The focus on English

Many parents want their children to be taught Mathematics and Science in English. More hours spent on English will definitely improve their command of the language. However, improvements could be made in the teaching of the English language itself, focussing not only on grammar and vocabulary as the basis for language improvement, but also encouraging more creative minds by drawing students’ attention to scientific and mathematical concepts, historical ideas, philosophical issues and the like.

When learning a language, one starts from its grapheme-phoneme orientation and its phonology. The sounds sometimes would take precedence over the text, but eventually, both are necessary for excellent language skills, especially in reading. With these basic skills, one goes on to build confidence because of the vocabulary and grammar that one is exposed to in language learning.

It is therefore not important whether English is the medium of instruction when teaching Science and Mathematics. It is also of little importance as to how much time is set aside for teaching English as a subject. What is imperative is the methodology and the quality of materials used for the teaching of English. The objectives for the teaching of the English language should be clear in the minds of all teachers. Ultimately, the aim for teaching English should be to have a more learned society which is able to express its ideas and thoughts coherently in the language.

Why turn to Australia for English language teachers?

I REFER to Hussaini Abdul Karim's letter “Get it right, it'll speak volumes for our English” (The Star, April 6) in which he says, “The best, practical and cheapest way to teach or re-teach our students the English language at primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities is to bring back retired British-trained English teachers.”

What about British-trained Malaysian teachers or even Malaysian students who have been trained in Britain or those who have been trained by the British-trained Malaysian teachers? There is a plethora of English language expertise that the Government can tap on.

It is difficult to comprehend why the Government is turning to Australia for help with the English language in Malaysia. The Australians speak English with an accent which is difficult to understand. They use slang and idiomatic expressions which are not commonly heard of in the rest of the world.

Can you imagine how a person from China would sound if he had learnt English from a Frenchman?

That is exactly how out-of-place our Malaysians would feel if they learnt English from the Australians.

English has become a foreign language in Malaysia. To learn English in Malaysia, however, Malaysians are fortunate to have an abundance of resources for all ages, especially in the form of entertainment.

Our local English language teachers should make use of all these resources like websites, TV shows, radio, newspapers and magazines, and not depend fully on the textbook and workbook with the sole aim of getting students to score As in the examination.

Making use of the listening skill is imperative, too. Give students practice so that they are aware of how words are strung together and pronounced.

I think that getting British trainers to teach the trainee teachers to use these resources will see better results in the long run than getting a few Australian teachers to teach a handful of students on a short-term basis.

The STAR, Letters to the Editor,(Wednesday April 7, 2010)

BEING LITERATE

One of the main objectives of learning a language is to be able to express our thoughts and feelings in words. When we are able to use the language, we would be able to communicate with others who know the same language. If two people do not speak the same language, they would be like a hen and a duck.

One of the objectives of this blog is to give you, my students, an avenue to express yourselves in the written word. It is meant to be interactive, in the sense that you not only read what is written but you also respond by writing down your thoughts and feelings on the issues discussed. Being English language students, you are expected to write in grammatically correct sentences and to be courteous.

These days, writing has become a great part of our lives. We leave messages for our parents and siblings at home, and our friends at school. We send SMS messages to friends and family members. We put down our comments on Facebook. We chat with our friends online. We send e-mail messages, which are so much faster and more convenient than snail mail. Of course, we also have to write when we do our schoolwork and homework.

Can you imagine what your world would be like if you did not know how to read or write in English? What are the benefits of being English literate?