Proficient way to better English

ENGLISH language proficiency is an important factor in employability, especially in an era of globalisation. While the level of proficiency among local undergraduates continues to be poor, should universities be responsible for improving their English language skills or should it come under the purview of teachers in schools?

For most Malaysians, the English language is taught to them formally through the education system from primary to tertiary level.

Dr Hazita Azman, a professor of Applied Linguistics and Literacy at the Centre for Literacy and Sociocultural Transformation at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), said these formal encounters are limited in terms of hours, use of the language and restricted to fundamental linguistic knowledge about the language.

At the same time, she added, as the English language is foreign to the majority of students, learning it will be a lifelong endeavour.

Associate Professor Dr Arshad Abd Samad, who is Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Centre for the Advancement of Language Competence director, said English proficiency is required at various levels of a student’s education and at each, there is a different emphasis.

Arshad added that schools should provide students with basic proficiency to communicate in the language while universities focus on its academic aspect.

Language experts refer to these two kinds of language abilities as Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency.

“Universities often find that some students are unable to use basic interpersonal language and therefore need to improve their ability before they can move on to the more demanding aspects of academic English.”

Over-reliance on instructors and institutions beats the purpose of preparing students for the workplace. If they consider themselves to be functioning adults, then they have to behave and learn like one.

ABU BAKAR RAZALI