ENTERTAINMENT

Steps to success

VJ Bee on how �Streps Step It Up� makes learning English fun

Story by Kelly May

Imagine if this is your job. You wake up in the morning and head off to work where you watch music videos all day and then go home � and get paid money for it. It sounds like a dream doesn�t it? But that, in a nutshell, is what Channel [V]�s VJ Bee (Bandit Saokaew) does for a living.

Of course, it�s not as easy as that because VJ Bee�s job isn�t just to watch music videos. He actually uses the videos to teach English with the Streps Step It Up show on Channel [V] every day. VJ Bee doesn�t look like a typical teacher, but every day he is on hand to translate and explain the lyrics to your favourite tunes.

�This show was inspired by Channel [V] International�s Go West show and it�s proving a great hit. Using lyrics might be an unconventional way to teach English,� said the 27-year-old VJ. �But people love to watch music videos and this show helps them to understand songs. You can�t force people to learn another language. Streps Step It Up is an informal way to learn English,� he said.

use it or lose it

VJ Bee understands how difficult learning another language is. At the age of 6 he moved to Holland with his mother. He had to learn Dutch and English in order to survive. �No movies are dubbed or over in Holland so you need excellent English skills if you want to enjoy them. It�s very different from here in Thailand where everything is in Thai,� he said.

Upon returning to Thailand at 19, VJ Bee had to get used to speaking Thai again after living in Holland. �I had to learn Thai again because I had forgotten it,� he said. �If you don�t use a language you lose it, that�s why it�s so important to practise as often as you can. Watching Western movies and listening to music really helps with pronunciation and comprehension.�

Shyness and fear of speaking another language is also a barrier to success, he said. �People are so afraid of not being understood and making mistakes. If you make a mistake, so what? Just make a joke of it. People just need to learn to have fun with English and try to use it every day,� VJ Bee said.

One way that VJ Bee maintains his skills is to read aloud. According to VJ Bee this helps with pronunciation and listening ability.

from tomatoes to television

Before moving into the world of television, Bee worked in many jobs that ranged from picking tomatoes to collecting glasses. His big break came when he appeared in a TV commercial after which, in an interview for a magazine, he mentioned that he would love to be a VJ.

A producer at Channel [V] Thailand read the article and saw Bee�s potential and he was invited to the studio for a test. Bee hasn�t looked back since and hosts several shows including AM, Soul Kitchen and Music Addict.

Bee has now been with Channel [V] Thailand for seven years and loves his work. �Being a VJ isn�t like a job � it doesn�t feel like work at all. I can�t imagine doing anything else. I�d love to be a VJ until I�m 70 years old with wrinkles,� he smiled.

As a Channel [V] veteran, VJ Bee takes life one step at a time. A major part of his life is his mother, who moved to Holland with very little and managed to make a life for herself. When life starts getting VJ Bee down he looks to her for inspiration.

�I have no grand ambitions,� VJ Bee admitted. �I just enjoy everything that I do and live day by day. If I wasn�t a VJ I�d probably still be picking tomatoes,� he joked.

Vocabulary

in a nutshell (idiom): a summary of something
do for a living (v. phrase): your job or what you do to make money
typical (adj): having the usual qualities or features of a particular type of person, thing or group
on hand (phrase): available, especially to help
inspire (v): to give somebody the idea for something, especially something artistic or imaginative
unconventional (adj): not following what is done or considered normal or acceptable by most people; different and interesting
informal (adj): relaxed and friendly; not following strict rules of how to behave or do something
dub (v): replace the original speech in a film/movie or television programme with words in another language
shyness (adj): being nervous or embarrassed about meeting and speaking to other people
pronunciation (n): the way in which a language or a particular word or sound is pronounced
big break (idiom): when you succeed (usually in show business)
wrinkle (n): line or small fold in your skin, especially on your face, that forms as you get older
veteran (n): a person who has a lot of experience in a particular area or activity