The National Museum
Monday, January 28, 2008 - by seiha
To some Cambodian students, the English language is a nightmare: The pronunciation breaks your tongue and the vocabulary is quickly forgotten. But some eager learns have a last and secret remedy: the National Museum.
There, in the shadow of a big tree, Chab Soheang, a junior student of English literature recounts how on the past he has trouble with the pronunciation. His tongue and mouth could not m,ake the righ sounds. Even today, his y’s and j’s sound misunderstand what he says.
“Any way, at the museum, I learn more than at school,” he says. Tang Sievngor agrees. Thought she found out about the museum by accident.
The slim and tall girl was wandering around the statures; when a foreigner spoke to her. Sievngor, a sophomore of English literature, could not answer. Since this embarrassment she studies hard. “today, I am not afraid to come to the National Museum anymore.”
Jacqueline Woods from England knows the secret of the Cambodian students. “If I come again, I will bring some friends to sit in the shadow of the big tree and talk to the students,” she laughs.
According to data from the tourist board mounted on the museum’s wall, the number of students has increased by 2,000- from 8,311 in 2004 to 10,425 in 2005, and so did the number of monks. Clad in orange, Samoeun admits that he learns English at the national Museum. So does monk Buntheun, a freshman of English literature. “I also come often to preach Buddhism - and to reduce my stress.”
Money is not an issue, as entrance to the National Museum is free for students, monks and public authorities.
