critical reflection

I could not deny that the reason why I took up this particular module was because I did not have a choice, without clearing the Qualifying English Test (QET) completely. A year ago, when I recieved my Alevels results, I was glad that i managed to grasp a pass grade in my General Paper, and I will not have the need to struggle with English Language again in the future. However i was shocked when I came to know about the QET. English Language have always been a terrifying subject as no matter how much I tried and attempted to study for it, my grades remain bad.

After attending this module, I came to realised that i have always been in a vicious cycle, where my dislike towards English Language resulted in my procrastination in identifying the problems I had with English. It hindered me in trying to understand what my actual problems are. Therefore I have learnt to put aside my dislike, and with the aid of this module, I am able to realise the underlying reason for my bad grades in English.

This module brings me back to the very basic of English Language, which is grammar, what tense and what word form is to be used under which situations. Simple techniques such as summary skills and identifying the important information have also been covered. This is really helpful because I realised that I have yet to grasp even the most basic grammar knowledge, therefore not being able to perform well in the different Language-based examinations.

One vast difference between this module and the the other modules is that it is alot more light-hearted and free. In another words, you are able to voice out your opinions and have the opportunity to listen to others. Unlike the other science modules i took, they are usually fixed and not flexible. In addition, I do find the idea of creating a blog to keep a record of the different essays written is a new and interesting idea, needless to say useful. This is thus one area by which I enjoy in this module.

In addition, throughout the course, I have also realises the need and importance of knowledge. ES1102 is not just all about the use of language as a tool to express yourself, it also teaches you that the relevant information and ideas are equally important. In the course of my reaseach for the problem-solution essay, I have understood global issues more throughly. At the same time, it sends across the message that there are many events happening around me that i am unaware of. In addition, in the process of critising my peers essay, i have gained additional knowledge and came to know more about globalisation and the different opinions people have towards such global issues.

In conclusion, the main takeaways are firstly the many basics of English Language that I have yet to equip myself with and seondly, the importance of knowledge and some that I have obtained from this module. On the whole, it has been a pleasent and light-hearted module that allows me to pick up many skills that are going to be extremely useful to me in the future when I start to work in the working society.

Problem-Solution essay draft 4

Globalisation is a current, ever-changing phenomenon that describes the economic and social integration of economies globally. The benefits Singaporeans reap from globalisation are clear, such as the higher standard of living (Thangavelu, 2010) and easier access of information due to the advancement in mass media. For example, information are readily available just a click away on the computer. However, in his TED talk (2009), Goldin raised four major problems globalisation has caused: the collapse in biodiversity, climate change, financial crisis and inequality. The most pressing problem is climate change, a global concern which dire effects are immediate. Many countries have realised the need to take actions to slow down the rate of climate change and Singapore is no exception. Singapore’s Government has implemented certain policies in respond to the awareness. Although such policies dobring about improvements, such improvements are expected to decrease as time passes. To ensure sustainable improvements, additional measures should to be implemented.

Climate change refers to a change in global climate patterns. One apparent result of globalisation is the stark increase in coal usage. As developing countries undergo industrialisation, rapid consumption of coal occurs to fuel industrialisation, and more carbon dioxide are produced (Zolfagharifard, 2014). Carbon emissions have increased from 25 billion metric tons to 32 billion in 5 years (Terberg, 2013). The high level of carbon emission traps the heat from the sun within Earth's atmosphere(Kriby, 2013), resulting in an increase in global average temperature. This can be seen when the annual mean surface temperature globally has increased by 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1984 (National Climate Change Secretariat, 2013). The mean sea level in Straits of Singapore has risen 3mm per year over the past 15 years. This poses an immediate threat for low-lying nations like Singapore, where 30% of the land lies less than 5m above sea level.

As climate change worsen, food security has also become a problem within Singapore since Singapore is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global food supply and food pricing.
 

Singapore’s government have chosen to engage Singaporeans on a household level as they recognise the importance of gathering support from Singaporeans to effectively slow down climate change without draining nation’s resources. An example includes the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) policy, introduced in September 2011. It is a specification which contains a number of performance requirements for an energy-using device, limiting the maximum amount of energy that may be consumed by that device in performing a specified task. This would therefore limit households in Singapore to only purchase devices that are under the maximum amount of energy that may be consumed by that device when performing a task. The energy performance standards will be further tightened in 2013 to help consumers avoid being locked into high energy consumption and energy costs.

After the implementation of the above stated measure, market data showed that households, manufacturers and suppliers have responded positively to MEPS. According to the National Environment Agency, the fraction of energy-efficient house air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryer sold have steadily increased over the years. In 2011, about 80% of purchases of air-conditioners and 85% of refrigerators were from the top two highest efficient categories.

However, every strategy has limitations. Appliances that are energetically efficient tend to be more costly compared to the non-energetically efficient ones. Although there was a marked increase in the purchase of such appliances, the increase is expected to reduce when the majority of the well-to-do Singaporeans have already converted to the energy efficient appliances. In addition, pricey appliances, such as the air-conditioners and refrigerators, are items that people do not change frequently , and the above policies are only applicable to new buyers. 

In order to maximise the effectiveness of the above strategy, the government may choose to implement a law where every household has to have their high-energy consuming appliances switched to more energy-efficient ones. Singapore's government should provide a list of appliances that they deem to be considered high-energy consuming. Also, to be reasonable, sufficient time has to be provided for Singaporeans to switch over to more energy-efficient appliances. In order to solve the problem of affordability and to ensure that the above suggested new legislation is implementable, subsidies proportional to their income level can be provided to lower income families. The wide influence of mass media can be used to explain to Singaporeans the rationale behind the importance in seeking their cooperation. Advertisements and short films can be broadcast on national channels to raise the awareness and seek to seek cooperation from Singaporeans.

In conclusion, the high level of the carbon emission resulted in climate change that has affected Singapore adversely. The main solution adopted by Singapore's Government is to reduce carbon emission on a household level. Measures such as Minimum Energy Performance Standard is  adopted, however, more can be done by the government to ensure that the results are sustainable.

(800 words)

 

References

Fekete. J.[e11] (2014). Canada's Arctic ice caps melting rapidly since 2005, according to documents. Retrieved from: http://o.canada.com/news/national/canadas-arctic-ice-caps-melting-rapidly-since-2005-according-to-documents/

Goldin, I. (2009). Navigating our Global Future [Video file]. Retrievedfrom: http://www.ted.com/talks/ian_goldin_navigating_our_global_future?language=en

Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. (2011). Minimum Energy Standard Performance Standards. Retrieved from: http://app.mewr.gov.sg/data/ImgCont/1386/3.%20Factsheet%20-%20Minimum%20Energy%20Performance%20Standards%20%5Bweb%5D.pdf

National Climate Change Secretariat Prime Minster's Office Singapore. (2013). Household. Retrieved from: http://app.nccs.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=171&secid=193

National Climate Change Secretariat Prime Minsters' Office Singapore. (2013). Impact of Climate Change on Singapore. Retrieved from: https://app.nccs.gov.sg/(X(1)S(zfbtkw55cjagmjejoqtnycz5))/page.aspx?pageid=160&secid=157&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 

National Environment Agency. (2013). Mandatory Energy Management Practices. Retrieved from: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/energy-efficiency/industry-sector

National Environment Agency. (2013). Tightening and Extending Minimum Energy Performance Standards. Retrieved from: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/newsroom/parliament/budget-debate1/budget-debate-2012/meps

Wikipedia. (2013). Minimum energy performance standard. Retrievedfrom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_Energy_Performance_Standard

Reflection for ES presentation

I am very glad that a platform was given to us to practice our presentation skills as I do believe that it is extremely important, no matter whichever school or faculty that we might come from. In the future when we join the working society, I believe that there will be many instances where I am required to give presentations, regardless of the industry or sector that I work in.

In addition, I believe that no matter how much knowledge that we have, if we do not possess the necessary skills to present to the desired party, such knowledge might not be fully utilised. Therefore I believe that there is the dire need to brush up presenting skills before entrance to the working society. Coupled with the fact that most of the Science modules do not cover presenting skills, I am glad that we were given the chance to learn it in this particular module.

After undergoing the process of preparing for the presentation, giving the presentation and receiving the constructive feedback, I have learnt many valuable skills and pointers that I have to look out for if I were to give a presentation in the near future. In addition, by sitting through the many presentations given by my peers, I am able to learn even more, from both their good points and also their mistakes.

Also, not only did I gain knowledge on the different types of delivery skills, I have also learnt a lot content wise. There are many interesting and new facts that were raised during the respective presentations that I never knew. Therefore such a practice also helps me in gaining general knowledge.

Essay Draft 2

Globalisation is a current, ever-changing phenomenon depicting economic and social integration of economies globally. The benefits Singapore reap from globalisation are clear, such as higher standard of living and greater diffusion of new technologies (Thangavelu, 2010). However, globalisation also brings about negative impact, mainly ethical and environmental problems.

In his seven minutes talk, Goldin raised four major problems globalisation caused, such as the collapse in biodiversity, climate change, financial crisis and inequality. The most pressing problem, in my opinion, will be climate change. Climate change is a global concern and the dire effects are immediate, taking the melting of ice caps for example (Fekete, 2014).

One apparent result of globalisation is the stark increase in coal usage. Carbon emissions have increased from 25 billion metric tons to 32 billions in 5 years (Terberg, 2013). The high level of carbon emission traps the heat from the sun within Earth's atmosphere, resulting in an increase in global average temperature. (Kriby, 2013). This abnormal rise in average global temperature thus leads to a change in the natural climate of the globe.

According to information provided by the National Climate Change Secretariat, the annual mean surface temperature has increased for about 0.8 degree celsius since 1984. The mean sea level in Straits of Singapore rises 3 mm per year over the past 15 years. This poses an immediate threat for a low-lying nations like Singapore, where 30% of her land lies less than 5m above sea level. Food security within Singapore can also be threaten as climate change threatens global food security and Singapore is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global food supply and food pricing.

Therefore, has Singapore done enough to  manage climate change that has resulted from globalisation? In my opinion, although the current strategies implemented show improvements, such improvements will plateau off. Therefore, addition measures have to be implemented, ensuring sustainable improvements.

Many solutions have been adopted to slow down the rate of climate change, and among these solutions includes engaging Singaporeans on a household level. The government recognises the importance of gathering support from Singaporeans to effectively slow down climate change without draining our nation resources. An example includes the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) policy, introduced in Sep 2011. It is a specification containing a number of performance requirements for an energy-using device, limiting the maximum amount of energy that may be consumed by that device in performing a specified task. The energy performance standards will be further tightened in 2013 to help consumers avoid being locked into high energy consumption and energy costs. Inefficient appliances consuming the most energy in a typical household will be removed.

After the implementation of the above stated measure, market data showed that households, manufacturers and suppliers have responded positively to MEPS. According to the official site of National Environment Agency, the fraction of energy-efficient house air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryer sold have steadily increased over the years. In 2011, about 80% of purchase of air-conditioners and 85% of refrigerators were from the top two highest efficient categories. 

However, every strategy has limitations. Appliances that are energetically efficient tend to be more costly compared to the non-energetically efficient ones. Although there was a marked increase in the purchase of such appliances, the increase is expected to plateau off when majority of the well-to-do Singaporeans have already converted to the energy efficient appliances. In addition, appliances such as the air-conditioner and refrigerators are items that people do not change frequently.

In order to maximise the effectiveness of the above strategy, the government may choose to implement a law where every household has to have their high-energy consuming appliances switched to more energy-efficient ones. Singapore's government will provide a list of appliances that they deem to be considered high-energy consuming. Also, to be reasonable, sufficient time have to be provided for Singaporeans to switch over to more energy-efficient appliances. In order to solve the problem of affordability and to ensure that the above suggested new legislation is implementable, subsidies proportional to their income level can be provided to lower income families. The wide influence of mass media can be used to explain to Singaporeans the rationale behind the importance in seeking their cooperation. Advertisements and short films can be broadcasted on national channels to raise the awareness and seek to seek cooperation from Singaporeans. 

In conclusion, the high level of carbon emission have resulted in climate change that has affected Singapore adversely. The main solution adopted by Singapore's Government is to reduce carbon emission on a household level. Measure such as Minimum Energy Performance Standard are adopted. The world is home to you, us and everyone, therefore lets play our part. Although it may be a small step, but every step counts. 

(800 words)


References:

1. National Environment Agency. (2013). Mandatory Energy Management Practices. 7/3/2014. Retrieved from: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/energy-efficiency/industry-sector
2. National Climate Change Secretariat Prime Minster's Office Singapore. (2013). Impact of Climate Change on Singapore. 7/3/2014. Retrieved from: https://app.nccs.gov.sg/(X(1)S(zfbtkw55cjagmjejoqtnycz5))/page.aspx?pageid=160&secid=157&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 
3. National Environment Agency. (2013). Tightening and Extending Minimum Energy Performance Standards. 7/3/2014. Retrieved from: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/newsroom/parliament/budget-debate1/budget-debate-2012/meps
4. National Climate Change Secretariat Prime Minster's Office Singapore. (2013). Household. 7/3/2014. Retrieved from: http://app.nccs.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=171&secid=193
5. Wikipedia. (2013). Minium energy performance standard. 7/3/2014. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_Energy_Performance_Standard
6. Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. (2011). Minimum Energy Standard Performance Standards. 7/3/2014. Retrieved from: http://app.mewr.gov.sg/data/ImgCont/1386/3.%20Factsheet%20-%20Minimum%20Energy%20Performance%20Standards%20%5Bweb%5D.pdf
7. Goldin, I. (2009). Navigating our  Global Future [Video file]. Retrieved from; http://www.ted.com/talks/ian_goldin_navigating_our_global_future?language=en
8. Jason Fekete. (2014). Canada's Arctic ice caps melting rapidly since 2005, according to documents. 10/3/2014. Retrieved from: http://o.canada.com/news/national/canadas-arctic-ice-caps-melting-rapidly-since-2005-according-to-documents/

Essay outline

Research Question: Has Singapore done enough to manage Climate Change that was resulted from Globalisation?

Stand: Yes, although the strategies implemented currently are limited in scope, detailed plans have been crafted for expanding the current strategies and the current strategies do indeed show results.  

Introduction - Problem:
One apparent result of Globalisation is the stark increase in usage of coal by developing countries, such as India and China. Therefore, as the world burns more coal and do not cut back on other fossil fuels usage, carbon emission will greatly increase. Carbon emission have increased from around 25billion metric tons in 2001 to near to 32billions in 5 years (Gail Terberg, 2013) . As countries gets more globalised, undergoing industrialisation, demand for  efficient means of achieving energy would increase (David Kashi, 2013). The high level of carbon emission have resulted in climate change mainly by trapping the heat of the sun within Earth's atmosphere. This results in an increase in global average temperature (Alex Kriby, 2013). The impact of climate change on Singapore includes an increase in mean surface temperature, rising sea levels and threatening food security in Singapore.

References:
https://app.nccs.gov.sg/(X(1)S(srw5jr45ovh5ijj1ooyvb1qc))/page.aspx?pageid=160&secid=157&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
http://ourfiniteworld.com/2013/02/22/twelve-reasons-why-globalization-is-a-huge-problem/
http://www.rtcc.org/2013/12/12/carbon-dioxides-effect-on-global-warming-understimated/

Introduction - Solution:
Singapore has taken steps to reduce carbon emission on a household level. Measure such as the Mandatory Energy Labelling and Minimum Energy Performance Standard.

Introduction - Thesis Statement: I believe that the measures implemented by the government to seek cooperation from the population is highly efficient. 

Body Paragraph 1 - Topic Sentence: Government has recognised the importance of gathering the support and help from Singaporeans in effectively slowing down climate change without draining too much of the nation resources. Therefore, she has devised measures that include the cooperation of the population.

Body Paragraph 1 - Description of the problem:
The annual mean surface temperature has increased for about 0.8 degree Celsius since 1948 and this would affect the natural diversity of Singapore's plants and animals, altering Singapore's natural processes.
The mean sea level in Straits of Singapore rises 3mm per year over the past 15 years. This pose as an immediate threat for a low-lying nation like Singapore where 30% of Singapore's land lies less than 5m above sea level.
Food security within Singapore can also be threaten as Climate Change threatens global food security and Singapore is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global food supply and food pricing.

Body Paragraph 1 - Description of one existing solution:
The Government in Singapore have taken many measures to slow down the rate of climate change, and among these solutions includes engaging Singaporeans on a household level. One measure taken to engage Singaporeans on a household level includes the Mandatory Energy Labelling. It was introduced for registrable goods since 1 January 08. Under the Energy Conservation Act 2012, registered suppliers must affix the Energy Label on the units that they supply in Singapore. The Energy Label can only be affixed after the Certificate of Registration have been issued by National Environment Agency. Retailers are only allowed to display models that have the label affixed on them in a prominent manner. Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) is also another measure taken by the government to cut down on carbon emission. MEPS is a specification containing a number of performance requirements for an energy-using device, and that limits the maximum amount of energy that may be consumed by a product in performing a specified task. It was introduced in Sep 2011 for a certain household appliances, and the energy performance standards will be further tightened in 2013 to help consumers avoid being locked into high energy consumption and energy costs. Inefficient appliances consuming the most energy in a typical household will be removed.

References:
http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/energy-efficiency/industry-sector
http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/energy-efficiency/household-sector/the-energy-label
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_Energy_Performance_Standard
http://app.nccs.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=171&secid=193


Body Paragraph 1 - Evaluating the solution
Effectiveness: Market data shows that households, manufacturers and suppliers have responded positively to MEPS. The fraction of energy-efficient house air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryer sold have steadily increased over the years. In 2011, about 80% of purchase of air-conditioners and 85% of refrigerators were from the top two highest efficient categories. 
Limitations: However appliances that are energetically efficient tend to be more expensive compared to the non-energetically efficient ones. Therefore, although there was a marked increase in the purchase of such appliances, the increase is expected to plateau off as time pass by when majority of the well-to-do Singaporeans have already converted to the energy efficient appliances. In addition, appliances such as the air-conditioner and refrigerators are items that people do not change easily and oftenly . Therefore, although more energetically efficient new appliances are introduced into the market, unless the current ones that Singaporeans' owned malfunction, they generally would not purchase a new one.

References:
http://app2.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/newsroom/parliament/budget-debate1/budget-debate-2012/meps


Body Paragraph 1 - improvement on existing solution
In order to tackle the loophole on the fact that not everyone is planning to change appliances such as refrigerator and air-conditioner, the government may choose to implement a law that by a certain point in time, every household is suppose to have their high-energy consuming appliances, such as the air-conditioners, switched to more energy-efficient ones. Singapore's government may choose to propose a list of appliances that they deem to be considered high-energy consuming. Also, to be reasonable, sufficient time have to be provided for Singaporeans to switch over to more energy-efficient appliances. In addition, in order to solve the problem of affordability and to ensure that the above suggestion is implementable, subsidies proportional to their income level can be provided to lower income families. The wide influence of mass media can be used to explain to Singaporeans the rationale behind the importance in seeking their cooperation in slowing down climate change. Advertisements and short films can be broadcasted on national channels to raise the awareness and seek to seek cooperation from Singaporeans. 


Conclusion
Problem: The high level of carbon emission have resulted in climate change. The impact of climate change on Singapore includes an increase in mean surface temperature, raising sea levels and threatening food security in Singapore. 
Solution: The main solution adopted by Singapore's Government is to reduce carbon emission on a household level. Measure such as the Mandatory Energy Labelling and Minimum Energy Performance Standard are adopted. 
The world is home to you, us and everyone, therefore lets play our part. Although it may be a small step, but every step counts. 

Reader's response final draft

In "Globalisation of Culture Through the Media ", Kraidy (2002) mentions that international media flow has sparked off many debates, where developing nations are accused of taking advantage of the media flow. Developed nations favour the "free flow of information" but developing nations disagree. As the world becomes inter-dependent, Kraidy highlights the analytical shift towards globalisation. The dispute on whether mass media is the cause of globalisation or does it intensifies globalisation arises. He raises that globalisation is perceived to bring about culture homogenisation or hybridisation. Kraidy then concludes that transnational mass media intensifies the hybridity existing in cultures globally.

I agree with Kraidy on the idea of cultural hybridisation and the apparent relationship between mass media and globalisation. However, I believe that the "chicken and egg" analogy he adopts is over-simplified.

In my opinion, it is not a single cause leading to globalisation but a build-up of multiple factors. Pettinger (2012) quotes that such factors include the improved transport and technology. For example, Pettinger (2012) mentions that there has been a rapid growth in air travel, enabling a greater flow of people and goods across borders. The development of containerisation also reduced the cost of inter-modal transport, making trade cheaper and more efficient, thus leading to globalisation.

The improvement in technology is tightly related to mass media. Without the advancement in technology, people will not have access to mass media and mass media would not influenced the world the way it does now. For example, how influential can the Internet or social media platforms be without computers? Therefore, I believe that the "chicken and egg" analogy used by Kraidy is over-simplified, and globalisation is not due to solely the rise of social media.

However, I agree on the phenomenon of cultural hybridisation mentioned by the author Kraidy, and it can be observed in a globalised city like Singapore. For example, Macdonald's is a fast food restaurant people believe was due to cultural imperialism. However, I disagree as Macdonald's do provide different menus in different countries in attempt to include the local culture. Macdonald's offer curry sauce in Singapore. In addition, teriyaki burger and Ebi-fillet-o burgers are offered exclusively in Asia. This shows that there is no longer the imperialism of one culture but a hybrid of the different cultures.

In conclusion, most of the ideas raised by Mr. Krabbs are valid, except for some which he over-simplified.   

Reader Response Draft 1

I agreed to majority of the point raised by Kraidy, such as the phenomenon of cultural hybridization and the apparent releationship between mass media and cultural hybridization. However I don have some opinions towards some controversies he raised. In “Globalisation of Culture Through the Media”, Kraidy (2002) mentions that international media flow has sparked off many debates, where developed nations are accused of taking advantage of the media flow. Developed nations favor the “free flow of information” but the developing nations disagree. As the world becomes more inter-dependent, Kraidy highlights the analytical shift towards globalization. The dispute on whether mass media is the cause of globalization or does it intensifies globalization arises. He also raises that globalization is perceived to bring about either cultural homogenization or cultural hybridization. Kraidy then concludes that transnational mass media intensifies the hybridity existing in cultures globally. I agreed with Kraidy when he raised the topic on cultural hybridization, where the world is no longer dominated by a single culture. Such a phenomenon can be seen in a small, globalized city like Singapore. For example, MacDonalds is a very popular fast food restaurant globally, deemed to be a result of Westernization. However, taking into account of the local culture, MacDonalds in Asia alter their menus, such as introducing Curry Sauce in Singapore, Teriyaki and Ebi Filet-O in Japan. This therefore showed that there is no dominance of one western culture but a dapted, hybridized form of culture globally. However there is an analogy raised by Kraidy that I don not agree on, which is the Chicken-and-Egg analogy, describing the releationship between mass media and globalization. The confusion stated in the passage is whether mass media is the cause of globalization or did it intensify globalization. The stated analogy suggests mutual cause and effect releationship, which I disagree. I believe that mass media is a huge factor that caused globalization, however it is definitely not the only factor. Other factors may include the advancement of technology. Without the advancement of technology, the influence of mass media will not be that great, or even the start of mass media would have never happened. Thus, I believed that it is a build up of many factors that lead to globalization and its wide influence. In conclusion, I agree with the majority of the points Kraidy raised and that transnational mass media, backed up with other relating factors, do intensify the hybridity in existing cultures globally.

Summary for Globalisation article

In "Globalization of Culture Through the Media", Kraidy (2002) mentions that international media flow has sparked off many debates, where developed nations are accused of taking advantage of the media flow. Developed nations favour the "free flow of information" but the developing nations disagree. As the world becomes more inter-dependent, globalisation becomes a better representation of the global situation. The dispute on whether mass media is the cause of globalisation or it intensifies globalisation. Globalisation is perceived to bring about either homogenisation of one culture or hybridisation of different cultures. Kraidy concludes that transnational mass media intensify the hybridity existing in cultures globally.

An event that has shaped my life and the person I have become

I believe that how a person thinks or behaves are heavily influenced by the experiences he or she has gone through. Most people change over time, after being exposed to more situations, be it good or bad, and I am no exception. One event that has shaped my life and the person I have become is the passing away of my grandfather.

My grandfather passed away four years ago and that hit my family really hard. My family have been living well with occasional minor hic-cups all along. Therefore, this might be the very reason for us taking the happy times for granted.

The passing away of my grandfather has taught me to cherish every living moment spent with my family and friends and not to take the happy times for granted. It has taught me how fragile a human life can be and that we can never anticipate what is to happen in the future. Therefore after the event, I have changed to become a more cheerful person who makes the most out of everyday and most importantly, be happy. I have learnt that although to plan and look ahead in life is important, to slow down your footsteps and enjoy every living moments with the loved ones around you is also equally important.

Living in A Globalized World: The Importance of English for Me

Globalisation is a topic of interest in many field of studies, you can study about it in geography, in economics and even in politics. It is a change that we all cannot disregard.

The meaning of a globalised world, in my opinion, is when the world gets smaller and different countries grew closer, becoming more inter-connected and inter-dependent. Globalisation describes a process by which national and religion economies, societies and cultures have become integrated though global network of trade, communication and transportation.

Given the fact that English language is the most commonly spoken language globally, many activities promoted by globalisation, such as trade and immigration, highlight the importance of grasping English language. One result of globalisation is the influx of foreigners and this can be seen throughout Singapore; in schools, restaurants and simply on the streets. For example, in my secondary school, there are a couple of students from overseas, ASEAN scholars. After interacting with them, I understood the importance of grasping the most commonly spoken language, English language, to ensure that no miscommunication happens. Another example is the increased number of foreigners working in the service sector, such as in restaurants. With such a phenomenon, I have witnessed on multiple events when a language barrier exist between the customers and the service crews and they require help from a third party, such as myself, that is able to communicate in both English and usually mandarin. This again stresses the importance of English language in this increasingly globalised world in our everyday life.