1. Alex Arzenshek
Mrs. Lester
Adv Grammar/Comp
5 March 2012
Speech Outline
I. Introduction
A. How can learning a second language put you at a great advantage in school, in
society, and in the career force?
1. As some of you know, I am from the French area of Canada.
a. When I was younger, my mom always used to read to me in
French.
b. She would attempt to teach me words, the same way most of
you learned English—through repetition and in your own
environment, not out of a textbook.
c. Between reading both languages, I was able to expand in
English in ways my friends at school could not. I excelled in
grammar, spelling, and reading. Learning a second language
allowed me to succeed in the early elementary grades. How did
saying a few words in another language change my education in
such a big way?
2. I decided that for my senior project I was going to investigate the
effects of learning a second language and bilingualism in children.
a. I wanted to know what it did to my brain, how it helped me, and
how it has helped every other child that learned a second language
in their childhood.

2. b. I am going to tell you about my journey of writing a children’s
book in French and English.
B. Consequently, the topic of my research paper is the effects of bilingualism in
children.
1. I learned that everything from brain development and intelligence to
dexterity and social skills is altered by simply learning a second language
at a young age.
a. This project has allowed me to look into my future and my
career possibilities.
b. I am in French Four, and I enjoy the language very much.
c. I also enjoy writing in a simplistic and funny manner that
children take pleasure in.
d. Therefore, I decided to explore a career involving a foreign
language.
2. I chose this topic because I am very curious about how children have
such a step forward in life.
a. Learning a second language will change your career
opportunities—a higher salary, abilities to travel, and more
choices.
b. I wanted to know how and why bilingualism in children helps
them so much.

3. c. This topic is viewable in every day life, all through schools,
homes, and businesses and I chose this topic to understand
bilingualism deeper.
3. My research paper was designed for me to understand bilingualism in
children.
a. My paper directly correlates to my product—a bilingual
children’s book in French and English.
b. The research has allowed me to comprehend why it is so
important to write my book in the most authentic manner.
c. I did not know who would read it, who it could possibly inspire,
or if it could make a difference for a child.
d. My research paper helped me understand the possible difference
I could make by a child reading it and learning part of another
language.
Transition/Thesis: Now that you know the details of my research paper and topic of my senior
project, I am going to discuss the process I took in creating my final product.
II. Body of Speech
A. My project facilitator was my French teacher for four years, Mrs. Katy
McManus here at Creekview High School.
1. I was looking for very strict characteristics in my possible facilitator.
a. In order to produce the book, I would need someone who was
able to help me edit and write in French.

4. b. I needed an expert in the language, or my product would simply
be riddled with mistakes and not up to professional standards.
2. Since I go to Creekview and I have taken French for four years, it was
fairly easy to find my facilitator.
a. She was very qualified, and I had every day access to her in
class and after school.
b. Thankfully, she agreed to help me with my project.
3. My facilitator, Mrs. McManus, was very capable to help me.
a. She has a bachelor’s degree in French from Wake Forest
University and a master’s degree in teaching French from Georgia
State University.
b. She has traveled to France multiple times while doing study
abroad programs.
c. She has also traveled all over Europe and Canada. She takes
trips almost every year to France with her students.
d. She has taught French at colleges, middle schools, and now,
Creekview.
Transition: Now that I have explained how and why I picked my project facilitator, I am going to
tell you how I created my finished product step by step.
B. The steps I took in creating my final product, a bilingual children’s book, were
important because I had to produce a professional and authentic book.
1. The first step after finding my facilitator was to draft a story line for my
book in English.

5. a. I decided to write about a common problem faced by all
children—a fear of the doctor. I thought this topic would hold a
child’s attention, and they could relate to it.
2. The second step in the process was one of the most challenging.
a. I had to translate about eleven paragraphs of English to French.
b. I spent a lot of time with my facilitator during this step because I
had to translate it correctly.
c. I also wanted to make it understandable for children so I had to
keep the concepts and wording very simple.
d. French phrasing and grammar is very different so translating my
story was key to making the product authentic.
3. Next, since I was writing a children’s book, I wanted it to be creative
and decorative.
a. Therefore, I wanted it to have pictures on every page.
b. Through my facilitator, I was introduced to my illustrator,
Amanda, who is a student of hers.
c. She draws using special software and a tablet on the computer.
d. She is extremely talented, and I knew I could use her to create
the perfect illustrations.
e. Amanda and I had several meetings together to discuss how I
wanted the illustrations to look and the overall idea of the book.
d. I viewed her sketches and decided I was going to pay her to
illustrate.

6. e. She created the cover and all illustrations in the book.
4. Next, I had to search for a publisher.
a. I wanted this book to be as authentic as possible so it had to be
published.
b. This search was probably the hardest part of the project.
c. Finally, I came in touch with a local business, Yawn’s Books.
d. They are located in downtown Canton, and they agreed to
publish my book for free to help local teenage authors who lived in
the community.
e. I had several meetings with the publisher to understand the
complicated process and to know exactly what I had to do.
5. Next, for my book to be published, I had to create what publishers call a
` layout.
a. I had to design and set up the book exactly how it was to be
printed.
b. In this step, I incorporated both the English and French story and
my illustrations.
c. I decided the cover, size of the book and pages, and colors,
along with many other intricate details.
d. I separated the text so it is easy for children or whoever is
reading it to them to simply refer to both languages.
e. They are on the same page and the languages correspond
correctly.

7. f. I highlighted some common words in both languages so that
children can connect the two words to mean the same thing.
g. I thought this would help them in the process of learning another
language.
6. Lastly, I turned in my layout to the publisher.
a. We went over the small details of publishing and ordered the
book.
b. Within a week, I received the proof of the book.
c. I was able to double check everything and to view a copy of
what it would look like.
d. Finally, I ordered my copies, and they were delivered within a
couple of weeks from the publisher.
*Hand out books to the judges*
Transition: Now that I have explained all of the steps I took to create my final product, I am
going to discuss a few challenges I encountered in the process.
C. I faced some obstacles while creating my product, but I managed to overcome and
complete everything smoothly.
1. One issue I had while creating my book was translating and editing the
French.
a. French and English are two languages that differ from each other
in so many ways.
b. For example, you describe things backwards in French.

8. c. This process of translating my English story challenged my
knowledge in the French language.
d. I had to utilize numerous dictionaries, contact a native French
speaker, and refer to real French books.
e. I spent at least two months on this process alone.
f. Fortunately, I did translate my story correctly with my facilitator
and other sources of help.
g. This was probably the biggest intellectual challenge I
encountered during my project.
2. The second obstacle I faced was finding a book publisher willing to publish a
bilingual children’s book written by an inexperienced teenager.
a. As most of you are familiar with, book publishers are huge,
corporate businesses that take only the best of the best.
b. I spent weeks emailing any sort of children’s book publisher.
c. I got rejected about ten times.
d. It seemed like my little project and amateur book was not worth
their business or time.
e. I will not lie; it was very discouraging.
f. Thankfully, through talking to my friends, I discovered a local
book store.
g. Yawn’s Books in downtown Canton is a locally owned business
serving the Canton community.

9. h. I quickly emailed them, and they were willing to publish my
book.
i. They even took the publishing costs, which can amount to
thousands of dollars.
j. I worked with the publisher for a couple weeks and sent in my
book, only paying about one hundred fifty dollars.
k. Yawn’s Books has helped many seniors with their senior
project if they were writing any sort of book. l.
I am very thankful that I was able to find and use them to publish
my book.
Transition: Now that you understand some issues I faced while creating my product, I am going
to discuss what I have learned about myself throughout my senior project.
III. Conclusion
A. I have learned that I am a hard worker, but I do get discouraged and frustrated easily.
When something goes unlike I had planned, I tend to panic. However, I do stay
organized, and I am willing to communicate with people.
1. My work habits have not changed throughout my project.
a. I knew before, and it is instilled in me now, that I can conquer a
project as crucial as this.
b. I tend to stay very organized with the due dates and steps of the
process.

10. c. I have a tendency to become overwhelmed. So this project
definitely taught me to take one step at a time.
2. My business skills were definitely enhanced in this project.
a. I had to communicate with my facilitator, my illustrator, and my
publisher simultaneously.
b. Composing emails became a daily occurrence in my project.
c. Organizing my time to be split between all three people was
crucial.
d. I made numerous phone calls that usually did not turn out
positively with many publishing companies.
e. I had to maintain my composure and business attitude even if the
phone call resulted in bad news.
f. My telephone and email skills were definitely used more than
any other skill during this project.
3. Surprisingly, my career goals have nothing to do with French or writing
children’s books.
a. I absolutely love the French language and culture, which is why
I chose it as part of my project.
b. I would like French to remain as something I enjoy and a hobby
in my life.
c. However, I do not wish to pursue a career in French.
d. I only incorporated a children’s book into my project because I
knew that it would best display the language.

11. B. My post-secondary education plans include me pursing a degree in nursing.
a. I have been accepted to Berry College and plan to be a part of their dual degree
nursing program.
b. In this program, I will earn two degrees in five years by going to Berry for
three years and Emory University’s School of Nursing for two years.
c. I will receive a bachelor’s degree in science and a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
d. However, I would love to minor in French since I do enjoy the language.
e. It has always been a part of my life, and I will continue to keep it as a hobby
even though I am pursuing a degree in nursing and science.
Thank you very much for your time, and I appreciate your attention. I hope you enjoyed listening
about my senior project, have a great night. Thank you again.
Are there any questions about my project?