How to make a good speech?

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SPEECH

• Remember: an excellent speech does not require a brilliant orator - you can do it. Winston Churchill is commonly regarded as one of the greatest speakers in the English language, yet he regretted the lack of practice in public speaking that he would have gained had he gone to university and he suffered from a slight lisp and a stammer. The key is preparation.
• You are probably making this speech at an event which has a programme which has been published beforehand. So make sure that the title of your speech is catchy and then people will be looking forward to it even before the event.
• Making a good speech starts weeks before with thorough preparation. You should have been thinking of themes and points, noting down ideas and sources, crafting phrases and sentences.
• The best speeches tell your audience things they didn't know and/or give them insights they didn't have. So:
o In respect of the first, research some salient, accurate and up-date facts and figures.
o In respect of the second, look at the subject differently - think 'out of the box'.
• You should have finalised the notes or text or slides at least the day before, so that you can concentrate on reading through the material, becoming very familiar and comfortable with it, and thinking about the actual delivery.
• Remember: expectation shapes reality. This means that, to some extent you can have won or lost your audience even before you are really into your speech. If people think you're going to be good, that will help them to perceive you as good. So your biographical details in the programme material and how the chair introduces you are both important and you can influence them. Conversely, if people think you're going to be poor, that will condition them to seeing you as poor. So never begin by saying that you were unsure why you were invited to speak or what you should say and, unless it is obvious (for instance because you have a terrible cold), never admit to feeling anxious, unsure or unwell.
• Once you are called upon to make your speech, pause for a couple of moments before actually starting your delivery. If you've had to walk up to a platform or over to a rostrum, this gives you time to steady your breath. If you are nervous as a speaker, it gives you time to take a few shallow breaths and calm those nerves. In any event, it gives the audience an opportunity to settle down and focus on you and your message. But the pause should be a few seconds only.
• If you are not using a microphone, be aware of the need to speak sufficiently loudly that the furthest member of your audience can hear you clearly. Take the opportunity to move around a little which will help to command attention.
• If you are using a microphone, speak at normal volume, but a little more slowly and distinctly than if you were not using amplification. Don't move around because you'll leave the microphone behind (unless it is fixed to you).
• You should convey a sense of enthusiasm for the subject. This will effect your delivery and how your speech is received.
• Occasionally alter the speed, volume and tone of your delivery. Speaking slower or faster and quieter or louder and being more cheerful or more serious all adds dramatic effect and keeps the attention of your audience.
• Regularly sweep your eyes left-centre-right and back and front-middle-rear and back, so that you engage all members of your audience. The actor Tom Cruise once told an interviewer: "A lot of the time, what acting is really about is meeting someone's eye" - the same is true of public speaking.
• Don't make a rambling opening. There is nothing worse than the speaker who starts with something like: "When I was asked to speak on this subject, I wondered what to say .."
• Never apologise for your nervousness or your material. You and your speech are probably better tha you appreciate but, in any event, if you don't advertise any weaknesses in your style or content, they probably won't be noticed.
• Make a dramatic opening which seizes the attention with the very first words. This might be a stirring statement: "This year we are going to make a fundamental transformation of our whole organisation". It might be a challenging question: "How can we turn ourselves into an even more successful organisation?" Whatever you do, don't ask a question that invites a cynical answer from your audience: "Are we the best organisation in the country?"
• Have a very clear structure. A good technique is to tell your audience what you are going to say, tell them, and then tell them what you have said. A good structure is for the core message to be three linked points which can be sub-divided as necessary.
• If it is appropriate, use PowerPoint. It ensures that you stick to your structure and that the structure is clear to your audience. It looks professional and you can use images as well text.
• PowerPoint slides should not consist of simply a few words or conversely a mass of text. Three or four bullet points of four or five words each is ideal.
• Put the main verb early in the sentence, especially if it is a long sentence. So, not: "When we have all the facts and we have considered all the options, we shall make our decision". But instead: "We shall make our decision, when we have all the facts and we have considered all the options" .
• Consider the use of short sentences or even short phrases for dramatic effect. Examples of short sentences: "Failure is not an option" or"The place is here. The time is now. The prize is great". Examples of short phrases: "Never again", "No excuses".
• Use striking adjectives and adverbs. Not simply: "We face many challenges" but "We face many exciting challenges". Not simply: "We will work on our problems" but "We will work energetically on our problems".
• Consider the use of striking images in the form of metaphors or similes. For example: "an iron curtain" (Winston Churchill, 1946), "a paper tiger" (Mao Zedong, 1946),"the axis of evil" (George Bush, 2002).
• Make moderate use of alliteration in phrases or sentences. For example, some phrases: "broadband Britain", "the digital divide", "silver surfers". For example, some sentences: "The ballot is stronger than the bullet" (Abraham Lincoln, 1856) or "Now let us fulfil our mandate and our mission" (Gordon Brown, Labour Party Conference 2002) or "At our best when at our boldest" (Tony Blair, Labour Party Conference 2002).
• Consider the use of rhyme. For example: "We will fight to show that we are right".
• Use contrasts. For example: "Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed" (Mao Zedong, lecture, 1938) or "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" (Winston Churchill, House of Commons, 1940) or "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" (John F Kennedy, inaugural address, 1961) or "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (Martin Luther King, letter from jail, 1963).
• Make temporal comparisons. For example: "When the company was first founded .." or "When we first moved to this office .." and "Many challenges are still the same" or "The situation now is so different".
• Make geographical comparisons. Compare and contrast your situation with other companies or other organisations or with other regions or other countries. What does this tell us?
• Use three-part lists. For example: "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people" (Abraham Lincoln, 1863) or "I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished" (Franklin D Roosevelt, second inaugural address, 1937) or "The ultimate case for the third way is that it works - good values, good vision, good policies" (Bill Clinton, Labour Party Conference 2002).
• Very occasionally, consider a longer list. For example, a list of four: "We shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills" (Winston Churchill, House of Commons, 1940). Another example, this time of five parts: "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty" (John F Kennedy, Inaugral Address, 20 January 1961).
• Repetition can be very effective. Martin Luther King was the absolute master of judicious repetition. For example: in his Washington speech of 28 August 1963, he used the phrases "I have a dream .." and "Let freedom ring ..." again and again (seven times and eight times respectively). The same technique was used by Barack Obama in his speech following the 2008 New Hampshire primary when he repeatedly used the phrase "Yes we can".
• Use short, pithy quotes. Clever people over the years have created witty aphorisms, so you should borrow them when it is appropriate. For many examples
• "Here on the edge of the twenty-first century, a fundamental new rule of business is that the Internet changes everything."
"Business @ The Speed Of Thought" by Bill Gates (1999)
• "In the life of a man, his time is but a moment, his being an incessant flux, his senses a dim rushlight, his body a prey of worms, his soul an unquiet eddy, his fortune dark, and his fame doubtful. In short, all that is of the body is as coursing waters, all that is of the soul as dreams and vapours: life a warfare, a brief sojourning in an alien land; and after repute, oblivion. Where, then, can man find the power to guide and guard his steps? In one thing and one alone: philosophy."
"Meditations" by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180)
• "In the global marketplace of tomorrow, the successful company will be known for the quality of the employee that it keeps rather than the numbers of workers who are laid-off."
"From The Telegraph To The Internet" by Morton Bahr
• "The first rule in opera is the first rule in life: see to everything yourself."
"Memories and Memories" by Dame Nellie Melba, Australian operatic soprano (1861-1931)
Note: Dame Nellie was born Helen Porter Mitchell and took her professional name after her native city of Melbourne; in turn she gave this name to a new dessert called pêche melba.
• "I wouldn't like to have lived without ever having disturbed anyone."
Personal motto of Father Charles Urnick, my American pen-friend of 34 years
• "Intelligence is of the essence in warfare - it is what the armies depend upon in their every move…To be reliable, information must be firsthand …There is thus an important relationship between intelligence and timing."
"The Art Of Warfare" by Sun-tzu
• "Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself."
Mary Schmich, "Chicago Tribune", 1 June 1997 in a piece now known as "the Sunscreen Speech" which has been made into a record by the film director Baz Luhrmann
• "Astronomers estimate that there are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way" ('our' galaxy) and "It is estimated that 100 billion galaxies are in principle visible to our modern instruments."
"The Future Of Cosmology" by John Gribbin
• "A memorandum is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer."
Dean Acheson (1893-1971), quoted in "Wall Street Journal", 8 September 1977
• "At the heart of science is an essential balance between two seemingly contradictory attitudes - an openness to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or counterintuitive, and the most ruthlessly sceptical scrutiny of all ideas, old and new."
"The Demon-Haunted World" by Carl Sagan
• "A life is never ended until all the lives it has touched have ended too."
Chinese proverb, quoted at funeral of Peter Cotgrove (1929-1999), father of our colleague Nigel, held on 30 June 1999
• "When a man has once broken through the paper walls of everyday circumstance, those unsubstantial walls that hold so many of us securely prisoned from the cradle to the grave, he has made a discovery. If the world does not please you, you can change it. Determine to alter it at any price, and you can change it altogether. You may change it into something sinister and angry, to something appalling, but it may be you will change it to something brighter, more agreeable, and at the worst something much more interesting."
"The History Of Mr. Polly" by H.G. Wells (1910)
• "The wealth of the three richest people in the world exceeds the combined GDP of the 48 smallest countries."
"Guardian", 12 June 1999
• "Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left?
There are still five - because there's a difference between deciding and doing."
"Five Frogs On A Log" by Mark L Feldman & Michael F Spratt
• "The are only two ways to handle tense situations: you can change them, or you can change the way you look at them. There is enlightenment to be had in changing the way you look at things."
"The Little Book Of Calm" by Paul Wilson (1996)
• "Every breath you take contains atoms forged in the blistering furnaces deep inside stars. Every flower you pick contains atoms blasted into space by stellar explosions that blazed brighter than a billion suns. Every book you read contains atoms blown across unimaginable gulfs of space and time by the wind between the stars."
"The Magic Furnace: The Search For The Origin Of Atoms" by Marcus Chown
• "It's no longer about the big beating the small; it's about the fast beating the slow."
Larry Carter, Chief Executive Officer of Cisco Systems, quoted in "The Economist", 26 June 1999
• "Make a point of connecting with someone new every day. And re-acquaint yourself with anyone you have not spoken to for some time by going through your address book."
"Your Personal Survival Guide To The 21st Century" by Roy Sheppard (1998)
• "Life is like that old Spanish saying: 'He who plants the lettuce doesn't always eat the salad'."
The actor Anthony Quinn in the "Sunday Express", 13 October 1963
• "Enthusiastic people are the ones who actually get things done in this world. Enthusiasm is what turns any idea into reality. And enthusiasm is linked closely with happiness."
"Your Personal Survival Guide To The 21st Century" by Roy Sheppard (1998)
• Try humour - not by telling a story, but by using a short, witticism. For example: "I don't mind how much my ministers talk, as long as they do what I say" (Margaret Thatcher, 1980)
• Self-deprecating humour often works well. For example: President Ronald Reagan reassuring an audience: "I know you fellows think I'm lazy, but this week I've really been burning the midday oil" or former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher telling a Conservative Party Conference that, on the way to the event, she had seen a cinema advertising "The Mummy Returns".
• Try puns. For example: "Vodafone is now the largest telephone company in the UK which makes its Chief Executive the Lord of the Rings". Another example: TUC General Secretary Tony Monks, when asking for the President of the European Commission Jacques Santer to include a particular provision in a measure, said it would be known as "the Santer clause".
• Sometimes you can use the same word but in a different context. For example: "There can be no whitewash at the White House" (Richard Nixon, Watergate broadcast, 1973).
• One way of commanding attention is to use a redundant, but attention-seeking, short sentence. Tony Blair is very fond of "I say this to you" or "Let me be clear".
• KISS (Keep it simple, stupid). Don't try to impress with over-complicated terminology. For example: when he was Labour's Shadow Chancellor, Gordon Brown famously praised "neoclassical endogenous growth theory and a symbiotic relationship between investment in people and infrastructure" (1996). In the introduction to his compilation "Speeches That Changed The World", Simon Sebag Montefiore states: "As a rule, simplicity of language marks superb speeechmaking".
• Remember that 50% of statistics are meaningless (see what I mean?). So, if you are intending to use statistics - and some well-chosen figures can add credibility and authority to your arguments - be sure that you understand them, that they are meaningful, and that they are both reliable and up-to-date. Be ready in the question and answer session, or if approached later, to be able to source your statistics and supply the full context.
• Make clever use of the pause. If you expect laughter or applause or you would like to create a sense of drama, pause for a couple of seconds, before continuing your speech.
• Finish with a strong, affirmative statement, possibly referring back to the opening sentence or question (note how many film scripts end with a variation of a line from the beginning of the movie).
• Only use the techniques appropriate to the occasion. A speech in the mode of "We will fight them on the beaches" is not ideal for opening a church bazaar. An after-dinner speech needs lots of jokes, whereas an academic lecture needs lots of facts. In many respects, the most difficult speeches are family occasions like weddings and funerals - there are many sensitivities here, so think carefully about what you're going to say.
• If you are speaking to an international audience (especially if your words are being translated into other languages), don't use any of the language-specific tips such as alliteration, rhyme or puns and be careful not to use culturally-specific allusions or organisational jargon. I once gave a lecture on British industrial relations to a group of Russian trade union officials and they were baffled by my apparent reference to a department store which never closed. I had mentioned the "closed shop"!
• Beware of speaking for too long. The British aristocrat Lord Brabazon once said: "If you cannot say what you have to say in twenty minutes, you should go away and write a book about it". Abraham Lincoln's address at Gettysburg in 1863 lasted a mere two minutes, but it is one of the most memorable speeches ever delivered. Nobody ever complains that a speech is too short - and there's usually a question and answer session to use up the rest of the time and to make further points.
• When it's all over, consider creating an on-line version of the speech. If you put the text on a web site, you can add hyperlinks to more detailed information and provide up-dates to keep the material topical and relevant. In this way, you have a 'live' document and you reach a much wider audience.
FURTHER READING
"Speeches That Changed The World" with introduction by Simon Sebag Montefiore (Quercus, 2005)
ROGER DARLINGTON
How to deliver a good presentation
Skeleton of a presentation
To deliver a good presentation, you should follow the four steps below:
• Planning: Understand your audience - about their needs, their background, and the place where your presentation will be delivered. The way to present a topic to a group of elementary students is different from the way to present to undergraduates. To present in a meeting room, you can speak quickly; but when presenting in a hall, you need to speak slower. Plan your coverage so you can present within the time frame available.
• Preparing: Thesis statement -> objectives -> Outline -> coverage depth. Encourage responses, and stimulate reactions and their learning desire.
• Delivering: Deliver your presentation, with visual aids like presentation slides. Use animation sparingly, so it will not distract the audience. Think of putting summaries of each slide in the "note" portion of your presentation, and have them printed out as handouts to the audience.
• Reviewing: You may wish to to deliver your presentations again. Review your performances so you can improve them the next time you perform.
Useful illustrations
• Waterfall diagram: This diagram breaks down 100% of the market share into their holders, sorting from largest to smallest.
• BCG diagram: This diagram is extremely useful in marketing, although most people only learn the basics of the diagram at undergraduate level.
• SWOT Analysis: This is clear and precise, and states the problem effectively.
Caution on Presentations
• Keep characters large enough to be read by your audience – minimum 18 pt font.
o Consider the place where the presentation will be delivered, and also the visual ability of your audience.
• Use Bullet Points sparingly. Use visual images instead as these will increase message retention.
• Avoid tables with too many rows and columns (such as balance sheets, as when people cannot read the characters, they become useless)
• Avoid jamming too much content in a page. Break it into two or three pages. Keep only a few points on each page.
• Make sure that you rehearse your presentation. You should plan to rehearse your presentation out loud at least four times.
There are a number of pitfalls that one should try to avoid when using different types of presentations. Some are as follows.
PowerPoint: Keep the slide layout and color scheme constant to make the presentation look professional and non-distracting. Limit the color scheme to two or three colors so that the slides do not look too complicated. Transitions and animations may be fun, but they should be used sparingly so that you do not distract the audience. Also, when presenting, use slides as an outline. Do not put all of your information onto a slide. Keep notes with you so that you can speak freely and not have to read the slides for help.

Posters/Collages: Keep these visual aids concealed until they are needed. If they are left in the open while the presentation is taking place, the audience will not pay attention to the presenter, but rather the poster/collage. After the visual has been used, conceal it once again for the same reasons. Make sure that the visual can be seen from all parts of the room so that the audience can see. Collages may require clutter at times, but it is best to avoid this for posters. Include a manageable amount of information that will get the point across, but still make the visual appealing. Be sure to keep the typography of the poster readable from even the back of the room. Large and clean font should be used at all times. It is also important that the color of the text compared to that of the background is such that it is also readable.

Pamphlets/Handouts: Try not to hand these out to the audience if at all possible. You could use an overhead projector if you like. If it is necessary to hand them out, do so only when needed so that the audience does not look at them and/or play with them. If they are handed out early, ask the audience to keep the visual face down or direct their attention to a specific page so that they are always following along. Always number the pages if there is more than one. This will help in case an audience member accidentally gets the pages out of order. It is best to wait till the end to give them out.

The speaker: Keep eye contact with the audience and not the visual. This shows you know your information well. Do not pace or walk around unless it is part of the presentation. This will distract the audience. Do not block visuals with your body. Practice the presentation so that it is pulled off with ease and always be prepared for the unexpected.

Questions: Whilst you may prepare some questions to ask the audience, you should also be aware that the audience may also ask you questions so it is best to come prepared for that too.

First there was the blackboard, and all talks
were given using one. Then there was the
overhead projector. Now the method of
choice for a talk is PowerPoint. Here we discuss
how to give a talk where the assumption
is the speaker is using PowerPoint. However,
if you are not, most of the advice still
applies. Whether this is your first talk or your
100th, the advice is still worth reading.
Preparation
Ok, so you’ve decided to give a talk. We will
assume you already have, or are close to
having, all the results you need whether it’s
through an REU or some other sponsored
research program, or from independent research
overseen by someone at your institution.
When giving a talk, you need to have a title
and abstract. Some things to keep in mind:
• A title should be short and informative.
Cute titles are usually poor titles. “On a
Theorem of Erdös” is too vague. “On
Erdös’s Prime Number Theorem” is short
and informative.
• Your abstract should be one or two paragraphs.
It is not supposed to be a miniversion
of all your results, but a taste to
whet the audience’s appetite.
• Include in your abstract the level of the
talk; e.g. “This talk is intended for a general
audience.”
Next comes the actual putting together of the
talk. Of course a faculty advisor can help you,
but here are some key ideas.
• It’s almost impossible to overestimate
what the audience knows about your
subject.
• Keep technical terms and unfamiliar
symbols to a minimum.
• Don’t try to do too much.
• Use simple examples and concrete special
cases.
• Provide a context for your talk. Explain
how you got interested in the subject.
Mention others who have worked on the
subject of your talk.
• Use a very large font (even for a talk in a
small room). If you reproduce printed material,
enlarge it.
• Restrict each slide to a small number of
lines.
• Avoid filling slides with equations and
formulas.
• DO NOT COMPUTE IN PUBLIC.
• If you need a particular slide more than
once in your talk, reproduce it at the appropriate
places rather than going back
to it.
• Many people find unwarranted use of
special features of PowerPoint annoying.
No flying equations.
• Rehearse your talk, but do not memorize
it.
• Anticipate questions you may be asked
and have a response to them prepared.
Giving a Good Presentation
by
Joseph A. Gallian
University of Minnesota, Duluth
• Practice your talk using a projector and
time it. Don’t forget to leave time at the
end for questions.
• Conjectures and open problems add interest.
• Prepare transparencies as a backup.
Equipment can fail. Practice with these,
too.
• Be sure you know what equipment/
software is provided. You may have to
bring your own.
Delivery
You’ve practiced, but you’re still a little nervous.
That’s normal. Remember, the audience
wants you to do well. Some key points to
help you do your best:
• Show up early to check out the room and
the equipment.
• Erase chalkboards/whiteboards even if
you don’t plan to use them.
• It helps to have a laser pointer and use it
to highlight items.
• Keep some room lights on. The audience
wants to see the speaker.
• Begin by letting your audience know that
you are happy for the opportunity to
speak to them.
• Show enthusiasm for the subject.
• Generally stay off to the side, but MOVE,
MOVE, MOVE.
• Don’t read your slides to the audience.
Spend most of the time looking at the
audience.
• MAKE EYE CONTACT. Single out a particular
person in the audience who appears
to be interested in what you are
saying.
• Don’t distribute handouts at the beginning
or during your talk.
• Go over big ideas twice.
• Go over big ideas twice.
• Speak loudly. Project to the people in the
back.
• Vary your voice for dramatic effect. Pause
before stating a major result, raising a
question, or showing a complicated figure.
• It is not necessary to prove anything.
• Don’t belittle your own results or downplay
your own knowledge of the topic. It
reduces your credibility.
The End
You’re almost there. Just a few things to
keep in mind to with your talk.
• Don’t forget to leave time for questions.
If you are slotted for 15 minutes, speak
for 13.
• When you are asked a question, move
towards the person who asked it and repeat
or rephrase the question for the audience.
• Have a grand finale. It could be the main
result, a conjecture, an open problem, or
an application.
• Close by thanking your audience.
• DO NOT EXCEED YOUR ALLOTTED TIME.
• Plan to stay a while after your talk. People
may want to talk with you about it.
• After your talk, do a self-evaluation. Make
notes about what went well and what
could be done better next time.

American Life

Facts about USA
pls view this site:
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/about-the-us/

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/american-life/

HỌC BỔNG CHÍNH PHỦ VIỆT NAM 2010

Đây là thông tin tóm tắt từ THÔNG BÁO của Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo Việt Nam về việc xét tuyển học bổng năm 2010 cho các đối tượng muốn đi học đại học ở nước ngoài, còn gọi là Đề án 322.

Yêu cầu xét tuyển:

1. Điểm trung bình môn ở phổ thông từ 7.0 trở lên
2. Điểm thi tốt nghiệp phổ thông
3. Điểm thi đại học (tối thiểu 20 không nhân đôi hệ số)
4. Điểm ngoại ngữ (tiếng Anh).
5. Ưu tiên dân tộc, con em gia đình thương binh, liệt sĩ v.v.

Có 7 nhóm đối tượng cần chú ý. Hãy đọc thông báo chi tiết.

Điểm yêu cầu về ngoại ngữ (Tiếng Anh) không cao. IELTS 5.0 hoặc TOEFL 450 (Paper-based, Institutional)

Cần nhớ rằng hàng năm Bộ vẫn có chương trình học bổng này với các đối tượng và yêu cầu xét tuyển về cơ bản giống nhau.

Ngoài ra Bộ còn có chương trình học bổng sau đại học, thực tập sinh cho các công dân Việt Nam có nguyện vọng cống hiến cho nhà nước. Chi tiết xin vào ghé trang thông tin của Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo.

Nếu em nào muốn đi du học theo dạng học bổng chính phủ Việt Nam thì nên biết tiêu chí xét tuyển và chuẩn bị cho mình những điều kiện cần thiết, nhất là ngoại ngữ.

Sinh viên nào đã đủ tiêu chuẩn thì nên thi gấp. Để đăng kí thi IELTS quốc tế các em có thể lấy APPLICATION FORMS tại

số 8 ngõ A7 Đại học Hà Nội. Điện thoại: 091 215 4047 hoặc 090 218 2546

Học sinh PTTH muốn du học hãy coi đây là một thông tin tốt để phấn đấu và đặt mục tiêu. Các em hãy tự chuẩn bị về ngoại ngữ ngay từ bây giờ.

Nếu các em cần hướng dẫn thêm về bài thi, hoặc muốn học ngắn hạn, hay dài hạn, hãy liên hệ với Cô Lan để được tư vấn thêm. Hoặc các em có thể liên lạc qua email lantt@hanu.edu.vn

Một số học bổng của nước ngoài yêu cầu ngoại ngữ cao hơn, các em hãy chuẩn bị sẵn sàng cho mình một chứng chỉ tiếng Anh quốc tế, tiện lợi và nhanh nhất là IELTS.

Chúc các em thành công!

Cô Lan

Du hoc sinh My can biet dieu nay

BS Hồ Hải
Theo blog BS Hồ Hải

Nhân câu chuyện du học sinh Hồ Quang Phương bị cảnh sát Mỹ đánh đập dã man và sự việc lên án của báo chí Việt Nam. Cũng như cháu Hồ Quang Phương nhờ luật sư để kiện ra ra tòa 4 cảnh sát Mỹ tham gia vào cuộc đánh. Với vốn hiểu biết nhỏ nhoi của mình tôi xin gửi đến các du sinh, đặc biệt, các du sinh Việt sang Mỹ ở tuổi trưởng thành một số hiểu biết của mình về văn hóa đối xử với cảnh sát Mỹ. Ngõ hầu sự việc đáng tiếc này không còn xảy ra nữa.

Văn hóa Mỹ là văn hóa du mục, duy lý. Khác với văn hóa Việt là văn hóa nông nghiệp, duy tình. Cách sống, quan hệ xã hội và pháp luật ở Mỹ không như ở Việt Nam. Nước Mỹ là nước tự do và dân chủ ai cũng rõ. Họ tự do vì họ là những con người ra đi từ những vùng miền chịu sự đàn áp của lề thói cũ, tụ hội về Mỹ để làm một xã hội mới theo tư tưởng phóng khoáng như tuyên ngôn độc lập mà họ viết ra năm 1776. Một tuyên ngôn độc lập mà có thể xem là hoàn hảo nhất nhân loại, đến nỗi cụ Hồ cũng phải vay mượn nó để viết bài tuyên ngôn độc lập cho nước Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa. Họ tự do vì ở đó giống như con người và mãnh đất miền Nam Việt Nam mà tôi đã viết trong bài 300 năm xây và 30 năm phá. Thậm chí, họ còn có luật dùng súng. Chính vì thế, cảnh sát Mỹ phải chịu nhiều áp lực của những băng cướp có súng lớn, súng nhỏ, thậm chí cả bom. Và luật pháp Mỹ cũng cho cảnh sát có rất nhiều quyền. Họ cũng rất mạnh tay với tội phạm và ai bị tình nghi là tội phạm khi cần thiết. Cho nên bạn cần phải tôn trọng cảnh sát, không nên chống cự và cãi lại họ. Nếu muốn gì bạn có thể chờ khi ra tòa, còn chống và cãi lại họ, nguy hiểm sẽ đến với bạn là chuyện đương nhiên. Một câu nói mà nếu ai đã từng xem phim hình sự Mỹ thường thấy dịch ra: "Bạn có quyền giữ yên lặng. Mọi lời nói của bạn đều là bằng chứng trước tòa án". Chỉ lời nói thôi, không cần hành động sai đều là bằng chứng chống lại bạn trước tòa. Câu nói này thể hiện tất cả những gì tôi đã nói ở trên và sau đây.

Khi bạn đi xe phạm luật bạn nên vui vẻ nhận giấy phạt, không được đôi co hay chống đối. Và lúc nào trên khuôn mặt bạn cũng phải tươi cười với những câu nói: "Yes, Sir" hoặc "No, Sir". Nếu bạn thấy không công bằng thì hãy đợi đến ngày ra tòa. Nếu bạn đi xe bị chặn lại vào ban đêm. Bạn phải giảm tốc độ, bật đèn khẩn cấp. Bật sáng hết toàn bộ đèn trong xe. Báo cho cảnh sát biết là bạn đang chọn chỗ đậu có đèn sáng, hạ cửa kiếng xuống, nhưng không được ra khỏi xe và 2 tay phải để trên tay lái, chờ cảnh sát đến. Không nên rời tay khỏi tay lái trước khi cảnh sát yêu cầu bạn làm bất cứ chuyện gì. Vì ngược lại như thế bạn sẽ bị cảnh sát nghi ngờ rút súng bắn cảnh sát. Bạn nên hỏi cảnh sát trước là họ yêu cầu gì? bằng lái xe, thẻ bảo hiểm xe ... Chỉ được bước ra khỏi xe khi họ yêu cầu. Và phải làm tất cả những gì họ yêu cầu như: đưa 2 tay ra sau gáy, dạng chân thậm chí đưa tay vào còng mà không được phản kháng. Nếu không có vấn đề gì bạn sẽ được thả ra sau đó. Nhưng nếu bạn làm sai những gì tôi đã nói ở trên thì bạn có thể mất mạng. Dĩ nhiên, nếu cảnh sát bắn bạn vô lý, họ sẽ ở tù. Nhưng chờ họ ở tù thì bạn đã mất mạng vì không hiểu luật và văn hóa sống của Mỹ.

Không được uống chất có cồn khi lái xe. Nếu bạn bị tội này thì nếu bạn đã có thẻ xanh chờ vào quốc tịch thì bạn cũng bị trục xuất về Việt Nam. Tội này gọi là tội DWI (Driving while intoxicaed). Không nên cho ai đi nhờ. Dù bạn thấy một người đang hư xe dọc đường họ đón lại. Bạn chỉ có thể giúp họ kêu xe cứu hộ, chứ không nên cho đi hộ, ngoại trừ người quen biết. Nếu không bạn có thể bị cướp. Nếu bạn thấy 1 cô gái xinh đẹp đi trên đường dưới trời mưa hoặc nắng chang chang, bạn cũng không nên cho cô ta đi nhờ. Vì cô ta có thể sẽ tố cáo bạn là quấy rối tình dục.

Không nên quan hệ tình dục với bạn gái dưới 18 tuổi. Ngoại trừ bản thân bạn dưới 18 tuổi thì không sao. Nhưng, nếu bạn lớn hơn 18 tuổi mà quan hệ trẻ gái dưới 18 tuổi, dù bạn gái đó yêu cầu thì bạn cũng có thể mang tội hãm hiếp trẻ vị thành niên. Tội này thì xem như bạn vứt cuộc đời bạn xuống bùn khi bạn còn sống trên đất Mỹ. Dù bạn quan có quan hệ với bạn gái 18 tuổi, nhưng khi bạn gái đó nói "No" sau khi đã lột quần áo, thì bạn cũng phải ngưng ngay. Nếu không bạn sẽ bị tội "date rape". Tội date rape cũng nặng không thua gì bất kỳ tội hãm hiếp nào. Đừng bao giờ có suy nghĩ như ở Việt Nam là cô ta giả bộ, cứ tiến tới sẽ thành công. Nguy hiểm đấy.

Không nên thấy trẻ con Mỹ dễ thương (trẻ con Mỹ thì hầu hết đẹp như thiên thần) mà cho kẹo, bánh khi chưa có sự đồng ý của cha mẹ nó. Dù là con cháu của bạn. Không nên nựng trẻ con kiểu như ở Việt Nam là sờ ti bé. Làm như thế bạn sẽ bị kiện là xâm phạm tình dục trẻ em (child molesting) ở tù rất nặng.

Bạn không được hăm dọa bất kỳ ai bằng lời nói hay hành động, nhất là đối với dân bản xứ. Nói dong dài để rồi cuối cùng quay về vấn đề cháu Hồ Quang Phương. Sở dĩ cháu Phương bị gọi 911 là vì cháu đã dọa giết sinh viên Mỹ bản xứ bằng lời: "Nếu mà còn ở quê nhà tao thì tao đã giết mày rồi." Khi cảnh sát đến, Phương không tuân theo yêu cầu cảnh sát mà cứ đi theo cảnh sát. Nên cảnh sát nghi ngờ Phương sẽ tấn công cảnh sát. Nên cảnh sát phải tự vệ vì điều đó. Chưa hết cảnh sát còn nói là Phương đã chống cự lại cảnh sát.

Câu chuyện không biết ai đúng, ai sai? Còn phải chờ điều tra rõ ràng. Nhưng trước đó, Phương cũng đã bị ăn đòn nhừ tử vì thiếu hiểu biết. Vấn đề còn lại là làm sao để Phương thắng kiện? Một người quen của tôi, sống ở Mỹ trên 30 năm, chưa thấy một luật sư người Việt Nam nào ở Mỹ thắng kiện trong loại vụ việc như thế này. Còn cho rằng muốn tương đương chứ chưa nói đến thắng kiện thì ít nhất Phương phải có 3 điều kiện tối thiểu sau:

1. Bằng chứng video tape đã có.
2. Cộng đồng người Việt Nam ở Mỹ phải hết lòng ủng hộ từ xã hội đến các trường.
3. Phải thuê 1 luật sư giỏi người Mỹ. Còn luật sư người Việt dù có giỏi chưa chắc thành công. Ngay cả thuê những luật sư giỏi của Việt Nam ở Mỹ cũng chưa chắc thắng.

Cuối cùng cũng cầu mong cho cháu Phương được kiện, Nếu không được thắng theo kiểu buộc tội về mặt pháp lý đối với 4 cảnh sát (Criminal case), thì ít ra cũng được bồi thường tiền y tế (Civil case) là tốt lắm. Vì nó là con số có mơ thì cả một đời người cũng khó có thể làm ra. Nó lên đến cả triệu đô la Mỹ kim. Chính vì thế mà ở Mỹ rất dễ bị kiện tụng ra tòa. Đặc biệt, làm nghề y như tớ mà bị kiện, nếu không mua bảo hiểm thì chỉ có nước đi ăn cám. Cỡ như bác sĩ Tỵ giám đốc bệnh viện đa khoa tỉnh Bình Định thì tù mọt gông và bị tước bằng từ lâu chứ không có chuyện lùm xùm và bảo kê của một ai đó để tồn tại đến ngày hôm nay.

Mong rằng bài vết này có thể giúp ích cho các cháu du học sinh Việt Nam trên đất Mỹ. Chúc hạnh phúc.

Khỏa thân trong nhà cũng bị bắt

Eric Williamson. Ảnh: Sky News
Một người đàn ông đang pha cà phê ở nhà trong trạng thái nude vừa bị bắt vì có hành vi không đứng đắn.

Theo Telegraph, Eric Williamson ở Springfield, bang Virginia, Mỹ đang pha cà phê trong bếp và không mặc quần áo, thì một phụ nữ và cậu con trai 7 tuổi đi ngang qua cửa sổ và nhìn thấy.

Người phụ nữ phàn nàn với cảnh sát và Williamson ngay sau đó đã bị bắt vào sáng thứ hai.

Williamson, 29 tuổi, cho rằng mình không làm gì sai, và rằng việc hai người kia nhìn thấy anh phô bày cơ thể là ngẫu nhiên. "Tôi đang ở một mình, trong nhà riêng của tôi và vừa rời khỏi giường. Trời tối và tôi không nghĩ là sẽ có ai nhìn thấy mình".

Cảnh sát nói rằng Williamson bị bắt vì họ tin rằng anh muốn được người khác nhìn thấy khi nude.

Williamson phải đối mặt với 1 năm tù và 2.000 USD tiền phạt nếu bị kết luận phạm tội. Williamson đang kháng án.

Hải Minh