| ON CAMPUS Feburary 2020 Issue |
| We are beyond proud of all our students for the stellar achievements in the 2019 English O-Level exams. Many worked hard to see improvements of 3 grades!
We recently conducted an essay writing lesson with our students on how to competently answer the questions from the O-Levels 2019 English paper.
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| Campus News
March Holiday Workshops This March, get your child ready to handle the milestones in his/her academic journey. Creative Campus is proud to present 4 programmes specifically tailored to the needs of students. Click on the links for more details: New Courses for Secondary/IB students
We are pleased to introduce 3 new courses for students in the IB and Language Arts programme. Using carefully curated materials, these courses will commence in January 2020. Click on the links below to find out more: |
| | Find out what we do: insights into Creative Campus (NEW) |
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Portmanteau
A ‘portmanteau’ (pronounced “port-man-toe”) is a blend of two or more words. Unlike compound words, portmanteaus do not include all its constituent words in full – so, ‘toothbrush’ is a compound word consisting ‘tooth’ and ‘brush’, while ‘hangry’ is a portmanteau comprising ‘hun(gry)’ and ‘angry’.
Portmanteaus are not new; they have been in the English language for more than a century. In fact, the word ‘portmanteau’ itself was first used by Lewis Carroll in his 1871 novel Through the Looking Glass. Then, he created the word ‘slithy’, which means ‘slimy’ and ‘lithe’!
The ABCs of Portmanteaus
One would be forgiven if they had thought portmanteaus were a recent development in language. After all, we are frequently bombarded by novel portmanteaus in our lives from animals to brands and even couple names. Let’s take a closer look at some of the portmanteaus we may be familiar with.
Animals
Have you heard of the liger? How about the tigon? These are feline hybrids that have been bred from the archetypal big cats, lions and tigers. The liger is borne of a male lion and female tiger; the tigon, of a female lion and male tiger.
Closer to home, we have the labradoodle, maltipoo, and schnoodle. These are mix breeds of poodles that also involve a Labrador retriever, maltese, or schnauzer parent respectively.
Brands
These days, it seems like every other brand is a portmanteau: Microsoft (‘microcomputer’ + ‘software’), Wikipedia, (‘wiki’ + ‘encyclopedia’), Pinterest (‘pinboard’ + ‘interest’) or Netflix (‘internet’ + ‘flicks’) to name a few.
While brand portmanteaus may inform consumers about the products they make, they can also tell us who is in charge. For instance, Walmart's founder Sam Walton derived inspiration from his own last name (‘Walton’ + ‘mart’). Similarly, Gary Burrrell and Dr. Min H. Kao, both gave their names to their fitness brand Garmin (‘Gary’ + ‘Min’).
Couples
Ask any teenager who is remotely involved in internet culture, and they will tell you that ‘ship [couple] names’ are extremely prevalent. The history of creating names for our favourite celebrity pairings began in 1980s North America. Since then, we’ve had couple names like ‘Brangelina’ (comprising American actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), ‘Billary’ (Bill and Hillary Clinton), and ‘Kimye’ (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West).
Test Yourself
Guess the original components that make up the following words! Be careful – one of these words is not a portmanteau!
Q1. cama
Q2. smog
Q3. podcast
Q4. hazmat
Q5. grolar bear
Q6. digicam
Q7. jorts
Q8. snark
Q9. modem
Q10. hamburger
Answers A1. camel + llama
A2. smoke + fog
A3. iPod + broadcast
A4. hazardous + material
A5. grizzly bear + polar bear
A6. digital + camera
A7. jean + shorts
A8. snide + remark
A9. modulator + demodulator
A10. It comes from Hamburg (a city in Germany) + er!
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Biophilia: the love of living things
Have you heard of ‘biophilia’? The word comes from ‘bio’, meaning ‘life’, and ‘philia’, meaning ‘liking, love’ (and yes, it's a portmanteau). In 1984, biologist Edward Wilson defined biophilia as the intrinsic human desire to connect to the living things around us. This naturally includes the flora and fauna which humans are surrounded by.
Singapore is no stranger to the concept of biophilia. As early as 1967, the city-state announced its vision of being a “garden city”. Fast forward almost 60 years, and the vision then evolved to become one of a “city in a garden”. However, continuously ‘greening’ the city remains a formidable task for Singapore, as the country treads the increasingly fine line between ecological conservation and urban redevelopment.
Benefits of Biophilic Design
It is an age-old saying that being in nature has therapeutic effects. While this may not always be possible, living in spaces with biophilic elements is the next best thing. Multiple studies have indeed shown that biophilic design can help us be healthier and happier. For example, a 2005 study noted a 22% decrease in painkiller use in hospital patients who consistently received natural sunlight.
Other than its physical and psychological benefits, biophilic design is better for the environment: it improves air quality, supports urban wildlife, and is a natural form of temperature control. In a world increasingly plagued by climate-related struggles, biophilic design is more than necessary.
Playing in Nature
Biophilic design is not just about architecture, but also about inculcating the love for nature. Enter the NParks Biophilic Playgarden Plan: beginning in 2019, the plan aims to encourage children to have fun outdoors, in interaction with nature. At present, only Nature Playgarden at HortPark has been established as a biophilic playground. However, NParks plans to build more of such playgrounds within the next two years.
In the Nature Playgarden, pre-schoolers can play freely in an area which cleverly incorporates nature. In the musical play area, children can unleash their inner musician by playing with their choice of hanging bamboo poles (which create various chiming sounds) or wheels filled with actual seeds from some of Singapore’s native trees (which become percussive instruments).
Something to consider…
Can you think of some other biophilic infrastructure in Singapore?
- New HDB Towns are incorporating biophilic elements according to the Biophilic Town Framework. Five key elements of biophilic design (soil, flora and fauna, outdoor comfort, water, and people) are kept in mind alongside 17 ‘ecosystem services’ (e.g. temperature control, water recycling).
- Iconic architecture in Singapore e.g. Gardens by the Bay, Changi Jewel, Funan Mall (rooftop urban farm), The Hive @ NTU
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Have you checked out our ebooks?
Two of them are FREE! Useful for all students from Primary 3 and up, these ebooks are essential building blocks for your child to have a better grasp on the English Language.
Free Brain Booster eBook Download
Download our eBook Brain Booster for revision now.
Visit the Shop Page on our Website to get your free copy!
Click here to find out more on our website.
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| Until the next time, The Creative Campus Team |
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