Category: Literacy

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has handed over his new book titled “Sheikh Hasina: Bimugdho Bismoy” to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Dr Momen handed over the book to the Prime Minister in New York recently, marking her 75th birthday, said a media release on Saturday.

Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy was also present while handing over the book during their stay in New York to attend the UNGA.

Some 75 prominent persons’ articles, including politicians, ministers, MPs, university professors, journalists and senior government officials were accommodated in the book edited by Foreign Minister Dr Momen.

The personal life of the prime minister, her political attachment and multifaceted leadership were highlighted in the book.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

If there is any report or possibility of rise in Covid cases in any educational institution then those will be closed, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday.

“But no such situation has so far arisen anywhere. If any report comes, we’ll take steps,” she said while talking to reporters after the inauguration of Bangabandhu-Bapu Digital Exhibition at the Shilpakala Academy.

“We don’t want to bring the pre-primary level students to educational institutions now. After three weeks, we’ll take a decision on it,” said Dipu Moni.

The education minister said the pandemic is not over yet in the world and people must stay careful although the daily infection rate has fallen below 5 percent.

“We’ll have to keep eyes on the situation. Anyone can fall sick anywhere — at home, on the way to schools or even at educational institutions. We’re alert so that we can take steps immediately. We’ll take measures in consultation with local administrations, civil surgeon offices and health department if we receive any complaint or report.”

A class VII student died of Covid while a class X student of another school tested positive, she said, adding that all their classmates were tested but no one was found positive.

The students of schools and colleges in Bangladesh returned to their classrooms September 11 after a prolonged closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government had shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020, after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8 and later the closure was extended several times.

The pandemic-related school closures in the country affected about 38 million students though the government introduced TV-based learning programmes for them.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

A photo of a passionate Bangladeshi tailor busy stitching dresses in a waterlogged city has won the top prize in the Next Generation category of Japan’s prestigious Nikon Photo Contest 2020-21.

The photo, titled Karwaan Bazar, was shot by Bangladeshi photographer Shahriar Amin Fahim. He had sent the photo for the elite contest that started way back in 1969.

Some 26,000 participants from around 150 countries took part in the contest, and over 65,000 photos were submitted. And it was for the first time that a photographer from Bangladesh got an award in this contest.

Shahriar is an engineering graduate from the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET). He is a freelance photographer who has bagged over 30 national and international awards to date.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

English is the international language. Millions of people around the world are trying to learn this language for diverse purposes, like communication, occupation, higher studies, career improvement, etc. The English language is one of the most robust languages out there. It is enriched with tons of words to learn and use. Whether someone is a student, a journalist, or even a poet, having strong knowledge of English vocabulary will help him/her to excel in the application of the English language in real life. The benefits seem to be endless and there are a good many ways to improve the vocabulary. Let’s look at some of them.

What are the benefits of learning English vocabulary

The most obvious importance of learning vocabulary is to achieve better fluency in writing and speaking. A vocabulary is basically an assortment of words that are used regularly. These are words that a person reverts to over and over again. So naturally, having a strong vocabulary enhances the colloquial range that allows a person to describe something in a better way through both writing and speaking.

Furthermore, the application of diverse vocabulary brings better poise in sentences. And, the versatility of words helps the writer or speaker to avoid the repetitive nature. Every writer aims to achieve a specific skill known as “painting with words”. It is just a fancy way of saying someone who can write meaningful and deep lines.

The meaning of a specific word may vary depending on its application and context. As a person keeps learning vocabulary, the ultimate test comes in the form of using the words correctly. When the learner has precise knowledge about the different forms – such as verb, adverb, adjective, noun, etc., – of a specific word, s/he will be able to use the word in a correct way.

Combining the learning and application, a person can stand out from the rest with their English skills.

Ways to improve English vocabulary

Get into the reading habit

The best way to learn new words is through reading. The more a person reads, the more s/he will encounter new words which will enrich the vocabulary. Finding an uncommon or interesting word in a newspaper or novel can be far more engaging than reading a list of vocabulary. Simple memorization will eventually become boring for long-term learning. Compared to that, reading books, newspapers, journals, etc is not only enjoyable but learning becomes a passive process too. Try to incorporate meaning as well as contextual learning for the best outcome.

Use dictionary and thesaurus

Gone are the days of having to carry huge dictionaries and thesaurus to learn vocabulary. Nowadays it is possible to access any dictionary and thesaurus through the internet with a few taps. Dictionaries and thesaurus are not meant to be the primary vocab learning source. Rather they are designed to complement and brush up on the learning process. They are also a great source of learning root words, antonym synonyms, and applications. This will help to increase the vocabulary further.

Playing word games

Almost every English daily of Bangladesh has a crossword puzzle in their entertainment section. In addition to that, playing word games like Scrabble and Boogle will help to make the vocabulary learning process a fun one.

People of any age can try to solve the newspaper crosswords and check for the solution the next day. This is a fun way to learn new words. Thus, learners can stay motivated to expand their vocabulary and take it as a challenge.

Using Flashcards

Flashcards are a great way to initiate learning on the go. With digitization, there is no need for traditional flashcards. Several apps do a great job of flashcards. The eager learners can easily download one of these free apps and start learning vocabulary on the go. It is better to take things slowly at first and take in a few words every day. This will help the learners to ensure sustained learning.

Make the habit of application

There is no point in learning without practical application. And the best way to apply new vocabulary is through conversation and writing. With more and more application scenarios, a person will develop better confidence and the hesitancy surrounding the language application will be gone. Granted there will be mistakes at first, but trial and error will better consolidate the outcome and ultimately bring perfection.

Make notes

Another great way of learning vocabulary is by maintaining a journal. While reading or conversing, there are chances of coming across new words. Make a note of them in a journal. Review these new words regularly and cross-check their usage with thesaurus or dictionary. Jotting down words will better ingrain the words in the learner’s mind.

There are lots of websites and apps that allow the users to create and maintain diaries, or blogs, free of cost. Anyone can maintain a virtual diary of the newly learned vocabulary.

Watch people

Watching people talk is another great way to learn new words. Every person has a different style of speaking combined with colloquial tones. This makes for a great way to learn vocabulary as different people use different words and expressions to describe a similar thing. Watching people speak is a good passive way of understanding the expressive nature of a word and use it similarly.

Youtube is an endless source of English learning resources. Besides attaining the free vocabulary learning classes on YouTube, the learners’ can watch dramas, movies, and web series with subtitles to learn new words. Those who live in an English-speaking country should start talking to native speakers. In addition to that, learners can make small groups for practicing vocabulary through speaking English.

Visualize the words

Another fun but effective way to learn vocabulary is to attach an image to the new words. The human brain can perceive images better than numbers and texts. So rather than just memorizing a bunch of words, it is better to learn through visual aids. It is already mentioned that learning vocabulary is a heavily application-dependent process. The visual aids will help to apply the words in a similar situation which in turn will help to better hone the learning.

Keep Testing the Learning

As much as the application of the new vocabs is important, it is also important to use them correctly. As a result, always test the learnings to determine the lacking or any mistake. This will not only help the learning to keep in check but also assure the correct use of the words.

Free Resources to Learn English

Below are some of the best sites to increase and practice English vocabulary. All of these resources are completely free to use and some of them even come with additional English skills development resources. Check them out.

Thought CO

ESL Fast

Exam English

English Interactive

Rosetta Stone

Vocabulix

Using English

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Within two weeks of the reopening of schools in the country, five students of classes IV and V have tested positive for Covid at a primary school in Thakurgaon sadar upazila.

This has prompted the authorities to suspend all classes of IV and V grades at Bahadurpara Government Primary School in Thakurgaon sadar upazila with effect from Thursday.

School principal Farhana Parvin said that samples of the five girl students — two studying in class IV and three in class V — were sent for Covid-19 test on Monday. The results came a day later.

“All the five students have been staying at a government orphanage — Thakurgaon Government Shishu Poribar (girls) — and of them, three are aged between 10 and 12 years,” said the principal.

“Following a verbal direction from the higher authorities, we have suspended all classes of IV and V grades,” she added.

There are 426 students in the school and of them, 84 are in class IV and 74 in fifth grade.

Meanwhile, the deputy administrator of the orphanage said that on September 17, only one student of Hajipara Adarsha High School had fever and cold, and “later these five students also contracted the same”.

From Monday to Wednesday, samples of some 25 girls staying in the orphanage were sent for Covid test and 13 of them came out positive, including the five students of Bahadurpara school, she said.

Resident medical officer of Thakurgaon Modern Sadar Hospital Rakibul Alam Chayan said the 13 girls are being treated in isolation wards. “They are doing well.”

Assistant education officer of the upazila, Momtaz Ferdous said,” We have suspended the classes of fourth and fifth grades at Bahadurpara school for a week after being informed.”

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdullah Al Mamun said, “We are keeping a vigil on all students attending schools across the upazila.”

On September 12, after nearly 18 months, primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools in Bangladesh reopened with some Covid-safety protocols in place.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Police have arrested three men, including a school teacher, for allegedly assaulting a minor folk singer by shaving off his head in Shibganj upazila of Bogura district.

The arrestees have been identified as Mezbaul Islam, 52, a teacher at Gujia High School, Shafiul Islam Khokon, 55, and Tarek Rahman, 20, of Juri Majhpara village in the upazila.

Officer-in-charge of Shibganj Police Station Sirajul Islam said that the 16-year-old singer, a disciple of Matin Baul, had recently reacted to the trio’s remarks on his attire.

Furious over the minor singer’s reaction, five men went to the house of a person where he lived and allegedly tonsured his head on September 18.

They had also threatened to banish him from the village if he didn’t quit singing, police said.

A case was subsequently filed against the five people in connection with the assault, following which the police arrested the trio on Tuesday night. “Efforts are on to nab the other accused,” the OC said.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

English as a language can be a tough nut to crack for many. Whether it’s the grammar or the innuendos, the intricacies seem to be limitless. These intricacies become even more apparent while listening to English. Different standardized language tests use English listening skills as a marking criterion. But beyond the tests, it’s important to hone the listening skills to truly master the English language. So, what are the secrets to improving English listening skills? Let’s have a look.

Why are English listening skills important?

A language propagates in three key ways – through writing, speaking, and listening. These three make up the basis of communication and wrap the scope of usage of any language. While many people are concerned about writing and speaking only, listening skills are also equally important. The proper usage of any language depends on how well it is understood. Because every communication isn’t limited to writing and reading only.

There isn’t a shortcut way of developing listening skills. Just like reading, speaking, and writing skills, it requires a lot of practice and patience. Not everyone universally learns something. There are several ways to develop English listening skills. Let’s discuss some of the most effective ways.

How to improve your English listening skills?

Find out the purpose

People learn something out of need. The need motivates a person towards the ultimate end goal. Some people might develop their English listening for workplace needs, some as a hobby, or others for standardized English proficiency tests. The importance or the urgency to develop isn’t the same in every case. As a result, it’s important to find out what is the core reason or motivation behind the drive.

There are course modules for developing listening skills for tests. However, developing listening skills for casual needs can take a more laid-back approach. Regardless of the purpose, the end goal is the same and each approach should be backed up by repeated practice.

Engage Microlearning

Rather than going all in one day and disappearing from learning for several days, make the habit of microlearning. Each of the English skills is a rolling skillset which means they need repeated practice and a learning curve to ultimately master them.

Many people make the mistake of giving up after a few days of practice. This isn’t something that will develop overnight. There are several ways to develop the listening skills of English. All of these methods should be divided into small tasks and practiced daily. The mindset of constant practice will eventually perfect the process.

Listening to Podcast

Podcasts aren’t that popular or well known in Bangladesh. It’s like a radio show where a host talks about a certain subject or has guests for fun and engaging sessions. Countless free and paid podcasts extensively cover a range of subject matter.

These podcasts can be a great source of listening material. Take in slowly and try to understand each line as it goes. Most of the podcasts are pre-recorded so it’s possible to pause and note down.

It won’t be possible to understand everything that’s been said on the first day because it’s hard to keep up with the native flow as a beginner. However, this is where consistency comes into play. With daily listening and noting strategy, it’s possible to get better at understanding everything that’s being said.

Watch and Learn

Watching people speak can be a good learning curve for developing listening skills. Listening isn’t just about interpreting word by word, it’s also about reading the tone and understanding the expression. As a result, listening to a conversation from a first-person POV will give a better real-time experience. Whether it’s picking up a new phrase or a new word, there is always something new to learn out of an engaging conversation.

Listen and Read

The best way to develop listening skills is by combining listening with reading. The most effective way to do this is by watching English movies and series with subtitles. Listening and reading the same thing creates a simultaneous learning experience which helps to better remember things. The eyes and the ears work in unison to make the learning more engaging.

In addition to that, there’s always the issue with an accent. Some accents might be harder to pick up compared to others. The most practical way to understand and practice listening to accents is by listening to the audio/videos with subtitles. This will help to pick up the pronunciation better. A month of repeated practice can help an individual to get better at catching meaning through thick accents.

Use the White Noise

Here white noise means background noise. Often people listen to music or play TV shows as they are busy with work. This is a typical case while cleaning a home or doing other chores. What many people don’t realize is that it can be a great source of learning as well.

Playing English music or shows in the background of your work doesn’t necessarily mean attention should be given to it. The brain is designed to subconsciously pick up things that are happening in the background. It can be a good passive learning experience without having to do anything.

Variate the Speed of Listening

Initially while getting started with listening, it’s better to slow down the listening tape and take it word by word. But as the practice keeps progressing, the learner can increase the speed of playback to catch the meaning of every word and sentence more quickly.

Now, what might be the need for that? Humans have a general speaking tone which is somewhat similar in most cases. The idea here is to train the brain to process words faster. This will enhance the listening capabilities as well as increasing proficiency.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

An 80-year-old freedom fighter, who went missing a couple of days ago, was found dead in the bamboo bushes near his house in the Jangal Paduar area of Lohagrara upazila on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Meghnath Dey, son of late Anand Mohan.

His body was spotted by passersby in the bamboo bushes of the Baroi Para canal in Jangal Paduar around 9 pm on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday.

The deceased’s wife said that Meghnath frequently left home without informing the family members but would return after a couple of days.

“However, when I heard about a body being found in the bamboo bushes, I rushed to the spot and identified it. We feel devastated,” she said.

ASP Zakaria Rahman Ziku of Satkania Circle said that the body was sent to the morgue of Chattogram Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy. “We will initiate action only after the post-mortem report.”

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Fairooz Faizah Beether, the co-founder of Moner School, has won the 2021 Goalkeepers Global Goals Changemaker Award. This was announced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday.

The 2021 Changemaker Award, which celebrates an individual who has inspired change using personal experience or from a position of leadership, recognises Faizah of Bangladesh for her work promoting good health and well-being, the Foundation said in a release.

Beether has co-founded Moner School, an online platform that aims to raise awareness around mental health and ensure equal access to mental healthcare across the country.

As part of its annual goalkeepers campaign, the foundation also announced the winners of three additional Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, has been announced as one of the three winners of the 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award.

“By shining a light on the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women and girls, former Under-Secretary-General Mlambo-Ngcuka has ensured that global and local efforts to battle Covid-19 must take into account the acute disparities they face,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“She exemplifies the leadership we need in the fight for gender equality around the world.”

The 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award recognises a leader who has driven progress on a global scale toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This year’s award is being presented to Mlambo-Ngcuka for her unwavering global leadership on gender equality and continued advocacy to address the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on women and girls,” the Foundation said.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, a former deputy president of South Africa, has dedicated her life to advancing social justice and working with civil society organisations.

During her tenure as the executive director of UN Women, she led work to strengthen and expand partnerships with government, male allies, and the media, all in service of advancing SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

For Moner School, Bangladesh’s Faizah wins Global Goals Changemaker Award

Mlambo-Ngcuka played a vital role in helping to spearhead and deliver the Generation Equality Forum in July 2021, which helped mobilise more than $40 billion in commitments from member states, the private sector, philanthropies, and civil society to drive transformative change for women and girls around the world.

This year’s two additional Goalkeepers awards were given to Jenifer Colpas of Colombia, and Satta Sheriff of Liberia. Each awardee was recognised for their work supporting the Global Goals in their local communities.

The 2021 Progress Award, which celebrates an individual who supports progress via a science, technology, digital, or business initiative, recognises Jenifer Colpas of Colombia for her work to improve access to clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), the Foundation said.

Colpas is the co-founder and executive director of Tierra Grata, a social enterprise that develops low-cost, easy-to-install solutions providing access to clean energy, safe water, and sanitation services to rural communities in Colombia.

The 2021 Campaign Award, which celebrates a campaign that has raised awareness or built a community by inspiring action and creating change, recognises Satta Sheriff of Liberia for her work to promote gender equality (SDG 5), it said.

Sheriff is the founder and executive director of Action for Justice and Human Rights (AJHR), a youth-led NGO founded to advocate and ensure access to justice and respect for human rights in Liberia, focusing particularly on helping women and girls.

“Disparities everywhere continue to worsen due to the impacts of Covid-19,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“This year, we are especially honoured to recognise four leaders whose work demonstrates that progress is possible, even in the most difficult of times.”

More than 80% of all Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries to date, with some securing two to three times the number needed so they can cover boosters; less than 1% of doses have been administered in low-income countries.

Covid-19 vaccine access has been strongly correlated with the locations where there is vaccine R&D and manufacturing capability.

Though Africa is home to 17% of the world’s population, for example, it has less than 1% of the world’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities.

“These award winners show how women are leading the way in coming up with the innovative solutions needed to rebuild our communities and nations,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“This year’s winners continue to inspire us as they work tirelessly to create a more equal, resilient, and compassionate world.”

The announcement of the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards winners follows last week’s release of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s fifth annual Goalkeepers Report.

This year’s report, co-authored by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, shows that disparities caused by Covid-19 remain stark, and those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic will be the slowest to recover. Fortunately, amidst the challenges of the past year, the world stepped up to avert some of the worst-case scenarios.

In the report, the co-chairs highlight the “breathtaking innovation” that was only possible because of global collaboration, commitment, and investments over decades.

They acknowledge that averting the worst-case scenarios is commendable, yet they note it’s not enough.

To ensure a truly equitable recovery from the pandemic, they call for long-term investments in health and economies — like the ones that led to the rapid development of the Covid-19 vaccine — to propel recovery efforts and get the world back on track to meet the Global Goals.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Barishal University has waived the hall and transportation fees of its students for the period of the Covid-19 closure.

The decision on the fee waiver was taken at a meeting of the university’s finance committee chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Sadequl Arefin .

University Proctor Dr Khorshed Alam said on Tuesday the decision was taken following written requests made by the students.

According to the decision, the authorities will coordinate with or repay the students who have already paid the fees soon, said the Proctor

Obaidur Rahman, a student of BU, said on August 31 they sent a written application to the VC through Proctor Khorshed Alam to waive the fees.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Short-video app Likee has partnered with the online educational platform 10 Minute School to encourage users to create and share videos on academic and co-curricular skills.

Likee launched the knowledge community development initiative #KnowledgeMonth recently.

The campaign, which will run until September 30, aims to create an encouraging community sphere, where a healthy and competitive spirit will boost the users’ learning. It will award several lucky winners at the end of the month-long activities

This collaboration of Likee and 10 minute School is set to encourage teachers, researchers, sportspersons, artists; culinary, life-skill and other academic and non-academic skills enthusiasts to come together as a community and share their knowledge.

Users can create interesting videos to share their learning, tips, and tricks on different topics like Bengali, Bengali dialect, spoken English, science, puzzle, trivia, economy, culture, humanity, health, medicine, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.

These videos will have to be uploaded using the hashtag #AcademicKnowledge, #ArtisticKnowledge, #LifeKnowledge and #UnpopularKnowledge. The videos need to be original and more than 10 seconds in length, according to a media statement.

“In this era of online learning, Likee believes that it has the power to connect learners through educational video content. Our #KnowledgeMonth campaign is already seeing enthusiastic traffic, and we thank our partner 10 Minute School for their cooperation,” said a Likee spokesperson.

Ayman Sadiq, owner of 10 Minute School said, “We are glad to have partnered with Likee as together, we can positively use this opportunity to encourage millions of Likee users to share valuable knowledge.”

Source: United News of Bangladesh

The British Council has announced the names of the ten international finalists including a Bangladeshi student who will compete at the ‘FameLab Climate Change Communicators Online Final’ to be held this month.

The ten shortlisted finalists have been selected by the adjudicators based on video entrants, a three-minute video talks on the theme of ‘Trust in Climate Science’ from around the world.

The video entries focused on myriads of climate science topics to tackle the climate crisis, ranging from clean energy to coral reef preservation.

The finalists are – Aditi Chandra, engineer and entrepreneur at Kay Bouvet Engineering, India; Arka Chakraborty, student at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh; Danny Joseph Daniels, CVO at Lombris, Mexico; Emiliane Daher Pereira, researcher at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; John Leo Algo, Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Campaigns at Living Laudato Si’ Philippines, Philippines; Larissa Cunha Pinheiro, PhD student in Nuclear Engineering at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Mayur Bonkile, PhD student at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India; Minh Anh Le, research assistant at Institute of Health, Economics and Technology, Viet Nam; Navjeet Kaur, PhD student at University of Mumbai, India and Pallavi Pokharel, a recent graduate of Kathmandu University, Nepal.

The finalists will now take part in online training and networking activities, including a two-day online master class with the leading science communicator Wendy Sadler to hone their skills before the final.

After the final, the top FameLab Climate Change Communicator will progress through to the FameLab International Online Final to be held in November 2021, one of the world’s leading science communication competitions.

Adrian Fenton, Senior Consultant in Public Engagement at the British Council, said they had a great response to FameLab Climate Change Communicators, and thanked everyone who took the time to create and send us their video entries.

“It’s been so inspiring to have received such high quality, personal entries from around the world from individuals who share our passion for building trust in climate science.”

Dr Ahmed Alboksmaty, Research Associate in the Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, and member of the judging panel for the FameLab Climate Change Communicators video entry round, said it was an honour and a pleasure to watch the video entries tackling a range of climate science-related topics.

“We had some tough decisions to make, but the ten finalists stood out with their content, clarity, and charisma – and really made us want to hear more! I’m sure they will benefit from the training, and we look forward to hearing more from them in the International Online Final.”

Global audiences will have the chance to hear the finalists at the FameLab Climate Change Communicators International Online Final, which will be streamed on the British Council’s YouTube channel on 28 September.

‘FameLab Climate Change Communicators’ is one of many activities the British Council is delivering as part of The Climate Connection programme: the British Council’s global platform for dialogue, cooperation, and action against climate change.

Source: United News of Bangladesh