Truths about teaching EL to non-native speakers April 9, 2010
Posted by judegrrl in Books, Reading.Tags: teaching English
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Ever since my good friend Monica introduced me to Jeremy Harmer’s ebook, I’ve been reading and studying it non-stop. It’s basically become my only textbook as I lack resources of any on TESOL.
Reading and re-reading it, I’ve discovered many bloopers I’ve made with my former students (I really pity them now!). If ever you find yourself in my shoes, here are a couple of tips I would like to share with you:
- Always assess your class for competence and capability before beginning teaching, even if a particular language form/ syllabus has been already been requested for;
- When dealing with a class, ALWAYS stream them according to capability level and have separate activities for intermediate/ beginner learners;
- Always offer a level of EL input that’s slightly above the class’ current understanding;
- When giving instructions for activities, always explain CLEARLY and logically. Even better, get students to repeat back in native language/EL;
- Keep in mind the different learning styles (aural, visual, kinaesthetic, musical, verbal, logical, intrapersonal & interpersonal) and plan for different activities encompassing the different styles;
- Evaluate the activities you’ve used and keep inventory of them for future use.
There’s still a lot more to read up and to self-study. Till then this is all I have to share on for now.
Embroidered Wall Art October 2, 2009
Posted by judegrrl in Culture Vulture, Reading.Tags: embroidery, fabric art
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I’ve been drooling over the delicious works produced by a few ardent embroiderers/ soft sculptors. And then I came upon this highly workable piece suggested by astulabee.
By divine inspiration, I decided to come up with a collage based on an acronym made up of the 9 Thai middle class consonants. The acronym was designed by my teacher to help me better memorize my consonant class.
And so I did my drawings. Then came the slightly tough bit of searching for the materials: it took a couple of weeks for me to hunt down the embroidery hoop and the background fabric.
Yesterday I went to a most delightful fabric shop and bought more than S$10 worth of buttons and miscellaneous bits. I know, it’s very extravagant for me, not to mention for the local Thai.
At any rate, I am counting at earlier works by some artists for guidance and more inspiration. Who says the Internet can’t teach you anything?
The beginning of my collection
Acronyms to help memorize your consonants
Taken from "While She Naps"
Taken from the original astulabee masterpiece
What not to do on the Seoul Metro July 20, 2009
Posted by judegrrl in Reading.Tags: etiquette, Seoul metro
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While doing my research for the Korea trip, I came across the 10 Etiquette to keep on the Seoul subway. While well-meant, I’m very sure that some of its meaning is lost in translation. Such as the following:
Typical mentality rooted in Confucian thinking. You can count on public shaming to scare citizens into behaving!
Origami is highly encouraged on the train. You can be a responsible citizen by folding your newspapers into cranes or party hats.
That’s right, your task as a responsible SEATED citizen is to find that person to give your seat to within 3 seconds- starting right now!
As much as I’d like to do my part in preventing overcrowding, this is still tantamount to an optical illusionary feat. How else does 1 single person stand at once in 4 separate lines?
This is my personal favourite. When in a rush, avoid taking the subway. No gurantee you’ll reach your destination. The Metro authorities are penalizing the perennial late by making them wait further for the ever-elusive another train…
Illustrations on Thailand January 28, 2009
Posted by judegrrl in Books, Reading.Tags: illustrations, Thailand
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These are a few of my favourite illustrations from Roger Welty’s “The Thai & I: Successful Living in Thailand”. While this was a book written for expats moving to Bangkok, it handled lots of topics pretty adeptly like culture shock, health, business etiquette etc. Of course, what I loved best were the following piccies from the book, which summed up the expat experience…
Excess Baggage
Tenets of Thailand: Nation, Buddhism & the Monarchy
Amulet Collection in taxi
Traditional Thai Massage experience
Waiting for Thai citizenship approval
Outwitting the mozzies in Thailand
More sociology on Thailand January 11, 2009
Posted by judegrrl in Reading.Tags: modern, modern thailand, trivia
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1 leading factor for rampant prostitution in the country:
- due to the matrilocal family system (especially practised up north), which sees females inheriting family farmland, requiring husbands to move in with their wives’ parents
- there is great responsibility on the women to provide for the extended family
- the ready solution is sex for sale, which brings in money to support the family and allows the breadwinners to return home with respect
Note: this above info really shed light on my friend’s stay with the Rahab organization (named after a prostitute who lived during the Old Testament) in Bangkok. When probing the girls on how they felt upon entering the flesh trade, the answer that turned up most frequently was: a sense of pride in the ability to provide for the family.
Waiting near a bar
Trivia #1123 on the modern nation state of Thailand January 6, 2009
Posted by judegrrl in Books, Reading.Tags: politics, Thailand
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The Irrepressible Thaksin
Why do corrupt politicians get elected by the rural areas in Thailand? This is because:
1) Actions speak louder than words- the rural electorate votes for the politician who can deliver benefits to them;
2) elections spells material gain, the improvement of livelihoods, construction of dams, roads, schools & irrigation projects etc for the villages;
3) in exchange for the projects and protection, the rural electorate will esteem and respect the politician, despite the flaws as perceived by urban people.
Quoted from “Modern Thailand” (Slagter & Kerbo, 2000)
Trivia #1023 on the Kingdom of Thailand January 2, 2009
Posted by judegrrl in Reading.Tags: history, Thailand
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Why are kings virtually revered as gods in Thailand? Did you know that:
1) the concept of the “god-king” came into circulation in the Kingdom of Ayudhya as late as 1350?
2) “Devaraja” or the the king as god was an imported Hindu concept from the Khmer kingdom (Cambodia)?
3) the Khmer equivalent of the original Sanskrit term actually means “master of the world who is the king”?
4) the integration of the personal cult of the king into a system helped to preserve stability, peace and prosperity?
5) it also strengthened the power, legitimacy & authority of the king & thus elevated him beyond reproach and criticism?
6) the 1932 coup practically dissolved the monarch’s significance in politics, which was only restored in the late 1950s?
7) the law of lese majeste in Thailand invokes imprisonment of three to 15 years for anyone deemed to have defamed, insulted or threatened the country’s revered monarchy?
Keyhole to communicate the gospel December 29, 2008
Posted by judegrrl in Mission, Reading.Tags: history, Mission, Thailand
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Redemptive analogies are cultural parallels that allows one to present the gospel by making it relevant to another culture. I’ve been reading Thomas Hale’s “On Being a Missionary” and Thai history concurrently. I think I may have stumbled upon a few contact points for the gospel to be shared:
1) The Creation Myth
Thai folklore has it that a very poor brother and sister caught a bamboo rat burrowing in the earth. The rat told them a great flood was coming and advised them to seal themselves inside a hollowed-out gourd until the floodwaters receded. After the flood, the brother and sister realised that they were the only ones left. They received a “sign” from the heavens, and some time later the sister gave birth to a gourd later. One day hearing noises from the gourd, they opened it and people of all colours emerged from the gourd. From this originated the various races and cultures in the Southeast Asian region.
2) Founder of Buddhism
Siddgartha Gautama was born a prince in India between the 6th & 4th centuries BC. Giving up his wealth and royal privileges, he spent his lifetime seeking enlightenment. He studied with gurus, lived as an ascetic for a period, practises intense meditation, trained disciples and established the Sangha, the world’s oldest monastic order.
Can you see the angle I’m coming from now? 
