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IGCSE Malaysia Disappeared

victortanws
 

Today, something unfortunate happened:

The death of the IGCSE Malaysia Facebook group.

It seems that the admin of the group deleted it by accident, the net result of which is the loss of one of the most valuable spaces to have existed for discussing the IGCSE amongst Malaysians and to a degree, people at large throughout the world.

It was a group that contributed a lot to the IGCSE ecosystem in Malaysia, serving over 50,000 members from across Malaysia and no doubt across the world as well, who treated group as a place to exchange resources and various other things of that nature.

It was a most unfortunate loss of a space where many parents and students had the opportunity to just engage in dialogue and to discuss different matters across the entire gamut of different things within the IGCSE and also beyond. I asked a little bit about what had led to this situation and discovered from the admin of the group that essentially it had disappeared because of mysterious circumstances.

Up until now, I still don’t understand exactly what had happened but ended up mourning the loss for a while, only to make the decision to create a brand new IGCSE group.

If you happen to be from Malaysia or you have some sort of special attachment to the country or you just really vibe with some of the people here, then do consider joining this new IGCSE Malaysia Facebook group that I’ve created for the purpose of filling the void created by this loss.

The URL is simple: www.facebook.com/groups/myigcse.

It’s a group that’s dedicated towards discussing all aspects of the IGCSE across syllabi and across different subjects and hopefully in time it will become a forum for lots of different people to talk about the IGCSE and to also face challenges together as we seek out the best way of educating the younger generation of Malaysian talents to seek out better lives for themselves; I hope you’ll join us!

The loss of the original IGCSE Malaysia is a big one, but I hope that it will not be a lasting one. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance in fact that you came from that group in some way, shape or form, although I think nowadays the distribution of people who read this is more tailored to words, people who have come from Google or various other search engines of that nature.

Nonetheless, to those of you who came from that initial group at the outset, and those of you who eventually became my clients, friends and associates, thank you for being a part of that group together with me, and I hope that you’ll join me in this new one.

Thanks a lot and I’ll look forward to catching you guys soon!

V.

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Describe walking or riding along a path or track you have not explored before.

victortanws
 

I’d like to extend my apologies for not updating as frequently as I should be updating.

This has been due to a mixture of different issues, such as the ongoing Cambridge CELTA course which I am currently enrolled in, several other projects which I have been undertaking, and various other journeys along the way as well as I continue with teaching and doing other things.

In the meantime though, I would still like to update, but likely it won’t be on the weekly schedule that I had talked about before, although I will do my best to create a little more content on a more consistent basis and maybe seek help along the way in order to update this website as well.

In the meantime, I thought I would share with you a sample essay from one of my students, Isabelle Tham, who joined me in March, and in the meantime has become a tremendously proficient writer.

Have a look and see what she has written in her response and I think that you’ll be inclined to agree!


Descriptive writing

2 Describe walking or riding along a path or track you have not explored before.

As I descended the rough stone steps leading into the abandoned underground subway station, the deafening noise of bustling New York traffic was suddenly silenced, as if someone had snipped the wire of my headphones. With my trusty explorer’s pack on my shoulders, I pressed on, determined to uncover the secrets of this forgotten place. Finally, I arrived at the heart of the dilapidated train platform, where signs of neglect were evident at every turn.

Aluminum cans, cigarette stubs, and bits of paper littered the ground like confetti. Faded graffiti adorned the walls, left behind by vandals and street gangs, standing as reminders of a past long gone. The train tracks were coated in reddish-brown rust, eerily reminiscent of dried bloodstains. The darkness enveloped me, and only the beam from my torchlight managed to pierce through the impenetrable blackness, revealing the vast arching ceilings above, as if disappearing into an endless night sky.

In the midst of this desolation, my torchlight caught a glint of gleaming metal—the handle of a trapdoor, curiously untouched by the passage of time that had ravaged the surroundings. With caution, I opened the door, noticing the intricate carvings and symbols etched onto its dusty surface. Beyond the door were more stairs, worn smooth with time and the passage of footsteps. Medieval wrought-iron torch brackets lined the walls, emitting an ethereal blue flame that produced an eerie chill rather than warmth. My curiosity piqued, I climbed down, careful not to slip on the slippery stone.

At the foot of the stairs, a tunnel awaited, its floor made of packed dirt. The blue flames that once provided illumination were absent here, replaced by encroaching shadows that seemed to harbor unimaginable creatures of the dark. Silvery cobwebs and vines festooned the place like a parody of party garlands. I ventured forth, ignoring the shiver that crept down my spine.

Finally, the tunnel opened up into a magnificent cavern, leaving me gasping in awe within the chilling silence. The walls were inlaid with luminous gemstones that cast a mesmerizing array of colors that danced and sparkled around me. The smooth stone floor was sprinkled with chips of marble and quartz, reflecting the torchlight and creating a breathtaking spectacle of lights. At the heart of this chamber stood a high stone pedestal, bearing the same ancient carvings as the trapdoor above. At its peak, a polished wooden box emitted a faint white glow, beckoning me closer.

I stepped forward, fingers reaching tentatively for the box. It seemed to whisper at me, encouraging me to uncover its mysterious origin. As I examined it, the cave trembled and vibrated. Rubble began to fall from the ceiling, and I knew I had to leave immediately. Without hesitation, I ran back to the brightness and sounds of New York City, determined to unlock the enigmatic puzzle of the subway station and its little wooden box.

– end –

If you enjoyed that, or if you’d be interested to work together on IGCSE First Language English, please feel free to drop me a line and to ask me any questions that you have about the curriculum, or to join the IGCSE English Students and Parents Support Group as well ðŸ™‚

– Teacher Victor –
www.englishfirstlanguage.net

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I took the IGCSE First Languge English Exam (and got an A*)

victortanws
 

Some of you may have heard some news lately of some tutor who did the IGCSE First Language English exam even though he had been teaching IGCSE English for the longest time. Well, it was true. Why do I know? Because that tutor was me!

In case you’re wondering why I did that in the first place, the reason is that I wanted to just show that I was actually capable of doing the exam that I was teaching my students about. And indeed, I guess I was. But it was something that I had wanted to see with my own eyes whether the methods that I was teaching would really stand the test of time under actual exam conditions, and therefore allowing me to move beyond theory into a domain of practice which I hadn’t gone through in a while.

I think it is important to do this once in a while, and I heartily recommend it to everyone. Go out and test yourself. Try yourself in something that challenges you. Own up to what you are teaching, and actually take ownership for having the skill that you’re supposed to impart unto people… And remember that at the end of the day, you cannot give what you do not have – a phrase that’s very commonly said both in the church that I attend, as well as by the Singaporean Ministry of Education.

It was all this and many other thoughts that were swirling around in my head in when I registered for the exam.

I also did this in March, by the way, so you know that I was pretty serious about it.

It was the very same thought that was in my mind when I paid RM1,308 just to register for this exam.

Eventually, the feeling of righteousness I had in my soul remained until May, when I finally took the exam after rushing home from Singapore with a driver who had no hands.

At this time, it’s worthwhile for me to note that the guidance on a Cambridge Statement of Entry indicates that you have to arrive 30 minutes before the exam starts.

They are absolutely serious about this, and if you do not, you can quickly encounter some pretty serious problems, as I discovered after rushing from home after failing to get a GrabCar at the last moment, which caused me to be delayed until the point that I came into the exam hall with only 10 minutes to spare, which left me only the choice of having my bags left outside of secure exam storage with some of my valuables inside a bag as I took the exam filled with a sense of stress and trepidation that I suppose manifested in a sort of measured calm as I took the papers one after another while thinking about the nightmares that could be transpiring outside the exam hall as I wondered whether I would still have my wallet at the end of it.

Anyway, I’m pretty glad that that went well.

I won’t be disclosing exactly how high above 90 I reached, but I’ll simply assure you that it was a high 90 and leave it at that, leaving the charge for you guys to go right ahead and aim for the 100, which is what I had intended to do at the outset and was honestly a little disappointed about not getting, but that I am secure enough in to leave as a task to the reader.

Anyway, that was my strange little experience, which I just felt like sharing, and which I hope that you enjoyed 😉

We will get back to regular First Language English tips and tricks in the week ahead and I hope that you’re ready for what is to come! Hope that everyone reading this has an incredible week ahead!

V.

P.S. I’ll be opening up a Tuesday slot in addition to my standard issue Thursday slot. Contact me if you’re interested to hear more!

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