I spotted this article in the TES a few weeks back.
View from here - Malays on an English battlefield
I had not really thought a great deal about the language issues in Malaysia but it looks like it's a live debate.
Also, I spotted at the bottom of the story that 'Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government would continue to ensure Malay was the official teaching language.' I think that certain subjects are the exception to this. Might need to brush up on my Bahasa...
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This could be one of the areas that we will be able to explore- diplomatically when we meet teachers and pupils. It is one coic- with two sides - Malaysia is striving to become an education hub - and opportunities with the west will be greater with strength in English language. Equally, geographically they have strong links to the East and to China and they want to build on these.
ReplyDeleteFrom a linguistic point of view I think that the pattern is that - the younger pupils learn languages the better - however whether it needs to be taught through Science and Maths specifically is probably open to debate.
This is an interesting issue and I empathise with the Malay's desire to maintain their native language as the primary language in schools. However, I don't think that choosing to teach in another language will necessarily jeoparidise their culture. Countries like France and Germany encourage mastering at least one foreign language which has not diminished their culture, in fact, one could argue it has enhanced it as both countries are known for excellent language skills and the ability to trade in international markets. That said, I'm sure this has been achieved without necessarily teaching all subjects, and especially Maths and English, in English (or another foreign language).
ReplyDeleteI meant Maths and Science in the last sentence!
ReplyDeleteHi! I just joined this blog today, before leaving for the UK tomorrow, and so couldn't resist contributing to this one. It's a complex issue, which I'm sure you will hear a lot about while you are here. Dr Mahahdir's swan song before stepping down as PM was to implement the reintroduction of English as the medium of instruction in BOTH primary and secondary, to be phased in over 5 years. He did this with the best of motives, and at the time it was generally accepted (since it came from him). However, the IMPLEMENTATION was chronically badly prepared, the training ill conceived, inadequate and drastically and underfunded, and badly delivered. Massive amounts of money were watsted on IT, rather than effective teacher training. Every teacher was given a notebook. Most disappeared to teachers homes for their kids, or broke, or were virus ridden. In addition, the government has hugely underestimated the low levels of English in rural areas, something CfBT has become only too well aware of in its work here. A prominent intellectual from downtown KL, dripping in gold at a conference 3 years ago said "EFL in Malaysia is dead" She dreams. Once you get beyond the urban areas, English is a foreign, not a second language. The Ministry is in denial. CfBT's work over the past 8 years has been very much involved in training primary English and Maths/Science teachers. They lack confidence, and that in turn inhibits their use of English. One of our main jobs has been to "unlock" that little box inside, which has all that English from their 12 (yes 12) years of English lessons as kids. There are political issues, which unfortunately may override any sensible educational ones. The new PM has just appointed a new Minister of Education, and so the long-awaited decision as to whether EFM&S should be retained in Primary schools (it will most certainly continue in secondary) is further delayed. The problem is that the Govt is only too well aware of the importance of English, and that a good foundation needs to be laid at primary level, whether in English lessons alone, or in M&S too. However, at the same time, the grass roots rural voters, whom the Govt is losing in droves to the opposition these days, is pretty convinced that English, while being important, should come second to the national language in education. There are religious conotations too, where English is seen as a tool for corrupting the country's youth.What do I think? I would put my money on it being retained, and hopefully along with that decision, some sensible planning and funding which involves some well-planned and realistic in-service training over a realistic period of time. I also think that too much was done too soon. As ever there is the "Malaysia boleh" (Malysia can do) attitude which pervades evryhting here. In their eagerness to forge ahead, little real thought is given to sustainability. We are trying to do our bit in persuading the powers that be to adopt a longer term more focussed approach to systemic change.
ReplyDeleteOh....an important post script. There are currently 22,000 non optionist teachers teaching English, (never mind Maths and Science). The vast majority of these are in rural areas. Non optionists include those who have either been trained to teach other subjects (in the national language) or haven't received much formal training at all.
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