Last Class of the Year 2017

My English for Graduate Studies of the 2016 academic year ended on 20th May 2017. I have taught this course for 4 years. At the beginning I did not enjoy it much. It was a weekend class, meaning that I need to work on Saturdays or Sundays. Weekend should be restful time for anyone, including my students.
I have gradually changed my mind, a dedication and effort to learn and all resources they put to their studies changed my mind. Who are they whom I mentioned? They refer to all of my post graduate students from all programs that I have taught since 2013. They are generally not very good in English. Most of them have not used English much in their work. Most of them are teachers from schools. I also teach undergraduate program. Absolutely different, i mean to say their behaviors in learning are different. Should we claim the positive changes in post graduate deriving from maturity, working experience and some kinds of motivation? Gardner's study (1985) found integrative (attitude related) and instrumental (rewarding or promotion related) motivation influenced language learners. I assumed the post graduates mostly belong to the instrumental motivation. They take their Master program because it is required by their workplace or to earn promotion. However I would like to describe the motivation of learning English of my last class of this year differently to what I assumed. They learned joyfully. They did not beg me to finish class early. They made effort to do what I assigned (e.g. news reading activity. They achieved their exam better that I expected...meaning high scores and not many failed. I still remembered how they looked at me in class, it was not empty sign in their eyes. Many times, I believe, the integrative motivation plays greater role in their learning. It means they want to learn and practice their English skills to become better.

Frankly speaking I could not do like them. They work hard on weekdays and travelled from different provinces to study their Master program on weekend. After class some students called to talk with their families, their young kids. A great deal of sacrifice they have given to their studies, I would say. They deserve admiration and fruitful return at the end of their tunnel. I hope they could continue to successfully finish their studies and their career, I truly wish for them. Thank you all my good students. Love you.

Garder, R. C. (1985). Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: the Role of Attitudes and Motivation. London: Edward Arnold.

Poor Leadership

The Apprentice: Poor Leadership

Always thank Internet and YouTube for all buzz things going around the world. It will not cease, only new platforms, Applications, businesses through the capabilities and penetration power of Internet. One which I always benefit from YouTube, I can watch my favorite programs any time I wish for (normally I do when my son sleeps. Real peaceful time for me).

I began with the immeasurable benefit of internet and YouTube. I missed the Apprentice and was thinking which one I wanted to watch it again. I had a feeling to analyse personalities of candidates so I may need early episodes which most of candidates ( all 18) are still on the game. Where did this idea come from? I did interviews five applicants for a lecturing and administrative positions in the last two weeks, one interviewing question is " what are your strengths and weeknesses? I found most of the time applicants took a while to answer this question. Some were baffled by the question.  I needed to elaborate or gave them examples.

The second episode of Series 11 was chosen, it was about advertising Cactus Shampoo. All 17 candidates were woke up by call at 5.15 am. Lord Sugar was standing in front of cactuses at the Conservatory and begun to explain the task by linking the task with cactus survivals (from sandy wind, dryness, less water). The given shampoo consisted of cactus extract and two teams were to produce an advertising campaign of 30 second TV advert and a digital billboard.

Firstly the teams needed a project manager. Lord Sugar mixed up the teams and made them boys and girl team again. In the first Episode he made the teams of mix of boys and girls). Charliene as a hair dresser unsurprisingly wanted to be the project manager. She talked almost of her experience about shampoos, hairs, her future brand of shampoo she planned to have for her own, bla, bla... then she was interrupted by Aisha, an owner of hair extension business. Of course, two tigers now were fighting. A Chinese proverb, one mountain cannot contain two tigers. Surprisingly most girls voted for Aisha who was quite a straightforward and outspoken person. If anyone was not productive and the team lost, she wud send that person to the board room. Such a big bossy character she had. on top of that her business background in terms of hair products was much stronger than Charliene. On the other side, Richard pitched himself as the project manager and was unanimously accepted due to his background in marketing. At this point, Caren, an aide, analysed his personality as a pushing type. The girl team also mentioned something like ... Aisha did not listen to the consensus of the team. Oh... one weakness of the project manager of both teams is quite similar which is being dictator-like. One shot which I like..from the girl team, unbelievably they agreed to target women in their 50s years old. But some of them dealing with agency chose two young models. Consequently Ruth, an oldest girl in the team, needed to step up and replaced the models. I like the word she said to tell her feeling "flabbergasted" (shocked by unexpected by Cambridge Dictionary). One of the girl team complained that if she were the project manager, she would be more communicating with the sub team all the time. Having said that the sub team was left without a clear direction and instruction what to do with the digital billboard advert. Then they made all decisions by themselves. Did I mention a word "dictator"? Yes. And it was mentioned to describe Aisha during the sub team with her was a half way of shampoo bottle design, she wanted to put a cactus flower on the bottle label. Her team members did not agree because the shampoo was made of cactus extract, not flowers.
    "It can't go that wrong", said .... when the boy team knew the details of billboard shooting. The sub team did not even a bit the same of what Richard, the project manager, talked to them on the phone. This is not a miscommunication problem, it is only a lack of team work skills. The project manager should  make a decision based on agreement of the team members. When the members did not listen to him  because they did not respect his authority and instruction. The sub team of the boys did the billboard advert based on their own belief. Quite similar to what happened to the girl sub team as well. Another "f" beginning word which you may not often hear it came from the TV advert director of the boy team.  He was like a dean's pet by behaving in ways which pleased Richards. He was proud when Richards took his idea of naming the shampoo " Western" with a T in a form of cactus. I guess he had a sense that he would not get fired if anything went wrong at the end. Richard was happy with him. He used a word "flamboyant" (very confident) describing his feeling when being assigned to direct a TV advert. 

        At the end, I was a bit disappointed because I was a fan of the Billboard advert of the girl team ( Ruth in a vivid orange dress turning to audiences having her index up over her mouth having a round shape a sign of keeping her secret). I found this reflected the target niche, the older ladies, well. Rather than an advert of a man showering his hair with shampoo. The girl team however lost because the poor TV advert which confused advertising experts to whom they really targeted to draw attention and the poor pitch. Aisha got fired in this episode because of her dictatorial, poorly communicating, and poorly judgmental styles. There are several weaknesses of personality which makes a leader poor or ineffective. Especially "dictatorial", it appears that both Aisha and Richard possess this poor quality.

Wat Klong Dan: A Land of Two (วัดคลองแดน)

 I had trouble to name this writing, I

This morning I went with my mother to a temple called Klong Dan in Ranod District, about 120 Kms from Hatyai. Pretty far.  My mother wanted to attend  the Kathin Ceremony there. I  honestly  did not mean to go there in the first place, but i have heard of Klong Dan a lot recently. So i told myself that I needed to go there. That's why.   

I took this picture the last after walking around and got impressive feeling to this temple. It is a relatively small  temple. All are in a few steps walking distance. It has its own crematorium (place where a body is burned) as seen the highest small tower. 

What does it mean by team player?: My Apprentice Series

I just do not have good time-managed skills. A thought of watching and then writing does not work well for me. I could not find time to write so a new practice has come up in my mind. I need to watch and write at the same time.
So I am watching The Apprentice UK, season 12, episode 7. This episode requires candidates to find products and sell them to make the highest profits. Simply like that but the task is somehow complicated. They were called in to meet with Lord Sugar at Victoria Habour, and particularly they needed to pack an overnight luggage with. Lord Sugar picked the project managers by himself. Kathik, an Indian, is very outgoing and outspoken person. Oh what he explained his himself-thought talent was how he managed to get a baby boy. Who cares ???  The other project manager is Francis. The little lady with a little voice like a kitten. They both were delighted to be chosen as seen with their big smiles, but what the end would bring tot their team. It is a doubt. One word that may be of your interest is "high ticket" items, yes, I hope you could guess it based on what the teams were discussing. Very expensive is its meaning.

They were sent to Poole Harbour ( on a day with stereotype weather of England, MISERABLE). Poole is pronounced only one syllable |'Pool'. I don't know why British has so much so called arbitrary things (centre pronounced like center, Fullham sounded Full-Lam)   A boat SHOW is held here every year. There was approximately 15K visitors to come this year.

Selling skills and sharp eyes are more important. Personally I do not think much about managerial skills required for this task. Each individual of both team needed to sell and sell.
"Don't take it personally" is another interesting phrase you should pick up. It can ne your preventive tool when you put someone you do not like to do a job he or she is not good at or do not give an appropriate task to a person with particular skills. Kathik did this to his team member.
First task was to choose eye catching products. The show spent about 10 minutes for the part of choosing products. How each team chose the products, how leadership the team managers were, what techniques each team used to convince the products owners. All of these are very interesting and funny in a way. Both team had the same eyes for a high end or high ticket product - a jet ski of 15K Pounds. But the team which got it showed passion to learn about technical specifications of the products, rather than pushing themselves to become familiarised with the products and the owner. The same reason for allowing the middle range product- a paddle board. So hope you have learned some business skills, how the business talk looks like. So each team got 4 products each, fish cushions, changing robe, jet ski. The other team got google masks, bags, paddle board and a speed boat. Can you imagine who now would be in trouble. The ones assigned to sell a high end product. If they could sell it, the team surely won. If they did not, they team was likely to lose. The team with fish cushion decorate their selling space like an aquarium. I think it is a clever way to catch visitors or passer-by very well. Team players are also very important. One member of Kathik team sold a product lower than the price than the team had set it. One shot was so funny. Francis was instruction one of the team member to say the speed boat specification and its price after her like a parent telling kids and "retent that information?
Let's come to the end, the Francis made it and the win brought her tears. This task was her first win since she had been always in the losing team in all previous 7 tasks. And it was a massive win, the Kathik team got 198 Pounds while her team got 40K.
What happened to the losers in the board room??? The project manager Kathik was fired due to his poor managerial skills, he did not put a right man on the right job and was diabolical. A new thing about this episode is that Lord Sugar did not trust Kathik as a project manager to bring any of poor performance team players back to the board room so he did fire Kathik before self deciding who would be back to the board room. Three persons who were not assigned to sell the jet ski.  Among the last three was Samuel, an experienced high end seller who was not assigned to do so, was fired because he did not follow the project manager's pricing instruction.
This episode reminds me that what a team player really means. I normally focus on engagement and participation of team players. A good team player needs to follow the rules and team instruction carefully and seek for an advice when s/he wants to do differently.

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Why is 'Watch and Write'?

Why is 'Watch and Write'?
          Do you believe that you are good at one particular thing? I don't have that kind of belief. But I truly believe someone has it. I could  possibly say one of my students that he may be a good writer in the future or he is good at narrating. I observe that he writes well. He could write a long paragraph and has a lot of eye catchy words on what he writes. Yes, he writes on Facebook. I don't know I may be right or wrong. I keep watching him, I may write about him more.  
           During my time in England, it was the first time i was introduced to a lot of TV programmes. Yes, TV (which we paid about 30 Pounds for TV license every month) introduced me to many interesting programmes which have later on become my resourceful free time enjoyable free-of-charge favourite programmes. One of my favourites was 'The Apprentice' produced by Mark Burnett (he also produces The Voice and many franchising TV programmes). I just found it compelling, analytical and attractive. While watching, I always imagine what I would do or make a decision in such situation. Absolutely I do enjoy the characters' British English and other lovely accents (England is one of melting pots in this world, you can find Indian, Pakistani, European, Malaysian, etc. here). I do enjoy a variety of tasks given each week, I do enjoy how the characters argue, negotiate, blame, and fight with each other. I do enjoy how Sir Alan Sugar (Mr. Sweet) analyses to make a decision who should be fired each week.
           I have watched many versions of the Apprentice, UK, USA, Australia. The latest was The Apprentice Asia which is broadcast in Malaysia. I even tried once The Apprentice Ireland, but honestly I could not pick up its accent well. So i gave up. Having watched a lot of them makes me want to write and the title of my blog derives from my habit of watching. Obsession may partially describe me in relation to The Apprentice. I like one of the characters of The Apprentice Series 4, 2008. She is very unique, she could pass it to the interview round. Her name, her accent, and her clothe styles make her distinguish. I read more about her she did not have TV at home. It was not that she was poor, but she did not want to watch it, why did she need to have one? So coooooool Lucinda.

  
  Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_(TV_series)
       
         I am telling you what made me want to write. I would write more about tasks or characters of the programmes or do compare between the UK and USA versions, a lot to learn from the programme intellectually and emotionally. Please wait and see.

Watch and Write: New born blog: What inspire me to write a blog

Watch and Write: New born blog: What inspire me to write a blog: I have created this blog on my birthday (needless to sat how old I am ). Have read some suggestions on how to create a blog, I am quite comp...