Get more qualified English teachers

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After some thought, the Ministry of Education has finally engaged foreign volunteers and native-speaking teachers to teach students an acceptable standard of English. The number of these teachers is small. The measure is only short-term.

   To be realistic and effective, we shall need a large number of English teachers – hundreds, if not thousands of them – to bridge the deplorable language gap and correct the inadequacy. 

   There was a time when the country made use of the US Peace Corps for assistance. We can still and should do it even if it means tolerating Americanisms. The British Council can lend a hand but its fees are quite hefty.

   Learning English is a slow process that takes at least 11 years, if not longer. Unlike most languages, English is a changing, international language with its rich literature, fundamental grammar, unique pronunciation and different parts of speech.

  Punctuation, idioms, proverbs, colloquialism, French and Latin influences, new word borrowings and diverse styles of writing make the language even more intriguing. Each year hundreds of newly-coined words are added to the English vocabulary.

   The rules are quite simple; the bedrock of English is grammar. Malaysian students have to learn the basics before progressing to more challenging areas such as style of writing and poetry.  The government must decide whether students and teachers should accept Americanisms which occasionally seep into British English owing to the flood of US films, songs, novels and magazines. An increasing number of Malaysians are using words like “faucets” (taps), “elevators” (lifts), “apartments” (flats) and “programs” (programmes).  

   For decades, Malaysians have been proud of using British English without the American corruption of the language. With graduates returning from the US, American English is often used. Even American accent is heard occasionally.

   The Ministry of Education does not seen to know the British-American differences. Some American spellings have appeared in English textbooks without its knowledge.

   The ministry has to determine whether students are going to study British or American English. A fixed policy has to be outlined, otherwise there will be widespread confusion.

   Poor command of spoken English

   The reliance on foreign English teachers is inevitable at a time when the standard of English is shockingly low. The importance of the language has been overlooked and the proper teaching of it has been neglected for more than 30 years. In simple equation, we have three generations of school-leavers who were not properly trained in English usage.

    Today we have university graduates and government servants who are unable to converse in English proficiently. It is no surprise that even some ministers and senior government officials have a poor command of spoken English. Thank goodness, our Prime Minister passes the grade. 

    Perhaps the most pathetic outcome is that English-class teachers cannot speak fluent English, let alone write it. They ought to undergo crash courses in English along with government department heads and high-ranking officials, otherwise the blind will be leading the ignorant.

   The situation is going to worsen when vital school subjects like maths and science are to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia in the name of unity. You cannot expect students to be maths- or science-savvy when politics or racialism is injected into education. They are knowledge-based and research-oriented subjects, and they change with new discoveries and theories.

   Politicians often talk about economic development, technological advancement and education excellence. In educational and learning terms, however, we are going backward.

   The learning, relearning and reawakening processes have to start in the Ministry of Education, schools and colleges/universities.

   For a start, politics has to be outlawed in education.