Jarod Yong

International Food & Trivia Night @ Teachers College, Columbia University When I was elected as the International Student Senator , I promised to: improve the way that international students are included & engaged with at TC; become accepted & empowered members of our new community connect international students with local students, unique experiences in NYC, & awesome food places, as well as give back to the gem right under our noses, Harlem; ensure that none of us to come to TC & leave as the same person; and make our time here as enriching as possible. Additionally, as a Malaysian, I felt the calling to also share my largely unknown country's colorful culture & food. As the 2016-17 International Student Senator, I set out to support international students, & bridge internationals & their US peers, while promoting Malaysian culture at TC. A post shared by Jarod Yong 👨🏽‍🏫🗽❤️🇲🇾 (@jarodyjk) on Jun 13, 2017 at 11:10am P...

If you're interested in getting 30/30 in TOEFL Writing, I'll show you how I did it . I'll do different questions every week LIVE!! Note: Do take into account the time difference , especially during EST/EDT . (In Malaysia, it's either Sunday at 8.30-9.30am [EST] or 9.30-10.30am [EDT].)      I teach/ tutor TOEFL in New York City &, when it comes to independent essays, some textbooks do not provide model essays. This is a major problem because I will have to come up with a model myself in order to show my students how a 5/5 TOEFL essay should look like. Since I have to write the model essays anyway, I might as well do it live so that those who do not have access to tutors may benefit too. Furthermore, since I'm doing it live, I might as well produce something authentic, i.e., limit myself to 30 minutes & do without modern word processing comforts like spellcheck & keyboard shortcuts as per the TOEFL test. This is how this program is going to wo...

I bought some gorgeous black & white postcards of landmarks in New York City! I'd love to send them to your students!     Earlier this week, I graduated with a Master of Arts in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Teachers College of Columbia University . My study program was an unforgettable experience made possible by the goodwill & love bestowed upon me by my fellow countrymen & friends abroad. I would like to pay it forward by sending a little gift to as many schools as I can in Malaysia. So, continue reading to find out how you can have a postcard sent from New York City in the USA to the students at your school!

I shared the "Running Dictation" activity during Celebration of Teaching at Teachers College of Columbia University .    Last year, I presented a Reading Activity at Celebration of Teaching, a conference which highlights the practical side of teaching, instead of theory. Presenters are invited to share an activity which was useful to them in their classrooms. This year, I decided to share the Running Dictation activity that I first learned about back in 2007 during my undergraduate days at  Victoria University of Wellington , because it is the most comprehensive activity I know and I'm very surprised that only 1 out of 5 people I've asked at Teachers College knew what it was. Running Dictation: Features:  Fun, competitive, communicative, collaborative, task-based, employs multiple intelligences (interpersonal, verbal-linguistic, & bodily-kinesthetic) & all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, & writing). Desired Outcomes:...

I had the pleasure of sharing a meaningful & wonderfully crafted Iban poem during the Mother Language Day celebration at Teachers College of Columbia University.     During last year's "(Un)Spoken: A Celebration of  Mother Language Day ", I dressed up in a red  Baju Melayu  while my wife rocked a  Kebaya  &, together,  we taught the audience some phrases in the Malay language & shared several Lat comics I found in the Columbia University library . It was my duty as a citizen of my country to show the world where Malaysia was & to expose them to our national language; both of which many in attendance have never heard of prior to the event. When I was invited to present again during this year's (Un)Spoken, I was torn between my ethnic language,  Fu Zhou 福州话 , &  Jaku Iban , a Sarawakian language I consider as part of my identity, because it was the final semester of my MA program &, probably, my las...

This is a response to " Manglish getting more mangled " by Royce Tan published in The Star on 21 January 2017.      "Manglish getting more mangled" is one of those clickbait articles that makes my blood boil because it does not propose any kind of solution nor inspire any kind of action. Basically, it's a shame piece. Just the read the Facebook comments on this piece . You love that thick decadent slice of  schadenfreude , don't you? How about a nice slap of reality? Articles like these exacerbate & legitimize our society's shaming of people with less than purrfect English. Honestly, Malaysians, if you really want English in Malaysia to improve, THIS KIND OF SHAMING HAS GOT TO STOP! If you're wondering what I'm ranting on about, here's an excerpt from the article. “Before you cross the strict, use your ase”. Understand that? Not likely, because even Manglish is getting mangled in Malaysia. In case you’re wondering what ...

I'm a firm believer in walking my talk. I've done it. Now, it's your turn. Please, as a birthday gift to me,  give RM31 to aid a school in my hometown which burnt down recently.    Since my 30th birthday, I've asked everyone I know to contribute to a cause I believe in, instead of giving me birthday presents. As they spam my Facebook wall with birthday wishes, I send them my humble requests. Last year, I asked for RM30 for Teach For Malaysia . This year, I'm 31. So, I'm asking you to give RM31 (USD7) to aid a burnt-down school , SMK St Teresa, in my hometown, Kuching. What is RM31 (USD7) to you? That's one trip to a fancy cafe, like Starbucks. School reopens tomorrow. Go without Starbucks for a week & give the children going to this public school something to smile about. RM31 for SMK St Teresa . Your kind contributions are much appreciated! Click Here To Go To The Website Collecting Contributions