Weeklies

Obama speech Boon

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:25:11 +0600

Education reforms for a brighter future

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

In his recent speech to the US Congress, US President Barack Obama stressed the importance of education and what his government planned to do about it.

Below is the part of the speech dealing with education as published in the education section of the Bangkok Post. Notice that you can listen to Mr Obama speak as well as read what he had to say. Could any of his ideas be applied to Thailand?

Obama speaks on education

WASHINGTON

EDITORIAL NOTE: In his first speech to a joint session of Congress, US President Barack Obama outlined on Feb 24 his plan for America for 2009. His theme was that, ‘‘[America] will rebuild, we will recover and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.’’ What follows is an excerpt from that speech as it relates to education, much of which may be relevant in Thailand.

The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education. In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity — it is a prerequisite.

Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. Yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialised nation. Half of the students who begin college never finish.

This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow.

That is why it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education — from the day they are born to the day they begin a career.

Already, we have made an historic investment in education through the economic recovery plan. We have dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes in those first years of life. We have made college affordable for nearly seven million more students. And we have provided the resources necessary to prevent painful cuts and teacher layoffs that would set back our children’s progress.

But we know that our schools don’t just need more resources. They need more reform. That is why this budget creates new incentives for teacher performance, pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. We’ll invest in innovative programmes that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps.

It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it.

Tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.

And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country — and this country needs and values the talents of every American.

That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them.

In the end, there is no programme or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/ teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games and read to their child.

I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children’s education must begin at home.

joint session - การประชุมร่วมกันของสมาชิกจากสองสภา http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_session_of_Congress
recover - to return to a normal state after an unpleasant or unusual experience or a period of difficulty ฟื้น กลับฟื้นคืนสู๋สภาพเดิม
emerge - to survive a difficult situation or experience ผงาด
excerpt - a short piece of writing บทคัดย่อ
relevant - closely connected with สอดคล้องกับ
promise - a statement that tells somebody that you will definitely do or not do something คำสัญญา
pathway เส้นทาง ทางเดิน
prerequisite - precondition; something that must exist or happen before something else can happen or be done เป็นเงื่อนไขที่ต้องมีหรือทำเสร็จก่อน
dropout - a person who leaves school or college before they have finished their studies ผู้ที่ออกจากโรงเรียนกลางคัน
industrialized nation - a nation where industries are developed ประเทศอุตสาหกรรม
prescription - a solution for ทางแก้ปัญหา (prescription หมายถึง ใบสั่งยา)
decline - a continuous decrease in the quality of ความตกต่ำ
out-compete - to try hard to be much more successful
administration - the government รัฐบาลชุดนี้
ensure - to make sure that something happens or is definite ให้ความมั่นใจว่าสิ่งที่ตั้งเป้าหมายไว้จะเกิดขึ้นแน่นอน
dramatically - in great amount อย่างมากมายมหาศาล
comes in- to have a part in มีส่วนในการ
affordable - to have enough money to pay forทีสามามรถจ่ายได้
painful cuts - a reduction in amount, size, supply, etc. that no one wants to do การลดต้นทุนที่ไม่มีผู้ใดอยากให้เกิดขึ้น
layoffs - to stop employing somebody because there is not enough work for them to do การปลดคนงาน
progress - ความก้าวหน้า การพัฒนา
reform - to improve a system by making changes to it การปฏิรูป
incentive - introducing or using new ideas, ways of doing something เครื่องกระตุ้น เครื่องส่งเสริม
pathway for advancement หนทางสู่ความก้าวหน้า
innovative - เกี่ยวกับการปรับปรุงใหม่
close the gap - to reduce or get rid of the differences that exist between two things or groups of people ลดช่องว่าง
commit to - to promise sincerely that you will definitely do something, keep to an agreement or arrangement มีภาระหน้าที่
career training - การฝึกฝีมือ ฝึกอาชีพ
apprenticeship - a period of time working as a trainee for the particular skills needed in a job ช่วงของการฝึกงาน
dropping out - to stop going to school permanently without completing itการออกจากโรงเรียนกลางคัน
quitting on yourself - to give up on yourselfยอมแพ้ ไม่ให้โอกาสกับตนเอง
value the talents - to think that talents are important ให้คุณค่ากับความสามารถของ
open the doors of opportunity - make it possible for ให้โอกาสกับ
substitute for - a person or thing that you use or have instead of the one you normally use or have
ทำหน้าที่แทน

Loneliness Boon

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:05:58 +0600

Why do the busiest students feel lonely?

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

I have been working with young children and youngsters in their early teenage years for more than 10 years. What I have found that every year those new to my class become more rigid, quieter, and most importantly they tend to lack interpersonal skills. What is more frightening is that they are superkids, they have achieved well academically . What do they do on weekends? They told me with a bored look, that for as long as they can remembers they have had tight schedules. They are definitely exhausted, but they dare not take a break. I always wonder what will the future of these students be ... I mean socially.

Having read 'Combating loneliness' from the Education section, I just realized that what I have been worried about does really cause problems among children worldwide. If you are one of the students, be sure to read the story. And if you are a parent of any school-age child, you must read it and see if the story below applies to your family. The writer provides information not only found in our society but also in the US, too. I hope every one of us tries to find a better way in raising mentally healthy kids.

interpersonal skills - connected with relationships between people ทักษะในการติดต่อสื่อสารกับผู้อื่นในสังคม
achieve - to succeed in reaching a particular goal ประสบความสำเร็จ
raise a child (kid) - to care for a child until he/she is able to take care of himself/herself อบรม เลี้ยงดูเด็ก

Combating loneliness

No student is an island

Roy Krishnan, PHD

A 21st-century human being is supposed to be living in a small, flat world, where distance and time are no barriers to building relationships and engaging in meaningful conversations with people around the world. Nonetheless, a huge number of individuals still feel lonely and left out.

Why is it that advancement in communication technology has not helped enhance human relationships? Why is it that instead of bringing people together, global development has taken them farther apart?

Loneliness plague

We fully understand that no man is an island and that humans are social beings. However, statistics indicate that loneliness is rampant in our society today among all levels of the social ladder, especially among students. Loneliness is a feeling that one gets in the absence of meaningful interactions. It is usually accompanied by boredom and aimlessness.

Soon, a lonely individual feels discouraged to carry out his everyday tasks and routines because they lose their meaning and importance. Eventually, the lonely individual blames himself for his weaknesses, finds that others respond to his loneliness with irritation and a lack of empathy, and falls farther into isolation.

Possible cause

Living in a fast-paced world where quality equals efficiency, humans have invented myriad ways to shorten operations and to maximise production. By doing so, we have deprived ourselves of many opportunities to socialise and acculturate with other humans. For example, in an agrarian society, harvesting was a great gettogether time when the whole village came out to help members of the farming families.

Once completed, there were celebrations, sharing, talking, singing, dancing, story-telling, etc. In short, there were lots of meaningful interactions among people. Loneliness would have been an alien term for people in such a society; the opposite is true of our society today.

engage - to become involved with and try to understand something / somebody มีส่วนร่วมใน
meaningful - serious and important ที่มีความหมาย ที่มีค่า
left out - to not include or mention somebody / something in something ถูกปล่อยทิ้งไว้
enhance - to increase or further improve ขยาย ส่งเสริม
plague - an outbreak; any infectious disease that kills a lot of people; epidemic โรคระบาด
indicate - to show the resultบ่งชี้ แสดงผล
rampant - to grow quickly in a way that cannot be controlled เพิ่มขึ้นรวดเร็วและรุนแรง
social ladder - บันไดสังคม
absence - the fact that somebody or something does not exist or not be available การขาดหาย
boredom - ความเบื่อหน่าย
aimlessness - ไร้จุดหมาย
irritation - the state of being annoyed, especially when you do something continuously ความหงุดหงิดรำคาญใจ
fall into - to be able to be divided into something แบ่งแยกออกเป็น
fast-paced - ที่เร่งรีบ
myriad - an extremely large number of something จำนวนมากมายเหลือคณานับ
deprived of - to prevent somebody from having or doing something, especially something important
บาด พร่องซึ่ง
acculturate - to learn to live successfully in a different culture; to help somebody to do this การปรับตัวเข้ากับวัฒนธรรมใหม่
agrarian - connected with farming and the use of land for farming เกี่ยวกับไร่นา การเกษตร
alien - strange; not acceptable แปลก ไม่เป็นที่ยอมรับ

Loneliness in schools

Schools are also characterised as fast-paced. A typical school day starts with a ring of a bell, followed by a tight schedule of teaching and learning of one subject after another, short breaks in between classes, during which children are closely monitored and supervised, and finally, the day ends with a ring of a bell again.

Both teachers and students do not have sufficient time to loosen up and relate to each other as regular humans. They are preoccupied with playing distinct, rigid roles and are constantly anxious about playing their roles well, so as to avoid punishment or other painful outcomes.

Unfortunately, schools have always placed greater value on productivity rather than human relationships. This has ushered chronic cases of loneliness into schools. It is not surprising that many students feel isolated and underperform because they don’t find life particularly meaningful to them. Worldwide, loneliness is also a major cause of suicides among students.

Student advisory

Many progressive schools, especially in the United States, combat loneliness by providing sustainable emotional support to students through student advisory programmes. These schools set aside some time each week for students to meet one-on-one and/or in small groups with advisers (volunteer teachers, who act as mentors) to focus on character and civic development, as well as discuss their personal and academic goals. Students are given sufficient opportunities to talk about their day-to-day issues, define their values, develop trusting relationships with adult advocates, sharpen communication skills, participate in service-learning projects, and explore what it takes to be the best and bring out the best in others.

Deliberately providing meaningful interactions among students or with teachers is the best cure for loneliness in school.

Dr. Edward Roy Krishnan is the assistant to the chairman of the Board at Wells International School of Psychology, Assumption University, and in the Faculty of Education, St Theresa INTI College. He can be contacted at edward@wells-school.com. To access additional articles by him, visit http://www.affectiveteaching.com.

tight - difficult to manage with because there is not enough time ที่แน่นขนัด
monitor - to watch and check something over a period of time in order to see how it develops, so that you can make any necessary changes เฝ้าระวัง
supervise - ดูแล ให้คำปรึกษา
sufficient - to be in charge of somebody/something and make sure that everything is done correctly, safely, etc เพียงพอ
preoccupied - thinking and/or worrying continuously about something so that you do not pay attention to other things ที่มีใจหมกมุ่น
rigid - very strict and difficult to change ไม่ยืดหยุ่น
outcome - the result or effect of an action or event ผลลัพธ์
ushered - to take or show somebody where they should go ได้รับการชี้นำ
underperform - not to be as successful as was expected มีผลการเรียนหรือพฤติกรรมที่แย่กว่าที่คิด
progressive - in favour of new ideas แนวก้าวหน้า
sustainable - involving the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment ที่ยั่งยืน ถาวร
set aside - to save time for a particular purpose จัดเวลาเผื่อไว้
issue - an important topic that people are discussing or arguing about ประเด็น
define - to say or explain what the meaning of a word or phrase is ให้คำจำกัดความว่า
advocate - a person who supports or speaks in favour of something or of a public plan or action ผู้ให้การสนับสนุน

Supplements Boon

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:07:17 +0600

Health[y] Tips

lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

Last week I had a false alarm on my health. It started of as allergic-to-all-intake symptoms (the term I defined myself). Then the doctor suspected some malfunction of some internal systems of my body so I was sent for a blood test. Fortunately, it was nothing related to blood or major organ systems. It was just an allergy, a serious one. What happens is I am allergic to any food not freshly cooked. Any kinds of preserved food, chemically processed or with added seasonings cause rashes just after 30 minutes of eating them. That means there are a lot of foods I cannot take, such as diary products. I then need 'food supplements' to stay healthy and physically fit for any regular activity.

Thanks to 'My Life' magazine available every Thursday in the Bangkok Post, there is a variety of contents yo make your life more pleasant. This week My Life offers tips for making your life healthier in case you need some help like me. Let's read what it is there for you.

false alarm - a warning about a danger that does not happen; a belief that something bad is going to happen, when it is not สัญญาณหลอกๆ
symptoms - a change in your body or mind that shows that you are not healthy อาการ
malfunction - fail to work correctly การทำงานผิดปกติ
internal - connected with the inside of something ภายใน
allergy - a medical condition that causes you to react badly or feel ill / sick when you eat or touch a particular substance การแพ้สิ่งต่างๆ
preserved - to be kept in its original state in good condition การถนอม (อาหาร)
processed - to be treated in order to change it, preserve it, etc. การถนอมอาหาร
food supplement - vitamins and other foods eaten in addition to what you usually eat) อาหารเสริม

THE EXTRA HELP

The benefits of food supplements

BOONRAT ONGPHET

Are you facing health problems? Are you so busy that you have no time to eat? Are you always in a rush and have to eat fast food all the time? If your answers are yes, listen to what the experts have to say.

According to Dr Noppadon Pongpisuttinun, a family doctor, there are two kinds of extra food.

First, it is functional food. Functional food is the food we eat, those full of nutrients such as Mediterranean and Asian food. Second, it is food supplements. Food supplement is food that is registered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and sometimes may be able to prevent you from illnesses caused by the lack of nutrients.

In this case, it can't heal you but it does benefit you more or less. Dr Noppadon says that since lifestyles have changed so much, eating habits have changed too.

Many of us are face health problems such as constipation and obesity. The doctor suggests that those who are constipated and dislike eating vegetables, taking fiber pills may be a good supplement. Brown rice, apple, banana and papaya are also good natural choices. They will help your digestive system work more effectively.

Nutritionist Yuthasak Meesisataya says that there have been an increase in the number of intestine cancer cases in Asian countries. The key reason, he cites, is the change in eating habits and lifestyle. People no longer have time to be selective about their meals. So, they sometimes aren't able to choose nutritious food that is good for their health.

Some foods stored in a plastic bag or container are not healthy as they can cause cancer in a long run.

"So, the first thing is to change one's eating habits by consuming more vegetables and fibrous food. Exercising is also a key element in keeping healthy. Exercise everyday for 15 to 30 minutes or even three times a week always helps strengthen the mind and body."

functional food - food that has had substances that are good for your health specially added to it อาหารที่มีประโยชน์ต่อสุขภาพ
register - to record something's name on an official list ขึ้นทะเบียนยา
food and Drug Administration (FDA) - องค์การอาหารและยา
nutrient - สารอาหาร
constipation - the condition of being unable to get rid of waste material from the bowels easily อาการท้องผูก
obesity - โรคอ้วน
fiber - the part of food that helps to keep a person healthy by keeping the bowels working and moving other food quickly through the body , roughage: เส้นใย (ในอาหาร)
digestive system - the series of organs inside the body that digest food ระบบย่อยอาหาร
effectively - in a way that produces the intended result or a successful result อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ
intestine cancer - มะเร็งลำใส้
selective - tending to be careful about what or who you choose เลือกสรรด้วยความระมัดระวัง
store - to keep something in some kind of container กักเก็บ
consume - to eat or drink something บริโภค
key - very important ที่สำคัญ
element - facter องค์ประำกอบ

Recommended food supplements

FOR WOMEN

Women need more nutrition than men. So, sometimes food supplements are necessary. Evening primrose oil and omega 3 are recommended for women who suffer from menstrual cramps.

"However, these supplements normally won't be much help to those having chocolate cyst. One should not overdose on food supplements because you might lose your appetite," said Dr Noppadon.

Women also need vitamin B6, B12 and folic because they lose blood every month. For those with high concerns about aging, vitamin A, E, C and selenium are recommended. Still, you need to consult a doctor or chemist before taking any food supplement. Remember to take the recommended dose only.

Pregnant women or those with congenital diseases should not take food supplements unless recommended by their doctors.

FOR THE ELDERLY

For the elderly, who usually eat less and suffer from loss of appetite, need a lot of omega 3 and proteins. Powdered milk and more functional food is a must, suggests Yuthasak.

For those with brain and nerve problems, a diet rich in vitamin B, folic and calcium is recommended. Vegetables and fruits are a must. In addition, compounded vitamins, vitamin B1, B6 and B12 are also required for the elderly who suffer from diabetes and coronary heart disease.

FOR MEN

Men who are chain smokers and heavy drinkers, eating right is a necessity. Dr Noppadon recommends vitamin A, B1 and zinc.

"Vitamin B1 should be taken twice a day as it helps stimulate nerves," says Dr Noppadon.

OBESITY

For people suffering from obesity, Dr Noppadon suggest supplements such as lemon and basil, which also helps in weight loss. "But, of course they also need to eat right, reduce their meal quantity and exercise.

"Functional foods like wholemeal bread, instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice and fruits instead of desserts or snacks should be eaten," Dr Noppadon adds.

FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS

Children do not need food supplements as long as they eat a balanced diet, which is as chemical-free as possible. Natural foods are the best source of energy for them.

However, teenagers can consume food supplements.

"Particularly those that like to eat instant noodles often. They should take vitamin B or C," the doctor says.

Yuthasak also adds that every health problem has its causes. "If you can't find the causes, the problems will not be solved. Therefore, food supplements will not be of any help. If you eat right and exercise regularly then good health can be achieve, without the help of food supplements."

chocolate cyst - โรคเนื้องอกในมดลูกซึ่งหญิงไทยมีอัตราการเป็นโรคนี้สูงมาก
appetite- physical desire for food ความอยากอาหาร
aging - becoming old ชราภาพ
congenital disease - (of a disease or medical condition) existing since or before birth โรคที่เป็นแต่กำเนิด
compounded - substance formed by a chemical reaction of two or more elements in fixed amounts relative to each othe ที่รวมกัน
chain smoker - someone who smokes cigarettes continuously, lighting the next one from the one you have just smoked คนติดบุหรี่
basil - a plant with shiny green leaves that smell sweet and are used in cooking as a herb ใบโหระพา
instant noodle - บะหมี่กึ่งสำเร็จรูป

Similans Boon

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:57:01 +0600

Paradise on Earth

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

The Bangkok Post offers its readers a great variety of information. Take the Horizons section, for example. In his book ‘You Can Read the Bangkok Post’, Ajarn Terry describes it this way: “it is a travel section with features on interesting destinations [both home and abroad]. Here you will find a lot of practical ideas and information for trips that you might want to take or just dream about taking. The writing is much less urgent (than news writing). The writers have time and space to develop a topic in more depth."

The only discouraging factor about reading features in this section is their length. They can be quite long. Ajarn Terry suggests that (1) you not give up easily; (2) take advantage of all the help the writer gives you. (3) take a quick look through the story to see how it is organised; and (4) try to find the writer’s focus. There are usually are only one or two aspects of the topic covered in any depth.

The feature I have selected today is ‘Candidate of the week: Moo Ko Similan Marine National Park’. The Bangkok Post, in cooperation with Tourism Authority of Thailand, has organized a web-based contest for the best nine destinations in Thailand at http://www.9destinations.com/en/overview/overview.php.

Similan, is featured today as one of the rare accessible paradises on earth. It is a group of nine islands in the Andaman Sea. Unlike the famous Phi Phi and Surin Islands which offer more activities for those who are not experienced divers, Similan has survived the visits by flocks of ‘eco-tourism’ campaign and remains in pristine condition. So if you are a diver or just an amateur snorkeler, you might consider a visit to this paradise of the Andaman Sea. Even the Maldives cannot be compared to this site. I have tried them all and Similan is still the best ! Why not try it for yourself 

practical – connected with real situations rather than with ideas or theories ใช้งานได้จริง
deck – an important sentence คำโปรย
aspect – a particular part or feature of a situation, an idea, a problem, etc.; a way in which it may be considered ประเด็น แง่มุม
featured – to include a particular person or thing as a special feature ที่ให้ความสำคัญเป็นพิเศษ
accessible – that can be reached, entered, used, seen, etc. เข้าถึงได้

บทความนี้เป็นบทความแนะนำสถานที่ท่องเที่ยวโดยเฉพาะ ดังนั้น ประโยคต่างๆ ที่ใช้ในบทความจึงเต็มไปด้วยคำคุณศัพท์ (adjective) เพื่อสร้างภาพที่เย้ายวน เชิญชวนให้ผู้อ่านเกิดความรู้สึกสนใจและอยากไปสัมผัสด้วยตนเอง ดังนั้น วันนี้ดิฉันอยากให้คุณผู้อ่านทั้งหลายลองหา adjective ที่ใช้บรรยายคุณสมบัติของหมู่เกาะสิมิลัน และนำ adjective เหล่านั้นมาสร้างประโยคของคุณเอง ลองสมมติว่าคุณกำลังเขียนอีเมล์ชวนเพื่อนๆ ไปเที่ยวหมู่เกาะสิมิลันในช่วงเทศกาลปีใหม่นี้ แล้วส่งมาที่ boonbest@hotmail.com หากคุณต้องการให้ตรวจทานงานเขียนของคุณค่ะ Free of charge, of course!
ที่นี้เมื่อจะเริ่มหา adjective คุณต้องรู้จักตำแหน่งของ adjective เสียก่อน
adjective จะถูกนำมาวางไว้หน้านาม หรือหลัง linking verb (กริยาใช้บอกคุณสมบัติของประธาน)
หากว่า adjective เกิดจากการนำคำกริยามาเปลี่ยนรูป หรือ มาเป็นกลุ่มคำพร้อมกับคำบุพบท adjective ก็จะวางไว้หลังนามที่ถูกขยายความนั้นๆ

ตัวอย่าง

Generally considered to be one of the top 10 diving sites on Earth, the Similan archipelago have been described as "the world's most accessible piece of paradise".

Generally considered to be one of the top 10 diving sites on Earth, เป็น adjective phrase ขยาย Similan
of the top 10 diving sites ขยาย one
top 10 diving ขยาย sites
the world's most accessible piece of paradise เป็น adjective ขยาย the paradise

Candidate of the week: Moo Ko Similan Marine National Park

http://www.9destinations.com

Generally considered to be one of the top 10 diving sites on Earth, the Similan archipelago have been described as "the world's most accessible piece of paradise". Nor are its coral reefs and abundant marine life the only attractions; most visitors rave about the crystal-clear, turquoise-tinted waters of the Andaman Sea, the powdery white sand of the beaches and the plethora of winged and terrestrial creatures, many rare or endangered.

Beginning 70km from the nearest point on the mainland (in Phangnga province), Moo Ko Similan National Park covers an area of 140km2 and when it was declared the Kingdom's 43rd national park back in 1982 it encompassed nine islands, hence its name (similan means "nine" in Yawi, the dialect of Malay spoken in many parts of the far South; sembilan is "nine" in Malay proper).
Two additional islands - Ko Bon and Ko Tachai, geologically and physically quite separate from the rest - were put under the protection of rangers in 1989 and today the park boasts in excess of 100 dive sites - although only 13 are open to the general public.

Leviathans of the sea like the whale shark and manta ray can often be seen here. And those who haven't done a scuba-diving course can always go snorkelling: there are four major points for this off Ko Si (aka Ko Mieng) - which also has bungalows - and Ko Paed (aka Ko Similan), where there's a spot to pitch tents.

Vegetation on the archipelago ranges from sparse beach cover and shrub to proper evergreen forests with big, tall trees.
Of the approximately 140 types of wildlife found in the park, one of the highlights has to be poo kai (Gecarcoidea lalandii). A large species of land crab, the male is dark purple and the female sports red pincers. It has long legs, short pincers and is nocturnal. If you stay overnight at Ko Si you're almost sure to spot some of these magnificent creatures if you take the trail which cuts through the forest from the beach-front bungalow area on the west coast to Hat Lek on the east. The crabs emerge from their burrows after dark to look for food and if you tread carefully and keep quiet you might hear the peculiar sound that they make; some people have compared it to the call of a chick.

Wake early in the morning to feast your eyes on cha pi nai (the Nicobar pigeon aka Caloenas nicobarica) as they walk around searching for tasty tidbits on the ground. The bird can grow up to 40cm in length, has metallic-green plumage with green and copper hackles on its neck and a very short, white tail. Flying foxes are also plentiful on this island.

Underground sources of fresh water have been tapped on a few islands and closed waste-water systems are used to prevent pollution. To preserve the ecology of the park, rangers limit the number of daytime visitors to 600; a maximum of 120 people are permitted to stay on any one night. The park is open from November 15 to April 30.

If you haven't been already, maybe you should consider a trip. And if you have then you've almost certainly been impressed, so why not visit http://www.9destinations.com and give Moo Ko Similan Marine National Park a vote in our Thailand's Top Destinations campaign?

marine life - sea and the creatures and plants that live there ชีวิตสัตว์ในท้องทะเล
turquoise-tinted - to have a colour of turquoise สีฟ้าน้ำทะเล
plethora - an amount that is greater than is needed or can be used; excess ที่มีมากเกินไป
terrestrial - living on the land or on the ground, rather than in water, in trees or in the air บนบก หรือบนโลก
declared - to say sth officially or publicly ได้รับการประกาศ
encompassed - to include a large number or range of things ล้อมรอบ รวมเข้าไว้ด้วยกัน
rangers - a person whose job is to take care of a park, a forest or an area of countrysid เจ้าหน้าที่อุทธยาน
boasts - to have something that is impressive and that you can be proud of โอ้อวด
leviathans - a very large and powerful thing สัตว์ทะเลขนาดใหญ่เช่นปลาวาฬ,สิ่งใหญ่โตที่มีอำนาจมาก
pitch - to put up กางเต๊นท์
vegetation - plants in general, especially the plants that are found in a particular area or environment พันธุ์ไม้หรือพืชทั้งหลายในบริเวณหนึ่ง
evergreen forests - ป่าไม้ซึ่งมีต้นไม้ที่เขียวชอุ่มตลอดปี
pincer - a sea creature with a hard shell, eight legs and two pincers (= curved and pointed arms for catching and holding things ปูที่มีก้ามใหญ่
nocturnal - active at night ที่ออกหากินในเวลากลางคืน
tidbit - a small special piece of food; morsel อาหารอร่อย
hackles - the hairs on the back of the neck of a dog, cat, etc. that rise when the animal is afraid or angry ขนบริเวณแผงคอของสัตว์
flying fox - a large bat ค้างคาว

mangostein Boon

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:36:44 +0600

Mangkut, Anyone?

See 'Mangosteen the superfruit?' from Real-time page R6

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

Two years ago when I went to Canada chaperoning a group of students during their summer English programme, I was read an article in a local newspaper on the 10 best fruits in the world. Many of them are found in Thailand and mangkut was one of those mentioned. From that time, I have noticed a gradually increasing demand for dietary supplements extracted from this purple-skinned fruit. Many all health-related products have ingredients extracted from it, too. So, finally, we now have a Bangkok Post about mangkut.

There are many interesting points in this article. Here are some things for you to consider while you read.

- Has mangkut any proven certification of its super qualities? Or is it just a myth?
- Are there any other fruits in Thailand that may benefit your health? What are those fruits mentioned?
- What suggestions does the writer have for how to choose fruits and vegetables that are health-promoting ones?

chaperoning - to work as chaperoned (a person, such as a parent or a teacher, who goes with a group of young people on a trip or to a dance to encourage good behaviour) ดูแลเด็กนักเรียน
demand - the desire or need of customers for goods or services which they want to buy or use ความต้องการของผู้บริโภค
dietary supplement - อาหารเสริม
extracted - a substance that has been obtained from sth else using a particular process สกัด

เมืองไทยเป็นแหล่งอาหารที่ดีที่สุดแห่งหนึ่งของโลก ทว่าคนไทยเสียเองเล่าที่มักมองข้ามขุมทรัพย์ที่เรามีอยู่จนกระทั่งสิ่งมีค่าเหล่านั้นได้รับการบอกกล่าวจากคนต่างถิ่นว่ามีประโยชน์มากเพียงใด เรื่องของมังคุดเป็นอีกตัวอย่างหนึ่งที่คนไทยต้องรอให้ฝรั่งมาบอกเล่าว่ามีประโยชน์ยิ่งนัก อาหารเสริมและผลิตภัณฑ์เกี่ยวกับสุขภาพหลายอย่างที่มีส่วนผสมมาจากมังคุดถูกจดทะเบียนลิขสิทธิ์เป็นของชาวต่างชาติไป นั่นเพียงเพราะเราไม่ให้ความสำคัญกับทรัพย์ในดินสินในน้ำของเรา
บทความในวันนี้นอกจากจะให้ความรู้เกี่ยวกับมังคุดแล้วยังทิ้งท้ายให้เราคนไทยคิดต่อกันว่า ยังมีผลไม้และอาหารอีกมากมายที่เป็นของพื้นเมืองเราที่มีประโยชน์ไม่น้อยไปกว่ามังคุด ดังนั้น เราอย่ามัวรอช้า ศึกษาหาข้อมูลและเริ่มพิทักษ์รักษาสิ่งที่มีค่าให้อยู่กับแผ่นดินไทยต่อไปค่ะ

Mangosteen the superfruit?

PAMELA TAN

The sweet and juicy white fruit enclosed in a deep dark purple pericarp is being hailed as a new health discovery — but with some reservations

The superfruit market really took off in the US in the past couple of years, a response to the worldwide quest for what’s good, what’s natural, and what’s exotic and what’s trendy.

Google the word and you’ll find rafts of information on dietary supplements, nutrition articles, research, online stores and marketing details. The majority of the websites seem to centre on a small list of tropical fruit varieties: acai, pomegranate, noni, goji, blueberry, cranberry, grape, guarana, sea-buckthorn and mangosteen.

Mangosteen juices, acai extracts, pomegranate flavour protein shakes and similar products are rapidly popping up on supermarket shelves in the USA. Despite dwindling sales in the fruit industry generally, superfruit companies such as XanGo, selling mangosteen juice are posting million dollar sales.

The superfruit concept is similar to the super foods model popularised by Dr Perricone on the Oprah Winfrey show or Dr Pratt’s bestselling ‘‘Superfoods RX.’’ Capitalising on the belief that "you are what you eat", the super foods construct promotes consumption of particular high-nutrient food varieties for improved health and better quality of life. Superfruits do the same for fruit.

In their trend-setting position, superfruit products can command high prices. Some superfruit juices are tagged 10-20 percent higher than others that aren’t accorded ‘‘super’’ status. The high price tag is most likely attributed to the fruit’s exotic novelty, although they have been staple crops in Asia for generations.

Like anything trendy, controversy is never far away, and questionable nutritional claims, lack of long-term independent studies and government endorsement have threatened public acceptance of superfruits. As yet there is no Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) endorsement for any measurable nutritional superfruit content.

But the companies are standing-by their fruit. The FDA allows products to be marketed as dietary supplements if they are labeled with truthful information about the effect of the product on the structure or function of the body. And recent research on some superfruit has indicated promising health benefits.

A University of California cancer clinical study, for example, showed that pomegranate-derived metabolites can slow the incidence of prostate specific antigen in men with recurrent prostate cancer.

However, when compared to a superfruit pomegranate, a banana with no superfruit ID shows more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, folate, protein and fiber, and it has less sugar, too.

The pomegranate may be at the humble but lovable banana in iron, vitamins A and K, alpha and betacarotene, but garden varieties like apples, pears and oranges, though they may seem dull and ordinary, are well researched and have affordable established market prices.

Ultimately, good nutrition is an individual choice. Fruit and vegetables are everywhere. Enjoy the seasonal variety of flavours while making informed choices about nutrition is a simple, cheap and sensible way to healthy living every day.

If superfruits are like Superman, a lot of the Clark Kents live in Thailand, like the mangosteen or mangkut. Does it qualify as a superfruit? Well, it’s thought to be the biggest natural source of xanthones, with 43 different kinds, xanthones being plant phenols with strong anti-oxidant properties that support the immune system and neutralize free radicals in the body. They’re also said to be helpful to many conditions including high cholesterol levels, allergies, microbial and fungal infections, inflammations and gastric disorders.

The xanthones are not exactly in the fruit itself, but in the thick, purple pericarp, which is pretty well inedible. But it can be freeze-dried and incorporated in capsule form and probably in juice, too.

However, above and beyond all of that, its unique appearance and flavour — the pure snow whiteness and the vivid sweetness accompanied by the zing of fresh acidity — make it one of the most desirable fruit varieties ever. It has become enormously popular in the USA, but we have it right here every year from May to August or September.

Vocabularly
took off - to become successful or popular very quickly or suddenly ดัง เป็นที่นิยมทั่วกัน
quest - long search for sth, especially for some quality such as happiness การตามล่า
exotic - from or in another country, especially a tropical one; seeming exciting and unusual because it is connected with foreign countries ที่หายากเพราะมาจากต่างถิ่น
trendy - very fashionableได้รับความนิยมในช่วงเวลาใดเวลาหนึ่ง
google - search เสาะหา
raft - a large number or amount of something จำนวนมาก
dietary - concerning food and drinks เกี่ยวกับอาหาร
supplement - vitamins and other foods eaten in addition to what you usually eat สารอาหารเสริม
dwindling - to become gradually less or smaller ลดน้อยลง
capitalise on - to gain a further advantage for yourself from a situation ได้รับผลพลอยได้จาก
consumption - the act of using energy, food or materials; the amount used การบริโภค
command - order สั่งการ
accord - to agree with something เห็นด้วย สอดคล้องกับ
attribute to - to say or believe that sth is the result of a particular thing สืบเนื่องมาจาก
novelty - the quality of being new, different and interesting สิ่งใหม่ๆ
staple crops - the large plants being farmed in a particular area พืชพันธุ์ที่ปลูกเป็นจำนวนมาก
endorsement - a public statement or action showing that you support somebody or something การประกาศให้การสนับสนุน
content - the things that are contained in sth: ส่วนประกอบ
stand by - to still believe or agree with sth you said, decided or agreed earlier อยู่เคียงข้าง
indicate - to state ระบุว่า
promising - being full of hope ที่มีความหวัง
derived - obtained or got from ได้รับมาจาก
prostate - a small organ in men, near the bladder, that produces a liquid in which sperm is carried ต่อมลูกหมาก
antigen - a substance that enters the body and starts a process that can cause disease. The body then usually produces antibodies to fight the antigens ตัวการที่ทำให้เกิดโรคต่างๆในร่างกาย
beat the humble - showing you do not think that you are as important as other people; modest ถ่อมตัว เจียมตัว
immune system - the system in your body that produces substances to help it fight against infection and disease ระบบภูมิคุ้มกัน
neutralize - to stop something for having any effect ปรับสมดุลย์ ป้องกัน
free radicals- an atom or group of atoms that has an electron that is not part of a pair, causing it to take part easily in chemical reactions. Free radicals in the body are thought to be one of the causes of diseases such as cancer สารก่อมะเร็ง
allergies - a medical condition that causes you to react badly or feel ill / sick when you eat or touch a particular substance โรคภูมิแพ้
microbial and fungal infections - การติดเชื้อจากจุลินทรีย์หรือเชื้อรา
inflamation - a condition in which a part of the body becomes red, sore and swollen because of infection or injury การอักเสบบวม
gastric disorder - an illness concerning a stomach system ความผิดปกติหรืออาการที่เกี่ยวกับกระเพาะอาหาร
zing - interest or excitement ความหวือหวา ความตื่นเต้น
acidity - the state of having a sour taste or of containing acid สภาพความเป็นกรด

Peace Boon

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:29:27 +0600

Longing for Peace...

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

You do not want to miss this chance of reading the voices of some educated young people. There are from a group of students selected to join forum held by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, in partnership with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. These students share their points of views on ‘peace’ and how to make it possible for a harmonious living among diverse people.

It is funny that in such a time when there seems to be no resolution for our political conflicts, the young remind us that there are always differences of opinions. We do not have to see things the same way but we need to learn to “COMPROMISE” and listen to the voice of the MAJORITY and play by rules. That might be the only way out. So I invite you all to read and learn from the young from today’s article.

You know, the Buddha said, everything is impermanent and all the suffering happens because we want and do not want things the way they...teaching Thai people to learn what the Buddha taught, the core of Buddhism 'Anicca, Dukkha, Annatta' might be the only way out..

การอยู่ในสังคมใหญ่ให้มีความสุขนั้นเป็นไปได้หากเราเรียนรู้ที่จะอยู่ในสังคมด้วยการยอมรับฟังเสียงส่วนใหญ่ และปฏิบัติตามกฎระเบียบที่วางไว้ด้วยความเคารพกฎกติกาเหล่านั้น การแสดงออกของความเห็นที่แตกต่างนั้นย่อมกระทำได้ แต่ต้องอยู่ภายใต้กรอบของสังคม แต่ที่สำคัญที่สุดคือการฟังเสียงส่วนใหญ่ และยอมรับความเป็นจริง เพราะเสียงส่วนใหญ่คือการสะท้อนความเป็นจริงของคนในสังคมนั้นนั่นเอง

voice – opinion ความคิดเห็น
to be held – to have a meeting จัด (การประชุม งานแสดง สัมมนา) ขึ้นโดย
diverse – very different from each other and of various kinds หลากหลาย มากมาย
compromise – to give up some of your demands after a disagreement with somebody in order to reach an agreement ประนีประนอม
majority – the largest part of a group of people เสีียงส่วนมาก

Is peace just a fantasy?

Students mull over the causes of conflict

ROJANA MANOWALAILAO

John Lennon wished the world "would live as one" in his song Imagine in 1971. The lyrics were inspired by Lennon's hopes for a more peaceful world.

However, it seems that for the past 37 years, Lennon's lyrics "imagine all the people living life in peace" are still just imagination. He was a dreamer, "but he's not the only one ..."

Noting that "ignorance, lack of justice, discrimination, inequality, intolerance and exclusion provide fertile ground for violence, aggression and conflict", Mr Koichiro Matsuura, director-general of Unesco emphasized Unesco's role as the lead agency of the 2001-2010 International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World campaign.

He said: "Unesco's commitment to peace, dialogue and universal values is thus needed more than ever. So is the necessity to reaffirm the essential role of those values in bringing about a world of greater tolerance and of mutual understanding, respect and support in the observance of human rights."

More than 200 students recently gathered at a youth forum at Chulalongkorn University to raise awareness of the International Day of Peace, which falls annually on Sept 21.

The students discussed the role of human rights in achieving peace. This year's event coincided with the United Nations campaign to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The forum was organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, in partnership with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.

At the forum, 12 students talked with the Bangkok Post about "peace" and how it can be achieved.

Salisa Napathorn, 17, Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School
"I can't really see how peace can be achieved worldwide. But as a tiny molecule in the society, at least we can start from ourselves. If we think of ourselves less and see others before ourselves, several problems can be avoided.

When people have to work together, there are chances of conflict and those conflicts usually come from only one cause, people not seeing things the same way. So, when problems arise, we need to look at them from different angles and try to understand and compromise."

Alhuda Chanitphattana, 21, Kasetsart University
"What is peace? In the classroom, I learn about conflicts and its technical term, but not about peace. If the definition of peace is not clearly defined, how can people achieve it?"

Teerayut Teerasupaluck, 23, Thammasat University
"I once felt discriminated against when I was living in America as an exchange student. I found that because the people didn't know about other countries, they judged those who are different from themselves through stereotypes.

"Why do people look down on people who are different? "The Thai education system also doesn't offer much opportunity for students to learn about other countries. So, when students have little knowledge, they tend not to care, and it makes them look as if they are ignorant."

Assarof Sasanakul, 21, Chulalongkorn University
"Some young people only live in their own small world, driving in a comfy car, shopping and going on trips, but they don't open to the real world of people living in poverty and discrimination. They don't exercise the power they have, which is the power that can lead to peace."

Nathan Penn Maxwell, 25, Webster University
"The basic rule for peace is that you should treat people the way you want to be treated. You should value a person equally. A lot of people feel like they're entitled to do certain things, but they should acknowledge that other people have the same fundamental needs. People with the same basic needs don't agree on how to fulfil those needs. Ideas of freedom have to grow out of the soul of those nations.

"Democracy can be utilised as a model to facilitate peace and freedom. However, it must be grown from the will of people. It cannot be imposed."

Thanasak Charernrat, 20, Kasetsart University
"We should learn and understand our culture as much as we can and then learn about others as well so that we know why people are doing what they do and why they don't [do other things]."

Chakrit Issmun, 20, Srinakharinwirot University
"Peace can start in education institutes. A university is a model of the bigger society where the rich, the poor, and different races and creeds live together. It's the place where we can learn to accept each other and individual differences. But at present, there's even a divide in universities. People from one faculty don't get along with those from another faculty. It would be a good start if we can make people in the same university love and compromise with one another."

Panjaworrawat Chatwattananan, 21, Srinakharinwirot University
"Conflicts come from people who don't know their duties and responsibilities. As students, we should concentrate on our studies, for example. When people are aware of their roles and act accordingly, and don't cross other people, there'll be less trouble and more order, which is the foundation of peace."

Parnchanok Prasongnijjakij, 18, Thammasat University
"Youth is a mechanism to move the nation. Although we don't have power, we do have rights and the freedom to express our wants. Raising awareness among young people is very necessary to get together, build networks and contribute to society."

Catina Ponticello, 23, Webster University
"When people are educated, they become more tolerant of cultural diversity and they don't see the diversity as [negative]. We should give rights to everyone to believe what they want to believe and respect everyone and every society as individuals. We wouldn't have conflicts if everyone looked at each other on the same level."

Rachtaphol Sabhavasu, 17, Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School
"Sport links people together and helps tighten relationships. It teaches people a lesson of friendship, to lose some, win some and to forgive. Then peace will follow.

"I was selected as one of two students to represent Thailand in the recent Olympic Youth Camp in Beijing, China. There the participants shared the same goal: 'One world, one dream'."

Rojana Manowalailao is a media and communications officer at Unesco Bangkok. She has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia, US, and a master's in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Tefl) from Thammasat University. She has been a teacher and journalist. You may contact her at rojana@unescobkk.org .

Vocabulary
ignorance – ความไม่รู้ ความโง่ อวิชชา
discrimination การเลือกปฏิบัติ – the practice of treating somebody less fairly
inequality – ความไม่เสมอภาค
intolerance – not willing to accept ideas or ways of behaving that are different from your own
การไม่ยอมรับความคิดที่แตกต่างไป OPPOSITE: tolerance – การยอมรับความคิดเห็นของผู้อื่น ความอดทนอดกลั้น
fertile ground – the necessary condition for something to develop easily
commitment – a promise to do something ความรับผิดชอบ
reaffirm – to state something again in order to emphasize that it is still true ให้การมั่นใจ
value – beliefs about what is right and wrong and what is important in life ค่านิยม
mutual – happening together ร่วมกัน
achieve – ทำให้สำเร็จ
coincide – to take place at the same time เกิดขึ้นพร้อมกัน
forum – a formal meeting การสัมมนา
cause – สาเหตุ
angle – a particular way of thinking or presenting a situation or problem มุมมอง
stereotype – a fixed type of something แบบแผนตายตัว
entitle – to give somebody the right to have or to do something มีสิทธิถูกต้องด้วยความชอบธรรม
fundamental need – a basic need ความต้องการขั้นพื้นฐาน
facilitate – to make things become easier ทำให้ง่ายขึ้น
impose – to put something into practice นำมาปฏิบัติ
cultural diversity ความหลากหลายทางวัฒนธรรม – great differences of cultures
tighten relationship – to make a relationship stronger กระชับความสัมพันธ์

Alternative Boon

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:23:16 +0600

Alternative approach

See 'Freedom to learn' from Education front page
Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

Once again we read about an alternative approach in getting the best out of the young ones. There are various theories and methods to teach, raise, and nurture children. None is an absolute perfect solution. What we can do is to try our best to match children's needs. Today, Khun Sonthaya Chutisacha, a graduate with a counselling psychology degree, shares with us her point of view on bringing up and teaching young children.

Reading through the article you would clearly get the message that with the high demands and competitiveness in our society a large group of experts has sprung up offering professional advice on child development and learning. It has become more common for a child to be labelled with a learning disorder, a special need, etc. That is done to help such a child get the best care for his or her problem.

Khun Sonthaya looks at the situation differently. She prefers not to judge any children and label them, but to instead offer a stress-free learning environment for them. No matter what you believe, today's article is another way to look at child development and how to find the most suitable way of bringing up up children. After all, they will be the ones who are responsible for our future when we get old.

Freedom to learn

The key is to understand, control and remove stress

DIMPLE DUANGTHIP ARORA

‘A mind that is free of stress is a mind that is free to explore,’’ says Khun Sonthaya Chutisacha, as she explains her philosophy of a good education programme. She has pioneered a programme that involves invoking a love of learning in young children by eliminating physical, mental and emotional stress. This past year, she successfully shared her approach in a programme called ‘‘Learning through Movement and Awareness’’ in workshops, with teachers and at many of the major international schools.

Initial observations

With a Master in Counselling Psychology degree, Sonthaya (‘‘Sandy’’) is an educator with many years of experience in working with children from all segments of society. Some are slow and sometimes referred to as ‘‘special-needs children’’; others, who learn faster, are referred to as ‘‘regular’’ children, as classified by the present education system. Sonthaya, however, sees children through a different set of lenses. ‘‘Every child is unique, with a unique pace of learning [and a unique] understanding of, and way of coping with, the world around him that needs to be respected,’’ she says.

‘‘Of course, there are some children who are mentally challenged or have [actual] learning disorders, and they need to be in an environment that is different from that found in a regular school,’’ says Sonthaya.

One size does not fit all

‘‘What disturbs me today is the current trend among teachers in applying labels to students. Labels, such as ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder], are being overused to the point of abuse, as such labels have a damaging impact on the self-esteem of otherwise healthy children,’’ says Sonthaya as she reflects on her experience working with so-called ‘‘special-needs’’ children.

Sonthaya has worked in a special-needs school for a number of years. During her experience with the school’s children — who had apparently been made to drop out of their regular schools — she discovered something quite simple, yet disturbing. Most of the children had very normal IQs but, due to some stress factor in their life, they did not enjoy learning.

Consequently, they did not comprehend all things completely and performed poorly in class as a result. Low self-esteem was both a result and a cause of further depreciation of their morale.

‘Special’ vs ‘individual’ needs

She then undertook the task of understanding each student in her class on an individual level. She discovered that in the majority of the cases, each child was under some form of stress.

The cause of stress could be anything ranging from poor diet or lack of sleep, to communication problems with a parent or teacher, or fear of peers and performance at school.

The so-called special-needs children had special needs alright, but the needs had nothing to do with their IQ and mental abilities! ‘‘How do I get them to enjoy education?’’ was the next challenge beckoning her. Here is where she pioneered a holistic teaching approach that incorporated elements of brain gym, yoga, intentional breathing and holistic nutrition into the academic curriculum. Such simple measures almost miraculously centralised the energy of these children, who appeared to become more attentive in class.

Her coup de graˆce was to convert her class into a stress-free haven. Her method of teaching encouraged a high level of student participation along with innovative thinking followed by alternative solutions by her students

Stress-free growth centre

‘‘Today,’’ she says proudly, ‘‘most of these so-called special-needs children are on to something major in their lives. One of my students has gotten into animation, another one is on her way to becoming an occupational therapist. By just removing the stress factor and restoring their self-esteem, I helped to develop a love of learning in these children. And this thirst for and love of knowledge characterises innovative thinkers, who know how to think and search for answers.’’

Sonthaya has realised her vision to develop a learning centre for children. The Grow International Learning Centre is a not-for-profit learning centre supported by Knowledge Source Institute (Thailand).

It currently offers programmes for toddlers and preschoolers (ages one to six years). ‘‘They could be the innovators and explorers of tomorrow, at peace with themselves and the world around them because here they will learn to ‘love to learn’,’’ she says. The academic curriculum followed is the English National Curriculum. Seeing the profound effects of diet on the mental alertness and physical agility of children, she provides snacks in line with holistic nutrition.

Sonthaya deploys her acquired skills and experience in brain gym, intentional breathing and yoga to bring out the best in her students. She also incorporates other creative arts, such as music, dancing, gardening and handicrafts into the curriculum.

Sonthaya often cites Albert Einstein’s ‘‘I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn’’ as a quote that sums up the philosophy of her education programme.

Message to parents
Sonthaya’s message for parents is, ‘‘Please do not rush into labelling your children and obtaining professional assessments. Understand that they are individuals with emotional needs that are not met by keeping them involved in one activity after another. Try and assess every area of their life to see where the stress that is affecting their behaviour and performance at school is coming from. Develop a positive rapport with your child — she or he is not only a duty, but someone who could be a wonderful friend to you. Help your child unfold with loving awareness, not labels.’’

Sonthaya would be pleased to liaise with international schools to provide an intervention programme for students who are not coping. Students may attend after school hours, or join the centre for a term. The aim is to get them back on track. For more information, visit www.growpreschool.blogspot.com , or read the online document at www.growilc.com/playlearngrow.pdf, or email growilc@gmail.com.

Vocabulary

pioneer - when somebody pioneers something, they are one of the first people to do, discover or use something new ริเริ่ม

invoke - to mention or use a law, rule, etc. as a reason for doing something ก่อให้เกิด
eliminate - to remove or get rid of something / somebody กำจัด
physical - connected with a person’s body rather than their mind ทางร่างกาย
mental -connected with or happening in the mind; involving the process of thinking ทางจิตใจ
approach -to start dealing with a problem, task, etc. in a particular way วิธีการ
awareness - knowing sth; knowing that sth exists and is important; being interested in something ความตระหนัก
workshop - a period of discussion and practical work on a particular subject, in which a group of people share their knowledge and experience การประชุมเชิงปฏิบัติการ
initial - happening at the beginning; first ในเบื้องต้น
segment -a part of something that is separate from the other parts or can be considered separately กลุ่ม ส่วน
different sets of lenses มองด้วยมุมต่างๆ
pace [of something ] - the speed at which something happens: จังหวะ
cope with - to manage; to deal successfully with something difficult จัดการกับปัญหา
disturb - to make somebody worry ทำให้วุ่นวายใจ
self-esteem - great respect and admiration; a good opinion of somebody ความภูมิใจในตัวเอง
comprehend - to fully understand เข้าใจดี
depreciation - to make something seem unimportant or of no value การลดความสำคัญ
morale - the amount of confidence and enthusiasm, etc. that a person or a group has at a particular time ขวัญกำลังใจ
beckon - to give somebody a signal using your finger or hand, especially to tell them to move nearer or to follow you; signal ทำให้สนใจ
Holistic teaching approach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holistic_education
incorporate - to include something so that it forms a part of something รวมเข้าด้วยกัน
attentive - listening or watching carefully and with interest ด้วยความเอาใจใส่
haven - a place that is safe and peaceful where people or animals are protected ที่พักพิง
innovative - introducing new ideas or ways of doing something เกี่ยวกับการปฏิรูป การปรับปรุงใหม่
agility - ability to move quickly ความคล่องแคล่ว
in line with - ควบคู่ไปกับ
rapport - a friendly relationship in which people understand each other very well ความเป็นมิตร
liaise - to work closely with sb and exchange information with them ประสานงานระหว่าง ติดต่อระหว่าง

numbers boon

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:21:37 +0600

1, 3, 8 or 9? Which is the luckiest number?

See 'Lucky and Unlucky Numbers' on Education page E3
Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

What is your lucky number? One wise man says that mine is 17 :) But I have never had anything to do with the number 17 so far.

Let me give an example on how superstitious Thai people are. My maid is a vivid example. If I tell her about what kind of dream I had last night, she would quickly figure out what numbers are relevant to such a dream. She would rush off to buy a lottory ticket, and surprisingly, she gets the correct winning number every time she does so.

Superstitions about numbers are universal and timeless. Not only Thai people are superstitious. People from different cultures are to. The Chinese believe number 8 is auspicious. The Japanese and the Chinese also share the belief that number 4 is unlucky while westerners do not like to have anything to do with number 13.

Today Catherine Johnson shares with us interesting thoughts behind numbers. She talks about the Chinese's belief in the lucky number 8 and the unlucky number 13 that is supposed to bring you bad luck. If you visit any western office building, you will not be surprised to see that the 13th floor is usually left out from the control panel in the elevator. The other unlucky number we learn today is 666. What was the origin of that belief?
No matter what is said about lucky and unlucky numbers, it is all you yourself that decide your own fate...not the numbers!

superstitious - believing in superstitions เชื่อโชคลาง
relevant - closely connected with the subject you are discussing or the situation you are thinking about ที่เกี่ยวข้องกัน
auspicious - showing signs that sth is likely to be successful in the future อันเป็นมงคล

Here are some questions to help you get the main idea of the article:-
1. What is the author's personal standpoint on superstitions about numbers and their connotations?
2. Does the author think Asia is the only place where the concept of lucky and unlucky numbers are found?
3. What is the reason behind the Chinese's belief in the auspicious number 8?
4. Try to find examples of the beliefs of westerners concerning as many lucky / unlucky number as possible.

Lucky and unlucky numbers

Superstitions about auspicious or unlucky numbers have existed for millennia. Around one billion people, or 15 percent of the world’s population, watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing earlier this month. The spectacular show started at eight minutes and eight seconds past eight o’clock on Aug 8, 2008 (often written as 08:08:08 08/08/08). Many readers of the Bangkok Post probably share the Chinese belief that eight is a lucky, or auspicious, number.

In Chinese culture, numbers are considered lucky if they sound like words that mean ‘‘health’’, ‘‘wealth’’ or other positive sentiments.

The Mandarin word for ‘‘eight’’ sounds similar to the word for ‘‘prosper’’ and, in Cantonese, it is close to the word meaning ‘‘fortune’’. Finally, the Chinese characters representing ‘‘double joy’’ resemble the digits 88.

These coincidences have made eight very significant, to the extent that a telephone number consisting only of eights was auctioned to Sichuan Airlines for over $250,000 (8.53 million baht). At the time, this price made it the most expensive telephone number in the world. However, in 2006 a number consisting exclusively of sixes was sold in Qatar for a staggering $2.75 million (93.8 million baht).

Lottery numbers

Auspicious numbers are a widespread phenomenon throughout Asia, including Thailand, where it is common for people to visit especially lucky shrines to ask for guidance in picking lottery numbers. In the West, people often use the birthdates of family members or study which numbers appear more frequently.

I am not sure whether they believe that a number that has come up frequently in the past is more likely to occur again, or whether they think that they should pick a number that hasn’t come up often, believing that it must be due soon! The truth is, there is absolutely no way to predict the outcome of random events.

Although Western cultures tend to be less superstitious about numbers, irrational beliefs about luck are commonplace. In England, many people would avoid walking under a ladder or putting an umbrella up inside the house, as these actions are supposed to bring bad luck.

Unlucky 13
Friday the 13th is also considered to be an unlucky day in several European countries, although I would strongly recommend booking a flight on Friday the 13th whenever possible. With people afraid to fly on what is believed to be an unlucky day, you are more likely to have an adjacent empty seat and so can stretch out comfortably!

The number 13 has been considered unlucky by many cultures. In Thailand, the digits, when rotated, are said to resemble the Thai word for ‘‘ghost’’. As far back as 1,760 BC, the Code of Hammurabi omitted a 13th law and to this day, the superstition persists.

For example, there is no car numbered 13 in Formula One motorsport, condominium buildings often prefer to label floors 12A and 12B, and some airlines and airports omit gate 13 and row 13 altogether. The extreme fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia, from the Greek words tris (three), kai (and), deka (10) and phobia (fear of). Triskaidekaphobia is unusually widespread across many different cultures.

The ‘Devil’s digits’

Most number superstitions are confined to one country, one period of history or one particular religious group. For instance, the number 666 is held to be ‘‘the number of the beast’’ among Christians, but is lucky in China and is considered holy in Judaism.

One interesting theory is that the Bible’s original Book of Revelation did not specify the number 666, but merely referred to a ‘‘large number’’. When writing a large number in Roman numerals, the author could have simply written out all of the available symbols: D (500), C (100), L (50), X (10), V (5) and I (1) in descending order. The result, DCLXVI, is 666.

Mathematically speaking

As a mathematics teacher, I find numbers and their relationships fascinating and instructive, but I do not have a personal lucky number or hold any superstitious beliefs about them. I prefer to consider the mathematical definition of ‘‘lucky numbers’’, which can be found below.

Activity: First, write out a list of positive integers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc. Next, cross out every second number, leaving 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. Then, because the next surviving number is three, cross out every third number of your new list, leaving 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 19. The next surviving number is seven, so cross out every seventh number, and keep following that pattern.

The numbers you have left are: 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 21, 25. These are the ‘‘lucky numbers’’ in mathematics, and it transpires that 13 is a lucky number after all!

millennia - showing signs that sth is likely to be successful in the future หลายพันปี
spectacular - very impressive ตระการตา
prosper - to develop in a successful way; to be successful, especially in making money มั่งคั่ง
resemble - to look like or be similar to another person or thing คล้ายคลึง
significant - large or important enough to have an effect or to be noticed ที่สำคัญ
to the extent used to show how far sth is true or how great an effect it has
phenomenon - a fact or an event in nature or society, especially one that is not fully understood ปรากฏการณ์
shrine - a place where people come to worship because it is connected with a holy person or event ศาลเจ้้า
random - done, chosen, etc. without sb deciding in advance what is going to happen, or without any regular pattern: การสุ่ม
commonplace - done very often, or existing in many places, and therefore not unusualธรรมดา
adjacent - next to or near something ที่ติดกัน
persist - to continue to exist ยังคงมีอยู่
confine - to keep spmebody/something inside the limits of a particular activity, subject, area, etc. ; restrict จำักัด
fascinating -extremely interesting น่าตื่นตาตื่นใจ
instructive - giving a lot of useful information

GTA Boon

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:15:59 +0600

Is The Game To Be Blamed?

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

A frightening murder committed by a teenager last week is a wake-up call for Thai society. Some people suddenly put the blame on the video games. Is it really the video games that are the stimulus of this violent behavior?

To the authorities, they use such incidents to call for tougher regulations to control the cyberworld in Thailand. However, how strict should the regulations be and what long-term measures should be taken are still under debate.

If we have a tougher regulations and rules on cyber-game players, computer or Internet café owners, the repetition of such crimes might be prevented. However, this is not the absolute solution to this problem. We need to be smarter and spend more time teaching our children to be able to separate the virtual world from reality. It might be better if we provide them with more challenging activities to do in their free time, i.e. sports and music.

NOTE: You have to remind yourself, too, not to go to the extremes in pushing your children to be excellent in their leisure activities. After all, it is all up to you to be smart in keeping a balanced life.

stimulus -something that helps somebody / something to develop better or more quickly ตัวกระตุ้น
incident - something that happens, especially something unusual or unpleasant เหตุร้าย
measure - an official action that is done in order to achieve a particular aim มาตราการ
under debate - a formal discussion of an issue at a public meeting or in a parliament. In a debate two or more speakers express opposing views and then there is often a vote on the issue กำลังเป็นที่หารือกัน
two sides of the same coin - used to talk about two ways of looking at the same situation มองได้สองมุม
go to the extremes - to act or be forced to act in a way that is far from normal or reasonable ทำเกินควร

เหตุการฆ่าแท๊กซี่ของวัยรุ่นอายุ 19 ปีเมื่อสัีปดาห์ก่อนได้ปลุกสังคมไทยให้ตระหนักถึงภัยของเกมส์ออนไลน์อีกครั้ง อันที่จริงแล้วหากพิจารณาด้วยความยุติธรรมแล้วนั้น ต้นเหตุมิใช่เกมส์ออนไลน์ แต่น่าจะเป็นความอ่อนแอของสังคม ระบบครอบครัว และการปลูกฝังจริยธรรมให้เด็กไทย ให้มีความมั่นคงทางจิตใจหรือเปล่า วันนี้ลองอ่านความคิดเห็นของผู้ที่เกี่ยวข้องหลายฝ่าน ทั้งเจ้าหน้าที่ของรัฐที่วางนโยบายเกี่ยวกับความเข้มงวนในการใช้คอมพิวเตอร์และ เด็กวๆ ที่เป็นผู้ใช้คอมพิวเตอร์เอง ว่าพวกเขามีความเห็นอย่างไร และสังคมไทยควรจะรัีบมือและป้องกัีนเหตุที่เกิดขึ้นอย่างไร

A Game Isn't a Crime

We need rational thought, not knee-jerk reactions, reports Don Sambandaraksa

The Grand Theft Auto 4 copycat attempted theft and murder is a wake-up call that shows how unprepared Thai society is for the cyber world and Thailand needs a new high level independent think-tank to guide Thailand into the future according to Nectec director Dr Pansak Siriruchatapong.

People who have problems are from the weaker sectors of society. They get lost and virtual lives enable you to do things you cannot do in real life. These people do not have friends and they see the online world as the only way to express themselves. In the end, they lose track of what is real and what is virtual, he said.

Nectec, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre under the National Science and Technology Development Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology has been looking long and hard at this problem and has called for a mandate to do a scientific study on the impact of cyberspace on Thai society.

In the short term, Dr Pansak agrees that regulation is needed through the implementation of a rating system, but he warns that a iron fist approach to regulation will fail as the flexibility of the Internet will simply drive the problem underground.

Dr Pansak gave a cautious recommendation saying that the role should go to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology by definition of its mandate, but said that he does not believe the MICT has any team working on this yet.

He warned that using the cyber crime law to tackle the problem is the wrong step to begin with, as a game is not a crime.

copycat - used especially by children about and to a person who copies what sb else does because they have no ideas of their own
ผู้ที่เลียนแบบผู้อื่น
a wake-up call - การปลุกให้ตื่น ทำให้รู้ตัว
think-tank - a group of experts who provide advice and ideas on political, social or economic issues คณะทำงานระดับมันสมอง กลุ่มคนที่ทำงานเกี่ยวกับการวิจัย,
the weaker sectors of society - กลุ่มผู้ด้อยโอกาสในสังคม
get lost - unable to find your way; not knowing where you are หลงทาง
virtual - made to appear to exist by the use of computer software, for example on the Internet สภาวะเสมือนจริงที่จำลองโดยเทคนิคทางคอมพิวเตอร์
lose track - to have/not have information about what is happening or where somebody/something is ไม่รู้ร่องรอยของคนหรือสิ่ง
call for - to need something ต้องการ
mandate - an official order given to sb to perform a particular task ข้อบังคับ ข้อบัญญัติ
impact - the powerful effect that something has on something else ผลกระทบ
implementation - to make something that has been officially decided start to happen or be used การบังคับใช้
iron fist approach - a severe approach on something การแก้ปัญหาด้วยมาตรการรุนแรง
tackle - to deal with the problem จัดการกับปัญหา

In the long term, the Nectec director feels that Thailand needs a cyberspace or cyberworld committee to help guide society into the digital age. The scope of responsibility transcends any one ministry, be it the MICT or even the MoST. The committee should report directly to the prime minister or, better still, be an independent body reporting to parliament and its main mandate should be to do research and use that research to provide much needed guidance and education.

The government needs to get the many Ministries involved in cyberspace and online gaming together and come up with a coherent message whether to promote games or treat them as a dangerous drug, according to the boss of one of Thailand's largest online game companies, Asiasoft.

Lertchai Kanpai, managing director of Asiasoft, said that the Ministry of Culture has sent signals that it will be incorporating game ratings as part of its censorship regulation aimed at the media industry. However, sources tell him that the fee for censorship will be on a per minute basis. This may make sense for a movie destined for a cinema, but falls apart for an online game that never ends. It is just one example of the confusing message he gets from the government.

On the one hand they (Ministry of Culture) are trying to stop and neuter games. On the other hand, we have SIPA (Software Industry Promotion Agency, Ministry of ICT) promoting games. It's like saying that we need clever kids but outlawing tuition schools,™ he said.

One casual gamer, a university student, managed to buy the game five days after it was officially withdrawn from sale. He got it only because it was banned and he wanted to know what all the fuss was about. The cost for a genuine disc went down from 2,100 baht to 1,400 baht and it is still available in most shops on request, under the counter.

The student said that the game was nowhere nearly as violent as many other games he had, such as No More Heroes or the Resident Evil series, but he did agree that it was very different from other games in terms of its realism.

It's like a virtual world. You can play it being a law-abiding citizen, stopping at every traffic light, working hard and not committing a single crime, only it then becomes one of the most boring games in the world. In fact, you can stay at home (in the game) and watch American TV all day, he said.

It was this choice and the realism, down to the TV channels and radio stations, that he said might have made some people lose track of the difference between virtual reality and the real world.

In one multi-player GTA4 session, one of the veterans hijacked a bus and told the other players to get on. Instead of ganging-up in a crime blitz, the bus was peacefully driven around Liberty City and the veteran player explained to the others all the landmarks and tricks and techniques, acting as a virtual tour guide rather than underworld boss.

The makers have blurred the boundaries between real and virtual even further with widgets echoing in-game events that can be embedded in blogs and social networking sites.

scope - the range of things ขอบข่าย
transcend - to go or be beyond the usual limits of something อยู่เหนือ
coherent - (of ideas, thoughts, etc.) logical and well organized; easy to understand and clear เห็นพ้องต้องกัน สอดคล้องกัน
a per minute basis - บนพื้นฐานของการคิดราคาเป็นนาที
fall apart - to have so many problems that it is no longer possible to exist or function จบลงด้วยความล้มเหลว
outlawing - to make something illegal ทำให้เป็นสิ่งผิดกฎหมาย
withdraw - to move back or away from a place ถอน เอาออกจาก
the fuss - anger or complaints about sth, especially sth that is not important ความวิตกกังวล
on request -the action of asking for sth formally and politely ตามคำขอ ตามคำเรียกร้อง
realism - way of seeing, accepting and dealing with situations as they really are without being influenced by your emotions or false hopes ตามความเป็นจริง
abiding - to accept and act according to a law ยอมปฏิบัติตาม
ganging up - to join together in a group to hurt, frighten or oppose somebody ซ่องสุม
blitz - พยายามที่จะครอบงำผู้อื่นเพื่อให้เห็นพ้อง
blur - to make something unclear ทำให้เลือนลาง,
widget - used to refer to any small device that you do not know the name of เครื่องจักรกลเล็กๆ ที่ไม่รู้จักชื่อ
embedded - to fix something firmly into a substance or solid object ฝังลึกลงไป

Plastic bags Boon

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:02:19 +0600

The young make a big move!

see 'Start small, think big', Education page E2
Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

The recent UN report on global climate change indicates that Thailand's capital city is among the 26 capital cities that could be under water within decades. Since the studies have been released, authorities and experts in Thailand are giving suggestions on how we should deal with the coming natural threat created by ourselves.

In such a frightening crisis on global warming, it is still pleasing to learn that the young have gradually become more aware of their roles and responsibilities for the world as a whole. Two students from Thammasat University and Chulalongkorn University won the 2008 Young Thai Science Ambassador Awards with their campaign to lessen global warming by reducing the use of plastic bags. With hope, the growing awareness would help mininise the global threat from climate change or at least help slow down the coming disaster. Read Education page 2 to find out what the two students have done and why is it so inspiring!

indicate - to show that something is true or exists ระบุ
aware - knowing or realizing something ตระหนัก รู้
lessen - to become or make sth become smaller, weaker, less important, etc. ทำให้เบาบางลง
minimise - to reduce something, especially sth bad, to the lowest possible level บรรเทาเบาบาง
threat - the possibility of trouble, danger or disaster ภัยคุกคาม
disaster - an unexpected event, such as a very bad accident, a flood or a fire, that kills a lot of people or causes a lot of damage; catastrophe ความหายนะ
inspiring - exciting and encouraging you to do or feel something ที่เป็นแรงบันดาลใจ

ท่ามกลางความหวั่นวิตกเรื่องโลกร้อนและการพยากรณ์ (ด้วยหลักฐานทางวิทยาศาสตร์) ว่ากรุงเทพอาจจมอยู่ใต้น้ำภายใน 10 ปี ข้างหน้า นักวิชาการ ผู้เชี่ยวชาญและเจ้าหน้าที่ผู้เกี่ยวข้องต่างออกมารณรงค์ และกระตุ้นให้เราตระหนักถึงปัญหาที่กำลังจะเกิดขึ้นและออกมาช่วยกันประหยัดพลังงานคนละนิด และปรับเปลี่ยนวิถีการดำเนินชีวิตเพื่อช่วยลดภาวะโลกร้อน ดังนั้น บทความในวันนี้จึงเป็ํนบทความตัวอย่างที่จะช่วยสร้างจิตสำนึกของเยาวชนไทยในการช่วยกันเพื่อความอยู่รอดของเขาเองในอนาคตข้างหน้า
วันนี้คุณทำอะไรเพื่อลดภาวะโลกร้อนบ้างหรือยังคะ ?

Start small, think big
WEENA NOPPAKUNTHONG CHONGPRASITH

Two young science ambassadors tackle climate change

University students Pakorn Traiprasertpong and Punyapat Saksupapchon campaign for the public to use cloth bags during the Young Thai Science Ambassador Awards camp. BRITISH COUNCIL

Every time Pakorn Traiprasertpong buys books at a shop, he gestures the seller not to give him a plastic bag and then he happily walks away, knowing that he has made a small difference that day.

Pakorn, a Thammasat University student, is one of the two winners of the 2008 Young Thai Science Ambassador Awards, which was organised by the British Council Thailand and other organisers including the National Science Museum and the Science Society of Thailand under the patronage of His Majesty the King.

He and his partner, Punyapat Saksupapchon, a 19-year-old communication engineering student at Chulalongkorn University, campaign to help tackle global warming by reducing the use of plastic bags.

‘‘The objective of the award is to encourage young people to be able to communicate the ideas of science,’’ says David Elliott, director of arts and society at the British Council, ‘‘rather than the very intricate, technical details of science, to enable people to understand quickly and imaginatively.’’

An invaluable award

Pakorn and Punyapat, as winners of the competition, will join the London International Youth Science Forum for two weeks in the United Kingdom from July 23 to August 6, where they will meet scientists and science communicators, as well as participate in lectures and visit science museums.

‘‘I expect to listen to the environmental problems of each country and find out the viewpoints of the participants regarding those issues,’’ says Pakorn.

He also says he would like to learn how their countries solve similar issues and how we can apply their methods to Thailand.

Step by step

Each team has two members. They should develop a campaign concerning climate change.

Their campaign proposal should include the objectives, the target audience and the communication method, but the finer details of their presentation can be developed during their regional camp at the National Science Museum.

At the science camp, guest speakers share important skills for communications, such as how to draw the attention of a large audience.

Throughout the competition, judges are looking for a team with a realistic solution to climate change in Thailand, as well as their creativity in communicating scientific issues.
Candidates then begin to make their presentations on climate change issues.

Their presentations should portray creativity, imagination, confidence and passion about the subject, says Elliott.

make a [small] difference - to have an effect on something or somebody สร้างความแตกต่าง
under the patronage of His Majesty the King - ในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์
tackle - to make a determined effort to deal with a difficult problem or situation รับมือ จัดการกับปัญหา
objective - something that you are trying to achieve; goal วัตถุประสงค์
intricate - having a lot of different parts and small details that fit together ที่ซับซ้อน
participate - to take part in or become involved in an activity มีส่วนร่วม
apply their methods - นำวิธีการมาใช้
concerning - about sth; involving something / somebody ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับ
audience - the group of people who have gathered to watch or listen to sth (a play, concert, sb speaking, etc.) ผู้ฟัง
regional - of or relating to a region ในภูมิภาค
draw the attention - to attract or interest somebody ทำให้สนใจ
candidates - a person who is trying to be elected or is applying for a job ผู้ได้รับการเสนอชื่อเข้าแข่งขัน
portray - to describe or show somebody /something in a particular way, especially when this does not give a complete or accurate impression of what they are like SYN represent แสดง
passion - a very strong feeling of love, hatred, anger, enthusiasm, etc. ความชอบ ความหลงใหล

A planet free of plastic bags

The teams in the final round have to imagine that they are setting up a booth in a national science exhibition.

The winning team this year, who call themselves ‘‘Gasohol’’, designed their booth in a shape of a rocket with eight stations. Pakorn says the rocket was destined to leave for a new planet where no plastic bags are used.

The different stations were meant to provide information about the negative consequences of using plastic bags, as well as propose alternative solutions.

Their booth showed that the energy used to produce nine plastic bags can be converted into enough gasoline to power a small car over a distance of one kilometre.

Pakorn and Punyapat stressed the point that the process of producing plastic bags involves the combustion of fossil fuels.

The team emphasized the effects of fossil fuels on global warming and highlighted the February 2007 conclusion by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that 90 percent of the causes of global warming came from the burning of fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is produced when a fossil fuel is burned. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere prevents heat from Earth from being reflected into space, thereby creating severe climate change.

The team also showed that a plastic bag remains in the same shape and form after being buried for 10 years. It takes 450 years to decompose a plastic bag. This compels people to resort to destroying plastic bags by burning them. The burning process, however, emits carbon dioxide, which only aggravates the already deteriorating situation.

The team showed them how to adopt other ways to avoid using plastic bags, such as showing them how to use a piece of cloth to wrap around objects to transport them instead of putting them inside a plastic bag, or persuading them to use metal lunch boxes or wicker baskets as food containers.

Role of a science ambassador
The British Council hopes the winning candidates will be able to engage with other participants and create a network in the UK. As science ambassadors for the UK, they should help promote projects involving science and climate change.

‘‘Ultimately, I hope they will be able to communicate the issues of climate change effectively to their peers,’’ says Elliott, ‘‘and make sure that they incorporate sharing ideas in their careers in the future.’’

Who can apply

Persons who are interested in entering the competition can be any Thai university student between the ages of 17 to 21 years who are studying a science subject. They need to have a good command of English to be able to communicate at the forum in the United Kingdom.

destined - having a future which has been decided or planned at an earlier time, especially by fate ที่ถูกกำหนด
consequence - a result of something that has happened ผลที่ตามมา
propose alternative solution - เสนอทางเลือกในการการแก้ปัญหา
convert - change or make something change from one form, purpose, system, etc. to another แปรรูป เปลี่ยน
combustion - the process of burning การเผาไหม้
excess - an amount by which spmething is larger than something else ที่มีปริมาณมากเกินไป
reflect - show the image of somebody or something on the surface of sth such as a mirror, water or glass สะท้อนให้เห็น
severe - extremely bad or serious ที่รุนแรง
decompose - to be destroyed gradually by natural chemical processes ย่อยสลาย
compel - to force sb to do sth; to make sth necessary บังคับ
resort to to make use of sth, especially sth bad, as a means of achieving sth, often because there is no other possible solution SYN have recourse to ใช้มาตราการ
emit - to send out sth such as light, heat, sound, gas, etc. ปล่อยควัน หรือ แก๊สออกมา
aggravate - to make an illness or a bad or unpleasant situation worse; worsen ทำให้แย่ลง
deteriorating - to become worse ทำให้เลวลง
persuading - to make somebody do something by giving them good reasons for doing it ที่โน้มน้าวใจ
wicker - thin sticks of wood twisted together to make baskets, furniture, etc เครื่องจักสาน
engage with - to become involved with and try to understand somebody / something เป็นส่วนหนึ่ง
ultimately - at the most basic and important level อย่างที่สุด
effectively - in a way that produces the intended result or a successful result อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ
incorporate - to include something so that it forms a part of something รวมเข้าด้วยกัน
a good command of English - ความสามารถในการใช้ภาษาอังกฤษระดับดี

Exercise

แบบฝึกหัดในวันนี้ขอพูดถึง infinitive และ gerund
ในสัปดาห์ที่ผ่านมานักเรียนที่ดิฉันสอนได้ตั้งคำุถามว่าผู้เรียนจะรู้ได้อย่างไรว่าคำใดคือคำกริยา และคำใดไม่ใช่ ในเมื่อคำบางคำพวกเขาถูกสอนว่าคือคำกริยา ทั้งนี้ในการใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ผู้อ่านต้องทำความเข้าใจก่อนว่า คำกริยาในประโยคจะต้องมีรูปปรากฏใน tense ต่างๆ ไม่ว่าจะเป็นอดีต ปัจจุบัน หรืออนาคต และคำกริยาจะทำหน้่าที่ 2 หน้าที่ในประโยค คือ บอกเวลาที่ประธานทำกริยานั้นๆ และบอกว่าประธานเป็นผู้กระทำกริยานั้นเองหรือไม่ (active - passive voice)
ดังนั้น ทุกครั้งที่มีการใช้ภาษาผู้ใช้ภาษาต้องเลือกใช้หรือหากริยาในประโยคให้พบก่อน และกริยานั้นเิองจะเป็นตัวกำหนดโครงสร้างที่สำคัญของรูปประโยคว่าต้องการกรรม หรือส่วนขยายประธาน หรือส่วนขยายกริยา (adverb) หรือไม่อย่างไร
เมื่อหากริยาในประโยคแล้ว คำอื่นๆ ที่มีรูปเหมือนกริยา (infinitive = คำรากศัพท์ของกริยา หรือ gerund = กริยาในรูป V + ing) นั้นจะทำหน้าที่อื่นๆ ในประโยค ไม่ว่าจะเป็น adverb adjective หรือ คำนามก็ได้

Underline main verbs, and infintives and/or gerunds of the following sentences.

1. He gestures the seller not to give him a plastic bag and then he happily walks away.
2. He and his partner, Punyapat Saksupapchon, a 19-year-old communication engineering student at Chulalongkorn University, campaign to help tackle global warming by reducing the use of plastic bags.
3. They should develop a campaign concerning climate change.
4. I expect to listen to the environmental problems of each country and find out the viewpoints of the participants regarding those issues.
5. The different stations were meant to provide information about the negative consequences of using plastic bags, as well as propose alternative solutions.
6. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere prevents heat from Earth from being reflected into space, thereby creating severe climate change.
7. the energy used to produce nine plastic bags can be converted into enough gasoline to power a small car over a distance of one kilometre.
8. Pakorn and Punyapat stressed the point that the process of producing plastic bags involves the combustion of fossil fuels.
9. I hope they will be able to communicate the issues of climate change effectively to their peers.
10. They need to have a good command of English to be able to communicate at the forum in the United Kingdom.

Speaking Boon

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:01:51 +0600

Improving your speaking

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

Among the four skills to be strengthened in learning English, writing and speaking are the biggest challenges for Thai students. Cultural differences, of course, are a big factor. Writing, which will be discussed in a few weeks to come, is hard work if you are not familiar with different styles of writing and you rarely spend time reading.

Speaking proficiency, on the other hand, is much easier to improve. If you expose yourself to a multicultural environment, associate with friends where English is the medium of communication, listen to audio sources, etc, you will gradually be able to pick up the skill.

In today's education section of the Bangkok Post, David Park tells us what is the assessment by an IELTS examiner is like; why some tests last longer or shorter than expected. He also points out what makes it difficult for Thai students to get good results from their speaking test. There are also some interesting tips for improving your skills.

การพูดภาษาอังกฤษเป็นปัญหาใหญ่สำหรับเด็กไทยที่ไม่ได้อยู่ในสภาพแวดล้อมที่ใช้ภาษาอยู่เป็นประจำ วันนี้อาจารย์เดวิดบอกเล่าให้ฟังว่าอะไรคือปัญหาในการสอบพูด เล่าถึงมุมมองในการประเมิณการพูดของนักเรียนจากอาจารย์ผู้สอบให้ฟัง พร้อมทั้งได้แนะนำวิธีการเตรียมพร้อมในการเข้าสอบให้เราทราบด้วย รีบอ่านกันนะคะ เคล็ดลับในการทำคะแนนอยู่ข้างล่างนี้เองค่ะ

Speaking test problems

DAVID PARK

It’s clear from the comments that candidates and students make that there are many wrong ideas about the speaking module in Ielts (International English Language Testing System). Here are three common misunderstandings.

If the examiner stops you,your English is bad
An Ielts candidate had this to say after her recent exam: ‘‘When the examiner asked me something and I was answering, sometimes he didn’t wait and let me finish what I wanted to say. Maybe he didn’t like what I was saying, or my English was no good.’’

The fact is that examiners may need to interrupt candidates in any part of the speaking module.

In Parts 1 and 3, examiners must ask test takers a range of questions to allow the candidates’ speaking skills to be fully assessed. Each question tests candidates’ ability to use English in a different way.

For example, one question might test how well candidates can satisfactorily compare items in English. The next question might test whether test takers can talk about possible events in the future.

Consequently, if a candidate gives a longish answer to a question, the examiner may decide to interrupt. This gives the examiner the opportunity to ask other questions to assess different aspects of the candidate’s English.

As well, there’s a maximum time limit for each part of the test, so an examiner may need to interrupt an answer to keep within time limits. Similarly, examiners will interrupt a candidate if the Part 2 talk starts to run over the maximum time of two minutes. In all parts of the test, however, there’s no scoring penalty for being interrupted.

If a candidate is interrupted many times, it’s usually because the answers are longish. Nevertheless, willingness to talk at length is one of the factors affecting the fluency score. Provided there’s not too much hesitation, correction or repetition, talking at length gives a candidate a better chance of getting a higher mark for fluency. This is good!

candidate - a person who is trying to be elected or is applying for a job ผู้สมัครเข้าแข่ง เข้าสอบ
interrupt - to say or do something that makes somebody stop what they are saying or doing ขัดจังหวะ
assess - to make a judgement about the nature or quality of somebody /something ประเมิณ
satisfactory - good enough for a particular purpose; acceptable ยอมรับได้
longish - fairly long ค่อนข้างยาว
aspect - a particular part or feature of a situation, an idea, a problem, etc.; a way in which it may be considered ประเด็น แง่มุม
penalty - a punishment for breaking a law, rule or contract การลงโทษ
fluency - the quality of being able to speak or write a language, especially a foreign language, easily and well ความคล่อง และเชี่ยวชาญในการใช้ภาษา
hesitation - to be slow to speak or act because you feel uncertain or nervous ความมุ่งมั่น

If the test is short, your English is bad

Another test taker made this comment after his exam: ‘‘I felt like the examiner didn’t spend more than about 10 minutes with me for the speaking exam. When he said that the exam was over, I was surprised and wanted to say, ‘Please ask more questions, I still want to speak.’ So I don’t know what that meant. Maybe he felt like my speaking was very poor or that he didn’t understand my speaking at all, and so he stopped the exam.’’

The speaking module only lasts 11 to 14 minutes. In the case above, the examiner gave the candidate the minimum time allowed. Why would the examiner use the minimum time allowed? It would simply be because the examiner had already decided the candidate’s speaking level. It wasn’t necessary to continue for up to three more minutes.

Provided a candidate is talking at a normal speed, an examiner is often able to assess a candidate’s speaking skills within the minimum period of 11 minutes. Most speaking tests therefore last around 11 to 12 minutes.

Sometimes, however, examiners will let a test continue for any time up to the full 14 minutes allowed. This may happen, for instance, if a candidate hasn’t spoken enough to allow the examiner to satisfactorily assess the candidate’s range of speaking skills in 11 minutes.

As an example, nervous candidates may need extra time to show their full language ability as:

their answers may tend to be brief;
they may be speaking slower than normal; or
they may be pausing, correcting, hesitating and/or repeating themselves a lot.

On the other hand, there are positive reasons why tests take longer. For instance, strong candidates tend to give long and detailed answers to Part 3 questions, which take up more time. Also, an examiner who is particularly enjoying the discussion might use the full time allowed.

The main point is that examiners never finish tests before 11 minutes. In contrast, examiners use as much of the 14 minutes available to them as necessary to ensure the candidate’s score is accurate.

In other words, the extra time between 11 and 14 minutes is available to make sure that:

enough questions are asked in Parts 1 and 3;
candidates have the opportunity to present ideas;
test takers’ assessments are accurate.

The fact that examiners speak with some candidates for the minimum time does not indicate that the candidates’ speaking is poor, or good, or even excellent.

module - a unit that can form part of a course of study, especially at a college or university in Britain
provided - used to say what must happen or be done to make it possible for sth else to happen; if ถ้า
range - a variety of things of a particular type ขอบข่าย
brief - lasting only a short time; short สั้น
on the other hand - used to introduce different points of view, ideas, etc., especially when they are opposites ในทางกลับกัน
accurate - correct and true in every detail อย่างถูกต้อง
in other words - used to introduce an explanation of something บางอย่าง

If the examiner doesn’t look interested,your English is bad
One candidate told me her examiner often didn’t look directly at her while she was talking. She thought this meant that her answers were boring or that her English was poor. Another candidate wrote this on the Internet:

‘‘If an interviewer doesn’t respond excitedly to your answers and looks indifferent, you are not going to make a satisfactory score in speaking.’’

Both candidates wrongly interpreted the examiner’s body language. A lack of eye contact does not mean that what candidates are saying is boring or that their English is poor. While a candidate is talking, the examiner:

is listening to everything being said in order to carefully analyse the candidate’s speaking skills;
is perhaps glancing at papers on the scoring scheme; may be making some brief notes; or
is reading the next question to be asked.

As well, the speaking module is a standardised test. This means that assessment is not based on a loose, social conversation, but on a formal, structured interview. It also means that speaking test examiners around the world are required to behave professionally and in a consistent way.

For example, they have to avoid giving encouraging comments (.e.,g, ‘‘That’s interesting’’) or showing excessive supporting gestures with their hands or face. An examiner will certainly never ‘‘respond excitedly’’ to an answer, contrary to what the person on the Internet may have suggested.

Write to me at david.park@idp.com if you need any help preparing for Ielts. I’d be happy to answer your questions.

body language - the process of communicating what you are feeling or thinking by the way you place and move your body rather than by words ภาษากาย
glance - to look quickly at something / somebody ปราดตามอง
encouraging - o give somebody support, courage or hope ให้กำลังใจ
contrary to - showing or proving the opposite ตรงข้าม

Boring English Boon

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:25:03 +0600

What makes English a boring subject?

lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

Have you ever asked yourselves why all of the sudden you just do not feel like studying English? Very likely, it is because it seems to take huge effort to remember endless lists of difficult words and complex sentence structures.In reading, once you got stuck with more than five words or you cannot get the meaning of the first few sentences, giving up is much easier.

Often, English grammar seems to always be the cause of students’ lack of interest and poor performance in the subject. As Steve suggests in today’s article, it is probably the boring presentation of the teachers that kills the students' desire to learn. Let’s take a look of what Steve has to offer today to make English more fun and more darling to us all.

huge effort - a lot of effort
giving up - quit doing something ล้มเลิก
poor performance - ผลการเรียนไม่ดี
kill the desire - to destroy or make the someone lose interest in something ทำให้หมดความสนใจ

หลายคนพูดเป็นเสียงเดียวกันว่าภาษาอังกฤษน่าเบื่อเำพราะการเรียนไวยากรณ์ยากและซ้ำซาก และนำไปใช้ไม่ได้จริง อาจารย์สตีฟทำแบบสอบถามจากนัีกเรียนของเขาและพบว่าเด็กเบื่อหน่ายที่ต้องเรียนในสิ่งที่เขาจินตนาการไม่ออกว่าจะนำไปใช้ในชีวิตจริงอย่างไร โดยรวมแล้วเด็กมีโอกาสใช้ภาษาอังกฤษน้อยมากเมื่อคิดเฉลี่ยเป็นจำนวนชั่วโมงในแต่ละสับดาห์ เด็กส่วนมากยังมีโอกาสอยู่ในสภาพแวดล้อมที่มีการใช้ภาษาอังกฤษสื่อสารจริงเพียงเล็กน้อย และหากมีเด็กก็เป็นเพียง passive users เท่านั้น คือ มีบทบาทเป็นผู้อ่านและผู้ฟัง แต่ไม่ได้เป็นผู้พูดหรือเขียนเอง ดังนั้นเราจึงควรเลือกสรรเนื้อหาและหาวิธีการนำเสนอการใช้ไวยากรณ์ที่เหมาะสมกับการใช้งานได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพเพื่อให้เด็กนำไปใช้ได้ทันทีในชีวิตจริง ฟังดูเหมือนง่าย แต่วิธีการคัดสรรและนำเสนอต้องใช้ความพยายามของผู้สอนมากเหลือเกินค่ะ :) Try to encourage yourselves, too.

Why Thai students do not like learning English

By Steve Graham

Most of my students dislike English unless they are English majors

At the start of every semester, I ask my students to fill out a questionnaire and take a placement test, so that I have some administrative data to work with. The questionnaire has evolved over the last 15 years since I first decided to use one, and I try to offer different questionnaires for different occasions.

An enquiring mind

Most recently, I decided that I wanted to find out how my students learned English while in primary and secondary school. So I asked them to describe in writing what they thought about the English they had learned.

A pattern emerged. They all started to learn English in Prathom 5. Learning English in Grades 5 and 6 seems to have been an enjoyable process. Students attributed their joy of learning English in those early years to their teachers playing games and singing songs.

The learning of ABCs proved exciting and words such as cat, sat and mat were taught and fully understood by the youngsters.

Students began developing a dislike for English when they moved to secondary school. A cloud of depression seems to set in as students are confronted with a foe so great as to make them hate English for the rest of their lives (well, at least to Mathayom 6 anyway). The foe is — you guessed it — grammar.

Grammar

So, what’s the big deal about grammar? Apparently, grammar is not interesting and does not hold much of a sanook factor. It is difficult to understand and boring. These are comments written by my students and I happen to agree with them.

Some educational commentators would argue that I was rather lucky with my teaching load as I have only ever had one grammar course to teach in five years at my school. Apparently, luck doesn’t come into it, as foreigners do not get allotted grammar courses unless they specifically ask for them. I asked for the solitary one I taught.

I wanted to test myself to see if I was up to the task. I don’t seem to remember learning grammar at school. I’m sure I did at some time; however, it was intrinsically integrated into the English course to such an extent that I didn’t realise that it was there.

I agree with my students. Grammar is boring and definitely not sanook. Imagine my frustration and apprehension at trying to prepare my lessons when I know that the majority of my students knew the basics of English grammar far better than me. It took me better than three hours to prepare for a three-hour lesson. Thank you, but no thanks.

Practice makes perfect

In my opinion, Thai students of English don’t use the language enough. Multiple choice tests do not prove that a student is good at English. Only by using it in the correct context will students learn.

Of course, by doing this students will make mistakes. Making mistakes is all part of the learning process and should be encouraged because without making mistakes students will never learn a language — any language.

In primary school, students were able to sing songs and recite their ABCs and basic words that rhymed. They were using the language for their own purposes to sing songs and make simple sentences.

When grammar is taught with no context to the use of English by the students in their daily lives, it ceases to have any relevance to them and they find they are not able to use it effectively.

I believe that this is why some Thai students do not like to learn English and it is up to teachers to use more innovative ways to get the message of grammar across without demotivating our students to the extent that they hate the idea of learning English.

If grammar is taught intrinsically and students can use English in real-life situations, then they should hopefully be encouraged to continue their studies in the language. Rightly or wrongly, English is now taught from the first year in primary school through university, and if students enjoy the learning process, there is a greater chance that they will achieve success.

Vocabulary

questionnaire - a written list of questions that are answered by a number of people so that information can be collected from the answers แบบสำรวจ แบบสอบถาม

evolve - to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form; to develop something in this way คิดค้นและพัฒนาขึ้น

an enquiring mind - showing an interest in learning new things มีความสนใจใฝ่รู้

emerge - to become known ปรากฏขึ้น

attribute - to say or believe that somebody is responsible for doing something, especially for saying, writing or painting something เชื่อว่าสิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นเป็นผลสืบเนื่องมาจาก

depression - the state of feeling very sad and without hope ความหม่นหมองใจ

confront with - to make somebody face or deal with an unpleasant or difficult person or situation เผชิญหน้ากับ

foe - an enemy ศัตรู

commentator - a person who is an expert on a particular subject and talks or writes about it on television or radio, or in a newspaper นักวิจารณ์

come into it - to be important in a particular situation สำคัญ

allotted - to give time, money, tasks, etc. to somebody /something as a share of what is available ให้เวลา ให้เงิน แบ่งปัน

solitary - done alone; without other people

to be up to the task - physically or mentally capable of something มีความสามารถพอ

intrinsically - belonging to or part of the real nature of something

integrated - to combine two or more things so that they work together; to combine with something else in this way ผสมผสาน

to an extent - slight; noticeable, but difficult to describe

frustration - something that causes you to feel frustrated ความหงุดหงิดใจ

encourage - to give sb support, courage or hope ให้กำลังใจ

recite - to say a list or series of things ท่องจำ

relevance - the state of being closely connected with the subject you are discussing or the situation you are thinking about ความเกี่ยงเนื่องกัน

innovative - introducing or using new ideas, ways of doing something ความคิดสร้างสรรค์

get the message across - to send an important moral, social or political idea that a book, speech, etc. is trying to communicate บอกถึงสิ่งที่สำคัญ

demotivating - to make somebody feel that it is not worth making an effort ไม่ให้แรงจูงใจ ไม่สนับสนุน

Exercise:

Choose the best answer and try to answer the question in your own words when detailed answers are needed

1. Where does the columnist teach? a) at a primary school b) at a secondary school c) at a university
2. What does he usually do with new students? a) ask them about their summer program b) give them a test c) talk to them about their English proficiency
3. What is the foe of university students? a) their teachers b) their English teachers c) grammar
4. Do most students always develop their dislike of English from the start?
5. What does the columnist suggest for instilling a positive attitude towards English among Thai students?

JKR BOON

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:58:02 +0600

Magic within yourself

See 'JK Rowling puts 'spell' on Harvard' from Education page E4
Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

Sweet success is within your reach and within yourselves. Take JK Rowling (photo) as an example.

There is a time in almost everyone’s life that we face a setback. It is up to each of us to make a stunning comeback and stand on our own feet or let fate take its toll. JK Rowling is no loser. She took the most critical time of her life and made it a golden opportunity. As an unemployed mother, JK Rowling started writing one of the most famous books of all time, Harry Potter, which has brought her world fame.

Below, she gives the most practical insights to all of us that if you want to make a successful career, you need to investigate yourself and see what your best qualities are and make the most of them. In her case, it is her imagination.

Now read some interesting points about JK Rowling from the report on the commencement at Harvard University.

setback - a difficulty or problem that delays or prevents something , or makes a situation worse ความเสื่อมถอย
stunning - extremely surprising or shocking ที่น่าตกตะลึง
on your own feet - completely well or in a normal state again after an illness or a time of trouble กลับมายืนหยัดได้อีกครั้ง
take its toll - to have a bad effect on sb/sth; to cause a lot of damage, deaths, suffering, etc. ปล่อยตามยะถากรรม
critical time - serious, uncertain and possibly dangerous ช่วงวิกฤต
golden opportunity – the best time of something โอกาสทอง ช่วงเวลาที่ดีที่สุด
fame - the state of being known and talked about by many people ความมีชื่อเสียง
make the most of it – to gain as much advantage, enjoyment, etc. as you can from somebody /something ทำให้้เกิดประโยชน์ที่สุด ทำให้ดีที่สุด

JK Rowling puts 'spell' on Harvard

Rowling stressed the crucial importance of imagination during a speech recently at Harvard University's spring commencement, saying, "We do not need magic to transform our world."

The "Harry Potter" author also spoke about the benefit of failure, recalling the humiliations of her time in poverty before her career took off with her string of novels about a bespectacled boy wizard.

Before the speech, some members of Harvard's class of 1936 paid tribute to Rowling by carrying brooms during an alumni procession. President Drew Gilpin Faust also welcomed witches, wizards and Muggles _ non-magical people in Rowling's books _ to the commencement. Faust noted that there was a larger number of young children than normal for a Harvard graduation and that she knew she was just "the warm-up act."

Rowling, who was given an honorary doctor of letters degree, urged the Harvard grads to use their influence and status to speak out on behalf of the powerless.

"We do not need magic to transform our world," she said. "We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already; we have the power to imagine better."

Imagination gives one the ability to empathise with others, she said.

"Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation," Rowling said. "In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity; it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared." Rowling described a low point seven years after graduating from college, when she was a poor single mother.

"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are ever after secure in your ability to survive," Rowling said. "You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity."

She called such knowledge "a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned." AP

crucial - serious, uncertain and possibly dangerous ช่วงวิกฤต
commencement - a ceremony at which students receive their academic degrees or diplomas พิธีรับปริญญา
transform - to change เปลี่ยน
recalling - to remember something นึกย้อนถึงเหตุการณ์ที่ผ่านมา
humiliation - the state of feeling ashamed or stupid and lose the respect of other people ความน่าอัปยศอดสู
bespectacled - wearing specatacle ที่สวมแว่นตา
tribute - an act, a statement or a gift that is intended to show your respect or admiration, especially for a dead person การสรรเสริญ
alumni - the former male and female students of a school, college or university ศิษย์เก่า
honorary doctor of (x) degree - given as an honour, without the person having to have the usual qualifications ปริญญาดุษฎีมหาบัณฑิตกิตติมศักดิ์
on behalf of - as the representative of sb or instead of them เป็นตัวแทน ในนามของ
envision - imagine จินตนาการ
emerge - to survive a difficult situation or experience ผ่านพ้นวิกฤตได้
setback - a difficulty or problem that delays or prevents something , or makes a situation worse ความเสื่อมถอย
secure - to obtain or achieve something, especially when this means using a lot of effort
adversity - a difficult or unpleasant situation เคราะห์กรรม

Exercise:
1. Why was JK Rowling at Harvard University?
2. What drove JK Rowling into starting to write her books Harry Potter?
3. What is the best qualification she thinks helped her achieve world fame from the book?
4. What is her suggestion to anyone who might be in a difficult time of their lives?
5. Has JK Rowling ever studied at Harvard University?

Legal downloads

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:00:34 +0600

Make Your Music Legal

Lesson from Boon Boonprayoon

Did you just download a new tune into your iPod? Did you buy it online or did you just make an illegal download of it from P2P sites? I am sure that some of you may have done it the illegal way. If you did so through the school internet system, you might be lucky to get away without being caught red-handed and getting yourself suspended. If you were a student at Missouri University of Science and Technology, you would not be so lucky.

Colleges in the United States are toughening their rules in using their schools' access to the internet to help lessen music piracy. It is an innovative approach to the piracy issue. Why shouldn't we in Thailand follow their lead so that we can be a trusted member in the global cyber community and be allowed to access to some of the best music online sites.

Here are some questions for your reading:-
1. What are the punishments for students who violate the piracy act?
2. What do students need to do to be able to download music from P2P sites from the college's internet network?

illegal - not allowed by the law ผิดกฎหมาย
get away with - to do something wrong and not be punished for it เอาตัวรอดจากความผิดและการลงโทษได้
caught red-handed - to catch somebody in the act of doing sth wrong or committing a crime จับได้คาหนังคาเขา
suspend - officially prevent sb from doing their job, going to school, etc. for a time พักการเรียน
follow their lead - to take an example or action for people ทำตามแบบอย่าง

ต้อนรับเปิดเทอมใหม่กับข่าวการออกกฎที่เข้มงวดขึ้นในการดาวน์โหลดเพลงจากระบบ P2P ที่กำลังเป็นที่นิยมในเมืองไทยในหมู่ผู้ใช้ interent, MP3 ทั้งหลาย ข่าวเสนอว่ามหาวิทยาลัยในอเมริกาได้ออกกฎที่จะทำให้นักศึกษาเข็ดขยาดในการลักลอบดาวน์โหลดเพลงและละเมิดกฎหมายลิขสิทธิ์ต่างๆ

ข่าวนี้มีเนื้อหาที่น่าสนใจและมีการเสนอรายละเีอียดที่ชัดเจนและกระชับ ดังนั้นจึงไม่ยากเกินกว่าความสามารถของผู้อ่านทั้งหลายค่ะ เมื่ออ่านแล้วลองตอบคำถามที่ให้ไว้ทั้งสองข้อข้างต้นและตรวจคำตอบได้ใน teaching with the Bangkok Post

Copyright quiz limits students’ music file sharing

ALAN SCHER ZAGIER
ROLLA, MISSOURIAP

A tech-savvy university near the Missouri Ozarks is resorting to an old standby to reduce illegal music downloads by students: the pop quiz.

Missouri University of Science and Technology now requires students to get a perfect score on a six-question quiz on digital copyright law to get six hours of access to peer-to-peer software they can use to share music and movies online.

The quiz has cut copyright complaints on campus from the recording industry to eight this academic year, down from 200 in 2006-07, said Tim Doty, a campus systems security analyst.

"We’re still allowing peer-to-peer access," Doty said, "but in a controlled fashion. We’re providing them the information to make an informed decision."

Missouri S&T students who violate copyright law may lose their Internet privileges or face fines, community service, extra research assignments or suspension from classes.

Violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act also can draw lawsuits by the recording industry, which often cost several thousand dollars to settle. Universities that fail to stop repeat offenders can face liability too.

Several schools have addressed the problem by eliminating access to peerto-peer software, even though it is used by academic researchers to share data. Most schools that continue to allow access have toughened penalties for piracy, including completing tests like Missouri S&T’s or watching an anti-piracy DVD provided by the recording industry. The Missouri school appears to be the only US campus that requires a test in advance, Doty said.

At Stanford, students who don’t remove illegal downloads from their computers must pay $100 (3,300 baht) to reconnect to the Internet once they’re found out. A second offense boosts the reconnection fee to $500.

Jonathan Lamy, a Recording Industry Association of America spokesman, applauded schools’ efforts to teach students about copyright law.

"What we’ve found to be the most effective is a comprehensive approach that employs a combination of tools: innovative educational programs, legal ways to enjoy music and technological tools that prevent the misuse of campus networks in the first place."

Vocabulary

tech-savvy - a person who practical knowledge or understanding of something คนที่เชี่ยวชาญการใช้คอมพิวเตอร์

resort to - to make use of something , especially something bad, as a means of achieving something , often because there is no other possible solution ใช้มาตรการ

pop-quiz - a short test that is given to students without any warning การทดสอบแบบไม่ได้บอกให้เตรียมตัวล่วงหน้า

access - a way of entering or reaching a place การเข้าถึง

peer-to-peer - in which each computer can act as a server for the others, allowing data to be shared without the need for a central server การแชร์ หรือใช้ข้อมูลร่วมกันในกลุ่มผู้ใช้คอมพิวเตอร์ ลักษณะเดียวกับการไปดาวน์โหลดข้อมูล หนัง หรือเพลง มาจากอินเตอร์เนต

in a ……. fashion - in a particular way ด้วยรูปแบบ (อย่างใดอย่างหนึ่ง เช่น in a controlled fashion อย่างมีการควบคุม)

violate - to go against or refuse to obey a law, an agreement, etc. ฝ่าฝืน

privilege - a special right or advantage that a particular person or group of people has สิทธิพิเศษ

face - if you face a particular situation, or it faces you, you have to deal with it เจอกับ เผชิญกับ

fine - a sum of money that must be paid as punishment for breaking a law or rule ค่าปรับ

suspension - the act of officially removing somebody from their job, school, team, etc. for a period of time, usually as a punishment การพักการเรียน

draw a lawsuit - get attention by file in a lawsuit ทำให้เกิดการฟ้องร้อง

settle - to put an end to an argument or a disagreement ไกล่เกลี่ยคดี

offenders - a person who commits a crime ผู้กระทำผิดกฎหมาย

liability - the state of being legally responsible for something ความรับผิดชอบ

eliminating - to remove or get rid of something การกำจัดให้สิ้นซาก

toughen - to become or make something stronger, so that it is not easily cut, broken, etc. ทำให้เข้มงวดขึ้น

penalty - a punishment for breaking a law, rule or contract: บทลงโทษ โทษ

piracy - the act of making illegal copies of video tapes, computer programs, books, etc., in order to sell them การปลอมแปลง วีดีโอ หนังสือ หรือ เทปเพลง

boost - to make something increase, or become better or more successful ทำให้เพิ่มขึ้น

approach - to start dealing with a problem, task, etc. in a particular way วิธีการแก้ปัญหา

innovative - introducing or using new ideas, ways of doing something , etc. การปรับปรุงใหม่

Levels of language

Tue, 20 May 2008 11:57:20 +0600

It really does matter

Lesson by Boon Boonprayoon

I found today’s article by Steve Graham very appropriate for all of us who are learners of English. The article advises native speakers to choose different levels of language when they converse with varying groups of people.

Mr. Graham suggests that native speakers be highly aware of the selection of the languages of that they are using. On an academic level, various styles should be used by teachers to encourage class participation. This does not mean that they can leave out the correct forms of the words. Grammatical correctness is still essential.

appropriate - suitable, acceptable or correct for the particular circumstances เหมาะสม
advise - to tell somebody what you think they should do in a particular situation แนะนำ

Here are some questions that would help you get to the main purpose of the reading:-

1. Why did Steve Graham mention his colleague to whom he was talking about creating a website?
2. What is a specialist in technology called?
3. Why do some teachers tend to speak to their students with a less strict form of grammar?
4. What is Graham's suggestion to teachers in selecting the style of their English in class?

Style and tone matter

Native speakers change the way they speak English depending on who they are talking to

Steve Graham

I recently talked with a colleague about setting up a website for my students. I have known him for seven years, and he has become well known as a computer buff while working in Thailand as an English teacher.

While he was explaining how he would design the website for my students, I was astonished that the way he spoke English had changed.

Instead of normal conversational words, he used technical vocabulary like a special code. I started laughing and asked why he spoke like a “computer geek”. He then realized that he was speaking to me in the way he would normally talk to clients when dealing with website related questions. It seemed strange and unnatural.

The way that teachers use English in the classroom also reflects a change in styles. Foreign teachers tend to speak differently when addressing their Thai colleagues and students; therefore, they need to be aware of the differences in style.

colleague – a person that you work with, especially in a profession or a business เพื่อนร่วมงาน
buff – a person who is very interested in a particular subject or activity and knows a lot about it คนที่รู้หรือสนใจเรื่องใดเป็นพิเศษ
astonished – to be surprised, amazed ประหลาดใจ
geek – a person who is very interested in a particular subject or activity and knows a lot about it ผู้เชี่ยวชาญเรื่องคอมพิวเตอร์และเทคโนโลยี

Talking to our students

When teachers talk to students in English, it is important to remember that their level of competence is not as high as a native speaker. However, at the same time, there is no need to talk down to them. Too many times, teachers can be heard speaking to university students as if they were infants or beginning learners. This is a mistake.

Likewise, teachers should not use broken English with students. It doesn’t help students to learn English better when teachers skip articles (a, an, the) or drop the inflections on verbs (-s, -ed, -ing) to make oneself understood.

Even at the advanced level, I do not think that many Thais want to sound like the Queen of England -- I certainly do not. Received Pronunciation (RP English) is not the only appropriate style for English classes, and students appreciate hearing a variety of accents and levels of vocabulary. They do not want to be b despite having a low language level. In my opinion, the best form of English to use in the classroom environment is one that would be understood by a well-educated Thai person.

competence – the ability to do something well ความสามารถสูง
appropriate – suitable, acceptable or correct เหมาะสม
inflection – a change in the form of a word, especially the ending, according to its grammatical function in a sentence การผันรูปคำต่างๆ ไปตามความถูกต้องทางไวยากรณ์
Received Pronunciation – the standard form of British pronunciation, based on educated speech in southern England การออกเสียงที่ถูกต้องตามแบบฉบับของอังกฤษ
insult – to say or do something that offends somebody ดูหมิ่น

Talking to our colleagues
Unfortunately, many native-English speaking teachers also use broken English when speaking to their Thai colleagues. Many don’t even realize they are doing it, but Thai teachers of English have often complained to me about it. The tone sounds to them like they are being talked down to because they are not native speakers.

I have also noticed a tendency for some individuals to use excessively difficult words, either in spoken or written English. It appears to non-native listeners sometimes that the foreigner is just showing off. It is important to never forget who your intended audience is when addressing them with technical jargon.

I feel that teachers must take more care while modeling English because it is really important to set good examples for our students and colleagues to emulate. Style and tone matter for this very reason. Only then will we be able to ensure that we are promoting the correct standards.

broken English – spoken slowly and with a lot of mistakes; not fluent ภาษาอังกฤษที่ผิดหลักไวยากรณ์
talked down - to speak to somebody as if they were less important or intelligent than you พูดดูหมิ่น
tendency – if somebody /something has a particular tendency, they are likely to behave or act in a particular way แนวโน้ม
jargon – words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group of people, and are difficult for others to understand ภาษาเฉพาะกลุ่ม
emulate – to try to do something as well as somebody else because you admire them ทำตามแบบอย่าง

Steve Graham is an English language teacher at the Language Center, Udon Thani Rajabhat University in northeast Thailand. If there are any comments or areas for debate you would like to discuss, you may write Steve at shed_chelsea@hotmail.co.uk .