But the word "hopeless" used in conjunction with people depicted as disabled in an MCYS poster offended many netizens and created an online storm, as reported in this insing.com story below (pic here also taken from the story):
http://news.insing.com/tabloid/some-netizens-slam-new-ad-for-social-workers/id-e8333f00
As I have tried to show in yesterday's blog entry when I highlighted a number of print ads, a wrongly chosen word or phrase can result in anything from hilarious to ridiculous to even offensive (remember "Chink in the armour?").
One TODAY reader, ex-Malaysian Hwa Shi-Hsia (24 Feb, "Words are tools, but how do we use them?"), wonders if there is a penchant here for using "big words" without the user really knowing the words' precise meanings or contexts:
I refer to the letter "What values and from whose perspective?" (Feb 23) where the author was puzzled at hearing another teacher discuss pole dancing to "connect with ... a class of disenfranchised 15-year-olds".
I too am puzzled, not by the story but by the choice of words. Fifteen-year-olds are disenfranchised by definition, as they are minors and certainly too young to vote in elections.
Even if one were to take the word in its looser meaning, something like "disempowered", that is irrelevant to telling the students racy stories.
I suspect the writer meant "disenchanted", or what an ordinary person might call "fed up and bored". Why not just say so?
Since moving here a few years ago, I have noticed that while most Singaporeans do speak English fairly well, in writing, they tend to choose peculiar words with little regard for context, suitability or euphony (what my secondary school Malay language teacher would have called "bunyi tak sedap", or not sounding nice).
I have been told by many people that this is because students in English classes are rewarded for using big words.
The only way to build up a really good vocabulary is by reading widely to gain an understanding not only of the literal, basic definitions of words, but also their connotations and usage in context.
Attempting to expand one's vocabulary by memorising lists of words is like owning a big toolbox with the barest idea as to what all the tools are or what they are for.
Even if one were to take the word in its looser meaning, something like "disempowered", that is irrelevant to telling the students racy stories.
I suspect the writer meant "disenchanted", or what an ordinary person might call "fed up and bored". Why not just say so?
Since moving here a few years ago, I have noticed that while most Singaporeans do speak English fairly well, in writing, they tend to choose peculiar words with little regard for context, suitability or euphony (what my secondary school Malay language teacher would have called "bunyi tak sedap", or not sounding nice).
I have been told by many people that this is because students in English classes are rewarded for using big words.
The only way to build up a really good vocabulary is by reading widely to gain an understanding not only of the literal, basic definitions of words, but also their connotations and usage in context.
Attempting to expand one's vocabulary by memorising lists of words is like owning a big toolbox with the barest idea as to what all the tools are or what they are for.
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Last item... since 2012 is a Leap Year, with an extra day in February (29 Feb), how did the Leap Year come about? Here's an interesting link that sheds light on its history, traditions and folklore:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/leap_year.htm
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