The Persuasive Essay

Remember, effective writing happens when you effectively write to one person.

Note, even though many people could potentially read one piece of writing forever (depending on where it is), when each person reads it, it’s from one mind to another.

That’s why you should write with mainly one person in mind.

For this persuasive essay, you’re trying to convince your blue (sad) friend to try writing themselves an encouraging letter (an exercise you just did recently :D).

Persuasive Essay 5-Paragraph Outline (Suggested, Not Mandatory)

P1 – Introduction to an advantage, an issue, or concept. Thesis statement. Transition to the next paragraph.
P2 – Reasons, why the change/switch/action to take, is beneficial.
P3 – More, expansion, example, evidence, anecdote (short story)
P4 – Your opposing side’s strongest point (the person who wants to disagree with you most). Use this and turn it against that dissenter.
P5 – Conclusion:

1. Call to action.
2. Commentary on the future.
3. Review/summary of benefits.
4. Cliffhanger/question.

Reading tips:

If you read one sentence at a time and imagine that someone else is reading the next sentence, it’s kind of like talking! :D. And, it’s good for your final essay.

Persuasive – This type of essay is the opposite of an argumentative essay. It is aimed at changing the readers’ point of view completely, taking the author’s one as an axiom. It is a stronger and more difficult type of essay as it requires a better understanding of the subject and good skills in criticizing the opponents.

In most cases, persuasive essays deal with topics that are relevant here and today. A persuasive essay should be very tough and influential. By writing it, you show that you are really good at something and that you are sure that your opinion is ultimately correct. You may lose your audience the very moment you lose your integrity.

Remember that your essay has to be solid as a wall because your personal traits have no influence on a reader. It doesn’t matter how you look, speak or wear. The only weapons of yours are words. Your audience should want to accept your viewpoint as the only one that makes sense.

It is not an easy task to do. That is why it requires much practice. It is a long way to master your language to influence other people with it, but this skill is highly important in many aspects of life. Don’t worry if your first results will not be good enough. The more you try, the better you become.

These are the most common types of essays that are widespread in academic life.

Each of them requires certain skills and talents. But don’t be scared in case you find yourself unable to write them. It takes life & practice.

-Paul

“For every morning for the last 45 years of my life, my mother has prepared a simple rice porridge. The smell of it has usually wakened me every morning of my single life, and I walk down to be greeted by either my mother or the remnants of her presence from earlier in the morning. Her regularity with which she offers her hopes and beliefs to the passing monks nearby our home in the early sunlight of Thai mornings, teaches me to remain vigilant in what I think is right.”

Okay, so that’s aaaa target. The above is a blend of techniques where one switches their perspective to understand the simplicity and the beauty therein a very simple moment in time. Sometimes, the character doesn’t even know its importance; it’s up to you to find it as the writer. 

-The vignette: a moment in time. See the first sentence.
-Sensory detail: the smell of the rice and the light of the sunrise.
-Be subtle: show, don’t tell. How can you communicate values about yourself without saying, “I am adjective, adjective, and adjective.”? –> With a story and what you learned.

How long should my personal statement, [common app essay/statement of purpose/coverletter] be?

A full build will be about 500-1,500 words. Then, you’ll cut that down to the most beautiful elements and main points you want to say about yourself or in relation to the prompt-specific questions. 

How many drafts does it normally take?

Some people can do it in one draft. Others go 15 without something of decent substance. Every person has a story, read the example again if you’re starting to feel lost here. [Generally, it’s about 7 passes at a piece of writing to make it decent and passable.] #wasyoursurfboard

Good luck! 

Practical Tips:

1. Make notes in remembering a story.
2. What did you feel and what did you learn?
3. Review photos and videos, and look at the faces of those around you and yourself. What do you see? How has your mind changed and grown? That’s when you start writing.
4. Don’t delete anything until your next pass. Copy it, and start the next draft (most recent drafts should be at the top). This will be useful when/if/or you get writer’s block, or the writing’s shit. 
5. Review periodically upon events in your life, or simply time to sit down with a hot drink and build something simply pretty…with words.
6. When you are starting, take 60-seconds to mentally go through all the different ways you could possibly start, but while focusing on the SMART* goals in terms of choosing a topic. You want to be able to accomplish it in a small block of time. 

*SMART goals

Specific – When My Dad Bought Me Ice Cream
Measurable – When I Felt X Feeling
Achievable – It had to have actually happened
Realistic – Keep it simple and real. See sensory details and simplicity above.
Timely – If your brain is silent, do something else. If your brain is making noise, try just writing it down. 

Other Key Ways to Start:

1. Mindmap on Procreate, and replay the timelapse to yourself.
2. Make an outline. Ask for help with templates or search.
3. Read examples instead. 😀
4. Just do it. Stop whining in your head and write what you’re thinking. It’ll shape out to something. Maybe it’ll be useful, maybe it won’t. You don’t know that yet. You’ll know when you read it back to yourself aloud, hear it again from someone else’s voice: feedback or literally.

Tip #1 | This is where applications and letters differ. The tone with which you analyze yourself becomes more confident, and insecurities communicated are done (written) WITH PURPOSE.  This is the draft where we transition from the fundamental foundation of a letter to what a real personal statement looks like.

Tip #2 | Add a thesis statement: I’m applying to [this program and school]…write from the heart.

Tip #3 | The point of view is first person without any usage of ‘you’.

Tip #4 | For UK personal statements, a description of why you’re suited for this program is sometimes better than a narrative tone for a US application.

Nonetheless, whether the admissions officer is British or American, they’re still human, which means that what they read, they’d like to enjoy reading.

5 class comments

Paul H Park Jun 14 “Right now, I’m trying to make something. Don’t interrupt me.”

Paul H Park Jun 14 “The difference between law and medicine is merely the application of rationality and deduction to words or the human body.”

Paul H Park Jun 14 “You’re a pumpkin.” my [relationship label noun] said to me.

Paul H ParkJ un 14 | A Sample Time Block for Development…Or, A Paragraph You have 40 minutes.

You’ll need 10 minutes to independently or collaboratively review your work. You’ll need 5 minutes of some peace and calm to figure out what to do and what you could achieve in your remaining 25 minutes.

Divide that 25 minutes to two segements: 12.5 and 12.5 minutes.

Segment 1. Find a story: review pictures and timelines, mindmap, draw, anything creative.

Segment 2. Write it out. Do you best. 😀 Remember you only need a paragraph or so and that’s a start.

Paul H Park Jun 27

https://www.servicescape.com/blog/25-thesis-statement-examples-that-will-make-writing-a-breeze

Add class comment…

Instructions:

Write an answer of about 50+ words explaining your answer by answering the question in PEA format as a general template to help you out in your answers for the interview.

Point – What’s My Point? Answer the question

Evidence or Example – What’s the reason the interviewer should believe me? Information, data, dates, reasons, and logical reasons why I should be accepted to visit the US.

Analysis or (Opinion) – What do I think about what I just said for my point and evidence? 

= conclusion. “I’m ready for the next question, please.” (without saying it)

Feel free to add any other questions from your research for complete preparation. 

Brainstorm. –> Write. –> Edit and improve.

Practice and record + live practice.Sleep well and relax.Review your notes again before the interview and you’re good to go.

Who is your sponsor? Who is sponsoring this exchange program? What is the name of the school? 

Where will you stay in the US? Whom are you staying with? How do you feel about that?

What do your parents do?

Do you have relatives in the US? Where you are staying?

Why do you want to go to the United States of America?

When will you leave and when will you return?

What visa do you want and why do you want that visa? 
(explain student visa, the program, and exchange benefits)

Why will you come back? What guarantees you’ll be coming back to Thailand? What holds you here?

The Agile Manifesto for Education

We are uncovering better ways of developing people by doing it and helping others do it.

Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Functional, useful capabilities over comprehensive documentation

Collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

Executive Summary

Bubble Language School strives to provide equal opportunities for education to all students, regardless of their family’s income level, socioeconomic bracket, or geographical location. 

Providing and facilitating these opportunities requires a multifaceted approach which includes, but is not limited to, long-term coaching and mentoring, in-person English programs at the temple and non-tuition-based community schools, and practical, skills-based digital literacy to inspire curiosity, creativity, and autodidactism. 

This document will serve as: 

(a) a memorandum of understanding, 

(b) a historical record of accomplishments towards these goals, 

(c) accounting and allocation reporting, and (d) scope.

Our Values

International Bubble Education (IBE) is committed to building better students.

We teach the top to teach the rest. If the right person is given the right opportunities and guidance, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.

We aim to coach and mentor people in any skill through interaction and tutorship with our teachers. There are many who can learn on their own, and then there is a larger group who will always need a little help. 

We teach English, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. 

We are accredited by the Ministry of Education of Thailand as a language institute.

Our goal is to build better students by:

• Teaching them how to learn smarter
• Teaching necessary skills and enabling practice
• Aiding in goal setting/achieving
• Creating accountability

Better students = better global citizens = better people

Who Do We Teach?

We teach individuals or groups who desire to learn more, improve their skills, and have a better life.

• Young learners
• Elementary Grade 1-5
• Middle Grades 6-8
• High School Grades 9-12
• College/University students (Bachelor’s / Master’s / Doctorate)
• Industry professionals: business, science, law, the arts, and medicine
• Individuals or groups who want to improve any mental or physical skills

Anyone.

“Once you stop learning, you start dying.”

-Albert Einstein

Philanthropic Efforts and a Little History

In Bangkok 15′, with 4 students we noticed a certain trend, the students didn’t know how to help themselves.

They were hiring private tutors to help them develop skills that could quite honestly, be built with simple Google searches and a little dedication.

It’s 2022 now and over the years, we’ve identified one part of the root cause: students in public schools weren’t and aren’t being taught how to use free online tools.

In January of 2018, our team began searching for and contacting schools in the local area to propose a regular weekly program focused on English communication, Google tools, and team-building. We were successful and entered into working relationships with two schools: Wat Rat Satthatham School and Wat Pak Bor Foundation School.

The first is a public school on government funding and the latter was started by a monk with 10 students.

After roughly ten years, there are now 1,001 students.

These students pay little to nothing to attend school.

The English teachers there do have a hard time communicating in English and ICT (Information, Communications, and Technology) program doesn’t exist.

As of May 2018, we have been teaching weekly programs in our now 2nd rotation of 20 students at each school. The first group now studies on a weekly basis at our language institute, International Bubble Education (IBE). We have impacted over 60 lives.

As of 2022, our language institute has adopted the following model: teach the top to teach the rest. 95% of our working hours are dedicated to helping people customize their learning. The remaining 5% of our time is spent volunteering. 

We develop new and improved rationale/methodology, and set up programs to teach the students

(a) basic English communication skills,

(b) learning how to learn, and

(c) how to find information.

Ideally, we would like to work with experienced, international, and well-educated individuals who are interested in making a difference.

With this approach, a few key points are addressed. People rarely volunteer on their own accord. It’s only when a person can witness a student exclaim in wonder at a simple satellite image shown on Google Maps that the person realizes what’s taken for granted by us, is sometimes unknown to others. In building the network, it is our dream and mission to create sustainable, long-term programs. The short-term scope is that in Thailand, an international school teacher will teach a private class for less than 20 USD/hour. We’ll raise the funds, pitch the teacher, set up the programs, and create impact. Long term, these students can hopefully one day learn faster than their environment permits, and local teachers collaborate with us to build better programs and methodologies.

All funds received are updated on an open-link Google Sheet form.

First, we cover the schools that are currently working with us. Afterward, we branch out to other local schools in the area and hopefully spread the idea.

Week-by-week, we track lesson plans and the program via Google Docs (open-link as well).

In 2019, IBE began teaching six hours a week to 180 students at Wat Bak Por Foundation School, a temple school located in the On Nut area. Each class comprises of 30 students; three classes are for first graders and three classes are for fourth graders.

Our teachers teach the fundamentals of English communication, Google tools, and positive reinforcement to the students once a week for an hour at a time.

At first, we had to curb negative reinforcement diplomatically until the teachers at WBPFS realized that through truly engaging with the students in the target language and offering real rewards in terms of human compassion and understanding, the students performed significantly better.

As our teachers come from a variety of backgrounds, as they teach a wide range of students throughout Bangkok from every walk of life, they improve themselves by perceiving insights into the minds of the young, old, the rich, the poor, and the artists, and the logicians.

When a person can catch a glimpse into how people live their day-to-day lives, and build frames of reference by interacting, engaging with, and analyzing how people function, wisdom is gained.

A teacher who walks into a room filled with 30 students is presented with a clean slate: a chance to do good in this world through creating memories in the minds of their students. These memories and this impact have truly unknown implications throughout the rest of their lives. 

In the third quarter of 2019, IBE will begin teaching the teachers of WBPFS in hopes of increasing collaboration between the upper echelons of society and the rest of the population. Citizens can be aware of what is happening in their countries, but until they see it with their own eyes, action is limited. Even once that is achieved, there are plenty of milestones to pass. 

Bubble Language School

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of schools nationwide between the months of March 2020 to July 2020.

In April of 2020, IBE in collaboration with WPB began weekly one-hour, online English tutoring classes for four WPB students on a scholarship basis funded by CKE Engineering Co. LTD (weekly one-hour tutoring classes for 52 weeks). As of July 12th, 2020 the weekly sessions continue, focused on English articulation, knowledge from sources in English, and digital literacy with the prospect of two more students added to the scholarship group. 

As of 2022, the time this article is published, a Bubble Language School teacher devotes five percent of their workweek to both scholarship students and English classes for WPB students in the English homeroom in addition to any administrative or preparatory work.