After the Ris Low saga, many people are calling for a total reform of the way languages are taught in Singapore.
Not only do the students speak and write bad English, even the teachers do not acknowledge the need for proper english. With most teachers who do not teach the English language being the worst offenders.
One reader wrote into the straits times today, saying that he saw a teacher wrote this.
"He got fine for feeding the monkeys"
and spelt Sulphur as Sulfur.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur
Sulfur and Sulphur are both correct
i beleive i started a topic about this. Its not only english but everything needs to be overhauled.
I don't think the content itself needs to change, it's just facts.
So when you say overhaul you mean the content or the system that decides what content should be taught ?
Basically to train the teachers the need to speak good English, whether they teach the language or not is irrelevant.
Just because a teacher teaches mathematics does not mean he/she should be allowed to butcher the english language.
Only after the teachers get the proper training, will the students get taught the right way to speak and write good english.
The facts do not need to be changed, because science will remain science, but it is the way it is taught that needs to be changed.
Originally posted by Alpha Omega:Basically to train the teachers the need to speak good English, whether they teach the language or not is irrelevant.
Just because a teacher teaches mathematics does not mean he/she should be allowed to butcher the english language.
Only after the teachers get the proper training, will the students get taught the right way to speak and write good english.
The facts do not need to be changed, because science will remain science, but it is the way it is taught that needs to be changed.
When you say good english do you mean American English or British English?
Well British English would be the benchmark i suppose since Singapore as a nation was once part of the British Empire.
Even if British English was not used as a benchmark, We must at least be able to speak like some of the newscasters on Channel News Asia.
Ris Low so influential sia
I wonder what gives u this idea "We must at least be able to speak like some of the newscasters on Channel News Asia."
Unless old dog lee dies, I don't see possibility of any sort of meaningful reform in Singapore.
The old dog is the main obstacle blocking reforms.
He must die.
-1
Originally posted by angel3070:Unless old dog lee dies, I don't see possibility of any sort of meaningful reform in Singapore.
The old dog is the main obstacle blocking reforms.
He must die.
you already say old dog already..just wait for him to die..
I think part of the problem is the fact that many primary kids don't have the habit of reading books much these days.
Most of the time now is spent playing games on the computer or watching TV.
Years back when television programmes were limited and there was no such thing as the internet, kids had all the time to just sit down and read - books from Enid Blyton like the Secret Seven series, Famous Five Series and other adventure books like Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, Alfred Hitchcock and The 3 Investigators etc.
Reading somehow reinforces the use of proper grammar and language usage though repetitive and consistent usage.
I would suggest starting a good and proper reading program in primary and secondary schools (last time they used to have it but not too sure about now) .
Originally posted by angel3070:Unless old dog lee dies, I don't see possibility of any sort of meaningful reform in Singapore.
The old dog is the main obstacle blocking reforms.
He must die.
U so sure?? with his demise, U think the whole sg will turned upside down and be a better place? I seriously doubt it.
U are sounding like an old record that keeps going after the forefathers or govt. While I am agreeable with some, I feel that your utmost negativity are driving people from your clause and reasonings.
Instead of complaining, what can you do to better this place? or how will u define a "better" place?
while Language is important, I feel that more important, Civil or Moral studies should be put back into the system. Students (not all) nowsadays, are alien to things such as courtesy, respect for elderly, & morals.
Instead, most of them are just mechanically tuned to compete and get good grades.
Originally posted by iceFatboy:while Language is important, I feel that more important, Civil or Moral studies should be put back into the system. Students (not all) nowsadays, are alien to things such as courtesy, respect for elderly, & morals.
Instead, most of them are just mechanically tuned to compete and get good grades.
Isn't what you mentioned a result of Singapore's rigid and unorthodox education?
Ah, the brainwashing effects of Singapore education designed to trained robots under PAP control.
Actually, so what if some of our fellow Singaporeans are sucky at English? We can't really blame them, since some of us are brought up in chinese-educated families speaking 50%< Mandarin, and vice versa. As children, we learn what we hear most the fastest. Why dont we get another Miss World Singapore to speak lousy Mandarin? Then we will blame SG's education to be inefficient in teaching proper mandarin. Nobody can be perfect, same rule applies to countries. Every single SG citizen must speak proper English/Mandarin/Malay/Tamil etc.? Not possible. I'm sure MOE already realises the need to emphasize on English education before this Ris Low saga.
Off topic : I agree with iceFatboy, students nowadays are getting out of hand, even students from top schools are seen doing stupid things. Being a student myself I am getting pissed off by many of my schoolmates.
Paper qualifications, exam results, General paper grades.. and we are supposed to judge a person's competence based on all this? come on man this is insanity. A person's capabilities is exhibited during baptism under fire.
Originally posted by Babelfish:Paper qualifications, exam results, General paper grades.. and we are supposed to judge a person's competence based on all this? come on man this is insanity. A person's capabilities is exhibited during baptism under fire.
I do agree with this statement.
As a HR practitioner, i have come across some people who have great paper qualifications and results, but horrible EQ and work ethics. Very often when being interviewed, they have this mentality that grades and the institution which they graduated will get them the job being offered.
In my previous firm, we hired this person, fresh out of university, who had great grades, a solid interview, but when after he got hired he could not cope with the rigors of working in a manufacturing environment and left after less than a year.
Interesting
As much as the topic goes, how should the reform be then? Don't tell me it's the Gov job. Some good suggestions might be interesting.
1) Having full day classes starting from 7.30am or 8 am to about 5pm, with canteen, lunch and tea breaks. Sleeping breaks to be introduced.
2) Class size should be halved by 50% or more.Each class size should not have more than 20 students.
3) Activities not involved in teaching should be handled by other admin or co-ordinators for the job. Teachers role should really just be teaching and not co-ordinate other school CCA unless she volunteers
4) Actively get the chew ren to be involved in botanical, nature and volunteer work. Get them to clean toilets as well. Those caught slacking shall be shot, shit upon and shot again!
*) Teachers take pay cut... Oops... Accident :D
The pay cut is a joke.
I think that all schools should be privatized and let the free market sort out the problem.
The good schools will remain, the bad schools will be gone.
Consistantly get bad reviews on your school? Bad luck, your teachers are gone.
In Europe they have this very interesting situation. The government gives vouchers to parents and they can use these vouchers to choose any school they wish. Those schools that do not do enough to convince their parents that their school is good, their children will not go to those schools because the parents have the power to choose and they get closed down fast.
So schools are always trying to improve themselves just to survive.
It's not the teachers. It's the parents. If parents don't teach the kids proper from young, they're going to assume it's 'okay'. Guess who kids follow and look up to when they are young and constantly attempting to learn to communicate?
Originally posted by Alpha Omega:I think that all schools should be privatized and let the free market sort out the problem.
The good schools will remain, the bad schools will be gone.
Consistantly get bad reviews on your school? Bad luck, your teachers are gone.
In Europe they have this very interesting situation. The government gives vouchers to parents and they can use these vouchers to choose any school they wish. Those schools that do not do enough to convince their parents that their school is good, their children will not go to those schools because the parents have the power to choose and they get closed down fast.
So schools are always trying to improve themselves just to survive.
Think this through, take it a few steps down the track and then see if this strategy makes any sense.
Originally posted by iceFatboy:while Language is important, I feel that more important, Civil or Moral studies should be put back into the system. Students (not all) nowsadays, are alien to things such as courtesy, respect for elderly, & morals.
Instead, most of them are just mechanically tuned to compete and get good grades.
This I fully agree. Civil and Moral education is grossly lacking in our system.