Speak, not just study
In the UAE, students, especially those following the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) learn Arabic, and Hindi or French, which is often not their mother tongue. Yet, after learning these languages for around ten years, they are not able to speak it fluently or write in it. Yet, they speak English fluently despite it not being their mother tongue. The difference lies in speaking a language versus just learning it as an assignment. If the ‘children teach parents’ approach is used while teaching these subjects, that would help them a lot. Schools should adopt this approach for language learning. Apart from understanding languages effectively, it would help students to perform well in exams, too.
From Ms Yousufa Mohammad
Abu Dhabi
Waste of time?
I just hope people are not going to take their sweet time at petrol stations, with this new initiative (“UAE residents welcome new service options at Adnoc fuel stations”, Gulf News, April 7). I can just imagine them stopping their cars, getting off, taking the petrol pipe, filling their tanks, all the while checking their phones and wasting time. I think this is not at all practical. It could cause inconvenience for others.
From Mr Salim Mohammad
Dubai
Give it a try
I think it’s a good solution. Motorists should realise it’s not that difficult to fill petrol into their vehicles, and it would get people moving and more active. For those who find it difficult, it may even discourage them from using their cars and they may opt for public transport instead. So it’s a win-win situation!
From Ms Sophie Valia
Sharjah
The better team won
As seen in the past, it was a nail-biting tie between the Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India (“Chennai claims stunning 1-wicket win against Mumbai in IPL”, Gulf News, April 8). CSK returned to the IPL with a roar. Thanks to the valuable knock of Dwayne Bravo and the cool-headed Kedar Jadav, who pulled the carpet from under Mumbai Indians, CSK managed to win. MI were dreaming of another win against CSK. It was a real shocker for the defending champions. Well done Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team. I hope they keep up this tempo. I hope to see more and more thrilling ties like this.
From Mr Ayush Srikanth
India
India shining in sports
Though I am not a great fan of Indian tennis player Leander Paes, mainly because of his attitude, I am glad that he and Rohan Bopanna have been paired together (“Davis Cup: Paes creates history as India make World Group”, Gulf News, April 8). It has secured India’s place in the World Group. Congratulations to Paes for becoming the most successful doubles player in Davis Cup history. It was a remarkable recovery for them to clinch the doubles tie. At the same time, due credit should be given to youngsters Ram Kumar Ramanathan and Prajnesh Gunneswaran, who managed to seal reverse singles and enable the country to enter the World Group. Well done, Team India. Incidentally, after securing a world record of wins in doubles, it is time for Paes to pave the way for youngsters in the Davis Cup team.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
India
Russia’s influence
American author David Brooks glorifies Russian President Vladimir Putin in a convincing way (“The most influential man on earth”, Gulf News, April 5). The Russians believe that he is the one who can raise Russia’s profile, especially after several scandals and damage, in a post-Communist era. He has been issuing stern statements against offenders and keeping enemies at bay. However, he is facing a lot of flak from the West, which is nothing unexpected. Based on the faith, trust and belief Russians have in Putin, I hope he performs to their level of expectation, as the nation has huge potential and bouncing back will be beneficial for both Russia and the world. Russia has huge oil reserves, along with the potential for trading in agricultural commodities, and Putin’s policies certainly augur economic revival and development. The development of Russia will balance US and UK’s alliance, as they are presently working in a polarised manner to serve the interests of the European Union and North America only. I wish Putin all the best in bringing forward the hidden commercial, cultural and geographical importance of Russia.
From Mr Murugesh S. S. Sivam
Dubai
Now Putin, then what?
The big question is, after Vladimir Putin, who will succeed and how will Russia transform? It seems Russia is always fighting internally, with different ethnic groups, but has managed to survive. Putin has got enough power and has started rebuilding the country. Liberal democracy is built on the idea that power should be dispersed across systems, relationships and institutions. Now, all over the world, we can see the mass marketing of ideas through television and social media, and it is often imposed on the public. Russia is moving towards an authoritarian regime and democracy is at stake. Dictators are always the same, and we have seen what happened in Russia after 1917. History teaches us change is always inevitable and we have seen this in Cuba, the former Soviet Union and Germany.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
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