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)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
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)
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)
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