#4, Feb. 02, '08, English Speech with Topic "A Plan for The New Year";
#3, Oct. 28, '07, English Speech with Topic "My English Reading Experience";
#2. July 21, '07, Conduct a Game "Six Magic Magnets";
#1. Apr. 28, '07, Enlish Speech with Topic "Twin Brother";
20080202, Speaker--Jonathan Chiang
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=-NQTrKkzAjM[/youtube]
A Plan for The New Year
Hello Everybody, I am Jonathan. It's the beginning of 2008. I wanna talk about “A plan for The New Year".
Every time in the Chinese New Year eve, my family would spend the time together, just like most of the people did. After dinner, my sister, Golden & I would wish Happy New Year to my parents, and receive a red envelop from them. Within that envelop, except the “壓歲錢", Mom & Dad also put in a new year plan for each of us. This has been a custom in my family since 3 years ago.
In each new year plans, Mom & Dad would wish us good health & happiness. Besides, they would set up some goals for us. They would encourage us to make more reading, practice English, attend summer camp, make new friends and do exercise.
The one I am showing here is my yr 2006 plan. Golden shared the same plans as mine. In 2006, Mom & Dad wanted us to learn more vocabularies, make some readings and communicate with the outside world. In that year, Golden & I finished those English assignment. We took a summer vacation in HK and went to a winter camp in New Zealand.
This one is my yr 2007 plan. I continued English reading. The family took an annual vacation. One additional bonus was that we've been joining the Happy English Club since April that year. This was a good opportunity to practice speaking. I also attended the X'mas party. That was really great.
I think it's a good practice to make planning at the beginning of the year. Dad said it doesn't have to contain many details. Just setting up some major focus and it would be a useful guide. It indicated the priority in the coming year. Different people would have different goal. Golden & I are in elementary school, so we spend more time to learn English and attend external activities. My sister was going to take the high school entrance exam in the past year, so she had got a different plan.
Dad said a plan is a reminder to both me and himself. He would keep in mind that he should arrange those activities for us. I would also focus on my part of the work. It's amazing how much work we've done in these years. I've learned quite a lot of vocabularies, read many novels, both in English and in Chinese. I've made 3 English presentations in the past year and this is the 4th one. I've enrolled Boy Scott for many years and is now a team leader. I've attended several summer camps in different places.
Because a plan had been defined, I knew what I should be doing and what I was heading for, so I could organize my time better. For example, I still played computer games, but I would not waste the whole weekend on it.
Dad told us a plan is for execution, not for discussion. Once a plan has been set, we should keep working on it. No matter it's learning English, or doing exercise, maintaining personal hobby or saving money, they all take continuous practice. There will be up and down during the process, but Dad told us, we will finally succeed, not because we are smart, it's because we persist.
Another thing that I've learned is to take challenge and enjoy achievement. Some of those targets in the annual plan seemed to be difficult to me, but if I didn't give it a try, I would never know if I could make it. However, once I've reached the goal, that was a real excitement. A lot of those work I've done in the past was beyond my expectation. I did not think I would go to New Zealand without the company of my parents or Golden. It was just me staying in the foreign friend's house. It seemed to be scary at the beginning, but it was actually a joyful experience. A year ago, I would never imagine I would stand here and talk to the public. Now I can handle it better. You, the audience, look much friendly to me now. Mom & Dad wanted me to experience this cycle, take the challenge, give it my best preparation and enjoy the achievement. Although sometimes I succeeded and sometimes I failed. But when I looked back, I realized that I've been growing up and I've been making progress.
Since the plan was used to review the past and prepare for the future, Mom & Dad had recorded the process for us. Every year, they would collect some good photos and use them for the next year calender. It recorded those happy hours we've been through. Time has produced its footstep in my memory.
It's a new starting year again. I will have another plan for 2008. I will do it first, before telling you my new year plan. Because continuous execution is the key to make dream come true. That's all my presentation today. I wanna take the chance to say Happy New Year to all of you. I wish you a fruitful 2008 and all the best. Thank you!
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