More commonly confused words

Collage/ college

The familiar noun college refers to a place of education, providing specialized training. When we think of a college, we usually think of an educational institution that offers classes only for undergraduates. If graduate students are also enrolled, then usually that type of institution is called a university. Some famous colleges include Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania); Deep Springs College (Deep Springs, California); Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, California); Williams College (Williamstown, Massachusetts); The College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia); Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, Michigan); Reed College (Portland, Oregon); Smith College (North Hampton, Massachusetts); Berea College (Berea, Kentucky); Babson College (Babson Park, Massachusetts); St. John’s College (Annapolis, Maryland/Santa Fe, New Mexico); and Patrick Henry College (Purcellville, Virginia). Clearly, for all ajarns and students, college is an essential word to know and use. Yet in Thai English, it is sometimes spelled wrong as collage. This may be due to simple human error in typing. Since the word collage is also a word in English, using spell check on a Word document will usually not catch such a mistake. This error may also be due to Thai pronunciation of the English language, where some writers try to spell words the way they pronounce them, or the way they have heard them pronounced. Since there are many varieties of pronunciation of English words in Thai English, as opposed to standard British or American speech, this can lead to misunderstandings. There are some easy steps to avoid this potentially embarrassing error. To win the respect of someone we are writing to at any college or university, it is important to spell the name of the institution correctly, and also spell the words college and university correctly. To get some of these right, Googling the spelling we plan to use can help us find out if we have made a mistake. Also, spell check can assist us, but not for the difference between college and collage. To avoid this mistake, it helps instead to have a good idea of why a college is called a college. The word college finds its origins in a Latin word meaning partnership. For this reason, in some countries, the noun college can also mean a group of professionals. In the United Kingdom there are groups such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; the Royal College of Anaesthetists; and the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR). None of these groups exist mainly to offer classes to undergraduate students, so they are not a college in the same way that Williams College or Reed College are colleges. Instead, they gather people with similar job profiles, and help to set standards for certain professions. particular aims, duties, and privileges. They are colleges in the sense of being associations, societies, or guilds. So the Royal College of Anaesthetists was established to develop

an independent body responsible for Educating, Training and Setting of Standards in Anaesthesia in Britain.

In turn, the Royal College of Radiologists

is a charity that works with our members to improve the standard of medical practice across the fields of radiology and oncology. With faculties in two disciplines, the College and our members benefit from a fuller understanding of medical practice, across the spectrum of diagnosis and treatment.

The noun collage means a kind of artwork. Collages are made by sticking pieces of paper and other printed material onto a surface. Used more abstractly, collage can also mean an assembly or gathering of any kind. The word collage derives from a Greek word meaning to glue, because in collages, the pieces of material are typically stuck to one another with glue. This same origin of the word is where the familiar noun collagen comes from. As all Thais know who are interested in cosmetology and beauty treatments, collagen is the main structural protein found in the skin and other connective tissues. It is used in cosmetic surgery. Collagen glues or connects different parts of the body together, but less of it is naturally produced as people get older. Low collagen levels can result in wrinkles, thinning skin, and hair that breaks easily. For that reason, some people interested in the world of fashion and beauty, as well as TV performers, take collagen supplements, hoping to reduce lines and wrinkles in their faces. The idea is that this extra collagen should make the skin look younger. Sometimes plastic surgeons inject collagen directly into the skin. Apart from people trying to look younger, collagen can also help with artificial skin construction for people who have suffered burns. There is some controversy over how effective collagen treatments are, and their high cost. In telling apart the words college and collage, the only thing to remember is whether the vowel in the middle of the word should be the letter e or the letter a. If a student or ajarn is in a Faculty of Art, there should be many occasions when collages are referred to. If not, most likely the word college is meant. We can further remember to tell the two words apart by inventing a short sentence, for example:

The college art student created a collage before going for a collagen treatment.

This sentence should remind us that collage and collagen have something to do with glue, and that the letter in the middle of both words is a, not e. Here are some usage examples for collage and college:

• The title of the exhibition is catchy. Rahel says it’s the title of a 1968 collage-batik by Joseph Tan, a commentary on the cultural frenzy batik inspired as Malaysia searched for an art form that suited its modern identity.
• Nirmala, born in 1941, emerged in the late 1960s and enjoyed a career that spanned documentary photography, painting, silkscreen, collage and public art.
• A captivating commentary on the history of American capitalism through a collage of stories, two of the most intriguing characters were a Dutch couple from the 17th century as they moved westward from New Amsterdam, or New York, and explored the American dream.
• This collection is not about a single concept but rather a collage made up of different possibilities. It’s about freedom,” he says.
• His work then began to evolve into colourful paintings, using acrylics, oils, pastels and creating collages on paintings, tables or doors.
• Pramuan, 64, was a pioneer of conceptual photography in Thailand, often incorporating collage and drawing in his graphic works. He experiments with different photographic and printing processes.
• The central province of Phichit today signed the memorandum of understanding to set up the elderly college, the first of its kind in Thailand. Under the MoU signed with Khon Kaen University, the provincial administrative body, the provincial health and social development offices, the college is designed to promote the elderly’s role in society.
• Guo is a college senior who loves fashion and photography.
• King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) are opening a medical college to produce more doctors.
• Students graduate in style at art college.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)