English?

I read with interest John Lee's opinion http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/john-lee/20247-a-question-of-effective-communication on effective communication and not just the language. The policy of teaching math and science in english with the intention of improving the communication of english among students is good. We should thank Dr Mahatir for having the political will to implement this policy. However, here is where the problem arises; having an aim but without the necessary review and plan to achieve the policy. We have to see the overall weakness of the system in the implementation, the resources that is available.

Personally, in my opinion, english should be thought as an additional language as no language is as important as english in global communication. When, I was in secondary school in the early eighties, english was thought as a second language and purely for communication purposes only. No need to know poems, nouns, pronouns, adjectives etc. Just pure communication. Most classes are just reading classes as it helps to improve communication english. At that time, the policy have changed and that all textbook are in Bahasa Malaysia. This lay a good foundation if you nee to be goodin written english. When I was in the university in Malaya University, english was a compulsory subject and it pains me to see many bright students unable to even read from a book. Something must be wrong?

If we read Lee Kuan Yew's memoir, back in the eighties, he has also seen that graduates from Nanyang Technological Institute in which the medium of instruction is mandarin is not employable. He therefore instructed that all medium of instruction and textbook be in English. However after one year, here is where the problem is, form the administration right to the teaching staff, all were conversing in Mandarin and also the medium of instuction that defeats the purpose of the policy and textbook being in English. Mandarin was too ingrain in the staff for a change to occur. He therefore, instructed that Nanyang Technical Institute be absorbed into National University of Singapore that solved the problem. The staff has no choice but to converse in English as NUS staff all speaks in English.

What I am proposing is that there are problems in implementation but with the right will, these problems can be overcome. For example, a lot of urban chinese school still teaches science and math in mandarin as an additional subject. A generation of lost policy cannot be corrected in a few years.

What we must acknowledge is that the policy is right and not go back. We will be worse off. We need to shout out loud that the policy is right and that mistakes have been made along the way but however we should be progressing in that direction. We need to constructively give our opinions on how to get the policy right on track and I believe if the education ministry is smart enough, they will get the right people to implement them.

So much for talk, I make sure that I converse to m children in English while they can their communication skills n mandarin and Bahasa in school.