Poor English: Weak Teachers, Weak Students

He may Make a Good English Teacher

This is a summary of an article that appeared in the Malaysian Insider on 7 April 2014.

Study after study have confirmed this deteriorating standard of English in our schools. In fact, you do not need to conduct any more studies as it will just benefit  consulting groups like Cambridge.

What is needed is an intensification of efforts in the teaching and learning of English. 

Teaching English grammar as well as vocabulary expansion is a must.

Also, making scoring at least a credit in English mandatory at the SPM level  is one concrete way  towards this direction.

The local politicians, particularly the Cabinet, must have a will of steel to steer the national education system so that English will find back its pristine position as in the past. 

Additionally, all English teachers  must go through continuous refresher courses and only those who passed out well can be allowed to teach English.

As an added motivation, such teachers should be paid exemplary cash incentives. 

Let us look at this article on the findings of this most recent study done by the government on the status of English in our schools.

" Monday, 7 April 2014

In a reply to Parliament, Deputy Education Minister, P Kamalanathan stated that a study commissioned by the government has shown that the English proficiency of the majority of both students and teachers had a weak command of the language,

This study, conducted by the Cambridge English Language Assessment on the teaching and learning of English in Malaysian schools has found out  that a majority of the students did not improve their basic level of English especially  skills. As for the teachers, their weakness in speaking skills had prevented them in the improvement of teaching pedagogy.

Carried out last year, this baseline project conducted by the Cambridge Group took place in  476 schools, involving 31,000 students and 1,000 teachers. In this study, teachers and students were tested through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews so as to gauge their English proficiency.

It was reported earlier in The Star that only 37% of English teachers in primary schools had high English proficiency.

The  deputy minister also discovered that the co—curriculum and assessments of schools did not conform to international standards focusing on only reading and writing than on communication and listening.

As such, as a follow-up, a special committee will be set up to evaluate the findings and to obtain  feedback from various quarters, including related non-governmental organisations on how to improve the standard of English in the country."

Bad Spelling Can Be Deadly

Mortally Wounding

Bad spelling can indeed be deadly!

This example exemplifies it.

A man received a text from his Indian neighbour ... 

"Sorry sir, I am using your wife with no permission...

I am using day and night ...

I am using when you are not present at home....

In fact I using more than you using.....

I confess this because now I feel very much guilt...

Hope you will accept my sincere apologies "
 

...... Distraught, the man shot his wife.......

A few minutes later he received another text:

Sorry sir, spelling mistake ... wifi not wife.

Nothing but the Tongue Truth

We Need Joyful Tongues!

Oh, yes the tongue has to be the most dangerous organ in the human body.

It can spin wondrous magic by saying the right words and it can damn you miserably for all eternity.

Let us study the words that emanates from the tongue.

Is it saying things that are true?
Has it spoken kind words?
Has it spoken only necessary words?

If the answer is negative or a mix bag, it definitely is not doing a very good job.

English-Saucily Abused?

Funnily Abused, that is

English is indeed the universal language; be it for education, communication and especially entertainment of many sorts.

Its universal usage however has led to all kinds of misconstrued use, some laughably funny and has indeed became saucy for unimaginable fun.

And that is why expressive grammar English and appropriate precise vocabulary is paramount!

Here goes:

In a Bangkok Temple :

IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN, EVEN A FOREIGNER, IF DRESSED AS A MAN.

Cocktail lounge, Norway:

LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

Doctor's office, Rome :

SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.

Dry cleaners, Bangkok :

DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS.

In a Nairobi restaurant:

CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE, OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

On the main road to Mombasa , leaving Nairobi :

TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.

On a poster at Kencom:

ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO WE CAN HELP.

In a City restaurant:

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS.

In a Cemetery:

PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS, FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES .

Tokyo hotel's rules and regulations:

GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE, OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED.

On the menu of a Swiss Restaurant:

OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.

In a Tokyo Bar:

SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS.

Hotel, Yugoslavia:

THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE, IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

Hotel, Japan:

YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

In the lobby of a Moscow Hotel, across from a Russian Orthodox Monastery:

YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY, WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY,EXCEPT THURSDAY.

A sign posted in Germany 's Black Forest :

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN ON OUR BLACK FOREST CAMPING SITE, THAT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT SEX, FOR INSTANCE, MEN AND WOMEN, LIVE TOGETHER IN ONE TENT, UNLESS THEY ARE MARRIED WITH EACH OTHER FOR THIS PURPOSE.

Hotel, Zurich :

BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENTERTAINING GUESTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX IN THE BEDROOM, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE LOBBY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand :

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen :

WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS. (Just Like British Airways!!!)

A laundry in Rome:

LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND THEN SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME.

And finally the all time classic:

Seen in an Abu Dhabi Soup shop window:

IF THE FRONT IS CLOSED, PLEASE ENTER THROUGH MY BACKSIDE…

Whence-What the Nazi Grammarians Say

Grammar Nazi Flag

This article from Daven Haskey written in June, 2010 expalins the folly that derives from the wrong usage of such an interesting word such as whence.

I append his article in verbatim so that its clarity remains undiminished.

Here goes. 

" The Word 'Whence" is Pretty Much Always Used Incorrectly

Today, I found out that the word, 'whence' is pretty much used wrong,especially by modern day writers.

For example, (from the Lord of the Rings, spoken by Elrond):  “The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom; only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.”

So why is this wrong?  ‘Whence’ actually means “from where” or “from what place”;  so what was said above was, “It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from from where it came.”  ‘Whence’ implies a “from” already; so preceding it with ‘from’, which is commonly done, is redundant.  This is the principal advantage of using a word like “whence” instead of just saying “from where”; it implies the “from” already.

This is very similar to “hence” which, if used to refer to time or location, has an implied “from”: “from this place” or “from this time”. For example: “I shall go hence.”; meaning “I shall go from here”.

It isn’t just now-a-days that this has been commonly misused either.   Grammar Nazis have been long enraged about the “from whence” faux paus since as early as the thirteenth century.

Whence did this first start popping up?  There are numerous examples of the “from whence” incorrect usage in works by Shakespeare, Defoe, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and even several in the King James Bible.

So just remember:

‘from whence’ = ‘from from where’ = bad

‘whence’ = ‘from where’ = good "

Though they may have lost much of their use in English currency these days, many words such as lest,hence and whence are still appropriate if used wisely in context.

Happy learning English to you!

MAS-The Whipping Boy

Backlash from Chinese Entertainers

Today marks the 20th day of the disappearance of MH370.

So far, amidst speculation and theories, no plane, bodies or specific debris has been found in the Indian Ocean that can be linked directly to the ill-fated aircraft and its passengers.

The cry for blood continues, however.

Look at the car with the extreme message of disgust against Malaysia.

Disgust in Signage on a Car

Now, apart from condemning Malaysia of bad management of the search and rescue operations, MAS is also getting the short end of the stick from mainland Chinese-tour agencies are not selling MAS tickets any more.

Some photographs here tells us that even entertainment icons like Zhang Zhi Yi and others are asking, in the near term for reprisals-the boycott of films and music and song of Malaysian  actresses.and singers.

With new theories of what may have happened to flight MH370 arriving daily; until we have concrete evidence in hand, the search and sorrow continues!

Relatives from Okra

Willie and Lilian

Yes, in faraway Florida is my niece and her hubby.

These are their mugshots and frolicking times  in good ole America.

Dreamy Eyes

Ribboned and Packed

Flaming Red Allure

Office Cleaning and Tea Lady?

Alien  Challenge?

To endear.........

Sibling Affections with Li Shien

 Good Frolicking Times

No Diet Whopper!