetoric,” he revealed the three keys that can unlock the art of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. Even though Aristotle published his observations about effective public speaking techniques in Ancient Greece thousands of years ago, his ideas have continued to guide, inspire, and influence intellectuals, politicians, and entrepreneurs worldwide.

Do you want to master public speaking? Read the comic below to see an easy and humorous example of ethos, pathos, and logos that you can practice when you talk to your teacher everyday.

ILP students, don’t forget to submit your public speaking homework! If you did, no problem. This is a great chance to review and apply what you learned. Leave a comment below using ethos, pathos, or logos and try out Aristotle’s persuasive appeals on your teachers. Which one do you think will work best?