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| Issue |
| Mar 27, 2009 |
Less proficiency in English among Malay graduates.
People assume that Malay graduates have less proficiency in English because they are shy and not very confident in learning and comprehending a new language. These reasons are true yet the real factor that contributes to this problem is relevance - how can we make Malay students see the relevance of English language in their lives?
True, you will neither starve nor lost in Malaysia if you are unable to speak English. Let's face it - Malays are most likely to use their first language as a medium of communication, and of course it is a natural thing as it can give an ethnic identification to them.
Research suggests that most students find it hard to master English because they have no real use of it. Mainly, those who are proficient are avid readers, love to watch English cartoons on television or are trained to speak English since infant. In other words, students learn English when there is an important reason to do so.
In addition, there are students in school who do not have any friend to practise speaking English. These students who really want to master the language get mocked and are labeled as snobbish and arrogant. This type of prejudice which is mostly shown by other Malay students will lower the students' spirit to learn English as they fear of being an outcast among their friends.
Furthermore, students agree that it is more interesting to practise English when they have a purpose or goal to fulfill. For example, students in IIUM use English because they are required to since it is the medium of communication. However, such students might only comprehend English during their studies, but ignore the use of it once they enter the working world.
Moreover, when students go out to a workplace, there are 70% possibility that they might not get a chance to use English. Sometimes, speaking in English is actually frowned upon, depending on the institution one is working for. For instance, English is not used in the government sector as all ministries and departments should promote Bahasa Melayu as the medium of communication. But strangely enough, even in some private companies, the use of English is ignored, especially when Malays themselves own the companies. |
posted by Future Phoneticians @ 10:29 AM  |
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