MIND OUR ENGLISH

-MIND OUR ENGLISHMARCH 2010
Wednesday March 3, 2010
Look and Learn
Filling a vacancy
THIS 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 Sembilan
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
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 AfterShow-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
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
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-upon-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, pp151152).
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 shot
It 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.
Look and learn
Select and selected

I 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
Wordwise
By SH LOKE
TESTS are important to prove the quality of things. Here are some test
expressions.
1. Put something to the test
To 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 test
An 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 time
It 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 water
To 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 ban
An 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 drive
To 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-run
To 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 pilot
A 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.
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 impression

The 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 interview
Before 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 answers
After 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/generalcomments/attachment/1565/50interviewqas.pdf
Sample scholarship interview questions and answers
http://opsf.byu.edu/Advice/ScholarshipInterviewQuestions.aspx
One vs many
The 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 flourish
The 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.htm
Remember 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.com
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 prolixity
We 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 sublunary 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: Tautology
Tautology [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: Redundancy
Redundancy [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 BabaNyonya 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: Pleonasm
There 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 note
I 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.
Strine, anyone?
MIND OUR ENGLISH
By 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.
Vocabulary
Australian 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.
Colloquialisms
Diminutives 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, Penang
Whom and which
I 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 Lumpur
Note: The writer is correct.
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 Driscoll
I 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 reremarry 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 Lam
Not a word too many

RAMBLINGS
By 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: Reduplications
The 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, tomtom. 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 compounds
Interestingly, 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, hodgepodge, hoity-toity, helter-skelter, hubbub, itsy-bitsy, lovey-dovey, mumbojumbo, nitty-gritty, pell-mell, ragtag, razzle-dazzle, super-duper, teenieweenie, 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 compounds
Akin 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, dillydally, dribs and drab, flimflam, flip-flop, gewgaw, mish-mash, ping-pong,
riff-raff, seesaw, sing-song, whim-wham, whippersnapper, wishy-washy,
zigzag.
Parallels in Malay
I 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, kacaubilau, 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, warnawarni).
Malay, furthermore, has word-pairs which contain two rhyming elements
plus an internal non-rhyming syllable (surat-menyurat) or a terminal nonrhyming 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 shot
There 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-himin-the-teeth-he-cry is what else? a piano!

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 nonfiction 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.
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! Naentikaur
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?
A major shift
MIND OUR ENGLISH
By 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.
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 married is pretty much a slap in the face
for us.
How do celebrities expect us fans to listen to their CDs and watch their
shows for all these years and then expect us to treat them like strangers?
Its not like we expect celebrities to invite us to their weddings. At the very
least, let us know soon after the fact.
Which is why I believe that celebrities can take a leaf from how actor
Daniel Wu handled his marriage and wedding, which was held in South
Africa. He might have kept it secret, but at least he told fans about his
marriage to Lisa Selesner on his blog only 12 days after, and uploaded
pictures of the wedding too.
Celebrities should not keep their marriages and relationships secret
because it cannot be healthy for them to do so. After all, in real life,
relationships that cannot see the light of day are usually associated with
extra-marital affairs or two-timing ones.
How can the partners feel secure when relationships have to be conducted
via clandestine meetings? Or when their other half pretends to be single
and still available before the whole wide world?
Some entertainers, it seems, are afraid that their popularity would plummet
once their marital status is revealed, especially if they are usually cast in
roles extolling their innocence.
I would imagine that in this day and age, with better education and greater
awareness, the majority of fans are right-thinking people who may let their
imagination go a little wild occasionally but will know the difference
between whats real and reel.
When celebrities are still deciding on whether to pop the question or
whether to accept the popped question, we fans know how to take a back
seat.
The paparazzi may not, but they have been around long enough for public
figures to be able to handle them with greater ease by now. Failing which,
learn from fellow celebrities such as Chow Yun-Fat, who can reputedly
charm the pants off even the paparazzi.
Moreover, there are plenty of celebrities who have gotten married without a
hitch to their career or popularity. Think of celebrity couple Lau Ching Wan
and Amy Kwok.
If the above arguments fail to convince celebrities to be more open about
who they are married to or having a relationship with, let me offer the stick
in todays well-connected world, there is no way one can keep a secret
for long, especially when there are paper trails and one is not on a
deserted island.
The writer is a former journalist and school teacher from Singapore who is
currently studying in Penang. His favourite celebrities are Chow Yun-Fat
and Lau Ching Wan for their lack of pretence off-screen.
Choice of words
By GILES HEWITT
Indias status as the worlds largest English-speaking nation is being

challenged.
WHEN advocate Govinder Singh rose to make an argument in the Delhi
High Court this month, he did what no lawyer had ever done before him
and addressed the judge in Hindi. Singhs action was generally applauded
for striking an overdue blow against a decades-old rule that insists on
English as the working language of the Indian capitals top judicial bench.
A similar linguistic challenge was thrown down last November by Abu
Azmi, a newly-elected legislator in the Maharashtra state assembly, when
he opted to take his oath of office in Hindi, rather than the state language
of Marathi.
He was roughed up by four state MPs from a right-wing party that

campaigns for the rights of the states Marathi-speaking majority.
Language has always been a battleground both within and between nation
states, but only in a country as astonishingly diverse as India has it been
fought with such frequency and on so many different fronts.
While confrontations in courtrooms or state legislatures grab the media
spotlight, smaller skirmishes occur on a daily basis not least in the
homes of the growing number of mixed-language families.
Indias 1961 census recognised 1,652 languages and dialects, while the
2001 version broke it down into a slightly more manageable roster of 29
that are spoken by a million or more people, and 122 that have more than
10,000 native speakers.
At the time of independence, the constitution recognised 14 official
languages, but the growth of regional politics soon resulted in a flood of
demands for further additions.
Sindhi was added in 1967, three others in 1992 and four more in 2004 to
make up the current total of 22, and the Home Ministry is currently
considering 38 new requests for inclusion.
The numbers reflect the importance different communities in India attach to
their linguistic and cultural identities and with so many competing for
recognition, institutional and personal clashes are inevitable.
Among the booming middle classes, mixed marriages and increased job
mobility can leave some couples struggling with a heady linguistic cocktail.
When we had our son, we made a decision to speak to him in Hindi,
which was anyway the common language between my wife and I, says
business journalist Jay Shankar.
Shankar is from the southern state of Kerala and his wife from the western
state of Gujarat. Their mother tongues Malayalam and Gujarati
respectively are mutually unintelligible and they have always
communicated in a mixture of Hindi and English.
When their son was four, they moved to Bangalore, where the dominant
language is Kannada, and enrolled their son in an English-speaking
kindergarten.
Now, 13, he speaks fluent Hindi and English, but neither of his parents
native tongues. There is a huge communication gap. My parents cant
relate to what he says at all and they blame me for not speaking
Malayalam with him when he was young.
It really bothers me that their relationship with their grandson is not what it
should be, said Shankar. We dont regret the decisions we made, but its
been tough.
Hindi and English are the heavyweights in Indias crowded linguistic arena,
and both have been treated with suspicion and even violence since
independence in 1947.
According to the 2001 census, around 422 million Indians, or 41% of the
billion-plus population, speak Hindi, with Bengali a distant second at 8.1%.
Anti-Hindi sentiments have a long history and regional language activists
opposed to its prevalence exist all over India, especially in southern states
like Tamil Nadu where efforts to impose Hindi triggered bloody riots.
We are against forcing a language on the state, said Tamil Nadu state
legislator, M.K. Kanimozhi. I cant speak Hindi but I am no less an Indian
than anybody else. Historically, English was the language of status and
privilege, but that has changed as Indias middle classes have made the
transition from subjects under British colonial rule to citizens negotiating

globalisation.
People want to learn English because it means opportunity and access to
jobs, said historian Ramachandra Guha, who advocates compromise in
the heated debate over whether local languages are losing out to the
demand for English in schools.
What we as Indians should aim for is not a worship of English or a
demonisation of English, but an ability to learn it along with other
languages. Schools should be bilingual from the beginning, Guha said.
The number of children enrolled in recognised English-medium schools in
India doubled between 2003 and 2008 to more than 15 million, but in a
recent ruling the Supreme Court warned that the country risked falling
behind.
A large English-speaking population has been one of the key factors
behind the boom in outsourcing to India which has seen Western
companies set up IT back-up or call centres in cities such as Bangalore
and Hyderabad.
In another 10 years, China will become the worlds largest Englishspeaking nation, the two-judge bench said. Today, if you go to China, all
little children speak English. In 10 years they will overtake us.
Indias claim to the title of largest English speaking nation is based on a
much quoted survey that found one third of Indians around 350 million
people could hold a conversation in English, but experts point out that
proficiency levels vary dramatically.
The Supreme Court warning was echoed by a recent British Council report
that highlighted a huge shortage of English teachers and quality
institutions in India that meant the rate of improvement in English language

skills was too slow.
This could threaten Indias English advantage in the global market, the
report said. AFP

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-MIND OUR ENGLISHMARCH 2010

Wednesday March 3, 2010

Look and Learn

Wednesday March 3, 2010

SANA Rahim was born in the cowboy country of southeastern Wyoming to

Like Jewish immigrants who fought over English-language prayer and

The widespread use of English has led to a campaign to protect the

Spearheading the campaign entitled German, The Language Of Ideas

Deutsche Bahn (DB), the national railway company, has announced it is

Wednesday March 10, 2010

Guilty of bad English

Its amazing how a three-letter word like hop yields heaps of

The -ing words revisited

with ing but function as a verb) was, as usual, adequately answered by

Wednesday March 17, 2010

Look and learn

Select and selected

Friday March 19, 2010

Example: In a public-speaking contest, the acid test is the impromptu part.

Ace that interview

There are several things you can do to create a good impression

Whichever the situation, always remember that the interviewer(s) have

Be confident: Always remember that the interviewer

The first impression

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

After the introductions, the interview will begin in full swing.

Even if you are expecting a one-to-one interview, be prepared to speak

Friday March 26, 2010

A word too many

When extra words are ill-advised.

forward, outward + lixus, akin to liqui to be fluid, to flow) is the state or

Further examples of tautology extracted from Fowler (Fowler, H.W., 1975.

Wednesday March 31, 2010

There are many words unique to Australian English.

Thomas Keneallys novels set in Australia, particularly The Chant Of

small enclosure for livestock; bush or scrub in Australia, as in North

bottle-o (bottle shop/off licence), convo (conversation), defo (definitely)

Wednesday April 7, 2010

Sending the wrong message

SURPRISINGLY, most of the English people I know, here in Penang, seem

(ridge). The last part is the same in both words: IBLE as in

Wednesday April 7, 2010

Looking at some troublesome words.

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

Friday April 9, 2010

comparative degree is unacceptable at least in this particular instance.

Friday April 9, 2010

Not a word too many

When extra words are in order.

reduplication, having been derived probably from a language of the

(3) assonating compounds (beli-belah, celorong-celoreng, cobak-cabik,

son, Prince Charles; (2) Him-big-black-fellow-with-the-white-teeth-hit-himin-the-teeth-he-cry is what else? a piano!

William James in his essay On A Certain Blindness In Human Beings

Wednesday April 21, 2010

Look and Learn

PNB should have put more thought before sending complimentary

Friday April 23, 2010

The lowdown on adjectives

A ramble through the different aspects of adjectives words which

Word-order for adjectives

Often one is required to make comparisons, such as taller than or younger

Handling of non-gradeable adjectives

accusative (objective) case, the adjective must be declined in the same