mad about english

这部电影，我强力推荐给国人。
记得之前当我看预告片时，现场不少观众捧腹不已，有取笑的感觉；
可是，看电影时，就算有笑声，感觉少了那种嘲笑的味道，（你可以说我主观）
电影完场的那一刻，竟听到不少掌声！
因“奥运”全中国掀起学英语的热潮，从年轻到老的，个个努力不懈，更不顾别人的讥笑，争取机会，厚着脸皮大讲英语，甚至和自己人也不放过讲英语的机会。
单单这种学习的精神就很叫人感动！
戏里有个老人说：“没想到在我晚年时还能为社会尽一点力。
走出戏院后，心情是喜悦的，因为我看到了中国的前景是一片美好。
中国人要继续加油，中国一定富强！
我希望那些中文程度差的国人，成人学生都该看这出记录片，看看人家，再看看自己。

成长是个过程，不是场比赛

在我的小学生当中，不少天资聪慧的，但也有些学习较慢的。
前者父母都寄于厚望，全力栽培；但也不是说后者父母就比较丧气，有的更加关注孩子的身心发展。
一般可看出，若孩子学习能力强，父母都会尽量让他们全面发挥，希望孩子文武双全！其实孩子越出色，他们的好胜心就越强，越爱比，渐渐就输不起。在这种竞争环境下成长，这些孩子的童年就会想一场比赛。
而较慢的，有些父母会这样说：“别人做得到的，你为什么做不到？”或“你也行的！一定行。”
行不行，当事人最清楚。
其实每个孩子都是不同个体，有不同特长，成长环境和背景都不一样，因此任何比较都是不健康的
重要的是凡是只求尽力，就算尽了力只拿60分，也算是100分了！
要记得人生本来就是一个旅程，别让人生的一开始，就变成竞技场。

Among my primary school kids, there are some whom are born clever, while there
are also some slow learners.

For those who are intelligent, their parents set high hopes on them, sparing no
efforts to nurture them. This, however, does not mean that the parents of the
less intelligent are doing lesser. Some of these parents take even more effort
in their child's emotional development.

A general observation is that if a child's ability to learn is high, the parents
will usually do their best to nurture the child, hoping that the child will
develop to his full potential. In actual fact, the better their child strive,
their desire to win is even stronger, making them comparing even more, and
unable to accept failures. The childhood of a child growing in such an
environment has become a competition.

There are some parents who might say, "What others can achieve, there is no
reason why you cannot." or "You can also achieve that. It's
definitely achievable.". Whether can or cannot, only the party involved
knows the best.

Every child is a different individual and has different capabilities. They have
different backgrounds and environment. As such, any kind of comparison among
the kids is unhealthy. The most important thing is doing one's best, whereby
achieving sixty marks could mean obtaining a full score of one hundred marks.

One must remember that life is actually a journey, and should never letting it
become a fighting zone right from the beginning.

(Translated by Sean Ng)
_________________________________________________________________

全职补习老师 Full-time tutor

曾经看过这样一篇报道，令我印象很深刻！
内容大意是：“补习是一份相当单调的工作，当全职补习老师的社交生活贫乏，圈子小，对身心健康会有不良影响。”
有人觉得教补习很好赚，尤其是全职的。
但他们会讲，自己就算能教也不愿当家教，甚至兼职都不想；有些家长或兄长连自己的孩子或弟妹多不想或不敢教，怕伤了亲子感情。
其实他们心里是很明白的，老师不好当，没有耐心和爱心根本没法去做。
很多家长因为工作忙碌而没时间督促孩子做功课，因此更想要请个补习老师来代劳；而他们对补习老师的要求从功课上渐渐提升的品行上，殊不知，真正最好的学习耪样就是父母！
从中补习老师就得在某个程度上取代父母的职责。
此外，还有学校老师也因课业太繁重而无法及时教完课文，甚至在学生完全还没能应付测验或考试的时候，便仓促测考学生；
当家长也意识到这样的情况时，补习老师便是最后追究职责的对象了。

I once read an article, which left a really deep impression.

The content of the report states that "Tution is quite a boring job. Being a full time tutormakes your social life inadequate, and has got negative impact on your mental health".

Some people feel that tutoring is a lucrative job, especially full-time. But they will say that even if they can teach, they are not willing to be a tutor, not even part-time.

In their heart, they clearly understand that it is not easy being a teacher. It is almost impossible without patience and love.

Many parents are unable to coach their children in their studies due to their work commitments. Therefore, they think that they can pass on this task to the tutors. The parents demand the tutors to coach not only in their children's studies but also their characters, without realising that they themselves are the best learning examples for their children.

The tutors have to replace the parents in such tasks in some ways.

Moreover, there are some school teachers who are unable to finish teaching the syllabus due to the hectic timetable. Some teachers even test the students when they are still unprepared.

When the parents realise that there are such situations, tutors will be their targets to hand over this responsibility.

(Translated by Sean Ng)

我的学生都是小明 My Students - "Xiao Ming"s

当家教近20年，是一点也不夸张。
这一段漫长的教学生涯，叫我印象深刻的是一件有趣的事，那就是我的学生都是小明！
怎么说呢？
这些小学学生，每次你给他们写作文，当他们想描述一个男孩的时候，文中这个人物的名字一定是叫'小明'；
就算上了中学，还是小明！
从中我们可以察觉，是这些学生都对'小明'情有独钟？还是他们已经养成习惯，已懒得发挥，再去想另一个名字。
就连这么简单的想像，都没有兴趣，更别说什么写作的创意了。
但这对我来说，却是一条管道，开始走进他们的世界的第一步，也是了解和沟通的一条路。

Saying that I have been tutoring for almost twenty years is not being exaggerating at all.

This long teaching journey has left me with a deep impression that all my students are called “Xiao Ming”.

Every time you assign them with a composition, these primary school kids will always give the male character in their story the name “Xiao Ming”.

The male lead remains as “Xiao Ming” even when they are in secondary school.

From these observations, do these students adore the name “Xiao Ming”? Or has it become a habit, being too lazy to create another name?

If they are not interested in even such a simple imagination, it is hard to talk about the creativity to write.

This to me, however, is a way – an avenue to take the very first step to walk into their world and the way to understand and communicate.

(Translated by Sean Ng)

学中文 Learning Chinese‏

学中文不是一件简单的事，若你真有心要搞好它；
教中文更不是一件轻松的事，如果你认真有心要教好它。
因为它不是数理，可以计算，甚至死背都能找到答案。
而学语文，从听、讲到书写，要真正能驾驭，绝无立竿见影的所谓速成秘诀。
也只有多听、多讲、多写；
最遗憾的是：像在我们自己的地方（新加坡），一个拥有双语环境的国度，却没好好被善用；
结果一般都是半捅水，甚至连英语都是本土风格的'singlish'，华文更不怎么样，是名副其实的两头不着岸。
还有更痛心的是：一般家长对孩子学习中文的态度是让步和投降的。
他们只看学校考试及测验成绩就行了。
因此，补习老师的重任是帮助孩子们应付考试测验，拿好成绩，那就可以保住饭碗，皆大欢喜！
至于学生是否真正掌握华文，他们也不敢奢求。
我敢大胆地这么断言：现在一般学生学华文的心态都有问题，甚至有被逼的感觉。
他们只看到眼前的利害关系，考及格或拿好分数；
有些更糟！只为了向父母师长交代而已。
他们不见未来自己的处境，这比当下的考试还重要！
结果考完试后，就把学的全部归还老师了。
我认为学语文，任何一种语文，都要有'感情'的因素；
有时不是你要不要，而是你该不该，甚至是你爱不爱？
简单的说：当你对中文产生了感情，自然而然你就会主动去接触它，去了解它。
因此，学中文之前就得先要爱上中文，否则勉强是不会有幸福。

Learning Chinese is not an easy task, if you really want to do it well. Teaching Chinese is even a more difficult job, if you seriously want to teach it well.

Because Chinese is unlike Mathematics, where you can calculate, or even memorise to get the answer.
Learning a language - from listening, speaking to writing - to be able to do all these well, there is no quick formula or secret. The only way is to listen more, speak more, write more.

The pity thing is that we did not make good use of the billingual environment in our nation (Singapore). This resulted in most people being inadequate, even speaking localised English, Singlish. Their Chinese language is even poorer. We master none on these languages.

The hurtful truth is that parents generally compromise and give in to their children when it comes to learning Chinese. They just care about the test and exams in school.

Therefore, the tutor's main job is to assist these children in facing the exams, obtaining good results. In doing so, they will be guaranteed a job. Both parties are happy in this way. As to whether the students are able to grasp the language, they do not dare to even hope for it.

I dare to say this : There are some problems in the attitude of most students learning the Chinese language. They seem to be forced in learning it. They are short-sighted, focusing only on the short term gain, either passing or getting good results. Some are even worse. They just want to be answerable to their parents and teachers. They do not see their plight in the future, which is more important than any exam. In the end, they practically "return all knowledge" to the teachers after the exams.

I reckon that learning a language, no matter which language, "feel" is very important. Sometimes it is not so much the case on whether you want or not. It's more on whether you should or not, or even whether you love or not.

Simply to say, when you start to develop feelings for the Chinese language, you will naturally feel motivated to study it, to understand it.

Thus, the pre-requisite to learn the Chinese language is to fall in love with it. Forcing will never bring happines.

(Translated by Sean Ng)