WE Malaysians are a pampered lot and that cannot be denied.

We have to be reminded, rewarded

and coaxed to do what we need to do and to carry out our responsibility as good citizens.

Lucky draws for settling bills on time, discounted rates for traffic summonses, rebates, incentives,
free garbage bins for disposing OUR garbage and what’s next, cash vouchers for mowing our lawn?

Waste management is one of the many issues we need to handle seriously.

As the whole world is viewing it as one of the pressing issues and taking measures to handle it by
taking proactive action, we are displaying our lackadaisical attitude and contributing little towards it.

It is estimated that there will be a drastic 65% increase in our waste production with about 17,000
tonnes per day by 2020, filling to the brim the capacity of two out of three landfills at Jeram in Kuala
Selangor and Tanjung Dua Belas in Kuala Langat by 2035.

In my view the younger generation is our only hope as the older generation is least perturbed by the
awareness campaigns, talks and the endless advertisements on print and television yield no
satisfactory results.

Recycling and separating waste is a brilliant idea which has to be implemented immediately. Many
countries have adopted this method which is proven to be effective in reducing waste and also in
assisting recycling attempts.

There is no excuse for one not to be able to do it as all one needs is a certain degree of awareness
and a little respect for nature.

Awareness can be created among children as young as kindergarten goers by introducing simple
steps. Children absorb what is conveyed way better than adults.

Teachers too should play their role by strictly implementing garbage disposal methods which need to
be followed by all students.

Schools can play a major role in recycling by introducing a recycling culture and also by encouraging
the usage of containers and minimising the use of (disposable) plastic bags and bottles.

Instead of taking drastic measures, small steps can be implemented by having plastic-free days
once or twice a week. It may be difficult in the initial stage but I believe it can be successfully
implemented if all parties, teachers, parents and students work together.

Parents too should be educated on the dire need of recycling and encouraged to adopt it as a way of
life. Through these activities students are offered an opportunity to get on to the bandwagon besides
creating the much needed awareness. Schools too should be banned from practising open burning
and improper garbage disposal methods.

Though many schools have formed recycling clubs, the response and feedback have not reached a
satisfactory level. These clubs bring zero meaning if they exist without any contribution or active
involvement. Therefore, a more serious look needs to be taken on these attempts to ensure what
has been started be continued effectively.

Public too should be educated on the importance of separating their garbage but since enough has
been done in terms of education, it’s time for action. Despite notices on ways of trash disposal and
information on collection of specific trash on specific days is widely distributed, many prefer to turn a
blind eye.

Trash disposal and separation methods used in our country are not as complicated as the ones
practised in some developed countries. In some countries trash is sorted based on burnable, non-
burnable, paper, plastic, PET bottles, cans, styrofoam, newspapers, cartons, unbroken glass, and
batteries which are required to be placed on specific bags and to be collected only on specific days.

Fortunately ours is a fairly relaxed system and what is needed is some basic separation depending
on the nature of the trash.

Unfortunately being pampered, most of us don’t follow the guidelines and dump our trash
inconsiderably expecting the garbage man to do the dirty job of sorting it out. It’s high time for the
relevant authorities to act.

Impose heavy penalties on those who are adamant in not observing the set rules. Temporary
suspension of garbage collection can be imposed on habitual offenders.

Coaxing and rewarding have to end and each and every one of us need to realise the desperate
need to find a solution for our garbage issues or be ready to sink under the weight of our own trash!
I AM one of those lucky few to have pursued a tertiary education in a foreign land, courtesy of a
scholarship award by the Education Ministry.

I recall with fondness the reading habits of the people living in Dunedin, New Zealand during the
mid-90s.

At home, parents led by example. Most of the parents I knew were avid readers. They played a
pivotal role in developing the early interest in reading among children, starting from infancy.

Stories were read at any available time, but almost always before bedtime. A bedtime story was one
which was much awaited, however short, as it was deemed a deserving reward for good behaviour
or for a good deed.

Most parents bought books as gifts for their children’s birthday, took their children to book fairs and
took them diligently to the libraries. This parental effort and sacrifice contributed positively to the
desire and need to read, filling the minds of the young ones with adventures and fantasies, besides
instilling noble values in the young hearts and minds.

In schools, the reading habit was cultivated healthily. Books were made available in the classroom,
in strategic locations around the school and of course in the libraries.

In the classroom, reading skills were developed systematically and consistently through various
strategies like Intensive Reading and the Big Book Approach. My children are testimony to this
development. In short, reading was both fun and educational.

The teachers’ commitment and dedication in promoting reading deserves praise. I recall once when
my son was unwell at school, I received a phone call requesting me to take him home.

When I arrived at the classroom, my son was draped in a blanket, seated very comfortably on the
lap of the teacher, listening very attentively to a story being read by the teacher.

Upon seeing me, the teacher said: “Give me a minute. I’m about to finish the story”. I stood there
watching in amazement the great job the teacher was doing. I definitely learnt a lesson or two on
parenting that day.

The support from the city authorities and its people was overwhelming. The public library in the city
was a massive building with lots of books from all over the world, catering for the different
international communities that lived, worked or studied there.

Besides books, one could easily get hold of magazines, journals, newspapers and other
publications.
Anyone could borrow a book irrespective of whether you are a local or not. Membership was free.
And most interestingly, one could borrow up to 50 books at any one time!

I know it’s hard to imagine the transportation of these books but the joy of seeing your children
actually competing among them in a healthy rivalry to read makes it an immense investment in
moulding and nurturing the future generation to become good readers.

It was normal to see people reading books or magazines while waiting for a bus or a train, or waiting
to be attended to at a service counter or waiting to be seen by the dentist.

While travelling using the public transport, the person seated next to you would greet you politely
with “Good Morning” and “How are you?”, and perhaps “Where are you heading to?”.

Very often, the conversation was a short but respectful one. Then, the person would proceed to
open up a book and start reading. This was especially so for long hours of travelling.

Initially, I found this rather strange as I was used to engaging people in a conversation for long hours
when travelling in Malaysia. Over the two years I spent there, I adapted, or rather had to adapt, to
this new habit.

I do not know how much of this holds water today but I’m sure we can learn a thing or two from such
a good practice abroad.

It is through reading that we become more knowledgeable and better thinkers, become more aware
and tolerant of our surroundings, thus helping us expand our potential and scale heights beyond our
imagination.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will be at a “slight disadvantage” in the competive global environment
because of their poor command of English, said Jobstreet.com.

The online recruitment company recently placed Malaysia, behind Singapore and the Philippines in an
English Language assessment test conducted in Asian countries.

“We are not that far off in the ranking but the third place does mean that we do have a slight disadvantage
when we compete globally for businesses,” said JobStreet.com country manager Chook Yuh Yng.

Chook said there was a need to appreciate the importance of English proficiency as English is recognised
as the international business language.

“Proficiency in English influences one’s ability to communicate effectively, and to articulate ideas and
solutions well. It also affects self-confidencethe , ability to work in a team and excel, and so on,” said
Chook.

“In a 2009 survey with employers, we found that lack of proficiency in English is also the one of the top
three reasons for the unemployment rate among graduates,” said Chook.

She said that in a 2009 survey, 91% of companies surveyed said that English was their official business
language.

She added that the lack of English proficiency was a “worrying trend” as the ability to communicate is
among the five main criteria employers look for in job applicants.”

The JobStreet.com English language assessment test was conducted from November 2009 on 1.5 million
workers in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The test comprised 40
questions to evaluate an individual’s grasp of the language.

It had ranked Singaporeans first, Filipinos second, while Malaysians came in third. Thailand and
Indonesia came in fourth and fifth respectively.

IN the past few decades many of our students have left schools, colleges and universities without
mastering the English language. They are now in different work places and many have confessed
that their lack of proficiency in English has somewhat hindered or limited their career opportunities
and advancements.

Unlike teachers who are often called by the Education Ministry to attend various in-service courses
to improve their English proficiency, these people are left to fend for themselves.

They may not have the luxury of time or the means of finance to attend private English courses. It is
indeed an uphill task to say the least. But, all is not lost as where there is a will, there will be a way.

Firstly, they must possess the right mindset and recognise that success in any new venture has a
beginning and a pioneer who initiates it.

At present English is not the language spoken at home. They will have to be the pioneers; the first
generation in their families to use English. To be sure, it is not an easy endeavour. They have to be
prepared to “suffer” much agony learning the foreign tongue. They must have much perseverance,
self-confidence, diligence, patience and faith in order to succeed.
They must have the vision and strongly believe that if they make the breakthrough, their children and
their children’s children generations down the line, will find it easy, even “natural” to speak English.

But, right now, they have to play the role of pioneers to initiate that change. It demands hard work
and steadfast determination. But, it is a battle that has to be won by their sweat; it will not be
delivered on a silver platter.

If they succeed in laying a firm foundation in English, their future generations will find it easier to
build further on their English proficiency and “agility”.

So, it is not just about them but they doing something visionary and a paradigm-shift for their
children and their children’s children. This should be motivation enough for them to want to improve
their English.

Secondly, they must strive to increase their vocabulary. Before, diligent learners had to carry a
pocket dictionary wherever they went so that they could find the meanings of new words they came
across.

Today handphones are ubiquitous. Learners need only to Google search. They can also easily get
words in their mother tongue translated into English in split seconds.

New words are the building blocks of their language prowess besides helping them to prop up their
self confidence.

They should never let a significant word skip their attention. “Learn a word a day” – a catchphrase
used in language learning during earlier times is still relevant today.

Thirdly, they must read an English newspaper daily. They may not have mastered the language
while in school/college/university, but they certainly have learned some rudimentary basics that can
help them to build on their proficiency.

Begin by reading short news reports and then moving on to longer stories. They are reading not so
much for the news but to learn the English expressions in the reports.

Next, they can read the “Letters to the Editor” and even the editorials. As their confidence grows,
they can begin to read long articles by designated columnists. The process may be slow in the
beginning but with persistence they can increase their pace and the reading becomes more
enjoyable.

They will discover that the joy of seeking and finding out by themselves far exceeds that which
comes from being spoon-fed.

Fourthly, they must seize every opportunity to speak English. This is not really a difficult challenge,
given the multiracial work environment they are in.
They should overcome shyness. They should seek out those who are competent in English. Share
with these English-speaking folks that they want to learn to speak English through them and with
them.

As they engage in conversation they are also listening to how others speak the language. They must
be prepared for some awkward moments. Friends who really care will help them laugh off those
moments. They will be the wiser after each experience. So, they should be bold and be encouraged.
Speak in English whenever there is opportunity.

Fifthly, working through a textbook on English grammar at a level they are comfortable with will
certainly help. Allocate time for this formal self learning. Go one chapter or one lesson at a time.

It is not as difficult as they may think. Unlike their student days when they were “regimented and
pushed” to learn, now they have a purpose to want to learn and they can set their own pace.

They will realise that their right motivation, attitude and determination will see them through.

Finally, they can engage their minds with crossword puzzles or play games like Scrabble. They can
have fun learning English!

I REFER to the letter “Poor English goes all the way to university” (The Star, July 24).

I was least surprised to read the gross errors in the five typical sentences made by the graduating
law students from a local university.

I too had received application letters from Master’s degree graduates who wanted to teach at the
Ipoh Learning and Training Institute.

Truly, students’ English at all levels are atrocious. That’s why the CIMB boss together with many
employers have appealed to the Government to make English the top priority so that the university
graduates stand a better chance to get employed in the private sector locally and globally.

I firmly believe that we still can improve the standard of English in schools and universities.

First the powers-that-be should consider teaching History, currently a compulsory subject and pass
in SPM, in English.

This will give the students ample opportunities to learn “His-story” in English, which is not strenuous
and burdensome for the students since they are often coaxed by teachers and parents to read
English storybooks.

Additionally, the school heads should persuade their teachers and students to use English in all co-
curriculum activities – convince them it is for their own good for further studies and employment.
The English syllabus needs to be revamped and reviewed to emphasise the teaching of grammar
apart from the communicative curriculum, and more importantly to integrate it into the reading,
writing and listening lessons.

In a nutshell, grammar provides the structure a student needs in order to organise and put their
messages and ideas across in

correct oral and written English.

Therefore to string a sentence flawlessly, the student must know the rules of grammar, and of
course what a sentence is.

Similarly, like first language learners, our students who learn English as a second language must not
ignore the importance of vocabulary.

It is essential for schools to set up English corners and organise learn-a-word or five words a day
programmes for the students.

Thankfully The Star newspaper has been playing its role in its publications to help teachers with all
the stimulating lesson plans and lesson notes to learn English.

Hopefully the teachers will make maximum use of the ready-made teaching materials to motivate
and inspire the students to learn English in a fun way.