Sunday November 22, 2009
Mind your English
By DZIREENA MAHADZIR
Making learning English fun for kids is the primary focus of two new programmes on Astro TVIQ.
HOW many of you remember your English lessons in school? The grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and countless other things.
Were they kind of boring? But what if they were presented in a different way – more interactive, snazzy and exciting?
Come quench your thirst for learning with Amelia T. Henderson in The English Room. Thank goodness there is edutainment today, which is not vapid but can be really splendid.
Two new locally produced shows on Astro TVIQ’s myriad menu are focusing on helping children improve their command of the English language through interesting ways. The English Room and Kids’ World@TVIQ, which started on Astro Channel 552 last month, currently run on weekends.
TVIQ, together with learning channels Astro Xiao Tai Yang (Channel 325) and Chutti TV (Channel 213), comes under the purview of Kampus Astro, the satellite broadcaster’s brand in education.
Initiated in November last year, Kampus Astro adopts an integrated approach in providing learning opportunities via four main areas – academic, knowledge and life skills, events and community projects – to cater for different ages and learning needs.
The host interviewing the writer at Studio V. – Photos courtesy of The English Room Its series of programmes covers, among others, pre-school learning to primary school tutorials, language lessons, and fun with science.
Interviewer interviewed
The English Room, targeted at lower secondary school students, contains 10 half-hour episodes whose main aim is to boost writing skills.
On every episode, host Amelia Thripura Henderson, a familiar face in the entertainment industry, explores the skills and secrets of writing with the guidance of industry experts.
These professionals serve as her writing mentors in various formats, whether it’s for a news article, letter, summary or an essay.
“The English Room teaches kids how to write following a format. There are different types of writing and we start by going out to a location for the interview. After getting the information, I will sit down with the mentor and we’ll show the audience how to write the story,” explains the 14-year-old.
Not surprisingly, the teenager from Kuala Lumpur enjoys presenting the show as she says it allows her to meet different people as well as experience different forms of writing.
“All the people I’ve met have been absolutely amazing, and the programme is a lot of fun. We have one guest per show, and we go through grammar, spelling and the right use of words,” says the cheerful gal who proudly declares English and Mathematics to be her favourite subjects.
This writer had a taste of what the experience was like on the day this interview was conducted at Star Publications (M) Bhd’s multimedia hub, Studio V, in 1 Utama shopping centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Right after I interviewed her, she recorded an interview with me. After which I had to summarise my interview with her into a short piece.
As it was an impromptu move suggested by The English Room executive producer Vimala Siva Wilkinson, I had to quickly skim through my notes post-interview.
And let me say I’d never written a story immediately after an interview, with a camera rolling and an onlooker (Amelia) reading it aloud and asking me questions!
Thankfully, it was a brief write-up (by print standards) so it wasn’t that tough working on it on-the-spot in a short time. But I have to add that unlike her other mentors, I did not have the luxury of reviewing my notes and only writing out the piece with Amelia at a later recording.
Amelia was rather surprised when I told her we usually write between 500 and 800 words for a short feature story, so I’d be a really sad journalist if I couldn’t summarise what she had just told me in fewer than 200 words!
On that day Amelia learnt how I usually carry out my job: come up with questions, conduct an interview and write a story. On the last part, I walked her through the proper process of news-writing. I picked out the main points and included a quote from her before wrapping up the story.
Shining star
Ever since Amelia, who is of Scottish-Indian parentage (dad is an architect and mum, a dentist), was spotted by talent scouts in a shopping mall when she was a mere tot of one, she has steadily chalked up an impressive portfolio. It ranges from modelling, dancing and emceeing to acting in TV series like Keluarga Adam, Kasut Tumit Tinggi and Warna Ungu.
She has also taken part in stage musicals The King and I and Peter Pan, both at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur in 2007. (For the latter, Amelia notably landed the role of Tinkerbell, the feisty fairy who adores Peter Pan.)
Already a veteran commercial star at her young age, Amelia – who is greatly inspired by her late grandmother and Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad – has appeared in some 50 television ads for local and international markets. “Commercials really gave me a lot of exposure.”
She’s also done voiceovers for commercials and characters from animated features including as Miette in the recent Barbie and the Three Musketeers.
She counts American actress Meryl Streep and singer Beyonce as well as Malaysia’s singing powerhouse Jaclyn Victor among her favourite stars.
It’s a wonder how Amelia manages it all – life, school and filming.
“I just find time for it, and I enjoy everything that I’m doing.
“Aunty Vim (English Room executive producer) is very flexible so I get to slot in filming every spare moment I get. Effective time management, as my mum would call it!” says the pretty lass.
A role model indeed.
Kids’ World leaders
Kids’ World@TVIQ is a 15-minute programme for kids by kids. Hosted by Voon Keen Choong and Natasha Jayne Wilson, both 10 years old, the show focuses on things that are important and interesting in a child’s world while educating them on the basics of English grammar, vocabulary and more.
The 10-episode Kids’ World@TVIQ, aimed at primary school students, is presented in a fun-filled and energetic style that is never dull. In each episode, the duo will embark on a different adventure.
“While it teaches English, we also do other activities, such as science and sports, on the show,” says Natasha. (She and Keen Choong were at Studio V with Amelia for this interview.)
The chirpy Keen Choong chips in: “We present the show and we also do the experiments, so that’s a lot of fun.”
The two presenters from Kuala Lumpur, who are fluent in English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia, love doing the show as they not only learn a lot of new things, they also get to act in different situations.
“I had so much fun playing a mad scientist and putting gel in my hair for the look!” quips Keen Choong.
Though presenting is something Keen Choong is keen on continuing, the precocious fella says his ambition is to be a chef. “I like to cook with my mum and help prepare my favourite dishes,” says the lad as his mother, who runs a home furnishing business with his father, beams with approval.
It’s little wonder that he idolises the British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay (“minus the swear words!”). Oh, and he looks up to American golfing champ Tiger Woods (“his determination inspires me”).
An active child, Keen Choong plays various sports, including golf, badminton and football. The avid mimic also admires Michael Jackson and Steve Martin. One can indeed picture the cheeky little boy imitating both stars with aplomb!
Sweet-natured and gentle Natasha, who’s had experience in a string of TV and print commercials, is equally enthusiastic about being a TV host, though she aspires to be a doctor as “I like helping people”.
The girl who plays the piano and violin loves to sing and looks up to American country star Taylor Swift. “The singer is very talented and writes great songs,” says Natasha, also a fan of Michael Jackson and ABBA.
As filming is done only on weekends, it does not disrupt their schedules during school days.
“This allows me time to manage my homework during weekdays,” says Natasha, the daughter of a retiree.
When it comes to dealing with “difficult situations,” the two, who were successfully picked at auditions, say they just do the best they can, as it’s their job.
Spoken like true professionals.
So there you go, if you can’t get your kids off TV, switch the channels and let them watch fun learning programmes like Kids’ World@TVIQ and The English Room. At the very least, they’ll be learning something.
> ‘The English Room’ airs on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm, and ‘Kids’ World@TVIQ’ on every Saturday at 2.05pm, on Astro TVIQ (Channel 552).
The segment of ‘The English Room’ with Dzireena Mahadzir is scheduled to air on Dec 12.
Catch the writer’s session with the three hosts on www.thestaronline.tv.
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