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By Desiree Pakiam
STOMP'S English as It Is Broken continues to be a popular feature with Singaporeans.
It is Singapore's only online channel where people can send their queries about English language usage daily and have them answered by English language experts thrice a week.
Not surprisingly, the collaboration between the Speak Good English Movement and Stomp has proven to be a big success, spawning four reprints of the eponymous book and an upcoming second edition.
The reason for its success: It is convenient, it is engaging, it is interactive - and it is also entertaining and humorous. In other words, it is an innovative way to pick up language tips that are relevant to the Singapore English- speaking environment with all its usage quirks and fallacies.
That's why Mr Aloysius Yap, 26, project executive for the National Library Board and a member of the panel of experts, is proud to be part of this initiative.
'It's great to be part of this team and improve the standard of English in Singapore,' he said.
Another important partner of the English As It Is broken feature is Reader's Digest Asia.
Since the website's inception, the publisher of the best-selling magazine in the world, has sponsored 80 books worth almost $10,000 as prizes for a weekly quiz based on the content in the feature.
There are two new titles now being offered as prizes for the quiz - The Right Word At The Right Time, which is a completely new kind of word book that uses the living language to show the right way to use words, and the Reader's Digest Great Dictionary of the English Language, an amazing dictionary which includes the latest technical terms, slang and foreign phrases.
Fans of the website not only can learn how to speak properly, but also can win the popular Reader's Digest books.
The Stomp feature is also an effective teaching tool. One big plus factor it has is that the issues about english usage here in Singapore are contemporary, something not captured in a timely fahion by textbooks.
Teacher Ms Yong Huiwen, 24, is one who uses the website to teach her students.
She said: 'I encourage my students to read up on English As It Is Broken and send in any questions that they might have, because the experts might be able to provide an answer or a facet of an answer that is different from what I can provide them.'
During the June holidays, parents too can make use of English As It Is Broken as an engaging and entertaining way for their children to improve their spoken English.
So, whatever the age group, start making use of this ready treasure trove of local English language gms today.
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