Use of English: The key is training teachers

By ARIF CHRISTOPHER BELL, Kuala Lumpur

2009/03/09

I REFER to the letter "Let's work with the ministry" (NST, March 3) from Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim of the Parents Action Group for Education (Page). I may be able to contribute several ideas on how we can collaborate with the Education Ministry.

I am an education consultant and was responsible for developing the Project to Improve English in Rural Schools (Piers) programme, which the writer mentioned, while I was working with the CfBT Education Trust.

Since January 2006, the project has shown that even students in rural areas, be they Malays, Chinese, Indians, Iban or Kadazan, are able to learn Maths and Science successfully in English.

The key to making this well-founded policy successful is to (re)train the teachers involved.

I would like to make the following points based on my experience of working as a teacher and education manager, both internationally and locally, since 1977:

- Students in the rural areas are able to learn Maths and Science effectively in English if the subjects are taught well.

In fact, they can learn better in English as they have to pay more attention to understanding the subjects. It also helps when teachers standardise the use of the language to teach the subjects.

Moreover, the quality materials and teaching aids available for learning Maths and Science in English are unmatched in any language.

Other educational systems, such as those in Europe and Singapore, which use English as the medium of instruction, have proven to be successful.

- Teachers are the key to ensuring the success of learning Maths and Science in English. They cannot be blamed for any failure if they are not given proper English proficiency training and, more importantly, school-based training to teach the subjects in English.

Even Maths and Science teachers who are proficient in English may end up teaching the subjects poorly if they are not aware of the linguistic elements involved in learning (especially in simplifying and standardising the language to enable students to comprehend better).

- There is nothing wrong with allowing bilingual or multilingual code-switching in the classrooms or outside if this helps in the learning process.

A gradual move from using English, together with other languages, only for lessons and activities towards more prominent use of the language in its standard form, would work well for both students and teachers.

The generosity of Negri Sembilan royal trusts (Tuanku Ja'afar Educational Trust, Tuanku Najihah Foundation and Yayasan Tunku Naquiyuddin), Yayasan Negri Sembilan, HSBC Malaysia and Hap Seng Consolidated has enabled the successful implementation of the Piers programme to raise the standard of English, Maths and Science in 110 primary schools, involving 340 teachers and 45,000 students in Negri Sembilan and Sabah since 2006.

This year, I am launching a secondary school adaptation programme which will use the same approach, with some improvements. This Secondary English Language Enrichment and Communication Teaching (Select) project aims to help young Malaysians get a quality education and better employment opportunities.

Select employs, supports and manages experienced and qualified native speakers as teachers and consultants to raise the standard of English, Maths and Science in secondary schools.

The first English Language teacher consultant will be based at a school in Kuala Pilah. This person will teach Communication English and collaborate with about 40 Malaysian colleagues and a cluster of six to 10 secondary schools.

The consultant will draw up a training programme to upgrade teachers' proficiency in English, improve teaching methodology and serve as a resource person and adviser to senior teachers.

The first Select project will be funded, again, by the three Negri Sembilan royal trusts, with the support of the education authorities. I am confident Select will be as successful as the Piers project.

I urge those interested, whether from the government or private sector, to consider a nationwide adoption of the delivery mechanism.

Moreover, there is no evidence to show that the use of Bahasa Malaysia will decline if English were to be used as the medium of instruction for the two technical subjects.

Ask the Chinese, Singaporeans, Dutch, Swedes and Germans, all of whom have successfully experienced English and other bilingual mediums of instruction in the education system of their country.