THE FATE OF ENGLISH

Stick with English Language, Ministry told.

The Borneo Post on February 7, 2009, interviewed many parents about the issues. Many of them still want the subjects Maths and Sciences to be taught in English.I agree that the ministry must stick with English as a medium in the teaching of these two subjects. The English of students have improved. The trend of passing in these subjects cannot be used as yardstick to measure the success of English because the syallabus in these subjects are getting demanding and perhaps we are undergoing the transition period. One day, the students of Sarawak will be at par in English as the students before the late 70s. Many people are still unable to write good English in their job. The management faces real problem looking for and identifying subordinates who are well-versed in the language. Those posts that involve foreign affairs are really tough for those who are handicapped in English. They cannot communicate well with the outside world. If the people are weak in English, how can they expect to understand or take advantage of the globalisation. How can they be able to surf the internet that is mostly in English?I believe that the ministry had made the correct decision to use English in these subjects while maintaining BM in the other subjects. As such, the ministry is able to produce students who are good both in English and Bahasa Malaysia.GO AHEAD WITH ENGLISH. NO TURNING BACK.


Give it a chance: Lam Thye

In the Borneo Post, Tuesday, March 10, 2009, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye felt that there is no need for scrapping the policy of teaching of Science and Mathematics in English. I am 100% agree with him that it should continue on for the good of Malaysia. It would be very good if the citizen can master both languages in facing globalisation. Those who are handicapped in English will have trouble facing and communicating with the whole world. If it is our teachers who are not proficient, then they should take extra English classes. How can we blame the student when the teachers are still struggling with the language. Yes, send them for more English course.


Maths, Sciences in BM or mother tongue: Don

In the Borneo Post, Tuesday, March 10, 2009, Dr Ting Chek Ming felt that it would be better if these subjects are taught in BM or mother tongues at the early stage.I don't agree with the ideas. This will create more havoc in the country. If the Malay or Chinese or Indian wants it to be in their language, the natives of Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak also want these subjects to be in their own languages. They also want a fair portion of such policy. Why should it benefit only a particular or major race. The minority also want their right to learn Maths and Science in their own language. In the end, we will have hundreds of schools that teach in different languages. It's not easy to manage!

To make it only in BM or chinese or indian, is unfair for the other races. Why not make it to use a language that none of if our mother tongue. Somehow, English is a fair choice. You know, many Penan, Kayan, Kelabit, Iban, Bidayuh are not good in BM. To force them using BM may be disadvantages but advantages to the Malays.To be fair, let stick to current policy.Mind your English

I think the current government policy on using English in Mathematics and Science subjects is timely and be maintained. A compulsory pass in English at SPM level is a must to ensure that students are serious in the subject. I think, we have enough subjects to make BM at same par as English. Perhaps, passing BM at SPM level can be made compulsory as well.Many parents love to send their children overseas. If their children are weak in English, they might as well forget about sending them overseas or risk wasting their hard-earn money. Under the current policy, students are catching up with English. In town schools, many young students are not shy communicating in English with their mates. They can also communicate in BM quite well. We must not give up on the current policy for the good of our children.I notice that our DPM has been quite fluent in English lately than when he was a MB before. No wonder he supports the policy as he sees the benefits of it while he's at the helm of his career. He is no longer shy in 'speaking' in public.The career is really bad when one cannot write a good English. It's not easy to express ideas with bad English.

I GO FOR MAINTAINING THE CURRENT POLICY ON ENGLISH!Keep it up!!!!!
CHEERS!


It’s BM from 2012: DPM

Reported in The Star 09 July 2009, the DPM announced that Maths and Sciences will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia in 2012. This idea supports a 1Malaysia policy but all young non-Malay students are struggling to understand Maths and Science in BM which is not their mother tongue. They are no better than they are using English; there is no difference for them using either English or BM; they are still handicapped in these languages because they are not their mother-tongue. Only the Malays benefit the most.

There were mixed reactions from the parents and the students. Main problems in falling grade pass in the examination results and measures to address it have been identified. One of the main issues for reversed decision is, majority of the Malaysian students could not understand English well in solving the problems/questions in the subjects. Since BM is not a stranger language to the Malaysians, it might as well be used totally in teaching these subjects. But they forget the fact that non-Malay still struggle with the language and is not widely spoken among the ethnics sepecially the Dayak, Dusun, Orang Asli etc. The move as a whole benefits the Malay students more but the other ethnics may still struggle with the BM in these subjects. So, the policy may not be friendly to the other races.For students who want to pursue further study overseas would be in troubles expressing their mathematical and scientific thinkings in English. So, students who wish to study in science stream better do it in Malaysia in BM.

Teaching in English is still in the transitional stage before good results are seen. We have to give it another ten years to see if we can be at par with Singapore. During this transition stage, many teachers, especially the West Malaysians, are transitional in English, no doubt they can speak English. In most cases, the students are found to be better than their teachers in English. Many teachers were from BM medium before so how much can we expect them expressing their teaching in English. Now, when thing is getting tough, we are just hangat-hangat tahi ayam implementing the policy and thinking that reversing the decision is a way out of trouble without realizing that the other races are the victims of not learning in their own mother tongues. In this manner, we will never reach the standard of English that our neighbours Singapore had achieved. In many cases, students write or speak better English than the teachers themselves. When this happens, there would be frustration among teachers in delivering the lessons in English. Writing scientific thoughts in English is not easy as telling fairytale in BM. I think, the non-Malays are still status quo in achieving the result that we want if they use BM. Many non-Malays will still struggle using the BM as a medium in Maths and Sciences likewise they use English. In fact, I think they are better off if English is used in these subjects.Many professionals who were taught in BM medium cannot express scientific thoughts in BM as well. So, what can we expect in expressing them in English if they are not good in English!

Reversing the decision is just like fighting for a 1Malay Policy. To be fair to every race in Malaysia, for a 1Malaysia Policy to materialize and fair to everybody, all subjects must be taught in English! Even the instruction in the BM papers must be in English. Going back to BM will simply benefits the Malays only.