Malaysia: English, a must to get ahead

[Harold Schiffman]

Wednesday December 12, 2007

English, a must to get ahead

*By TAN SHIOW CHIN*

SERI KEMBANGAN: Enabling young people to keep up with rapid advances in
science and technology is a pertinent objective of the English for the
Teaching of Mathematics and Science (ETeMS) policy. Former Malaysia Airlines
managing director and chief executive officer Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul
Rahman made this point yesterday at the National Colloquium on the Teaching
of Mathematics and Science in English.  "The advances in computing and
technology are changing every day, and those changes are (happening) in
English," he said after giving the keynote address at the event organised by
the Malaysian English Language Teaching Association.

According to Abdul Aziz, ETeMS has two purposes: to ensure that students are
proficient in English, and to give them access to the knowledge available in
English.  "The second objective is very pertinent, but the first objective
is rather doubtful," he said.  "In my own experience, the best way to learn
English is by studying English literature."  Many of the speakers at the
colloquium agreed that more time was needed for the successful
implementation of the policy.  Education Ministry Curriculum Development
Centre deputy director Ali Abdul Ghani said: "If we talk about a complete
cycle, it will be six plus five – 11 years."   National Union of the
Teaching Profession general treasurer Harry Tan Huat Hock said that while
the majority of teachers had accepted the policy, the process of changing
the medium of instruction from Bahasa Malaysia to English was a painful one
and more time was needed.  Child Health, Information, Learning and
Development Centre founder trustee Dr N. Iyngkaran and United Chinese School
Committees Association of Malaysia (*Dong Jiao Zong*) Examination Section
director Assoc Prof Dr Yoong Suan presented research findings which showed
that young children make better progress learning in their mother tongue
than in a second or third language.

*The Star* is the media sponsor for the event.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/12/nation/19735811&sec=nation

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