THE BOAT RACING FESTIVAL

      Tet is the time when many traditional festivals are celebrated such as singing “Bai Choi” competition, reciting poem festival…But “boat racing is the biggest and most attracting festival after Tet in my hometown. It always takes place on 6^th of the first lunar month. It’s not only a chance for people to enjoy their life but also practice their health. People in my hometown prepare for it 1 or 2 months before the celebration.

      To participate in this festival, people have to prepare a lot of things. First, also the most important item has to prepare are boats. With this festival, people not only use imperial boats (to have the form of a dragon) but also junks to race. Junks are simple, so they needn’t spend much time to do it, just a week. But the imperial boats are different. It takes a month to finish one because it’s really complex and requires sophistication. After finishing it, people also decorate it by painting the dragon. In addition, people also prepare their uniforms. It’s not less important things because it’s the rule. Organization board regulates that wearing uniform to recognize each team easily. Moreover, uniform is also an effective way to express the spirit and strength of all team. They should show their unification to other team, which casts a chill over their competitors. Not only the participants but also the organization committee also prepare before Tet. They are just two basic things they have to do before the festival.

    Festival takes place at 7h30 in “Xuan Huong” Lake, but the participants come here from early morning. Some of them carry the imperial boats, and others carry junks, which make quiet atmosphere become animated. After finishing, they sit down and gossip with each others: “I’m too nervous to have breakfast.” or “Our team will win this race.”….time is passing and spectators are crowding round the lake. About 7 o’clock, the leader declares to open the festival. After that, each team has 30 minutes to check all things before joining the competition. The three whistles resounds in other to signal that time is up and all teams must gather and begin the race. There are 10 teams who join 3 types racing: “single junk racing”, “double junk racing” and “team- imperial boat racing”. Each member is worried. First round is single junk racing which only 7 teams to join it. They have to race in 100m and chose 3 faster teams into the racing final. Finally, 3 teams reach the destination first in final race to choose the winner. Second round is double junk racing”. Like the “single junk racing” about the distance and rules, but double junk racing has a different point which is the number of racers are two. There are 9 teams to join this round. All participants try their best enthusiastically in shouting of encourage. Final round is “team- imperial boat racing”. This is a round which is expected best. With this round, there are 10 teams to join and each team includes 10 people. In cheer of crowd, 10 teams row as quick as wind to try to reach the destination first. The competition finds 3 excellent teams of each type of racing which deserve the prizes.

      Awarding the prize is the last part of festival. First, the leader announces the prizes. After that, he reads winner’s names in his list. They go down stage and give their prizes. First, second, third prize in turn are 300, 200, 100 thousand dong. Although the prizes are low cost, they are like “food for the mind” after they try their best in the competition. The leader declares that the competition is ended. “All party will end, but the longingly remembrance shows clearly on their face (not only participants but also the spectator).

      The boating racing is held one time each year but it attracts a large number of people. It becomes a cultural traditional festival of residents here. It should be maintained and developed especially when Tet comes.

Teaching styles.

CLASSWORK
Teaching styles

     Nowadays, education is the most concerned field not only   Vietnam but also many countries around the world such as England, China, Korea… That is the reason why experts always find many different teaching styles which are effective and suitable for students’ or learners’ aim. Here are some teaching styles which are classified according to aims.

          Theory is the first teaching styles which are used schools and universities. In this style, it focuses on content. Teacher is the subjects and students are the objects. That means teacher provides knowledge with students as much as possible and student needn’t participate in class. It seems to be the impartation one-sided. Teacher just concerns about imparting the knowledge and student apprehends the knowledge needing. With this teaching style, between teacher and student have no any relationship and sometimes it makes students feel bored. However, this style helps student understand more about the contents, details, developing…It’s very useful in theory lessons such as philosophy, literature, history…. For example, when student study Vietnam’s history, with this style, student will be provide more detail information from the anti- France to American resistance war… Therefore, Formal Authority is the useful teaching style which helps student to be given a large of knowledge.

        Another teaching style which is used in school is Guide. With this style, teacher is like a guide who demonstrates to help students-the visitors- know more about their lessons. Teacher also plays a center role in class. He models first for students observe. After that, he not only redoes step by step in process but also explains detail each step for students to understand essence of each problem. How about the students? With this way, students can develop and apply these skills and knowledge. They not only see but also listen teacher’s guides. It helps them be able to remember clearly.  After observing, they have to do their task. They have to themselves solve any similar problems teacher assign by using teacher’s method. In this style, student are required much participation and encouraged to ask anything they don’t know. For instance, in the making cake period, teacher makes the cake first; of course students see and try to remember all steps in order to redo it. In short, with this teaching style, students have more chances to practice and apprehend their knowledge.

         Finally,  Practise is also one of useful teaching styles. In this style, teacher no longer is subject but students. He often gives for his students’ tasks and students have to do tasks individually or in groups. With this style, students can develop their creation independently and help them increase their abilities work solve the problem. When teacher assigns them an exercise which doesn’t limit anything such as form or method to do, they have to search and research the information and can choose any form to do it provided it’s correct. After finishing, teacher will give the commands their products in other to help students recognize what the strong or weak points to improve. For example, topic which teacher assigns is marketing and no limit about form, so students can do it in group as a presentation or writing or role play form provided that it’s suitable for content “marketing”. In brief, with teaching style, students can have more initiative and effection in study.

Each teaching style supports the different study aim such as theory or practice…You should chose right teaching style to develop maximum its benefit. I hope you have choice correctly.

What makes a good global citizen?

 “What is a global citizen?” Many people think that global citizen is a person who has many especial abilities to save human kind like superman. But they misunderstand about this phrase. In fact, a global citizen is a normal person who can help the world and people around them by practical activities. But what qualities make a good citizen?” It’s not easy to answer. It depends on their way to help people. But in my opinion, a global citizen must have such qualities: empathy, equality and awareness.

      The most important quality of the global citizen is empathy. A global citizen must be empathetic another person especially unfortunate people such as the poor and disabled. That means a global citizen is able to understand another person’s circumstances, thoughts and feelings. He puts himself in another person situation in order to know what they feel or why they like that. It’s very important because if he doesn’t understand them how can he help them? By a heartfelt empathy, he can understand how they stand a pain, so it will be easier to share and encourage them overcome the difficulties. For example, seeing a lot of children shriveling on sidewalk because of being cold and hungry after the earthquake in Japan, how does a global citizen feel? To be sure that he never ignores them. It doesn’t mean he helps ones because he is a global citizen or it is a responsibility but empathy. He knows what happened, and understand how the children feel and also feel the pain like ones. It is his dynamic make him help them willingly. Therefore, by empathy, a global citizen can travel anywhere to help anyone who needs.

     Equality is the second quality of a global citizen. An equal global citizen is a person who treats all people the same without racial discrimination, skin color (yellow, white, or dark), rich or poor, religions…Provided that anybody needs, the global citizen is willing to help enthusiastically. When we need the help, although you have dark skin and I have white skin, he also gives the same help, without “special treatment” to you or me. Although a global citizen comes from Asian, he can go to Africa to teach for illustrate people by like Asian. With a child who is a victim of AIDS, he also opens his heart to help the child have a smile and not to complex in order to integrate with society. The Global citizen is like that. In his mind, there is no word “discriminate”. He knows that people all the world are the children of “mother earth”, so why do we discriminate to each other? Thank to this quality, a global citizen bring people around the world the smile and happiness.

       Finally, it is also an important quality is awareness. A global citizen has to know what happens in the world, how people’s life are in other to decide his actions. For example, in the world, every 3.6 seconds has a person die of hunger and 75% of them are children. The global citizen knows that they are waiting for his help. Moreover, children are the master of the world so he not only campaigns people collect food, money for famine relief but also travels each place to support and help them recover. By the awareness timely, a global citizen can help our life more beautiful.

    The global citizen is helping the world become more and more beautiful and people feel happier. We can hope that, the world will have no war, no hunger, and no diseases in short time. We are the youth so please “say “we” are the global citizen” to built a better life.