Students should be taught to avoid plagiarism

The speech of Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, US Republican Presidential Candidate, has been criticized for partly plagiarizing that of Michelle Obama. This has caused a sensation not only in the US but the world over. There is believed to be, however, appreciation for the opportunity to teach students about plagiarism, as discussed in a BBC News article entitled ‘Teachers are thanking Melania Trump’ dated July 19.

I am definitely among these grateful teachers. I agree that this incident can serve as teaching material for a lesson on defining and avoiding plagiarism. It is very important to give students a clear concept about plagiarism as many are ignorant of the seriousness of the offence. They have become over reliant on information downloaded from the internet and have got so used to copying, cutting and pasting that they use others’ ideas and writings as their own, often with no sense of guilt at all. So, teachers ought to educate the students on the need to respect others’ work as their intellectual property, and make it very clear that plagiarism is a form of misconduct, no less serious than theft. It is unfair, even immoral, to use quoted writings without citing the original source. In writing lessons, there should be emphasis on the importance of originality, and plagiarized work should be disqualified and penalized.

Melania Trump’s speech has become a subject of ridicule rendering it necessary for the speechwriter to apologize. But somehow it has done the students a good turn by giving them a timely warning against plagiarism.

My impression of AC

On our first encounter I already found a friend in AC. Though prepared for very formal questions, I gradually found myself chatting cheerfully with him and his partner, quite forgetting that it was meant to be an interview for them to have some initial understanding of me. Later I came to know that the other interviewees felt the same way, too; they were often caught off guard and would start talking much more than they had meant to, all because of his jolly and carefree personality. This, as he later admitted, is an attribute to his success as an interviewer.

By no means is his working attitude carefree, though. Quite on the contrary, he has a very strong sense of responsibility. Despite the weighty equipment he is carrying, he would not mind walking long distances to where his mission takes him. Rain or shine, he is always found waiting at the appointed place however early the interviewee arrives. And he will stay till the end of the event doing video shooting to make sure that every worthy moment is captured though ultimately very few of the shots may appear in the final product.

And needless to say, he is highly professional. You can put your entire trust in him. There is no worry about where to stand, how to walk and what to say. Every location and every angle at which the shooting is done is well calculated. And there are small reminders before and during the filming, which smacks of good planning and careful observation. As mentioned earlier, he can elicit useful information by first putting the interviewee at ease. But that is not all. His questions, seemingly off hand, have obviously been well thought over as the recording will later be presented in such a way that the interviewee would seem to be talking about himself without being prompted.

Either knowingly or unknowingly, he often places himself in the situation of a student in an attempt to seek better access to my inner world. He seems to have endless questions about grammar and writing, thus initiating my sharing about my teaching experience. His obvious interest in my past has also caused me to take a trip down memory lane, savouring enriched memories of my teaching career.

He is a good Christian, too. This is probably one important reason for his friendly attitude and his dedication to his commitments.

Working jointly with him on the project has been a very pleasant experience for me. The filming has now drawn to an end and I look forward to sharing the fruit of his great efforts in September.