HANDWRITING (TOPIC FOR ALL TESTS DATES TILL 30TH APRIL 2022) I VOCABULARY ➢ to scribble ➢ a sheet of writing paper ➢ to put pen to paper ➢ longhand ➢ shorthand ➢ to jot down (to write a short note of) ➢ handwriting with pen and paper ➢ to practise penmanship ➢ mastery of penmanship ➢ to foster penmanship ➢ to write in block letters ➢ to master cursive writing ➢ capital letters ➢ uppercase and lowercase letters II QUESTION Do you usually write by hand or write using a computer? Nowadays, how most people write things? Do you often write with a pen? a IDEAS how often: ➢ once in a while ➢ not too often ➢ quite often ➢ more often than not ➢ in most cases ➢ for the most part ➢ I a lot of writing by hand daily by hand: ➢ to finger write lists and messages on smartphones and tablets ➢ to jot down a shopping list ➢ to write a birthday card ➢ to take a phone message ➢ to fill in some forms ➢ to take lecture notes ➢ to scribble notes ➢ to take notes during a meeting ➢ to take notes to outline my ideas ➢ to make drafts ➢ to doodle ➢ to create mind-maps ➢ to write reminders ➢ to write essays for school ➢ to write in exams ➢ to write down a to-do list ➢ to homework ➢ to jot down a phone number using a computer: ➢ I can't remember the last time I had to write anything by hand ➢ most people have turned into typists due to modern technology ➢ to make reports ➢ to make spreadsheets ➢ to write long texts such as articles ➢ to write quick notes as a replacement for sticky notes ➢ to handle business correspondence ➢ to write personal and business email letters ➢ to write notes and store them in the cloud so that they could be easily accessed ➢ sticky notes are not reliable as they always fall off and get lost b ANSWER Do you usually write by hand or write using a computer? -Well, it's hard to say On the one hand, I a lot of writing by hand For example, I write down to-do lists in my personal organiser, scribble notes if I recall some important piece of information or come up with a good idea I write reminders for my colleagues and family members But when it comes to writing long texts such as articles, of course, I never it using pen and paper Nowadays, how most people write things? -I'm convinced that most people have turned into typists due to modern technology Even when it comes to writing quick notes, reminders and to-do lists, the majority of people use their devices as sticky notes always fall off and get lost At the same time, using an electronic device, you can store them in the cloud and be sure they will be there unless you delete them which, thank God, can't happen accidently Also, you can make them private and nobody will be able to open them without a password Do you think handwriting is important nowadays? Do you think computers might one day replace handwriting? a IDEAS yes: ➢ many people erroneously believe that it’s a thing of the past ➢ an essential skill ➢ an integral part of our daily lives ➢ plays an important role in our daily lives ➢ used to make judgements about people ➢ remains important in education, business and everyday life ➢ when assessment is based on written work ➢ you'll be marked down in exams if your handwriting is illegible ➢ most exams are still handwritten ➢ still an important skill for communication ➢ still a valid form of communication ➢ the best form of notetaking no: ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ future: ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ not as important as it used to be nowhere near as important as it used to be to shift from handwriting to using a computer technology has made the purpose of handwriting redundant it's hard to say what will happen 20 or 30 years from now technology is unlikely to eliminate handwriting technology will sound the death knell for handwriting handwriting will soon become a thing of the past it's highly likely b ANSWER Do you think handwriting is important nowadays? -Absolutely It still remains important in education, business and everyday life, despite many people believe it’s a thing of the past For example, most exams in my country are still handwritten and you'll be marked down if your handwriting is illegible Also, it's by far the best form of notetaking Most of us take phone messages, jot down notes in meetings, create drafts of important documents solely by hand Do you think computers might one day replace handwriting? -It's highly likely that technology will sound the death knell for handwriting Nowadays handwriting is being used at schools, but more and more schools are integrating computers into classroom Secondly, many people claim that handwriting is the best form of notetaking, but having reliable voice recognition systems which everybody is getting used to, I strongly doubt somebody will bother even to type notes, let alone write them down using pen and paper Is your handwriting easy to read for other people ? a IDEAS yes: ➢ my handwriting is legible ➢ my writing is neat and clear enough to read ➢ my handwriting can be easily read without discernible effort and without having to guess whether a particular letter is an 'a' or an 'o' ➢ I write neatly when I write slowly no: ➢ everyone says my handwriting is illegible ➢ everyone says my writing looks like chicken scratch ➢ my handwriting is like chicken scratch ➢ my handwriting is difficult to decipher ➢ I have really messy handwriting that is nearly impossible to read ➢ when I have to write fast, my handwriting becomes illegible ➢ when I’m in a hurry and have to write fast, my super neat handwriting turns into chicken scrawl ➢ the only person who can read my handwriting is me ➢ my handwriting is so bad that even I can't read it after a while b ANSWER Is your handwriting easy to read for other people? -Well, in my opinion, my handwriting is legible, at least it's clear enough to read, but many people say it isn't When I studied at school, my teachers would say something like 'Your handwriting is impossible to decipher' or 'Your handwriting looks like chicken scratch Now my colleagues say that the notes I leave to them are either illegible or they have to put effort in order to guess whether a particular letter is an 'a' or an 'o' But when I write very slowly, I write neatly What impression does a person’s handwriting have on other people? Can we tell someone's personality from their handwriting? a IDEAS ➢ a rich source of analysis ➢ handwriting can help to determine what a person is like ➢ handwriting can say a lot about someone's personality ➢ handwriting can help you figure out what a person is like before meeting them ➢ kinds of writing: ➢ legible or illegible ➢ illegible handwriting means a person who is difficult to understand ➢ neat writing means a person likes order ➢ sloppy writing means a person may try to hide something ➢ high pressure of the strokes means a person is energetic ➢ light pressure of the stroke is a sign of introversion ➢ a left slant means a person hides emotions ➢ a right slant means a person is assertive and tries to get it right all the time ➢ upward writing shows optimism and a positive attitude to life ➢ downward writing is a sign of fatigue ➢ large letters mean a person is extroverted and generous ➢ large letters mean a person likes to be noticed ➢ small letters may mean a person who is either shy or has a low self-esteem ➢ small letters mean a person is introverted or thrifty ➢ rounded letters mean a person is logical ➢ large gaps between words mean a person appreciates freedom ➢ spiky letters mean a person thinks and acts fast b ANSWERS -I think handwriting can be a rich source for analysis Even if you are not a specialist, you can determine what a person is like by looking at their handwriting For instance, illegible handwriting means a person who is difficult to understand, while neat writing is sure to signify order The most obvious characteristic is the size of the letters Large letters may mean someone is generous, whereas small letters mean a person is introverted or thrifty When children begin to write in your country? How did you learn to write? How can children today improve their handwriting? a IDEAS age: at the age of X ➢ my first attempts at writing were in my preschool years ➢ I must have been or ➢ It was not until I went to school that I mastered penmanship ➢ I could write long before I went to school ➢ by the time I went to school, I could write in block letters how learnt: ➢ was taught to grip a pen ➢ was taught to hold a pen properly ➢ was first taught to write in block letters, then advanced to cursive writing ➢ started off with block letters ➢ the next stage was to master cursive writing ➢ learnt to write capital letters, then lowercase ones ➢ watched my mom write down letters and tried to copy them ➢ mom wrote down my name using spots and faint lines so that I could retrace over the word ➢ used toy bricks to shape letters ➢ liked to write in the sand and salt ➢ wrote letters in the air ➢ was forced to trace letters over and over again ➢ drew letters with finger-paints ➢ if it hadn't been for my mom, the process would definitely have been boring how improve: ➢ to trace letters over and over again ➢ through lots of practice Did you like writing things when you were a child? a IDEAS yes: ➢ I really enjoyed it ➢ I tried to get down to writing whenever I had a spare moment ➢ it was a real adventure for me ➢ it was such fun for me ➢ it calmed me down and helped me relax ➢ the words practically flew from my pencil no: ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ I didn't really enjoy it I didn't feel comfortable with it I was quite reluctant to it I was too immature to manage the writing process I was too worried about making mistakes I had real difficulties that led to tears and tantrums it was hard for me to form letters with a pen it was a struggle for me