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Hi there! What have you been up
to? Working hard? Studying for your next examination? You know what?
Everything has a time and a place. Even, for Learning. Although learning
should be pursued as long as life itself, there are peak periods for it.
For you guys living in your best season in life, this is the period to
make your highest score.
Then, you get admission to the University of Life, confident and
secure.
In a country where you receive a Distinction even when you score 75
marks, how could you possibly score better? Whether you score 75 or 100
you fall in to the same category! In my logical estimation, 75 per cent
is cherished and 100 per cent goes unnoticed.
 But I tell you smart people, living in a more dynamic point of time,
do your ultimate in everything you do. Give it your best effort, however
small the task.
Small things add up. Whether you get appreciated or not, pushing for
your best outcome, will give you some measure about your capacity. You’d
never know what you are capable of until you try.
So? Let me ask you a direct question. Are you afraid of speaking in
English? Tell me, are you shy that you will make mistakes in public and
the whole world will laugh at you? Who cares anyway? What matters to you
is, that you learn to speak in English and convey a clear message. Don’t
bother much about grammar unless you are a teacher.
But you’d never get started unless you start now. Don’t put off till
tomorrow, what you can do today. I’ll tell you what you should do. You
are fluent in your mother tongue, right? Get a few friends rounded up.
Make an effort to speak in English. When you get stuck, throw in some
Sinhala or Tamil words to make yourself clear. Watch English news
channels and English films; listen to the way English is spoken. Tune in
to English radio channels. Listen to the way they pronounce English.
It helps to listen and learn. Pick at least five new words and use
them in your expressions. Before you know it you will not be afraid of
the kaduwa. You will be wielding it like a veteran. Achcharu bhashawa
will get you talking. Make it a habit. Then once you lose the phobia you
will be confident. Gradually you will enjoy talking in English. Without
it you can’t go places.
In the twenty first century we cannot live like the proverbial frog
in the well. We are very much a part of the global community. So
wherever you are, in Kahatagasdigiliya, picking lotus flowers in a pond
or in Angunakolapelessa, at the kovil in Nallur or in Monaragala, eating
kiri peni in Matara or singing to the hills in Matale, get started on
your new mission: speaking English because you want to move ahead in
life. It helps.
Remember I told you earlier that the Sunday Observer Youth Club will
meet sooner. Yes we will get everything organized for you and inform you
about it in this page. So look out for it, right? In case your friends
still have not joined up, get them to write in quick. Send us your
contact details and some background about who you are and hey-presto!
You’d be part of the greatest youth get together in the country soon.
Till we meet, take care, will you?
E-mail to:
[email protected]
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