SEPT 17 — We have been told since young that English is very important. Even my father, who does not know how to read English, had kept telling me so.
Today, I’m telling my children the same thing: English is really important!
However, their English skills are even worse than my poor English.
It is an undeniable fact that not only my children, but many young Malaysians, regardless of primary school leavers or university graduates, have poor English skills.
Our English standard used to be ranked among the highest in Asia as Malaysia used to be a British colony.
Oops! Our former prime minister said that we have never been colonised as the British were just invited to give advice here.
Today, English symbolises status and authority.
English-stream schools were abolished in the 1970s and even though English language lessons have been retained, its standard has plummeted.
Even if we shut our eyes and cover our ears, we still have to admit that English is an international language, as well as the language of science and technology. It is playing an increasingly important role in politics, economy, culture, education and communication.
Everyone knows the fact, including our politicians.
Therefore, many of them have recruited home tutors for their children or sent their children abroad to learn English. This is in fact an open secret.
Due to the dropping English standard, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad realised years ago that we must do something to save the situation. Therefore, the first step to rescue our English standard was taken, which was to teach Science and Mathematics in English.
However, it was another wrong decision. Why should they teach Science and Mathematics in English but not improve English language lessons?
Therefore, the Education Ministry decided to abolish the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English policy in phases and set the ultimate goal of restoring the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in the vernacular or Bahasa Malaysia by 2014.
It remains an issue over whether such a change is a correct or incorrect move.
Today, the Education Ministry has come out with a new policy in which a new syllabus will be introduced while 300 foreign English language teachers will be recruited. The ministry is also planning to make English a compulsory pass at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
I am not an education expert and thus dare not jump to conclusions. However, I am worried about our children, who have mastered neither their mother tongues nor English. Meanwhile, our officials have been stressing the competitive advantages brought by mastering English but neglected its connotation of humanities. How should we improve our children’s English skills under such an environment and attitude? — mysinchew.com
(http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/how-to-improve-our-childrens-english-skills-lim-mun-fah/)
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