Class Monitor & Mdm Wee `08!

Class Monitor, Mdm Wee & Class Monitress `07!

Today is the last day that Mdm Wee teaching us.

We hope Mdm Wee do check this blog whenever she is free. ;D

And wishes her all the best in the New School!

And any of you want to upload your pictures here, please find me thru' MSN.

Add me if you want too, javuskai@hotmail.com =D

We have to pass our EL in the "N" Level.

So this are the points/help that Mdm Wee gave us.

#1. If your reading and writing portfolio and EL file are not organised properly, put in some effort to file them neatly and nicely because being organised will be a good start! It makes revision easier!

#2. Look through your files and go through the comprehension and summary skills taught in class. Then, re-do the comprehension and summary assignments and compare what you have done again with what your EL teacher has gone through with the class.

#3. Spend at least 30min a day reading. You may read the Straits Times, New Paper or any other English story books. The reading time must have uninterrupted. While reading, you might want to:

- Take note of the tenses used in the text. Think about them. Ask yourself, for example, why the present or past tense is used.

- Pick out any words which you do not understand or have never seen before. Write the word down in a note book (Vocabulary Book - start a book on new words/phrases if you have not done so!). Check the meaning and usage of the word you do not know and write them down.

- After reading any news stories in the newspapers, ask yourself if you were to write an essay using the same story, what are the possible titles that would fit in? This will help broaden your ideas for writing a narrative/personal recount. Also, it will help you be more flexible in twisting ideas to fit into a title for writing.

#4. Watch the 9.30pm English news every night. There are subtitles on the TV screen to help you follow the news. This will deifinitely help you improve your command of the language. News readers are excellent models for oral reading. Watching the news also increase your general knowledge.

#5. If you do not have a copy of a book on model essays, buy one and spend every day reading through at least ONE model essay, taking note of the content and language used in the essays (as in #2).

#6. SHOW not TELL: It is important to be able to show more and tell less if you are writing a narrative or a personal recount. Go through the notes given to you on SHOW not TELL and ask yourself, what are the phrases for each of the emotions (happiness, sadness, anger etc.) you would like to learn to use whenever you are writing a story. Use them consciously in your own writing (and even in your conversation). Repeated use of the same words/phrases will help you when you eventually need to use them in the examination. They will cone on naturally!

#7. Write more essays on your own and approach your EL teacher to mark the essay and go through with you ares for improvement other than language errors. More practice will help you a lot!

#8. Oral communication - your EL teacher would have taught you skills on oral reading, picture discussion and conversation. Practice them at home. You cannot expect yourself to become a good speaker of the language without any practice. It takes practice! Practice reading with correct stress pattern and intonation. Pronounce your end consonants. Your eyes must read faster than your mouth so that you read with fluency and continuity. For picture discussion, use the present tense and always speak in complete sentences. Similarly for conversations, speak in complete sentences.

#9. Speak English all the time (at least when you're with your friends if not at home as well). Try to speak standard English as best as you can. Oral communication carries 20% in your examination. It's worth practising for it!

#10. ALWAYS ASK YOUR EL TEACHER FOR HELP! MAKE TIME TO CONSULT YOUR EL TEACHER!

Lastly, wish everyone in 4C happy holiday and make full use of it wisely! ;D

-Kai Xun