SECONDARY school teacher Arthur Kok noticed how students frequently mispronounced or misused English words and phrases.

They would enunciate the silent 'b' in 'subtle', or pronounce 'Wednesday' as 'wed-nes-day'. 'Stressed up' became the rule instead of 'stressed out', and 'pass up' as opposed to 'hand in'.

The 34-year-old Head of Department for English and Literature at Nan Hua Secondary School decided to combat poor English in a fun and refreshing way.

Since January 2008, students have been performing - mostly on a weekly basis - a short sketch in front of the whole school using words or phrases that are commonly mangled. The audience is then encouraged to guess what the correct words or phrases should be, to win lollipops and other sweets.

For this innovation - dubbed Nan Hua Speaks - and more, Mr Kok won this year's Inspiring Teacher of English Award, along with nine other teachers. They triumphed over 114 other candidates nominated by colleagues, students, and parents.

Two of the winners are from primary schools, five from secondary schools, and three from junior colleges and a pre-university centre.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.