Unit (1) GOOD MANNERS

Grade-12

Reading

Pre-reading

Do you think you are always polite? Give examples.

2. Mention some polite manners in Myanmar culture.

3. Do other people's manners sometimes annoy you? If so, which ones? Read the passage.

Manner refers to the way of doing something. 'Manners' refers to the way a person behaves in society.
Thus, manners can be good or bad, polite or impolite. For example, in our Myanmar culture and society
at mealtimes, it is bad manners for a junior to start eating before a senior does. It is always polite for a
junior to listen with arms folded while he or she is spoken to by a senior such as a parent or teacher.
One important point to bear in mind is that every society and culture has its list of good and bad
manners. Generally speaking, some manners are universal while some are culture-specific. This means
that a manner which is acceptable in one society may not be tolerated in another. For instance, belching
or breaking wind in a company may be quite acceptable in one society but not tolerated in another.

In one's home or elsewhere, good manners are vital for a pleasant atmosphere and for getting on well in
life. Thus, showing respect to the other person, offering help, greeting appropriately, and saying "I'm
sorry" when having done a wrong are all good manners. Now let us see how manners are acquired.

'Home' may be considered the birthplace of manners. Children hear what the elders around them say
and see what the elders do. As they imitate their elders, they acquire their elders' manners. And there
are times the father, mother, elder sister or brother may formally teach the children to say or act
politely. If the elders around them are gentle and polite, they grow up to be gentle and polite. If on the
other hand, the eiders around them are crude and rude, they will grow up to be crude and rude as well.
Next comes the school as an institution to Impart good manners. Almost all children not only learn the
school subjects their teachers teach but also imitate the teachers' manners and behaviour. In a school
where teachers are good role models, students learn to be polite and respectful. In addition, they are
quite likely to take their classmates and senior students to be role models, and here is the danger of
acquiring ill manners.

As we all know, teenagers and young adults are very often influced by celebrities, films and the type of
books and articles they read. Hence, they are quite likely to be misled and thereby acquire ill manners
and negative views. There is still another institution that imparts manners: the work domain. Once a
person gets a job, his work domain becomes an added institution to influence him, for good or evil.

To put it in a nutshell. the current generation as a whole is the most powerful and most responsible
institution for the imparting of good manners. The modelling of society is no easy task. All the elders of
this generation should conscientiously join hands and teach their juniors to be law-abiding, upright,
honest, self-respecting, disciplined, punctual, charitable, helpful, merciful, and forgiving. The quality of
the next generation is in the hands of the present generation. As a matter of fact, we are mutually
responsible for building a well- mannered society.