2012年11月11日 星期日

(轉貼:美國新總統歐巴馬--學測熱門考題) Obama faces slow but steadily gaining economy

(註解: 這是最新的時事, 美國新總統歐巴馬--學測熱門考題, 大家加油喔! 距離學測已經破百了!)

WASHINGTON -- Here's the assignment President Barack Obama has won with his re-election: Improve an economy burdened by high unemployment, stagnant pay, a European financial crisis, slowing global growth and U.S. companies still too anxious to expand much.

The economy risks sinking into another recession if Congress can't reach a budget deal to avert tax increases and deep spending cuts starting in January. The outlook isn't all grim. Signs suggest that the next four years will coincide with a vastly healthier economy than the previous four, which overlapped the Great Recession. Obama has said he would help create jobs by preserving low income tax rates for all except high-income Americans, spending more on public works and giving targeted tax breaks to businesses.
 
He used his victory speech to emphasize that the economy is recovering and promised action in the coming months to reduce the government's budget deficit, overhaul the tax system and reform immigration laws.
“We can build on the progress we've made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class,” Obama said.
 
The jobs picture has been improving gradually. Employers added a solid 171,000 jobs in October. Hiring was also stronger in August and September than first thought.
 
Cheaper gas and rising home prices have given Americans the confidence to spend slightly more. Retailers, auto dealers and manufacturers have been benefiting.
 
That said, most economists predict the improvement will remain steady but slow. The unemployment rate is 7.9 percent. Obama was re-elected Tuesday night with the highest unemployment rate for any incumbent president since Franklin Roosevelt.
 
Few think the rate will return to a normal level of 6 percent within the next two years. The Federal Reserve expects unemployment to be 7.6 percent or higher throughout 2013.
 
Economists surveyed last month by The Associated Press said they expected the economy to grow a lackluster 2.3 percent next year, too slight to generate strong job growth. From July through September, the economy grew at a 2 percent annual rate.
 
Part of the reason is that much of Europe has sunk into recession. Leaders there are struggling to defuse a debt crisis and save the euro currency. Europe buys 22 percent of America's exports, and U.S. companies have invested heavily there. Any slowdown in Europe dents U.S. exports and corporate profits. China's powerhouse economy, the second largest in the world, is decelerating, slowing growth across Asia and beyond.
 
Most urgently, the U.S. economy will fall over a “fiscal cliff” without a budget deal by year's end. Spending cuts and tax increases that would total about US$800 billion in 2013 will start to kick in. The combination of those measures would likely trigger a recession and drive unemployment up to 9 percent next year, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office.

Many U.S. employers are wary of expanding or hiring until that potential crisis is averted. That's why analysts have said resolving, or at least delaying, the fiscal cliff should be the most urgent economic priority for the White House.

 In the longer run, analysts are more optimistic. Americans are feeling generally better about the economy. Measures of consumer confidence are at or near five-year highs.
 
The main reason unemployment rose from 7.8 percent in September to 7.9 percent in October was that more people felt it was a good time to look for work. Most found jobs. Those who didn't were counted as unemployed. The government counts people without jobs as unemployed only if they're looking for one.
A brighter outlook among consumers is due, in part, to a steady increase in home prices after a painful six-year slump. Higher home prices can help create a “wealth effect,” making homeowners feel richer and spurring more spending. Banks are also more likely to lend freely when home prices rise because homes are more likely to hold their value.
 
Americans have also been shrinking debts and saving slightly more. Household debt as a percentage of after-tax income dropped from about 125 percent before the recession to 103 percent in the April-June quarter, according to the Federal Reserve's latest data. That ratio was roughly 90 percent in the 1990s.
But thanks to record-low interest rates, the cost of repaying those debts has dropped sharply. That, in turn, will free up more money for consumers to spend on cars, appliances and other goods.
 
Economists note that economic recoveries after financial crises tend to be painfully slow. In part, that's because time is needed for consumers to reduce debts and for banks to recover and lend again.
Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, noted that banks have boosted lending for the past 18 months — another sign that the passage of time is helping the economy rebound.
 
Obama “is going to have an easier time of it ... because we're further along the road to recovery after the financial crisis,” Ashworth said.

2012年11月7日 星期三

(轉貼) 如何背英文單字

值得參考! 希望能讓同學背單字的方法更正確, 越來越輕鬆!

想想看我們自小學寫國字時,多半靠的只是不斷以眼睛與一筆一劃的重複抄寫來加強記憶,這是因為中文是形象的文字,寫法和注音常常是兩套幾乎不相關的系統,但英文不同,英文是拼音的文字,單字的聲音與拼寫是緊密相關的,換句話說,在記英文單字時,每個字的發音本身就提供了拼寫的重要線索,所以在記英文單字時,絕對不能只靠眼睛,而是要連耳朵與嘴巴都一起用上。比如說要記resolution這個字,與其R-E-S-O-l-U-T-I-O-N的唸個不停,把字母當中文筆畫記,不如先熟悉它的正確發音,然後邊唸這個字的每個音節,邊在紙上寫,唸re寫r-e,唸so寫s-o,唸lu寫l-u,唸tion寫t-i-o-n,寫完再唸一次,只要會講這個字,要拼出來就不是難事。當然因為英文的拼寫還是有一些拼法與讀音不同的地方,所以細節還是要注意,但有了聲音的輔助,記起來還是容易得多。所以,記單字時千萬不要再默寫十遍了,大聲念出來,在吐出每個音的同時寫出對應的字母,才能事半功倍。


【單字背法基本功】
1.聽單字書附的CD或錄音帶,熟悉正確的發音。
2.跟著念,並多說幾次。
3.邊念邊在吐出每個音的同時拼出對應的字母。
4.熟讀例句,如果有英文字義,更要把握機會練習以英文理解英文的機會。
5.試著不看例句,自己講一次例句,直到完全講對為止。(註:至於沒有例句的單字書,請直接丟到垃圾桶)
6.自己用單字造一個句子,並盡量在寫文章時,將新學的單字用出來。

字彙(vocabulary):
根據統計,一個人的成就和他所認識的字彙多寡成正比。 所以,你認識的、記得的、會用的英文字彙越多、越廣、越深你的英文程度一定高人一等。
要記、要背什麼樣的字彙才有用呢?

1. 與自己興趣(interest、hobby)有關的字彙:
例如,如果你喜歡音樂,你可以多記一些與音樂有關的英文字彙、術語。 將來遇到有同樣興趣的老外不管他們來自何處,只要他們懂英文,你都可以與他們無障礙的溝通,不會因為某個與音樂有關的英文字彙、術語不會講欲言又止,只好做個旁觀者而無法與人打成一片。 而且,因為自己有興趣,所以背這一方面的英文字彙對自己而言: 好玩、有趣、沒有壓力、不易忘記、多多益善。 先建立自己對英語、文的好感與自信心,後面的學習過程自然會比較輕鬆。

2. 與自己專業、行業、事業有關的字彙:
你賴以為生的專業如果與英文沾得上邊,你的專業英文字彙認識的多寡將決定你專業、事業上的成就。 試問,張忠謀先生本人所懂的有關半導體方面的專業英文字彙是不是比他的同業更多、更廣、更深? 專業英文字彙的增加反映出你經常涉獵與專業有關的英文書籍、資訊。 隨著專業知識的增加,自然而然在專業領域的表現會比別人強。 想出人頭地,英文常是關鍵。

3. 應付考試要用的英文:想畢業? 想考上比較理想的學校? 你別無選擇。 認命吧! 多聽、多講、多讀、多寫是不二法門。 其實,全國各級學校對同學們英語、文程度上的要求並不高。 只要不劃地自限,勇敢的踏出第一步,每個人都是很有潛力的。

要如何記、如何背英文單字(字彙)才容易記住,不容易忘記呢?

1. 要容易記住英文單字(字彙),必需利用聲音:所有的英文字都是由26個英文字母所組成。 光從拼字上看是無法看出一個字的意思。 native speakers(以英語為母語的人)也必須唸出聲音才曉得那個字的意思。 不像中文,有些字是象形文字,光用眼睛看就可以猜出那些字的意思。 所以,背英文單字(字彙)一定要出聲音才容易記住。 老外(以英語為母語的人)的音感比我們好,就是這種語言上的差異所造成的。 建議你在背英文單字(字彙)時一定要出聲音。 最好用錄音機將自己唸的英文單字(字彙)聲音錄下來,同時將英文拼字拼出,一邊唸出聲音、一邊拼字,一邊錄音。 等確定自己已經背好單字(字彙)了,再將自己錄下的英文單字(字彙)聲音播放出來,然後一邊聽自己唸的英文單字(字彙)聲音,一邊寫出拼字。 如果自己唸些什麼自己都聽不懂,保證世界上沒有人能聽懂你講的英語。 不過,經由這樣的練習,你可以自己糾正自己的發音,進步的速度會令你自己也難以置信。 而且,將來面對老外,因為對自己的發音比較有自信,更敢開金口跟他們交談。

2. 要容易記住英文單字(字彙),可善用英文的音節來幫助記憶:(註解:對的,單一的單字要用音節來背誦)每個英文字都是由26個英文字母所組成,26個字母中有A,E,I,O,U,Y六個字母在拼音(音標)上被用來當作母音使用,其他的二十個字母當作子音。 每個英文字至少有一個音節。 有的英文字有二、三、四個音節,甚至更多。音節的形成有三種:a. 子音+母音 b. 母音 c. 母音+子音。 音節的分割在字典裡都有標明(有的用空格,有的用黑點),而且固定不可任意分割。 另外,二個音節以上的英文字就有輕、重音節之分。 如果音節再多一些,還會有次重音節。 背英文單字(字彙)時,要特別注意重音節母音的發音以及該母音的拼字,只要重音節母音的發音發得對,那你的英語發音問題就解決一大半了。 當然,背英文單字(字彙)時,多注意母音的拼字、按照音節拼字,對整個字的拼法會有幫助;比較容易背、不容易忘記、也比較不會拼錯。

3. 背英文單字(字彙)要不容易忘記,必需從文章的上、下文去瞭解、學習一個字的意思及其用法,將來要用的時候才不會用錯(註解:所以不能硬背):一個英文單字常常有三、五種不同的意思,有時甚至達一、二十種,甚至更多,看了就令人頭痛;再加上詞類變化,實在不知該用哪一種解釋、哪一種用法才正確。 只有從文章的上、下文或從句子的前、後部分來辨認、選擇一個最合乎上、下文解釋的意思及用法。 例如,spring(春天、春季)是一年四季之一,是個名詞。 而hot spring是溫泉,因為spring也可用作泉水解釋。 冷泉是cold spring。 a spring-bed是彈簧床,不是春意滿床。 spring chicken是指年輕無知之人有菜鳥之暗喻。 此外,spring亦可當動詞用。 He sprang out of bed. (中文翻譯: 他從床上跳下來。)從整個句子來看,sprang 是spring的過去式,是一個動作跳,是動詞用法,跟春天一點關係都沒有,所以不能當名詞春天解釋。

4. 多記一些英文字典所附錄的AFFIXES(接語)字首、字尾(註解:這是對單字的擴充有幫助), 對背英文單字(字彙)也有幫助。 例如,co- 表示:一起;共同;同等。 worker是工作人員。 兩個合在一起,變成co-worker一起工作的人員(同事)。 如果行有餘力,再多下一些功夫記一些英文的字根、字源幫助當然更大。 若能記一些別人不會的稀奇古怪的英文字,偶爾拿出來show off,也是滿爽的。

背單字的撇步,我每一次看到一個新的單字,我都會有三步驟學習法。一是默唸、二手寫、三記它的含意。就這樣只要多訓練幾次,你就會可以輕鬆地將此單字記住。另外,我想申明一點,其實我的文法學習方式並不是因為我喜歡背文法,背文法其實很容易忘,故最好的方式就是將重要文法例句,運用於生活上。這樣要忘記真的很難!且你會漸漸的將文法用上癮,不知不覺你就忘記了有文法的存在了—並非如坊間某些書籍所講『說英文不用學文法』。而聽力的訓練,我是建議大家多聽聽ICRT,或是一些英語電視頻道(如Travel&Living / Animal Planet等)因為我覺得它很生活化,所以大家可以參考一下以上我所講的方式,希望對你有所助益。

2012年11月4日 星期日

(轉貼) 語感訓練“四法”

(黃老師註解) 語感不是單純單字或是文法,片語,而是這些字彙/文法/片語融入英文之後句子與句子,段落與段落之後你了解多少.現在看到許多要學測的高中生常常分數卡在一個級數(無法上去10級以上),有時候並不是字彙量不夠的問題,而是對於語感不夠(過去傾向於死背單字所導致),所以現在同學要多多看英文文章(不要只是應付考試),培養語感力.

葉聖陶先生指出:“語言文字的訓練﹐我以為最要緊的是訓練語感。”所謂語感﹐簡單地說﹐就是對語言的敏銳感覺﹐是對語言文字迅速領悟的能力﹐是對語言隱含意義的一種深刻的直覺﹐一種頓悟﹐一種心理體驗。加強語感訓練﹐既有助于提高學生的閱讀能力﹐也有助于提高學生的表達能力。為此﹐《語文課程標準》中進一步強調“在教學中尤其要重視培養良好的語感和整體把握的能力”。
    那麼﹐如何在教學中更好地訓練學生的語感呢?
    一﹑形象思維“引路”法
    小學生抽象思維能力較弱﹐理解事物比較直觀﹐要領悟語言文字所表達的內涵﹐應充分調動他們的形象思維。通過形象思維的“引路”﹐把語言文字描繪的情景“轉換”成生動的“圖像”材料﹐讓學生在身臨其境般的體驗中陶冶情感﹐加深感悟。
    如《難忘潑水節》一課﹐學生反復誦讀課文後﹐對課文內容有了一定的認識。此時﹐教師借助電教手段播放了課文配樂錄音﹐美妙的音樂動聽的聲音把學生帶進一種特定的語言環境中﹐學生神情專注而投入。隨後﹐教師又在投影上出示周總理和傣族人民共度佳節的畫面﹐啟發學生看畫面想一想﹑說一說當時的歡樂場面和具體情節。當再讀到“清清的水﹐潑呀﹑洒呀!周總理和傣族人民笑哇﹑跳哇﹐是那麼開心”﹐學生已完全沉浸在快樂的氛圍中﹐歡愉之情自然流露。
    通過語言文字想象“畫面”﹐通過想象中的“畫面”感悟語言﹐是培養語感的重要方法。教學中要重視運用形象的實物﹑語言﹑畫面﹐調動學生的形象思維﹐以有效培養他們對語言文字的感悟能力。
    二﹑品詞析句比較法
    一篇篇課文都是由詞和句組成的。因此﹐抓好詞句教學是提高學生對語言文字感受力的有效途徑。教師要善于引導學生對詞句進行比較﹑揣摩﹑欣賞﹐不斷提高其對語言感知的敏銳程度。
如《荷花》一文中有一句“……荷花在這些大圓盤之間冒出來”﹐對于“冒”這個關鍵字﹐可引導學生用其他詞來替換﹐如“長”“伸”等﹐用哪一個詞更好呢?在對這些詞的討論﹑比較中﹐學生體會到;因為荷葉多﹐“挨挨擠擠”的﹐所以荷花只能從中“冒”出來;“冒”不僅寫出荷葉數量之多﹐還顯示了荷花那旺盛的不可抗拒的生命力﹐給人一種生機勃勃的感受。這樣﹐抓住關鍵文字﹐學生品出了精妙詞語的個性特征﹐咀嚼出了它的神韻。
    在課文中﹐像這樣經過作者反復推敲﹑仔細琢磨才使用的詞句有很多。我們應有針對性地采用換﹑補﹑調﹑丟等方式﹐引導學生在比較中細細體味﹐而在心靈上與作者產生強烈的共鳴﹐促使語感不斷增強。
    三﹑感情朗讀體驗法
    修訂版“大網”明確提出:“要讓學生充分地讀﹐在讀中整體感知﹐在讀中有所感悟﹐在讀中培養語感﹐在讀中受到情感的熏陶。”可見﹐朗讀是引導學生體驗課文情感的佳徑﹐而學生富有感情的朗讀本身就是他對語言文字有敏銳感覺的表現。
    《只有一個地球》中描寫地球“是那樣的美麗壯觀﹐和藹可親”﹐怎樣才能感受到這一點呢?教學時﹐我首先讓學生找到能突出地球可愛的句子來讀一讀。這時的讀﹐學生還只是處在對文字表面的感知上。接﹐我演示了多媒體課件:茫茫的宇宙中﹐出現了一個裹藍色紗衣的晶瑩透亮的球體。當學生看到它時﹐真正感受到地球是那麼美麗﹑親切﹐在內心深處產生強烈的震撼﹐激發起對地球由衷的熱愛之情。然後﹐我引導學生自由練讀“地球﹐這位人類的母親﹐這個生命的搖籃﹐是那樣的美麗壯觀﹐和藹可親”這句話﹐談談通過這句話能讀懂什麼。在大家暢所欲言後﹐我順勢引導:“文中把地球比作母親﹐說明地球給人類生命;把地球比作搖籃﹐說明地球哺育我們成長﹐那麼怎樣才能讀好這句話呢?”于是﹐學生把自己對地球母親的感激與深情融入了自己的朗讀中﹐師﹑生和文本之間產生了共鳴:我們的地球太可愛了!
    四﹑生活經驗聯係法
    研究証明﹐人們對語言的敏銳感受和對生活的敏銳感受緊密相連。教學時﹐教師若能引導學生聯係自己的生活積累﹐設身處地地體驗課文所描繪的情境﹐就會使語言文字在頭腦中形成的圖像逐漸鮮明具體﹐進而入情入境。
    《第一場雪》中有句話這樣寫道:“冬夏常青的松樹和柏樹上﹐堆滿了蓬松松﹑沉甸甸的雪球。”“蓬松松”“沉甸甸”兩個疊詞﹐生動具體地描繪了雪落枝頭的情態﹐教學時﹐可啟發學生聯係平時看到的雪景來理解。對于“蓬松松”的雪球怎麼是“沉甸甸”的這個似乎矛盾的問題﹐更應指導學生根據自己的生活積累來理解。如棉球是蓬松松的﹐拿在手上不會感覺到沉﹐但將一團棉球放在一張薄薄的紙上﹐它卻是沉甸甸的。聯係這個生活經驗﹐學生就能正確而生動地理解到:那雪球是堆積的承載力很小的樹葉上的﹐所以會讓人感到沉甸甸的。

    (選自《小學語文教師》2003年第6期)

2012年10月17日 星期三

(轉貼)雞的報恩!實驗雞差點安樂死 獲救後每天下蛋給主人吃

(註解: 您沒轉錯台,這裡是英語教室,動物也是有靈性的喔!就和您我一樣,只是他們這一輩子變成畜牲而已,只要我們用心對待他們,就可以深深知道它們也是有靈性的!)

鄉下地方養雞不稀奇,但你看過有人在都市的公寓裡把雞當成寵物嗎?這兩隻雞原本是一間生技公司的動物實驗雞,做完研究後就要安樂死,而當時在那裡任職的阿倩心生不忍,分別把年幼的牠們帶回家,兩個小傢伙長大後開始下蛋,讓阿倩天天有蛋可以吃,還做成雞蛋麵跟雞蛋糕,邀朋友一起來家裡共享!

阿倩養的兩隻寵物雞,一隻是烏骨雞名叫「烏烏」,另一隻名叫「推推」,是烏骨雞和油雞的混種,都有蓬鬆的爆炸頭和美麗的靴毛。當時牠們都被拿來做性狀研究,無基因改造的侵入性危險,所以跟農場裡養的雞一樣健康無害,只是品種有那麼一點特殊罷了!

當時任職於生物科技公司的阿倩,也是第一次看到烏骨雞,原本認知僅止於用來補身體的雞湯,所以見到本尊後非常為之驚艷,白色的絲絨羽毛,摸起來非常柔順,直說「簡直是鳳凰的後裔嘛!」

阿倩帶回「烏烏」後不久,又帶回了「推推」,雖然都是從小養,不過因為社會化程度不同,兩隻雞的個性天壤之別,烏烏跟著阿倩見過很多世面,個性穩重、撒嬌;而推推個性激動、膽子小。

養牠們時一直都不知道性別,直到半年後的某一個東天早晨,阿倩慣例睡眼惺忪走到「禽房」(原本是書房)準備打掃,就這樣看到了一顆蛋在籠內,眼睛頓時瞪大,腦袋馬上清醒轉而興奮大叫,「我一叫後更好笑,烏烏也一起咕咕咕咕大叫,怎麼好像是我在提醒她說:喂,你生蛋了耶!」

阿倩拿起還溫溫熱熱的蛋,拿去跟冰箱裡的市售蛋比較,發現比較小顆一點,接著拿起奇異筆,在蛋殼上寫了「烏烏牌」,心裡有莫名的感動。後來推推也開始生蛋,夏天牠們較盛產,一週分別可生5顆蛋,多到吃不完,於是她把蛋收集起來,做成雞蛋湯麵和雞蛋糕,邀請朋友一起來分享。阿倩說,「朋友們邊吃邊說,烏烏牌的蛋吃起來蠻甜的,就跟牠的長相一樣!」

養了雞才知道,沒有比養狗養貓還輕鬆。阿倩說,「主要就是糞便清理和環境衛生消毒上,要特別下功夫。畢竟不是農場裡的雞,而是飼養在公寓裡的寵物,隨著雞的成長,吃得越多拉得也就越多,只要兩天不清理就會臭氣沖天。」潔癖重的阿倩也定期幫雞洗澡、修毛、剪指甲保持乾淨,每天得早晚也都要小打掃並用酒精小消毒;而每隔三天大清理,再用漂白水消毒籠內外,一個月把籠子清洗一遍,算是花相當多時間在打掃上。

阿倩跟《ETtoday寵物雲》分享許多照片,也進一步補充,養雞其實要負起的責任很大,因為禽流感風波的關係,讓雞與人的共通傳染病備受關注與重視,既然決定要養,她能做的就是多花點勞力與基本衛生知識來維持。「清理雖辛苦,但她們生蛋提供食物來源也算是一種報酬,所謂人與動物互惠共生也就是這種感覺呀!只是烏烏和推推不是經濟動物也不再是實驗動物,而是我的寵物!」

2012年10月13日 星期六

(轉貼)高中三年英文學習心得與方法

黃老師註: 再過3個月不到就要學測了,看到許多高三生在讀書的過程很辛苦,我們也這樣熬過來,很不捨,我一直希望以後po些勵志方面或是其他同學的讀書心得給大家看看,以免英文看太多睡著了. 這個同學是15級分的,大家參考他的精神,不是參考他的成績(若可以達到15級分那就是完美了)
 
我的高中三年,在學習英文方面,一直是以新竹高中老師們的教學方針為依歸。我相信無論是哪一所高中,英文老師們透過他們的教學經驗所制定的教學方針,都是對剛邁入高中生涯的新生們來說,非常值得參考且付諸實行的計劃。我要提供的第一個心得,就是「相信自己的英文老師」,任何的英文問題,你都應該最先向他們請教,因為他們是最瞭解你的狀況、也最清楚你在學習英文的「當務之急」的人。以下我提供的學習心得和方法,至多只能算是一些建議和提醒,必須視你個人的情況與需要調整後再落實。
課本:
課本應該讀熟,能夠背下來最好。它是你高中三年,學習英文最直接、最主要的依憑。(註:對的,千萬不要把過去三年的努力放掉了!)或許你會認為課本上的文章沒什麼特別,英文課本的版本這麼多,背其中一個版本的課本不見得有什麼直截的好處。但我要告訴你,把這些課文背下來對你的的確確有好處,而且是大大的好處。

高中的英文課本(尤其是課文部分)都是經過精心設計,因此重點明確、容易吸收的。例如某一課要介紹的是假設法,那麼該課課文從頭到尾就會不斷地重覆假設法,有些還會針對不同人稱(Iyouhe/she/it/代名詞)、不同時態(現在式、過去式)不同句型(基本句型、if it were not for/but for/were it not forit is about/high time thatshould have等等)的假設,分門別類地各造出幾個簡單的句子,搭配有趣的情節來把這些句子串連在一起。如果把這課的課文背了下來,不就等同於精通了英文的假設法嗎?我還曾經看過某個版本的英文課本,在某一課為了要介紹分詞構句,該課的課文因此每隔幾行就出現一次分詞構句。甫接觸這課的課文會覺得它可笑,可是仔細想想之後,就會發現課本的編者們用心良苦。各個高中英文課本版本的編者,多有國內各學術型大學精研英語語言學多年的學者,因此當你背完你的英文課本的時候,就已經學到了許許多多英語語言學大師們苦心鑽研多年所得的學術精髓!

從前,我每天至少會花兩小時在自己的英文課本上。在老師上課前的預習,對我來說非常重要,這個方法不但讓我的學習事半功倍,也讓我體認到應該為自己的學習負責,不是一味的把責任推諉給老師。我所謂的預習,是指先把課文讀懂,把所有不懂的單字(課文、例句、會話、字彙注釋等等)全部先查好、背熟,再把每課後頭所附的練習以及習作本裡的習題(如果你的學校有買或你們使用的英文課本版本有出的話)都做完(這樣子的預習,一課大概會花上六個小時以上的功夫)。經過預習之後,課堂上我只要仔細地聽就夠了,因為我可以充份地享受預習的好處,當老師在台上講解的時候,已經是在為我做複習。只要預習得夠認真,這時候我差不多已經把這課背下來了,預習時不懂的地方,也可以趁這個時候聽個明白,或是趕緊發問。當學校老師一把課教完,我會回家仔細地把那一課再讀過一次(這次大概會花上四個小時的時間),把所有的細節都徹底地弄清楚。再來,我就只等期中考的前一天,再把這課拿出來複習一遍了(這次大約會花兩個小時)。花上這幾次功夫,一學期三次的期中考其實就能應付自如,即使要考高分,也不能說是難事。

閱讀:

我們打從出生就開始學習中文。或許連幼稚園都還沒上,爸爸媽媽就已經開始讓我們寫描線簿。上了小學之後,每天我們都要背生字、背生詞、背課文,聯絡簿上頭的回家作業總是要我們把這些生字、生詞、課文都重覆抄個好幾遍。上了國、高中之後,我們開始閱讀許多優秀的散文、古文,也背了幾篇古文觀止。不過,這樣紮紮實實地學到高中畢業,中文程度都還不見得能稱得上好,寫出來的文章都不見得邏輯清晰,何況是(大部分人都)從國中才開始學習的英文?每個人都想要學好英文,但有多少人願意從抄單字、抄片語、抄課文開始學呢?大概有些人光看一遍就開始嫌煩了。如果你也是這樣,連抄寫的基本功都不肯下,那你怎麼有資格抱怨英文很難、學不好英文呢?怎麼有資格笑那些背英文字典的人方法很原始呢?至少他()肯下苦功,光這點就值得稱許了。

接著課本後頭,我想提出的第二個重點,就是「多閱讀」。如果一個人不使用一個語言,不大可能有辦法把它學好。生長在台灣,我們並沒有聽、說英文的環境,使用英文的機會也很低,因此要提高使用它的頻率只有靠閱讀和寫作。現在許多高中會要求學生買英文學習雜誌,順道訓練學生的英聽。利用這樣的英文學習雜誌來增加閱讀的機會實在很方便,如果學校沒有規定,你也可以自己買,市面上有很多內容有趣、生活化,而且能確實提升讀者英文能力的英文學習雜誌,你可能按照自己的喜好來選讀。

千萬不要懷著功利主義的心態來學英文,考試不考就不唸。語言是一定要多使用的,你可以試著把自己關起來,整整三個月都不說話,看看你三個月後是不是還有辦法流利地用中文和身邊的人溝通。同樣的道理,如果你是為了考試而唸英文,只有期中考前幾天才會把英文課本拿出來,你怎麼可能有辦法立刻應用自如呢?美國Time(時代)雜誌調查國內最成功的前百大企業家、統計他們的人格特質並歸納出他們各別的成功因素,試圖找出他們成功的共同原因,結果發現他們的成功因素裡頭只有一項是這前一百名企業家共同擁有的──豐富的字、詞彙量以及良好的語言溝通能力。語言是你認知這世界的唯一工具,語言學家們已經證明了即使是天生有殘疾(聾、啞、聽力障礙等)的嬰兒也是如此,所以你的語言能力攸關你思考的精密度。語言能力愈好,就能做愈精密的思考。

除了一般報章雜誌的閱讀外,如果你對小說或文學有興趣,可以請學校的老師推薦一些英語文學名著的精簡版、或是一些近現代簡單有趣的散文集、小品文集,這類的書藉,在誠品書局、Page One(台北101)都可以找得到很多。

我高中的時候,每天會花半個小時念英文雜誌、半個小時聽英文廣播。加上唸課文的兩個小時,一天花在英文的時間大致上是三個小時。乍看之下很多,其實不然。假設你640分到學校早自習,早上就有將近一個小時,加上下課(扣除上廁所)和午休(扣除吃飯)時間,在學校其實就能把英文念完了,晚上回到家之後,還可以有三、四個小時的時間準備別的科目(不過別忘了聽廣播),週末也有許多空閒的時間可以看英文的課外讀物。

文法
有些人會覺得英文的文法很難,畢竟這不是伴隨我們生長的語言。如果你也覺得英文的文法很難,我建議你可以找一、兩本文法的參考書,先把它們讀通、讀熟,把英文文法的梗概掌握住;剩下的枝微末節,就是等到你有了問題的時候,再把這一、兩本文法書拿出來參考了。有一本文法書是我十分推薦的(希望這樣不錯置入性行銷,我沒有收敦煌的錢):

Azar, Betty Schrampfer. Understanding and Using English Grammar. N.Y.: Pearson Education, 1999. (敦煌書局代理)

其實,即使是以英語為母語的人,大多(如果不是語言學、文學、史學、人類學的研究者)也不會重視文法,就像我們書架上積滿了灰塵的那本辭海一樣,他們也是偶爾才查查,但至於平常使用英文的需求,卻可以應付自如。這主要是靠使用、熟悉這個語言的語感。所以如果文法學不好,可以靠多閱讀來培養。

會話

在台灣(除非是因應工作上的需要),很少能有使用英語交談的機會和場合。但這並不代表英語口說的練習不重要,如果真的不重要,每個英文課本版本的編者們就不會在每課都加上一個會話練習,並且註明要分組練習了。目前國內各大學近年來開始比較多量地聘請國外學者,當你上了大學以後,如果口說能力不好,搞不好和老師溝通的能力都沒有。最重要的是TOEFL(托福)考試已經在2006年開始實施口試,這可以算是針對非以英語為母語的英語能力檢定上劃時代性的改變,這表示現在全世界都已經認知道英文口說能力的重要性。

高中的時候,我同樣也很缺乏能夠練習英語口說的機會,所以我很異想天開地和幾個同學想了一個辦法──改用英語交談。既然天天使用中文,我們就有能力說流利的中文;那麼天天說英文,應該也能讓我們的英文變得流利(中文不會變差,因為回到家還是得用中文和爸爸媽媽溝通)。一開始雖然大家每講幾句話就要查一次字典、想好半天才能擠出幾個完整的句字,但是我們很快就養成隨身攜帶英文字典的習慣。而且因為通常大家都會高頻率地使用自己最近幾天才背的單字,所以字彙能力增加得很快。慢慢地(差不多兩個月的時間),我們已經可以使用英文(當然還是要翻字典)做一般日常生活的溝通。

另外,許多學校都有ESCEnglish Speech Club)這個社團,是各校為了訓練英語演講比賽的參賽代表而成立的隊伍,每個禮拜至少都有一到兩次的聚會,用英文做簡單的看圖說故事、即席演講等等的練習,還有老師從旁指導你的發音、用字和句型結構等等,對增進英語會話能力也非常有幫助。

全民英檢

我個人十分不鼓勵高中生參加全民英檢。除非你準備申請或選填的學系有特別規定你必須有通過全民英檢中級的初試或複試證照。第一,全民英檢的證照只有三年效力;第二,高中生通常沒有參加這種英文檢定考試的需要(應徵工作、參加研究所考試);第三,全民英檢的證照只在台灣境內獲得承認,將來申請國外學校的時候也無法做為申請證明。再加上全民英檢的報明費用十分昂貴,如果是單純為了測試自己英文能力這樣的無聊理由,就要花掉爸爸媽媽千把塊的血汗錢,還不如替媽媽把那些錢省下來讓她偶爾也買一件漂亮的衣服。

全民英檢中級的初試共有閱讀和聽力兩項測驗,閱讀測驗的難度比起升國中的基本學力測驗難不了多少,要通過不是難事。但聽力測驗方面,對於平時不常接觸英聽的人來說可能有些吃力,這個難關能靠著平時多聽英文廣播來克服。中級的複試對於一般的高中生來說難度不低,作文必須能在有限的時間內完成一篇首尾呼應、言之有物的文章,如果想要通過,可能要靠平時多閱讀優秀的散文、還有應該已經背得滾瓜爛熟的課本課文和例句。最後是一般大家公認最難的口試,分成三個部分:朗誦、簡答和詳答,朗誦是在時限內朗讀完一到兩段文章,能利用的時間不能算少,所以最好慢慢唸,不要想說唸得愈快分數會愈高,「口齒清晰」是這部分的重點。接下來是約十題的簡答,每題有1015秒長度不等的時間能夠回答,這些問題大多是“Yes”“No”就能回答的問題,但請你千萬別這麼答,最好是加上理由,拉長你的答案,不然即使你的英文程度很好,光是回答一個“Yes”,審查老師也評不出你的程度。最後的詳答包含看圖說故事和幾題作題時間比較長的題目,這部分只要放輕鬆、慢慢回答,好好地表達出自己的看法,就有通過的機會。

中高級的初試同樣分為聽力和閱讀測驗。聽力部分比起中級只是說話速度快了些、應用的字彙難了一些,但一樣能靠著平時聽廣播訓練出來的聽力克服。閱讀測驗部分就不太容易,難度大約和英文指定考科的難度不相上下,滿分是120,但通過則需要80分,如果想要通過,你可能需要先衡量一下自己的閱讀測驗能力再做補強。

結論

高中三年的英文學習其實說穿了就是要靠多背、多讀、多聽、多說。仔細回想我們是怎麼學中文,一路走來,再想想自己是怎麼學習英文,就會發現我們在英文上下的功夫(相對來說)太少、太微不足道了。高中的英文課本和其他教材都是精心設計、讓你逐漸累積英文實力的;但大學的原文書課本才不管你的英文程度如何,充斥著一堆你看不懂的單字、片語和句型,到時候你把英文學好更難。我的建議是,平時就要多接觸英文,把握學習的機會,並時常向學校的英文老師請教。這樣一來,想要把高中英文學好,成功機率是很大的。

針對學測及指考的英文加強計劃

無論是學測、指考,都有非常非常非常明確的測試範圍,並不像一般人所認為的那樣無邊無際、也不像國文的考試什麼都能考。因此,無論在高中的前兩年中,有沒有把英文學好,跟能不能把學測、指考考好可以說是兩回事,很多人習慣性地把這兩者混為一談,但事實上沒有直接關係。只要下定決心、花時間瞭解考試範圍和形式,再朝著這個方向好好下功夫,要考得好並不是什麼難事。

單字

針對學測和考的英文單字範圍,許多書局都編寫了單字本,你可以從中依照自己的需求選購。其中不乏收編了許多優良例句、細心整理出來的片語和collocation的單字本。

有很多人會覺得很奇怪,明明國、高中的課本裡面已經背了不少單字,為什麼準備學測、指考還要背單字?根據大考中心制定的字頻表,學測要考的是字頻表上前4500-5000的單字,而指定考科的範圍則是約7000-7400如果只背課本上的單字:500(國中必修)+300(國中選修)+20x24(高一)+25x24(高二)+30x24(高三),你只背了約2600個字,扣掉其中重覆的部分,可能實際上你的字彙不到學測範圍的一半。

要準備學測、指考單字的這個部分,除了課本的單字記牢之外,我的建議是平時就要背單字,一天可以背約10個單字,最好連例句一起背(否則等於沒背),這樣累積下來,即使是半年也能增加將近2000個字彙,對考試非常有幫助,而且比考前一個月每天死記100個單字有用得多了。

除了紮實的一個字、一個字慢慢背之外,有個速成的辦法,就是利用英文的字根(in-im-un-um-dis-non-ab-–ness-ful-e-ion-y-ist-or-er-ing-ed-t-lyex-out-e-extra-re-等等,可以快速地以組為單位,背完許多單字,例如:(1)migrantmigratemigrationimmigrantimmigrateimmigrationemigrateemigrantemigration(2)inspireperspirerespiretranspireaspire等等。這無論是模擬考、學測、指考,遇到不懂的單字時都很有用。當然,請你不要誤以為只要背幾個字根就可以省去背單字的功夫,英文的字根非常繁雜,多是從古希臘文、拉丁文、古英文和法文來的,想要用字根偷懶,你可能要先精通上面四種語言,我在上頭所提供的方法,只是利用一些比較常用的字根的應試小祕訣罷了。

克漏字

克漏字其實是最好準備、也最容易掉分的一大題。事實上這個大題測試的就是文法概念和字彙的collocation。文法方面如我前頭所說的,好好把握它的梗概就對了。Collocation的部分比較麻煩一些,這部分的實力要從平常背單字時就開始累積,如果你們學校使用的是龍騰書局的英文課本,那麼你非常幸運,因為他的編者們從第一冊到第六冊,每一課的最後頭都很有系統地整理出關於某個常用字的collocation,記熟就好處多多了。如果你們學校使用的是其他書版社的英文課本也沒有關係,從現在開始,每背一個單字也同時把它的搭配用法(例句)背熟,也有很好的效果。

很多人以為克漏字很難,其實是沒有把題目看清楚。如果把每個挖了空格的句子,先細心地找出它的主詞、動詞、受詞(如果有的話)和補語,判別句子的時態,再看它是不是有應用任何特殊的句型,每個空格都可以很輕鬆地找出正確答案。有時後掉了分數的原因只是粗心、沒有把題目看清楚。如果你不能確定自己選的那個答案是否正確,那就想辦法確定其他三個選項絕對錯誤,道理其實一樣。這樣逆向思考之後,我粗心的機率大幅地降低,克漏字也幾乎不再答錯。

閱讀測驗

如果你有像我前頭所說的,平常把握機會閱讀英文的話,遇到學測和指考的閱讀測驗,就可以發揮出辛苦累積的實力了。你將會發現,要在三分鐘之內看完一篇文章根本不可能有任何問題、甚至兩分鐘就能解決,因此,閱讀測驗的分數對你來說將十分好拿,每答一題就得兩分。
如果你平時沒有閱讀的習慣,導致你沒有辦法在短時間內看完題目上的文章也沒有關係。閱讀測驗通常都是考一些關鍵字、關鍵句和文意大綱,你可以先看題目再回到文章裡頭去找答案。考前你可以做這樣的訓練,多找一些閱讀測驗(考古題最好),習慣學測、指考閱讀測驗的出題方式後,你就會發現其實出題方向不難預測。用這種方式做答,可以有相當高的答對機率、而且節省非常多時間。等到你把作文寫完,如果還有剩餘的時間,還是可以再回來好好地把閱讀測驗的文章從頭到尾仔細看過,檢查你寫的答案是否正確。

作文

作文要算是最難準備的部分了,它佔的分數比例說高不高、說低不低,讓人想要放棄卻又猶豫。

這方面的實力可以從平時就累積。其中最簡單的方法就是背課文,如果你有背課文的習慣,那麼你在寫學測或指考作文時,你有6x12=72課的課文在你的腦海中可以用。這些課文,全都是鑽研英語語言學多年的大師們,辛辛苦苦編纂出來的精華,都是非常正確而且實用的句子,搞不好閱卷老師就是你背的那些課文的作者之一。除此之外,平時多多閱讀英文的報章雜誌(我不大推薦高中生閱讀China PostTaipei Times,因為這兩份報紙對高中生來說過難,可以考慮學生郵報,是一份雙週報,時間和金錢都花費不大),也能夠加強你對英文的語感,寫作文時會更加順利。

寫應試作文最重要的應該是切題。英文和中文的思考模式不同,這個問題對所有非英語系國家出生的人皆然。常常聽到人家在說的Chinglish或是Chinese English就是指你以中文的思考模式去說、寫英文,這是應該儘量避免的。首先應該訂好主題句(topic sentence)要,接著圍繞著你的主題句舉出(一般來說)三個理由或例證(supportive ideas/details),最後只要你的結論(conclusion)能和主題句首尾呼應、甚至只是把主題句再換句話說一次,這對學測和指考來說,就已經是一篇無可挑剔的作文。寫不好這種作文,大多都是同個原因.──偏題。常常有人覺得自己已經按著自己的主題句在說,但由於不習慣以英文推理的緣故,寫出來的東西事實上並不合邏輯。例如我有一個家教學生寫他喜歡穿制服上學的三個理由,最後一個理由是因為他有兩套制服可以替換著穿,這顯然並不構成喜歡穿制服的理由;還有另一個學生他寫為什麼廣告能使商品受歡迎,其中一個理由是因為商品會因為廣告而變得受歡迎,這個理由顯然是個邏輯上的惡性循環,有寫等於沒寫。考試的時候不能因為心急或緊張,就在還沒想清楚之前下筆,上述的這些問題,都可以透過縝密的思緒來避免。

此外,在寫這種應試作文時有一個大忌,那就是千萬不能使用概括性的論述。例如“It goes without saying that”“Needless to say”(你寫這篇作文就是要闡明你的論點,沒有什麼是不需要說的,你必須說清楚)、“There is no person but likes to eat ice cream”(搞不好閱卷老師最討厭吃冰淇淋,偷偷地在你的考卷上面寫“I am nobody, then”),也儘量避免everyEveryone should read Harry Potter)、eachEach of us is born to enjoy his/her life)之類有概括意義的字眼。這是很多閱卷老師都不欣賞的寫法(我剛好是這些閱卷老師們的學生),他們看你的文章就是想看你怎麼說,千萬不要寫出「無庸置疑地」、「沒有例外」之類的東西,要是你真的非寫不可,就提出強而有力的佐證,讓閱卷的老師想反駁也啞口無言,否則都是會被扣分的。

至於其他任何你學過的複雜句型、困難的單字,在你考試的時候可以通通都寫出來沒有關係,你愈能證明自己有寫出一篇好作文的實力、邏輯又清晰、意義明確,閱卷老師也就沒什麼能要求的了,要拿到15分以上應該是可以達成的目標。

要準備學測、指考的作文,平常偶爾寫寫簡短的英文日記或小散文都是好方法,或是你可以常常寫一些作文請學校的老師指導,對你的作文能力都有不小的幫助。

給考生的建議與叮嚀
對我來說,高三那段時間是我目前20年的人生當中,最簡單、最快樂(因為人似乎只要生活得簡單就容易快樂)的時光。生活週遭的一切,旁人都為我們準備好了:課業上,老師或補習班已經為你安排好詳盡的課業規畫;升學上,也有許許多多的升學講座、廣告、小手冊讓你參考;生活上,更是備受呵護,老師變得不太敢隨便罵我們(怕我們壓力太大或失去信心)、爸爸媽媽比較少像從前那樣逼我們做家事、跟弟弟妹妹吵架的時候也首次享受到爸爸媽媽的支持……,當考生真的有數也數不清的好處。除了讀書這件別人沒辦法幫我們做的事之外,其他的所有大大小小的事,別人都幫我們解決好了。所以讀書、準備考試暫時變成人生中唯一需要擔心的事情,也變成一個和全班同學一起努力的目標(上了大學之後,你就再也沒有所謂的「同班同學」,每一班都很有可能充滿著陌生的面孔,所以趁這最後機會好好享受吧「同學」的陪伴吧)。面對這麼簡單的生活,真的沒有什麼好焦慮。

學校的老師們安排好的複習進度,是他們依據自己多年教學的經驗所排出來的,他們教過數以千計的學生、參考過無數的個案,才編排出這一套讀書計畫,跟著老師的進度走一定沒有問題。你唯一要做的,就是跟著老師安排的進度確實複習,要是一不小心因為偷懶而沒有跟上,很有可能就演變成挖東牆補西牆的局面,很難再跟得上(因為要複習的科目不少)了。所以相信學校的老師們就對了,他們的經驗一定比你更豐富。至於補習或所謂的全修班,我個人建議,除非你是重考生,否則在高三這段期間儘量不要補習,補習班有補習班的進度,跟學校的可能會互相牴觸,讓你亂了步調。

唸書考試伴隨的壓力是最輕微、也最容易解決的了。學測不比欠高利貸,讓你註定直到死,每個月95%的薪水都要拿來還債,三餐不繼還要想辦法餵飽小孩;指考也不比戰爭,你丟一顆石頭過去很有可能換來一打手榴彈(巴勒斯坦跟以色列)。這世界上每天都有上千個非洲、東南亞、或南亞小孩、青少年、老人、孕婦餓死,卻從來沒聽說他們之中有任何一個人因為要考學測或指考壓力太大而精神崩潰;世界上也有數以百萬計的學者、科學家整天有做不完的實驗、看不完的書、寫不完的研究報告,卻也從來沒聽說他們之中有人因為抱怨時間不夠用就事情只做一半。其實這樣比較一下,就覺得可以唸書準備學測、指考真的是太幸福了,世上可能再也找不到比這更幸福的事情了吧!

以前我高三的時候,有時候覺得不停唸書真的煩死了,於是就會找時間跑到新竹火車站前面的SOGO去逛,或者是坐在市區的某一家咖啡廳(現在倒了)喝杯飲料、吃塊蛋糕,每個人都可以尋找屬於自己的抒壓方式,唱唱KTV(就算是買卡啦帶回家唱也好)、大吃一頓或是做一個壓力的詛咒稻茶人,這樣一來,即使是面臨學測、指考,也可以天天過得開開心心。

學測、指考不是世界末日,決定你要上天堂還是下地獄、前往美麗的淨土或是承受永恆的折磨,準備它們的那段時間,在你人生中只是非常短暫、非常幸福快樂的日子,你還是可以跟以往一樣過生活,最大的改變可能只是把原本用來看八點檔的時間用來算數學而已,往後的人生很長,不要忘了自己的本份就好。當然,學生的本份是唸書,雖然第六季的數碼寶貝非常好看,但為了學測和指考,忍住一個學期不看也沒什麼大不了,暑假有三個月可以租DVD來看!

2012年10月9日 星期二

(轉貼)高教悲歌/求生存!教授招生衝業績_Taiwan's Professors Turn Marketers

註:台灣的高教教育這期在天下雜誌有許多的報導,我們看到少子化&大學太多現在的台灣,老師與學生都遭殃

可在這裡看到中文翻譯參考   看看英文也不錯喔!

Senior high school students are brooding over the test papers for their Department Required Test, a university entrance exam for specific subjects. Inside the examination venue several university professors are making the rounds among the waiting parents who sit in the back fanning themselves.

"Hello. This is a brochure about our department, you might want to consider selecting our school…," they make their sales pitch. While some parents politely listen, others openly show their annoyance, making the cold-shouldered professors retreat quickly with an embarrassed look on their faces.

Lai Cheng-po, a business management assistant professor at Nanhua University in Jiayi County, regrets his decision of eight years ago to leave the insurance industry and devote himself to the apparently more worthwhile profession of teaching. When selling insurance he thought that academia would offer a more enjoyable work environment and that teaching Taiwan's next generation was a meaningful endeavor.
Lai did not expect to get his old job back in disguise: a few years into his teaching job he found himself touring senior high schools in central and southern Taiwan, trying to sell his university and handing out PR brochures just like an insurance agent.

Lai describes what encompasses such sales pitches: praising the excellence of one's school to the skies in front of uninterested, noisily chatting high-schoolers, humbly asking homeroom teachers to drop a few positive remarks about the university, and coping with under-the-table dealings practiced at some private senior high schools.

As schools at all levels fight for their survival in a tighter market, the hunt for students is on everywhere. Universities squander money on scholarships to senior high schools, hoping that the schools will reciprocate by helping them to recruit students. Senior high school teachers, for their part, teach junior high school students in cram courses to boost student recruitment at their own school. Junior high schools are already following suit by fishing for students at elementary schools.

"The axis of education has become slanted," observes Chen Pao-yuan, also an assistant professor at Nanhua University. "The situation is getting more and more dramatic as universities tie up with senior high schools, senior high schools tie up with junior high schools and junior high schools tie up with elementary schools."

Given that a further demographics-related drop in students is forecasted for the year 2016, middle- and lower-ranked universities are focusing all their efforts on student enrollment rather than on teaching and research, often turning teachers into sales personnel in the process.

Regardless of rank, faculty and administrators alike are forced to put up a brave front and ingratiate themselves with officials and teachers at senior high schools.

In mid-September Fo Guang University president Yang Chao-hsiang, a former education minister, went to Taipei to personally deliver stationery and other small gifts to St. Bonaventure Girls' Senior High School in Neihu District. Yang calls this a neighborly visit, but in fact this neighbor is located 55 kilometers away from the Fo Guang University campus in rural Yilan County.

For more related news, please link this website http://english.cw.com.tw/front.do?action=index

2012年9月21日 星期五

(轉貼)澳洲月賺20萬 選擇返鄉種鳳梨.....英國也開放打工遊學

註: 我覺得不論是叫做打工遊學(working vacation)還是台勞,只要清楚自己的目標就可以(要先想清楚).勞工階級也不可恥阿,靠自己的努力賺來的薪水阿,只是這都是過程而不是終點,像是這個文中的主角,選擇回台灣去種鳳梨創業,還有選擇回台灣考公務人員,有穩定的下半生這些都是不錯的選擇,我還是覺得怎麼栽就會怎麼收成!加油! (去澳洲打工也要英文夠好才能找到好的工作阿!快快把英文先在台灣搞好吧!)

越來越多的年輕人想要到澳洲當台勞,賺更高的薪水,26歲楊宇帆,南一中畢業考上成大,嚮往都市生活乾脆輟學,隻身到台北打工,一個月薪水卻只有兩萬元左右,於是他趕流行,也到澳洲海鮮工廠打工,一個月可以賺高達20萬台幣,可是最後他還是放棄澳洲高薪作業員的工作,回到故鄉,幫忙爸爸一起種有機鳳梨!

穿著南一中制服,走在鳳梨園,認真噴灑益肥的是今年26歲的新農人楊宇帆,去年三月澳洲遊學返台後,不忍外公的田荒蕪,決定和爸爸一起當農夫南一中畢業後考上成大經濟系,念了一年半覺得自己不愛唸書而休學。

嚮往都市生活,一個人到台北展開打工生涯,做過外商公司帳務員,人體模特兒,野外研究助理等,不過一個月的薪水都只有2萬元左右,讓他決定到澳洲打工賺大錢,台灣薪水太低,讓年輕人覺得沒有未來,而紛紛跑到澳洲,當高薪台勞。

楊宇帆也曾經是其中的一員,但是薪水雖高,終究還是澳洲的外籍勞工,還要忍受當地的歧視,不如回到自己的土地實在,工作累了,滿頭大汗,就乾脆直接睡在田裡,夢想從種鳳梨,重新開始。民視新聞顏孜育翁英修台南市報導

30歲以下 明年可赴英打工2年
台英交流協議 每年1000名額

〔自由時報記者蘇永耀、胡清暉、林曉雲、駐歐洲特派記者胡蕙寧/綜合報導〕外交部昨宣布,台灣與英國已經達成「台英青年交流計畫」協議,自明年一月一日起,每年提供一千個名額給年齡介於十八歲至三十歲的台灣青年,赴英國工作、打工、從事志工或自費遊學,在英居留最長可達兩年,並可全時工作。除不可創業、參加職業運動或當實習醫生外,就業種類不受限制,英方將發特殊短期移民簽證。

至於英國人申請來台,停留期間至多一年,從事專門技術性的工作,須符合資格認定及職業證照登記相關法令。

第7個 我青年可打工國家

英國是繼紐西蘭、澳洲、日本、加拿大、德國與韓國,第七個與我簽署類似協議的國家,也是七國中唯一同意我國青年在該國停留效期可長達兩年的國家,深具意義。英國目前只開放六個國家青年交流打工,台灣是繼日本之後,第二個東亞國家。

另一方面,台灣也提供每年一千名英國青年來台灣,希望藉此讓更多的英國青年有機會到台灣實地體驗我國風土民情,包括學習華語。

協助代辦台灣學生海外工讀的美加文教總經理叢蓓明分析,打工度假的年輕人抵達當地後,若透過職業介紹所等管道找工作,未必適合每一個人,出發之前要做好自我條件評估,加強自己的外語能力。

打工度假有許多是從事勞務工作,例如去澳洲農場摘水果,從早忙到晚,長時間曬太陽,有些人無法適應;她建議,可以先去上一、兩個月的語言課程,適應當地生活並找到住宿後,再透過語言學校介紹工作。

多益測驗台灣區代表王星威說,年輕人挑選打工度假或是暑期工讀時,大多優先去美、英、澳等英語國家。他的女兒就曾利用暑假到美國黃石公園的餐廳打工四十天,再利用八天休假把黃石公園玩透透,賺得的薪資足夠用來付機票,非常有意義。但有的年輕人出國打工發生水土不服、騎車摔傷、和雇主吵架被開除等事件,出國前要做好資訊蒐集,慎選有聲望的組織。

教育部統計,我國赴英國申請學生簽證的留學生人數,從二○○五年的九千兩百四十八人,到二○一○年驟降至三千六百一十人,創近十三年新低紀錄,可能與英鎊較貴有直接關係;教育部表示,這項新措施,預估可以稍微拉抬學生前往英國的意願。

英國景氣低迷 現工作難找

不過,英國的就業景氣依然低迷,今年應屆大學畢業生有高達半數難以找到人生的第一份工作,在資方市場強過勞方市場的狀況下,台灣學生不見得容易在英國找到工作。
英國內政部規定雇主如要聘僱非英籍外國人,必須填表證明這份工作英籍人士無法勝任,非要聘僱外勞不可。

因此台灣年輕人可能得以所學專長,尋找他人不易取代的工作,勝算才大。到餐館洗碗或端盤子的勞力工作,被取代的機會很大,因為本地人自己搶都搶不完。

此外,不管是短工或長工,台灣人首先要碰上的,就是來自對岸的競爭,中國人目前是英國各大學最多的外籍人口,也肯低價搶飯碗。

2012年9月20日 星期四

(轉貼)考上普考 成大女生休學去就業

註: 我是覺得成年人可以有自己的決定了,但我覺得學歷還是蠻重要的(不是只有那張薄薄的證書,而是在公務機關升遷蠻重視學歷的,所以我覺得還是可以有工作之後要把學歷補足了),恭喜這個同學! 辛苦總是有代價的喔! 一分耕耘一分收穫錯不了!

高普考昨天放榜,入取者中年紀最輕的只有20歲,是成大二年級的康姓女學生,考取普考人事行政。為了準備這次考試,她在半年前就辦理休學,每天苦讀十一個小時.而現在如願入取,她也決定休學,先去上班.對於這樣的決定,有人支持有人反對。

長相相當清秀的康予馨是這次普考中最年輕的入取者,年紀只有20歲,還在唸成大政治系二年級,但她決定休學上班去,引起同系學生熱烈討論。

為了準備考試,康予馨早在半年前就辦理休學,每天苦讀十一個小時,一舉考上初等考試、特考、普考等五項公職。普考起薪就有3萬6,讓她決定暫時放棄大學學歷,也引發政治系是不是比較沒「錢」途的爭論。

否認老師曾經鼓勵他們趁早轉系,大部份都覺得休學去考公職純粹是個人的選擇。工作不好找,大學生害怕畢業即失業,出現「寧可要工作,不要學歷」的情況也就見怪不怪。

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/video/怕畢業即失業-成大生先考高普考-064400857.html

2012年9月19日 星期三

(轉貼)苦讀2個月 拚上國考雙榜首(觀光行政)

筆者註: 觀光是未來台灣的趨勢, 似乎是值得把握的! 只要努力就會有機會的! 加油就會有機會!

今年高普考觀光行政雙榜首陳其睿,學的是外交與政治,跨界轉觀光行政,苦讀2個月就考取,被通知上榜時,她還以為是詐騙。

「真的嗎?你是不是詐騙集團?怎麼可能?」,考選部人員致電陳其睿、探詢受訪意願時,她還半信半疑,知道自己是高考與普考的雙榜首,她的反應竟是「太瞎了」。

現年25歲,政大外交系、台大政治所畢業的陳其睿,過去3年考過3次外交特考,年年落榜。去年,研究所同學考取觀光行政類科,陳其睿今年決定轉換跑道。

她說,今年5月,畢業論文、口試告一段落,她全力拚高普考觀光行政,依循著Ptt國考版上前人分享的讀書心得與書單,她每天唸12小時的書,衝刺了2個月。

陳其睿說,當初也沒料到會考上,考完試後,她就先找工作,現在在一家公關公司服務,今天工作相當忙碌,還沒機會跟家人分享國考錄取喜訊。

另外,現年20歲的康予馨,錄取普考人事行政類科,是今年高普考錄取者當中年紀最小的;普考錄取訓練期滿成績及格,起薪就有新台幣3.6萬元,讓同學很羨慕。

她說,就讀成大政治系二年級時,擔心政治系難就業,開始準備國考,考過地方五等考試、初等考試人事行政類科、一般行政類科等4項考試,都順利考取,這次又錄取普考。

康予馨現在正休學當中,她說,如果可以,還是想完成大學學歷,她會利用工作之餘再進修。1010919

2012年8月29日 星期三

(轉貼自天下雜誌專欄:五大再生老成) Tainan CityTaiwan's New Cultural and Creative Mecca


Of Taiwan's biggest cities, only Tainan has insisted on preserving its historical roots and using them to draw a more creative crowd. But will that be enough for the city to regain its vitality?
"Taipei is a lot like other international cities like London or New York. But Tainan has a completely different feel than Taipei. It's quiet and not flamboyant. It's a great place to live," says Englishman Patrick Wyton, sitting beside the remnants of an old stone wall in the Tainan Confucius Temple Historical Area.
Nearly 350 years ago, the Tainan Confucius Temple was built as the first site for Confucian studies on the island, earning it the moniker "Taiwan's First Academy." The foliage extending from four- to five-story hundred-year-old banyan trees provide plenty of shade for visitors to the park.
Sitting under one of the trees in a T-shirt and shorts, Wyton had come to the park with his family to walk around and get some exercise. When Wyton came to Taiwan 13 years ago, he decided to settle in Tainan and got married to a woman from the city.
"Tainan is a city that's continually on the rise. Taipei and Taichung will soon be overtaken," Wyton says, particularly appreciative of the city's historical tradition that is well-preserved to this day.
Tainan's population may be growing at only a gradual pace, but it has expanded consistently from year to year, helped by a positive net migration rate that has outpaced the city's natural birth rate.
The city was Taiwan's capital under the Qing Dynasty from the late 17th century to the late 19th century, and what appeals to outsiders is the old capital's historical feel, mixed with its steady stream of innovative businesses.

Linking Historical Sites through Stories
Walking from the old gate of "Taiwan's First Academy" on Nanmen Road toward Jhongjheng Rd., one passes by a building that was the Tainan Prefectural Hall during the Japanese colonial era and is now an important cultural center – the National Museum of Taiwan Literature. A left turn onto Jhongjheng Road after reaching a traffic circle reveals an old department store from the Japanese era currently under renovation.
All of the historical sites on this short walk have always been able to attract visitors on their own merit, but one year ago, the Tainan municipal government capitalized on the renovation of the Japanese-era department store to group the historical sites into a special cultural "zone."
Old Lin's Department Store, built in 1932, was one of only two pre-World War II department stores in Taiwan (along with the Kikumoto Department Store in Taipei) to have an elevator. It was five stories tall – a sight so rare at the time that the residents of Tainan simply referred to it as "the five story building."
"At one point on Jhongjheng Road, there were more than 30 department stores in the vicinity of Old Lin's Department Store," says Yeh Tse-shan, the director-general of the Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau. "Along with the department store restoration project, many private interests have now begun to use those other old store structures."
"We hope to turn the renovated Lin's Department Store into a 'cultural and creative department store' designed to reflect Tainan's culture," says Wang Hao-yi, who is involved in the creative industry and promoting in-depth tours of Tainan. He is also in charge of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' "International Spotlight" program for southern Taiwan.

"Tainan's historical sites already have different looks in different parts of the city. Old residences are scattered all over," Wang says. "What I want to do is to use stories to string together a series of historical tourism routes."
According to Wang, the political disposition of southern Taiwan (which leans more pro-Taiwan and anti-China) has left administrative heads in the region reluctant to show Chinese officials or tourists around. But he has insisted on introducing Tainan's culture to Chinese visitors.
Last week, when Wang welcomed a group of over 30 tourism and cultural officials from China, his main points of emphasis were historical sites such as the Confucius Temple and the city's many other temples.
"These are historical legacies shared by the two sides of the Taiwan Strait that resonate the most," Wang says. When he showed the visiting officials a plaque in the Koxinga Shrine with an inscription written by Chiang Kai-shek reading, "Revitalize the Chinese Nation," one of them exclaimed, "What we want to do now, Taiwan already did 40 or 50 years ago."
The Tainan government is also getting into the act. It has just completed a general survey of more than 700 Japanese-era official residences in the greater Tainan area and plans to revitalize these abandoned structures.
Tainan mayor Lai Ching-te rattles off with ease the names and current statuses of a number of these buildings. "The red-brick Japanese military officer residence in an alley off Gongyuan Road is now a memorial hall for painter Kuo Po-chuan. The residence for judicial officials across from the Ximen branch of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store will be converted into a cultural park."
"If we can attract 10 or 20 designers capable of developing smartphone apps or who are willing to use concepts from Tainan's cultural history to create new things, it will allow cultural and creative industries to slowly take root," Lai says.
The city's new young immigrants have gone a step further, applying their diverse perspectives to interpret life in Taiwan's old capital.

Renovating Old Houses, Fulfilling a Dream
Writer and director Looloo Lu, born in 1980, made his name with the 7-minute short film "Poetic, Taipei." The premiere screening of his "Life of Never End Co. Ltd." – set in Kaohsiung – was completely sold out. But it was while filming that movie that he would often return to Taipei and stop for a rest in Tainan, and gradually fell in love with the city.
In 2010, Lu and his wife, designer Ayo Hsu, were about to have a child, and they decided to settle down and open a business – designer handbag company "La Yoo" – in Tainan.
"We spent NT$1 million to buy this three-story storefront building and just over NT$2 million to buy the apartment where we now live," Lu says. "For less than NT$4 million, I was able to start a business and live in Tainan, and I had more time for my family."
Lu's new life does have its pitfalls. The old house he bought leaks, but he seems uninterested in covering the roof with sheet metal to solve the problem. "I've spent more than six months just looking for an old craftsman who can repair the roof tiles," he says. "I want to live in a house that's organic, because we have come here to find happiness."
The couple decided to make handbags because Hsu became obsessed with handmade handbags when she was pregnant. In Tainan, they have a rich cultural palette from which to draw inspiration for new products.
"Our first Confucius Temple bag made use of the Tainan Confucius Temple's cornices and curved lines," Lu explains. "After it went on sale, Tainan consumers suddenly discovered that Tainan's culture could be represented in this way."

But finding talented artisans to make handmade bags was as big of a chore as tracking down experienced craftsman to fix old buildings. The couple went through every listing in their local Yellow Pages before finding an elderly woman in Sinhua – a small town east of the city – who had crafted bags for more than 40 years and was willing to help produce them and guide new employees.
Today, this veteran bag maker leads a team of 20- to 30-year-old employees recruited by Lu, teaching them how to sew by hand and by machine.
"Taiwan's cultural and creative products face a major fault line when it comes to production. We hope that we can hand down these techniques and enable traditional needlework to develop along the lines of Japan's shokunin," Lu says, referring to Japan's class of master craftsmen.

Urban Renewal Encroaching on Historical Feel
Tainan has the potential to become a world-class old capital blending the old and the new, but it still has a long way to go to fulfill such a vision.
Because the Tainan government has faced funding shortfalls since becoming a special municipality at the end of 2010 (resulting from the merger of what was Tainan City and Tainan County), it has opted to bump up permissible floor area ratios to encourage private-sector participation in urban renewal. The initiative allows developers to put up new buildings with far more floor space than previously existed on the same plot of land. But at least one scholar, Wu Yu-cheng, who teaches architecture at Tainan's most prestigious school – National Cheng Kung University – has his doubts about the plan's feasibility.
He cited the example of a 24-story structure suddenly sprouting up in a neighborhood of old four-story residential buildings because of the relaxed floor space ratio, destroying the old capital's cityscape.
"Urban renewal should not be just about selling space and selling land," Wu said. "The urban renewal I have in mind for Tainan focuses on solving the problem of inadequate infrastructure rather than giving communities large-scale facelifts."

A Barrier to Cultural Expansion
Though the city is betting on a cultural reawakening as the foundation of its development, it faces a serious challenge.
The city's growth has always been concentrated in the old part of town, unlike Taipei and Kaohsiung, which have seen their centers of gravity move eastward, and Tainan has suffered for it, preventing it from engendering a broader cultural population that can support an expansion of the arts. As a result, the Yanfen District Art Camp, a unique fixture in Tainan for 30 years, was discontinued recently, and the renowned Tainan Jen Theatre Group has decided to leave its old Tainan home.
Even more troubling, many renovated old residences that were designated to be used as performing arts or exhibition venues have not been able to attract a proportionately sized audience. A photo exhibition called "Once Upon a City" by noted photographer Chu Yin-hua, currently on display at Art Square Taiwan, across from Chin Men Theater, rarely draws a soul on weekday afternoons.
Venues similar to Art Square are found in almost every alley near Fujhong Street, a pedestrian street just across Nanmen Road from the Confucius Temple that has gradually emerged as a key cultural and creative cluster in the heart of the city.
Paul Chuang, who runs Art Square, says candidly that he wants to diversify Tainan's arts and culture but has yet to find a suitable operating model. "Fortunately, the rent and living expenses are cheap, so I can continue on," he says, but the problem he faces results from a vicious circle, according to National Cheng Kung University's Wu.

"Without broader and more diverse development, you can't cultivate cultural and creative businesses. Without those businesses, you can't support a lot of people," Wu explains. "Tainan still has to make a major effort if it really wants to use the old capital's cultural assets to develop the cultural and creative sector."
When Taiwan's economy took flight in the 1970s and 1980s, Tainan did not ride the development wave to expand and modernize as did other major cities, instead preserving many of the old sites and relics for which the city has become known.
But tour developer Wang Hao-yi remains optimistic. "Over the years, we've seen Kaohsiung get bigger, Taichung get broader, and Taipei get taller. Only Tainan has preserved some of its old flavor, which has inspired people to come here to dream."
But whether those dreams can be fulfilled and the city's old tunes can hit new notes will depend on Tainan's residents and their ability to instill new life into their cultural assets and inspire newfound creativity.

2012年8月26日 星期日

(轉貼自天下雜誌英文版:社會企業家Yunus) Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus:Build a Social Business that Outlasts You

Even though forced to retire, he has refused to slow down. In this exclusive interview, Muhammad Yunus speaks of unleashing the creativity latent in us all.
He was the first economist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in its 111-year history.
Muhammad Yunus invented the microcredit business model and founded a "bank for the poor," not only changing the destinies of millions of people, but also proposing a new paradigm for capitalism.
Thirty-six years ago, Yunus borrowed US$27 and gave it to 42 poor Bengali women, allowing them to start their own businesses and support their families. Today, 8.5 million people around the world have received micro-loans from "banks for the poor." In other words, Yunus has created over eight million jobs.
The 72-year-old Yunus may have been compelled by his government to retire, but he remains decidedly active. Dressed in a long, green checkered shirt, he insisted that whenever he encounters a problem in society, he leaps in to solve it. Starting a new enterprise to address every problem he sees, he has established 60 companies to date.
In mid-August Muhammad Yunus sat down for a chat with CommonWealth Magazine. Following are highlights from this exclusive interview.
------------------

Q: You often encourage young entrepreneurs. What is your main concern?
A: All societies care for their youth, because it is the youth that build the future. Caring for the young is common human behavior. But I bring an extra point to this common behavior. I think this generation of young people is probably the most powerful young generation in human history. They are not qualitatively different. But from the beginning of their lives, they are blessed with enormous advances in technology, and technology has become a part of them. They enjoy advanced communications technology, so they can contact each other globally. They can communicate effortlessly and instantly. It's never happened before in human history.

And one other thing: they have access to information and knowledge. They can find the latest information and knowledge on anything effortlessly. Think about previous generations that didn't have books – how difficult was it for them back then? And those that didn't have libraries. Then libraries became the most important source of information, and so the best ones were private. Now every child anywhere can access any information they want. They just go online and ask the question. It gives you tremendous power. Previous generations wasted so much time looking for information, and now you don't have to. You have extra time and creative power. Young people, like always, have lots of creativity, and now this creativity can be explored faster.

So, if you have the power, what will you do with it? It is the overwhelming question we are dealing with now. And that's why I raise this question, that this generation is not like any before it – they are very different. And the next generation, and the next, should be even more powerful, but this is the generation we are dealing with now.

Q: And yet all over the world the young generation is facing unemployment. They are called the "Screwed Generation." Some say they are hopeless. How can we help?
A: They have to help themselves. We the older generation cannot help, because our minds are set. It's difficult for us to think of new things.
The way I see the question of unemployment, I say, look at any young person in the world. He is able and capable of working, he is intelligent and creative, but the system doesn't let him use this capacity. The system throws him in the trash can. And whose fault is this? Is it the person's fault he cannot use this capacity? Or is it the system that doesn't know how to make use of these resources? My answer is, it's always the system's fault. And if the system doesn't work, we should change it, don't let it change you.
So who built this system? We did, the older generation did, and so we don't know how to undo it. The younger generation can, because they are not part of it. So they can design a new system. I think there is no reason anyone should be unemployed. It doesn't make sense. I have this little joke: Have you heard of an unemployed animal? No, of course not. So how can human beings, with all this technology, why is he unemployed?
So what is the problem here? It's because it's not natural. The system we created made a natural thing disappear, and that natural thing is my right to contribute to society. A system that makes such a thing disappear is wasteful and painful structure. So if we can design a place where no one is unemployed, then even the word "unemployment" will lose meaning.
And if we do not have unemployment, we won't have poverty, because everyone can take care of themselves, and the problem of poverty will become obsolete. But can humans build such a system? Of course we can. Look at all the software we designed. Of course we can design such a system. If we can make high-tech gadgets usable even for a normal person, even a stupid person; if anyone can pick it up and master it; then why can't we create a better system? If you can design a system that takes us to the moon and back, without actually going there, how can we not build a better system for the society?
If you can design such a system, that's great. But we will need to replace the old system with this new system. Right now we are pushing an old cart, a cart that's a couple of centuries old, and we are adjusting the margins, trying to make it go faster. But we should design an entirely new cart, a cart that can fly! This old one will never fly. It will go from 5 to 10 to 20 miles, but it will never fly. We need a machine that flies.

Q: Do you have any example?
A: There are lots of ideas. When there is competition, there will be lots of ideas. I say, don't wait for the economists to design a new system. Anyone can design it. All you have to do is find the objective and go for it. Don't go to the economists and say, we have a machine that doesn't work, can you fix it? Fixing it by a little bit is not an achievement. Don't say we have reduced unemployment by a certain percentage, when the number of people unemployed should be zero.
In poor countries, you don't have employment numbers in the news, because it's a foreign concept to them. We have that in the developed world, because it's a luxury. In poorer countries, people are making their own livings. That's an animal living, living just for today. Human beings are much bigger. We have a bigger purpose than living just for today.

Q: Your speech mentioned that the most difficult problem is creating jobs?
A: I should say, human beings have not mastered the technique of creating jobs, because they have never tried the correct way. Our starting point should be different. It's not about making more jobs, and getting more investments. We should make a new system where no one should be unemployed.
Employment is a conceptual thing. Economists assume that out of all the people on earth, some can become entrepreneurs, because they are a special people, they are the ones who will decide the investments. And the rest of us, normal people like you or me, will only be able to follow them, to look for jobs. This is where they went wrong! If we assume all human beings are entrepreneurs, then we have created a newer and better system. Because entrepreneurship is a basic human quality. Some may have discovered some new concept, but others never had a chance under this system, because in this system they were told to work hard, to get a degree, to get a job. They were never told to figure out what you can do with yourself!
Once you change the system, you change the concept of employment. Then businesses will have to work hard to persuade people to come with you. Businesses will have to persuade me – why should I have to go work for you? If it's not creative, then it is not natural thinking. So my thinking is, I have my own thinking. If you want me to work for you, you have to persuade me very hard. Why I should go to work at 9 and work to midnight? Why should I work for you? I'm not a slave. The current idea of employment came from this slavery tradition, the need to control somebody. It's not a free human idea.

Q: How can social businesses play a role?
A: That's another conceptual error. The present system is based on the idea that businesses must make money. It's the only type of business the current system can tolerate. So by accepting it, we all run for money. It's all we can do. Businesses make money, we hire more people to make more money, and that's where all the problems began. In this system the human being is misinterpreted. We are not robots. This system converted us into robots. The only thing we exist to do is to make money. It's a money-centric world we live in. It's not a natural way, but our framework made it so, and so money became an obsession. This obsession created all the problems. We no longer have time for anything else, and so everyone becomes me-centric. The current economy has no center of attention other than making money.
So, if everyone is making money, who solves the common problems? We say, the government! So we dump all our problems there, because we give them taxes. We feel we can say, "I'm busy with making money – you have to solve the problems. All I can do is to send you some of my money." It's a very wrong interpretation of human life. We are not robots. We have other dimensions and creative power. We can use our creative power to solve problems, and we can do so more efficiently than the government, because the government works through bureaucracy. Every government ministry was created to solve one problem, and then they have certain budgets, so we are just throwing money into problems. And the government tries to solve problems by charity, by giving money to different people. But it's not effective. It's passive, and it takes the initiative from the people they are helping.
Society should help people by lifting their energy, by teaching them to solve problems. Charity takes away initiative. So you should ask yourself, to what extent are you helping this person? Are you making him more active? Are you putting him into an exploratory mode, rather than sleeping mode, where we take care of you, you just take it easy? Because that is not solving the problem.
And why can't the people do that? I'm not saying that charity or philanthropy is not good, but there's a more effective way, and that is through business. Not conventional businesses that make money, but social businesses that solve problems, that use the money and creative power and contacts all businesses have to solve problems.
A single person may not be able to solve a problem, but we as a social business can, and it makes them happy and solves their problems, and I get my money back, I recycle it and solve more problems, and so helping others becomes self-sustaining rather than depending on external infusion of money. This is what we call a social business. Then it makes more sense, because we are not robots, we can use our human capacity to solve human problems, rather than coming up with clever ideas to make money. Again, making money is not bad, but the same creative power can be used to solve problems. But today that door is closed. We have taken different kinds of human beings and made them into money-making robots. That's why they say, "Business is business." We have no other room for human behavior. We behave like machines. You may be my father, son or daughter, but I make no exceptions for anyone, because all we do is make money. That is the concept behind the phrase, "Business is business." But there should be a variety of businesses, and social business is the second type. This is a business without dividends.

Q: You are 71 years old. Right now, the baby boomers are retiring. How do you think they can contribute to today's youth?
A: I'm glad you didn't use the word "older" people. You said "retired" people. Again, that's the terminology – retired. It's used with an idea that you no longer work. Because there's only one kind of work: You work for a company or the government, and when you stop working for them, that's it. But most of the time, that kind of work is a drudgery. You don't like it, but you need to make a living. And when you retire, that means you are free from work and the boss. But that doesn't mean you can't work. It just means now you work for yourself. So there are so many options. What you could not do before, you can do now. Before, you did things you didn't like, but you had to do it, because it was the best-paying, best-located job for yourself that you could find. But you never liked it. It didn't suit you. But you must make a living, so you did it.
But when the time comes when you are not employed, you can use yourself the way you want. So retired doesn't mean old, though the two phrases get mixed up. You are still active, but not in the old routine. Now you can make your own routine. You are very flexible. You can enjoy doing what you didn't have time to do before. It doesn't mean going on a world cruise 50 times to look for adventure. The first time may be fine, the second time won't be as exciting, and the third time will be boring. So you go through excitement very quickly if retiring just means leisure. You should be busy doing things that please you. So all the things you think that can be done, can actually be done.
We need institutions to help "retired" people put their time to good use. It's common for people in developed countries to celebrate their 95th or 100th birthdays. And even then they can do things. They are not bedridden. You have a lot of time between 95 and when you retired at 65. A lot of useful and creative time. All the unfinished agendas you had, this is the time. So what can we do with that time? One way is to volunteer oneself to charity, or to use our accumulated wealth in a meaningful way. But I say there is another way – to build a social creative business that will outlast you. Philanthropy will disappear, because the money you donate is not coming back. But a social company, like all companies, will keep growing and growing, so that 100 years after you are gone, you are still doing good things, and the company bears your name, and people remember you changed the world. That's the creative power to solve problems. That's what retired people can do. To retire means to start a new life. It's not the end of my life, but the beginning of the life that belongs to me, a life not as an employee, not as a CEO or a division head. Those job titles were slots I fitted into, roles I acted according to the script for the slot. But now I have my own script, I write and rewrite my script every moment of every day, and I live as I am.

Q: What kind of social businesses can we create?
A: Well, what kind of problems bother you? All social businesses are about solving problems. If it's not about solving problems, it's not a social business. So which problems should you try to address? It's the ones I know how to handle, the ones that always bothered me, so I create a business to address that problem. And if I know I can do it, I'm probably not thinking about it only after I retire. I've probably been thinking about it since the 1st day of my job at the company. I think about what to do when I retire, what to do when my prison sentence is over. I've been planning it since the 1st day I entered prison. I have labored for it, planned for the day when I am free, when I come out of the jail's gate. But I felt, first I had to go through the sentence.
So in my experience, I've always had creative ideas, just like anyone else. And I never worked for somebody else, so you can say I was retired a while back. I always did what pleased me. And every time I do it, I create a company, and this is where the idea for the social business came from – it was forming a company to solve problems.

Q: There is great inequality between the poor young and the rich old. How do you relieve the tension between the generations?
A: It all depends on how you look at the concept of rich and poor. I say, it's the "poor old" and the "rich young." They are rich with creative power, they have the technology to use that power with. The old don't even know how to use mobile phones. They fumble turning on little gadgets which are bread-and-butter for five- and seven-year-olds. That's the rich person you are talking about! Money doesn't mean anything. It's talent and ability that makes a person wealthy. So the young are rich; the old are poor.
But what should the young do with this rich ability? So I say, there is a mismatch between the old and young, because the young are far ahead of the old. But traditionally we say, "The older, the wiser." Today it's difficult to make that statement. It may be the younger you are, the wiser you are, because you have the information. The older people only have old ideas, which don't match the times. They are missing information, and they never checked for updates. The young, at the minute of doubt, can look it up with Google or Wiki, as it is right now, and not from an old book someone somewhere wrote a long time ago, filled with obsolete ideas. This is what old people do – they don't see anything new. The young are fresh and current, so a 10- or 12-year-old can give the final verdict on any problem in the family, because he checked it out on the Internet. He has the latest information.
So we shouldn't impose old ideas on the young. We shouldn't pull them back. We shouldn't say, "Don't do this," or "Don't do that." This is what slows the young people down. Better than imposing on the young, we should let them lead the way, to find a better answer and a clearer path.

Q: How can one person change the world – we are so small and powerless?
A: Changing the world needs only one person. It happened in the past. Most new ideas came from one person who came up with the idea to make the world different. So this isn't a new concept at all. The new thing I emphasize here is, anyone can do that – we don't have to wait for someone else. We always think we have to wait for someone to change everything, a political or business leader that transforms everything. But the power to transform is embedded in all of us. We do not pay attention to this power, because we were told a different story, that is to find a job, to be successful, to get the promotion before others, and we are only running from slot to slot. So we work extra hard to get the slot before anyone else. But we don't think we can do more than working for the company. We don't think we can change the world, because no one ever told us.
But young people get the message, they know each person can change the world, and we can all do it at the same time. So no one takes a chance. If someone invents something, you can do it a different way. Changing the world is not a big deal – that's something I want to emphasize.
You don't start with solving global starvation. Many people think, "Two billion people go to bed hungry – I have to solve that." You don't have to solve it. You start with two people. If you can take care of two, you can take care of two billion. Repetition of the good idea is someone else's job. My job is to start as small as you can get, even with one person. And if you can take care of two people, you have developed the seed, so now making the plantation is easy. So the task is developing the seed for any problem.
If you can make two or three or five illiterate people become literate, you can help billions. You don't need a school and a teacher. You can make a game. You get a lot of fun with learning that way. People love to play games and learn, it's so easy to do that now with touch screens. You have beautiful and colorful things coming towards you. And so we message each other, and we learn to read through playing with and understanding each other. An illiterate person is not stupid. He just hasn't learned to write down the things he can do in his mind. I don't need someone beating me over the head to learn. I can learn through having fun. And if I can do it for five people, I can do it for five billion people. That's the beauty of it.
It's the way I always worked. Everything I did, I started tiny. If it worked, I repeated it, and if it didn't work, I stopped.

Q: You've been called the world banker to the poor…
A: The poor don't have financial services, because no one will touch them. They are called the Untouchables, because they are not credible. But they are more than touchable – they are huggable. It's no problem. We proved it can be done. There's no reason to deny them financial services. It's where we started from.
And I'm not saying my way will work forever. Nothing is best forever – it's only best at that time. That's the power of human creativity. Someone will always come up with a better idea. It's the definition of progress. The first automobile ever invented was a sensation. Now you couldn't possibly sell it. It's like a toy. The first plane that really flew was a sensation, and now it's hanging from a ceiling in the Smithsonian museum. People laugh at it now, but it created a revolution once. So this is how it is – someone makes the first breakthrough, then someone makes it ever better and better.
Right now, banking to the poor is a footnote in the entire financial services. But it doesn't have to be, it can potentially cover more people than any other bank. This system should be the driving force, not just a footnote. But because our minds are set, we are stuck with it. They don't talk about it in the media, because it's a side story, a tiny story, if a story at all.

Q: How do we make capitalism more human? Many institutions are now redefining what is progress. What is a prosperous society to you?
A: Like I said, capitalism solved many problems, but it created more problems we could not solve, like poverty and unemployment, poor health and unnecessary death, income disparity and environmental hazards. Its problems are built into the system. It's not the individual's fault – the system pushed us in the wrong direction and made the problems worse. We must undo the system. This is what we talked about at the start of this interview. We must make a better system. I say, trash the current system that made all the problems. Throw this system into the garbage. Don't let the system throw me away, because I cannot accept the punishment when I'm not responsible for it. We don't solve the problem by making little changes here and there, by making little exceptions to the rule. These are small amendments trying to take care of a problem created by the system. It's the failure of the system you are trying to cope with, but the ways you cope are not good. It takes initiative from humans. It makes people part of a human zoo. They are not the same animal they were in the forest. You feed me and take care of me, but I'm not the creative, active human being I used to be. It's like bringing a lion or elephant into the zoo. You can take care of it, but it's not what it used to be. I enjoyed my old life. You take it away, you put me into a cage, and now I don't even know what a tree looks like. So it's the same with humans, I don't really know what work is. You put me in this slot, and I make money, and I buy groceries and pay the rent, but I don't feel like I really did anything. So we need to change the current system – there's no debate! Little reforms here and there are temporary solutions. It only delays the progress of another crisis. We didn't change anything. It's an old car that doesn't work. You fix it here and there, so the old car goes for another 20 miles and then it breaks down again, because we didn't change the engine. We need a new engine, rather than to fix the old.
So social business is my suggestion of change. Capitalism is standing on one leg right now, because you have misinterpreted humans as robots. You must change it. Give us back the human element, the need to do things for others. So I have a social business to balance the system, so capitalism can stand on two legs rather than one. And maybe we will need to discard it later, but right now social business is the solution. You can make money and solve problems at the same time. If you can do this, you can solve more and more problems. Social business brings us a new dimension, a new kind of capitalism. And someday we might move on to the next phase, to solve the problems that social businesses cannot solve. But within the framework we have, this is the right direction.

Q: Last question: What is well-being? How do you suggest young people or older people achieve well-being and happiness?
A:Well-being is a physical thing that can be solved with medical science. Science will always progress. But will the fruits of science come to me? If a child has a troubled heart, it may be easy to fix. But is it available to the poor child? Science gives the solution, but no one brings it to him. Science keeps moving. It can keep you alive beyond 100 years. But is it affordable and available to everyone? That's the problem the economy and the society must solve, not science. That's the shortcoming of the capitalist system: Inequality will become more acute, because the lucky will have everything, and the unlucky will not have even an aspirin, even to save his life. So availability and affordability is key. Solutions are not available because you want to make money. Who cares if you die? If you pay me, then I will operate and give you medicine. It might cost me 10 dollars to produce the pill, but I want 1000 dollars for it, because I want to make huge money. So I won't give it to you for 10 dollars, even to save your life.
Happiness is another issue. What is it? One way I express it is, to some people, making money is synonymous with happiness, it's a measure of happiness. To some people it is so – money is happiness, success makes you happy. That is understood and established, that is okay. But I think making other people happy is also happiness. I think it's super-happiness. But because most people are not allowed to taste it, they don't know what it's like. Why can't we open the door? If you taste it and like it, then you can move in its direction. If it makes you happy, why not do it and be happy? We have to open the door, but now there is only one kind of door, only one kind of happiness. I think there are two sources, you can make yourself happy by centering everything towards you, be me-centric. Or you can be happy by making others happy. Choose some of the two, combine them the way you want in any mix. I think when you have super-happiness, you will forget about yourself. But it depends on what makes you happy. I want to make an impact on the world and others. We are all here only for a short period. And I want to make a signature. I want people to remember I was here. That's happiness. I'm happy, super-happy doing what I do, or I wouldn't do it.