Melting Moments

No one can say that the life of a teacher is dull. Going to school and having your day dictated by the bell that punctuates the timetable can be mundane routine but once you return to the staffroom, tales from your peers either horrify you or have you dissolve in helpless laughter.

Even marking exercise books, especially English essays, very often a sea of red ( corrections are done in red ink, why, I really don't know ) has its melting moments.
Spelling errors can be a source of humour and literal translations from the mother tongue often lands you in stitches if not frustration.

"Huh?...." I hear a colleague wonder. "This guy's trying to rape a parcel!"

"Ai yah, it's wrap, lah!" says another colleague.

"Hey, listen to this! Can you fathom this? 'My mother buy a four tail chicken for Hari Raya' ( a festival )."

Ever heard of chickens with four tails? Does a chicken have a tail in the first place?

After eleven years of schooling and English lessons, this is what an English teacher often gets from his students.

Another classic is "I'm going to eat wind tomorrow". Hello? When can one eat wind? Open one's mouth when the wind is blowing and take a big gulp?

The 'four-tail chicken' actually had us puzzled for a while. Then the penny dropped. It's direct translation!! From Bahasa Melaysia to English. In Bahasa you say "empat ekor ayam" which means four chickens but because the student translated it literally, it became a four-tail chicken!

Oho! Now I see why it is "eat wind"! It is the literal translation of "makan angin" which means "an outing".

I guess such hilarious moments make up for a stressful day at times.

Being a language teacher these days is very challenging especially when you have a mixed-ability class of 45 students.

But when you have a really good class, it is such a joy to impart your knowledge to them. What I enjoyed most in my years as a teacher was the teaching of English Literature to the upper secondary and form six students. That was when the medium of instruction was still in English and we had meaningful discussions of themes and symbolism in plays and poetry. I especially enjoyed reading Shakespeare with my classes. The tragedies have a special place in my heart.

Gone are those days. The level of English proficiency among the students is very low these days and some teachers of the English Language are not proficient themselves. It is a shame that the youngsters are no longer able to hold their own when it comes to communicating in this international language that is so important.

You need to use it even when you surf the Net, you need it for the latest information, you need to be good in it if you want to progress in your career, etc etc.

My stint in teaching English Grammar in a teacher-training college made me realise the urgent need for a simple English Grammar Handbook that could help a person, be he a student or an adult, learn how to use the English language correctly. I authored this handbook and a series of English grammar books that contained exercises to familiarise learners with English Grammar.




Lucky are those who have parents who can afford to get good tutors for them, and luckier are those whose parents are good in the language and can guide them in learning it and its usage.

The simplest method to improve is to read and read and READ. By so doing a student can learn the structures, the vocabulary, and even the style of writing. When he reads, he slowly internalises how the language is structured and used. This is where the public libraries and school libraries play an important role. The teacher has to take her charges to the library and show them how to use it and help them to select the books that are suitable for their level. This is important so that they will not be frustrated. Reading a book that is beyond their ability will kill the joy of reading and effectively, the desire to learn the language.