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]]>“There are a million and one reason why I wish to return to the days I spent at COSMOTOTS. There would be a million more if I could express my overwhelming emotions of gratitude and joy for the place in words. To me, my days at COSMOTOTS were like to cocoon with the result being the development of a beautiful butterfly. My love for the study of the world around me; for the appreciations of literature and arts; and most importantly, the courage to speak up to a larger audience were all deeply rooted with the lessons held and conducted by the brilliant ‘Uncles’ and ‘Aunties’.
It was Sir who became a mentor to me and who pushed me to expand my limitations. Despite my inability to muster enough courage to speak to an audience, it was Sir, the Uncles and the Aunties who encouraged me every step of the way and even got me to deliver a short solo piece on the night our parents were invited to listen. It was after this that I managed to achieve the rank of top 37th debater out of 1200 students from 54 countries under 18; successfully became of the president and staff sergeant of my school’s Red Crescent division for two years; and perhaps most importantly, being happy with being myself in front of the world around me.
Because of COSMOTOTS, I have become a new person. Having achieved lots of memorable endeavours, I continue to want to achieve many more. Sir, Uncles, Aunties, all of you: I salute you.”
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]]>Like any mother, my mother wants the best for me. Understanding well the importance of the English language, my mother sets me off to COSMOTOTS at age 5. It was 1997 and I recalled going into a cozy little office in Damansara Uptown with my mother to access my language ability. During the assessment, I struggle with alphabets and basic vocabulary. It was then determined that I should start from basics.
My mother recalled how happy she was when a year later, I was able to read simple reading materials. She was truly amazed when she observed that I have found my love for reading. I could remember vividly my obsession with Enid Blyton’s short story series as a child and slowly shifted my love to Nancy Drew series and classics. Till today, I can still remember parts of my initial phonics lessons and eventually reading storybooks like Don Quixote, King Solomon’s Mines and Gone With The Wind during lesson-time. Those lessons were engaging and interesting, especially when spliced with debates and role-plays.
I believe the solid foundations which I acquired at COSMOTOTS has contributed to my ability to read, and developed my love for reading. By age 6, English was no longer frightening and very quickly, I began to develop my language skills. Moreover, during my 8 years at COSMOTOTS, every lesson provided me with ample opportunities for me to express opinions, argue and listen to other perspectives. I truly appreciate those years in COSMOTOTS, for not only helping me gain confidence and proficiency in the English language but also for giving me a great childhood. Thanks to COSMOTOTS, I am now a lot more ready to navigate the rapidly changing 21st Century.
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]]>The post Imelda Chong <br> COSMOTOTS’ Graduate appeared first on Cosmotots.
]]>“Hi, my name is Imelda! I am currently a student ambassador for Taylor’s University of the West of England, pursuing a degree in Business Management and Marketing.
Throughout high school, I was outstanding when it came to English and secured an A* for English-First Language for my IGCSE when I was 17. My love for reading, writing, and learning has helped me throughout my studies up to university. In addition, my writing skills have been commended by previous employers that I have worked for.
Things could have been very different if it wasn’t for my mom’s decision to send me to COSMOTOTS. When I enrolled with COSMOTOTS I couldn’t understand a word of English. Coming from a Mandarin-speaking family, I had minimal exposure to the English language and wasn’t able to read or speak it despite my family’s efforts to teach me.
Within a few years with COSMOTOTS, I went from being completely clueless in English classes to be one of the top students in the language when I was 10 years old. Not only was I able to fluent in English, but COSMOTOTS also helped me develop a love for reading.
This was not a coincidence, as our mentors whom we called ‘aunties’ or ‘uncles’ were highly qualified, patient, and experience in connecting with kids. With their kind words, passion for teaching, and love for children, I became more attentive and interested in the English language. During classes, we explored difference story genres, trained our creative writing skills, and hone our ability to express ourselves.
Attending COSMOTOTS allowed my English literacy to stay ahead of my peers throughout primary school until university. Most of my assignments are graded on grammatical efficiency and readability, which I believe is a trained skills from years of reading and a strong foundation in English developed from a young age.
Today, I no longer attend COSMOTOTS; however, my eight-year-old brother continues to attend COSMOTOTS weekly. During the Covid-19 pandemic where all classes are online, COSMOTOTS lesson time is the only time where he pays attention and it kept engaged. This shows how experienced the mentors are. He truly enjoys each session and now loves reading as well.
I would recommended COSMOTOTS to any parent who is struggling to teach their kids English, or just looking to make use of their kid’s free time. I promise, you won’t regret it and your children will thank you for it!”
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