The Write Mind

While most students undoubtedly engage Mr Mokhtar to help improve their command of English, Mr Mokhtar’s lessons are so much more than that. With topics ranging from politics, to social issues, to film, his lessons are never stale and in fact are often a highly anticipated respite from the quotidian school syllabus that many students tire of. Furthermore, Mr Mokhtar’s lessons never solely focus on bumping grades up, but instead often involve critical thinking and discussion, where ideas and opinions are allowed to flow freely, no holds barred. These aspects are what make for enjoyable yet informative lessons where one learns to enjoy learning instead of dreading it. Through Mr Mokhtar’s lessons, one will certainly come to develop a deep passion and affinity for the English language, and a sharp and critical mind which will endlessly thirst for more knowledge.

wu sze han 

wuszehan@gmail.com

As an IB student, I was very much struggling with my academics. And although English has been my first language my whole life, the IB English was still tough. But luckily, I met Mr Mokhtar. From being my English LangLit tutor to my university counselor, I can say that he had helped me improve in all aspects of my work. Through his lessons, I got to build up my analyzing and writing skills to apply for my essays, both for English LangLit Paper 1 and university applications. With his help and guidance, I am always confident whenever I go for exams and apply to universities. I don’t think I would’ve made it through without him.

nicole oey

nicoleoey03@gmail.com

Learning language and literature with Mr. Mok has truly been amazing. I started my IBDP Year disliking English. However, as I learned different text types with Mr. Mok, I found joy in reading texts like Martin Luther King’s Collection of Writings, Li Young Lee’s poems, Anton Chekhov and other works as well. Classes with Mr. Mok also prepared me for college essays and my acceptance to Columbia University. As a student who has worked with Mr. Mok for over a year, I found his classes encourage me to not only excel in learning, but to enjoy it as well.

nathan wangidjaja

nathan.wangidjaja@gmail.com

"I can without a doubt vouch for the efficacy Mr Mok’s methodologies. However, don’t just trust my word on it, instead lets let the statistics speak for themselves. In my Secondary 4 Mid Year Examinations I’d scored a miserable C6 for English, However,  after just 3 months or so under the tutelage of Mr Mok, my English grade had improved to an A1 by the O Levels. This was in 2018.

Skipping forward by about a year and a half, after getting a D for my General Paper during the Prelims in NYJC I yet again decided to employ the help of the miracle worker in a desperate bid to salvage what I could. This time however, we were on an even tighter schedule with only 32 days to work with. The prospect of scoring an A was extremely slim to say the least!

Despite this, Mr Mok stepped up to the challenge and after some deliberation had me change my entire essay writing style, a decision which proved to be most sagacious as it secured me my A (!) for GP in the A Levels.

Mr Mok does not teach - he discusses, debates and prompts. He values critical thinking and logic, often questioning students to make them think harder. Mr Mok is flexible in his style of teaching, adapting to his students needs. He does not teach a formulaic method for writing essays or answering comprehension questions, but rather teaches us how to think and reason, giving to us the freedom to develop our own style and flair.

As long as a view can be backed up with logic, it is valid. As long as a paragraph get a point across, it is valid. As long as a hook is relevant and interesting, it is valid. Mr Mok does not just improve a students grades, he nurtures their rhetoric and thinking capabilities, preparing students for life after studies. His style is as fun as it is effective and I can say without hyperbole that I enjoyed every one of our lessons together."

gareth yeo

gyeowj@gmail.com

"Mr Mokhtar’s teaching style is far from orthodox. I believe orthodox teaching produces mediocre students. Instead of teaching cookie-cutter model answers, Mr M has taught me invaluable lessons that have applications far beyond the classroom. On top of guiding me to an A1 for my english O levels, he taught me the importance of critical thinking and questioning the answers that I have already accepted as true, and in doing so made me a far better thinker and student. Imbued with the qualities I have learnt from him, I find that I seek to learn not because I have to, but because I want to."

shaun koh

shaunkoh14@gmail.com

"Many thanks to Mr. Mokhtar as it was he who pulled my English grades up tremendously. I would never expect to get an A for my English O level Examination until I met Mr. Mokhtar. I used to dislike English as it's always the subject that pulled my overall (marks) down in exams. However, after he became my tutor, he motivated me and his dedication and enthusiasm in tutoring me totally changed my views towards English. Through his enjoyable lessons, I found studying English to be more and more interesting. It's no longer the boring subject which I had once thought. Also, he encouraged me to read different genres and I really love the books that he had recommended me to read. In addition, our discussions during lessons which helped me identify my mistakes allowed me to improve further. Every lesson with him was a lesson I looked forward to, and I’m really grateful to have him as my tuition teacher. He is definitely the best English tutor that I’ve met!"

an qi xie

anqixc@hotmail.com

"Contrary to the popular misconception that only students who are weak in English need tuition, my son Gareth is not weak in English but he was somehow inexplicably unable to do well in school. With his O'levels looming and with a C6 score for his mid-year exams, I implored Mokhtar Ismail out of desperation to perform a 'miracle' - to get Gareth from a C6 to an A1 for his O'levels. I knew in my heart that it was probably wishful thinking given that we only had a few months to work on him but Mr. Mok was confident that Gareth could do it.

My faith in Mr. Mok as a, miracle worker' was rewarded when Gareth got his A1 for his O' levels and made it into Nanyang Junior College! I was amazed and am totally blown away by Mr Mok's innovative and intuitive teaching methods which enabled Gareth to achieve mastery of the English language not through rote learning but through strong foundational development and a profound appreciation and love of the English language in general. I also owe Mr. Mok a big lunch as I lost the bet that I had made with him on whether he could achieve the miracle. For anyone out there who is desperate and who believes that true education lies in something deeper than superficial learning, Mr Mok is your man and comes highly recommended."

damian yeo

ididbobe@gmail.com

"I've always been a mediocre student, but in a short span of 2 months, I got a 530-point increase in my SAT with the help of Mr. M. Without his help, I would never have achieved what I now call "The Greatest Achievement of My Life." His lessons were always interesting, and because of that I looked forward to every lesson. Mr. M also convinced me to read books that I would never have read and helped me rediscover the joy of learning and the beauty of the English Language. His passion for the English Language and for teaching is indisputable, and I am so very much inspired that I've decided to continue learning more about this wonderful language on my own. Thanks Mr. M for everything!"

kate loo

cakeloo@gmail.com

"I really appreciate the time and effort you are taking for the twins - believe me, they look forward to your lessons very much. Thanks for all your help these past few months - you've certainly taught the twins well ! Glad for your contributions to their press conference."

dr keith goh, former Consultant Neurosurgeon to iranian conjoined twins,Ladan & laleh

info@internationalneuro.com.sg

"I have been with Mr Mokhtar for the last decade or so and I have nothing but great things to say about him. The best way I would describe the huge impact he has had in my life is with the acronym HEAR. He has lent me his listening ear throughout the years of being taught by him, never once has he doubted my abilities.

"H" - It has been an absolute honour and I am humbled to be under the guidance of Mr Mokthar as a student all these years. He has shaped me to be a humble and upright person. He has instilled in me one important lesson in life - the lesson of selflessness.

"E" - Mr Mokhtar's lessons are very engaging and extremely distant from orthodox. Unlike the conventional method of teaching, whereby teachers make students go through the dreadful memorising of model essays to improve their writing skills, he conducts that segment of his lessons through in-depth discussions on topics that apply to our lives and are relatable to us students. Through the valuable time spent on those fruitful discussions, it has not broadened my perspectives on current affairs and gave me a better appreciation for the English Language but it has also made me realised that there is more to life besides the books.

"A" - His lessons are always an adventure.  Our lessons are informal in a way that, I can see him as a friend and not a teacher. Yes, he is a teacher by trade but he encourages me to speak out, and speak right. That shows the friendly and encouraging nature that he possesses. I may not always be correct, and when that happens, he would tell me that it is okay to make mistakes. His lessons are an adventure, I expect the unexpected, but one thing's for sure - there is always something to learn after every lesson.

"R" - His relentlessness towards wanting to impart knowledge into our minds is truly something I take inspiration from. He is always willing and eager to share information with me, during and off lessons. This just shows how dedicated he is as an educator. To him, teaching students is more than just a job and a source of income, it is his passion. He has a passion to guide and most importantly NURTURE students to become great thinkers and great achievers. 

I am deeply indebted to Mr Mokhtar for allowing me to learn effectively under his guidance." 

ryan tan

rdtatwork@gmail.com

"The sessions that we had (for General Paper) were most memorable, and I'm sure it is too for your other students. There is something about you that inspires others, perhaps it is how you bring in other aspects of life into your lessons, which always make me look forward to them."

sim yan liang

simyanliang@gmail.com

"During our tuition sessions, I do more than preparing for exams and learning how to score well. Now, I find myself more aware of global issues and conscientiously reading the newspaper and other online resources to keep myself connected to the happenings around the globe. Mr Mokhtar is also a great facilitator in our discussions. He angles our discussions so that we can explore issues at greater depth, encourages me to express my views and find my own voice. I am now more comfortable with expressing my views. Most importantly, I remember myself being a person who dislikes the English culture and not to mention the English Language when I first started tuition sessions. However, Mr Mokhtar encouraged me to put away my prejudices and aversion towards English because that is the way to learn. In short, Mr Mokhtar teaches me to fish and does not believe in merely serving the fish."

cherine chan

chanpeiyingcherine@yahoo.com.sg

"Tuition, let alone English tuition, has never been something that I looked forward to, until I met Mr Mokhtar. I joined Mr Mokhtar in June 2011, a mere 6 months before the O levels, with English and Literature grades of C5 and C6 respectively. Seeing as how my brother’s English grade had improved from a D to B while under Mr Mokhtar, I was skeptical as to whether it was possible to achieve a jump in 6 grades in such a short span of time. However, I was proven wrong. With hard work and Mr Mokhtar’s help, I achieved A1 for both subjects.

Mr Mokhtar is not your traditional English teacher who makes you memorise “model compositions”, spoon-feeds you answers or makes you feel awkward. Instead, his concern extends beyond the “classroom”, making personal and global issues topics of conversation and homework. Sometimes, his honest and sincere comments make me feel as though I’m in a therapy session. Furthermore, he encourages you to push the bounds of your creativity in free writing and helps you expand your ideas and concepts in Literature. This infectious creativity has reignited my interest in reading and has also helped me land an IB scholarship for 2012. Thanks a million, Mr Mokhtar!"

sue Ann Lau

sueannlau37@hotmail.com

"I want to thank Mr Mokhtar for assisting me in achieving such a great leap forward in my English grade. Mr Mokhtar was introduced to me by my mother's friend at the time when I failed my English badly in all previous Sec 3 tests and exams in 2013. I had left an English tutor's class just two months before I met Mr Mokhtar because I thought what the English tutor did was just asking me to do practices which I could do by myself at home during our sessions.

But my mind has changed after I met Mr Mokhtar. He always determines the general direction(purpose)of tutorials before they start in order to achieve the full potential of every student. Under his tutorship, I did my vocabulary building work in my spare time and we used the time of our sessions to discuss and exchange opinions about various issues around the world. It has certainly promoted my awareness of the critical thinking which is conducive to my English grade in sec school and the preparation of GP in JC level. Though our main purpose is to prepare me for my GP in JC, I also get a tremendous improvement in my O-Level English result by 5 grades."

zhang yushou

zys970802@gmail.com

"English lessons under Mr Mokhtar are far from orthodox. Or boring. He’s not the sort of teacher that makes students memorize model essays in order to improve their essay writing skills. Instead, through in-depth discussions about current affairs issues as well as a plethora of mental exercises and activities, he is able to stimulate interest and creativity in his students. Personally, I’ve enjoyed the honest engaging conversations about social and political issues with Mr Mokhtar during sessions and this has allowed for new refreshing perspectives to be explored and then applied into essays. He encourages his students to take part in different essay competitions, be it local or international, to expose his students to different essay styles, and to write not only for the sole purpose of doing well for the examinations, but more importantly, for the love of writing.

Finally, Mr Mokhtar is one of the most dedicated and encouraging teachers that I have had the pleasure of studying under, always believing in me and pushing me beyond my limits to strive for greater heights, as shown by an improvement of my English grades to an A1 at the O levels. I am indebted to Mr Mokhtar for all his assistance and teaching all the years."

andrew ng

andrew.ng.jd@gmail.com