7 Intermediate – My Life Story
Rogell Greg Pedroso
Chapter 3: My Life Story
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson the student will be able to:
- Develop the ability to reflect on personal experiences and express growth through clear, organized writing
- Create and present organized personal branding narrative
- Compose and reflect on a movie’s personal impact and articulate its inspirational influence on personal life through a well written and thoughtful review.
Vocabulary
- Growth – The process of developing or maturing physically, mentally, or emotionally.
- Reflection – Serious thought or consideration about personal experiences and development.
- Narrative – A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.
- Self-awareness – Conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires.
- Review– a critical appraisal of a book, play, movie, exhibition, etc., published in a newspaper or magazine.
Essential Knowledge
Life is a dynamic and multifaceted experience, encompassing biological, emotional, social, and philosophical dimensions. Biologically, it distinguishes living organisms through processes like growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli (Miller & Levine, 2020). Emotionally and socially, life is shaped by relationships and the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment (Diener, 2009). Philosophically, thinkers like Aristotle and Nietzsche have explored life’s meaning, with Aristotle emphasizing eudaimonia or flourishing through virtue, and Nietzsche advocating for personal meaning through overcoming challenges (Aristotle, 1984; Nietzsche, 1887). Ultimately, life is a continuous journey of adaptation, growth, and discovery.
Activities
General Instruction: Carefully read and understand the exercises presented and follow the directions for each activity. Please don’t hesitate to seek assistance if you need clarification or if you have queries regarding the task. This will use conversational, technical, and creative tasks to help you become more proficient in the target language.
Conversational
What is Personal Growth?
Personal growth is the ongoing process of self-improvement and development in various aspects of one’s life, including emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions. It includes pursuing objectives, being more self-aware, and learning new abilities, all of which improve a person’s general well-being and quality of life (Seligman, 2021). Personal growth enables people to face their limitations, rise to obstacles, and develop resilience. Through this journey, one has a greater awareness of who they are, which makes it easier to adjust to changing circumstances and form satisfying relationships. People can design a meaningful and purposeful existence that is in line with their values and objectives by actively pursuing personal improvement.
Activity 1: Writing a Personal Growth Story
Instruction: Write a personal growth story that captures a significant experience in your life. Follow these steps to guide your writing:
- Choose a Theme: Reflect on an experience that has greatly influenced your personal growth. This could be a challenge you faced, a meaningful relationship, or a turning point in your life.
- Outline Your Story: Create a brief outline that includes:
- Introduction: Introduce the experience and its relevance to your growth.
- Body: Detail the events leading up to this experience, the challenges faced, and how you navigated them. Discuss the emotions you felt and the support you received, if any.
- Conclusion: Reflect on the lessons learned from this experience and how it has shaped your identity and values.
- Write Your Narrative: Using your outline, write a cohesive narrative that is 500-800 words long. Focus on clear and descriptive language to engage the reader. Consider using literary devices such as imagery and metaphor to enhance your storytelling.
- Reflect: At the end of your narrative, include a brief reflection (about 100-150 words) on how this experience continues to impact your life today.
- Submission: Once completed, submit your personal growth narrative for feedback.
Technical
What is Personal Branding?
Personal branding is the process of creating a unique professional identity and public persona that distinguishes an individual in a competitive job market. It entails the purposeful display of one’s abilities, experiences, and values, enabling people to successfully convey their uniqueness (Sutton, 2022). In order to create credibility, forge professional connections, and have an impact on career growth chances, personal branding is essential. Learning the craft of personal branding is crucial for anyone hoping to make a lasting impression in their industry.
Activity 2: Personal Branding Presentation
Instructions: Individually, create a short presentation (5-7 minutes) that showcases your personal brand. This presentation should include your key strengths, passions, and professional aspirations. You are encouraged to use digital tools such as PowerPoint, Can or Canva to enhance your presentation visually.
Components to Include:
- Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and explain the purpose of your presentation.
- Key Strengths: Identify and elaborate on your top three strengths. Provide examples of how these strengths have contributed to your personal or professional experiences.
- Passions:Discuss what you are passionate about in your personal and professional life. How do these passions shape your personal brand?
- Professional Aspirations:Outline your short-term and long-term career goals. Where do you see yourself in the next few years, and what steps will you take to achieve these aspirations?
- Self-Promotion Strategies:Share how you plan to promote your personal brand. Discuss the platforms (LinkedIn, social media, networking events) you will use to connect with your target audience.
- Conclusion: Summarize the key points of your presentation and reinforce the importance of your personal brand in your career journey.
Creative
A Movie Review is a critical evaluation of a film that encompasses various elements such as plot, character development, cinematography, direction, and themes. It gives audiences a chance to voice their thoughts and observations, which improves their comprehension of the movie as an artistic expression (Thompson, 2023). Reviews frequently function as a forum for talking about larger societal concerns that the movie portrays, in addition to being a guide for prospective viewers. Effective movie reviews also strike a balance between readers’ subjective feelings and objective analysis, enabling them to enjoy the film’s subtleties while making their own conclusions. Reading movie reviews can improve one’s understanding of film and develop analytical abilities for evaluating visual storytelling.
Activity 3: Writing a Movie Review
Instructions: Recall a movie you’ve watched that had a significant impact on your life. Write a thoughtful movie review that emphasizes how the film’s themes, characters, or events related to or inspired your own experiences and personal growth. Make sure your review contains the following components:
Summary of the movie – Provide a brief overview of the film’s plot and main characters.
Personal Connection – Explain how the movie’s message or themes align with challenges or milestones in your life.
Inspiration – Discuss how the movie motivated you, changed your perspective, or inspired personal growth.
Conclusion – Summarize why this movie holds personal significance and how it contributes to your life story.
Guidelines:
- Your review should be between 300-500 words.
- Focus on how the movie’s narrative impacted your life, rather than just summarizing the plot.
- Use descriptive language and personal anecdotes to explain how the film inspired you.
- Be prepared to present a summary of your review to the class, sharing how the movie connected to your personal growth.
Let’s Check!
Key Takeaways
Understanding and reflecting on one’s life story and personal growth are essential for self-expression and development. Firstly, through writing clearly and coherently, students who are able to reflect on their own experiences are better able to describe their growth path. This introspective process improves communication and self-awareness. Second, by developing and sharing a personal branding narrative, students learn how to confidently communicate their passions, abilities, and goals in both personal and professional contexts. Lastly, writing a critical movie review enables students to assess how outside factors spur personal growth and promote reflection. Overall, this lesson helps students in developing their capacity for reflection, mental organization, and effective communication.