We need good English teachers

IT is welcome news indeed that the Star Media Group (SMG) Bhd is set to use its digital education platform to help 20,000 English language teachers prepare for their Malaysian University English Test (MUET).

The test is used to assess proficiency levels and to indicate what skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) need remedial action (“SMG to help English language teachers ace MUET”; online at bit.ly/star_muet).

The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 emphasised that, apart from proficiency in our national language, Malaysia needs to be English-proficient, as it is the international language of communication in the workplace and among businesses. It also found that “Malaysia’s 15%-20% instructional time in English may be insufficient for students to build operational proficiency”.

Hence, besides the government allocating sufficient funding to provide more English classes in schools and universities, competent English teachers are critical.

Hence, the SMG digital English project for English language teachers will serve as a practical and sound complementary tool to help raise the standards of English.

Competent English teachers will be able to give a solid English language foundation to children looking to master STEM courses. STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education is, arguably, a critical requirement in striving to build a skilled, innovative and high-income society that benefits all Malaysians.

We can see that Hong Kong and Singapore’s strong bilingual education policy, focusing on English competence, has been key to the two countries becoming regional financial centres and advanced economies.

Also, students not taught by competent English teachers are likely to end up with poor English skills; and poor English is one of the reasons graduates are suffering from unemployment and are unable to realise their full potential – a loss-loss for these frustrated graduates and our nation’s productivity levels.