After weeks of blogging , i realised that at the end of it i am more aware of current affairs that is happening around me all the time. As a teenager , i am contented with just playing games and enjoying my life. Never for once i was interested in the current affairs happening as i feel that i have no business in those things.
After several blogs i start to understand the importance of the current affairs happening . One example would be the environmental issue the world is going through now. The blogging experience has made me a more matured person , changing my perspective on news.
Now , i start to watch the news and read the papers more regularly to keep myself up to date with the current affairs happening.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Emotional Intelligence
After reading the articles , i agree to a certain extent that EI should be taken into consideration when hiring . EI is an important aspect of our life as it is how we build and maintain relationship with others . When working in the same company , maintaining a good relationship with your fellow workers is important as you have a common aim which is to earn profit for the company .
Workers may be very highly educated but when they do not get along with each other , problems arises. With education so highly emphasised on in this era , workers with credentials are not hard to come by , but to find one with a high level of EI is hard as not everyone can build a good working relationship and maintain it well.
In conclusion , i feel that in this age and time , having a high level of EI will no doubt help you in your career . Even if you have all the certificates you can get in the world . without the skills to build a healthy working relationship with others , the certs are just pieces of papers .
Workers may be very highly educated but when they do not get along with each other , problems arises. With education so highly emphasised on in this era , workers with credentials are not hard to come by , but to find one with a high level of EI is hard as not everyone can build a good working relationship and maintain it well.
In conclusion , i feel that in this age and time , having a high level of EI will no doubt help you in your career . Even if you have all the certificates you can get in the world . without the skills to build a healthy working relationship with others , the certs are just pieces of papers .
The English Language
After reading the articles , i realised the importance of making english the 'international' language . In Singapore , the goverment places great emphasise on Singapore student's standard of english. But thats not the case for other countries like China as english is not their first language therefore the english standards of people there will be inferior when compared to us.
We are now moving on to an era where you cant survive without speaking the english language . From an economic point of view , businessman from different countries have to communicate with each other and this is where the english language comes into play. When speaking a common language , both parties are able to understand what the other party is trying to convey. Imagine this , when two businessmen of different nationality speak their own language , this may cause confusion and instructions misunderstood. Therefore , to avoid this , countries which english are not their first language have to educate their citizens and make them take up the language .
We are now moving on to an era where you cant survive without speaking the english language . From an economic point of view , businessman from different countries have to communicate with each other and this is where the english language comes into play. When speaking a common language , both parties are able to understand what the other party is trying to convey. Imagine this , when two businessmen of different nationality speak their own language , this may cause confusion and instructions misunderstood. Therefore , to avoid this , countries which english are not their first language have to educate their citizens and make them take up the language .
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Cyber Wellness
In this era , internet is the most commonly used method to communicate with others . The internet allows people to communicate with each other easily even if they are in a different country. Email , online chatting etc have been making their way into many people's life and it has become something that they cant do without.
Though it has its advantages , there are bound to be disadvantages too. Most parents nowadays are oblivious to what their child is doing when they are surfing the net . Thus , teens are gaining access to websites that they should not be visiting as their parents are not monitoring them.
Some teens are often bullied in school and the only way that they can vent their frustrations and anger is through the net. This may result in the teen who is bullied , bullying others online which is cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is an issue that has to be resolved. Many cyber bullying in foreign countries has resulted in the victim commiting suicide as they cant withstand the pressure.
In conclusion , i feel that parents have the responsibility to oversee their child when they are surfing the net so as to prevent them from surfing sites they should not be visiting and also talk to them to find out how they are doing in school rather than talk about results all the time.
Though it has its advantages , there are bound to be disadvantages too. Most parents nowadays are oblivious to what their child is doing when they are surfing the net . Thus , teens are gaining access to websites that they should not be visiting as their parents are not monitoring them.
Some teens are often bullied in school and the only way that they can vent their frustrations and anger is through the net. This may result in the teen who is bullied , bullying others online which is cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is an issue that has to be resolved. Many cyber bullying in foreign countries has resulted in the victim commiting suicide as they cant withstand the pressure.
In conclusion , i feel that parents have the responsibility to oversee their child when they are surfing the net so as to prevent them from surfing sites they should not be visiting and also talk to them to find out how they are doing in school rather than talk about results all the time.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
My Self Reflection on the 14 weeks of Blogging
After 14 weeks of blogging, I found myself knowing more about the world. Usually I would only read news on internet when I logged in into my MSN account or when I heard it from friends. The only source of news could be gotten is Today Newspaper as it is free of charge and given out in MRT stations and in our school’s convenient store Cheers! during noon time.
As most teenagers spend their time doing their own activities, they often neglect on finding out and knowing the current affairs happening around the world. I admit that I am one of those teenagers. It was not my hobby to read news or to find out more about it. However, due to the need to read articles when I blogged, I found myself more aware of what is happening in the world. I often find myself going online just to find more information of certain topics I am interested in.
Therefore, by blogging for 14 weeks on the articles given, I found myself to be more well-informed on the happenings around me. I have also started to keep myself updated with the news on the current affairs and I feel more knowledgeable because of this.
As most teenagers spend their time doing their own activities, they often neglect on finding out and knowing the current affairs happening around the world. I admit that I am one of those teenagers. It was not my hobby to read news or to find out more about it. However, due to the need to read articles when I blogged, I found myself more aware of what is happening in the world. I often find myself going online just to find more information of certain topics I am interested in.
Therefore, by blogging for 14 weeks on the articles given, I found myself to be more well-informed on the happenings around me. I have also started to keep myself updated with the news on the current affairs and I feel more knowledgeable because of this.
My opinion on Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence, or more known as EQ, is very essential in the living world now. One of the articles mentioned that today is the age of EQ and in order to work in today’s society, high EQ is needed. It is agreeable that EQ is important as having emotional intelligence is very useful to understand others better. Empathy, a skill to understand and putting oneself in others’ shoes, is owned by people with high EQ. By having high level of EQ, one can create a good relationship with others.
It is important to have a good understanding of others so that one can connect well and trust would then be build among them. By having high EQ, one can perceive better of what the other party is thinking and it allows them to be more sensitive of other’s feelings. This allows the person to perform better in work and in life.
Overall, I agree that emotional intelligence is important in one’s life as it not only affect himself, but others around him as well. The higher the EQ, the higher the ability to understand others better and therefore a better relationship would be build among them.
It is important to have a good understanding of others so that one can connect well and trust would then be build among them. By having high EQ, one can perceive better of what the other party is thinking and it allows them to be more sensitive of other’s feelings. This allows the person to perform better in work and in life.
Overall, I agree that emotional intelligence is important in one’s life as it not only affect himself, but others around him as well. The higher the EQ, the higher the ability to understand others better and therefore a better relationship would be build among them.
My opinion on English Drive articles
English language is very important as it is the universal language used around the world. In this ever-growing world, it has been proven that English language is being used in most parts of the world. In total, there are more than 1 billion people who use English language to communicate with other people from different continents across the world. It is a necessity for everyone to at least know how to speak or write in English, whether it is their first language, second language, or as a skill.
As a global language, English language makes it easier for people from different backgrounds to understand one another. For example, in Singapore, although the citizens are made up of people from different race that use different language, they all have something in common that connects them to one another. That is, the English language. Singapore government geared up its people by encouraging English language as the first language so that they would be able to speak with one another in a common language.
It is predicted that English language would be the second language in many parts of the world. This shows that the impact created by this language would affect the whole world and its progress. There would be more people starting a business that works internationally by using English language. Therefore, in the future, one will not be able to survive if he cannot speak English.
As a global language, English language makes it easier for people from different backgrounds to understand one another. For example, in Singapore, although the citizens are made up of people from different race that use different language, they all have something in common that connects them to one another. That is, the English language. Singapore government geared up its people by encouraging English language as the first language so that they would be able to speak with one another in a common language.
It is predicted that English language would be the second language in many parts of the world. This shows that the impact created by this language would affect the whole world and its progress. There would be more people starting a business that works internationally by using English language. Therefore, in the future, one will not be able to survive if he cannot speak English.
My opinion on Cyber Wellness
This would be my opinion on the article on “Singaporean youths still lacking in cyber wellness”. Although teenagers in Singapore spend an average of 17.2 hours per week online, they still lack of knowledge on Cyber Wellness. Research shows that students use internet as a media to express themselves and most of the times for chatting.
There is a small minority who mentioned that they feel unwell when they are offline. This could lead to teenagers having unhealthy life if they continue to spend their time in front of their computer. Furthermore, if they continue to be unaware of Cyber Wellness, they might unconsciously do some illegal things in the future via internet as majority of them are not aware of the copyright issues.
This shows their immaturity on knowing the Cyber Wellness. Parents can help their children to be more aware of Cyber Wellness by learning how to use internet and Internet filter to check the websites visited by their children. They should also show more concern to what their children are doing online. It would be even better if parents spend more time with their children so to decrease their online time and also to educate them on Cyber Wellness.
There is a small minority who mentioned that they feel unwell when they are offline. This could lead to teenagers having unhealthy life if they continue to spend their time in front of their computer. Furthermore, if they continue to be unaware of Cyber Wellness, they might unconsciously do some illegal things in the future via internet as majority of them are not aware of the copyright issues.
This shows their immaturity on knowing the Cyber Wellness. Parents can help their children to be more aware of Cyber Wellness by learning how to use internet and Internet filter to check the websites visited by their children. They should also show more concern to what their children are doing online. It would be even better if parents spend more time with their children so to decrease their online time and also to educate them on Cyber Wellness.
My opinion on how World Cup affects office productivity
All football fans all across the world has been waiting for 2010 to come. This year is the year whereby the FIFA World Cup, the world-wide soccer tournament which is held every 4 years, came back into the light.
The loyal follower of FIFA World Cup 2010 might be excited however it did not apply to the employers whom their workers decided to skip work or took leave just to watch the World Cup. As different countries have different airing time of the FIFA World Cup, some people might be in a country whereby the World Cup starts after midnight. For example, in Singapore, the final of the World Cup was at 2.30 am. Therefore, as a soccer fan, one would sacrifice his sleeping time just to watch the final match hence leading to lethargic and sleepiness during the daytime on the next day.
In one of the articles, it was mentioned that in China, there was a man who prioritizes World Cup that he said that he would quit his job just to watch World Cup. Some even lied to get leave from their jobs just to enjoy watching the World Cup during his work time at home. This shows that many of the football fans are risking their daily life just to indulge in their interest and hence it decreases the output of the companies.
Although World Cup brings bad impact to the working world, it also has its advantage. It helps to encourage the workers whom also World Cup fans to work harder to finish their job so that they can watch World Cup at their home after they finish their job. Therefore I agree that World Cup affects office productivity, both positively and negatively.
The loyal follower of FIFA World Cup 2010 might be excited however it did not apply to the employers whom their workers decided to skip work or took leave just to watch the World Cup. As different countries have different airing time of the FIFA World Cup, some people might be in a country whereby the World Cup starts after midnight. For example, in Singapore, the final of the World Cup was at 2.30 am. Therefore, as a soccer fan, one would sacrifice his sleeping time just to watch the final match hence leading to lethargic and sleepiness during the daytime on the next day.
In one of the articles, it was mentioned that in China, there was a man who prioritizes World Cup that he said that he would quit his job just to watch World Cup. Some even lied to get leave from their jobs just to enjoy watching the World Cup during his work time at home. This shows that many of the football fans are risking their daily life just to indulge in their interest and hence it decreases the output of the companies.
Although World Cup brings bad impact to the working world, it also has its advantage. It helps to encourage the workers whom also World Cup fans to work harder to finish their job so that they can watch World Cup at their home after they finish their job. Therefore I agree that World Cup affects office productivity, both positively and negatively.
My blogging experience (Thierry)
The past few weeks of blogging have been riddled with knowledge and revelation. The entire blogging experience has taught me to be more aware of the affairs going around the world, which I usually shrugged off with wanton disregard.
My favourite blog post is the post on the World Environment Day, in which I researched and blogged about the BP oil spill. Initially I believed that the oil spill was just a gross over reaction by the Americans, probably trying to get every reason they can to attack their competitors in the oil business. Only after doing my research did I realise the severity of the situation, the consequences of the oil spill, and the horrible mistakes made in safety precautions that could have help prevented the incident and the deaths related to them as well.
The blogging experience has changed my outlook of the world in many ways. I now realise the happenings around the globe, and what they mean to me, whether they affect me directly or indirectly. In many ways I have gained more maturity from this experience, as I now view the world with a more humane outlook, and I continue to find out the happenings across the globe to get a better understanding of what is going on overseas.
My favourite blog post is the post on the World Environment Day, in which I researched and blogged about the BP oil spill. Initially I believed that the oil spill was just a gross over reaction by the Americans, probably trying to get every reason they can to attack their competitors in the oil business. Only after doing my research did I realise the severity of the situation, the consequences of the oil spill, and the horrible mistakes made in safety precautions that could have help prevented the incident and the deaths related to them as well.
The blogging experience has changed my outlook of the world in many ways. I now realise the happenings around the globe, and what they mean to me, whether they affect me directly or indirectly. In many ways I have gained more maturity from this experience, as I now view the world with a more humane outlook, and I continue to find out the happenings across the globe to get a better understanding of what is going on overseas.
Emotional Intelligence (By Thierry)
This blog post is written with regards to the articles 'Emotional Intelligence Trumps Technical Know How' and 'Emotional Intelligence a new hiring criterion'. The articles explain the new trend occurring on the hiring criterion, which is the importance of possessing emotional intelligence or 'soft skills'.
I agree with recruiters that emotional intelligence is very important in this day and age. While technical know-how is also extremely important, recruiters now prefer to hire those with both as opposed to those who just have technical knowledge, as finding job seekers with a good set of emotional intelligence skills is very difficult. Employees now a days need to know how to build, repair and maintain healthy relationships, be it with the customers, or within the workplace itself.
With the widespread growth of educational institutes, hiring employees with technical knowledge is not that difficult. It is good that companies are starting to hire based on emotional intelligence, so that job seekers will understand that having the technical know how is no longer sufficient to land a good job, and thus upgrade themselves and acquire more emotional intelligence skills to make themselves relevant to the needs of today's companies.
Customers stand to gain with this new hiring criterion. It goes to show that companies obviously care about their customers, as they are hiring people which are able to understand the customer's needs and build relationships with them.
I agree with recruiters that emotional intelligence is very important in this day and age. While technical know-how is also extremely important, recruiters now prefer to hire those with both as opposed to those who just have technical knowledge, as finding job seekers with a good set of emotional intelligence skills is very difficult. Employees now a days need to know how to build, repair and maintain healthy relationships, be it with the customers, or within the workplace itself.
With the widespread growth of educational institutes, hiring employees with technical knowledge is not that difficult. It is good that companies are starting to hire based on emotional intelligence, so that job seekers will understand that having the technical know how is no longer sufficient to land a good job, and thus upgrade themselves and acquire more emotional intelligence skills to make themselves relevant to the needs of today's companies.
Customers stand to gain with this new hiring criterion. It goes to show that companies obviously care about their customers, as they are hiring people which are able to understand the customer's needs and build relationships with them.
The English Language (Thierry)
I write this blog post with regards to the articles 'Global English Strengthening U.S. Supremacy' and 'Beijing Steps up English-Language drive'. The articles talk about the expansion of English usage around the world, and the impact which will result from widespread usage of English, with the article 'Global English Strengthening U.S Supremacy' asserting that global efforts to expand the use of English will help bolster the U.S domination, and the article 'Beijing Steps up English-Language Drive' talking about the widespread implementation of English in the Chinese workplace in an effort to turn the Chinese capital in to a global city.
I believe that this combined global effort to expand the usage of the 'international' language, English, will present many benefits in the future. With everyone speaking English, it will be easier for people of different cultures to communicate and understand each other, as the language barrier will be no more. Furthermore, many conflicts are caused by miscommunication; with everyone speaking English, the people will be able to communicate for effectively and minimize conflicts caused by miscommunication.
The widespread usage of English will also help present many economical benefits. Companies of different origins can now easily communicate with each other across the seas without having to worry about language. Many new ties and partnerships between organisations will form across the border, companies now being able to communicate and work with each other easily due to their shared knowledge of the English language.
While the article 'Global English Strengthening US Supremacy' suggests that the widespread use of English would cause US domination, this may not be true. English is a language which originated from England, yet the widespread usage of English has not significantly help increase England's dominance around the globe.
I believe that this combined global effort to expand the usage of the 'international' language, English, will present many benefits in the future. With everyone speaking English, it will be easier for people of different cultures to communicate and understand each other, as the language barrier will be no more. Furthermore, many conflicts are caused by miscommunication; with everyone speaking English, the people will be able to communicate for effectively and minimize conflicts caused by miscommunication.
The widespread usage of English will also help present many economical benefits. Companies of different origins can now easily communicate with each other across the seas without having to worry about language. Many new ties and partnerships between organisations will form across the border, companies now being able to communicate and work with each other easily due to their shared knowledge of the English language.
While the article 'Global English Strengthening US Supremacy' suggests that the widespread use of English would cause US domination, this may not be true. English is a language which originated from England, yet the widespread usage of English has not significantly help increase England's dominance around the globe.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The World Cup and Office Productivity (Thierry)
I write this blog post with regards to the articles 'Lower productivity, more sick leave expected during the World Cup: HR experts' on channelnewsasia.com and 'Some employers fear world up' on People's daily online. The articles are addresses fears of lower office productivity during the Soccer World Cup season, as a large number of people are die hard soccer fans, who may sacrifice their sleep time just to watch the world cup, or even skip work just to watch matches.
Although many are panicking due to the possible deterioration of office productivity cause by the World Cup fever, I believe that this should not be much cause for concern. While it is now a crucial period for many companies, especially those which were greatly affected by the recent financial crisis, this is should be the time for bosses to embrace the spirit of sport, and increase their employees morale through celebration and team work. Perhaps companies could treat this one in every 4 years event just like any other festive season.
There is no point resisting the world cup fever, as employees who are die hard fans would probably find it hard to concentrate at work with soccer in their minds anyway. Bosses should embrace this season and just wait for it to pass, as it is impossible for them to totally control what their employees do, especially when they are staying up till the unholy hours of the morning just to watch soccer matches.
It is clear that employees are very serious when it comes to the world cup season. Zhang Huiqian, an editor of a Wuhan-based sports website, demonstrated his passion for the sport by holding up a sign that reads 'I will quit my job to watch the world cup.' Furthermore, a survery conducted by zhaopin.com has shown that 66 per cent of employees polled said they will stay up nights to watch the matches, while 20 per cent said they will watch the game no matter how late at night. Clearly a decrease in office productivity is inevitable, so it would be unwise for companies to try to resist the world cup fever.
Although many are panicking due to the possible deterioration of office productivity cause by the World Cup fever, I believe that this should not be much cause for concern. While it is now a crucial period for many companies, especially those which were greatly affected by the recent financial crisis, this is should be the time for bosses to embrace the spirit of sport, and increase their employees morale through celebration and team work. Perhaps companies could treat this one in every 4 years event just like any other festive season.
There is no point resisting the world cup fever, as employees who are die hard fans would probably find it hard to concentrate at work with soccer in their minds anyway. Bosses should embrace this season and just wait for it to pass, as it is impossible for them to totally control what their employees do, especially when they are staying up till the unholy hours of the morning just to watch soccer matches.
It is clear that employees are very serious when it comes to the world cup season. Zhang Huiqian, an editor of a Wuhan-based sports website, demonstrated his passion for the sport by holding up a sign that reads 'I will quit my job to watch the world cup.' Furthermore, a survery conducted by zhaopin.com has shown that 66 per cent of employees polled said they will stay up nights to watch the matches, while 20 per cent said they will watch the game no matter how late at night. Clearly a decrease in office productivity is inevitable, so it would be unwise for companies to try to resist the world cup fever.
Cyber Wellness (Thierry)
This blog post is written with regards to the article on www.asiaone.com.sg titled Singaporean Youths Still Lacking In Cyber Awareness. The article is about a research done by a community service which shows that most Singaporean youths are ignorant when it comes to the issue of cyber awareness. The research shows that Singaporean youths are nonchalant when it comes to responsible, respectful and rational use of the internet, are not alert about the huge plethora of internet scams and spend an average of a whopping 17.2 hours on the internet each week .
I am shocked by the data shown by the research, as it clearly shows that inadequate knowledge cyber awareness is a serious issue among youths in Singapore. As youths spend much of their time on the internet, it is imperative that they understand the growing amount of dangers present on the internet, such as internet scams and pornography, and that they should use the internet with great caution.
Education plays an important factor in cyber awareness. As the Internet is still considered a fairly new invention, not many people are sufficiently educated on the responsible usage of the internet, and the dangers that are ever so present on the internet. All schools should implement a cyber awareness program for students so that they are duly educated on the proper usage of the internet, and how to protect oneself from the dangers on the internet.
Most importantly, parents should get involved in cyber awareness. The Norton Online Family Report, conducted by the security firm Symantec, has shown that 6 in 10 parents do not always know what their child looks at online. Parents should show an interest in their children by getting involved in their online activities and asking what they do on the internet. Futhermore, parents should also spend more time with their children, as more family time inevitably means less time on the internet.
I am shocked by the data shown by the research, as it clearly shows that inadequate knowledge cyber awareness is a serious issue among youths in Singapore. As youths spend much of their time on the internet, it is imperative that they understand the growing amount of dangers present on the internet, such as internet scams and pornography, and that they should use the internet with great caution.
Education plays an important factor in cyber awareness. As the Internet is still considered a fairly new invention, not many people are sufficiently educated on the responsible usage of the internet, and the dangers that are ever so present on the internet. All schools should implement a cyber awareness program for students so that they are duly educated on the proper usage of the internet, and how to protect oneself from the dangers on the internet.
Most importantly, parents should get involved in cyber awareness. The Norton Online Family Report, conducted by the security firm Symantec, has shown that 6 in 10 parents do not always know what their child looks at online. Parents should show an interest in their children by getting involved in their online activities and asking what they do on the internet. Futhermore, parents should also spend more time with their children, as more family time inevitably means less time on the internet.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Workplace Productivity
For many people worldwide , 2010 is the year that they have been waiting for. This year , the 19th World Cup , a prestigious mens football tournament held every 4 years would be hosted by an african country , South Africa for the very first time in World Cup's history .
Most people have a country in their minds that they think will be favourites to lift the trophy that many footballers would die for . Will Spain continue their dominant streak in international football after winning the European Championships in 2008 ? Will the samba boys, Brazil dance away with the cup for the 6th time?
Due to different time zones , people around the world are watching the matches simultaneously at different time of the day depending on your country . In Singapore , matches does not start until 10pm and the second match starts only at 2.30am . The timings of the match makes it difficult to decide whether to watch it as many have to wake up early either to work or go to school . Even if they manage to wake up , they would find it very hard to concentrate on work as they have not had enough sleep to replenish their energy . For people on the other side of the globe , the telecasts may be in the afternoon where they are in the office working thus they have to decide between watching the match or to be absent for work .
This will affect the company's productivity as work has been assigned and if the person is absent , it may be complicated if another colleague takes over because of different working styles . When this problem arises , the worker has to prioritize whether watching the match is more important or work . The boss would not be happy if the worker is often absent from work because of the world cup . Some bosses may share the joy of watching it together in the office but some are not that kind . they may feel that they are paying your wages for you to make profit for the company but there you are slowing down its operations because of the world cup.
Most people have a country in their minds that they think will be favourites to lift the trophy that many footballers would die for . Will Spain continue their dominant streak in international football after winning the European Championships in 2008 ? Will the samba boys, Brazil dance away with the cup for the 6th time?
Due to different time zones , people around the world are watching the matches simultaneously at different time of the day depending on your country . In Singapore , matches does not start until 10pm and the second match starts only at 2.30am . The timings of the match makes it difficult to decide whether to watch it as many have to wake up early either to work or go to school . Even if they manage to wake up , they would find it very hard to concentrate on work as they have not had enough sleep to replenish their energy . For people on the other side of the globe , the telecasts may be in the afternoon where they are in the office working thus they have to decide between watching the match or to be absent for work .
This will affect the company's productivity as work has been assigned and if the person is absent , it may be complicated if another colleague takes over because of different working styles . When this problem arises , the worker has to prioritize whether watching the match is more important or work . The boss would not be happy if the worker is often absent from work because of the world cup . Some bosses may share the joy of watching it together in the office but some are not that kind . they may feel that they are paying your wages for you to make profit for the company but there you are slowing down its operations because of the world cup.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
My final thoughts on the last 14 weeks of Blogging Experience
After going through the last 14 weeks of Blogging Experience, i got to blog about various interesting topics, whether it is in Singapore, International countries or even the whole society as a whole. Through this blogging exercise, it totally changed my perception about blogging and societal issues as before this exercise, i rarely blogged nor kept myself constantly up-to-date with the latest happenings or issues in the society. Therefore this exercise taught me to be more updated with the latest issues happening in the country and i may even be tempted to continue blogging after this because this exercise has taught me so much.
While all the topics blogged about have certain impact on me, but the topic that stands out most and i feel is the most interesting is the topic about the damage done on the environment. This is because compared to topics such as "English language", "Cyberwellness" or even "Plagiarism" which i had some background knowledge on, i did not know the devastation done to the environment was so severe until i read the article. As such, the statistics talked about in the article is a cause for alarm for us to step up, take notice of what we have done to our Mother Earth, and quickly come up with solutions to stop and rectify the issue.
In conclusion, this blogging exercise is very fruitful and rewarding for me as besides learning about the various societal issues, it also improved my blogging and writing skills through this exercise and it also brought out some personal thoughts of mine on the various topics and i managed to express myself fully in this blog. On a personal level, blogging about all these issues have indeed made me a much more mature person.
Last but not least, i would also like to thank Mr Chris pang for giving me this blogging exercise and all that read my blog posts. But this is not the end yet as i hope we would all from this exercise, constantly update ourselves with the latest happenings in the country and the society, as well as continue yearning for knowledge in our lives. Thanks again for everything!!
WEI JIE
While all the topics blogged about have certain impact on me, but the topic that stands out most and i feel is the most interesting is the topic about the damage done on the environment. This is because compared to topics such as "English language", "Cyberwellness" or even "Plagiarism" which i had some background knowledge on, i did not know the devastation done to the environment was so severe until i read the article. As such, the statistics talked about in the article is a cause for alarm for us to step up, take notice of what we have done to our Mother Earth, and quickly come up with solutions to stop and rectify the issue.
In conclusion, this blogging exercise is very fruitful and rewarding for me as besides learning about the various societal issues, it also improved my blogging and writing skills through this exercise and it also brought out some personal thoughts of mine on the various topics and i managed to express myself fully in this blog. On a personal level, blogging about all these issues have indeed made me a much more mature person.
Last but not least, i would also like to thank Mr Chris pang for giving me this blogging exercise and all that read my blog posts. But this is not the end yet as i hope we would all from this exercise, constantly update ourselves with the latest happenings in the country and the society, as well as continue yearning for knowledge in our lives. Thanks again for everything!!
WEI JIE
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thoughts on Emotional Intelligence
After reading both articles provided on the Topic: Emotional intelligence(EI), it shows how important Emotional intelligence is, especially in working life. It is because with Emotional intelligence, people tend to communicate better with business clients as such, it is proving to be a big advantage for those people who have a higher EI to find a job compared to those who have a lower EI.
Emotional intelligence describes the ability, capacity, skill or, in the case of the trait EI model, a self-perceived grand ability to identify, assess, manage and control the emotion of one's self, of others, and of groups. Therefore it is important to have a strong EI as besides work life, it can help you in a lot of ways in your life. In the world of business, besides being a strong criteria in hiring new staff, it is also essential for the current staff of the companies to have a strong EI. This can be seen in cases where emotional intelligence involves being sensitive to and perceptive of other people's emotions, and having the ability allows the staff to perform in work better with this knowledge. This is because the modern workplace is characterized by open communication, team work, and a mutual respect among employees and their supervisors. Thus, possessing emotional intelligence allows managers to better understand and motivate the people they supervise. As such, if anyone wants to succeed in the business world now and in the future, it's important that they understand the role of emotional intelligence in business today.
In addition, besides utilizing EI in the business world, it is also effective in solving day to day problems in our lives, which is why having a high EI is vital. For example, we might be in a really bad mood one day and if we cant control our emotions, we would end up being demotivated and emotional, which would in turn affect various aspects of our lives, such as studies. That happens a lot in family and relationship problems where they can create huge disagreements on un significant things. Thereby, with emotional intelligence(EI) we would avoid those situations and maybe even solve them in a effective and amicable way.
Some ways to improve our Emotional intelligence level includes ways such as rapidly reducing stress, connecting to our emotions, resolving conflicts positively and using humour to play and deal with challenges.
Some examples of these are as follows:
Reducing stress- Quickly calm yourself down when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Being able to manage stress in the moment is the key to resilience. This emotional intelligence skill helps you stay balanced, focused, and in control–no matter what challenges you face.
Connecting to our emotions- In order to be emotionally healthy and emotionally intelligent, we must reconnect to our core emotions and understand our inner and personal thoughts and emotions and that if they are the factors in the way we make our decisions in life.
Using humour to play and deal with challenges- Humor, laughter, and play are natural antidotes to life’s difficulties. They lighten our burdens and help us keep things in perspective. A good hearty laugh reduces stress, elevates mood, and brings our nervous system back into balance.
Resolve conflicts positively- Successfully resolving differences is important because once we know how to manage stress, stay emotionally present and aware and use humor and play, we’ll be better equipped to handle emotionally-charged situations and catch and solve many issues before they come up.
Therefore, in conclusion, all the items written about above says all that is needed to say about Emotional Intelligence, which is that it is extremely important and plays a big role in our lives. If we can follow the ways written about above to improve our EI, i am sure that we can smooth over differences and become more creative, we can solve our problems, whether personal or work-related, more effectively and efficiently in our daily lives.
WEI JIE
In addition, besides utilizing EI in the business world, it is also effective in solving day to day problems in our lives, which is why having a high EI is vital. For example, we might be in a really bad mood one day and if we cant control our emotions, we would end up being demotivated and emotional, which would in turn affect various aspects of our lives, such as studies. That happens a lot in family and relationship problems where they can create huge disagreements on un significant things. Thereby, with emotional intelligence(EI) we would avoid those situations and maybe even solve them in a effective and amicable way.
Some ways to improve our Emotional intelligence level includes ways such as rapidly reducing stress, connecting to our emotions, resolving conflicts positively and using humour to play and deal with challenges.
Some examples of these are as follows:
Reducing stress- Quickly calm yourself down when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Being able to manage stress in the moment is the key to resilience. This emotional intelligence skill helps you stay balanced, focused, and in control–no matter what challenges you face.
Connecting to our emotions- In order to be emotionally healthy and emotionally intelligent, we must reconnect to our core emotions and understand our inner and personal thoughts and emotions and that if they are the factors in the way we make our decisions in life.
Using humour to play and deal with challenges- Humor, laughter, and play are natural antidotes to life’s difficulties. They lighten our burdens and help us keep things in perspective. A good hearty laugh reduces stress, elevates mood, and brings our nervous system back into balance.
Resolve conflicts positively- Successfully resolving differences is important because once we know how to manage stress, stay emotionally present and aware and use humor and play, we’ll be better equipped to handle emotionally-charged situations and catch and solve many issues before they come up.
Therefore, in conclusion, all the items written about above says all that is needed to say about Emotional Intelligence, which is that it is extremely important and plays a big role in our lives. If we can follow the ways written about above to improve our EI, i am sure that we can smooth over differences and become more creative, we can solve our problems, whether personal or work-related, more effectively and efficiently in our daily lives.
WEI JIE
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Views on the Topic: English Language
After reading through the articles, "Beijing steps up English-language drive" and " Global English Strengthening U.S. Supremacy", i feel that all that is written in the articles further emphasised the importance of the English Language to the extent that everyone is learning it and how it would affect us. As such, we should take this language seriously.
This is because in the world we live in now, the need to know the English Language is essential and vital as the English language has become the language of international communication. Many people living in the European Union speak English as a foreign language and use English to communicate with people from all over the world. This is especially so in the Business world as for example, If you are an German doing business with a Chinese customer or supplier, it's more likely that the two of you can speak together in basic English than that either of you will know the other's language. By speaking the English language, it creates a common platform of communication among people and thus, enabling work and deals to be done more quickly, efficiently and effectively.
However there are also some disadvantages of learning the English Language. This can be seen in cases where it would likely discourage native speakers of English from learning different languages. Most would then view the idea of learning a new language as pointless as so many people already speak English. Another disadvantage is that for non-native users, they spend more time in acquiring English and thus spend less time on their own language so the proficiency in the native language weakens because of the learning of English. One example is a Chinese spending lesser time on his/her Mother Tongue Language to focus on the English Language(as commonly seen in schools now). As such, because they spend lesser time on their Mother Tongue languages, their results would also gradually drop and the overall standard of Mother Tongue language in the society would follow suit too and over time, the Mother Tongue language might even die out as it is slowly being replaced by English as the main communication tool.
In Conclusion, while there are disadvantages of focusing too much on learning the English Language. But overall, i think that the advantages, economically and socially, would outweigh the disadvantages created and it is also very encouraging to see countries emphasizing the importance of the English Language. This is further supported by the education system in Singapore where the English language is taught straight from the Primary School level so that the students have a good foundation to work on. In addition, the language is also a required subject to be calculated into the results of the PSLE and more importantly,the GCE examinations(L1R4/L1R5 system) where the L1 refers to the English Language. Therefore, all of the above shows the importance of the English Language and that we should all take it seriously as we would need to count on it in almost everything we do.
WEI JIE
This is because in the world we live in now, the need to know the English Language is essential and vital as the English language has become the language of international communication. Many people living in the European Union speak English as a foreign language and use English to communicate with people from all over the world. This is especially so in the Business world as for example, If you are an German doing business with a Chinese customer or supplier, it's more likely that the two of you can speak together in basic English than that either of you will know the other's language. By speaking the English language, it creates a common platform of communication among people and thus, enabling work and deals to be done more quickly, efficiently and effectively.
However there are also some disadvantages of learning the English Language. This can be seen in cases where it would likely discourage native speakers of English from learning different languages. Most would then view the idea of learning a new language as pointless as so many people already speak English. Another disadvantage is that for non-native users, they spend more time in acquiring English and thus spend less time on their own language so the proficiency in the native language weakens because of the learning of English. One example is a Chinese spending lesser time on his/her Mother Tongue Language to focus on the English Language(as commonly seen in schools now). As such, because they spend lesser time on their Mother Tongue languages, their results would also gradually drop and the overall standard of Mother Tongue language in the society would follow suit too and over time, the Mother Tongue language might even die out as it is slowly being replaced by English as the main communication tool.
In Conclusion, while there are disadvantages of focusing too much on learning the English Language. But overall, i think that the advantages, economically and socially, would outweigh the disadvantages created and it is also very encouraging to see countries emphasizing the importance of the English Language. This is further supported by the education system in Singapore where the English language is taught straight from the Primary School level so that the students have a good foundation to work on. In addition, the language is also a required subject to be calculated into the results of the PSLE and more importantly,the GCE examinations(L1R4/L1R5 system) where the L1 refers to the English Language. Therefore, all of the above shows the importance of the English Language and that we should all take it seriously as we would need to count on it in almost everything we do.
WEI JIE
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
My thoughts on self reflection (By Thierry)
I refer to the article 'Self-reflection may lead independently to creativity, depression' by Z. Stambor, which highlights a possible link between self-reflection and depression, which parallels the well known link between self-reflection and creativity.
The information that the study on the relation between self-reflection and depression has gathered is very useful, as it can help experts in psychology identify those at risk of depression more easily. Also, as the study suggests, with this information, experts can now invent new ways for people to cope with depression, perhaps using simple mental techniques to reduce one's self-reflective tendencies can help one cope with depression.
In our fast paced society, some individuals may be unable to adapt with the mental stress and demands of everyday life. It is no stunner that depression is prevalent in Singapore. I hope that this new piece of information will help experts in Singapore source and aid those suffering from depression.
My thoughts on plagiarism (By Thierry)
I write this post with reference to the article titled 'Tokyo University to crack down on plagiarism in thesis' on www.asiaone.com.sg. The article reports the Tokyo University increasing its efforts to clamp down on plagiarism after discovering that an assistant professor at the Graduate School of Engineering plagiarised around 40% of his thesis. This is certainly a shocking exposé, and I cannot help but wonder if there were others just like that assistant professor, who breezed through their university examinations plagiarising others.
Plagiarism stems creativity and innovation. If plagiarism is allowed to go unchecked within academic institutions such as the Tokyo University, one of the most prestigious universities in Asia, the meaning of education would be lost, with universities turning into degree factories for frauds and liars, also cheating those who truly want to learn and make something of themselves with their education.
Plagiarism is no stranger to Singapore's academic institutions, every school has encountered a fair share of plagiarism in its time. I believe the root cause of plagiarism in Singapore is the lack of information about it. Students probably do not know that they are plagiarising when they do their research on the internet, wantonly copying and pasting bits and pieces from here and there, because they do not know that the information on the internet has copyrights as well, believing that the information on the internet is simply for public use. Perhaps institution should lecture students at an early age about the importance of creating original work, and to cite appropriately when borrowing information from sources.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thoughts on the article :Singaporean youths still lacking in cyber wellness
After reading through this article, i feel that while the results collected are staggering, i am not surprised at all.
The term cyber wellness refers to the "positive well-being of Internet users and a healthy cyber culture for the Internet community. It involves an understanding of the risks of harmful online behaviour, an awareness of how to protect oneself and other Internet users from such behaviour, and a recognition of the power of the Internet to benefit oneself and the community at large." This means that it does not only concern around the safety and security of the things people do when they are online , but it also considers their psychological and emotional well being in the process too. The reason i am not surprised that Singapore youths are not using the Internet optimally and adopting cyber wellness practices is because in the world we live in now, no matter what age group you are, we tend to rely heavily on the internet for various purposes, as people would tend to use the internet to get the latest games and music. But the problem with this is that while they are doing that, they wouldn't bother to check the website they downloaded their stuff from, whether they are licensed or authorized or not as they would just deem any website thats hasnt been taken down to be legal. I think that is a serious misconception as from what i know, by going to unlicensed websites to download files will expose your computer to hackers and potential virus threats, which would not just mess up your computer files, but also gain access to your private information(passwords etc...) .
I think that there is enough real life stories in the various media to justify all of those talked about above. Therefore, we must take precaution against those cyber attacks or else we would end up being the next target. Some steps may include using anti virus software and firewalls, understanding security formats and doing regular checks on our own computer activities on the internet. In addition, Nanyang polytechnic have also opened up a GSM module for SBM students on Cyber Wellness too where the lecturers would teach the students on various ways to protect their computers from being hacked or attacked into.
In conclusion, it is essential to know all these as you would never know when are you the next target for the hackers or the next website you visit could potentially be a platform for hackers to prey on your private information. So, let's not misuse these technological advances and promote a culture of safe and responsible use of the internet today!
WEI JIE
The term cyber wellness refers to the "positive well-being of Internet users and a healthy cyber culture for the Internet community. It involves an understanding of the risks of harmful online behaviour, an awareness of how to protect oneself and other Internet users from such behaviour, and a recognition of the power of the Internet to benefit oneself and the community at large." This means that it does not only concern around the safety and security of the things people do when they are online , but it also considers their psychological and emotional well being in the process too. The reason i am not surprised that Singapore youths are not using the Internet optimally and adopting cyber wellness practices is because in the world we live in now, no matter what age group you are, we tend to rely heavily on the internet for various purposes, as people would tend to use the internet to get the latest games and music. But the problem with this is that while they are doing that, they wouldn't bother to check the website they downloaded their stuff from, whether they are licensed or authorized or not as they would just deem any website thats hasnt been taken down to be legal. I think that is a serious misconception as from what i know, by going to unlicensed websites to download files will expose your computer to hackers and potential virus threats, which would not just mess up your computer files, but also gain access to your private information(passwords etc...) .
I think that there is enough real life stories in the various media to justify all of those talked about above. Therefore, we must take precaution against those cyber attacks or else we would end up being the next target. Some steps may include using anti virus software and firewalls, understanding security formats and doing regular checks on our own computer activities on the internet. In addition, Nanyang polytechnic have also opened up a GSM module for SBM students on Cyber Wellness too where the lecturers would teach the students on various ways to protect their computers from being hacked or attacked into.
In conclusion, it is essential to know all these as you would never know when are you the next target for the hackers or the next website you visit could potentially be a platform for hackers to prey on your private information. So, let's not misuse these technological advances and promote a culture of safe and responsible use of the internet today!
WEI JIE
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Views on the Article: Lower productivity, more sick leave expected during World Cup: HR experts
From the employee's perspective, i understand their mindset as the world cup happens only once every four years, whether you are a soccer fan or just a sports fan, u wouldn't want to miss it no matter what. The lower productivity can always be pushed back up after the world cup and for all their hard work throughout the year, they should be entitled to be given time off to watch the World Cup so that once the tournament ends and they have gotten the world cup out of their systems, they would be more recharged, energized and motivated to return to work. This would lead to a higher production rate and would "equalise" for the low production figures during the world cup month.
However, from the employer's perspective, i would not like this at all. This is because even though its the world cup month, that doesn't give them the right to apply more sick leaves and have a low productivity figure just so that they can watch the world cup. Bear in mind, they are being paid to work and not to watch the world cup and all these actions would even entitle the employers to terminate their contracts. In addition, all those long nights staying up to watch the world cup would also lead to a low attention span and more prone to sickness for the people. Therefore, from the health point of view, it just isn't worth it too by not allowing your body to have the ample time it needs to rest as the only losing party is yourself and your health.
It doesn't stop there as studies and surveys have shown that 80% of the world population will watch the world cup and a large number of people tend to follow the live events or even watch the replays in the offices or on their mobile devices's internet bandwidth. All this can lay a considerable strain on company networks, as corporate bandwidth are met or exceeded, slowing down internet access across the business.
The survey, conducted by Eclipse, an internet service provider for small businesses and home users, shows the potential for computer chaos if large groups of the population opt to watch the matches instead of doing their work.
Speaking to Sky News, Eclipse' Clodagh Murphy said, "Workers clearly want to watch World Cup matches live on their PCs."
"However, we advise all businesses to be mindful about the impact this could have on their day-to-day business operations. Streamed content uses a lot of bandwidth and this could seriously impact the performance of their business internet connection.
"It could take much longer to download important files or use business-critical applications such as e-commerce sites, email or online backup. It might even lead to office computer systems crashing," she said.
Some ways to prevent this and low productivity figures can include the management adopting a flexible approach to productivity management at this time. This could be by using technology to prioritize certain types of internet use, allowing employees to structure their work around big matches, or even by treating them to an office television or radio with which to follow the event.
In conclusion, even though the World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting event in the world and everyone wants to see it to the extent of missing work, but let us enjoy the games peacefully without any negative impacts on our school/working lives. Have a better time management plan so that you can watch your favorite matches and also be energized and ready for school or work the following day at the same time and let's enjoy the last few exciting matches left in the World Cup!
WEI JIE
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Self Reflection
After 4 entries , I have read a lot of things that i am not very interested in before . Like the Mother tongue issue in Singapore , how Singapore can stay forever young , the plagiarism problems worldwide and the environmental issues .
These are the problems that a teenager like my age would not bother much about it even if we come across it in the papers or on the net . After reading those articles and blogging about them , i find that we have missed out on a lot of things in the past . Like the ongoing debate on whether to reduce the weightage of the Mother tongue language in PSLE which may affect our younger siblings and the problem with our aging population . This is regarding our own society and i am quite ashamed that we are not really bothered about it .
But the one that has made the most impact on me would be the environmental issue around the world . Every little thing that we are doing now would accumulate and damage the earth bit by bit . The things that we have done in the past have already damaged the ozone layer and it leaves us exposed to the UV rays which may cause skin diseases . What we have done is destroying the place which provides us with food and a place to live and we are indirectly hurting ourselves .
In conclusion , People must learn to take more care of the earth in order to try to preserve it for as long as possible .
These are the problems that a teenager like my age would not bother much about it even if we come across it in the papers or on the net . After reading those articles and blogging about them , i find that we have missed out on a lot of things in the past . Like the ongoing debate on whether to reduce the weightage of the Mother tongue language in PSLE which may affect our younger siblings and the problem with our aging population . This is regarding our own society and i am quite ashamed that we are not really bothered about it .
But the one that has made the most impact on me would be the environmental issue around the world . Every little thing that we are doing now would accumulate and damage the earth bit by bit . The things that we have done in the past have already damaged the ozone layer and it leaves us exposed to the UV rays which may cause skin diseases . What we have done is destroying the place which provides us with food and a place to live and we are indirectly hurting ourselves .
In conclusion , People must learn to take more care of the earth in order to try to preserve it for as long as possible .
Ocean fish could disappear in 40 years: UN
After reading this article , I feel that all these problems may be caused by no others but ourselfs . If our demands for seafood are lowered , the fishermans would feel that even if they catch a huge ammount of fishes , not much people would be there to buy them . It is because our demand is high and thus gives them the impression that if they catch more , they would have higher profits . This results in fishermans fishing almost everyday which decreases the population in the sea .
Another reason will be that the factories near to the rivers are releasing unwanted wastage into the rivers which will eventually flow into the ocean thus polluting it . This will cause many sea creatures to die . The factories workers may think that what they are doing is very convinient compared to having to deal with the wastein the correct way , but what they are doing is going to damage the environment in the long term .
In conclusion , I feel that people should start to care for the environment . What we are doing everyday like littering may be a minor thing to us . But if everyone does the same thing , it will gradually destroy the environment . The ozone layer is already damaged and if people dont take action and still take it for granted . We will lose the place we are living in , Earth , VERY SOON..
Another reason will be that the factories near to the rivers are releasing unwanted wastage into the rivers which will eventually flow into the ocean thus polluting it . This will cause many sea creatures to die . The factories workers may think that what they are doing is very convinient compared to having to deal with the wastein the correct way , but what they are doing is going to damage the environment in the long term .
In conclusion , I feel that people should start to care for the environment . What we are doing everyday like littering may be a minor thing to us . But if everyone does the same thing , it will gradually destroy the environment . The ozone layer is already damaged and if people dont take action and still take it for granted . We will lose the place we are living in , Earth , VERY SOON..
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
My Self Reflection on the past 4 weeks
For the past 4 weeks, there are different kinds of articles being introduced to me. The articles are about how Singaporean splits on Mother Tongue weightage, how Singapore can stay forever young, plagiarism and the environmental issues. After reading and analysing those articles, I felt more knowledgeable about the current affairs.
It would be a rare occasion for me to read newspaper or finding information about the current affairs as I was more interested in my own hobby than finding out about my surrounding. Youth these days pay less attention to the happenings around them. Only caring about what interest them, people miss the chance to find out more important things that might affect their life forever. For example, by reading on how Singaporean splits on Mother Tongue weightage, we could find out the importance of Mother Tongue issue in our multi-racial society or about how different people have their own different view on the subject.
Not only that, reading on how Singapore can stay forever young also helps us to improve ourselves for the better so that we can support our country better so that it would stay forever young in the eyes of the world. Also, we learnt how plagiarism caused people to lose their creativity and originality. By reading about the environmental issues, it opened my eyes and showed me that the world is in danger of losing many species. Just because of our careless doing, many things could extinct and destroyed. After reading the articles, I felt that we have to do something to help the world, by finding out our own part in this world and do something to make this world a better place to live in.
It would be a rare occasion for me to read newspaper or finding information about the current affairs as I was more interested in my own hobby than finding out about my surrounding. Youth these days pay less attention to the happenings around them. Only caring about what interest them, people miss the chance to find out more important things that might affect their life forever. For example, by reading on how Singaporean splits on Mother Tongue weightage, we could find out the importance of Mother Tongue issue in our multi-racial society or about how different people have their own different view on the subject.
Not only that, reading on how Singapore can stay forever young also helps us to improve ourselves for the better so that we can support our country better so that it would stay forever young in the eyes of the world. Also, we learnt how plagiarism caused people to lose their creativity and originality. By reading about the environmental issues, it opened my eyes and showed me that the world is in danger of losing many species. Just because of our careless doing, many things could extinct and destroyed. After reading the articles, I felt that we have to do something to help the world, by finding out our own part in this world and do something to make this world a better place to live in.
My opinion on the article "Ocean fish could disappear in 40 years: UN"
This article shows us how the environment has been greatly affected by our everyday life. The fish is predicted to be gone from this world soon, if we do not take care of the environment more seriously.
We should start to participate in conserving the nature so that we can prevent the extinction of fish and other species from this world. This article shows that the environmental experts have banned trading of the fish which are soon going to be extinct. This was done as the fish stocks in the world is depleting and the only way to save it is by cutting down on our demand of fish. However, when we do that, the fisherman, whose job is to catch fish and sell them, feel unjust as their job is being restricted and decreased little by little. Many people from poor countries also depend of fish for their meal. This makes the fish stock to decrease even more and only the cheap kind of fish is still lurking around in big numbers.
The thought of fish disappeared from the Earth is unimaginable to me. It is believed that by showing more care for the environment, we can save the Earth and ourselves. Earth is our home and as we are living it in, the best thing we can do is to take care of it better or we would suffer the consequences ourselves.
We should start to participate in conserving the nature so that we can prevent the extinction of fish and other species from this world. This article shows that the environmental experts have banned trading of the fish which are soon going to be extinct. This was done as the fish stocks in the world is depleting and the only way to save it is by cutting down on our demand of fish. However, when we do that, the fisherman, whose job is to catch fish and sell them, feel unjust as their job is being restricted and decreased little by little. Many people from poor countries also depend of fish for their meal. This makes the fish stock to decrease even more and only the cheap kind of fish is still lurking around in big numbers.
The thought of fish disappeared from the Earth is unimaginable to me. It is believed that by showing more care for the environment, we can save the Earth and ourselves. Earth is our home and as we are living it in, the best thing we can do is to take care of it better or we would suffer the consequences ourselves.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Self-reflection about my thoughts and opinions over the last four weeks of blogging
After the last four weeks of blogging , i found that all the topics blogged about are very interesting and have various effects on the society and environment as a whole, out of some which i had not much idea about until i started reading it.
Topics such as the split in views over Mother Tongue weighting and how Singapore can stay forever young have opened me up to different perspectives from the general public about their visions of Singapore for the future and how they felt that the change in Mother Tongue weighting would affect the students and the society. Learning all these is very important because we live in Singapore, therefore it is essential to know the latest developments in the country and have a personal opinion on how you feel about it.
On the other hand, topics such as plagiarism and environment awareness have taught me to be more aware about the society as a whole. It is because in the topic of plagiarism, it shows the seriousness of the issue and that we should pay more attention to it because a lot of people commit this offence without knowing which would lead to serious consequences. In fact, i didnt know the seriousness of the issue until i read the articles. This taught me to be more independent when doing my work and not rely so much on the internet or books so much.
However, the article which left a deep impression on me is the topic on the environment. It is because issues such as Mother Tongue weighting, plagiarism and visions on how Singapore can stay forever young can be solved through implementing various government policies. But the damage done to the environment by man is irrecoverable and it is one of those issues where u think it cant get worse and it does the next day. Not even government policies can ensure that it wouldn't get worse and all this would lead to a situation where it would lead to serious repercussions for the future generations. Now we have a situation where it is just a case of damage-limitation and we can only hope that the people responsible would be aware of what they have done and that the situation would not get worse 40-50 years down the road.
In conclusion, this blogging exercise have encouraged me not just to read up more about the society, but also be more aware of the activities happening not just around me and affecting the earth generally.
WEI JIE
Topics such as the split in views over Mother Tongue weighting and how Singapore can stay forever young have opened me up to different perspectives from the general public about their visions of Singapore for the future and how they felt that the change in Mother Tongue weighting would affect the students and the society. Learning all these is very important because we live in Singapore, therefore it is essential to know the latest developments in the country and have a personal opinion on how you feel about it.
On the other hand, topics such as plagiarism and environment awareness have taught me to be more aware about the society as a whole. It is because in the topic of plagiarism, it shows the seriousness of the issue and that we should pay more attention to it because a lot of people commit this offence without knowing which would lead to serious consequences. In fact, i didnt know the seriousness of the issue until i read the articles. This taught me to be more independent when doing my work and not rely so much on the internet or books so much.
However, the article which left a deep impression on me is the topic on the environment. It is because issues such as Mother Tongue weighting, plagiarism and visions on how Singapore can stay forever young can be solved through implementing various government policies. But the damage done to the environment by man is irrecoverable and it is one of those issues where u think it cant get worse and it does the next day. Not even government policies can ensure that it wouldn't get worse and all this would lead to a situation where it would lead to serious repercussions for the future generations. Now we have a situation where it is just a case of damage-limitation and we can only hope that the people responsible would be aware of what they have done and that the situation would not get worse 40-50 years down the road.
In conclusion, this blogging exercise have encouraged me not just to read up more about the society, but also be more aware of the activities happening not just around me and affecting the earth generally.
WEI JIE
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (Environmental day) Thierry
This blog entry is regarding the recent Deepwater Horizon Oil spill, or as it is more commonly known, the BP (British Petroleum) oil spill. The BP Oil spill is a massive ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, now considered the largest offshore oil spill in the US history. The gusher is estimated to be flowing at 12000 to 100000 barrels per day. gThe spill was a result of a sea floor oil gusher that came with the April 20 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion. Of present, the oil spill has been closely scrutinized by the media, largely due to BP's questionable response to the oil spill, and the environmental threat the oil spill poses.
While BP officials say that everything possible has been done, a recent review done by Associated Press writers, of BP's 582 page regional spill plan for the Gulf of Mexico , tell a different story. The review revealed a number of shocking errors and omissions in BP's spill response plans, reflecting on the companies preparedness and seriousness with dealing with an oil spill.
For example, BP's response plans include Dr. Peter Lutz, a Florida professor listed as a wildlife expert for a Gulf oil spill, who had died 4 years before the response plan was published.
The plan lists cold-water marine mammals including walruses, sea otters, sea lions and seals as "sensitive biological resources", despite the fact that none of these animals live anywhere close to the Gulf.
The ongoing Oil Spill is around 10 times worse than the spill scenarios depicted in the documents, in which fish, marine mammals and birds escape serious harm; beaches remain pristine and water quality is only a temporary problem.
The website listed for Marine Spill Response Corp, one of the two firms that BP relies on for equipment to clean a spill, links to a defunct Japanese website. These are just among the many errors and oversights in BP's oil spill response plan.
While the credibility of BP continues to come in to question with every unsuccessful attempt to cap the oil spill, the situation continues to spiral with BP's response. In an interview with BBC a month ago, BP's chief executive officer, Tony Hayward, shifted the blame to the US owner of the sunken drilling rig, Transocean, saying that "This was not our accident...This was not our drilling rig... This was Transocean's rig. Their systems. Furthermore, Tony Hayward's comment that "There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I'd like my life back", caused a public outrage, as his comments were insensitive of the 11 workers who died in the oil rig explosion, and their families.
Experts fear that the spill will result in an environmental disaster. Although Hayward insisted that the environmental impact of the oil spill would be "very very modest" on May 18 2010, expert opinion and present statistics beg to differ. As of June 7, dead animals found in the spill zone include 594 dead birds, 250 sea turtles, 30 dolphins and other mammals, and 1 reptile. The spill threatens the ecology around the gulf area due to factors such as petroleum toxicity and oxygen depletion
Monday, June 7, 2010
My opinion on Plagiarism
My view on Plagiarism is that if it’s not stopped soon, the world will lose all of its creativity. According to dictionary, to plagiarize means to take the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as one’s own. So if someone plagiarizes someone else’s work, it means taking the credit for the original creator’s work. It would be unfair to take claim of other’s work. Furthermore, the outcome of plagiarism is something that is not original and this act can make people becoming lazier to think or invent new things for the future. If that happens, the future of humankind would be appalling.
The first article shows a case in Japan whereby the Tokyo University dismissed a Turkish assistant professor for plagiarism. That was the first case ever happened in the university. Usually, students are the ones who plagiarise. Students often do that as they think it is the easiest and fastest way to finish their work. The other article shows that the schools have taken actions against plagiarism by telling their students to write a bibliography to credit the authors for their works. By doing that, the students are taught and the importance of not taking things for granted, especially about plagiarism.
By: Felicia Natalia
The first article shows a case in Japan whereby the Tokyo University dismissed a Turkish assistant professor for plagiarism. That was the first case ever happened in the university. Usually, students are the ones who plagiarise. Students often do that as they think it is the easiest and fastest way to finish their work. The other article shows that the schools have taken actions against plagiarism by telling their students to write a bibliography to credit the authors for their works. By doing that, the students are taught and the importance of not taking things for granted, especially about plagiarism.
By: Felicia Natalia
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Views on the article- Ocean fish could disappear in 40 years: UN
After reading this article, i feel that the fact that Ocean fishes could disappear in 40 years is a strong warning to all that we should start to think about the environment and learn how to preserve it, otherwise, it would lead to serious consequences for us and even worse, the future generations.
The reason i feel this way is because in this realistic world we live in today, people only care about themselves and how to earn more money. In the case of this article, they know that if they fish more, they can sell and earn more profits for themselves in the process. But in the process of doing this, they do not know that they are taking away part of the Earth's "resources" in the form of the fishes, for their own gain. Some of them might argue that if no one is stopping this extensive amount of fishing, why should they? But if they do not even take the initiative to stop this, who will? In addition, most people do not know that oceans make up 71% of the Earth's surfaces. If they are fishless by 40 years, it would also mean statistically, there is a possibility that 71% of the food sources might be gone from the Earth too. And it doesn't just stop there, because this would lead to a chain reaction whereby the animals which rely on fishes for survival will not have anything to eat and would gradually die too, vice versa. The end result of this is catastrophic and the species affected would not be just restricted to fishes. Thus, we need to start to preserve the Earth's resources and get rid of the selfish mentality of those people who fish extensively just so they could earn more profits.
Socially, the people can start by cutting down on fishing and starting social movements to raise awareness on saving the environment. A very good example of this is the campaign that has gathered momentum in the wake of the screening of the film "The Age of Stupid", by "McLibel" director Franny Armstrong, starring Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite as survivor in 2055 Earth gathering footage from 2008 to broadcast into space and warn other species that may follow our example, by asking why humanity did nothing to prevent disastrous climate change while it could. Politically, governments can also take the lead by implementing various schemes to prevent companies especially from extensive fishing and working more closely with organizations such as GreenPeace and EEA for the benefit of the Earth.
In conclusion, the Earth is where we live, work and play in. Earth gave us everything we had in the form of the things we eat right down to the things we wear. Therefore, it is vital for us to save the environment and Mother Earth for a better future for our future generations. So starting from 5th June (environmental day), let's start to protect the environment and not let the Earth's resources run out in our generation.
WEI JIE
The reason i feel this way is because in this realistic world we live in today, people only care about themselves and how to earn more money. In the case of this article, they know that if they fish more, they can sell and earn more profits for themselves in the process. But in the process of doing this, they do not know that they are taking away part of the Earth's "resources" in the form of the fishes, for their own gain. Some of them might argue that if no one is stopping this extensive amount of fishing, why should they? But if they do not even take the initiative to stop this, who will? In addition, most people do not know that oceans make up 71% of the Earth's surfaces. If they are fishless by 40 years, it would also mean statistically, there is a possibility that 71% of the food sources might be gone from the Earth too. And it doesn't just stop there, because this would lead to a chain reaction whereby the animals which rely on fishes for survival will not have anything to eat and would gradually die too, vice versa. The end result of this is catastrophic and the species affected would not be just restricted to fishes. Thus, we need to start to preserve the Earth's resources and get rid of the selfish mentality of those people who fish extensively just so they could earn more profits.
Socially, the people can start by cutting down on fishing and starting social movements to raise awareness on saving the environment. A very good example of this is the campaign that has gathered momentum in the wake of the screening of the film "The Age of Stupid", by "McLibel" director Franny Armstrong, starring Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite as survivor in 2055 Earth gathering footage from 2008 to broadcast into space and warn other species that may follow our example, by asking why humanity did nothing to prevent disastrous climate change while it could. Politically, governments can also take the lead by implementing various schemes to prevent companies especially from extensive fishing and working more closely with organizations such as GreenPeace and EEA for the benefit of the Earth.
In conclusion, the Earth is where we live, work and play in. Earth gave us everything we had in the form of the things we eat right down to the things we wear. Therefore, it is vital for us to save the environment and Mother Earth for a better future for our future generations. So starting from 5th June (environmental day), let's start to protect the environment and not let the Earth's resources run out in our generation.
WEI JIE
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Views on Plagiarism
Plagiarism is going to be a serious problem if its not addressed . When a work is plagiarised , the credit is taken away from the author while the person who plagiarises is given credit for a piece of work not done by himself .
Plagiarising is most often commited by students as they want to complete their assignments with the least effort and in the least time . They would look up the net for info and copy entirely . This is very unfair to the author as they wreck their brains and their work gets copied by others without putting in any effort .
To stop plagiarising , we have let the students know the importance and consequences of plagiarising from a young age . When kids are younger , they tend to listen to what they are told . By informing them about the importance and consequences of plagiarising , they would understand why they should not plagiarise and come out with their own work . Plagiarising may result in drop of grades , suspension or even expulsion . These consequences may deter the students from plagiarising the works of others and come up with their own work with their own effort .
Plagiarising is most often commited by students as they want to complete their assignments with the least effort and in the least time . They would look up the net for info and copy entirely . This is very unfair to the author as they wreck their brains and their work gets copied by others without putting in any effort .
To stop plagiarising , we have let the students know the importance and consequences of plagiarising from a young age . When kids are younger , they tend to listen to what they are told . By informing them about the importance and consequences of plagiarising , they would understand why they should not plagiarise and come out with their own work . Plagiarising may result in drop of grades , suspension or even expulsion . These consequences may deter the students from plagiarising the works of others and come up with their own work with their own effort .
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Views on Plagiarism
My views on this after reading the two stories is that i agree that plagiarism is a serious offence and steps have to be taken to educate especially students not to do this as it is not worth it because it would lead to serious consequences for them.
Plagiarism is the use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. Thus, the people who plagiarize, especially students need to realize that this is wrong and that many schools are very strict about this. If they are caught, they can wind up suspended or in the worst cases, expelled and when you're kicked out of one school, it can be hard to get into another. Therefore, this is no laughing matter and this should be taken seriously.
In my opinion, some ways to avoid this is firstly, through educating students from a young age not to plagiarize and emphasizing about the consequences of it so that they would not do it. Secondly, while it is wrong to use other people's work and pass it as your own, but personally, i feel that it is alright to use part of other people's idea as long as you give them due credit or write it in quotation marks to indicate it has been taken from some other source because as a student myself, it is inevitable that I would have to find information from sources such as books or the internet to help me with my work and as long as you give them due credit or even learning how to correctly paraphrase, write and cite resources from the original sources, i don't see that as a problem at all and you would not be committing plagiarism in the process.
However, i feel that the best way to avoid this is to simply for the schools and its teachers to encourage students to do their own work and not copy from other sources by teaching them the proper ways of research and writing. The reason i feel this way is because it is only when we do not know what to write in our assignments that we resort to plagiarism. If we had our own ideas and thoughts, there would be no need to steal or cheat someone else’s ideas. Thus, learning the correct way to search reliable resources such as libraries and internet and writing them down properly is a sure way to avoid plagiarism.
WEI JIE
Plagiarism is the use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. Thus, the people who plagiarize, especially students need to realize that this is wrong and that many schools are very strict about this. If they are caught, they can wind up suspended or in the worst cases, expelled and when you're kicked out of one school, it can be hard to get into another. Therefore, this is no laughing matter and this should be taken seriously.
In my opinion, some ways to avoid this is firstly, through educating students from a young age not to plagiarize and emphasizing about the consequences of it so that they would not do it. Secondly, while it is wrong to use other people's work and pass it as your own, but personally, i feel that it is alright to use part of other people's idea as long as you give them due credit or write it in quotation marks to indicate it has been taken from some other source because as a student myself, it is inevitable that I would have to find information from sources such as books or the internet to help me with my work and as long as you give them due credit or even learning how to correctly paraphrase, write and cite resources from the original sources, i don't see that as a problem at all and you would not be committing plagiarism in the process.
However, i feel that the best way to avoid this is to simply for the schools and its teachers to encourage students to do their own work and not copy from other sources by teaching them the proper ways of research and writing. The reason i feel this way is because it is only when we do not know what to write in our assignments that we resort to plagiarism. If we had our own ideas and thoughts, there would be no need to steal or cheat someone else’s ideas. Thus, learning the correct way to search reliable resources such as libraries and internet and writing them down properly is a sure way to avoid plagiarism.
WEI JIE
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Views on how Singapore can stay 'Forever Young '
With regard to the five points Mr Teo said in his speech , One of the more important point would be a strong culture of education and learning .
Singapore students consistently do very well in international comparisons in science and mathematics as they have received a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy . Our students also do very well in comparisons of literacy which is quite an achievement considering that our students take their literacy test in English which is not the home language for most of them . Such achievements show that our students and their parents place a lot of importance on education . The goverment has also invested Singsignificant resources to improve the quality of education for every student in every school to ensure that they study in a conducive environment .
Our education system have also recognise the value of diversity and students can choose to achieve success by pursuing education pathways that match that interests and individual ability . Also , despite the fact that our local universities , polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education are among the best in their class among the world , the Goverment are still investing heavily in them which shows that they take great pride in them .
Singapore also comes up with schemes to help the people who wants to increase their knowledge and upgrade their skills . One good example would be Continuing Education and Training Masterplan to continually allow workers to upgrade their skills .
In a nutshell , Education is not about which instituition you go to , it is the attitude . If our citizens are allowed and given the chance to learn continously , their mind would be fresh and young which is one of the keys to keeping Singapore and our people 'Forever Young '
Singapore students consistently do very well in international comparisons in science and mathematics as they have received a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy . Our students also do very well in comparisons of literacy which is quite an achievement considering that our students take their literacy test in English which is not the home language for most of them . Such achievements show that our students and their parents place a lot of importance on education . The goverment has also invested Singsignificant resources to improve the quality of education for every student in every school to ensure that they study in a conducive environment .
Our education system have also recognise the value of diversity and students can choose to achieve success by pursuing education pathways that match that interests and individual ability . Also , despite the fact that our local universities , polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education are among the best in their class among the world , the Goverment are still investing heavily in them which shows that they take great pride in them .
Singapore also comes up with schemes to help the people who wants to increase their knowledge and upgrade their skills . One good example would be Continuing Education and Training Masterplan to continually allow workers to upgrade their skills .
In a nutshell , Education is not about which instituition you go to , it is the attitude . If our citizens are allowed and given the chance to learn continously , their mind would be fresh and young which is one of the keys to keeping Singapore and our people 'Forever Young '
How Singapore can stay 'forever young' (Thierry)
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean's recent speech at Kent Ridge forum contained an interesting notion, that Singapore must stay 'forever young', or relevant to times, so that Singapore can enjoy continued success. He elaborated further on how Singapore can stay relevant to times through methods such as fostering a strong culture of education and learning, and a culture of seeking knowledge, innovation and ideas.
Fostering a strong culture of education and learning is vital if a country is seeking to preserve its success. The future success of a country lies in the hands of the future generation, thus it is essential that the future generation be equipped with the best education possible to aid them in leading the country for the years to come.
Creating culture of seeking knowledge, innovation and ideas is important as a country that wants to be successful should not be reliant on the innovations and knowledge of other countries. Most countries enjoy success because they are able to rely on their own innovations, ideas and knowledge. A country that relies on its own innovations and ideas will always be one step ahead of those that rely on imported ones.
Monday, May 24, 2010
My opinion on how Singapore can stay forever young as a city
My vision on how Singapore can stay "forever young" as a city is by having a stable economic growth which will eventually make Singapore a mature country. When Singapore is in its mature state, there would be a greater possibility of it to be "forever young". As long as a country manage to maintain its HDI(Human Development Index) high up, it shows that the country can stay "forever young".
The five points mentioned in Mr Teo's speech have set Singapore to be ready to stay "forever young". One of the points that I agree most is the third point, for Singapore to be vibrant global city - a city where people want to live, work, and play - it also has to be an environmentally sustainable city. Because of Singapore's exclusive eminence, Singapore has the opportunity to be one of the cities that is doing very well for its size. As Singapore grows to have bigger population, there should be more works available for the economic state of Singapore to increase. Singapore will continue to grow if there are more jobs created which would allow the citizens to contribute to the country's income. Even from now onwards, Singapore will continue to produce new ideas and create more things for the country to be able to be "forever young" in the eyes of the world.
Also, by hosting more world-class events such as the Youth Olympics and F1, Singapore can be more known throughout the entire world. By doing this, it might increase the chance of Singapore being world-widely known and therefore stays "forever young".
By: Felicia Natalia
The five points mentioned in Mr Teo's speech have set Singapore to be ready to stay "forever young". One of the points that I agree most is the third point, for Singapore to be vibrant global city - a city where people want to live, work, and play - it also has to be an environmentally sustainable city. Because of Singapore's exclusive eminence, Singapore has the opportunity to be one of the cities that is doing very well for its size. As Singapore grows to have bigger population, there should be more works available for the economic state of Singapore to increase. Singapore will continue to grow if there are more jobs created which would allow the citizens to contribute to the country's income. Even from now onwards, Singapore will continue to produce new ideas and create more things for the country to be able to be "forever young" in the eyes of the world.
Also, by hosting more world-class events such as the Youth Olympics and F1, Singapore can be more known throughout the entire world. By doing this, it might increase the chance of Singapore being world-widely known and therefore stays "forever young".
By: Felicia Natalia
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Views on How S'pore can stay 'Forever Young'
My views on this topic is that all the five points raised in Mr Teo's speech are quite relevant as to how Singapore can stay forever young as a City.
One point i especially agree with in his speech is that we need a strong culture of education and learning to stay "Forever Young". This is because the country is going to be in the hands of these current batch of students one day, therefore it is necessary to build up the students' foundation on different levels, both education and learning wise, so that they can develop into "all-rounders" and the country will be in very capable hands in the future. Thus, Singapore have done a very good job with the education system in this aspect because according to Mr Teo himself, our students receive a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy and consistently do very well in international comparisons in science and mathematics. This is very positive as this shows that our students are very competitive and are able to match the knowledge of students on international level, which would mean that Singapore is able to match up to other established countries such as USA or China in the long run, keeping Singapore young and relevant in the process.
The fact that Our universities, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education are among the best in their class in the world and people come from all over the world to study here also shows that our education standard is high and efficient. In addition to this, by also encouraging lifelong learning for all Singaporeans through various schemes offered by the government, it would also make Singapore "Forever Young" and relevant no matter what ages its citizens are because its citizens are the only form of resource for Singapore. Thus, it is essential for its citizens, young or old, to continue learning and upgrading their skills to keep up with the rest of the world and ensure our competitiveness at the same time.
My other views on making Singapore stay "Forever Young" as a city besides Education and Learning is also through organizing world-class activities such as the Youth Olympics and F1. This is because through organizing these activities, Singapore would get a lot of media exposure and publicity which would allow it to establish itself as a "Hip and Trendy" city. As a result of this, people would gradually take note of Singapore and take notice of it and some may even be tempted to come to Singapore and experience it, just like cities such as New York and London where they are centuries old but have stayed young and energetic by constantly reinventing themselves.
In conclusion, I am very hopeful and optimistic that all these building blocks to provide us with a strong foundation to make Singapore a "Forever Young" City will pay off in time and Singapore would still be known as a young, relevant,vibrant,trendy and a great city to live in through the years ahead.
WEI JIE
One point i especially agree with in his speech is that we need a strong culture of education and learning to stay "Forever Young". This is because the country is going to be in the hands of these current batch of students one day, therefore it is necessary to build up the students' foundation on different levels, both education and learning wise, so that they can develop into "all-rounders" and the country will be in very capable hands in the future. Thus, Singapore have done a very good job with the education system in this aspect because according to Mr Teo himself, our students receive a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy and consistently do very well in international comparisons in science and mathematics. This is very positive as this shows that our students are very competitive and are able to match the knowledge of students on international level, which would mean that Singapore is able to match up to other established countries such as USA or China in the long run, keeping Singapore young and relevant in the process.
The fact that Our universities, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education are among the best in their class in the world and people come from all over the world to study here also shows that our education standard is high and efficient. In addition to this, by also encouraging lifelong learning for all Singaporeans through various schemes offered by the government, it would also make Singapore "Forever Young" and relevant no matter what ages its citizens are because its citizens are the only form of resource for Singapore. Thus, it is essential for its citizens, young or old, to continue learning and upgrading their skills to keep up with the rest of the world and ensure our competitiveness at the same time.
My other views on making Singapore stay "Forever Young" as a city besides Education and Learning is also through organizing world-class activities such as the Youth Olympics and F1. This is because through organizing these activities, Singapore would get a lot of media exposure and publicity which would allow it to establish itself as a "Hip and Trendy" city. As a result of this, people would gradually take note of Singapore and take notice of it and some may even be tempted to come to Singapore and experience it, just like cities such as New York and London where they are centuries old but have stayed young and energetic by constantly reinventing themselves.
In conclusion, I am very hopeful and optimistic that all these building blocks to provide us with a strong foundation to make Singapore a "Forever Young" City will pay off in time and Singapore would still be known as a young, relevant,vibrant,trendy and a great city to live in through the years ahead.
WEI JIE
Monday, May 17, 2010
Views on reducing weightage of mother tongue in Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)
With regard to reducing the weightage given to mother tongue in the Primary School Leaving Examination . If this suggestion materialise , it may result in students disregarding the importance of learning the language . The students may think that even if they do very badly for the subject , it will still not affect their grades very badly as the other subjects . Such a move may discourage the young from learning the chinese language even at the primary school level .
Also with China's economy rising rapidly , many of our next generations may need to deal with chinese speaking clients from China and if they only speak English which most chinese from China are not very good in , it may result in a language barrier which makes discussions harder to progress which may result in a loss of a potential client .
In conclusion , i think that reducing the weightage given to mother tongue in the Primary School Leaving Examination will not do the students any good . The school should try to help out those who are weak in the subject by organising supplementary lessons . If they have a better grasp in the subject , they may develop a liking for the subject and score better . In the current society , English is an essential aspect and it definitely gives you an edge if you are bilingual .
Also with China's economy rising rapidly , many of our next generations may need to deal with chinese speaking clients from China and if they only speak English which most chinese from China are not very good in , it may result in a language barrier which makes discussions harder to progress which may result in a loss of a potential client .
In conclusion , i think that reducing the weightage given to mother tongue in the Primary School Leaving Examination will not do the students any good . The school should try to help out those who are weak in the subject by organising supplementary lessons . If they have a better grasp in the subject , they may develop a liking for the subject and score better . In the current society , English is an essential aspect and it definitely gives you an edge if you are bilingual .
Sunday, May 16, 2010
My opinion on Singaporeans split on Mother Tongue weighting
In my opinion, the diminution on Mother Tongue weighting for Primary School Leaving Examination(PSLE) students have gotten good and bad responses. Many of the citizens whom are not in favour of the new move were in uproar ever since the government decided to reduce the 'language load' off the primary school children.
Actually, this has its own advantage as the primary school students could concentrate more in other subjects when the weightage of Mother Tongue is lessened. However, this might lead the students to think that Mother Tongue is not an important subject and therefore do not do well for their Mother Tongue exam. Doing so would discourage the students to learn more about their native language.Also, this might affect not only the students, but the Mother Tongue teachers as they would feel demoralised when they think that they are not as 'important' as the other teachers. Other than that, there are still many people in Singapore who cannot speak English and are still speaking in their own Mother Tongues. They would feel discriminated if their next generation is not taught Mother Tongue properly like English.
Therefore, I think that by lessening the Mother Tongue weightage, it does not mean it would lighten the Singaporean's lives or making it any easier.
by: Felicia Natalia
Actually, this has its own advantage as the primary school students could concentrate more in other subjects when the weightage of Mother Tongue is lessened. However, this might lead the students to think that Mother Tongue is not an important subject and therefore do not do well for their Mother Tongue exam. Doing so would discourage the students to learn more about their native language.Also, this might affect not only the students, but the Mother Tongue teachers as they would feel demoralised when they think that they are not as 'important' as the other teachers. Other than that, there are still many people in Singapore who cannot speak English and are still speaking in their own Mother Tongues. They would feel discriminated if their next generation is not taught Mother Tongue properly like English.
Therefore, I think that by lessening the Mother Tongue weightage, it does not mean it would lighten the Singaporean's lives or making it any easier.
by: Felicia Natalia
Saturday, May 15, 2010
My Views On S'poreans split on Mother Tongue weighting
My views on this is that reducing the Mother Tongue weighting will bring about different effects, with regards to social and individual impacts on the students.
Firstly, the advantages that reducing the Mother Tongue weighting may have could be that students who are not as strong in Mother Tongue language can take this chance to focus more on the other subjects like English, which is known as the common language for communication among people in the world and with so many foreigners coming into Singapore to work, therefore having a good grasp of the English language is vital so that you can communicate effectively with them, which is why probably this idea was suggested in the first place. Socially, it would also be good in a sense such as it would encourage more students to take the English language more seriously so that they can communicate and write more effectively when they go out to the working world in the future as they would have a better command of the language and also reducing the dependency on using the Mother Tongue language everywhere for the students in the process.
However, in reducing the Mother Tongue weighting, individually, it is unfair to the students who are good in the subject, thus affecting their morale as they would not be as motivated to study the subject anymore. They would gradually lose all interest in the subject because through this idea of reducing Mother Tongue weighing, they are sending out the message that Mother Tongue is not as important as the other subjects and the students would think that "if they are not as important as the other subjects, why should I put more effort into studying this subject?" Therefore, this would send a very negative message to the students and about the subject. Socially, it would not be good as well as we would live in a society where everyone speaks the English Language and no one is speaking the Mother Tongue language, which would make the subject lose its purpose of communication and it may gradually die out and no one wants to see that day to come. It is because the Mother Tongue Language identifies who we are, what our culture is and symbolizes our race.
In conclusion, while reducing the weighting of the Mother Tongue language would lead to various benefits such as encouraging students to take the English Language(which is no doubt an important language for communication) more seriously, but you just can't do that as i feel that they would be sending the wrong message to students through this suggestion, morally and socially. I am sure everyone wants to live in a society where the presence of the Mother Tongue language is still there and wont die out easily, as well as communicating effectively through the use of the English Language.
Firstly, the advantages that reducing the Mother Tongue weighting may have could be that students who are not as strong in Mother Tongue language can take this chance to focus more on the other subjects like English, which is known as the common language for communication among people in the world and with so many foreigners coming into Singapore to work, therefore having a good grasp of the English language is vital so that you can communicate effectively with them, which is why probably this idea was suggested in the first place. Socially, it would also be good in a sense such as it would encourage more students to take the English language more seriously so that they can communicate and write more effectively when they go out to the working world in the future as they would have a better command of the language and also reducing the dependency on using the Mother Tongue language everywhere for the students in the process.
However, in reducing the Mother Tongue weighting, individually, it is unfair to the students who are good in the subject, thus affecting their morale as they would not be as motivated to study the subject anymore. They would gradually lose all interest in the subject because through this idea of reducing Mother Tongue weighing, they are sending out the message that Mother Tongue is not as important as the other subjects and the students would think that "if they are not as important as the other subjects, why should I put more effort into studying this subject?" Therefore, this would send a very negative message to the students and about the subject. Socially, it would not be good as well as we would live in a society where everyone speaks the English Language and no one is speaking the Mother Tongue language, which would make the subject lose its purpose of communication and it may gradually die out and no one wants to see that day to come. It is because the Mother Tongue Language identifies who we are, what our culture is and symbolizes our race.
In conclusion, while reducing the weighting of the Mother Tongue language would lead to various benefits such as encouraging students to take the English Language(which is no doubt an important language for communication) more seriously, but you just can't do that as i feel that they would be sending the wrong message to students through this suggestion, morally and socially. I am sure everyone wants to live in a society where the presence of the Mother Tongue language is still there and wont die out easily, as well as communicating effectively through the use of the English Language.
WEI JIE
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thierry's two cents on Singaporeans split on Mother Tongue weighting (Fair and Balanced)
The government's recent plan to reduce the weightage of the Mother Tongue subject in the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) has resulted in an uproar by members of the public.
The government believes that by doing this, they will benefit the primary school students by reducing their 'language load'. Singaporeans are split on the issue, one group support the government, while the other group opposing it.
The opposition of the government's move believes that it would cause socio-economic problems, such as children strong in Mother Tongue, coming disadvantaged families, being possibly kept out of the best secondary schools.
While it is true that a child who is strong in the Mother Tongue and weaker in the first language may have issues getting into certain top secondary schools, it is definitely untrue that it is not possible to get into a good secondary school with a strong background in Chinese. A large number of Special Assistance Plan (SAP) Schools, schools which cater to students who are academically strong in their Mother Tongue, are top-notch institutions in Singapore, for example, Anglican High School, Hwa Chong Institution, Dunman High School, just to name a few. A student who excels in Chinese will have the same chance of getting into a top secondary school as a student who excels in English.
Singaporeans against the government's move also believe that it undermines the importance of the Mother Tongue, which should be equally important as English.
In Singapore, and in every country, there is always a dominant language which all the citizens use to communicate,called the First Language. Singapore's official first language is English, and most of the citizens in Singapore use English as their mode of communication. Even those who come from families that speak in their mother tongue usually know how to speak English too. If the government was to make the Mother Tongue just as important as English, it would result in a huge social and cultural gap between the English speaking families and the Mother tongue speaking families.
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