Carpe Diem - 'Seize the Day'

"I have always striven to do things that my able-bodies friends can do, though not without moments of frustration. So, it was practice, practice, practice - and laughter. People around me showed patience and encouragement. I have a perfectionist trait and can be quite determined in achieving my goals... I can't remember where I read this quotation but it is one of my favourite: Aim for the moon and even if you miss, you will land among the stars." Laurentia Tan, Paralympic Games Medalist.

The Big Boss: 李小龍

"The cup is useful because it is empty." Bruce Lee

Good Boss; Bad Boss

"Every good chief executive officer is able to do what is legal and what is good for business but the bigger challenge is to do things that are ethical and that are socially responsible." A Professor, Business Ethics.

Source: Today

"Argue for your limitations and they are yours. Argue for your possibilities and they are yours as well." Various authors

"Humanity had to abandon its warlike ways or technology would decimate it." H.G. Wells

"The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom, but to set a limit to infinite error." Bertolt Brecht

"Let some of the troops dismount. The officers must give up their horses. Not a man must be left behind." Andrew Jackson

How to convince your boss to keep you... quit crying about merit and fairness and start improving your chemistry with your boss . . . and walk away from Friends to Networking.


Note: Bad bosses are energy vampires
Bad bosses may damage your heart

Young Dragons

5 Waves of Chinese Immigrants in Singapore (Adapted)



"While the initial waves of Chinese immigrants came here to make a living and for a better lifestyle, the current wave has come here to explore, to see the whole and to broaden their horizons." Straits Times.

"Because English is my second language, I had to put in thrice the effort. It's been all hard work, no short cuts." Lin Song, Lawyer, from loan officer to firm partner in 8 years, Khatter Wong, local Law Firm.

"I have matured a lot over the past 10 months in the army and learnt more about Singapore than in my 6 years as a student." Luo Sheng, NS Man.

Communicating Persuasively

According to a 2002 study, researchers found that men are often more responsive to email because it downplays their competitive tendencies. On the other hand, women react better to in-person encounters because they are more relationship-oriented.

Women may be fed up with being stereotyped as the chattier sex, but the cliché turns out to be true – in macaque monkeys, at least. Researchers have found that female macaques make 13 times as many friendly noises as males during chit-chat between individuals. The finding adds weight to the theory that human language evolved to forge social bonds.


"In the Social Media world, the most powerful person is the one who shares the most.
Control in Social Media is like grabbing water: the stronger you grab, the less you hold. There’s a right way to retain water, but not by being forceful." Pauline Ores

"There is an interesting phenomenon* at work in human relations. When one person yells at another, the other has an impulse to yell back. One ... actually sets an example of how he should be treated. A is mean to B so B is mean to A. A is friendly to B so B is friendly to A." L. Ron Hubbard (* phenomenon = an observable fact.)

"良好而健全的人格还包括，一个人应当具有陈寅恪先生所说的“独立之精神，自由之思想”。独立之精神，意味着一个人在人格上不依附于他者，意味着一个人不随波逐流；自由之思想，意味着一个人的思想没有任何形式的桎梏和羁绊，不受任何外在的限制。这是一种高洁脱俗的境界，是一个大写的人应当具备的品质。尽管达到这种境界并非易事，但教育者应当以此型塑自己的学生。学校里不应当灌输唯唯诺诺、言听计从的奴才品格，而应当培养超然不群、自由独立的公民精神。" 知道分子之 王建勋专栏

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships." Henry Winkler

Spirit of Si Chuan

"Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire. It was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing." Oliver Wendell Holmes

Speak, Learn, Listen, Do.

All four of these skills are true. What we need to realize as humans today, is that everyone is different. We all exist in some state of chaos together, and the order in which we deal with this chaos is going to define who we will eventually become.

Speak: "Let others know exactly what you think, whether it is wrong, right or just, let them know. Suppressing a point simply because it is of a minority view is not the way to go. Accepting a minority viewpoint is also not the way to go unless the view point has merit. Speak, therefore, let others hear you as much as you possibly can."

Learn: "Understand what is spoken, let others understand where you are coming from when you voice what you assumed is correct. Understand also, that, many people do not make decision based on reason, instead that of faith or social dogma existence, let these people understand that what is best for one is not necessarily better for the others. Learn what is indeed proper and just for all, based on some form of chaotic order."

Listen: "One can not learn or speak without first listening. For the issue always comes before the spoken thought. If we simply wish to speak and learn, then we need to work through understanding by listening to all points of the issue, and finally tabulating within our own reason what is the correct answer. It is hard to listen, as many don't wish to use reason for this, but we must strive to make people listen, and listen for the merit of the issue, not just the dogma of it."

Do: "The final and most complete step. We have Spoken, Learned, Listened and finally we have made up our minds. We understand that an issue can be hard to accept, it can be hard to implement, and it can be hard to adjust to. But, we know that these issues must exist if we are to work past the differences amongst the humans of this world. Action, the process of doing, is what is needed as the final step."

Even then, the process itself is not complete, as the cycle never ends. Once an action is taken, the words must be spoken again, to ensure that the action is indeed warranted and just.

Humanity is the pure essence of who we are, of what we wish to project, and of what we wish to be. If we can not Speak, Learn, Listen and Do within these confines, then we have failed as a thinking race.

Phillip (Adapted)


"We're all of us guinea pigs in the laboratory of God. Humanity is just a work in progress." Tennessee Williams

"Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards."

Managing The Generations

Some say they're entitled. Others say spoiled.

Not so fast, says workplace expert Tamara Erickson. Generation Y--those born between 1980 and 2000--have had a lot to contend with in their young lives. For those now in the workplace, their ideas of the world were shaped during the Columbine school shootings in 1999 and Sept. 11. If they've learned anything from those events, it's that life is fleeting. Live for the moment.

That can be frustrating for their managers. Members of Gen Y prioritize life-work balance; they don't stay in jobs for long, and many of them bring their parents in whenever there's a problem.

But as Erickson shows in her book, Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, this is a generation that loves to learn--and they're good at educating themselves. Managers who are willing spend some time guiding them may find them to be an incredibly effective group of employees.

Erickson talked to Forbes.com about how they became this way, how to motivate them at work and why Gen Xers shouldn't be so hard on them.

What is an adjective you'd use to describe Gen Y?
Immediate. They're a generation that wants to make sure what they're doing today is meaningful and worthwhile and fully engaging.

Is that because they've grown up with technology that helps everything get accomplished quicker?
No, that's an amplifying effect. The most important drivers were the events they witnessed as early teens--between ages 11 and 13. For them, it was terrorism and school violence. They were unexpected, and it created a sense in these kids that they need to live life to its fullest. I think that's a logical conclusion. Anything can happen at any point in time.

How are they different from Gen X?
One adjective I'd use for Gen Xers is self-reliant. They often ask themselves, "How do I reduce risk? How do I develop backup plans? What are my options?"

The differences have to do with events that occurred when they were kids. For Gen Xers it was being latchkey kids. They lived through the first wave of women being working mothers. It was dramatic and impactful. For Ys, their moms have always been at work. The point is, we tend to be heavily influenced by things happening for the first time, particularly when we're in our early teens. Although all of us lived through terrorism, it happened during Gen Y's formative years.

How does this impact how they work?
There is a difference between Gen X and Y in terms of collaboration and independence.

When I asked Gen Xers how often they wanted to interact with their boss, many said twice a week. I'm a boomer, I would've said twice a year! Ys would say twice an hour.

Why do they want so much interaction--what are people doing during these meetings?
Ys are learning. They want the boss to coach, to guide. Boomers look as it as judging. When I interact with my boss, it's because he or she is handing down a judgment. Who wants that? Xers are different still. They see these interactions with the boss as getting validation.

Is the need for so much time from the boss a bad thing?
No. They learn in a different way. I tell companies don't over-train them. They don't want to go to three weeks of class and get a 52-point checklist and follow a policy manual. Give them a task and the names of people who they can call if they need help. They'll call when they have a question. It may be often at first, but they like learning that way. I don't think it's a character flaw; it's a learning style.

Some employers use the word "entitled" when describing them. Where does that come from, and what does it say about how they're perceived as employees?
One of the most common complaints I get from Gen Xers who manage Ys is that they're entitled. If we broaden the lens, we see two factors at work. One thing we confuse is the action of the Ys and the motivation of their parents. A lot of the trophy phenomenon--every kid got a trophy for playing soccer--is driven by the fact that boomers are insanely competitive. No boomer wants to stand there for three hours in the rain watching their kid play soccer and not get a plastic trophy.

As for Xers, they entered work at time when the economy was poor, and they were forced to take jobs that were not as challenging as they wanted. They've had to work their way up and follow the rules. Then, you get these Ys who are very confident--high self-esteem characters rolling in full of ideas. The Ys are a little on the brash side and the Xers have not had the [same] kind of opportunities as them.

What should managers know when it comes to motivating them at work?
Learning. The most important thing to do with Ys is give them tasks that are truly challenging. Give them enough rope to figure it out as they go.

How will this economic downturn affect their job prospects?
Certainly there's going to be a dampening affect. I do think that of all the generations, the Ys will come out on top. They probably have more financial flexibility because of parental help, they don’t own homes and they don't have kids. They have more flexibility to take a job that's interesting but doesn't pay as much. They also didn't lose money over the past few months.

If they invest in a 401(k) now, they buy at the bottom and ride up. Xers are the worst off. They bought houses at the peak and have all the financial responsibilities that come with that.


What's the generation after Y?
That generation is being formed this year. They're 11 to 13 now and born around 1995. I think this year is materially different from the last 15 years. Issues that are impacting them are resource constraints, such as water shortages and endangered species.

They're hearing about penguins on melting ice caps. Polar bears dying. They may have taken their vacation in a tent in the backyard this summer. They'll be under no illusions. They'll have to confront tough problems. I'm calling them the Re-generation." The "R" is for reality, recession and resources.

Tara Weiss, Forbes.


"The character education component will be the driver to the students' success. It doesn't matter how much we invest in facilities. If the students are not equipped with character, they are less likely to succeed in life." Mr Wee Tat Chuen

Why You Have to Listen First and Speak Later

Does anyone pop out of their mother's womb speaking a language and comprehending nothing? Which comes first: Comprehension or Speaking?
View more »

The less you say, the more you learn.

"One hears only those questions for which one is able to find answers." Friedrich Nietzsche

"If you don’t understand a problem, then explain it to an audience and listen to yourself." Tom Hirshfield

"Always listen to the experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done and why. Then do it." Robert Heinlein

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway

"It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen." Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Everybody wants to be somebody, but nobody wants to grow." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

To be a Big Fish

Source: Sunday Times


"Be the change you wish to see in the world" Mahatma Gandhi

Thoughts heal you, kill you

Good thoughts, bad thoughts

"A person goes through about 66,000 thoughts a day, both negative and positive." says mind science consultant Professor Dr R.Kadeer Ibraheem.

"We go through many thoughts in a day, but whether they have a positive or negative impact is up to us." Negative thoughts of anger and hatred are so powerful that they can destroy our health, mood and happiness.

"Hatred, anger, grudges and judgment destroy friendships, business dealings, opportunities and several other aspects of our lives. Thought can also be used for good and we can do almost anything, but only if we first believe in ourselves." says Kadeer.

We must eliminate our fears, step by step. We must do everything in stages and not rush it. After we develop this ability to believe in ourselves, we will enjoy the results.

The power of the mind should never be underestimated, because it's the one facet of a human being which can tease, trick, convince and destroy. Its powers have long been used to create wealth, kick habits and lose weight .

Over the past few years, the mind has taken on a new role: It's been a key player in the body's healing process.

Silva Method Malaysia managing director Steven Soh Teck Toh is convinced that whatever goes into your mind will come to pass. Whatever you put into your mind and believe is going to happen will happen.

This works for good and bad thoughts. So be careful with what you feed your brain. That's why it's so important to only have positive thoughts, especially when fighting a disease. Every time a negative thought gets into your mind, you should consciously tell yourself, 'can - cel, cancel'. Soh has seen the power of believing work in people who have had various medical issues, from warts to a low sperm count.

"An accountant and his wife were desperately trying to have a baby, but the doctor told the husband that his sperm count was low, and that it was almost impossible. He asked the doctor for a sperm map and looked at it every night, picturing and believing that his sperm count would increase. His sperm count did go up and, a year later, he was the proud father of a baby boy." Soh says it's also important to clean your "mind archives" every day to make room for positive thoughts.

Any concerns or worries you have should be addressed daily. Don't keep them in. Recognise them, deal with them and get rid of them.

Keeping them all in will clog your 'mind pipe' and prevent you from feeding yourself positive thoughts." According to Soh, the onset of cancer is usually after a traumatic encounter.

Most cancer patients would have had traumatic experiences, six to 18 months before the onset. The first thing cancer patients should do is trace the experiences they've had in the past two years.

When they have identified the cause, they should accept the situation.

"It could be a financial problem, or a death in the family." Unfortunately, many terminally ill patients don't want to be cured." Soh says. "They say they do, but deep in their hearts they don't mean it. Many don't have the will to live, and that attitude is enough to kill them."

"If you're dying and want to be cured, you'll break all other appointments and do what it takes to be healed. When your mind doesn't want to get better, your body releases enzymes that make that thought a reality." Soh says that the more you reject the reality of things, the more you attract it. "Cancer is not deadly if you take precautions in the beginning."

"People should understand that the mind is the first tool they should use to overcome cancer." Clinical psychologist Leong Huey Mei says: "When you adopt a positive attitude you find that everything is possible. Having positive thoughts mean giving yourself a choice."

Too often, we hear those sick or in trouble say they have no choice.

When they say that, it becomes something that cannot be resolved.

A positive attitude gives you energy to move on. Those who waste their energy on negative thoughts are killing that energy.

"But, if they think positive, although the situation seems impossible, they'll find a solution. It's all mind over matter." Leong says illnesses and bad situations befall anyone. "Things don't always go the way we want. But if we keep complaining and living in the 'whys', we are digging a deeper grave."

We have to learn to adapt to the new situation and find ways to remedy the problem or we won't be healthy. Adjust to the environment.

Deal with the issue instead of exploding.

Don't let it accumulate.

Don't dwell. Let other people help if you can't deal with it. Talk to positive people and surround yourself with positive thoughts. Being aware of your negative thoughts is a very important part of recovery.

Each time a negative thought crosses your mind, you must challenge it. If you keep telling yourself it's useless and you can't do it, then that is what will materialise.

Even if you think there's only a 20 per cent chance of getting through this tough time, work on it. Stop focusing on the other 80 per cent.

"That's wasted energy." First, she says, one must be able to identify the negative thoughts in order to change them.

"Recognise those thoughts and then push them out of your mind, each and every time. Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones is another way of doing it." She says some people claim that positive thinking is just a way of cheating yourself. "Maybe it is. But, if it's helping the situation and making you feel better, why not?" As the words of the poet John Milton go, "The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven".

New Straits Times/Asia News Network

SELF TALK & Forms of Self Talk
'If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.' Vincent Van Gog

Parts of Speech

The words that we use to construct a sentence can be divided into these classes:

1) Noun 名词 danh từ - A noun is a type of word that represents a person, thing, or place, like mother, apple, or valley. Chart

2) Verb 动词 động từ - A verb is a type of word that describes an action or a state of being, like wiggle, walk, run, jump, be, do, have, or think. Chart

3) Pronoun 代名词 đại từ - A pronoun is a substitute for a noun. Some pronouns are: I, me, she, hers, he, him, it, you, they, them, etc. Chart

4) Adjective 形容词 Tính từ - An adjective is a word that describes something (a noun). Some adjectives are: big, cold, blue, and silly. One special type of adjective is an article, a word that introduces a noun and also limits or clarifies it; in English, the indefinite articles are a and an, the definite article is the. Chart

5) Adverb 副词 Phó từ - An adverb is a word that tells "how," "when," "where," or "how much". Some adverbs are: easily, warmly, quickly, mainly, freely, often, and unfortunately. Chart

6) Preposition 前置词 Giới từ - A preposition is a word that shows the spatial (space), temporal (time), or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence. The words above, near, at, by, after, with and from are prepositions. Chart

7) Conjunction 连接词 Sự Kết nối - A conjunction is a word that joins other words, phrases, clauses or sentences. Some conjunctions are: and, as, because, but, or, since, so, until, and while. Chart

8) Interjection 感叹词 Lời nói xen vào - An interjection is a word that expresses emotion. An interjection often starts a sentence but it can be contained within a sentence or can stand alone. Some interjections are oh!, wow!, ugh!, hurray!, eh?!, and ah!. Chart

9) Punctuation



English Grammar

"It's the little things you do that can make a big difference. What are you attempting to accomplish? What little thing can you do today that will make you more effective? You are probably only one step away from greatness." Bob Proctor

Secrets of Success

"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions." Harold S. Geneen

Transform your Character; Transform your Personality

REMAKE YOUR CHARACTER

Throw greed, selfishness, jealousy, and envy to the wind by...

Becoming more likeable.

Becoming more agreeable.

Becoming more respectful of yourself.

Becoming more respectful of the gift called work.

by Mike Litman

"Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact." George Eliot

真正爱你的男人

1. 真正爱你的男人，一下子说不出真正爱你的理由，只知道自己顾不上注意别人。　
　　
2. 真正爱你的男人，其实总惹你生气，你却发觉不了他到底做错了什么。
　　
3. 真正爱你的男人，很少当面赞美你，可是心里肯定你是他最棒的。
　　
4. 真正爱你的男人，会在你忘记回复他短信时狠狠地说你一顿。
　　
5. 真正爱你的男人，只可能在你一个人的面前流眼泪，当你触摸到他时，也触摸到了那颗只为你跳动的心。
　　
6. 真正爱你的男人，会默默地记住你不经意说过的话，在某时某刻重复它们。
　　
7. 真正爱你的男人，不会轻易做出承诺，因为他想让自己成为你心中说话最算话的男子汉，只想给你最可靠最安全的幸福。
　　
8. 真正爱你的男人，总告诉你不要胡思乱想，因为其实他在为你们谋划着最美丽真实的未来。同时让你无忧无虑地等待他要给你的惊喜。
　　
9. 真正爱你的男人，可能不像你一样清楚地记得某些纪念日，他觉得爱你是每时每刻的，并不是靠这几天简单的日子。
　　
10.真正爱你的男人，不会轻易对你当面说“我爱你”，因为他为你做过的每件事都已经这么说了。除非在非常时刻，为了不让你无端地误解他。
　　
11.真正爱你的男人，总觉得有些话只说一遍就够了，因为你已经了解他的心。说得多了，他会觉得不珍贵。
　　
12.真正爱你的男人，如果他去机场接你，不会像你期望的那样捧着玫瑰大声叫“亲爱的”，只是自然地提过你的行李，然后想用眼睛抱紧你似的心疼地说，怎么瘦得像豆芽菜了？
　　
13.真正爱你的男人，当你发脾气时，只会不做声地听你把火发完，然后慢慢地说，你明天有课吗？早点睡吧。
　　
14.真正爱你的男人，不懂当你生气挂掉电话后应该立即打来，过了若干小时后会发条短信问你消气了没有？如果你质问他为何这么久才打来，他会理直气壮的说，你生气时我的解释一定没有用，等你的火消了，我的解释才有效果。
　　
15.真正爱你的男人，总是叫你小姑娘，可是每次他做什么重大的决定，却总想先听听你的建议。
　　
16.真正爱你的男人，不喜欢玩具小毛熊，却一直把你送他的小熊放在床头。　
　　
17.真正爱你的男人，当和你发生争执时，总是控制不了地先妥协，先承认“我错了”，过后发来短信以“神经病”开头，以“宝贝”结尾。事实上你也清楚，这次是你有点无理取闹。　
　　
18.真正爱你的男人，很想很想你时，也会买玫瑰送你，傻傻地等着你，却不知道自己捧的是月季。没关系，他的心里送的是玫瑰。
　　
19.真正爱你的男人，都不甜，但是他的吻能传递他嘴巴所有的热情。
　　
20.真正爱你的男人，当听到你对他讲很“酸”的话时，他反而会装得很正经，其实心里很甜很甜。
　　
21.真正爱你的男人，如果不能经常见到你，他会让自己忙碌起来，为了不去想你，因为他知道一想你将会一发不可收拾．．.

"The well-dressed woman draws her husband away from another woman's door." Spanish Proverb.

"Women shouldn't be too smart, and try not to pick at details in a marriage." Quan Yifeng

Task Based Learning

Pre-Task Activities


While-Task Activities


Post-Task Activities


"Know your numbers and keep a record of your daily measurements."

From dateless geeks to dating bosses

THEY were outcasts in school, introverted, with no girlfriends.

But these 'computer geeks' have now made it their business to put couples together.

Mr Andy Lim, 28, and Mr Vary Yong, 27, are the co-founders of Who Works Around You, a matchmaking agency that allows singles who work late or on shift duty to meet up with other singles who may have the same working hours and work in the same area.

It was during one of their 'no-life' moments last year when the two web designers came up with the idea.

Mr Lim had been working overtime one night and eating cup noodles for dinner when he realised that there were other colleagues around.

'We often see lights in the building next door,' he said.

'I thought, I'm sure there are people here wishing they could date a 'neighbour', then they wouldn't feel so lonely.'

Now, their matchmaking agency is on the verge of being one of the first to be accredited by the Social Development Unit (SDU).

The New Paper understands that the accreditation process is in its final stages and the announcement is expected soon.

Accredited agencies will be awarded the SDU Trust Mark and will be listed in the Registry of Dating Agencies and the Registry of Dating Practitioners.

Not bad for a pair who, not too long ago, had trouble meeting people themselves.

'Social outcasts'

Mr Lim said when he studied digital media design at Nanyang Polytechnic, he was a loner.

He said: 'I was academically weak and a lot of people didn't want me to be in their project group. I was pushed from group to group, depending on which group didn't have enough members.

Added Mr Lim: 'During lunch, I would take away food and eat alone. I also watched movies alone and even ate at buffets alone.'

Mr Yong was similarly geeky and said he 'only had one or two friends' when he studied multimedia in Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Whenever a new computer game was released, he would play for up to 17 hours a day.

Mr Lim and Mr Yong met online through a group of friends in 2006.

Last year, together with another business partner, they each put in about $15,000 from their website design company iFoundries to create www.whoworksaroundyou.com.

The firm, which became operational in January, has since attracted more than 1,300members, with at least six couples going on to have steady relationships, they said.

The website currently provides free subscription, but members who want personalised match-making can sign up for their packages, which cost $388 onwards.

Pharmacist Serene Leong, 31, and paramedic Johnny Tan, 31, who have been going steady 'for a couple of months', have the duo to thank for pairing them up.

The venture has drawn some flak.

Financial consultant Tracy Lim, 23, for example, said: 'They don't look like the sort of people who can create love.'

But Miss Leong retorted: 'Making yourself look good is just a marketing gimmick.

'If you can't deliver what people want, then what's the point of being so attractive?

'They (Mr Lim and Mr Yong) are more focused on their clients than on generating business quotas.'

Looks irrelevant

While Mr Lim admits he is no Brad Pitt, he insists that looks have nothing to do with being a good matchmaker.

He said: 'You can be a geek, a nerd, the ugliest person in the whole wide world, as long as you have the passion, confidence, you can still be a good matchmaker.'

So, can two 'geek' matchmakers cut it themselves when it comes to love?

Mr Lim said he has been in a relationship for four years, with someone he met while volunteering in the PAP youth wing.

Mr Yong proposed to his girlfriend on 08/08/08 and they plan to marry on 09/09/09.

To which Mr Lim commented: 'I can't believe an outcast can be so romantic.'

by Benson Ang, TNP.

"If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results." Anthony Robbins

Hey doc, how good is your English?

FOREIGN-TRAINED doctors will have to meet more stringent English language requirements before they can practise here.

The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) has said that it wants foreign-trained doctors to be able to do equally well in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in the language.

They will be given a score on each of these skills on a nine-point-scale, and must do equally well in all four, scoring seven. Nine is the top score. This differs from the present method, which requires them to get an overall score of seven.

The change, announced on the SMC's website, applies to the scoring system for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Other tests recognised by SMC are the Test Of English as a Foreign Language and Occupational English Test.

The scoring of the IELTS, administered by the British Council, has led to some confusion about what level of proficiency is regarded as adequate.

Dr Charles Vu, who sits on the medical manpower development panel of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), said: 'You can potentially have someone from Myanmar or Vietnam who can read and write but not be able to speak English well.

'Listening to and speaking English should be just as, if not more important, when communicating with patients.'

The issue of foreign-trained doctors' ability to communicate with patients has surfaced time and again, but is more significant now, with the Health Ministry's expanding the list of recognised foreign medical schools from 20 in 2003 to nearly 160 last year.

Among the recognised universities are some which do not use English as a medium of instruction, such as Nagoya University's faculty of medicine and The West China College of Medicine in Sichuan University.

Dr Vu said that with the expanded list of recognised schools, more stringent English requirements are more important now than ever before.

Said an SMC spokesman: 'Casenotes, requests and communication between health-care professionals are all in English, so for patient safety, whatever is communicated in the management must be understood.'

There were 524 foreign-trained graduate doctors registered here in 2006, up from 460 the year before. About 8 per cent, from countries such as Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Germany and China, need to take language tests.

Various hospitals here have programmes to immerse foreign-trained doctors in local culture. Alexandra Hospital organises events for staff to showcase their culture, and Tan Tock Seng Hospital holds Chinese and Malay language classes for its foreign doctors.

But Associate Professor Tay Eng Hseon, who chairs the medical board at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), cautioned against too stringent requirements for the language.

He said KKH lost an excellent anaesthesiologist who just could not make the cut in the language department. Despite repeated attempts, the doctor only managed a score of six. The hospital appealed to retain the doctor but was unsuccessful, said Prof Tay.

Jessica Jaganathan, The Straits Times

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