Movies, an avenue to fun language learning
THE 120 teachers and students who attended The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) contest finals this year in Menara Star, Petaling Jaya, were delighted to receive a complimentary pass each to watch a movie at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC).
The passes were sponsored by GSC as part of their support towards Star Media Group’s EBO (English for Better Opportunities) project.
Apart from delivering enriching cinematic experiences to its customers, GSC also aims to do its part in boosting English language proficiency.
Form Six student Ariv Anaandha Chelvam said: “Good English films with good plots are always my cup of tea. These movies can help me learn new vocabulary and how to use them as well as help improve my enunciation.”
The student from Methodist Boys’ Secondary School, Kuala Lumpur, also added that students absorb lessons faster when they enjoy it.
“The knowledge is then retained in our memories for a long time.
“Learning is all about having fun! Language lessons can get really boring and technical but if we enjoy learning a language, we tend to go the extra mile for it,” said Ariv during the finale of the Star Flicks movie poster contest.
With English as one of the country’s leading languages next to Bahasa Malaysia, GSC chief executive officer Koh Mei Lee believes that there is still a lot of room for the language proficiency to improve in Malaysia.
“There are many reports about job seekers, especially fresh graduates, SPM and diploma holders out there who still struggle with English as a primary language for communication.
“Nonetheless, many of the media that these young adults consume are mainly in English, with movies being primarily one of the many sources of entertainment they look forward to.
“As such, we – as a leading cinema exhibitor in the country – are confident that we can make a difference by using movies to reach out and connect with children and young adults, using it as a platform to enhance their English competency.
“By working hand-in-hand with The Star to tackle the issue, we can make learning English fun and exciting, adding some dimension and depth to the educational approach that The Star is taking with its NiE programme.”