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MARCH 2010Wednesday March 3, 2010

Look and Learn

Filling a vacancyTHIS photo was taken outside a kindergarten. It scares me to think of the childrens future after seeing the way vacancy has been misspelled. Aruna, Batu Caves, Selangor

A new word? THIS photo was taken in Golden Screen Cinemas in Gurney Plaza, Penang. Shouldnt it be Please queue here? Or is this a new word that has yet to make its way into the dictionary? Teh, Penang

Bad example WOULD you send your child to this tuition centre to learn English? Maarof, Negri SembilanWednesday March 3, 2010

Praying in English

By RACHEL ZOLL

SANA Rahim was born in the cowboy country of southeastern Wyoming to Pakistani parents who had emigrated so her father could earn a doctorate.

She speaks Urdu with her family, but cannot read or write the language. She recites prayers in Arabic, but does not know exactly what each word means.

Now a 20-year-old junior at Northwestern University, she, like many other American-born Muslims, is most comfortable with sermons and lectures in English.

With all the different groups in America, English is a unifying thing that ties us together, she said.

Like Jewish immigrants who fought over English-language prayer and Roman Catholics who resisted the new Mass in English, US Muslims are waging their own debate about how much English they can use inside mosques without violating Islamic law and abandoning their heritage.

Houses of worship founded by older immigrant Muslims often held fast to the culture and language of their native countries. For them, English in the mosque threatened Muslim identity.

The language of obligatory Friday prayers, called juma, is not part of the debate; those prayers must be in Arabic, the language of the Quran. The disagreement focuses on whether that requirement should extend to the sermon, or khutba, on Fridays, the Muslim day of congregational prayer, and at other assemblies in the mosque.

Imams and scholars who insist on using Arabic say it is mandatory because the Prophet Muhammad gave his sermons in the language. Others say that Muhammad used Arabic only because it was what he and his community spoke, and Islam is a universal faith.

On suhaibwebb.com, a Web forum for Muslims in the West, writer Abu Majeed said in a post last month that while his English-language sermons were accepted without protest at several US mosques, he was derided by one South Florida congregation as a modernist who violated Islamic law.

On a recent Friday, at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, Imam Mohamed Shamsi Ali climbed the narrow stairs to the top of the mimbar, or pulpit, and began his sermon in English.

The imam is Indonesian and a fluent English speaker who said later in an interview that he struggles with all the invitations he receives to lecture Muslim student groups.

My schedule is tight because Im among the very few who can address the English-only speakers, Shamsi Ali said.

The growing number of American-born Muslims is likely to force a resolution of the issue.

Imam Hassan al-Qazwini leads the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan,

He gives his sermon first in English, then in Arabic.

Some people say Im too Americanised, said al-Qazwini. I would say Im being realistic. There are more and more Muslims who are born into this faith in America and there are more and more people who are converting to this faith in America and these are non-Arabic people. AP

Wednesday March 3, 2010

Feeling threatened

By RICHARD CARTER

The widespread use of English has led to a campaign to protect the German language.WALKING past the Coffee Bar, advertising breakfast and bakery and the Midtown Grill offering great steaks, chops and seafood, you could easily be in downtown Manhattan or Central London.

But this is in fact Potsdamer Platz, in the very heart of Berlin, the scene for the launch of a new campaign last week to protect and promote German, a move seen as a backlash against the growing use of English.

Foreign invasion: Germany is launching a new campaign, entitled German, The language Of Ideas, a move seen as a backlash against the growing use of English in Germany

Spearheading the campaign entitled German, The Language Of Ideas was Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who found himself in hot water when he refused to speak English at his first press conference after being elected. I am not ashamed of the German language. It is wonderful, Westerwelle told foreign reporters recently.

He added: German is the most spoken language in Europe. It is the native language of over 100 million people, spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some parts of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Westerwelles campaign is being viewed as a reaction against the growing dominance of English in a country proud of its linguistic and literary heritage.

It can claim Goethe, the author of Faust; the poet and philosopher Schiller; and more recently Bertolt Brecht and Guenther Grass.

Last July, the new version of the iconic Duden dictionary, the guardian of the language, came out with 5,000 new words. But many were taken straight from English.

Germans can now officially have der Babyblues and go to eine After-Show-Party hoping it is not eine No-Go Area. Der Nickname and Das It-Girl are other words that crept into this years edition.

In the corporate world, many German firms insist their executives speak English in meetings, even when held in Germany.

English is even making inroads into the German legal world.

Although it is enshrined in the German constitution that the court language shall be German, a pilot scheme near Cologne is allowing corporate cases to be heard in English.

The increasing use of English prompted Erika Steinbach, a member of parliament, to fire off a furious press release.

Millions of Germans are going through life having to guess rather than really knowing what is going on, because products, adverts and instructions are in a foreign language, she said.

The Association for the German Language (VDS) welcomed Westerwelles crusade.

Its high time, because English is taking over several tasks that used to be done in German, Holger Klatte, a VDS spokesman, told AFP.

This is shown in the fact that there are so many foreign English words in Germany more than in other European languages.

Cynics might suggest that Westerwelle uncharitably rechristened Mr Westerwave the outside minister, a literal translation of his name and title into English has a personal interest in promoting German.

His refusal to speak English and his invitation to the BBC journalist who posed the question to take a nice cup of tea sparked a vicious bout of mockery in the press and on the Web about his language skills.

But it is not just politicians who are fighting the omnipresence of English in Germany.

Deutsche Bahn (DB), the national railway company, has announced it is dropping some of its English-language marketing terms after passengers complained they could not understand them. Counter will become Schalter, Hotline will become Servicenummer and Flyer will become Handzettel.

But old habits die hard.

Soaring high above Potsdamer Platz, among the billboards in English advertising international companies, is the iconic Deutsche Bahn building, dominating the skyline with its red DB logo.

On the side of the building, in plain English, is the welcome sign. DB: Mobility. Network. Logistics. AFP

Wednesday March 10, 2010

Guilty of bad English

OPEN CHANNEL

I WISH the protestors holding the banner in the picture (above) had not embarrassed Malaysians. If you want to use English in a protest banner, at least make sure it is correct.

Its Australian practise to interfere with Australian court? cannot be a question, it is a statement, and practice should be spelt with a c because it is a noun and not a verb which is spelt with an s, unless, of course, you are American where, in either situation, the spelling remains the same, i.e. with a c.

So, to put it as a question in correct English, it should be written as follows:

Is it an Australian practice to interfere with Australian courts? Courts here should be in the plural form because there must be more than one court in Australia.

And then, shouldnt it be interference instead of intervention? At least, with the former, the aim of the protest is consistent and not confusing and the truth is, the Australian lawmakers are only trying to interfere with the trial that is going on, they are definitely not trying to intervene. Otherwise, one would see some Australians in the court here during the trial.

Bloggers against buggery intervention? It should be, Bloggers against buggery trial interference, but surely, you are not representing all bloggers in this country. Or, are you?

No, I dont think so, definitely not with the level of English shown. Hussaini Abdul Karim, Shah Alam

Wednesday March 10, 2010

Hoppity-hop

By LUCILLE DASS

Its amazing how a three-letter word like hop yields heaps of interesting meanings.WITH all presenters fashionably hopping on the ICT bandwagon in this era, at one language conference I decided to go retro with a game of hopscotch (jengkek in Bahasa Malaysia). You bet I caught participants on the hop! Surprise aside, they must have also wondered if this retro presenter had not gone a wee bit loco. Thankfully my unconventional move paid off. The hoopla that ensued, in the form of squeals of delight and screams of frustration as the (now) cyberspace-savvy educators essayed a long-forgotten-earth-borne popular game of our childhood, was certainly a scene to watch.

Among the participants was the distinguished Prof William Littlewood of Hong Kong Institute of Education, who gamely hopped in, on, and out of the squares and who didnt get hopping mad (always conjures up for me the image of someone jumping up and down in extreme anger!) when thrown off balance and had to quit.

To ramble a bit (Dr Lim Chin Lam permitting), since the conference, the word hop kept popping up in my mind, even more as we hopped into the second decade of the millennium recently. I realised how fortunate I am that the MOE coordinator allows contributors to hop from one topic to another so long as we mind our English. Then I received an e-mail announcing: Life is a train journey ... come on, hop on .... I did, to see how far the hop would take me. Okay, it has taken me nearly a year to hop to it, but here it is at last.

If youll allow me, Im taking a leap with the word. Im not subjecting it to any grammatical analysis as most readers already know that it can function both as a verb (transitive and intransitive) and a noun. And more.

Could I stretch the use of a mere three-lettered unit of language to fit a measure of the MOE page, without strain, that is? I neednt have fretted. Its inherent mobility is amazing. Hop makes some quantum leaps to yield heaps of interesting meanings for our extended and creative use.

Apart from combining forces with other equally little words (seen above) to ring in a loop of meanings, hop can pull some really springy and spritely stunts. With just a hop, skip and jump you are en route! Along the way if you decide to give someone a hop to somewhere, thats a free ride. Mind, on occasions hop can even ride surreptitiously and without authorisation as in hop a freight train, or hop a flight. All travellers are, of course, familiar with the Hop-On, Hop-Off (or Hop-Stop) a tourist friendly transport system found in most cities around the world.

My, my, the word does get around, in leaps and bounds. With ease of air travel, most destinations are just a short hop away. You can now hop on a plane for a trip to almost anyplace. Or, you may decide to hop it to Timbuktu to avoid being questioned by the MACC. Oh, if you are in the United States, dont forget to tip the hotel bellhop, or the bellboy in England, who helps you with your luggage. Now, if you yell the slangy hop it! at him (you wont, really), you are telling him to go away and not bother you, and thats rude.

More informal/slang use of the word is traced to hopped-up cars vehicles with their engines modified to give extra power (my hopped-up-on-wheels sons keep talking about this!).

In politics, most politicians are known to get the crowd all hopped-up with their fiery speeches. The same expression is used to mean getting stimulated with a narcotic, especially opium (stoned). Too much stimulation and you are stone-dead. A euphemistic equivalent is to hop the stick or to hop the twig.Now, to spin some music, you know what hip hop music is the typically rhythmic genre that originated in the 1970s in New York City (the Bronx) primarily among the African Americans and Jamaican Americans and then became a popular cultural movement incorporating break dancing or hip hop dancing a form of dancing that takes bits and pieces from other dance styles and combines them in a whole new way.

Trip hop happens to be down tempo electronic music, a genre popular in the 1990s, while glitch hop is music that consists of bleeps, blops, screeches and squelches! With all manner of glitches allowed, even I could make that music.

If you love a quick round of parties, youre bound to party-hop. Its equally common for you to table-hop at dinner parties in a bid to socialise. Back home, in front of the telly, and in a semi-vacuous state you play channel hop hoping something might just interest you. But when you play ball on the field and the ball takes a bad hop, thats a rebound.

Lets hop to lesser known affiliations. Hops (beautiful female flower clusters in the form of a cone) from a hop plant grown in a hop yard are used as a beer bittering and stability agent in the brewing industry. While a hop count is a term used to describe what my tech-impoverished little mind gathers to be a labyrinthine network of telecommunications (details in Encyclopaedia Britannica online).

In parting, let me just mention that theres a book by Dr Seuss called Hop On Pop it contains monosyllabic rhymes and beautiful illustrations to inspire young children to read. An Amazon.com review calls it a perennial favourite. Your child may want to hop to it right away.

Meanwhile, after being a hopper of sorts, Ive just reached my hop-stop.Friday March 12, 2010

The -ing words revisited

Ramblings: By DR LIM CHIN LAM

Exploring the scope of -ing words and the ways of using them.THE letter from Confused (MOE, Feb18) asking about the difference between gerunds (which mean verbs with ing that take the form of nouns and adjectives) and present participles, (which are also verbs with ing but function as a verb) was, as usual, adequately answered by Fadzilah Amin.

There is actually much more to ing words than has been raised by Confused in his letter. I have previously written on certain related aspects The ing word (in MOE, March 7, 2008), Why we dont say beautiful contest (MOE, June 27, 2008), and Participles gone wrong (in MOE, March 7, 2008). For readers like Confused who may wish to know more about ing words, I now re-visit the subject, by bringing these different aspects, including other applications, into perspective.

The following is a categorisation of the various ing words, together with examples of their usage.

1. Present participles

Verbs may take many forms depending on tense, mood, voice, person, and number. For the present purpose, we need to note that there are two types of participles, the present and the past. Unlike the past participle (which is formed from the base verb in several ways), the present participle is formed invariably by adding the inflectional suffix ing to the base form of the verb.

The present participle is used in several ways, as follows:

1.1: As a verb. Strictly speaking, a participle (e.g. crying) is a partial verb it becomes a complete verb when coupled with and preceded by an auxiliary verb, as in the example the baby is crying. (Incidentally, a participle may be included under the term verbid, which The Random House Dictionary Of The English Language (1973) defines as a non-finite verb form, which comprises infinitives and participles.)

1.2: As an adjective. The above expression may be re-cast, with the participle used attributively (the crying baby), in which case the participle functions as an adjective (the crying baby = the baby who is crying = the baby who cries).

1.3: As a modifier. The modifier is a special kind of adjective being a word (or expression) which normally belongs to a part of speech other than adjective but which is used attributively as an adjective (i.e. before the noun or substantive that it qualifies). Thus we say a beauty contest (where beauty, normally a noun, is used in the noun form rather than in the adjective form, beautiful; and where beauty is used attributively, never predicatively, as in a contest that is beauty).

By the same token, a sitting room (where sitting is attributive) does not carry the usual meaning of a room that is sitting (where sitting is predicative), but instead is a room that is furnished for sitting and relaxing in. Here the participle sitting, used attributively and conveying a special sense, is a modifier.

There are other examples where the present participle functions as a modifier: calling card (not a card that calls but a business card); smoking room (not a room that smokes but a room where smoking is allowed); walking distance (not a distance that walks but a distance that is easily covered by walking); walking stick (not a stick that walks but a stick carried or used as a support when walking Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004); witching hour (not the hour that bewitches but midnight, regarded as the time when witches are supposedly active Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004).1.4: As the key word in participial phrases. In this connection, care must be taken when constructing a participial phrase to go with a sentence. Compare the following two examples which convey apparently the same meaning: (1) Driving at a leisurely speed, Kassim took two hours for the journey; (2) Driving at a leisurely speed, the journey took two hours. The first sentence means that Kassim, driving at a leisurely speed, took two hours for the journey (i.e. the subject, Kassim, of the main verb took, is also the subject of the participle driving.) In contrast, the second sentence means that the journey, driving at a leisurely speed, took two hours which is nonsense.

The second sentence, with the participle driving associated with the wrong subject, journey is described as a participle without a proper subject of reference, a dissociated participle, or an unattached participle; but it is commonly known as a dangling participle. In general, the dangling participle is slovenly English and can easily become ridiculous: Being not yet fully grown, his trousers were too long (Curme, G.O., 1947. English Grammar. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, pp151-152).

1.5: As a participle in absolute constructions. Consider the following sentence: Being a rainy day, she decided to stay indoors. The dangling participle conveys the wrong sense that she was a rainy and decided to stay indoors. The problem may be overcome thus: It being a rainy day, she decided to stay indoors. Here the phrase with the dangling participle is converted to an absolute construction, where it is syntactically independent of the rest of the sentence (Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004, p5).

Consider another example: Shovelling the garden litter, a centipede stung him. Here the spurious sentence may be re-cast (1) by retaining the participial phrase as is but re-wording the rest of the sentence so that the proper subject of reference governs the participle, thus: Shovelling the garden litter, he was stung by a centipede; or (2) by converting the participial phrase into an absolute construction, thus: While he was shovelling the garden litter, a centipede stung him.

1.6: As an absolute participle. There are instances where the notion of dangling participles does not apply. The present participles of certain verbs have passed into use as prepositions, or as parts of adverb phrases. In such cases, it is not necessary to state the noun or pronoun to which the participle refers, since the participle is now being used as some other part of speech (Tipping, L., 1935. Matriculation English Grammar Of Modern English Usage. London: Macmillan and Co. Ltd, p186). The following examples illustrate: (1) Concerning (= about) the programme, one event was inadvertently left out; (2) The accused was held in custody pending (= until) trial; (3) Mr Lee wrote to his accuser for an apology or, failing (= without) a reply, he would sue for damages; (4) Barring (= without) any mishap, the concert should end by 10 p.m.; (5) Taking everything into consideration (= If one should take everything into consideration), the RM2,300 TV set is a good buy. In each of these examples, the participle appears to be dangling, even though there is no word that can serve as its subject. In such constructions, we feel no deficiency, for the reference is general and indefinite, so we expect no mention of a subject (Curme, loc. cit.).

Such participles are categorised as absolute participles (Curme, loc. cit.), or impersonal absolutes (Wren, P.C. & Martin, H. High School English Grammar, revised by N.D.V. Prasada Rao, 2002. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co. Ltd, p96).

2. Gerunds

Gerunds are commonly known as verbal nouns. Like present participles, they are formed by tagging on the inflectional suffix -ing to verbs (cutting, jogging, selling, swimming, walking).

Gerunds, unlike present participles, can function as nouns (walking is a good exercise) and, like nouns, they may be qualified by descriptive adjectives (slow walking is a good exercise).

Furthermore, gerunds retain the verb function of the participle. Like the usual verbs, they may be modified by adverbs (walking slowly is a good exercise); and, when derived from transitive verbs, they may take an object (she reckons that giving alms to beggars will earn her merit for the afterlife giving a gerund, alms a direct object, and beggars an indirect object).

3. Substantives

Words like herring and lemming are nouns per se they are not derivatives with the ing inflectional suffix, so we shall exclude them from further discussion.

On the other hand, there are nouns like ceiling and icing which are formed from the little-known verbs ceil and ice by tagging on the inflectional ing suffix; and then there are ing words (earning, gathering, housing, meeting, saying, skirting, writing) formed from the well-known verbs with the ing suffix, which can be used either as gerunds (verbal nouns) or as true nouns. For the present purpose, I categorise the non-gerund ing words as substantives.

Apart from differing from gerunds in that they do not have a verb function, the said substantives are distinguished from gerunds in other ways: (1) they can be used in the plural (ceilings, earnings, gatherings, meetings); (2) they can be preceded by the indefinite article (a meeting) or the definite article (the meeting; the sayings of Confucius); (3) they can take on a possessive adjective (his meeting with the bank manager); (4) they can take on numeral adjectives, whether cardinal (three meetings) or ordinal (third meeting).

Parting shotIt has been stimulatingly interesting as well as interestingly stimulating putting together this piffling piece of writing. Boring-meh? Edifying, no?

What-lah, got too many -ing words for digesting in one sitting, nanti kelapa (oops! I mean kepala) pusing, like whirling dervish.Wednesday March 17, 2010

Look and learn

Select and selectedI BELIEVE it is supposed to be selected and not select. Dont you think this is a mistake by McDonalds? Felicia Fadzilah Amin: Select is correct. It is also an adjective meaning ... of special value or excellence; composed of or containing the best, choicest or most desirable. (Oxford English Dictionary) One of the quotations given in the dictionary reads: His senior ... had consigned a quantity of select wines to him. William Thackeray, Vanity Fair.

On target

THIS notice was found in a male toilet in one of the factories in Prai Industrial Estate. In my opinion, the words have been aptly phrased and the message conveyed. Teh

Friday March 19, 2010

Wordwise

By SH LOKE

TESTS are important to prove the quality of things. Here are some test expressions.

1. Put something to the testTo find out how useful or effective something is by using it.

Example: I put my microwave oven to the test by using it to bake.2. Acid testAn important test to prove whether something is true or successful.

Example: In a public-speaking contest, the acid test is the impromptu part.3. To stand the test of timeIt is strong or effective enough to last a long time.

Example: This heritage building has stood the test of time.4. To test the waters or test the waterTo find out what the situation is before doing something or making a decision

Example: You must test the water before announcing the increase in entrance fees for the zoo.5. Test banAn agreement between countries to stop testing nuclear weapons

Example: There should be a test ban treaty between the major powers in the world.6. Test driveTo drive a vehicle that you are thinking of buying so that you can see how well it works.

Example: After the test drive, he was very impressed by the new Honda CRV.7. Test-runTo test a machine or system to see if it will work properly.

Example: I must test-run my alarm system to make sure it is effective.8. Test pilotA pilot who flies newly designed aircraft in order to test their performance.

Example: As a test pilot Rizal enjoys flying aircraft of the latest designs.Wednesday March 24, 2010

Ace that interview

By CHRISTINE JALLEH

There are several things you can do to create a good impression during a job interview.WOULD you be free for an interview next week? Congratulations if you have just received such a phone call. For the job-seeker or the student applying for a scholarship, this is an important stage towards achieving your goal.

Now that youve got your foot in the door to the application process, your next step would be to convince the interviewer or interviewers that you are the candidate they are looking for.

Before you put on your colour-coordinated suit and shiny shoes, be sure that you are prepared for the interview ahead.

What is an interview?Bruce Elder, the author of Communication Skills, defines an interview as a meeting of persons face to face for a particular purpose in which one asks questions that the other is expected to answer.

While interviews are still conducted to get answers to questions, todays interviews can range from the one-to-one, panel, face-to-face, telephone to even an online chat or Starbucks caf interview!

Whichever the situation, always remember that the interviewer(s) have arranged to talk with you because they like what they see on your cover letter and resume. Now, they would like to get to know you better.

Be confident: Always remember that the interviewer has arranged to talk with you because she likes what she sees on your cover letter and resume.

The first impressionThe interview begins the moment you step into the room even if no questions have been asked.

Everyone gets a first glimpse of you and immediately, a first impression is formed.

Here are some common positive and negative comments after meeting a candidate:

I think she forgot to iron her shirt!

Is he auditioning for American Idol? I thought we were looking for an accounts executive, not a rock star.

She looks so worried! Im worried if she can do the job.

He looks friendlier in person. He looks so serious in his photo.

She looks so confident. I like her.

Some of the comments may seem unkind but thats the reality of first impressions.

Put your best foot forward by appearing friendly, calm and confident. Remember your parents advice: smile and sit up straight!

The interviewBefore going to the most important part of the interview, the interviewer(s) would introduce themselves and their roles in the organisation.

Then, they will ask a few questions to put you at ease:

Have you had your lunch?

So ... youre from Penang. What are your favourite hawker foods?

How did you come here? Could you easily find our office?

You have such an unusual name. Is it a Malay name?

Relax and answer the questions as briefly and as best as you can.

Even if these are casual questions, take note that the interviewer(s) are evaluating you and your answers.

Now is not the time to share your gastroenteritis problem or your dislike for hawker food (unless you can recommend other appetising alternatives).

Questions and answersAfter the introductions, the interview will begin in full swing.

The interview is your chance to demonstrate how capable, intelligent and dedicated you are while the interviewers want to see if youre a good fit or representative for their organisation.

Most of the questions will seek to discover your abilities, past experiences and your approach to people, tasks, responsibilities and most importantly, dealing with difficult situations.

Interview questions can be neutral:

1. Tell us about yourself.

2. What do you know about us?

3. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

4. Who has influenced your life and why?

They can also be questions inviting positive answers:

5. Why do you think you are the right candidate for this position or scholarship?

6. Tell us about a personal achievement that makes you proud.

7. What are your strengths?

But they can also be questions inviting negative answers:

8. What are your weaknesses?

9. Tell us about a mistake that you made and what you learned from it.

10. Its very difficult to work with different types of people. Describe an experience where you had a conflict with someone and the results of the situation.

Its easy to look your best when you answer the neutral and positive questions but the negative questions can be the deciding factor that differentiates you from the rest.

More and more organisations are looking for people who can handle both pleasant and painful situations.

Be prepared for such questions and think it through before you give your best answer of how you positively handled that prickly situation.

Dont forget to dazzle them with your charming personality show them that friendly, kind or funny person your family and friends know you as.

Here are some links to:

Job interview questions and answers

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interview questionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm 50 common job interview questions and answers

http://www.eveandersson.com/general-comments/attachment/1565/50interviewqas.pdfSample scholarship interview questions and answers

http://opsf.byu.edu/Advice/ScholarshipInterviewQuestions.aspxOne vs manyThe one-to-one interview is still quite common but the more popular practice is the panel interview.

Even if you are expecting a one-to-one interview, be prepared to speak with a group of three or even five people.

One of my first job interviews involved talking to four people who were seated in chairs scattered across the room thankfully, I remembered my manners and greeted each person individually. I also took care to remember each persons name and looked at everyone when I answered their questions. Needless to say, I was hired!

You may also be interviewed in groups of three or four by a panel of interviewers. Even if you need to stand out from the other people you are interviewed with, you can still be cordial and courteous with each other.

The final flourishThe interviewer or interviewers will signal the end of the interview by asking if you have any questions.

Does my work experience fit into the needs of the organisation at this time?, Are my qualifications and skills suitable for the position? and Is there anything I could do to improve my chances for this position? are some questions recommended in the book Communication Skills.

Other useful questions include, What is a typical day/week like for this position?, When can I expect to hear from you?, Will travel be required for this position?, Will training be provided for this position?

In most cases, you will be asked about your expected salary and given a summary of staff benefits. Do hold off these questions until you are offered the job.

Here is a link to other suitable questions to ask during a job interview:

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interview questionsanswers/a/interviewquest2.htmRemember to thank the interviewers for their time and follow up with a phone call or an e-mail to find out the outcome of the discussion. All the best!

Christine Jalleh is a communications specialist with a Masters degree in English Language Studies. She blogs about communications, culture and travel at http://christinejalleh.comFriday March 26, 2010

A word too many

By DR LIM CHIN LAM

When extra words are ill-advised.IN the recent past when I was reading the papers, as is my usual form of relaxation, something in the papers caught my eye, triggered the grey cells in my head, set me on a train of thought the idiom is train of thought, but shouldnt it be train of thoughts? (considering that one definition of train in Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004 is a series of connected events or thoughts) and led me to pen this rambling piece which, because it covers fairly wide ground and is too long for a single tabloid page, has to be split into two articles, of which this is the first of two. (Yes, I know! I have been verbose but intentionally so. More to follow ...)

This is what I read: Sky Kingdom cult leader Ariffin Mohamed, or popularly known as Ayah Pin, may have gone high-tech as a Facebook profile under his name has appeared on the Internet (New Straits Times, March 13, page 9). Ayah Pin is, of course, the one whose commune was known for its giant structures of a teapot, vase, umbrella, concrete boat and a palace. I cannot promise what Ayah Pin purports to promise his followers, but I can predict that the writer of the above report will not, in his afterlife, enter the Sky Kingdom to enjoy tea from gigantic teapots and in outsized teacups. [Likewise the writer of this article for having dared to make such a prediction!]

Why the dire pronouncement? A transgression has been committed the first sentence contains one word too many, the superfluous word being or, in Ariffin Mohamed, or popularly known as Ayah Pin. I do not understand why this ailment the expression A, or also called B; X, or better known as Y; and other suchlike locutions seems to afflict our newspapers. It reappears again and again oops! I mean appears again and again in the local papers.

For style, the conjunction or connects constructions of the same kind. The same type of construction would appear on either side of the conjunction (the Third Crusade was led by Richard Coeur de Lion, or Richard the Lionheart). Alternatively, the conjunction could be dropped, with no loss of meaning (the leader of the Third Crusade was Richard Coeur de Lion, also known as Richard the Lionheart).

I have previously written on such irksome usage plus other usages involving superfluous words. Perhaps my observations can bear repeating again oops again! I mean repeating. The subject can be discussed under the several sub-heads given below.

A1: Verbosity and prolixityWe sometimes come across wordy expressions like at this moment in time or at this juncture, which simply mean now. In some instances a wordy phrase adds nothing to the sense (a white flag, as we all know, is a symbol of surrender, truce, or a desire to parley). The terms verbosity and prolixity are sometimes considered synonymous with wordiness but up to a point. Verbosity (from Latin verbum word + suffix ity) is the state or condition of being verbose, i.e. using or containing more words than are necessary or desirable to express an idea. Prolixity (from Latin pro forward, outward + lixus, akin to liqui to be fluid, to flow) is the state or condition of being tediously long and dwelling on particulars and trivia in other words, being long-winded.

The very first sentence in this article is an example of verbosity and prolixity. Another example is: Such are the vicissitudes of this our sub-lunary existence, which can be reduced simply to Such is life (Partridge, E., 1973. Usage and Abusage. A Guide to Good English. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books Ltd). Partridge gives further examples of verbose/prolix passages.

Verbosity and prolixity are faults, if not sins, in speech and text. Who are the people given to these sins what Partridge (loc. cit.) quotes as a plethora of words and superfluity of words, or what I would crudely call a diarrhoea of words. The sinner may be (1) the student who pads his essays or examination answer scripts; (2) the speaker who loves to hear the sound of his own voice; (3) the politician on a campaign trail who waxes eloquent, becomes long-winded, unwittingly makes defamatory or seditious remarks, and makes promises he is unable to keep when returned to office); (4) the pedant who relishes the opportunity to show off his vocabulary and weaves high-sounding phrases and complicated sentences; and so on and so forth (pardon the tautology, but Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary notes that the expression, underlined, is idiomatic).

A2: TautologyTautology [from the Greek combining form tauto-, being the contraction of to auto the same + logos word, speech] is the unnecessary repetition of a word or expression by using a different word or words to convey the same sense; otherwise the unnecessary use of an extra word (underlined below) to mean the same thing (a small, little boy; the big and enormous elephant; an additional extra portion or an additional extra portion).

Further examples of tautology extracted from Fowler (Fowler, H.W., 1975. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage. Second edition revised by Sir Ernest Gowers. Oxford University Press) are: (1) the activities of the Club are not limited only to aeronautics; (2) ... only one additional train had been added from Cannon Street during the rush hour to the restricted war-time service.

A3: RedundancyRedundancy [Latin redundans, -antis, present participle of redundare to overflow, equivalent to re(d) again + undare to surge], as applied to language, simply means the state or condition of being superfluous.

Redundancy in a sentence or expression refers to the use of a word or phrase which can be discarded with no loss of meaning because its meaning is already subsumed in another word or phrase within the same expression.

The following examples illustrate: (1) The magician destroys an object, then restores it back to its original state . (New Straits Times, Dec 19, 2009, page 4) the adverb back is redundant; (2) a short nap is there another type of nap, one that is long? (3) the most unique person the adjective unique means being the only one of its kind, so that there can be no question of being more unique or most unique; (4) close proximity the word proximity is derived from the superlative of Latin prope/propior/proximus near/nearer/nearest + suffix ity; as if close proximity is to be distinguished from distant proximity? (5) London Bridge is falling down ... there is no such thing as falling up, except perhaps in space; and even then there is no up or down in outer space to think of falling one way or another; (6) Traditionally, a typical Baba-Nyonya wedding lasts for a whole month (The Star, Dec 29, 2008, page N19) the preposition for is unnecessary for a specified time-frame, but is indicated for an unspecified duration, as in the storm lasted for days; (7) they discussed about the weather; (8) the length of the rope is 12 metres long; (9) the main crux of the matter is there more than one crux in the matter? (10) final ultimatum ultimatum means a final warning, demand, proposition or condition, so that a final ultimatum would be a warning, etc. that is doubly final; (11) basic fundamentals are there fundamentals that are not basic? (12) new innovations but innovations are necessarily new; (13) free gift as if there are also gifts which are not free.

Foreign expressions can be tricky, and users of them are advised to be alert. Examples: (1) durian, orange, rambutan, and etc. the abbreviation etc. stands for the Latin et cetera, meaning and other similar things; (2) she graduated with summa cum laude the Latin phrase is the stylised form of cum laude summa with highest praise/distinction, so that the preposition with (Latin cum) is superfluous; (3) please RSVP the abbreviation is French for rpondez sil vous plat reply if you please, so that please is unnecessarily repeated; (4) the hoi polloi. I should like to say more on the last item. The phrase hoi polloi is from Greek hoi the and polloi many, and is taken to mean the common people, the masses, ordinary people rather than well-educated or rich people of a higher social class (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 1990; Cambridge International Dictionary of English, 1997).

Some traditionalists insist that the expression should not be used with the article the, since that would be to state the word the twice, but the hoi polloi has now become accepted usage in standard English (Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004).

To labour the point, I add the comment by Fowler (as cited above, page 247): Many are uncomfortable in English whether the (= hoi) is prefixed to (the expression) or not. The best solution is to eschew the phrase altogether.

A4: PleonasmThere are instances of tautoloy and redundancy which have become commonplace. When used purportedly for emphasis or effect, such examples may be applied the term pleonasm [Greek pleonasmos, from pleonasein to be superfluous].

The following are examples (the tautological or redundant words are obvious, so that no comments are offered): (1) I saw with my own eyes; (2) aches and pains; (3) cease and desist; (4) approved permit; (5) safe haven.

Parting noteI always try to find a correspondence between English and Malay. I can come up with only one example of tautology pleonasm, if one considers the emphasis and affect in Malay: papa kedana, an expression made up of two words each of which means extremely poor.

The concluding Part 2 will deal with situations where extra words are quite in order.

Wednesday March 31, 2010

Strine, anyone?

MIND OUR ENGLISHBy HUSSAINI ABDUL KARIM

There are many words unique to Australian English.

ORTOTROT? I came across that word while studying at a school in North Head, Manly, New South Wales, Australia, in 1974. It is local slang for Are you ready (to go)?, and it was derived from the sound of a carriage-pulling trotting horse. Upon arrival at Sydney Airport, I asked an attendant the way to the train station and he told me, Go ask that bloke over there. Bloke is used commonly in Australia and refers to a person (male). When you go to a club, your host will offer you grog (beer) as soon as you arrive and some fried chook wings (chicken wings) for starters.

Day and die sound almost alike and since a, i and o all sound almost the same, I have always told my Aussie friends, jokingly, that they only need 24 letters in the alphabet, and not 26 like the rest of us.

Australian English began diverging from British English shortly after the foundation of the Australian penal colony of New South Wales (NSW) in 1788. In 1827 Peter Cunningham, in his book Two Years In New South Wales, reported that native-born white Australians of the time known as currency lads and lasses spoke with a distinctive accent and vocabulary, with a strong Cockney influence. Among the changes wrought by the gold rushes was the Americanisation of the language the introduction of words, spellings, terms, and usages from North American English. The words imported included some later considered to be typically Australian, such as dirt and digger.

Bonzer, which was once a common Australian slang word meaning great, superb or beautiful, is thought to have been a corruption of the American mining term bonanza, which means a rich vein of gold or silver and is itself a loan word from Spanish.

Since the 1950s the American influence on language in Australia has mostly come from pop culture, the mass media (books, magazines and television programmes), computer software and the Internet.

Some words, such as freeway and truck, have even been naturalised so completely that few Australians recognise their origin.

One of the first writers to attempt renditions of Australian accents and vernacular was the novelist Joseph Furphy (a.k.a. Tom Collins), who wrote a popular account of rural New South Wales and Victoria during the 1880s, Such Is Life (1903). John OGradys novel Theyre A Weird Mob has many examples of pseudo-phonetically written Australian speech in Sydney during the 1950s, such as owyergoinmateorright? (How are you going, mate? All right?).

Thomas Keneallys novels set in Australia, particularly The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith, frequently use vernacular such as yair for yes and noth-think for nothing. Other books of note are Let Stalk Strine by Afferbeck Lauder where Strine is Australian and Afferbeck Lauder is alphabetical order (the book is in alphabetical order) and How To Be Normal In Australia by Robert Treborlang.

Australian English is most similar to New Zealand English, due to their similar history and geographical proximity. Both use the expression different to (also encountered in British English, but not American) as well as different from.

Words of Irish origin are used, some of which are also common elsewhere in the Irish diaspora, such as bum for backside (Irish bun), tucker for food, (Irish tacar), as well as one or two native English words whose meaning have changed under Irish influence, such as paddock for field, cf. Irish pirc, which has exactly the same meaning as the Australian paddock.

VocabularyAustralian English has many words that some consider unique to the language. One of the best known is outback, meaning a remote, sparsely populated area. Another is the bush, meaning either a native forest or a country area in general. Bush is a word of Dutch origin: Bosch. However, both terms have been widely used in many English-speaking countries. Early settlers from England brought other similar words, phrases and usages to Australia. Many words used frequently by country Australians are, or were, also used in all or part of England, with variations in meaning.

For example, creek in Australia, as in North America, means a stream or small river, whereas in the UK it means a small watercourse flowing into the sea; paddock in Australia means field, whereas in the UK it means a small enclosure for livestock; bush or scrub in Australia, as in North America, means a wooded area, whereas in England they are commonly used only in proper names (such as Shepherds Bush and Wormwood Scrubs). Australian English and several British English dialects (for example, Cockney, Scouse, Glaswegian and Geordie) use the word mate.

The origins of other words are not as clear or are disputed. Dinkum (or fair dinkum) can mean true, is that true? or this is the truth! among other things, depending on context and inflection. It is often claimed that dinkum dates back to the Australian goldrushes of the 1850s, and that it is derived from the Cantonese (or Hokkien) ding kam, meaning, top gold. But scholars give greater credence to the conjecture that it originated from the extinct East Midlands dialect in England, where dinkum (or dincum) meant hard work or fair work, which was also the original meaning in Australian English.

The derivative dinky-di means true or devoted: a dinky-di Aussie is a true Australian. However, this expression is limited to describing objects or actions that are characteristically Australian. The words dinkum or dinky-di and phrases like true blue are widely purported to be typical Australian sayings, even though they are more commonly used in jest or parody than as authentic slang.

Similarly, gday, a stereotypical Australian greeting, is no longer synonymous with good day in other varieties of English and is never used as an expression for farewell, as good day is in other countries. It is simply used as a greeting.

ColloquialismsDiminutives are commonly used to indicate familiarity. Some common examples are arvo (afternoon), brekky (breakfast), barbie (barbecue), footy (Australian rules football, rugby union football or rugby league football), bottle-o (bottle shop/off licence), convo (conversation), defo (definitely) and servo (service station).

Similar variation is also commonly used for peoples names to create nicknames. For example, Smithy (Surname: Smith), Johnno/Johnnie(John). This is used in other English speaking countries too, but is very common in Australian English.

Incomplete comparisons are common too sweet as, for example.

Many idiomatic phrases and words once common in Australian English are now stereotypes and caricatured exaggerations, and have disappeared from everyday use. Such outdated and occasionally parodied terms include strewth, you beaut and crikey.

Waltzing Matilda written by bush poet Banjo Paterson contains many obsolete Australian words and phrases that appeal to a rural ideal and are understood by Australians even though they are not in common usage outside the song. One example is the title, which means travelling, particularly with a swag. Gday mate!

Wednesday April 7, 2010

Sending the wrong message

OPEN CHANNEL

SURPRISINGLY, most of the English people I know, here in Penang, seem to agree about the needless waste of funds on the plan to hire 365 foreign teachers.

However, lets not throw the baby out with the bath water!

Many fine newsreaders in Malaysia will, at times, pronounce English words incorrectly.

This is often not a problem, as the context will make the meaning clear.

Lets not also forget that we English often remain hopeless in other languages.

An example of how accent can change meaning was heard on TV3s Nightline some time ago: The newsreader said a certain person was illegible for the position in government.

This could be seen humorously as: You could not read the persons name!

For the benefit of MOE readers, I will try to show the different pronunciation by using examples and the sounds like system.

Eligible, meaning: having the necessary qualities etc.

(Cambridge Advanced 2010)

The first syllable sounds like the EL in ELbow (elbow) (Strong accent should be on this syllable). The next sounds like the IDGE in rIDGE (ridge). The last part is the same in both words: IBLE as in comfortABLE.

Illegible, meaning: writing impossible to read!

(Cambridge Advanced 2010)

The first syllable sounds like

ILL, being unwell. LEDGE sounds like the ledge on a table. (Strong accent should be on this syllable: the

LEGE sound. IBLE like the end of comfortABLE. David King, PenangWhom and whichI saw this article on the webpage of an online newspaper. In my opinion, the correct word should be whom instead of which.

NEAC says in 2008 some 350,000 Malaysians were working abroad over half of which had tertiary education. Rajah, Kuala LumpurNote: The writer is correct.Wednesday April 7, 2010

Confusing words

By OH TEIK THEAM

Looking at some troublesome words.WHAT is the difference between continual and continuous? Between alternate and alternative? Between credible and credulous? Let us look at some troublesome words.

Resting in his den, a decrepit Lion was in a sombre mood. He was badly (1a) in need of food, which he was too old to hunt for. Feeling certain that he would contrive some way of dealing with his plight, he thought hard for a while (2a) and declared purposefully (3a), I have an ingenious (4a) plan that will preclude starvation. It is preferable to the alternative (5a), which is inaction and eventual death.

In a peremptory tone of voice, the Lion asked a Jackal to inform the other animals that the king of the jungle was sick and that they should visit him to enquire after his health.

The Lions first visitor was a Leopard. Hello, mighty Lion, said the Leopard. The Jackal told me that you are unwell.

I have a chest cold, the shameless (6a) Lion encapsulated his lie, and manufactured a fit of coughing.

The Leopard patted the Lion on the back, whereupon the latter grabbed his unsuspecting victim and killed him with a vicious bite.

That was an energising (7a) meal, the Lion said when his hunger had been satiated. And he gave the leavings to his friend the Jackal, who responded ingratiatingly, You can always depend on my moral support. I think you will have at least one visitor every day (8a). For me, Id be satisfied to have leavings on alternate (5b) days.

The next day, a Deer entered the den and said, Im sorry to learn that you are ill, Lion.

Im afflicted (9a) with an eye infection, said the Lion, feeling confident that his fabrication was credible (10a). And speaking of eyes, I can tell the age of a deer simply by looking at her eyes. Really? said the Deer, who was so credulous (10b) she believed everything she heard. Thats an interesting eye-deer!

Curious, the Deer let the Lion examine her eyes. A few minutes later, the Lion rubbed his stomach contentedly. She certainly had no time to run for deer life, he said.

Two days later, the Lion welcomed another visitor a Goat. What ails you, Lion? the caprine caller asked.

Its my lungs, said the Lion, with an awkward attempt to smother a laugh with a cough. Its a continual (11a) malady.

Do you have trouble breathing? asked the Goat with an ingenuous (4b) smile.

Of cough.

Your lungs need a continuous (11b) supply of oxygen, you know, said the Goat, adding sotto voce, TB or not TB, that is the question.

What did you say? said the Lion as he cupped his paw against his ear. This tenacious illness makes me hard of hearing at times.

The Goat strutted towards the Lion to repeat his words. Big mistake, for the Lion killed him quite effortlessly.

The next day, a Fox who set great store by rectitude stood outside the Lions den at a safe distance and pointedly asked the leonine animal if he was really sick.

The Lion answered in the affirmative and added, Why do you stand out there in the scalding sun? The heat is enervating (7b). Come inside and talk with me awhile (2b). I purposely (3b) left the gate open for your ingress.

I wasnt born yesterday, said the Fox with some asperity. I dont wish to become a victim in your den of iniquity.

How could you have said that, Fox? Im just a harmless old Lion, so theres no need for you to be circumspect.

I notice from the footprints that many visitors have entered your den, but I see no trace of their coming out, said the Fox. I think something terrible has overtaken those poor creatures, whose kindness and trust was requited only with cold-bloodedness on your part.

The vulpine animal paused for breath and continued, You forget that it behoves a host to treat his guests well. I dont think you will ever feel bad (1b) about your shameful (6b) deeds, and I suspect your deadly deception is becoming an everyday (8b) happening. I will adjure the other animals to inflict (9b) the severest punishment on you!

(Adapted from a fable by Aesop)1. (a) badly (adv.): to a great or serious degree; in a bad manner (He played the game badly).

(b) bad (adj.): guilty; ashamed. (This word has many other meanings.)

2. (a) while (n.): a (short) period of time.

(b) awhile (adv.): for a short time. (This word is never preceded by the preposition for.)

3. (a) purposefully (adv.): determinedly.

(b) purposely (adv.): intentionally; with an express purpose.

4. (a) ingenious (adj.): clever; inventive.

(b) ingenuous (adj.): innocent; nave.

5. (a) alternative (n.): another choice.

(b) alternate (adj.): every other one.

6. (a) shameless (adj.): showing a lack of shame.

(b) shameful (adj.): deserving or causing shame.

7. (a) energising (adj.): giving vitality or energy.

(b) enervating (adj.): physically weakening.

8. (a) every day (adv. phrase): without missing a day.

(b) everyday (adj.): daily; commonplace.

9. (a) afflict (v.): (of an illness or problem) cause pain, suffering or distress to.

(b) inflict (v): force or impose (something unpleasant or burdensome) on someone.

10. (a) credible (adj.): believable; convincing.

(b) credulous (adj.): gullible.

11. (a) continual (adj.): very frequent; always happening; occurring at short intervals.

(b) continuous (adj.): uninterrupted; unbroken.

Friday April 9, 2010

Redundancy revisited

OPEN CHANNEL

I READ the article, A word too many, on page T15 of the Mind Our English page on March 26 and must disagree with some of the examples highlighted in the illustration.

1. About the rehearsal is correct if you are talking in a certain context. If it were just that he had forgotten to mention that the rehearsal was taking place then I agree with your redundancy BUT if he was talking about something to do with the rehearsal then about is correct.

2. I agree.

3. This is not a sentence.

4. As (3).

5. Of is certainly not redundant. The school band comprised 14 boys and 11 girls is very poor grammar. It must have the of in.

6. I agree

7. In correct English I would always use THE REASON WHY and WAS.

8. This is both wrong and right. If the man was only married once then again is redundant. However, if he had been married more than once then again is not redundant. However, in correct English I would always use again. John DriscollI thank John Driscoll for his comments on my article A word too many in MOE (March 26). For easy reference of the examples in the illustration, I reproduce them in the original order and with the original underlines. Mr Driscolls order of numbering seems to have gone askew! His #2 does not correspond to any of the given examples. His #3 and #4, which he said are not sentences, correspond to the same two sentences given in my #(2) and #(3) below.

(1) He forgot to mention about the rehearsal. I maintain that the expression mention about is ugly, the preposition about being redundant and on this point Mr Driscoll is in agreement. However, he went on to say that the expression would be all right if there was something to do with the rehearsal. In such context, I am not in total agreement. Would it not be better to mention the specific something about the rehearsal rather than to mention about the rehearsal?(2) Although she was poor, but she was generous. Mr Driscoll did not consider this a sentence. I disagree. It is a sentence, though a badly constructed one (being a compound sentence made up of two independent or co-ordinate clauses). Just strike out the conjunction but (underlined) and you have a proper (faultless?) sentence.

(3) Although she was poor but she was generous. This example is the same as #(2) above, but with a different conjunction underlined. My response to Mr Driscoll, in #(2) above, applies. Just strike out the conjunction although underlined and you have a differently constructed sentence - but still proper grammar.

(4) The school band comprised of 14 boys and 11 girls. I do not agree with Mr Driscoll. The preposition of (underlined) is redundant. Comprise means consist of, be made up of but the preposition of is used in the passive-voice expression be comprised of to mean make up, constitute (Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004).

I maintain that I am correct that the preposition of in the example (where the verb comprised is in the active voice) is redundant. The omission of of does not make for very poor grammar .

(5) The meeting discussed about the clubs activities. This example must be the #6 of Mr Driscoll, on which he and I agree.

(6) The reason why I was late was because my car broke down. I suppose there is nothing grammatically wrong with the sentence. I still maintain that the words singled out are redundant. Just strike them out, and you get the same meaning. Isnt that what redundancy is all about?

(7) He said that he would not remarry again. Mr Driscoll said that the sentence is both wrong and right. I disagree. A person who marries a second time is said to remarry. A person who marries a third time is said to remarry once again (see the meaning of once again in Concise Oxford English Dictionary) not remarry again.

This idea of marrying again and again and again can get out of hand, semantically speaking, when describing the marriages of much-married persons like King Henry VIII and Elizabeth Taylor. Do we say marry for the first time, remarry for the second time, remarry once again or re-remarry for the third time, re-re-remarry for the fourth time, and so on? Would it not be much easier to say marry, marry for the second time, marry for the third time, marry for the fourth time, and so on?

(8) This brand is more better. Mr Driscoll did not comment on this example. I suppose that he agrees that an adjective in the double comparative degree is unacceptable at least in this particular instance. Dr Lim Chin LamFriday April 9, 2010

Not a word too many

RAMBLINGSBy DR LIM CHIN LAM

When extra words are in order.THIS article follows from the previous one, A word too many (MOE, March 26). Thus far we have discussed situations where one or more superfluous words are a no-no. On the other hand, there are instances where a word too many or too many words are quite in order. In this context, the term reduplication first comes to mind. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 1974, defines reduplication as repeating (a linguistic element) exactly or with a slight change (e.g. hurly-burly). Here with apologies to Kee Thuan Chye, MOEs former editor permit me to split hairs by distinguishing between the term reduplication to mean a word formed by repeating a linguistic element exactly) and the term rhyming compound to mean a word formed by repeating a linguistic element with a slight change. (The underlinings are my own.)

B1: ReduplicationsThe term reduplication which I have distinguished above as the doubling of a word to form a compound word includes the following examples: bling-bling, boo-boo, bye-bye, hush-hush, no-no, pooh-pooh, ta-ta, tom-tom. Incidentally, pompom is not a reduplication, having been derived from the French pompon, of unknown origin; likewise, yo-yo is not a reduplication, having been derived probably from a language of the Philippines (Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 1974).

[I am uncomfortable with the term reduplication. The word, minus the prefix re-, already incorporates the meaning of repeating, or making a copy exactly like the original. The term reduplication therefore implies making an exact copy once more, or repeating again. Is the term reduplication an example of redundancy (as elaborated in my previous article)? What do readers think?]

B2: Rhyming compoundsInterestingly, the term rhyming compound, as I have distinguished above, corresponds to the definition of reduplication as given in Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, 1974: the combination of two rhyming words (the second sometimes a coinage for the purpose) to form one, as in hurry-skurry, popsy-wopsy.

Rhyming compounds include some evocative and useful compounds: creepy-crawly, dilly-dally, fuddy-duddy, hanky-panky, hocus-pocus, hodge-podge, hoity-toity, helter-skelter, hubbub, itsy-bitsy, lovey-dovey, mumbo-jumbo, nitty-gritty, pell-mell, ragtag, razzle-dazzle, super-duper, teenie-weenie, wheeler-dealer, willy-nilly.

No doubt readers will have noted that there are variants of rhyming compounds, as follows:

(1) word-pairs significantly not hyphenated or conflated where the second element is a legitimate word and not a coinage for the purpose of rhyming with the first (blame game, brain drain, dream team, eager beaver, gal pal, jet set, legal eagle, toy boy)

(2) compounds or short phrases with two rhyming words linked by a particle, shown underlined (razzmatazz) or connected by the conjunction and (gloom and doom, hither and thither, hustle and bustle, wear and tear, wine and dine).

B3: Assonating compoundsAkin to rhyming compounds are compounds made up essentially of two words with (1) coincidence of vowels (vowel-rhyme) without regard to consonants (home and tone; come and hush); or (2) coincidence of consonants or consonant-sounds but with different vowels (e.g. sack and sock, tax and ticks) Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, 1974. The term for such correspondence in words is assonance. For want of a better term, I propose assonating compounds styled after rhyming compounds to encompass the relevant word-pairs.

The following are examples of assonating compounds: bric-a-brac, dilly-dally, dribs and drab, flimflam, flip-flop, gewgaw, mish-mash, ping-pong, riff-raff, seesaw, sing-song, whim-wham, whippersnapper, wishy-washy, zigzag.Parallels in MalayI am always in the habit oops! strike out always of looking out for parallels between English and Malay, and I find that reduplications, rhyming compounds, and assonating compounds are not unique to English. Malay also has them:

(1) reduplications (kura-kura, laki-laki, mata-mata, pura-pura, rama-rama, rampai-rampai, tiap-tiap) not including nouns which are doubled to form the plural (budak-budak, pokok-pokok) or verbs that are doubled to form the intensive or frequentative (kocak-kocak, main-main)

(2) rhyming compounds (cerai-berai, cirit-birit, gotong-royong, kacau-bilau, kelip-kelip, kueh-mueh, lintang-pukang, ramek-remek, selok-belok, serta-merta, suci-murni)

(3) assonating compounds (beli-belah, celorong-celoreng, cobak-cabik, gerak-geri, ketuk-ketak, kocah-kacih, kontang-kanting, morat-marit, ramah-tamah, rempah-rampai, robak-rabik, teka-teki, tiba-tiba, warna-warni).

Malay, furthermore, has word-pairs which contain two rhyming elements plus an internal non-rhyming syllable (surat-menyurat) or a terminal non-rhyming syllable (beli-belian). Moreover, there are compounds such as ketuk-ketampi, porak-peranda, and rebah-rempah which bear some semblance to assonance, but are not assonating compounds and must, for now, remain unclassifiable.

Parting shotThere is actually one situation where one cannot help but use many words oftentimes far too many words to convey an idea. Here I speak of pidgin, a grammatically simplified form of a language with elements taken from local languages, used for communication between people not sharing a common language (Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2004).

Specifically, pidgin English is a form of English derived from English and elements of another language, and having a greatly reduced vocabulary, a simplified grammar, and a modified sound system (The New Universal Family Encyclopedia, 1985. Random House Inc.) It was and is? spoken in China, South-East Asia, Melanesia, and Africa.

To me at least, pidgin English has a delightful and amusing feature an inventive verbosity to make up for a limited vocabulary. For example, in Papua New Guinea, God is referred to as Big fella Papa (Cambridge International Dictionary of English, 1997). Other examples, which I reproduce from Shelleys book (Shelley, R., 1995. Sounds and Sins of Singlish. Singapore: Times Books International; page 34), further illustrate my point: (1) Miz-queens piccaninny-boy refers to Queen Elizabeths son, Prince Charles; (2) Him-big-black-fellow-with-the-white-teeth-hit-him-in-the-teeth-he-cry is what else? a piano!

Wednesday April 14, 2010

Pleasurable pursuit

By JOHN DORAISAMY

There are many tried and tested ways to develop the reading habit among students.MANY reasons could be advanced by a teacher if a student were to pose the question, Please teacher, why should I read? Reading is a good or wholesome pastime. An old proverb says that the idle mans brain is the devils workshop. Reading keeps the mind fully occupied. It is, I daresay, far better to be hooked on reading books, newspapers, magazines or comics rather than be drawn to narcotics.

Over the years, teachers have urged their students to read widely. That is the ideal way of developing confidence in language usage. Grammar is also mastered with relative ease through sheer familiarity. In Malaysia, it is openly acknowledged that general reading is not yet widespread. In buses, trains and aircraft, people seem to prefer to chat with a fellow traveller or just sit and stare in front of them.

In England, to take a random example, people read as they travel to and from work or to the shops. Over a period of time, the individual becomes a citizen of a well-informed community. The mastery of reading by children requires cooperation between home and school. There must be a variety of print materials in the home. The more young children see parents and elders reading, the greater the probability that they will also take to reading.

William James in his essay On A Certain Blindness In Human Beings relates the experience of a missionary in the depths of Africa. As he sat on the verandah of a bungalow reading a periodical, a crowd had gathered. They stood watching for a long time. Eventually one person approached the reader and quite reverentially, asked whether he could buy some of the eye medicine that the missionary was absorbing.

The illiterate ones, whether young or old, are unable to grasp the link between the human being and the printed page. Yet it is this mysterious activity that has to be promoted more vigorously by Malaysian teachers and parents. There is really no substitute for wide reading. Students will steadily obtain deeper insights into the use of tenses as well as increase their stock of vocabulary. It doesnt matter what sorts of fiction or non-fiction a student is interested in.

Adolescent boys will take to detective and mystery stories, as well as to ghost stories and adventure and war settings. Girls may prefer romances and family chronicles. In the course of time, students may, of their own accord, try reading the classics or simplified versions of them. Never put adult heads on adolescent shoulders was the advice traditionally given to teacher trainees with regard to reading for secondary school students.

In 1975, a report entitled A Language For Life was published in Britain. It contains the findings and recommendations of a committee headed by Sir Alan Bullock. There are many useful observations and practical suggestions for all parents and language teachers.

The Bullock Report declares that the best way to prepare the very young child for reading is to hold him on your lap and read aloud to him stories that he likes over and over again. The printed page, the physical comfort and security, the reassuring voice, and the fascination of the story itself all combine in the childs mind to identify books as something which hold great pleasure. I quote from paragraph 7.6 of the report:

Every time a parent reads aloud to a child, the child is learning that by some curious means the lines of print can be converted into stories which he can enjoy.

In an earlier paragraph, the Bullock Report asserts that before the child arrives at school he should have learned to look upon books as a source of absorbing pleasure.

Apart from books and magazine articles, there are some unorthodox materials that teachers can bring to the classroom. Advertisements, labels and all kinds of announcements can be examined. Malaysia has always been noted for the colourful language on its signboards. Even if much of it is bad English, it is worth analysing it critically.

An activity suitable for the upper forms and related to the reading of books is book reporting. Book reviewing is a sophisticated skill and it is really not suitable for secondary school students. On the other hand, a book report is relatively simple. Students can be asked to note down, firstly, basic information about the book they have read: title, author, publisher and year or edition.

Next, the report could ask for two or three extracts not exceeding 600 words each from any chapter. A brief outline of the plot and the ending can also be included in the report. Finally, the reader should be asked which of the characters in the book he liked most, and why.

A pioneer headmaster of Victoria Institution, Richard Sidney, required students to keep a thick exercise book for copying into it extracts from a number of chapters from books that they had read.

A standard feature of classroom infrastructure is the bulletin board, as it is termed in some countries. This board can prove to be an effective means of encouraging reading and exciting the intellectual curiosity of students. Newspapers cuttings, relevant to students interests or class topics, visual displays, notices and selected book reviews, film reviews, book jackets and cartoons may stimulate many a reluctant or indifferent reader to want to use his latent reading skills in a purposeful manner.

It is important to replenish the bulletin board regularly. Students will not want to peruse items that have become stale. The language teacher must feel enthusiastic about the value of the bulletin board as a supplementary resource to text books and reference books. From time to time, the attention of students could be drawn to cuttings relating to particularly topical subjects, such as exciting developments in space, medical science, sports, entertainment and the environment.

Lastly, the schools library resources and activities are directly relevant to the development of habits of wide reading among students and teachers.

> John Doraisamy was formerly an associate professor at the Education Faculty, Universiti Malaya.

Wednesday April 21, 2010

Look and Learn

Named after a toilet

WHY would someone name a brand after a toilet bowl i.e. commode? David Note: Commode is also a type of furniture.

Compliment and compliments

PNB should have put more thought before sending complimentary magazines to thousands of households. It should be With the compliments of PNB or With compliments from PNB, not Compliment from PNB! NaentikaurFriday April 23, 2010

The lowdown on adjectives

By DR LIM CHIN LAM

A ramble through the different aspects of adjectives words which add spice to text.Lowdown? Okay, I know! I have used an unbecoming word to encompass a class of words that are by no means sinister but I have done so, intentionally, to attract attention. Adjectives are actually very useful words. Imagine a text made up merely of nouns, verbs, and prepositions.

It is like most black-and-white movies, lacking the vivacity of colour. Adjectives are those words which add colour and verve to text. They adorn an otherwise lustreless text and make it spring to life. (Adverbs, of course, are another group of modifiers but they are another story.)

I should now like to share some observations on adjectives from different perspectives, even if I have to cover some ground that I have covered before in previous articles.

The formation of adjectives

As always, I try to find parallels between Malay and English. In Malay, there are many words that are adjectives per se. Additionally, there are adjectives that are formed by derivation. The common verb suffix -i is used in one instance to form the adjective from a noun, viz. insan (noun: human being)/insani (adjective: human). However, the common affixes (underlined in the following examples) used in the derivation of adjectives are (1) prefix, e.g. berbutir detailed, as in repot berbutir; (2) suffix, e.g. minuman drinking, as in air minuman; (3) circumfix, e.g. pertanian agriculture, agricultural; as in pegawai pertanian; and (4) circumfix enclosing a reduplication, e.g. berlain-lainan different, dissimilar.

In English, apart from words that are already adjectival in nature, and nouns, etc. that are used as modifiers, adjectives are formed in only one way by tagging on a derivational suffix. Some of such suffixes are native English (-ful, -less, -ly, -some), but many are of Latin origin they are the word-endings of Latin words that, with some tweaking, became suffixes in English. The list of suffixes available in English is most impressive. The above (see chart) is a sampling of these suffixes and of the adjectives formed therewith.Fellow-learners may note that ic and ical may mean the same (botanic/botanical, electric/electrical) but not always (historic means important in history while historical means pertaining to history). It should be noted that sometimes things are not what they seem. For example, boisterous is not formed by tagging ous onto boister (this word does not exist).

Word-order for adjectives

There are times when several adjectives are used in sequence, as in the general scheme: < other or (and>

Apart from determiners and modifiers (which are special types of adjectives), the other adjectives are advisedly arranged in a non-jarring sequence, according to the category to which each adjective belongs. For example, long belongs to the category Size, cylindrical to the category Shape, and old to the category Age, and so on. With such categorisation, the adjectives are easily arranged in an order according to the mnemonic OpSiShACOM for Opinion, Size, Shape, Age, Colour, Origin, and Material. Thus it is tired old man, where Opinion (tired) precedes Age (old) not old tired man; and clear blue sky, where Opinion (clear) precedes Colour (blue) not blue clear sky.

Grading for intensity

Often one is required to make comparisons, such as taller than or younger than, or tallest boy in the class. The base form of an adjective is termed the positive degree, and the described intensity (whether increasing or decreasing) yields the comparative degree (when two items are being compared) and the superlative degree (to indicate the extreme situation). In general, one-syllabled adjectives add on the suffix er for the comparative degree (e.g. faster), while the superlative degree is indicated by the suffix

est (e.g. fastest) or by the adverbs very or extremely preceding the positive (e.g. very fast, extremely fast). Adjectives of two or more syllables generally are preceded by more for the comparative (e.g. more beautiful) or most or very (e.g. most beautiful, very beautiful).

There are exceptions, which constraint of space does not permit me to elaborate on. Nevertheless, here is a quick list for the reader to ponder over:

(1) pretty/prettier/prettiest, even though the positive is of two-syllables;

(2) many/more/most; little/less/least; good/better/best; bad/worse/worst (which are irregular formations);

(3) the lesser of two evils (containing a double comparative)

(4) best foot forward (an unlikely superlative considering that a person normally has two feet);

(5) the most unkindest cut of all (a double superlative, from Shakespeares Julius Caesar);

(6) bottom/(nil)/bottommost, top/(nil)/topmost (incomplete trios of comparison);

(7) elder to (not elder than), senior to (not senior than).

Handling of non-gradeable adjectives

Some adjectives (circular, round, spherical, unique) are non-gradeable they should not be used in the comparative or superlative degree, like in circular/more circular/most circular. One circumvents the problem by describing the trait as nearly circular (instead of circular). It is then all right to say nearly circular/more nearly circular/most nearly circular.

Compound adjectives

Compound adjectives are formed with two or more words. Consider the clause in the expression: The husband who is good for nothing. The same information can be conveyed by turning the descriptive clause into a hyphenated expression, a compound adjective, thus: the good-for-nothing husband. Many useful compound adjectives are formed from a phrase or clause: top-of-the-line model; up-to-date information.There are many compound adjectives formed from two words: idiot-proof, protein-rich, single-handed, trouble-free, user-friendly, water-soluble, etc.

Some incongruent compound adjectives have been encountered in conversation or in the papers: healthy-conscious, environmental-friendly. In structure these compounds are two adjectives in apposition, which have been hyphenated. They should be corrected to a noun-adjective structure, thus: health-conscious, environment-friendly. Closing remarks

There are two other aspects of adjectives that we may note. Let me explain in reference to a language like Latin. Here the adjective must agree with the noun in all ways. If, say, the noun is of the feminine gender, the associated adjective takes on the suffix for the feminine. It the noun is plural, the adjective must likewise be made plural. If the noun is in the accusative (objective) case, the adjective must be declined in the same way as the noun, to be in agreement.

We fellow-learners may note, with great relief, that the situation is much simpler in English. English has no mechanism to make adjectives agree with nouns in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural), and case (nominative/subjective, vocative, accusative/objective, genitive/possessive, dative, ablative). The adjectives are unchangeable in use.

Another point of note is with regard to the relative positions of noun and adjective. The normal word-order is noun-adjective in Latin and Malay but it is reversed in English. Even then, there are exceptions in these languages. In Malay we have, for example, perdana menteri (prime minister) rather than menteri perdana, and pertama kali (first time) rather than kali pertama. In English, examples of the reversed order include battle royal, court martial, God almighty, heir apparent, lion rampant (in heraldry), and president elect.After all that rambling, I am so tired in other words, Im a soul tired, or should it be tired soul?

Wednesday April 28, 2010

A major shift

MIND OUR ENGLISHBy SIMRIT KAUR

Graphic novels have been included in the literature component of the new English language curriculum.STUDENTS in lower secondary will be reading graphic novels in the form of famous classics like Black Beauty and Journey To The Centre Of The Earth under the literature component of the new English curriculum to be implemented next year.

This fresh approach to teaching literature in Malaysian schools is aimed at providing students with an enjoyable learning environment, says Dr Mohamed Abu Bakar.

Plays have also made it into the list of prescribed texts for the first time, but instead of studying Shakespeare, students will be doing works like the new Form Four text, Gulp And Gasp by John Townsend (see chart).

This fresh approach to teaching literature in Malaysian schools is aimed at providing students with an enjoyable learning environment as well as inculcating the reading habit, says Dr Mohamed Abu Bakar from the Education Ministrys Curriculum Development Centre.

Literature has always been recognised as a vital component of language learning. The new English language curriculum therefore formalises literatures inclusion in primary school.

New methods will be utilised for teaching literature in schools to boost students confidence in the language. These include more production activities such as choral reading, acting out scenes from stories and producing works on different literary genres to enhance creativity among students.

The new texts for secondary schools will see the current works, introduced when then Education Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak first announced the introduction of the literature component into the English curriculum in 2000, finally being replaced.

Under the present curriculum for the novel component in upper secondary, schools choose one of three texts John Steinbecks The Pearl, Keris Mas Jungle Of Hope or K.S. Maniams The Return.

However, about 70% to 80% of schools opt for Steinbecks novella, partly due to the availability of learning materials on the Internet.

Teachers also reported that students found the local titles difficult and could not relate to the subject matter.

Despite the constraints, the introduction of literature is viewed as a success. It has been reported that the passing rate of students sitting for the English Language subject has improved in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

Dr Mohamed is confident that the new texts, with titles such as Flipping Fantastic by Jane Langford and Qwertyuiop by Vivien Alcook will prove more appealing to teenagers.

He was speaking at a recent colloquium on childrens literature held at Universiti Malaya, organised by the English Department, Arts and Social Sciences Faculty.

Picking titles that would be acceptable to everyone, however, was no easy task for the selectors, especially in a multiracial and multireligious country like Malaysia. Furthermore, as English is a second language, the language used has to be appropriate to the average readers proficiency level.

The new English language curriculum for primary and secondary schools will take a modular approach. In addition to the four basic skills reading, writing, listening and speaking two new modules have also been introduced; grammar and language arts (which includes literature).

Following the governments decision to discontinue the teaching of Maths and Science in English, the strengthening English policy was initiated. This means that the time devoted to English will increase by three periods in primary schools.

Of the three extra periods, two will be for language arts while one period has been set aside for the teaching of English grammar.

In all, there will be a total of 330 minutes of English per week in Years One, Two and Three and 300 minutes in Years Four, Five and Six.

No announcement has been made about secondary schools, but the number of periods will likely increase too.

Friday April 30, 2010

Secretly married

By HAU BOON LAI

Entertainers who keep a secret of their relationships are doing themselves, their partners and their fans a disservice.POOR Charlene Choi. The singer from Hong Kong pop duo Twins is currently in the process of divorcing fellow entertainer Ronald Cheng. The two had gotten married in secret in Los Angeles in 2006 and the first time she admitted to being in a relationship with him was also the same time she announced that they had broken up.

I sympathise with Charlene more as hers being a secret marriage, she couldnt have had much of a wedding, if any.

The couple, however, are in good company when it comes to secret marriages. Andy Lau and Leon Lai were recently outed for marrying behind their fans backs. Go back a little further and theres Jackie Chan, who admitted in the 1990s that he had been married since 1982 to former Taiwanese actress Lin Feng-Jiao.

Hollywood stars, too, often carry out clandestine marriages and weddings. Singer Jennifer Lopez married Marc Anthony in secret in 2004. It was so hush-hush that even the guests did not know they were attending a wedding.

I have an issue with entertainers who are secretive about their marriages and relationships, especially when they give the excuse that these are private affairs that have nothing to do with their fans.

We fans may not be your real friends, but we have watched and listened to you throughout your careers and cannot help but feel like you are a friend, sometimes even a part of the family.

And just like how we would feel hurt if we are not invited to, or at least told of a friends marriage, the entertainers decision to leave their fans out of the information loop when getting m