Wrong to learn english by enforcing the student to study it in Science and Mathematics subject!!

Salam Ramadhan...

I will give my comment regarding on aboved matter soon.

This issue is a policy issue. It is national issue. It is BIG issue because it is impacting all of our children! My daughter, your daughter and sons !

I will write in detail soon...

zainul@nst.com.my

Salam..

Dear Mr Zainul,

First and foremost I would like to share with you that I am not anti English language. I love and enjoy English language and I have been subscribing and read NST on daily basis since 1990 till nowadays.

I also want to see others people able to improve their English language particularly our young generation able to read, write and speak English language. Also at the same time i want our own national language which is Bahasa Melayu could be an integration tool among all Malaysians.

Your article under the subject title “Let parents decide on English policy” on last Wednesday, September 3, 2008 in New Straits Times newspaper is referred. My comment is I partially agreed with your suggestion to let the parents decided what is the best solution regarding on this policy.

As you aware that if we want to know about how to make a best roti canai, so you must refer it to Roti Canai specialist! What i understood from your point was you wanted to know about the Roti canai matter but you have asked and referred it to wrong party which is the car mechanic!

Therfore, I interested to share a few comment and article from expert or specialist regarding the policy to teach Science and Mathematics in English language.

(1) I believed your have read one article on Thursday, September 4, 2008 in NST at page 15 included the interview with Royal Professor Ungku Aziz (Pak Ungku). I impressed with the that subject heading title which stated as " Wrong to learn language this way"!

I extracted a few important points on that article:

(a) It is wrong to use subjects to teach English. This is the consensus of educationists on the deteriorating standard of the language among Malaysian students.

(b) Pak Ungku said : For people to learn the language properly, they must be taught grammar and syntax from the kindergarten, primary, secondary and even up to first year of university.

*Note : That points was said by Pak Ungku who is one of the best intellectual person in Malaysia. If you are not agreed and against with Pak Ungku points, i hope you could share your points in your next article!

(2) Comment by National Union of Heads of Schools President Pang Chong Leong also agreed with the argument AGAINST using English as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics.

The reason Science involves a lot of thinking while Mathematics does not use too much language and vocabulary. In addition, if the intention is to improve the pupils' English, then they should start with the ARTS subject such as moral studies and also INCREASE the number of English periods.

(3) According to National Union Teaching Profession (NUTP) Secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng, the NUTP also argued for young pupils to be taught the basics of English before it was used as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics.

"Pupils in Year 1 to 3 should be given thorough grounding in English before they are exposed to the concepts and terms in the two subjects ( Science and Mathematics ).

*Note : I believe you can't label and accuse that all above person ( Pak Ungku, Pang and Lok) is a politicians ...right! They are honest person who gave their opinion and suggestion for the best of our future generation.

To add I believe you have read today article ( September 7 , Sunday in NST ) regarding the study reveals policy's flaws.

According to the survey and research which was conducted by University Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) , professor Emeritus Datuk Isahak Haron who is the study leader and also he is a lecturer at the Faculty of Cognitive Science and Human Development said that the policy has failed to achieve its goals.

Therefore, if you read the article in details, you will notice how bad is the finding result from that survey!

*Note: Again if you argue and against about the about the finding results of that survey, or you argue about the method used to make a survey study, i glad you could share your opinion and suggestion in your article.

(3) I would like to share my personal experience about the correct technique to learn the English language.

In 1986 i took the SRP and 1988 the SPM exam. However in both examination, i obtained P7 grade for English! If you could recall, the P7 grade result is near to get a Fail grade which is F9! :)

God bless i still able to enter the Matriculation centre in Kulim whereby from that moment i studied by myself what is the best technique in order to learn English language.

I still remember during my year 2 in Matriculation i didn't know anything about the English grammar such as Present Tense, Future Tense, Past tense and etc. Till one moment when i was requested by one of my English teacher ( she was a Chinese female ) to give a short speech in front of my class.

I did my best to give a presentation but as expected i can give the 5% marks because i miserably failed to speak! Then, the turning point in my life started when that good English teacher said to me in that class which all my class mate witnessed it that i need to enter the STANDARD 1 back to learn English subject!

Yes. I admitted that I didn’t know English language. Then i promised to myself that whatever challenge i need to face, so by hook or by crook i need to master English language.

By formulating my own technique ( similar method like as what was suggested by Pak Ungku which is you need firstly to master the grammar and syntax of English ) , so step-by-step I tried to learn English.

I started with I had bought the English grammar book. I learnt by myself about the grammar such as how and when to use the Present Tense, Future Tense. Also how the Active and Passive statement could be built.

I noticed to learn language especially English required a lot of consistent effort and determination.

I also bought the NST newspaper on daily basis because it is not enough you know the grammar without you try to relate it with the real situation. Meaning when you read one sentence in NST article so what i did is i try to understand and relate what is the tenses which is used for that sentences!

In case you got a problem for instance you don't know what is the meaning of certain word so you must open the dictionary, It is okay whether you use the English-English dictionary or English-Bahasa. As long as you could know what is the meaning of the verb, so your objective is achieved....right!

I 100% support with the NST - Newspaper In Education (NIE) program. Through NIE program, the school is provided and supplied with the NST newspaper. The teacher also could participate in that NIE program whereby they could learn the best and correct technique how to use the material from NST newspaper in their classroom activity.

The studied and survey made by UiTM under graduates in Dungun found that this NST-NIE program is a successful method in order to improve the English among the students.

As a result, I hope you could seriously try to listen with what i am trying to share with you. I believe you are a professional who personally write your article without any political motive behind of you.

I wish to get your comment in your next article regarding on this matter. Hope you could respond it in a more positive manner!

In conclusion, we ( the Government and all parties) must admit that this policy is a failure and our present government have put our next future generation in unnecessary test-bed platform risk. Also damage has been greatly made and repair is required to be made as quickly as possible.

Hopefully our next future generation could forgive to what happen to them and not curse us for what happen to them later. First and foremost this current leadership must admit the failure of this policy and must bravely take a remedial effort as quickly as possible before it is too late!

Please do it for the best interest of our children and our young next generation!

Thank you.

Wassalam..