“Everyday, each of us has opportunities to learn something we have never seen or heard before.  Whether at home, at work or at social gatherings, these possibilities to learn make life so much more interesting and they open doors we’ve never known before,” Vincent remarked, in a recent conversation.

An active grassroots leader and an experienced trainer, Vincent is a passionate proponent of lifelong learning and believes that no one is ‘too old, too young or too smart’ to learn. This belief has brought him into contact with many people and has seen him embark on weekly conversational English classes for senior citizens and foreigners.

“There are many seniors who want to learn English as they believe it helps them communicate better with the younger generation. I feel that if there are people who are willing to learn, there must be people willing to teach and I want to be one of them,” he said.  

To make English lessons more interesting and easier to remember, Vincent regularly composes songs with popular tunes. In his lessons, he set English terms to Teresa Teng’s famous evergreen “The Moon Represents My Heart” and had his class learn the words by heart.  
 
Besides formal classes, Vincent believes that casual gatherings are ideal learning opportunities too. Knowing well Singaporeans’ love for food, he regularly organises outdoor cooking demonstrations which double up as casual cooking classes for residents in Yew Tee. This has drawn both local and foreign residents to volunteer to teach and share their recipes with fellow residents.

Besides adults, Vincent’s endeavours have also seen him reach out to the children in his community. During the annual year-end holidays, he conducts storytelling sessions which allow children to learn ethics, neighbourliness and community living. Not only have the children benefitted from such sessions, their parents have had opportunities to build bonds with one another too.
 
“I believe if people can learn something useful while bonding with one another, the learning experience becomes even more valuable. To achieve this, I use my strength as a Trainer, my love for teaching and my time to bring people together to enrich lives and build closer ties in the community,” Vincent said.

Do you have a skill or an interest you can share with your community? Like Vincent, you can use them to enrich lives in your neighbourhood. Contact your Neighbourhood or Residents’ Committee today to find out how you can play a part. 

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