<div dir="ltr">
<div class="">
<p class="">
Published:
Monday December 1, 2014 MYT 12:31:00 PM
<br>
Updated:
Monday December 1, 2014 MYT 3:04:57 PM
</p>
<h2 class="">
Idris Jusoh: Initiatives for students to learn third language already in place
</h2>
<p id="content_1_TopHeadTextByLine" class="">by <a href="http://www.thestar.com.my/Authors?q=Ann+Marie+Khor">ann-marie khor</a></p>
<div class="">
<div class="">
<ul><div id="gigya-share_top_TW_gig_containerParent" class="">
<div id="gigya-share_top_FB" class="" style="float:left"><div class=""><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap"><div class=""><div id="gigya-share_top_FB-reaction0" class="" title="" alt=""><img src="http://clips.thestar.com.my/social/btn_facebook.png"></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>
<div id="gigya-share_top_TW" class="" style="float:left"><div class=""><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap"><div class=""><div id="gigya-share_top_TW-reaction0" class="" title="" alt=""><img src="http://clips.thestar.com.my/social/btn_twitter.png"></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>
<div id="gigya-share_top_GO" class="" style="float:left"><div class=""><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap"><div class=""><div id="gigya-share_top_GO-reaction0" class="" title="" alt=""><img src="http://clips.thestar.com.my/social/btn_googlePlus.png"></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>
<div id="gigya-share_top_LN" class="" style="float:left"><div class=""><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap"><div class=""><div id="gigya-share_top_LN-reaction0" class="" title="" alt=""><img src="http://clips.thestar.com.my/social/btn_linkedin.png"></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>
<div id="gigya-share_top_PR" class="" style="float:left;padding:0px 4px 0px 0px">
</div>
<div id="gigya-share_top_EM" class="" style="float:left"><div class=""><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;white-space:nowrap"><br></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>
</div></ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="content_1_pnlMedia" class="">
<img src="http://www.thestar.com.my/%7E/media/Images/TSOL/Photos-Gallery/Nation/2014/12/01/idrisjusohthirdlanguage0112.ashx?w=620&h=413&crop=1&" alt="From left: Education Ministry deputy secretary general Datuk Nasir Mat Dam, Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Open University Malaysia president Tan Sri Anuwar Ali during National Lifelong Learning Seminar launch."><p class="">From
left: Education Ministry deputy secretary general Datuk Nasir Mat Dam,
Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Open University
Malaysia president Tan Sri Anuwar Ali during National Lifelong Learning
Seminar launch.</p>
</div>
<div class="">
<div class="">
</div>
</div>
<p>KUALA LUMPUR: The Education
Ministry has already been encouraging students to take up a language
other than Bahasa Malaysia and English, said Second Education Minister
Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.</p>
<p>"It is not unusual to learn a third language, or even more. We have
already put forth initiatives to encourage students to pick up Mandarin,
Tamil or Japanese. So, it is nothing new," said Idris when asked about
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's call for students,
especially from the Malay community, to master a third language.</p>
<p>At the Umno general assembly, Muhyiddin had said that the third
language policy was already included in the schooling system, but added
that too few took up the option.</p>
<p>However, Idris said this was because Malaysians were not accustomed
to taking up a new language, which was why it was considered "odd".</p><div style="float:left;width:100%" id="content_1_inlineAd" class="">
<div id="inlineAd1">
<div id="div-gpt-ad-1392882089877-0" style="width:600px">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>"In Western countries, learning a new language is so natural, even if
it is not native to them. Here, it is not part of the 'culture', which
is why most people find it difficult to pick up a different language,"
he said after the launch of the National Lifelong Learning Seminar at
Dewan Tun Hussein Onn, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here Monday.</p>
<p>On another issue, Idris said the ministry was also aware of the
availability of drugs such as marijuana at local higher learning
institutions, as published in <em>The Sta</em>r on Nov 11.</p>
<p>"We are aware of how serious this issue is and will be looking into
ways of overcoming the misuse of drugs among students at colleges and
universities," he said.</p><p><a href="http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/12/01/Education-third-language-initiative-already-in-place/">http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/12/01/Education-third-language-initiative-already-in-place/</a><br></p><p><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
</div>