Book sharpens your English

hence the need to fully understand its fundamentals.
With that in mind, Cool Lifestyle managed to get hold of a new handbook “Spot-on English” by local author Rawlings Paradzayi Mhonde.
Mr Mhonde uses his 10 years of experience as a high school teacher to compile a handbook that will go a long way in teaching students to know their way around the language.
“The English Language can help students in communication, executing instructions and as they conduct themselves in life during and even after school,” he said.
The author explores different elements like vocabulary, punctuation, paragraphing and composition writing. Students can rest assured that his advice can be trusted as he is no stranger in the world of writing. In the past he has helped to edit O- and A-Level set books  such as “Sarawoga” and “Pane Nyaya”.
A close analysis of the book will reveal its relevance in our day-to-day living.
According to Mhonde, it makes it easier for students to understand it since it is a Zimbabwean telling the Zimbabwean story to a Zimbabwean. This is evident in most of the interesting comprehension stories like “The Reunion” which narrates the ordeals of a former liberation fighter who returns to find his home in disarray after years on the war front.
“Such is a Zimbabwean story that not only applies as a comprehension story but a part of history that children need to know. It was different during the time I went to school because we would use books that were mostly written by foreigners. The examples and cultures that were being portrayed were not easy to relate to,” he said.
In the book, students are also taught about what teachers look at when they are marking their work. According to Mhonde, it helps students to dwell on only the aspects that give them marks hence saving them time.
“Students have a tendency of wasting time with irrelevant things as they answer questions.
“Knowing exactly what the examiners are looking for will go a long way in helping them to stick only to what is relevant in tests and exercises,” he said.
With the domination of social media, there has been growing concerns over the declining in students’ ability to properly spell English words. The book addresses that aspect too under the vocabulary section. Mhonde, however, added that some of these spelling mistakes in English are an ultimate “no” to markers.
“Texting or Facebook vocabulary is wrong and students should desist from it. It is not official that is why it is not allowed, when students use it, it is marked as wrong,” said Mhonde.
Constant studying of the handbook on spellings and punctuation can easily get such spelling habits out of a student’s system.
One can also assess oneself with the help of the exam paper specimen questions at the back of the book.
Teachers in schools can also find out their students’ weaknesses when they conduct these tests as they cover all aspects not only from the book but in the Grade Seven syllabus.
The Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture saw merit in the handbook and recommended it for use as a supplementary learning and teaching material in Zimbabwe’s primary schools. In an evaluation report from the ministry, their overall assessment was that the book covered many facets ranging from grammar to language structures.
“The inclusion of full-scale specimen test items that are well constructed is welcome,” read a part of the report.
The author, however, went on to encourage students that the secret behind learning the English Language is to read widely.
“Students ought to read a lot of newspapers to keep them abreast with current affair issues and improve on the language.
“Papers like the H-Metro help with creativity when one is tested on composition writing,” he said.
He also said “good papers” like The Herald do not only help in storylines only but in all areas of English as it is expertly edited.
The library as well as research on the Internet should also be a student’s hobby to improve on the language. There is a worked-out-order of studying which can help one during revision on his or herself and even for teachers.